The best way I can describe Jesse's Own is a well thought-out, very light English. Very light on the Latakia. So light that the smokey campfire taste you'd expect smoothes out to a nice cedary flavor. The Orientals dominate and really provide some excellent and varied flavors. VAs come out and add occasional sweetness. Sitting back and really concentrating on a bowl-ful is really the best way to get the most out of this blend. Cedar, sometimes maple, a dash of cocoa. Seems the flavors change with almost every puff. This is really an excellent blend of quality tobacco. My only reservation is that it is too mild for my personal tastes. That's not to say it doesn't have its place on my shelf.I think it would a knock-out warm/hot weather smoke, when it's so damn hot out you really don't feel like a good heavy English or even a dark VA flake. Paired with a cold lager or pilsner, or even a gin and tonic..... might be just the thing. But out here in the Pacific Northwest we just don't get those days too often. Certainly not year-round. So this would be a seasonal smoke for me. I may just have to put a little back for those days.

JO is a very nice, quality blend. A tad too light for me everyday but a good solid 3-star light English.

There are problems with Jesse’s own and the main one is the general lack of integration of the constituent tobaccos. The other problem is that there are much better tobaccos of this type available in tins that I’d prefer to smoke. Jesse’s Own is built on the model of Dorisco Mixture or the work of genius that is DAN’s Midnight Ride. In both of those tobaccos, however, there is better integration of flavor and also much more strength. This is sort of a soft, sweet, innocuous version—an all day Ride.

I suppose the mildness may be seen as a big positive for someone looking for a gentle smoke that straddles the fence between a very mild Latakia mix and a VaPer. But admittedly, I’m not in the market for a tobacco like that.

I have experimented with several different drying times since, and still have found almost no flavour in this. If it's an all day blend, it sure is a really boring day to look forward to.

I still will not knock this tobacco totally, as it might click into place in a different pipe or with yet another drying time, but as of now I just cannot recommend it.

I think its value is the harmony, never a false note in the smoke, but great satisfaction.

Another slight mixture to start a day in the English style.

Recommended to anyone!

Update 10/15/2010 This blend ages very well and becomes richer and fuller after a year!!

Jesse's Own came through in the mail from Richard about a week back. I started trying it out in various pipes, and nothing happened. Like an extremely mild version of John Patton's Storm Front. I puffed and puffed in pipe after pipe and still got the same inoffensive, tedious taste of virtually nothing.

Worked through the pipe collection and pulled out a very small-bowled Grabow. Deciding to give Jesse's Own one last shot I fired it up and encountered a whole new experience. I would call it an American Oriental, if such a thing is possible: slightly aromatic, still very mild, with a strong Turkish presence. The Latakia is in the background and almost unnoticeable.

Ran this tobacco through an old Rocky Briar and got the same thing, only with more Turkish and more of the rather sweet flavour, which may be the Virginias.

Whatever the combination, this blend is a marvellous mixture of leaves in proportion, and is a welcome, light change from the heavier balkans I usually smoke. Richard has a very light touch with Latakia, but really understands orientals. Definitely part of my rotation.

For me, there are many other mixtures I'd rather smoke that mine this territory more successfully. From this same blender, I'd rather have Chipman Hill or Britt's Balkan.

This is one of the very few tobaccos which I could smoke all day long (unfortunately I can only smoke 2 bowls a day). Jesse's Own is an English Mixture with a special - natural - sweetness which sets it apart from other classic English (e.g. Squadron Leader). The best words to describe this mixture is perfect harmony of all ingredients! Just the right amount of Latakia, Orientals and Perique. High quality tobacco! A masterpiece of Rich Gottlieb!

5 stars!!!

Rich has used the latakia sparingly, to produce a different kind of English. One in which Maryland is used to create some sweetness, while the orientals and perique seem to play off each other, creating a nice spicy note on the tongue. This is the taste that keeps me puffing contentedly and coming back for more.

The quality of leaf used in this blend is exceptional. No bulk taste here. You'll think of EMP, Squadron Leader or Skiff, but far lighter on the latakia. Jesse' Own uses more orientals plus the addition of a little perique instead.

The best word to describe this blend is harmony. Most blends never attain that. One tobacco or another seems to overtake the others. Only mixtures that achieve this harmony or balance are worthy of 4 Stars and this is one of them.

There is joy in my pipe again. Get some now and thank me later.

Update: This is my third update of this blend. I finally figured out how to enjoy it. Firstly, it needs three months to meld, as it is blended when ordered. Secondly, it needs drying for a couple of hours, a little at a time.

Feb.10/10 Update: Recently received another pound of this lovely mix. I called Rich to compliment him on the quality. He informed me that he tries to have 10lbs ageing at all times,for at least three months. The ageing not only melds the mix, but dries it out too. Thanks Rich.

Update: I have decided to lower my rating to 3 stars because of the humectants, which adversely affect my smoking pleasure.