Parable: A city slicker stops at a general store out in the country. As he nears the store he spys an older gentleman sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, with a dog lying next to him, blocking the front door. As he approaches the dog raises up and looks at the stranger. Apprehensive, the city slicker asks the old man, "mister, does your dog bite?" The bib overall wearing country gent replies, "no sir, my dog doesn't bite." As the stranger nears the dog, it turns and bites him in the leg. The stranger angrily turns to the older man and says, "I thought you told me that your dog didn't bite!" To which the codger replies dryly, "that's not my dog."

Pipe tobaccos have personalities, just like people or animals. Some dogs, such as the family yellow Labrador retriever, will allow two year olds to pull on their ears and tail, ride them like a pony, and will generally allow themselves to be abused. They show no aggression and will often just grin and wag their tails at the silliness of it all. Carefree, user friendly, pipe tobaccos in this category would be Frog Morton Cellar and Larry's blend. They don't care how they're smoked, wet, dry, sipped, or puffed - it makes little difference. They just continue to act amicably.

Smoking my first bowl of J. F. Germain & Son Plumcake, I treated it like the family Labrador, showing it little respect. I packed a fairly moist bowl tightly, lit it aggressively, and puffed on it like a freight train going up a grade. Germain's Plumcake showed its dissatisfaction of my treatment, and turned around and bit me in the leg. In fact, my tongue bite and mouth burn was so bad that I couldn't smoke a pipe for three days - lesson learned. Thank goodness for Biotene!

Today, two weeks later, I thought that I would see if I could make friends with the beast. The tin that I opened had been packed very moist. The wax paper inside was discolored and several strands of the broken flake had fused to the paper. On the other side of the tin, there was a divot where I had filled my first bowl. This tobacco was fairly dry, and looked promising. Picking up a pinch of the golden tobacco it fell apart loosely, and looked and felt reminiscent of South Carolina delta Spanish moss. Using the three layer method, I allowed three pinches to settle into the pipe extremely loosely. I used my pinkie and put the tiniest possible amount of pressure on the tobacco. My second layer was the same. Only at the top layer, did I put the lightest resistance. This time I was showing the Rotweiler respect.

I lit the bowl, not as if stoking the fires of Hell, but gently, using only enough fire to get the bowl burning. I slowly sipped the pipe. When the bowl on my vintage Bennington Irish briar got hot, I stopped puffing and put the pipe down. The result was a satisfying two hour smoke. This time there was zero tongue bite, and I didn't even have to drink anything to accompany the pipe. I could faintly taste the fruit topping. The loosely packed pipe puffed easily. I did not touch my tamper, but used my little finger to GENTLY tamp the tobacco when it would not relight. The tobacco burned all the way to the bottom of the bowl. There was only the finest powdery white ash, and absolutely no dottle - a satisfying three star experience.

Some dogs are gentle, and some will bite you in the leg. Those latter dogs, and tobaccos, require one to show the proper respect and let their personalities dictate how they need to be handled. Germain's Plumcake taught me a new lesson. I guess its never too late for an old dog to learn a new trick.

As I've now smoked a few bowls, I've decided I do like it enough to recommend it as at the very least as a change of pace smoke. I can see how someone might like it in their regular rotation. It may be an acquired taste for many, and it took a little getting used to. Some tobaccos just have to smoked a bit to "get" and this is one of them. I doubt I'd buy more, but if I had a chance to smoke it, I would not pass it up. It's worth revisiting when you're in the mood for it. I give it two stars if it's a change of pace smoke for you and three if you like tobaccos of this nature. Your mileage is likely to vary and often.

In reading past reviews it reminds me of how the same tobacco I find pleasing...others find displeasing or not as worthy as I.

However, that being said, I do find this mixture most agreeable, "round" in taste, pleasing aroma and room note, and while I'd prefer it in plug form, it smokes well in almost any pipe. Not a strong tobacco, so morning through afternoon for me.

I have never seen any flakes(broken or otherwise) in this tobacco, rather thin ribbon almost shag cut. For me, I smoke this in a group 5 and larger pipe and have had little issue with lighting and keeping it lit.

Not a go-to for me but one I will keep available in rotation.

...a pipe is to be savored...

The tin aroma is mild and fruity, not that strong to be honest though, I do like to have a good waft when I first open the packet. After very easy packing and lighting, I found the smoke a little disappointing, there is hint of fruit in there, not sure if it could be described as plum, and a half decent tobacco flavour but it can get rough at a moments notice for no apparent reason and back again. The roomnote follows a similar fashion.

In summary, a reasonable smoke that doesn't really do what it says on the tin with a hint of multiple personality disorder to boot.

The first bowl was fresh from the tin (2 year old tin) and the flavor was of the Erinmore/tastebud wrenching sickly sweet stewed fruit variety. Quite objectionable. Even worse, this stuff burned hot. So I dried out the next bowl and was rewarded with tongue bite, although it did subdue that nasty flavor somewhat. For the third bowl, I re-hydrated and the flavor became sour and bitter. The tongue bite remained. Since no one else was bothered by this, I assume the tobacco and I simply don't agree.

My one star means "Not Recommended" and that's not entirely true. I think there are enough smokers that get better results than I that if someone is in the market for a fairly heavily cased tobacco of decent quality leaf, this might do the trick. As for me, let's just say that if this blend ever joins the ranks of those that are continually out of stock, I won't be one iota of the cause. The tin description states that this may be the only blend containing the specially prepared black tobacco. I certainly hope that's true.

If I had to guess, I would say that they start with a base very similar to that which they use for their Royal Jersey blends. It is the same ribbon/shag cut virginia base. I find a little spice in this when I smoke it, which could be from some use of perique, or from the topping applied. I have Royal Jersey Perique, and they are not worlds apart. In the tin it has a very unique aroma. I do not know what the heck makes up the plum cake topping, but I really cannot think of any one thing that it emulates. It is a sweet odor, with a faint hint of licorice, and something else, maybe tonquin. Germain refers to it as "honey sweet." There is cavendish there, but not a huge amount, and some other black tobacco which may be what is referenced in the description above, which, as others have noted, is different from what is stated by Germain.

I find all ribbon cuts a little tricky to get going, as you have to keep tamping them down when they start to burn. After the 3rd or 4th time though this will settle into a nice even burn which required few relights. It can bite if you smoke it fast or too wet, but when smoked slowly is generally cool. I find the strength to be mild to medium. There is definitely some nicotine there, and it would probably get to you if you smoked a huge bowl of it. I like to smoke this in a smallish Becker & Musico saddle billiard. It is the right size to enjoy the flavor without things taking a turn for the worse, and, as this burns relatively quickly, provides a short, enjoyable smoke.

This will produce fine volumes of smoke. The room note is not as pleasant as the tin aroma, and my wife proclaimed this to be a "stinky one." That of course is because I do not smoke the hardcore stuff in her presence, and I could probably get her to leave not only the house, but the county if I rocked some 1792 while she was around!

Everyone should try this at least once. You may love it or hate it, but you are really missing out on a truly antique, and truly original, blend.

Very nice tin aroma, maybe something close to rum (like MacBaren's Plumcake).

Smoking it was not the most exciting experience however. Sure it smokes and burns well, but...something is missing. Vitamin N, I believe!

"Pipe Tobacco made in the British Isles. Cavendish, virginia and air-cured tobaccos blended with a special black cavendish. Flavored with wine and spices to our 80 year-old recipe. A unique smoking experience."

Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with a generous amount of golden colored Virginia tobacco which was interspersed with some black tobaccos, all in a shag cut. It came folded within a wax lined paper insert - somewhat stained by the tobaccos and very inviting as it evoked a nice, old-world charm. The tin aroma, at first, was a bit overwhelming. I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. It was somewhat like a potpourri. With a more discerning second whiff, I detected a sour-wine smell (sour in a good way) and some spice. The tobacco was very fresh, but not damp. Packing and lighting were within reason considering its state of freshness. The first puff was spicy and the taste immediately brought to mind the taste of Sen-Sen breath mints that I remember from my youth. Sen-Sen is primarily licorice based and is augmented by several different herbs. It might actually be Heather Honey Liquor. The taste of the wine came through slightly with the smoking (perhaps a German plum wine, hence the name Plum Cake), and the Sen-Sen wafted in and out. The Virginia component was greatly tempered by the Cavendish treatment. I also feel there is a good amount of Burley in this blend as the overall experience was fuller than Virginia can give on its own. It tasted spicy all the way through and was very, very pleasant. One of the more unique tasting blends I have ever had in 35 some odd years of smoking a pipe. It burned slowly and not at all hot, nor was there any moisture accumulation throughout the length of the smoke. It was subtly sweet and there was no bitterness whatsoever. If I had to compare it with any other tobacco blend, I would have to say that it reminded me of Erinmore Flake - not exactly the same as Plum Cake was way milder in tobacco strength than Erinmore, and stronger in what it is cased in - making Erinmore tame by comparison. It was also reminiscent of the now defunct Irish Mead Pipe Tobacco by Douwe Egbert (which contained heather honey).

This tobacco has had many mixed reviews on this site as well as on other pipe smoking forums where one can draw the conclusion that either you like it or you hate it. I wouldn't classify it as an aromatic per se (certainly not American or even Danish style aromatics), as its flavorings (as prominent as they were) didn't interfere with good tobacco taste - albeit very mild. Obviously there are very high quality tobaccos used in this offering. I am glad I did not judge this solely on the initial tin aroma alone. After the tin is opened for a while, the intense top-note subdues quite a bit. A nice, albeit different, mild flavor that remains throughout, making for a different smoking experience. Its room note is very, old-world pipey. For when you want something different in your pipe, I've yet to find anything else quite like it. Not an everyday smoke for me, but when the muse strikes, it never fails to satisfy.

The cut is extraordinary and very delicate. I did not let the tobacco air out at all. No drying whatsoever before carefully packing up an excellent smoking, small dublin and starting the lighting process. It burned much better than expected but the flavor was...odd. Not bad, just different and very subtle. While smoking I checked out the reviews here and when I read the reference to the taste of white wine it all clicked. This is what I imagine smoking the inside of a nice german sweet wine barrel would taste like. As the bowl is now at the finish it has a bit more body, probably due to a slightly increased cadence once my pallete sorted out the taste. No bite and a wonderful smoke. This is why I enjoy good VAs so much, it is subtle and will blossom into wonderful variations to the puffer who refuses to rush and allow the tobacco to stay just on the verge of going out.

Initially I thought the I was smoking quickly because at the first post-lighting tamp half the bowl had been consumed. Then it occured to me that perhaps I packed a little looser with less tobacco due to its high moisture. But as I...hold on a sec...yep, she's done...finish and check the clock it appears this was an hour and 45 minute smoke. It just seemed to go by fast due to the transcendant nature of the tobacco.

If you can ease up and slow down - this is a masterpiece. Outstanding and in a class by itself. I can't wait to taste some after a little drying.

The tobacco is very damp on opening the (wonderful looking) tin and so will bite like a violent psychopath in a straight jacket until given some airing time.

I found that it burns better when given a fairly firm packing into the bowl and you can then sit back and pretty much forget about it. Like Jakob Kiilerich, I found that the taste didn't really work with my usual liquid accompaniments and I've not yet settled on a fitting alternative. If this is the worst thing to say about the taste though, it's obviously not the end of the world.

The smoke is light and creamy but I found myself wanting more; more flavour, more nicotine, just more. So I had another bowl and another and another...

The flavour (of casing and tobacco) is so light that it never gets over bearing and the nicotine is so light that it never gets over powering.

I have to try to remain resolute when tempted to inhale though. Despite it's mild nature there is something about all flavoured tobacco that I find to be very irratating to the much abused haggis casings I use for lungs.

UPDATE...

I found that this worked particularly well in summer as it is a lighter tobacco but one with an unusally interesting flavour which never gets repetative, for me at least.

As someone who doesn't usually smoke aromatics I was a bit wary about ordering a tin, but I needn't have worried. This is not a heavily flavoured, cloyingly sweet or chemically tasting smoke - rather it is one where the slightly unusual aromatic flavourings blend nicely with the slightly unusual tobacco flavourings.

The taste in the pipe matches up to the smell in the tin, a slightly musty, fruity aroma that to me is reminscent of the filling from a mince pie. There is no bite or irritation here and with a bit of drying time the fairly fine shag cut smokes cool and dry all the way to the bottom, retaining its character as it does so.

Nicotine is on the medium side of mild (as opposed to the mild side of medium) and works nicely for me as a daytime smoke at the weekends.

The intriguing 'special' black tobacco that is mentioned in the description does impart a flavour which, I can appreciate, is going to be a love it or hate it experience, but I find it makes a nice change and gives the blend a body that it would otherwise lack.

The flavours in Plumcake seem to me a bit more grown up than the usual vanilla and cherry offerings most of us think of when we think 'aromatic'. I will be buying more. If you fancy trying something a bit different and like to be able to taste the tobacco in your aromatics then you might do well to pick up a tin yourself.

Why are there two separate sections here for the same tobacco ?? Also, this is not broken flake, but shag....perhaps more suitable for hand-rolling cigarettes.

That it is. The flavor, whatever it is, reminded me very much of the uproar over the tonquin additive applied to 1792. You can get a feel of that reading the reviews here. There is really no comparison, however, in strength. 1792 will rip you apart while Plum Cake will, at best, set you in motion on a rocking chair.

It's an appealing package, presented with a slick graphic that seems to invoke poppy plants rising through a thick cloud. The cut alone is a great novelty, the tobacco itself dense as a cake, consisting of a highly compressed, almost shag-like collection of blonde and black strands.

I enjoyed RCUSElder's poetic tribute to the blend, and I think that fits well. Plum Cake takes you back to a time more simple in its demands. I would love to smoke this on a cold winter day when the smell of burning firewood wafts through the air. You know, I think I'll do that. Winter's just a few months away.

The sweet taste comes up every once in a while when smoking this blend, but on a whole it remains bland throughout. There are are many more light English tobaccos that taste better than Germains Plum Cake, but none that smell better.

Appearance and Tin Aroma: smells like some sort of oil essence. I cannot put my finger on what it is, it is a little scary too. This is almost a shag cut of yellow and black leaf. The room I am in begins to get fuzzy.

Packing and Lighting: The long ribbons are a little fussy to pack. The moisture is a bit high, but settles down after 4-5 re-lights. My office lights have turned into oil lamps, my ballpoint pens have turned into feathers with an inkwell...

Initial Flavor: The aromatic agent is there firmly, but it tastes much better than it smells. The leaf is flavorful, but mild. I walk to my car only to find that it is a horse. Also, my clothes seemed to have changed and I realize I am now wearing a top hat!

Mid-Bowl: This blend is really growing on me, it is smooth, mellow, but the leaf is flavorful in-spite of the aromatic agent.The room note is wonderful as well. I now find myself riding my horse not in Orange County, CA, but London circa 1880AD

Bottom of Bowl: It ends too quickly! It does not build up much strength, but ends with a clean and dry ash that practically floats away as you dump it. I immediately reload and start all over in this wonderful journey. Yes, I am in London before the turn of 19th century and in the company of other gents who have nodded politely as thay catch a whiff of my pipe's smoke. As my second bowl ends, I find myself back in the hustle and bustle of Southern California, too bad...

Overall: I really enjoyed this blend. Will it replace my other blends? No, but it will be a ocassional part of my rotation. It really is a time-machine type blend. It does everything in a very subdued, classy way, just like the gentlemen of old Victorian England. This would be a perfect blend to smoke while reading or watching "Pride and Prejudice". Yes, I have acquired a half-dozen tins to keep for the cellar. Give it a try...

I can't reccomend this but of course taste is subjective. Not a thing like the MB blend of the same name, though the tin aroma may be vaguely similar.

The cut is shag and the tin aroma is indeed very special. As always I will try to compare with foods: Aniseed, overly ripe oranges, dank store-room (yes I know, it is not food, and somehow or other it is meant positively) and Tawny Port. A strange mix indeed, but when lit, it produces the sweetest buttery smoke one could imagine.

The leaf is of outstanding quality and I sense some insignificant amount of orientals in it. It burns well, packs enough nic. to make me happy and does not bite at all. Normally I like some hot Earl Grey with my pipes, but somehow this does not work at all, because the fragrant aromas of both would mix in a negative way. Instead try some rich red Port wine with it, and sit back and dream away: This will tickle your tastebuds and lead your thoughts far away from the grey and dull everyday life.

The best (non-) aromatic I have ever tried, and I will explore the whole Germain line from now on.

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark