The tin offers a almost sickeningly sweet scent with promises of apricots and vanilla. The vanilla carries through in the room note but I struggle to find it in the taste. I get a vaguely fruity taste of undefinably origin mixed in with sugary virginia. Mild and sweet, simply put. A "ok" tobacco in terms of quality, taste and room note... calling it vanilla is a bit of a stretch of the imagination though. I also find that it leaves a very dry, ashen taste in my mouth after I've finished a bowl which isn't all too pleasant.

This blend surprised me. Being a very new to pipe smoking, I don't have much experience. I have smoked 5 or 6 blends, most of which have been aromatics. This is definitely VERY aromatic, so if you are anti-aro, not for you.

Upon opening the tin, I was greeted by the fruity scent described by my fellow purchasers below. Apricot is no lie. It's there, whether intentional or not. The packing was easy, and Stanwell's quality was obvious in the perfect balance of moist and dry that should be found in fine pipe tobaccos, which meant that there was no bite upon lighting this tobacco, even when smoked hot.

The flavor casing of this aromatic is very sweet. The vanilla is present, but a fruity sweetness seems more prevalent. The taste got more balanced and full once the bowl burnt down some, and the complexity of the tobacco became obvious. Though it is sweeter than I think I would prefer, I will enjoy finishing this tin and picking out the flavors of the Danish Cavendish, Burleys and the aged Turkish.

This likely won't be a re-purchase for me, but not one I regret. Part of the reason I started this hobby was to explore, so I wish to leave no blend unsmoked.

In the Tin

A strange but not unpleasant tin note. I expected a heavy vanilla extract smell but instead I am meet with a mild vanilla and a fruity scent, apricot perhaps? Whatever it is this tin smells great. The tobacco is a blend of light and dark making a very visually appealing blend that is not very heavily cased. The tin was rather moist but a few hours with the lid open solved that problem.

The Pack and Toast

This blend is a little sticky when packing. I found rolling it in my palm helped reduced some of the stickiness (and now my palm smells great!!) The toast revealed a large range of unexpected flavor. First and foremost is the tobaccos themselves but the vanilla and fruity flavors come a close second. Right after toasting I thought the flavoring might be a little much.

The Rest

After a second light the flavors settled nicely. No longer was there a heavy flavor but now a subtle one that seemed to change as the bowl burned down. Vanilla at first then the Virgina and Turkish. All the while a slight fruity sweetness in the background. This was a great smoke from start to finish but it is pretty sweet and will not be an every day smoke. Once a week instead of a sweet treat after dinner perhaps.

A good one for any aro smoker

Stanwell Vanilla is this blend I believe. It does not readily sting the mouth, has a wonderful aroma, smokes well, and is overall just smooth. Pair this up with a Coke and you've got quite the treat! You can find this online for around 6 bucks a tin, so it's not going to break the bank to stock up and always have one around.

It definitely has more fruit to it than you would expect for a "vanilla" but it's good, it gives it character I think. I would recommend this to anyone who's looking for something to have around as a go to smoke or to take about town when with mixed company.

A very nice, smooth enjoyable aromatic which deserves a solid three stars especially for the currennt market price.

Update: I am now smoing some "melange" and I can say Stanwell's "vanilla" blend tastes fruitier than their fruity blend "melange". Go figure!

Update: So I said id be back, but didn't think so soon.. I let this stuff sit out over night to dry out and get some of that insanely sweet topping off, and was very happy to see that it cured perfectly and lost the crazily sweet smell and flavor.. It became much more vanilla like. No goop in my bowl, and no tongue bite at all.. I give this 4 stars now, no doubt.. Let it settle and it will treat you right..

There is something in the blend in addition to vanilla that makes it a bit more complex than other vanilla blends. A previous reviewer suggested it might be a hint of nutmeg. Whatever it is, it makes this stuff luscious.

That said, this vanilla mixture is as good or better than most.

For my money, Evening Stroll does it better.

Add a star if you love vanillas.

Original This is a very well crafted Vanilla aromatic blend, it is sweet, smooth, nutty and buttery, it burns dry and cool with an outstanding natural vanilla flavor and it has a wonderful room aroma.