Torben Danske - Black Velvet pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 31 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Mr. Big	09/13/2012	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Please take this review from a non Aro smoker. That said, this tobacco came very dry and ready to smoke. One of my big complaints with cased Aros is that they are too wet, no so here. I also did not experience the typical bite that I get from most Aros, maybe because it was so dry. This reminded me of Sillems Black, but not as high quality and the Latakia was not as pronounced (sorry, but my tastes are diffrent than reviewer,"doc'spipe 02/17/2011" ) . I did get hints of chocolate that was very nice but didn't stay.For you Aro smokers I think this would be a 3-4 star , but for me it's a 2 I do love the little tin.
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doc'spipe	02/17/2011	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
I tried this along with Dan's Da Vinci. Both were similar in overall flavor and taste. Black Velvet had a caramel-like tin note which translated into the taste - albeit minimally. If I didn't know there was Latakia, I wouldn't have guessed. However, knowing it is present is probably accountable for the slightly musty (but pleasant) taste. It was not the taste of Latakia in the traditional sense, so if that's what you're after, look elsewhere. A mostly dark offering and in many ways reminded me of Dunhill's Royal Yacht in appearance but not in taste. The smoking characteristics were fine - not hot, no moisture or gurgle. never ashy or cigarette-like. A very pleasant change of pace aromatic. Bittersweet, with the slight bitterness (in a good way) that I attributed to the Guinness. I could not detect any champagne in the tin note or while smoking. Along with Da Vinci, both are solid aromatic offerings and a go to for when one wants an aromatic that still retains tobacco flavor with Black Velvet having slightly more in the tobacco flavor department. Neither are candy-like in any way during the smoking experience. UPDATE 2-17-12: It's exactly a year since my first review of this tobacco and I would have to say my favorite for when I want a cased/topped aromatic smoke. This is no Tinder Box type aromatic. It has a very tobacco-like presence which adds to the pleasant smoking experience. As I said a year ago, it is not candy-like. I prefer this to Dan's Da Vinci and Stanwell's Melange. Both of those are pleasant enough smokes, but Black Velvet gives you a fuller tobacco experience. For its genre, I prefer it to Sillem's Black (too Latakia dominant for me). Smoking this now from a tin that I opened 2-25-11 and let sit. With Irish Flake being a regular favorite, lighter fare usually doesn't do, but Black Velvet can hold its own for me. It is very nice indeed - mellow, no harshness, beautiful side stream aroma/room note, and very flavorful. It could become a regular smoke for me but I would smnot want it to wear out its welcome over time. However, it never fails to satisfy for that "change of pace" smoke.
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Robert	01/14/2011	Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I've been an aromatic smoker off and on for years, and almost all of them have disappointed me in one way or another. It was these series of disappointments that led me to branch out to more traditional tobaccos. On my way there I happened upon Black Velvet. It's been called an English crossover due to it having latakia as well as some mild spraying of Guinness and champagne. From the perspective of aromatics, this blend stands head and shoulders above most all of them. It is a good blend to try on the way towards classic traditional English tobaccos. The aroma from the tin is delightful. Sort of a licorice and fruit smell. It lights up well and smokes down to a nice, white ash. The strength of this blend is a bit more than I'm used to. It's not exceedingly heavy in Vit. N., but more than most aromatics I've tried. For me the room note was less tolerable than most aromatics I've tried. Still, it won't run everyone out of a room. The taste of the tobacco is somewhat of a sticking point for me. It had a much more noticeable taste than many of the aromatics I've smoked, yet there was a certain lack of complexity to the flavor. It had more depth than most aromatics, yet it refused to go too deep or become a very "intricate" smoke. Overall I was left with a bit of a mixed feeling. It certainly had some taste, yet it was sort of monochromatic. It burned cool and gave absolutely no bite. I am recommending this blend as it might appeal to some folks and it's certainly worthwhile to explore it. For me, I'm looking for a fuller, richer smoke than Black Velvet provides. I still believe it can be a great introduction to classic English blends for aromatic smokers. I could see smoking this blend in the morning as the first bowl of the day.
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babysinister	10/21/2010	Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant
This blend benefits from drying out and a gravity fill followed by very light tamping, in a size 3 or 4 billiard. Although I couldn't taste the latakia and had trouble reaching the virginia-ness of the virginia, I'm perfectly satisfied with the licorice-laced chocolate taste and aroma, which somehow does not cloud the good quality of the base tobacco. The nicotine is on the light side, which is how I prefer it. A very relaxing smoke, few relights and extremely smooth burning throughout the bowl (when dried out first). It begins grabbing you by the nose, but as the bowl progresses, the effect on the palate becomes stronger and more flavorful. I would agree with the previous reviewer who noted that it's a perfect "palate cleanser" for after dinner.
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shudd3r2th1nk	09/25/2010	Mild to Medium	Medium	Full	Pleasant
had to air out the tobacco when i got it, slow sipping, no relights, delicious taste. smoking it in my stanwell vario. i cannot describe how much i love the taste of this tobacco, highly recommended. exhaling from the nose, quite slowly, is a definite pleasure afterwards to the olfactory. favourable comments from nonsmokers on the room note; sweet, somewhat nutty, a dark molasses & dark chocolate mixture.
