so, like I said, 4th bowl, so I might have to come back and re-do this in a month or so...

I don't care if this is still the three nuns that everyone is claiming it isn't. it's good. I usually smoke almost nothing but english/balkan blends a a few kentucky flake things. and this is a change of pace. I find it to be real mellow on the tongue, no bite at all, and I'm trying my best to "sip", but it's not that easy all the time. my first smoke of this was in a field, a walk with the dog and it was windy as hell. it still didn't get too hot and the flavor was still great.

the tin aroma is somewhat grassy and woody and a little TINY bit ketchup like, in a good way. maybe it's the perique?

it has a nice subtle sweetness from the virginias and it's spicy, in a good, not overwhelming way. I really like it. taste is great throughout. gets a little more spicy toward the end of the bowl, but still not too overpowering for my taste.

the coins are easy to pack, just stack them in my cherrywood shape stanwell (no filter), put some loose tobacco from the couple of broken coins in the tin on top and I'm ready to go. a couple of relights, but nothing I care about. it might also take a few matches to get lit, but it's worth it.

it smokes extremely well, slow, cool, tasty, down to a grey to dark grey ash. there's no dottle whatsoever. it can get a little moist at times, but I just go through the pipe with pipe cleaners every 20 minutes or so, to get some moisture out of the pipe and it works just fine. when I pack that stanwell, I get 2+ hours of pleasure from this tobacco. usually I feel like I need more, but not with this here.

RECOMMENDED!

sorry for anyone in the states and elsewhere, where the tins aren't available. it's worth it.

bit pricey, still.

But then the pouch variety was a loose cut, not curlies.

The pouch aroma was rather intriguing, displaying spicy notes.

The taste was kind of full but smooth at the same time.

It was certainly a different experience...

Bought some recently. It came in a pouch, not a tin. I was horrified to find it was no longer cut in the nice wee rings but appeared ready rubbed.

After removing my rose-coloured spectacles, I found the flavour was still there ( this used to be a tobacco I smoked back in the 80's on a regular basis ) but it didn't seem as fine as I remember it to be!

Call it nostalgia if you will, but I'd still recommend this tobacco. Not as good as "back in the day" but still an excellent smoke.

I'd recommend it.

My first impression after opening the tin was nasally 'so what?' There was very little odor that piqued my interest, and I began to get a bit of the ol' "buyer's remorse". However, after folding back the two flaps, I immediately fell in love with this blend. The coincut medallions in it are, for lack of better words, 'endearing'. Has your wife or girlfriend ever packed a lunch for you? Recall the little things she does, for example including a love note or folding the waxpaper on a sandwich in a unique way. Now imagine if she packed your tobacco. THAT is the impression I was struck with, and knew I found one of my new favorites, just on the visual image of the tobacco pack alone.....

On lighting, I noted immediately the perique. However, it is not obnoxiously there, as in some other blends. It truly showcases the glory of perique, and I can now see why it is considered the 'truffle' analog in the tobacco world. Bowls go down velvety smooth. The petrichor-like aromas arouse my imagination and tease me. I spent my first bowl imagining the Louisiana swamps and going frog gigging. Simply one of my new favorites. Definitely one that tests my restraint, as I always want another bowl with this blend.....

My only issue is, even after a nice pack, it has a tendency to go out and needs relit. I fail to see this a flaw though, as it gives me more time to reflect on the sublime aftertastes. This is a blend that is meant to be explored with all your senses. I HIGHLY recommend it, and hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ho Hum! That is where the beauty ends. It is not a bad smoke it is just a tasteless smoke, there is no real taste or flavour either during or after which is a great shame considering the packet smell.

Not one for my future collection unfortunatley

Coin cut not any more? In Holland it still comes coin cut in a square tin.

Taste: Nice pure tobacco taste, but for 14 euro a 50 gr tin,Silver Flake at 22,70 for 100gr is a much better deal IMHO.

Use: Stacks nice and easy, burns easily.

In short: Nice but pricey, I'm aging a few tins to find out if it will become something special.

Is this is a tobacco that is thought to be good due to its heritage? In the 10 years I have been pipe smoking this is the third time I have tried this and i dont think it is anything special,it may have been once. I have seen perique mentioned in one of the revews, probobly correctly, but I am unable to taste any perique in it. Now I have read that I will give it another try, I could be wrong.

It found my tounge a bit, got a bit hot and burnt very quickly and I am not a fast smoker. There was not a lot of flavour in it and the pouch smell though okay smells a little of rolling tobacco. All this adds up to cheap base mixture tobaccos in my mind.

If you are looking for a play it safe British made or made in the British style standard virginia mixture which is what Three Nuns is there are better supermarket brands out there. I am talking in the Condor Blended, St Bruno, Mellow Virginia vein here. ( Me and MrDyson are singing from the same hymn sheet here I think)I wont be buying it again, unless I can find some of the earlier stuff.

I believe some dark Virginia dominates along with the Kentucky Burley - ultimately giving a reasonably good nicotine punch. The Perique tickles your nostrils, as it should, and is not too overwhelming.

All in all a very decent tobacco that smokes nicely, and is recommended for all lovers of neutral tasting baccy to the somewhat stronger/peppery side. I always keep one in rotation, but ultimately it's not a ringer for me. I think aging could be essential here though. Rating 6/10

Epic stuff? Well no one here have taste the original Bell's anyway, as they stopped producing it in 1910. Three Nuns has tasted the same way, at least for more than 30 years or so. This IS the real deal.

Alas, there was "none nicer" as was emboldend on the tins of yesteryear. Goodbye old friend. I shall ever remember the pleasure you brought to me as all my cares floated away in clouds of the finest smoke ever to grace a pipe.

- Smell: strong, pleasant. A comfortable tobacco smell without much flavoring.

- Packing: great packing. The smoker can either pack the "coins" or rib it and then pack it. It burns well and when packed well, it doesn't need to be relit every time.

- Taste: full taste with a mild flavoring. The room note is very tolerable.

- Recommendation: Highly recommended. This tobacco is my favorite. It costs €12,80 here in Europe, Netherlands which is not cheap, but it's totally worth it.

Recommended for every pipe smoker out there. Tip: Hot coffee prefered with this one!

(a) TN used to come in little discs cut off a rope (like G & H’s Curly Cut). It doesn’t any more, and this has affected its smoking quality. Now it tends to dry out quicker, or dry out in the shop, and thus burn faster and hotter.

(b) As is so often true of old faves, it doesn’t come in tins any more; so, again, it gets drier (and thus faster and hotter) quicker; it’s also harder to store, of course.

(c) Most significant of all, the Perique that gave the ‘old’ TN it’s distinctive spicy, saffrony flavour is left out of the ‘new’ TN. Back in the day there used to be a slightly cheaper ‘empire blend’ version of TN, without the Perique. That, in effect, is what the ‘new’ TN is. (By experimenting with Perique and G & H’s Curly Cut, you could probably clone the old TN, or come quite close to it.)

The above remarks are made from a UK point of view; my impression from earlier reviews is that some of them (e.g. you can’t get it in a tin) are not true in the USA.

Having had the predictable good-old-days grouch, I have to say that even in its debased modern form, TN is a good tobacco for someone who likes an unscented and straightforward smoke without an eye-watering nicotine content. Yes, a lot of the old magic has gone, and TN has joined Gold Block and Mellow Virginia on the supermarket shelves; but TN still has a very full, satisfying and natural flavour. There’s some topping, I think, but it’s not too intrusive or ‘unnatural.’ It enhances rather than overpowers the natural qualities of the tobacco. The room note is pleasant also, and won't distress the wife or upset the servants. One major word of warning: don’t for Pete’s sake let it dry out, or smoke it dry; it’ll fry your tongue if you do, and not taste of anything. In good condition, though, TN is still a fine tobacco for a long smoke in a large bowl. I like it in a big Oom Paul with a cuppa tea. Fings ain’t what they used to be, but they’re still pretty good. Warmly recommended, though not in the front rank any longer; I'd give it three and a half stars if that were possible.