I just removed the large ball jar from the cellar today and WOW, what a gorgeous presentation in these strips! There is definitely a casing involving a sugar of some sort, because sucrose has crystallized in small veins in the strips. It's not enough to be cloying, but it is present. The aesthetics in the strip form are beautiful, and after a moment of airing out, the jar note was heavenly.

I know my palate has basically reverted to newbie after 4 years, but this was some of the best smoke I have ever had. I regret that I didn't try this before cellaring it, as I cannot make any age comparisons. I do know that 4-5 year old Stonehaven is GREAT! It burned a bit hot, even after drying it a bit in the arid ARizona desert to a perfect cubed crumbled. Sipped a bowl over the glow of the ham radio, and was greatly rewarded. Definitely meant to be smoked vvvvvvverrrrrrry slowwwwly.

Packs well, lights well, and burns even. The taste seems mild but I get a wonderful flavor with each puff that I find hard to describe....earthy, slightly sweet,....hard to say, but it is good.

If you can find it give it a try!

Enjoy!

The contents of my pouch were very moist, and I probably should have let a strip dry for awhile before packing, but I was impatient and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. So, I crumbled one strip, packed my favorite bowl, and not surprisingly, had a hard time getting it lit due to the moisture. Next time I will definitely allow it to dry some before packing.

Once lit however, I enjoyed the taste very much. A very pleasing, sweet aftertaste in the first half of the bowl, and a nice nutty, almost cigar-like taste in the second half. You can definitely taste the Champagne taste, especially so in the first half. I typically prefer pure Virginias (Full Virginia Flake is my current favorite), but this is definitely a nice alternative for when I am in the mood. A very nice blend.

The flakes were not wet or sticky at all, but very, very supple and springy - the consistency of a Twizzler. They were also the thinnest cut flake tobacco I have ever experienced, each flake measuring 5 inches in length and a good 3/4 inch in width. They were not black as some others have described, but a beautiful, deep brown with some golden flecks (I'm assuming the Virginia) peppered within. The pouch aroma was very sweet smelling and agreeable - unlike anything else I have ever encountered in a blend. I can concur with the reviewer who likened it to a champagne. After inserting a folded flake into a 30 year old plus free-hand, Danish-styled Ben Wade chimney, I sucked on the stem. The taste I experienced was that of the peanut-shaped candies that are of the hard marshmallow variety - deliciously sweet. Considering how fresh the flakes were, they were not wet or damp to the touch. It took a bit to get it lit, however, and needed a frequency of re-lights along the way. Dark gray ash was present at its finish along with some crunchy residue - not goopy dottle, just tobacco that was hard to re-light. The tobacco taste starts off deliciously sweet, quickly yielding to the stoutness of the Burley. The Virginia was present, but definitely took a back seat to the Burley. If smoked fresh, it has the tendency to smoke hot and nibble at the tongue a bit. The nicotine effect was very evident and can creep up on you if you start puffing too fast, giving me a full feeling in the throat. The room note produced is very nice and sweet smelling. It is certainly "Burley forward" and its strength develops by mid-bowl and continues throughout. I have found its overall Burley taste and initial sweetness similar to Solani's Aged Burley Flake, but not as stout as ABF. As the strength develops by mid-bowl, the initial pleasant sweet taste steps back a few paces but never disappears. Stonehaven does have one of the best room notes I have ever enjoyed in a blend, pleasantly "pipey." A great DGT when re-entering a room where it is being smoked. A wonderful molasses-like flavor develops and continues to the end.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Stonehaven. As close as it gets to the holy grail of Burley/Virginia flakes. It is a very well put together flake and I particularly enjoy the thinness of its cut, lending itself easily to a variety of packing methods (fold and stuff, rubbing out, or stripping). It has been very difficult to come by, not to mention pricey, and I am afraid this will remain so. I read on an online forum that the machinery used in the production of Stonehaven broke down a while ago, and as of the time reported (Fall '09), has remained in a state of non-repair.

If you are interested in trying Stonehaven, I have two suggestions. First, let it dry out sufficiently before smoking to improve on the lighting/re-light issue and the tongue-nibbles. Second, smoke this slowly to experience the beautiful sweetness and side-stream aroma that it produces. Highly recommended - if you can find it!!

UPDATE 7-17-10: I recently read a post on an online forum where the poster contacted JF Germain and asked what, if any, flavoring was used on Stonehaven. The answer he received was treacle.

Here is what I found out about treacle: Treacle is the generic name for any syrup made during the refining of sugar cane and is defined as "uncrystallized syrup produced in refining sugar". Treacle is used chiefly in cooking as a form of sweetener or condiment.

The most common forms of treacle are the pale syrup that is also known as golden syrup and the darker syrup that is usually referred to as dark treacle or black treacle. Dark treacle has a distinctively strong flavour, slightly bitter, and a richer colour than golden syrup, yet not as dark as molasses.

1-22-10 More than a year on (I first reviewed this blend months after I bought it), and jar aging has done its work. Wonder how it would taste in five years? What a great burner: can be smoked fast or slow, or alternating fast and slow, with nary a bite or relight. Superb mellow taste.

For me there is no best tobacco. The best tobacco is the unsmoked one always. This was my motto till I met Stonehaven. Yes, it is the best tobacco I've ever smoked.

Dry it well. Rub (or not) how you wish. Puff it carefuly. It worths respect and attention. Flavors are hard to describe. But you'll find the sweetness and real tobacco taste here with a well balanced strength.

There are a lot of reviews that describe this tobacco well. It is an extremely fine VA/Burley flake.

From my limited understanding of flake tobacco and how to smoke it, Stonehaven was an experiment on multiple levels. I decided to use the rubbed method for my first bowl. I enjoyed the rubbing and the aroma coming from the tobacco was exquisite. The smell reminded me of fresh cut wet sweet hay with a sugary topping. I was going to enjoy this. I packed the tobacco in my Peterson Rocky Donegal Billiard and proceeded to char it and prep for smoking. The first real pull of smoke was sweet and smooth with a hint of spicyness and NO BITE. I did have some difficulty keeping the bowl lit and smoking properly, this was more me and my inexperience with flake tobacco than the tobacco itself. The flavor was consistent and full the entire time. This was a great way to explore the flake tobacco and VA's. I would recommend this tobacco with gusto.