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feedsasquatch	07/16/2010	Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
A very unique blend. It's basically an aromatic with latakia added to it. Very easy to light. The tobacco that I was given may have been a bit too dry, as it burned rather hot, and I had to take my time with it. The flavor isn't half bad, just not my cup of tea. The Virginia's really don't come through. What does come through is an aromatic, liquor bitterness. I absolutely love Guinness stout, but can't taste it here. The latakia is very mellow, and if you haven't smoked English blends before you'll probably just recognize the flavor as a general light spiciness. Overall, a good "crossover" aromatic. I won't be getting it again in the future though because I'm not too crazy about aromatics in general or liquor casing in my tobacco.
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Llewellyn	03/11/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I have smoked some Virginia's and some English tobacco's, yet favour the aromatics by far. This tobacco seems to be the closest to an English and latakia I can get before I find them unpleasant. This is surprisingly one of my favourite smokes considering it's major competitors: W.O. Larsen's Signature Vintage Blend, Solani's 131 Red, and Lane's Black Cordial or Z-50. I find it burns somewhat hot in the pipe and the mouth, yet smoothly down to fine ash at the bowl bottom. Full flavoured yet some sweetness. There is a good tongue tingle in the first quarter of the bowl. The more I smoke this, the more I become aware of hints of the stout and champagne throughout the smoke, yet never together. A good after dinner smoke leaving the palate clean and fresh.
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DrBoB	12/27/2009	Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
This is a lovely complex aromatic. I find it interesting that it is supposed to have Latakia in it, because I can't taste it. It is a coarse cut and consistently black tobacco with an anise pouch aroma and feels rather moist. Upon lighting I notice a distinct aroma of hay (the hops in the guiness) that is pleasant and fresh. There is just enough nicotine to leave me feeling warm on the top of my head at the end of the bowl. It burns evenly and leaves only ash. No ghosts left behind in my briar. I like it and have stocked a few tins because I will miss it when I've finished my initial pound and will want to revisit it after it is gone.
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mrlindeman	12/05/2009	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
In my own experience... This is a bit of a spicy blend. I dont smoke it as an aromatic because I have let it dry a little and it smokes better that way. The room note is nice. A smooth cool smoke is what I noticed the most. I cannot discribe the actual flavor though. I wanted to point at a star annis at first but after 3 pipes I changed my opinion. I think its great for an afternoon smoke but it is a bit on the nicotine side so I wont smoke it right before bedtime. I would definatly recomend this blend to someone that would like to slowly transition into virginia from aromatic. :)
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colt25314	11/29/2009	Very Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
The German	11/26/2009	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant
Not my typical type of smoke, I got fascinated by this blend because I do like Latakia blends, but also good aromatics. And I am an afficionado of the Black Velvet cocktail; my favourite proportion being 2/3rds Guinness with 1/3rd dry champagne. Opening the tin, I get nothing of Guinness, but a decent, light and fresh wine-ish note, with a hint of cloves and (so hang me!) perfumed soap. The tobacco mix is a medium-wide short cut that is easy to stuff, mostly dark browns and blacks with a few bright yellow specks that must be VA. Lighting up is not a challenge, but I need to re-light a few times during the smoke. The taste is where the name kicks in: it really does remind me of a Black Velvet cocktail with its smooth maltiness and winey notes. Dan Tobacco states that the mix is about 50/50 VA and Latakia. If so, the Latakia is the mildest and least smelly in the world; it is noticeable in the taste (gaining a little towards the end of the bowl) and only hinted at in the room note. Which is definitely tolerable, with a nice fresh note (and I wonder if this is what Napa Valley could have been, if only...). The taste is among the fullest I have yet experienced from a Dan Tobacco blend, with only a hint of bitterness at the very end. This blend burns coolly as advertised, I have experienced absolutely no condensation -- marking it as one of the really good aromatics -- overall, a fascinating tobacco, almost unique. I like, but could use a little more Vitamin N, and I have so far not managed to smoke a bowl to the very end without some dottle -- my only niggles.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Cullen	10/17/2009	Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
Awesome blend by far one of the best things I've smoked period.
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agentlemanfromindiana	09/07/2009	Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Absolutely delicious! But then again I am mostly a latakia hater, so if you LOVE latakia's than this blend might not be for you because the latakia is very discreet (though still present).
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Thorre	08/30/2009	Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant
I love Guinness stout. I did not like the flavor of stout, or the smell of it in the tobacco. I could not detect the champagne. I did smoke the whole tin. It took quite a while. I only tasted the latakia after the tin had dried out completely. It was a mild taste at best. I like many Dan tobacco products, but I just did not get this one. For the record I don't like the whiskey flavored blends either. I think spirit flavors are better in a glass.
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Stumptown	07/26/2009	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
This being the first pipe tobacco I had ever tried may make me slightly biased. All I know is that the first time I ever lit my pipe, and tasted/smelled this tobacco I was instantly hooked. The room note is sweet, without being sickly, and almost doesn't smell like tobacco at all. The bag aroma was very strong, and I definitely wasn't used to it, but now I've come to love it. Don't be fooled by the relatively cheap price (well, I got mine on blowout at a well know online retailer), this is quality tobacco.
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CornCob	06/17/2009	Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
This blend i was worried about to be blunt......i had read some reviews and i worried this was going to be another brutal bulk blend mimicking flavours and sub par baccy.Upon opening the cheap celophane bag,i found the pouch aroma to be divine, it reminded me of fine espresso, anise and good dark chocolate. The cut reminded me of a crimp style similar to the prince, not to wide or thick(perfect in my books) it packed in the bowl well not too wet or too dry(perfect in my books again) upon lighting the flavour was exquisite and full bodied, the flavour was that of caramel, heavey cream(possibly condensed milk)and a hint of clove,the topping didnt inhibit or digise the flavour of this full flavoured quaility tobacco....lovely. It didnt burn hot at all, and i tend to smoke it a little fast. Mid bowl flavours such as roasted pecans and orange zest came through and the rich heavey smoke was once again complimented by a really nice tobacco flavour which most cased blends lack(cheap ones that is) I couldnt detect any latakia or anything exotic.It burned cool and dry to the bottom with no dottle or complaints, the smoking experience was memerable and satisifying, and under $20 a pound it will be a regular in my pouch.
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SnakeSkinTa2	05/05/2009	Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
I have smoked pipe tobacco off and on for the past 28 yrs. I recently ordered 8 ounces of this particular blend using the reviews on this site as a guide. Black Velvet is a very pleasant smoke with a wonderful room note. It's a more aromatic tobacco than I had been led to believe it would be due to some of the reviews I had read before smoking it. I get none of the wet/soggy type of bowl I have experienced in the past with certain humectant laden aromatics. Black Velvet smokes cool as long as you don't make the mistake of drawing too hard or too often and stays lit when the pipe is packed properly. I can find no noticeable bite in this blend and I will add it to my favorites.
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Phatmax	05/04/2009	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
My FIRST review! I have smoked several different tobaccos, from the cheap Altadis to some better brands. The pouch smell, well, to be perfectly honest, nearly put me off my lunch. I thought I had made a big boo-boo getting a POUND of this from the web for 16 bucks. Turns out that not only does my wife and friends like the room note, this is a stellar blend. I enjoyed the smoke, the pipe stayed gurgle free (Brebbia 602 Sabbiata) and NO bite.
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BBK357	03/31/2009	Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable
First let me say, I have been smoking pipe now for 4 years, and have been on this site now for well over a year, and I wanted to have multiple experiences with tobacco before I review it. When you open the tin, the smell does not win you over. It smells way too flavored, almost overwhelming. That is where my bad experience ended. The tobacco lights great and it stays lit with little effort. The taste is wonderful, and stays with you the whole time. It is a dark flavor, from the guiness. I love it, not sweet, but full of a robust flavor. Even with the wonderful flavor, this tobacco does not bite (unless you smoke it too fast, like most tobaccos). This is by far my favorite tobacco. It is not too light and not too strong, just right. I now have 8 tins stored in my chest for safe keeping.
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wintermute	03/25/2009	Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable
Let me begin by saying that this is my second experience with aromatic English tobacco. When I opened the tin there was a licorice-type smell to me. I love black licorice and the smell made me hungry for the candy. Don't worry, the licorice is only in the initial opening of the tin. Now, my wife and I live in a rather small apartment, but she says that she could smell the aroma of the tin while in another room. The tobacco packs nicely and the moisture level is just right. The cut seems a bit coarse, but that seems to help with the burning characteristics. I only needed one match to get it going. The first thing I noticed was the sweet taste and the illusion of sparkling on my tongue. I love Guinness and the stuff certainly delivers the taste as you get going. The balance of flavors is perfect and slow puffing allows you to savor all that this stuff has to offer. The smoke is thick and creamy. And, when the smoke has left your mouth the after taste is truly like a beer! I would not have thought that such a thing was possible. The sparkling sensation abates about mid-bowl and the full flavor of the beer and tobacco comes into its own. The tobacco is top quality and the Latakia not over whelming. It simply adds to the overall effect. The Virginia tobacco is nice and is perfect for what this blend is trying to be. This is not simply mediocre tobacco with flavoring sprayed on it to hide the true quality. If you like full-bodied English or Balkan smokes, this will seem too light a fare. If you are an aromatic smoker looking to branch out into English, I would start here. Anyway, the smoke never loses its taste all the way down to the bottom of the bowl. What about the ash? Well, let me just say that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. The pipe is left clean and, believe it or not, unflavored by the tobacco just smoked in it. The Nicotine level is medium to me and the after-taste is very pleasant. The room aroma didn't win approval from the wife, but I have yet to experience the Latakia blend that could even stand a chance. However, I thought it smelled like a real pub with a mixture of strong tobacco and the scent of good brew. I would like to thank all of the reviewers here that turned me on to this stuff. Honestly, since my rather unfortunate bout with Cross-Eyed Cricket, I was turned off to such blends until now. For me, the count is 1 and 1 and I am ready for the next participant to step up in the Aromatic English genre!
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 31 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >