Ashton - Old London Pebblecut pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 28 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
joelson	07/13/2011	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
Extremely pleasant tobacco, made with high quallity leaves, dexterously put together to create a mild tasting and mild strength smoke. It burns cool if conduced with ability and with the right moisture, and produce a very nice arome, that is very natural and not irritable to the nose nor to the mouth. A tobacco that, because of it's mildness, can be smoked as an all day without being annoing or overwhelming. Atention, it is defined mild, but is very flavorfull and develops incredible aromes as the bowl goes down. The presence of the orientals gives a roundness to the blend and broke the strength and harshness of the virginias, and the touch of perique gives just the right spicy taste! I would define it as an ELEGANT blend. A tobacco that should be proved!
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jazzmoke	06/28/2011	Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Very good tasting tobacco. I smoked it after rubbing it intensively otherwise it lights hard. Do not let it dry it loses it's quality.
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Kilmarnock Piper	03/01/2011	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
Looking at the description of this tobacco in the review below, I must conclude that the European version of this blend is much different! My tin is from 2003, has the typical McClelland blend/batch/year code on the bottom, and contains typical McClelland broken flake. Smelled like McClelland, but not as vinegary as some. Flake mottled and attractive, a fact I noticed even more as I broke up my first bowl. I smoked the first couple bowls in a small-bowled Savinelli Capri. The impression I got was one of purity, an impression I last got with a McClelland when I smoked 2002 Christmas Cheer. This mystified me somewhat, because while the Christmas Cheers are usually single-crop or at least a single type of Virginia from the same general area, Pebblecut has Macedonian, Carolina, Virginia, and I think a bit of Perique. Next, I tried it in a larger-bowled pipe, and noticed more contrast, but still the balance is so good that I still get that sense of purity. I like purity in a McClelland. This McClelland, I must say, is just about the best balanced and pure one I have smoked yet. There are no great contrasts or layers of taste, except for the spiciness of the Oriental and Perique that comes through from time to time. Mainly, there is just this perfect Virginia sweetness, best taken in in small sips, that I don't want to change too much, or ever end! This tobacco is a perfect burner. If I puff continuously, the pipe doesn't even begin to get hot. Let up for a while, the tobacco stays lit. Burns to ash and a few strands of black dottle. There are no off-tastes and no harshness. It's not mild, but pretty much stays in the middle all the way through the bowl. I'll try this in more pipes and try to find more to add, since I am reviewing after only three bowls. I do this sometimes; when I find one that is a real winner with me, I really want to get my initial thoughts down. I will elaborate if I discover any new revelations as I finish the tin. Thing is, I may never find another tin of this!
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Steden	12/02/2010	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant
Opening the tin I found what is described on previous reviews as the old presentation, at least in the EU version, a singular long strip of marvellously oily tobacco rolled on a spiral similar to an hay bale! But the real surprise was the heady scent emanating that induced my nose to overstay on sniffing: fragrant fruity notes of wine must, dried figs, sloes, linalool. Once lit OLP shows a workmanlike blend with complex but harmonious accords: fruity-sourness, nuttiness, spiciness, a captivating grassiness, redolent of crispy citrus and astringent sage, in the middle a peppery zing remind the presence of Perique. Classy tobacco which smokes smooth and cool, gentle yet masculine. Exquisite
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LV9	09/18/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
This tobacco presents a broken flake type of cut, mostly red and black in appearance, my tin if 2003, the scent coming out of the tin is of slight smell of fish food. The virginias and the orientals are the most noticeable ingredients I noticed the 6 bowls I have smoked so far which gives you a sort of sweet and sour taste during the whole smoke is a very monochromatic blend, the taste you get in the beginning is the same taste you get at the end, is easy to light, it's impossible to get this blend to bite, and the nicotine is about average, overall is great for the virginia smoker who wants a change of pace from smoking virginias all day, the biggest knockdown from me is that there's nothing here that challenges your palate, is this was bulk blend I would gave it 3 stars but being that is not it gets 2. Would i buy it again no, Ashton does not distribute it anymore, I have 2 tins from the McClellan re-issues that I'll be exploring in about 2 years; but for now this edition Pebblecut is just a bored.
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Alguhan	08/03/2009	Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
I smoked a couple of 100 gr tins of EU version of this blend, blended by William Taylor. It is an elegant and nutty smoke with a nice balance of the orientals. I could rate it 4 stars but it is a bit sour for my taste which tends to get me bored easily. This doesn't mean that I will never smoke it again. Surely I wil have some tins in my cellar for future.
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DK	07/20/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
As one who doesn't normally fall into the adage of "this was good until it changed blenders" pitfall, I find this blend to be quite an anomaly. I smoked a lot of this in the early to mid 1990's when it was made by (I believe) McConnell's. It was so good that when I gave up pipe smoking from 1995 until 2007, I kept 6 tins of it, knowing that I would return to smoking when my kids were raised. The "McConnell's" version is nothing short of a classic. Beautiful broken flakes with the zest of perique and the wonderful tang of fully matured virginias. I smoked quite a lot of this back then. It rivaled Cope's Escudo then, and it rivals A&C Peterson's Escudo now. Fast forward to 2007. I still had my six tins of the old stuff but was anxious to try the McClellands version, as they are far and away my favorite blending house overall. I was not terribly pleased with the change. Granted, all I had to go on of the old stuff was my memory and tins that had aged over a decade, but the newer stuff had lost the pizzaz somehow. Let's just say I was happy to have those old tins, and I've found a few more on Ebay since. Now we have the K&K version, available only in Europe. Worse still. It's not a bad tobacco on its own but it has retained little of the depth of flavor and complexity of the old version. This is heartbreaking to me. I wish I could smoke the K&K version with a clear mind but being intimately familiar with what this blend used to be is hard to overcome. Consequently, this review is worthless and I don't exactly know why I'm writing it. I guess it's to tell Vaper fans that if they find the oldest version in the 100 gram tins that look exactly like the current version but aren't stamped "made in the EEC", they should either buy it on sight or contact me immediately so that I can!
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Skando	02/13/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
UPDATE FEB13/2009: At the beginning of the current week I have put approx. 50grms of "strips" into my leather pouch, and intensively smoked this as "working-day" tobacco, and have to say that it's been a very nice and satifactory experience. I have never found myself bored, having 3/4 bowls per day of this (diversions have been allowed just in the evenings). I basically re-confirm my previous review, while amending the strength to "medium". I have enjoyed very much the statements of the Perique here and there. ORIGINAL REVIEW JAN14/2009: This review is based on the 100grms tin of the european version, which I guess belongs to the K&K family. The tin is not vacuum sealed, nevertheless the moisture was just perfect and is still the same after several weeks. The tobacco is presented in uncommonly long flakes (two or three times long than a standard flake, but I remember in the past it was one single "belt" rolled on its own inside the 100grms tin). The smell is sweet, grassy an dried-fruity. This is pure Virginia with just hints of Orientals and Perique. Smoked in a medium-bowled Savinelli Professor straight, Liverpool shape, filtered with 6mm balsawood, which I have dedicated to Virginias. It's the most friendly pipe I have experienced for this kind of products. I have never thought in terms of the "desert island tobacco", but this may be the one of my choice. The smoke is delicate, smooth and creamy; never sharp or sour, and very steady all the pipeful. Faintly sweet, with hints of spices and dried fruits. Pleasant to the tongue and the nose. Leaves the mouth completely clean. I do agree it may be considered a variation to Marlin Flake, but I find this much more satisfying, having all the subtleties I'm looking in an all-day tobacco which should never be overpowering. Four stars
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Past Master	06/11/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I don't know why this is listed as "Old London Pebblecut." The picture above and the tin in front of me are both clearly marked "Pebblecut." The aroma on opening the tin does not smell as vinegary as the Black Parrot. The Macedonian and Red Carolina tobaccos combined with the Virginia are modestly flavored by Perique to create a very nice broken flake. This is pretty good stuff. It smokes cool and clean, and has a nice rich taste. This would go well with a Glenmorangie Portwood Finish. But then, what wouldn't? To date, eighteen of the twenty reviews are about evenly split. Eight give Pebblecut 4- stars, and ten give it 3-stars. Only two reviewers give it 2-stars, and no one has rated it a 1-star.
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Puff Daddy	06/26/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
A good friend of mine shared some of this with me, and since it was from 1996, I was kind of excited. The sugars - especially on the darker leaf - were visible in regular light, and under brighter lights, just shined out at us...a harbinger of great things to come. And, it was wonderful. A delightful tin aroma led to a really nice room aroma when lit. This is a medium VaPer with some good Orientals to round out the blend. It began at medium strength, and kept that balance all the way through. If you can find some of this with age on it, by all means buy it. You won't be disappointed...at least until the tin's empty.
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Pipestud	03/10/2006	Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
This is McClelland's #27 with a touch of Perique added. Smoke as is or rub it out a bit further before loading to enhance an even burn. You'd know this was a McClelland's offering with a blindfold on. The ketchup smell is overpowering. The presentation at the match is that of a solid, middle of the road in strength Virginia with a smashing dash of quality Oriental leaf and a smidgen of Perique to round out the blend. Pretty decent stuff.
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jackhackett	10/09/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
Even more so than some McClelland blends I've tried, Ashton's Pebblecut really smells of fermenting ketchup and wine vinegar. And it really put me off trying this blend. The flakes even have ketchupy orange-tinted streaks throughout. However, when smoked, the taste is something completely different---more smooth, and the winey scent becomes sweeter and more rounded. Without patient puffing, though, this can get a little hot and aggressive. Still one of the better Ashton blends I've tried.
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Collezionista	10/07/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
The following review is for the European-market version (made by Kohlhase- Kopp instead of McClelland, I believe). Old London is a good vaper/oriental blend. Its a little bitey and sour but if smoked slowly yields a really nice, robust flavor. The VA's are definitely in charge but the orientals round it out and the perique adds spice. I'm a fan of Kohlhase-Kopp's work on this and especially the Rattray's VA line, and I'm looking forward to trying more of their Ashton blends. I'd recommend OLPC as an occasional change of pace for VA fans.
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Lochinvar	09/28/2005	Mild	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is an enjoyable, though odd tobacco. It strikes me that it highlights the taste of the Virginias and Orientals equally, whereby you cannot give a definite answer as to what the dominant note is. All that said, Virginias and Orientals are my two very favorite types of tobacco, and I am always intrigued by the Virginia/Oriental flake type tobaccos (i.e. this, McClelland?s VA No. 24). They are vastly different in character, but each occupies that realm which many call exotic. The taste does give that 'ketchup-y' nose that McClelland is famous (or infamous to some fringe groups) for. The taste is something odd, giving a very heavy rich almost bullion like impression. Update Ashton is discontinuing its use of McClelland as the blender of its pipe tobacco, opting (as did Rattray, McConnell and Petertson) to use Kohlhase & Kopp with all new blends. So if you like or want to try these you better buy them pronto.
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thedstnguishdgntlmn	08/19/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
A very good selection for the Virginia flake afficianado! The addition of the oriental leaf is quite apparent in the flavor. This starts out with an astringent quality,but then settles down nicely into a very tangy smoke. This has a very McC. quality to it. This is ketchup,vinegar,and bbq sauce all rolled into one.I liked it,but it was the Virginias that irritated my throat.This is a very similar blend in taste to BUTERA VINTAGE FLAKE. Worth a try. 3 of 4 stars.
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Jakob Kiilerich	08/17/2005	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant
This is a review of the McClelland version. I have been venturing the line of McClelland's offerings and I must say, as a Dane, that that weirdo BBQ aroma does not appeal to my tastes at all. McCranies Red Ribbon and VA Woods (pardon my French) sucked real bad. It was as if I could sense some quality leaf underneath a heavy load of Heinz, but all along just wished that I could smoke a bowl without that particular condiment. Hmm.. All that said: Pebblecut does have some of that vinegar aroma in the tin and when I popped it, I was sure I had wasted my money. But Pebblecut, when lit, does not taste like ketchup at all thank goodness! Instead I was greeted with a fine rich, soft and creamy smoke that is countermeasured by a certain "zing" from the Périque, and great spiciness from the Macedonian leaf. Some of the "rich-soft-smooth-creamy" VA blends tend to get boring after a while but Pebblecut has that little ekstra "tickle" that keeps your papilles awake. My surroundings loved the room note, burn qualities are exceptional plus no blisters on the palate. I could wish for more nicotine though, (and this is why Pebblecut only receives 3 stars) but all in all satisfactory. Recommended. Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark. August 17, 2005**************************** This stuff has really grown on me; I have ordered more for cellaring, and will upgrade this review to four stars. Yummy!
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lustra	08/14/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
If you try this blend, bring along a welding torch as it is the devil's own business to light. Upon lighting it, you will find it spicy and a little bitey , like many other rude boy Virginias. It's worth patiently puffing your way through this smoke's nasty little adolesence, though, since as you smoke your way down the bowl, you'll find that it smokes nice and cool for a flake. The taste alternates between a slight sweetness, a light natural taste, and neutral. A load in a little Prince lasts me well over an hour. On the whole, a nice smoke, but I can't find anything hugely special about it. A year later: I find that smoking this tobacco quite dry, not rubbed out, in a small-bore pipe leads to a much better smoking experience. It is good, and I enjoy smoking it, but it won't make my flake rotation. Rating upgraded to ***.
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sasha	08/13/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
This is a wonderful tobacco to smoke as first bowl of the day, when your palate is absolutely clean, so you can taste all the subtleties it brings. It's a pretty complex tobacco, the format Va-O-Per is unusual even in a mixture; upon opening the tin you're overwhelmed by a dried fruits smell and the tobacco is incredibly moist, so leave it open for a while. When it will be at a decent moisture level, you'll find it's easy to rub out and to pack. The smoke proceeds easily and regularly, the blend is sweet for the Virginias, but still deep thanks to the Oriental presence and the hints from the Perique.
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Spike	05/20/2005	Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Upon opening the tin the McClelland famous vinegar smell really jumps out at you. The first few pipes of this were hard to light, hard to keep lit, and had quite a harsh bite to them. I left the lid off for a few days to let the smell and the moisture escape and now it has become a very fine smoke. Try airing it thoroughly and smoke it as the first pipe of the day. Very rewarding!
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Inquisitor	10/29/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Reading over the other reviews, I'm kind of confused. I am a McClelland Virginia enthusiast. Pebblecut, though, never ceases to confound me. For the record, I find it quite unlike any other McClelland Virginia that I have tried. I don't know the source, but there is a sharp edge, a harshness, in Pebblecut that both repels and attracts me. I find this same characteristic in GLP Barbary Coast. I'll smoke a bowl, say "hmm, that's kind of disconcerting", and I'll put it back on the shelf to get some more age. Then I'll find myself thinking "maybe I just misunderstood that flavor, maybe it is really, really interesting. I'll have to try that again." My recommendation rating, therefore, is not necessarily permanent. But Pebblecut is a challenging, complex smoke, very unique - and therefore worthy of trying.
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 28 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >