A & C Peterson - Caledonian Original Navy Cut No.499 pipe tobacco reviews

Review

Please log in to add or edit a review. If you do not have an account yet, you can sign up for one here.

Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 22 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Quellfroesch	05/11/2011	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
It is IMHO of little use to review a tobacco that has passed away for years and will never be back. It had been my all morning, all day, all evening and all night tobacco from the mid nineties to the early twothousands. Then it was discontinued as A&C. Peterson was sold to BAT. Made me almost quit pipesmoking. A substitute from a friendly shopkeeper in Denmark could not convince and was extremely expensive. Lately I found out that here IS a successor! If my tastebuds and my palate remember well, Peter Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake is very close if not identical to the bygone Caledonian 499. So now I have my new all morning etc. tobacco again. The only inconvenience is that it has to be shipped back over the ocean again to reach me here in Switzerland as it is sold in the USA only. Thus I recommend TIEPOLO to give this a try!
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Tiepolo	03/09/2011	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
What do you want? The perfect flake packing? An amazing fermentation note when opening the tin? The perfect tobacco burning properties? The perfect measure of Perique in a VA flake, to satisfy every taste? Thick white smoke and nice nuances on the palate? Here you get it all. And you know what gentlemen? They STOPPED producing it! I don't know how many times I have complained in the Olsen shop in Copenhagen about it, hoping the ears of the Orlik manufacturing can hear, but in vain. Yes, of course, they have a flake that resembles it, but all that is left of it is 2 tins in my cellar which I doubt I will ever open, because every time I pick one I put it back in 5 min "Leave it for a special occasion". RIP 499, my definite 4 stars of a VaPer.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Claudius Stradivarius	07/24/2010	Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant
This is an excellent navy flake. Mild but tasty.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
DK	09/08/2009	Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
I agree with Pipestud that this isn't as fully realized a blend as my memory of the Curly Cut was, but this is still a good smoke if you can find it - luckily I found 4 more tins, from Pipestud, no less! I found the perique in this one extremely faint. More prominent to my taste buds was a mild casing of some kind that worked quite well with the sweet and flavorful virginias. The casing was alternately sweet and spicy (perhaps the perique rearing its head?) and this made for a very enjoyable smoke. It was a touch too mild for my tastes overall but this fits the bill when I want something sweet but don't want to deal with aromatics. The #499 is a fairly monodimensional smoke but it's great for what it is. This takes the place in my occasional rotation for Mac Baren's Virginia #1. Where the latter is very sweet, this one is also sweet but with a hint of spice. Worth a try if you can find some. Too bad this one and the Curly Cut are no longer in production. Same with Premier Cru. A&CP produced its share of wonderful blends that are sadly no longer with us.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Pipestud	11/26/2006	Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
Although not nearly as tasty as the long gone Caledonian #410 Curly Cut Melange, this blend still has merit. The curly cut was discontinued due to the difficulty in producing the tight curls with Perique in the center. It was rich, sweet and satisfying without an overwhelming dose of the Louisiana Hot Sauce. Original Navy Cut is an updated attempt at maintaining the Va/Per flavor without all the trouble. Although Original Navy Cut will please Virginia/Perique fans who have a bit of a sweet tooth, there just isn't the depth of flavor that Curly Cut Melange #410 had. Oh well.....
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
FiveRings	10/24/2005	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant
A great VA/P blend, 499 has become one of my favorites in this genre. Based on a top quality VA base and with the right amount of Perique, 499 delivers a rich, sweet and creamy taste. It burns slighty hotter that Escudo or DNR, but it is sweeter than both. A delicious smoke for special evenings .
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Collezionista	10/07/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
Fantastic! Solani 633 was my go-to vaper flake before I happened upon this excellent tobacco from A&C Peterson. The best way I can describe Caledonian 499 is as the love-child of Escudo and Gawith Full Virginia Flake. Smooth, sweet and chock full of natural tobacco flavor, with perique running evenly, like a strand of braided rope through the duration of the smoke. Its near-perfect burning characteristics allow one to concentrate more on the flavor of the tobacco and less on its behavior. Sweeter and more smokeable than its sibling Escudo, but a tad less adventurous, 499 may be the ultimate all day smoke for vaper fans. Pity that it's hard to come across here in the states. Highly recommended for those looking for a naturally sweet va flake with a little more zest, or a vaper that can be smoked all day without remorse.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
sasha	07/29/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
This is one of the best VA-P blends I've tried. I must admit my tin was well aged and this has done a good service to the blend. It is really round, smooth, with a light fruity background taste that enhances the aroma. This is really how a VP blend should be, without that acrid and pungent taste they have when young. I think I will age some more tins to try.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Daniel Morlan	01/16/2005	Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Tin aroma smells like figs and raisins. The perique provides an excellent depth of spicy flavor. The roll cakes are fabulously uniform, but the REAL action is when you light it... This stuff is pretty good! It's got its own kind of sweetness. It's not sweet like cased aromatics, though this does seem faintly aromatic, I can't imagine any real casing on here, so I don't think there's any weird "flavorings" added, though I detect a hint of something. It was a bit of a pain to light with a match at first. It took me four matches to get it going, but once I did, she stayed lit the whole time. This tobacco is a bit wet, so you might want to dry it out just a bit before you pack and smoke it. Further into the bowl, I must say it's quite an interesting smoke. It WILL nip you if you don't smoke it slower than a congressional session! It's meant to be savored slowly, and with attention. At the time of this writing, I'm somewhat of a novice pipesmoker, and I am starting to see the merits to Virginias. They are a unique flavor. I think the subtle sweetness of the Virginia will show itself, but there's this... This almost eucalyptus flavor... I don't know if that's from the perique or the virginia. I'm betting virginia, because the perique doesn't seem to be in such an amount that it should dominate. I'm quite a new piper, but I find this to be good stuff nonetheless. I know I have a good palate, so... I look forward to trying this again. ====UPDATED==== This has become one of my favorite blends... I weep openly at its lack of availability here in the USA...
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
raz	08/21/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
[210804] My first foray into Va./Perique Blends. Had just a small sampler on hand for this tasting. Lights fine, tingles on your tongue. Having grown to like Rattray's Marlin Flake so much over the last months I sense the good Va.s in this. Is this the Perique experience? Feels like it could be just tongue burn, or then a different kind of spiciness. No time to wonder, as a slight but clearly citrusy feeling opens up. Not much, but a nice undertone (or is it overtone) mingled in in the Va. mixture. Just a hint. It's not at all like the more well known Louisiana condiment, Tabasco (hm, silly me, but that's how I explained it to my wife while visiting the B&M). Overall, not too strong, but nice enough to keep me sitting on the balcony, in a cooling August evening. Peppery, slightly so. A neat top note. Need to test this one more. So the next trip to my B&M will include a tin of Blue Caledonian. I kinda like that pepperiness, it could be just my imagination, but it bears a distant likeness to a well-made (Louisiana?) burnt-pepper steak. Dry, but not astringent like Latakia. This is very much a Va. mix, but with hints of a sparkling, tingling sensation on your tongue. Good stuff, I'd say. Need to go for a second tasting and see how I'll like it then.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Jakob Kiilerich	06/06/2004	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant
Nothing much to say here. This blend is very much similar to Orlik Golden Slices, (couldn't detect any Perique) but without the "Earl Grey"-notes. Same strength, same texture and same burning/packing qualities. I like to smoke this, when I get tired of Golden Slices.. Not bland, but not very interesting either. A plain and friendly everyday Danish VA-flake. Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Paddy	11/13/2003	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
As a regular Va./Perique smoker, I rotate this blend into the tobaccos I have going about every other month. The appearance and aroma in the tin are as described above. It can be a bit sharpish at the match, but quickly smooths out to a beautiful, typical Va./Perique flavor. Left in the tin, the flake does have tendency to dry out and become brittle even when it is kept in a Ziploc bag. This can make it a bit crumbly for packing but does not present a serious problem nor interfere with the taste of the smoke. It delivers the Perique in a way that closely resembles Luxury Navy Flake but the Va. component is a bit sweeter. Highly recommended to Va./Perique smoker. Paddy
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Danno	11/01/2003	Mild	Mild	Full	Very Pleasant
I used to smoke alot of this flake whence I was a poor student, as it was cheap and plentiful. I haven't had any for years, and perchanced upon a tin at my local shop. The flakes are beautiful, velvety looking and very pleasing to the eye and nose. One flake was all I needed for my Stanwell; lighting was quick and tasty. Initial flavor is sweet and zesty, with the perique nibbling at the nose as you exhale. This is a mild tobacco, with a fantastic room note. Honestly, I do not remember enjoying it this much in years past. I am not usually a fan of mild tabak, but this one tastes great and burns very well. Do smoke it slow, as it will nip if pushed. This could be a suitable replacement for smokers looking for a va/perique flake and find 3nuns/escudo too intimidating.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Craven-A	03/23/2003	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
I don't smoke any other VA/Perique blends so I can't say how much of what I'm about to say is common to the genre and how much is unique to this blend. At any rate it's a quality tobacco. The smoke has a sort of spicy tang to it and it leaves a sugary flavour in my mouth. For me this in enjoyed in an afternoon pipe in spring or summertime. A nice change of pace.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Cirdan	02/04/2003	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This was my first flake experience and it cought me off guard. After a couple of not so good bowls, learning the principles of flake combustion, I found a sweet burning virginia, the right amount of perique a a match for a new briar witch as since been reserved for virgina-perique blends.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Stogie	02/02/2003	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
I picked up two tins of this at a local cigar shop that really has no pipe business. The owner was more than happy to get rid of them, saying that he had special ordered them for a guy that never picked them up. He told me that they had been on the shelf for about two years. Then he asked me if they would still be good! I told him I would take my chances since he was only charging me $3.00 a tin. Visual: After popping the tin and immediately burying my nose in it. (Come on, admit it, you all do it too!) I pulled it away to see a stack of beautiful golden flakes slightly disheveled, no doubt from non-pipesmokers shaking the tin. The flakes are thicker than I'm used to seeing from McClelland, Butera and others, however this makes not an ounce of difference to me. Texture: The flakes were leathery and had seemingly the perfect moisture content, which for me, means just a bit on the dry side yet still pliable without crumbling. Pack / Pipe: I always rubbed these out fully before trickling the tobacco into a dozen different pipes. Mainly Ashton xx pots and apples, along with an occasional Dunhill redbark and a pair of Nording freehands. I use a very light hand when tamping the unlit tobacco. Lighting / Burn: I have mentioned in my review of another AC Petersen blend, Escudo, that it has to be the best burning tobacco I have ever experienced. Well, it runs in the family. This tobacco needed one long match to char, one to light, and it was "next stop-bottom of the bowl". 1st 3rd: Unlike any other tobacco I have smoked thus far, this one started with a bottom of the bowl ashy / tarry taste. By the end of the first third, we begin to see the real character of the tobaccos. 2nd 3rd: Now I am getting a wonderful VA/Perique tang, and a bright citrusy taste on the tongue. There is also a bit of sweetness to accompany the smoke taste which has subdued from overpowering at the beginning to a pleasant aftertaste. Tamping is moderately frequent with each layer of ash collapsing onto the top of the burning tobacco uniformly and loosely. Final 3rd: Same great tang. It is burning fairly hot now, and I usually use 1-2 pipe cleaners to keep the gurgling to a minimum. Smokes all the way to the bottom, and only occasionally gets ashy. Loose grainy gray ash tips out of the pipe. Notes: I have never really tried layering tobaccos in a bowl. However, if I did, this one would be good second half tobacco. The ashy first 1/3 keeps this from getting a higher rating. I will sit on the other tin for a few more years, and give it another whirl. Stogie rating of: 7 Heavenly Hoyos
