For me, this is a very middle-of-the-road relaxing smoke. It hit the spot when I am looking for such a blend; not great by any means, but good overall.

If this is the right sample I've sent it isn't.

Not that it matters. I won't be ordering the 50g tin in a hurry.

It's not that it's horrible or anything.

Oh no, no.

The tobacco itself feels rather loose and soft, rather like a Robert Lewis tobacco. Careful loading.

Lots of smoke, when it finally decides to catch.

No taste.

No character.

No smell.

A very sterile tobacco.

No tongue bite as it wasn't worth puffing out.

Don't bother.

My rate: 2.0

Unfortunately, the entire smoking experience never gets past the 'pleasant enough'. Halfway through the bowl, I was still expecting the mild flavors to begin developing a fuller, richer body; never happened. It simply remained fairly bland, almost palpably so. Toward the very bottom of the bowl, it turned skunky on me. This happened in three different pipes of varying sizes and shapes. Bland, blander, then skunky at the end.

I have noticed that most of Germain's mixtures are rather weak in character, nearly like they were watered down (same problem with the old Three Castles ryo tobacco). They are tasty, but lacking in body and flavor. This is the Niles Craine of pipe tobacco (or possibly his wife Maris).

Opening the tin, I am presented with a little brick of tobacco wrapped in some kind of silver-lined plastic, and the silver is peeling off and sticking to some of the tobacco. Not acceptable, and coupled with the stupid square tin, it's almost enough to put a guy onto some other brand. Aroma is Virginia and stewed prunes, not unlike Peterson Sherlock Holmes or even Dunhill Elizabethan.

A mixture of ribbons, leaf bits, and some stems, this stuff packs easy and lit up pretty well. I wonder if the tin was a bit old, because it was not very moist at all.

Smoke is voluminous and pleasant... not a particularly hot burning blend. The pruney smell comes through, and I am reminded of the plummy notes in Presbyterian. In fact, add some orientals and maybe a bit of latakia, and you've got Presby.

Lacking the ashy harshness that Elizabethan gives me, this is a nice mild smoke. Not completely monotone, but not particularly complex. A good choice for one moving from aromatics to English or Virginia blends.

As an update, I found, to my surprise, that this tobacco mixes very well with heavier blends like Mississippi Mud, or heavy latakia blends. I wouldn't buy it just for that, but if you find yourself disappointed in the can you buy, or find it too mild, then it's a very fixable blend. Also, it has good burning qualities when drier also, as opposed to out of the can. In fact, it burns noticably cooler, on a par with Peterson's Sherlock Holmes blend, if not better.