Robert Lewis - 123 Mixture pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 19 of 19 reviews of this tobacco
skippy	02/01/2010	Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
i enjoy cigar blended tobaccos this is more noticeable to both nose and palate than Fox Bankers. it seems to have a more complete finish and stays ful in the mouth longer. Arrived a little wet but dries nicely and does not change to the bottom of the bowl satisfying smoke
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mr.335	10/10/2009	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
i came across this blend by accident i wanted to buy an old dublin by petersons but the shop didnt have it and they offered me this one and i have to say this is one fine english blend with cigar flavour...it usually takes me 2 weeks to smoke a tin but i finished this one in a week..its that tasty..HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for english blend lovers.
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flakesmoker	09/25/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
Any lover of rich english blends should enjoy this flavourful blend.The cigar leaf is fairly up front mixing with grand orientals. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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Kapnismologist	06/11/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
As presented by its latest blender Kohlhase & Kopp, Robert Lewis 123 Mixture is comprised of short and broken black ribbons tossed with dull brown and washed-out tan ribbons which are thin and stringy. A few strands of what appear to be light olive Oriental(s) appear here and there. Although tastes vary, to this reviewer it is rather rather unattractive in appearance due to the bland, chalky colors of the ribbons. The cut lies somewhere in between a thin English-style ribbon and a shag. The tin nose is quite fragrant, with a pleasant smokiness and rounded sweetness sitting alongside a slightly buttery aroma reminiscent of overripe breadfruit. Possessing a number of years of tin age, the interior disc and envelope of the sample upon which this review is based were quite stained and a just a bit oily, although the mixture itself was quite moist upon opening. The mixture packs well although the ribbons are anything but springy and tend, even when dry, to clump a bit. In the bowl, 123 Mixture offers a mixture of sweet, tangy, sour, and smoky notes supported by a pleasant bitterness. Structurally, the flavor profile tends towards the typical English mixture, although the cigar leaf adds a notable creaminess which nicely complements the earthy sourness of the Orientals and the sweetness of the Virginias. The Latakia adds a light smoky note which persists throughout the bowl, but never takes center stage. Medium to full bodied, it has a dry and somewhat spicy finish which has a tendency to become astringent Although heavily laden with humectants, Robert Lewis 123 Mixture is an interesting example of an English mixture topped with cigar leaf. Certainly not the best in class, and probably not an ideal candidate for long term cellaring, it nevertheless deserves at least one try by fans of the genre.
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Nick O'Teen	06/20/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
123 Mixture is a nice, flavorful blend. The addition of the Havana leaf makes this one an interesting diversion from the ordinary Medium English. If you're looking for something a little different from your usual smoke, give this a try. A bit on the pricey side but a solid 3 star blend.
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Zone Smoke	05/18/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a cool smoking and tasty blend indeed. The latakia content is very evident while the cigar leaf adds a nice, flavorful touch. Not overly wet or dry out of the tin, it burns clean and without re-lights. No noticible bite. Overall a very impressive blend.
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thedstnguishdgntlmn	09/14/2006	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I would like to thank "Pipeline" for mentioning this blend in his review of Dominican Glory Maduro.This is truly an excellent English blend with an enormous amt. of character.This is very hard to come by,but is worth the search.I opened the tin and immediately thought "Dunhill Durbar". The tin aroma is very similar to Durbar,yet somehow a little different.It has a distinct cigar note to it.The blend is a long, stringy,and moist.It packs well, and upon first light,one immediately senses the most rewarding cigar flavor.The blend is definitely English and has a fair amt. of Latakia, yet these 2 potent tobaccos meld together in a most harmonious way providing a full bodied rich smoke.It is superior to most of the cigar blends I have smoked including the wonderful "Churchill" by Wilke.It is a very expensive blend but well worth every penny.If you like cigars or English blends with a twist this might be for you.After dinner it makes a wonderful smoke.I purchased it at Uhles in Milwaukee and have been very satisfied. I hope all cigar loving pipesmokers give this one a whirl! ====================== Up date 9/14/06- This really turned Lousy in respects. A 13$ rip off. Kohlhase Kopp stuck again. Take a pass!Hot garbage in a tin with bad cigar leaf.
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Meerschaum Man	03/01/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
I have recently developed a taste for English blends with full bodied cigar leaf added. I have little to no experience with cigars, so I cannot relate to the claim of Cuban cigar flavour. This is an entertaining smoke where sweet Virginia leaf submits to the smooth & mellow Cuban leaf in a pleasing way for a smoking experience that builds as you burn it. Light & dark browns mix with near jet black in this ribbon cut mixture by Kohlhase & Kopp. A sweet bouquet drifts from the tin. Imported by Monjure, it speaks well of another German blend. The slightly acrid taste of the Virginia leads me to suspect that my tins have been sitting in a B&M for awhile - ignored by the masses. The only matter I would change would be to change the cut from fine to coarse. Also, I wonder what a good pressing would do for this already excellent blend. I recommend this blend to those seeking a rich tasting, slow burning smoking expreience. Meerschaum Man Smoking a Yanik Inverted Skull
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emmbee	11/21/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Mild	Unnoticeable
On a recent trip to Uhle?s, Milwaukee, my piper friend picked up a tin curious from reading all the accolades at this website. This is a blend truly deserving of the high praise it receives. It?s a full English with cigar leaf. I?ve had a couple of other cigar blends but was not impressed. Wilke?s Churchill, though excellent in flavor, takes its physical toll on me as it burns and closes my throat. Iwan Ries?s crushed plug with cigar almost killed me with fits of choking and gagging. McClelland?s Domenican Glory maduro cigar offering is impossible to keep lit, as it?s dominated by sweet Virginias. On the other hand, 123 makes up for all the bad experimentation in attempting to marry pipe with cigar tobacco. This is a carefully balanced English with just the right amount of cigar leaf adding condimental perfection. It?s a smoky, spicy, peaty blend, with all the elements coming fairly into play and none overpowering the other. It?s the only pipe/cigar mixture that works harmoniously, and I will continue to enjoy this fine blend. I?m curious to try other Robert Lewis offerings over time. Four of five stars ------------------ update november 2005 like dunhill, iwan ries three star & others, something has happened here. this is now an outsourced tin of turd. tin aroma is grassy & mossy like 965 or standard mild mixture, but without that dunhillian smokiness & none of the elegance. the cigar leaf has been castrated from the blend; there is none in here. this is no longer an english blend, but rather, an english hybrid made by dann or kolhasse in germany. the tin has changed & so has the contents within. aromatically it's wingfield; in taste it's flat, insipid & boring. oh, i forgot, metrosexualism has all but banned smoking in england, and america is not far behind. requiescat in pace, robert lewis. one of five stars
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Professor	08/12/2005	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
The only time that I visited Germany was in 1974. In those days it was still 'East Germany' and 'West Germany'. When I was there, so long ago, I had a simply splendid time and even after all of these years have such fond memories of the place. I will always remember a beautiful classically-native hat that I bought (complete with a magnificently long adorning feather). Unfortunately I left that red felt hat--that Tyrolean treasure--on a train somewhere. Alas, like the train, let me move on. If you have read my previous reviews of German-made rope, you might recall that I am hardly fond of the stuff--the strongest downfall being the harshness that floods to the throat in aftertaste (quite signature). In '123 Mixture', a Robert Lewis offering, the harshness is there but it is less of an irritant than most DE weed. Beyond that, this tobacco is rather mild and does indeed (if puffed with care) have the nuances of a cigar. Having smoked a lot of Cuban cigars in my day, I cannot endorse the claim that this has Cuban cigar flavour. Still, I like this stuff and that surprises me--as does the satisfying occasional creaminess of this tobacco. '123' also burns well and has a pleasant smell. I recommend this with reservations, however. I do not plan on purchasing more any time soon, but it is worth a try if you have not had it. It may just cause to you reminisce as it did for me. Indeed, some part of me wants to make a second trip to Germany with a pipe in hand. Perhaps I can find my hat.
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sasha	07/06/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant
\This review is referred to the latest issue of this blend, now made by the german group Kolhase&Kopp. They make just one blend and then they sell it under different brand names: Astley's, Comoy, JJ Fox and now even Robert Lewis. If you smoke, for example, Astley's 99 and then JJ Fox Banker's you can't go wrong, it's exactly the same blend. Not that this is an horrible smoke, simply this mixtures share nothing with the original blends anymore.
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CantTest	06/19/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong
This tobacco is for those times when I want a full, strong smoke and I'll be smoking outside. I wouldn't know Cuban leaf from Carolina but I do know that 123 has substance without being overbearing. It's easy on the palate, has a good dose of nicotine, tastes wonderful, and burns even without need for relight if I've done a good job with packing. I let this tin sit for a couple months after opening and the moisture level is perfect. It's a little too moist when first breaking the seal. A quality smoke I have no hesitation recommending.
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JB	05/07/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I think Robert Lewis tobaccos are simply top shelf. I hold 123 and the Tree Mixture in very high regard. They remind me of long since forgotten blends that didn't try to be all things to all people. The cigar leaf in this blend simply adds support and body to the blend. It does not provide an overwhelming cigar flavor nor smell. It's a full, textured smoking experience that English lovers will most likely enjoy.
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Uban	02/14/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I smoke perhaps ninety percent of my tobacco in Dunhill Gp 1 briars or similar sized meers. Thus I am always interested when I find a blend that yields full flavor and a cool smoke in such exotica. On a slightly dissenting note, I find the Bankers' Mix to burn far too hot and even with a bit of bite in my pipes. 123, on the other hand, seems particularly suited to them. I've just finished my second tin in a (sound familiar?) 50-year-old Wally Frank with a half-pinky sized bowl. Smooth, leathery, (dare I say latakia-like?) cigar flavor was the predominant note, based in a very fine medium English. The smoke volume was enough to resemble a "chewy" wine even in the small bowl, and I have never had a hint of bite from this fine effort from Lewis. I sometimes wish cigars tasted like this! Four stars.
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preppypipe	09/01/2004	Medium	None detected	Full	Tolerable
A wonderful and complex cigar leaf blend with a rich and full flavor and aroma.It's a toss up between this and Fox's "Bankers" as to which I prefer more.I believe it will cellar well and have bought a half dozen tins for this purpose.Lewis's other big seller is "Tree Mixture", which you'd like equally if this blend appeals to you... ***Highly Recommended* prep **Update Sept. 1st "04"*** I had one of those "magical bowls" while smoking this in a half century old Wally Frank bullmoose last evening while attending a Norah Jones concert .The more I smoke this blend the more I love it.It's not what one would call a "crowd pleaser",so I do'nt always smoke it in mixed company.What a great tobacco...
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	05/11/2004	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This tobacco is, in my opinion, almost as good as its more venerable counterpart, Fox's The Bankers Mixture. Both purport to use Havana cigar leaf, high grade Virginias and a very peculiar type of unsweetened (in fact a rather bitter variety) of Black or Brown Cavendish, which other reviewers, I think, tend to mistake for Latakia leaf. The difference, however, resides in the strength. Though both tobaccos are blended by the same house, a fact that is evident in the exceeding amount of moisture in the tin, RL 123 is far less strong and captivating than the Bankers. Whereas the latter is rich and dense (very much like a formal dinner at high table), the former is almost playful and light. By this I do not mean to say it is not as good or tasty. They both are excellent mixtures, and the spirit (if not the actual leaf) of a good Havana cigar is somewhere there: in the taste, in the aroma, or in the languidness of the creamy flavor as it rolls round the palate. But I do think that RL 123 is an early morning smoke?a panetella?, whereas The Bankers is a more serious affair?an Hoyo de Monterrey. If you like a rich, dense smoke, one that is similar to Latakia Cavendish mixtures, or a plain rich Cavendish Virginia blend, you should try both. Personally, I smoke 123 after a light breakfast, with a good cup of coffee, and The Bankers after a hearty dinner, in the company of cognac or a straight Scotch.:
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	03/17/2004	Strong	None detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's supertobacco! Thanks to Joe and Steve Monjure at our local Tinder Box Pipe Night in Metairie, La., and Tim of paylesspipes, I secured two tins of this grand tobacco in September 2002. The last of those is nearly gone, and I will secure others for my cellar from Tim. HaHa! I smoked it in a new giant Ardor and in a medium large GBD from old (that is dedicated to cigar leaf). It's darn good. This is a full bodied, natural smoke. A quality cigar leaf permeates the flavor. This has a grand enlish blend, including latakia, underneath. The cigar leaf still dominates the flavor, but it is not overdone (maybe more than 10%). It is cool, dry and slow burning but heavy, so it is best for an experienced smoker who enjoys a full tobacco smoke. No bite, but on the strong side but not too strong to me. It compares favorably with Fox's (which bought out its competitor Robert Lewis years ago) Banker's blend, which has a rich cigar note too but is more of a medium smoke (also a great smoke); is not as potent as the Swiss Mogamo blend (I guess thank goodness and which has more of a latakia note); is somewhat smoother than Wilke's Churchill blend (but good); is heartier than Connoisseur's Special Reserve (all quality cigar leaf); and not a spicy as Peretti's 500 blend (which has perique too). All of these are cigar pipe blends. It's also heavier than Germain's Brown Flake (which is cigar-like) but not Gawith & Hoggarth's unscented Brown Flake (which is not cigar leaf but replicates the body of one). I'd recommend this to a person who likes the fullness of Dunhill's 965 or Fox's Provost, and also occasionally smokes a cigar. The rich earthiness of the cigar leaf is what you can appreciate most from this blend. A step up in strength from Bankers. The english tobaccos (Latakia, etc.) give it the coolness and body to boot. A winner to those who want no-nonsense, real natural tobacco flavor.
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Albion 1956	01/02/2004	Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
A true taste experience, this being the third English/Cigar leaf blend I've tried, in as many months. Robusto, and Bankers, being the other two. I will not do a comparison, however, I will say that 123 satiates the palate, in ways the others did not. I could equate this uniqeness to the cigar leaf, Dominican Cuban Seed? I'm not sure, but perhaps the credit goes to blending expertise, either way a pleasurable smoke, that comes slightly moist, but by no means topped? This blend is easy to load, and after the charring light, you can puff at your own pace, to a gray ash. Burns well, with subtle nuances of Virginia's that come out to play,with the Latakia, while the remaining leaf adds a base, but not monochromatic. While this could be an all day smoke, I would guess that a frequent visit may be more inline, a preferred pipe is reccommend.
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subagent	12/02/2003	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
Here is a blend that wants its own pipe. Or, at least, a pipe accustomed to cigar leaf blends. In Virginia pipes, it is a bit harsh and a little hot. Much of the "creamy" character is lost. In pipes reserved for English blends, it's too subdued. As I had set aside a few pipes for another favorite, GLP Robusto, I tried out 123 in them. There, it found its stride. The cigar leaf is highlighted, the Virginia adds sweetness, and whatever that other leaf is (some sort of fire cured VA?) adds a wonderful fullness. It may also have been riding the coattails of Robusto's flavor. So, to be fair to 123 (not to mention Robusto), I've set aside another pipe for it. While not as exquisitely balanced as Robusto, it is nevertheless a full and forgiving blend. It suffers my occasional rapid puffing abuse with no bitterness or bite. If for no other reason, get a tin to run through those pipes that have yet choose their tobacco-- this may just be it!
Showing reviews 1 through 19 of 19 reviews of this tobacco