Of course, Tudor Castle is a VaPer varient, unlike BS, but the yenidje serves the same purpose, giving the product an elegant and subtle finish others are better able to put into words.

In Tudor Castle, the yenidje comes through as a subtle, herbal addition balancing very nicely with the tangy/spicy perique and top-shelf virginia.

I'd smoke this all the time if it were available in bulk. It's too pricey in the tin so I treat it like a rare scotch whiskey, sipping a bit after a fine meal or special occasion.

I just opened this tin last month and the date on the bottom of the tin was 2010, so it has had some additional aging on the shelf. The tin note of this mottled chestnut flake was of fermented leaf and the moisture content was just a touch too high--it needed some airing. Though there was some sweetness in the smoke, I had expected more. The smoke displayed a mellow richness and it was somewhat dark and earthy. I found it to be surprisingly cool and smooth. The Virginias and Perique worked harmoniously and the Yenidje provided some additional interest in the aroma and another layer of complexity to the flavor. Overall, Tudor Castle displayed a distinct oriental character. It is just slightly more substantial than many other VA/PER/ORIENTAL blends in my experience.

While it is tempting to compare Tudor Castle to other blends containing VA/PER/ORIENTAL components, Tudor Castle is DIFFERENT! I enjoy Royal Vintage Blended Flake and Cairo a bit more and Pebble Cut and Sunday Picnic a bit less, but these comparisons merely reflect my tastes.

I have smoked almost the entire tin and I will no doubt purchase more. Tudor Castle doesn't quite make my current list of favorites, but that could change with time.

I have to agree with almost everything said by reviewer "Wagon25" , below.

Updated 8/25/12- I find this burns too hot and spicy and with only subtle flavor. I won't buy again , down one star

I am certainly not able to detect the amazing variety of tastes many other reviewers can, but even I can identify the Yenidje in this blend. It is different from any other taste in anything else I've smoked, and it finds a comfortable place with the VA and Perique. The balance is good.

I would offer only two minor complaints. It bites the tongue a little more easily than I would like, but that may be due to the fact that I'm a fast smoker and like the avoid the relight if possible. Also, I enjoy the side stream but my wife does not. It's always nice when everyone can enjoy it.

But this is full and complex, and worth having on-hand. It burns very well; it's a great final smoke of the day, for me; the complexity goes well with the contemplative spirit of the waning hours.

UPDATE: I have to come back almost a year later now to say that I still haven't had another VaPer that I've enjoyed more than this blend. (I've been smoking since April 2011, but have picked it up rapidly.) It is simply amazing. The only one that came close was Reiner's Long Golden Flake. They are both full of flavor (not nicotine, but flavor). TC also seems like a dessert flake, if there is such a thing; it's that tasty. Just read the rest of the reviews -- this isn't four stars for nothing.

All in all this one is worth stocking up on for the cellar...now I'm off to smoke another bowl and place another order

Packing & Burning: For me, rubbing a flake out is a chore-I'd just as soon it was pre-cut as a ribbon. The rubbed out chunks have to be stuffed fairly tightly to get it to draw well. Well-stuffed, a bowl lasts quite a while. Not as much puffing is required to keep it lit, if TC is allowed to dry out for a few minutes.

Taste & Aroma: Aroma is of scented wood and sandalwood; and perhaps honeysuckle would not be out of line.

Taken from the top, TC has a mild Red VA tang, soon followed by the Yenidje, with the VA then receeding into the background.

Room Note: Excellent, even for the most pedestrian of bystanders' noses.

Overall: A soft mellow smoke that compares favorably to McClelland's Blending Oriental and Robert McConnell's Oriental, though different varieties, in overall quality of smoke.

TC exemplifies the qualities of the Yenidje variety of oriental, doing it well, subtly. TC Arcade, having the same namesake, is not even in the same category or quality. In the Collectors Series, TC ranks with Aurora in overall quality of smoke. All of the tobaccos in TC are well-married, with the Yenidje on center stage. 3.9 stars.

I've enjoyed every bowl, each one a pleasure to smoke, just gobs and gobs of flavor. Tudor Castle seems to me very similar to Black Woods Flake. Super sugary but with an inseparable contingent of Perique. They say there's Yenidje in this, and I fault myself for having detected none of it. Still, I enjoy seeing blends out there that shy away from a reliance on Smyrna and move in another direction. I suppose McClelland set a standard with the Grand Orientals series, hopefully pushing other blenders to diversify.

Since it's damn near impossible to order a tin of Full Virginia Flake at the moment, I'd suggest trying something different. And you can't go wrong here. Tudor Castle is open--I say move in.

Five of Five.

This tobacco packs well and burns even offering a nice dosage of nicotine and some enjoyable flavors for the real pipe tobacco seekers. If some good Perique addition does not bother you, give it a try, you won't regret.

I think tonight I will step outside, put match to bowl, and see if the stars can align again. Knowing my luck though, it'll rain.

Four stars anyway.

Personal notes-

-Better when kept as a flake. -Go ahead and DGT it. You can still enjoy/salvage? a bowl this way. -Oddly, does better in briar, over a cob or meerschaum.(!?!) -Larger bowls work better than small.