Not much in the flavor department, this one, but it's touted as a smooth smoke, and it surely is. Back when this blend was supremely popular, everyday smokers used gimmick pipes, filters, and means other than improving technique to reduce tongue bite. This blend was undoubtedly a response to that. I couldn't get this stuff to bite, even when I huffed. Very gentle on the tongue and palate, and that was my biggest issue. There just wasn't much flavor. This is nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be these days (although Lane's may have changed the recipe somewhat), but neither is it anywhere close to a top-drawer burley. Other OTC's such as SWR or PA are superior to my taste. But if you want a very unassuming burley blend that is very mild and doesn't intrude, give this a spin.

I call this my mystery tobacco because...I CAN'T FIND WHAT THE HECK I SHOULD DO WITH THIS SH*T!!!

I bought this blend to go with my new Bjarne Viking Classic Dublin. and i am ashamed to have this stuff grace my pipe.

O how shall i count the ways i hate thee...

For one this blend bites me no matter how i smoke...and its not uncommon for me to get threw a bowl with just one light.

Its a small bite not much but a constant bite that distracts from the flavor which is were this blend shines.

It taste very nutty with some fruity sweetness to it and its a very good taste and i would love to smoke this stuff if it would stop biting me.

And thats not it it also burns very hot which irks me to no end.

But alas there is some hope i find if you carefully play around with this its a great blender.]

I mixed it with 2 blends a Blenders Gold Black Cavendish mixture that was too sweet for me and my own blend that is Carter Hall mixed with cigar leaf and the result was my Black Cavendish got alot more mellow and more enjoyable and the cigar blend was mellowed out alot so i can actaully smoke the stuff without needing a drink.

While this stuff does have potential as a blender its crap as a single smoke.

Velvet is an old American standby. Its been gracing the shelves of grocery stores and gas stations for much longer than some of these new-fangled, fancy packaged smoking tobaccos. It's age should be an indicator of the blend, again, products that are not worth while do not last for as long as this product has.

Here is the problem. Where the hell is the flavor? The box says "America's smoothest smoke". It is smooth all right, it is so smooth it is bland. Water is also smooth, it does not mean it has a good flavor. The one upside is that it will not nip your tongue, heck, I do not think a shop vac could get this blend hot. Quite frankly, if it were not for the plumes of smoke emerging from my face I would never know if it is lit or not.

Here is the tricky part. I like the stuff. As much as I want to dislike it, I cant. For that little tiny bit of flavor that is there, I like it. It has some topping I cannot put my finger on. I have heard maple sugar, I have heard licorice, I couldn't tell you, but I like it. It is gentle, and subtle but very wholesome. It is the cream of wheat of the tobacco world. It may not taste the best, but its wholesome and satisfying.

I can't say good or bad things about this blend. In the end I say just go buy some and try it. It has a very inexpensive selling point and is relatively easy to find. Who knows, you may just love it. It works really well in a cob.

The light and brown burleys are husky and full of character which the generous sweetening (old literature mentions maple sugar) and flavoring compliment well. Chewing a bit of the leaf reveals some licorice which does not translate obviously into the smoke.

Though an all-day blend, Velvet has the rugged and flavorsome character needed to stave off vapidity. This went well in a chamber of any gauge.

Over the years, Velvet has been a blend which I find myself returning to, kind of like, going home. The mild flavor is magnificent and simple, like home cooking. The Room Note, astoundingly beautiful. As an aged product, it only gets better, and milder, and naturally sweeter. Burley, rain, sunshine; That's as simple as it gets. A quiet smoke for the humble. By another name, it is, peace-and-quiet.

I rate Velvet right off the scale, at 6-stars. I went through my stockpile and will be replenishing, as sure as God made little green apples.

The perfect gift, for this pipe smoker (Hint.., hint...).

The taste is pretty much like the smell. I don't buy this often but always seem to have some laying around somewhere. It's something I smoke once and then put away for a month or more. In fact I've still got some of it jarred up from a couple of years ago. I just don't want it very often. It's not unpleasant but it's something you get tired of quickly.

Thirty years ago I can remember it coming with rolling papers. I even tried rolling a few cigarettes with it and it really wasn't bad that way. SWR and PA also had their own rolling papers. I think Americas Smoothest Smoke was meant to be a cigarette tobacco with added flavorings.