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Eulenburg	11/05/2002	Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
This is the most delicious new tobacco I have tasted in quite a while. Inside the flush blue tin there is a rectangular plug, sliced from top to bottom?that is to say, the flakes lie one on top of the other, perfectly and evenly, like a new pack of cards. The neatness of the cut, the utter symmetry of the flakes, are a testimonial to A & C Petersen's usual beautiful handiwork. The smell inside the little pyx is the expected dry fig-like redolence of Virginia flake: it makes my mouth water. Cut to cubes width-wise with a small scissors, I spoon one flake into a Peterson's bull-dog, which it fills 3/4 of the way. I fire with two long matches. A wonderfully sweet, full, creamy, port-like taste offers itself to my tongue. Then the Périque, perfectly applied, adds a zesty edge that keeps the whole thing from cloying. What an exquisite delicacy! Where has this baby been all my life? You could never get that delicious burnt-sugar taste from some artificial sweetener: this is the unique douceur of the best Virginia. And the Périque! It acts like the peppery aftertaste of some very smooth brandy. Does it sound to you like I have lost my head? Like a delicious, very rich Sachertorte, or the finest Louisiana pralines, you couldn't make Caledonian 499 an all-day affair, but enjoyed as a treat, with perhaps a chaser (Madeira Boal?) as refreshment, this has got to be one of the most enticing, scrumptious tobaccos available. A cult classic.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
NEWMAN	08/19/2002	Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
On the Net, some vendors have this item listed under Caledonian, others under A&C Petersen, and most don't even carry it. I'm glad I found a supplier in Virginia. Upon opening the round tin, I wondered if I had a misfit since it contains a perfectly prepared rectangular stack of ~ 2 1/2" slices almost like the chewing gum of my youth. The colors range from golden yellow to deep brown. The tin aroma is one of quality tobacco. I didn't rub out the flakes resulting in a very slow burn rate and an exceptionally cool smoke. Even with this technique, relights were not required. Especially in a large bowled pipe, the natural sweetness of the VAs is ideally balanced with some spice from the Perique. The intensity of the flavors and overall creamy richness of this blend prevent it from becoming an all-day smoke for me. However, as long as I can find it, I'll have some around for a special treat or after meals. The search to locate this tobacco was well worth the extra effort.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Tantric	07/23/2002	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Caledonian 499 was the second tobacco containing Perique that I tried. Because of the unfamiliarity with the peculiar qualities of Perique, it took me a long while to truly appreciate this blend. The obvious thing is the quality of its elements, the beautiful packing (I got in the 100g tin), and the scrumptious, slightly sweet aroma that greets you upon opening the tin. After lightening, I felt it burned hot and it tickled my nostrils. Eventually, drawing very slowly (as one should always do), the richness and depth of this blend made a perfect statement. I find it elegant, sparkling, diverse in flavours and notes, with a light acerbic undertone. It is, in many ways, a different tobacco, at least to the more traditional Virginia blends I have tried. I do not know if I will smoke it often, but it is certainly a high quality product, and for those familiar with the taste of Perique it is definitely a must.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Benjamin	07/13/2002	Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I tried this blend after becoming acquainted with Orlik's Golden Sliced. This, I'm afraid, did not bode well for Caledonian 499. The flakes resemble each other somewhat in appearance, but are markedly different in the pipe. Caledonian 499 is hotter, harsher, and stronger than Orlik's venerable favourite. If it's a Virginia flake that I crave, I'll look elsewhere. This is a good tobacco, well worth a try, but better tobaccos can be found quite easily.
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 22 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >