Sillem's - Black pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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Unsal	09/19/2011	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
An excellent tobacco. Highly Recommended.
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Zogg	09/16/2011	Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
The smell is almost that of potpourri, a unique smell that you just need to smell to understand. It's quite floral but with other smells as well. It tastes like it has a hint of latakia but definitely retains that English taste.
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Tom Servo	08/07/2011	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
The aroma out of the tin is quite intriguing. A mosaic of sharp Latakia, cherry, vanilla, baked goodies, and holiday spices. Warmly aromatic, no chemical odors, rich aromas from the tobaccos hold their own with the casing. I’m not a big aromatic smoker, I’ve had some bad experiences with bad flavored tobaccos. But this stuff smells so delicious, I can tell this is going to be different. Coarse cut packs OK, slow to light but burns alright. Well blended English mixture, sharp, smoky Latakia pulling most of the weight. The casing is very well done - contributes quite a bit of flavor, but doesn’t overpower the tobacco flavors. Balanced, interesting, and really tasty. Cherry, chocolate, marshmallow, tart Virginia leaf, hops, dried beans, graham crackers, plum sauce, cherry cordial, distant smoke, almonds, popcorn, roasted grains, and prunes. Yet it never loses it’s “English” tobacco character for even a minute. Complex and delectable. Not at all artificial tasting, all aromatics should be this pleasant and flavorful. This stuff is amazing. Cool smoking and a nice room note. 4 Stars. It’s rare for me to consider an aromatic for my favorites list, but this one made it.
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SMOKETSES	08/06/2011	Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Pleasant
I tasted a bowl yesterday (as if takis, the big-spender, would give me a second one). I didn’t like it at all and I surely wouldn’t categorize it as a Latakia blend. Very strong aroma, probably flowers. A sense on the tongue and some stinging on the gums (I do not know how and if it can be explained) gave me the impression that it contains many chemical additives. All aromas disappeared after the middle of the bowl as well as the hint of Latakia, which means for me that all chemical additives evaporated. Maybe it could help those who are not fond of Latakia begin appreciating the potentially enormous enjoyment this specific tobacco variety could lead to.
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The Dutchman	05/30/2011	Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant
I've had this a number of times now after purchasing a tin from Iwan Ries. Great tin design, and as soon as I opened it, the best smoke scented latakia that I've smelled rolled up out of the little black box. My friends agreed and found it pleasing on the nose as well. This was the first pipe I've smoked after years of keeping a humidor full of cigars. Thanks to this blend, I've been seduced into the world of pipes. The fruit that I detected was cherries or dates and it was outstanding combined with the smoky litakia. I also detected the "soapy" smell that others have described as well. However, as soon as I took it out of the bag and jarred it in glass, it disappeared. The intensity of the litakia also came down a little, but the result is a wonderfully tasting and smelling blend that has decent complexity and the perfect strength. Not too soft, but enough zing to keep me very interested. After trying several other blends, this has remained as one of my favorites. It will be my trusted closer coming out of the bullpen in the late innings if I'm in a jam. I know that I can count on it anytime in my litakia dedicated Stanwell Canadian.
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Katharsis	05/19/2011	Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Hmm, what to say here... This was one of the first blends I tried since I started up pipe-smoking again a few months ago. (I used to back in 2003, but very lightly. Now I'm into it full-bore.) At first, I really liked this. However, that was before I tried other English blends. Since then, I came to realize this was an English/Aromatic, and it almost seems like it's low quality tobacco with simply some sort of flavoring added. Another reviewer mentioned a soapy taste (or smell?). I get this too, and even if I let it air out for a while, it's still there. The flavor of the blend is good, but I can't get past that soapy/floral thing. I gave the rest to a friend in case he likes it.
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Mr. Big	04/22/2011	Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
What a nice surprise, an aromatic, that doesn't taste like a 1960's drug store blend. This is a quality tobacco , yes, with just a touch of Latiakia. French inhale, exhale through the nose, side-stream, it's all good. There is a lot going on here, but the predominate flavor is that "Lane's, Peach Brandy John Rolfe". I hate to do that, compare the two, because this baccy is head and shoulders above JR ( last time I tried JR was 1960's). This tobacco comes damp so it needs to dry before smoking, (the poor closing tin will take care of that for you), it doesn't bite and flavor seems to last through the bowl. I think this has a little N kick also. What you don't get is that bitter/sour Burley taste, it's all good. Have a big pile of cash, because this one doesn't come cheap. I'll keep this around for when I want to impress guests. They will say " ooooh I love the smell of a pipe", my wife will say "not the crap he smokes" . I'll fire up some SB and she'll be wrong again!
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rintrah	03/24/2011	Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Strong
Mediocre leaf at best.
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TheSmokinDragon	02/10/2011	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Black...WOW-WOW-WOW! I love this leaf/just put a pnd of it in the tobacco bar, air-pocket method pack for me gives me max-flavors on this wonderful blend... just for sitting back sip'in with nothing on the mind....you will love it if enjoyed this way
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Robert	01/20/2011	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant
Every now and again, there's a blend of tobacco that comes along that melds all the ingredients together into a superb smoking experience. Sillem's Black does just that. First off, this blend has only a mild casing added to it. Mostly the flavors you taste are from the interplay of the four tobacco types placed into it. And how well these four play together! To my mind, this is a totally English blend that has also included Burley and Black Cavendish in perfect proportions to yield an exquisite smoke. Upon first lighting up, there is an unmistakable aroma of marshmallows as the Black Cavendish mingles with the Virginians and Latakia. The burley soon follow with a hint of nuttiness. Finally, you taste the spiciness of the Latakia, blended in perfectly with the others. What you end up with is a complex, intriguing smoke. There is nothing too heavy here, so those who enjoying smoking the strongest tasting blends might not agree with my assessment. However, I'd suspect that at least 80% of all pipe smokers would find this blend the perfect masterpiece of craftsmanship I did. I plan on making this blend one of my few regular smokes. To have the smoke change substantially during a bowl is one of the most wonderful qualities about Sillem's Black. I doubt that I'd ever get tired of it and even on my mundane days, I know that Black will continue to bring something very unique to my smoking experience. Highest recommendation possible. A masterpiece of blending.
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FunnyPipe727	01/06/2011	Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Pleasant
Sillem's Black tin is a difficult tobacco to decipher. First off, there's not a word on the tin. Just a blue-studded iron cross on a solid black tin. Needless to say it's obvious that this is a rather German tobacco blend, and it would fit right in with the SS if you were going off of appearances alone. When I asked for a description from my tobacconist he said that it was a "full- flavored, sweet and spicy" leaf. "Spicy" is not a word I want to hear when it comes to tobacco. "Spicy" means there's Latakia in there. I'm not the biggest fan of Latakia, and it doesn't help that I don't know much about the staple tobacco in most English- style blends. It usually smokes hot, harsh, and too strong for my tastes, so I was a little discouraged to hear that such a wonderful smelling tobacco was tainted with the stuff. Sillem's Black however, is different. Sillem's Black is unlike any other tobacco I've tasted. Luxurious and decadent are just a couple words to describe its flavor. The tin note is absolutely incredible, smelling heavily of potpourri and incense. I noticed a rather striking scent of Pine, Jasmine and Patchoulli on top of the smooth, chocolaty Black Cavendish. There are also fruity notes from the Virginia blends as well. The Burley adds a nice creamy and toasty scent like roasted marshmallows, and the Latakia envelops it all under a smoky blanket. Although I could definitely distinguish what all was in this tin of beautifully cut leaf, I also noticed that it all smells very uniform. Nothing really jumps out at you, that is to say that it's rightly proportioned, and that's just how it tastes. The taste: Sweet and spicy, like a nice glass of dark rum, with just a little bit of a flowery, astringent flavor. As if it weren't complex enough, the prominent Latakia component adds a nice peppery bite to this blend. I wouldn't call this full bodied in the context that most smokers would, but I will call it full bodied in the context that there's a lot happening here. This blend is very tasty, with an unmistakable aroma and flavor that's sure to please any pipe smoker and any company he might have. A word of caution though; the nicotine content in this is higher than most aromatic tobacco, so don't smoke a whole bunch at once or you won't be able to walk right for a few minutes. In addition, make sure it stays well sealed. It smokes perfectly right out of the tin, so it's packed a little dryer than most hermetically-sealed tin tobacco. If you leave this stuff to dry it will lose its flavor, and its mellow notes and will burn rather hot and heavy instead. Keep it in the bag it comes in and make sure it's tightly sealed when you're done packing a bowl of Heaven, or it will make your tongue feel like Hell.
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RC	12/30/2010	Mild	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant
Ahh Sillems Black. Its the secons blend of sillems Ive tried and am yet again very pleased. I wasnt sure at first and cation people not to let first impressions ruin this blend. The aroma when I first opened the tin was strange. I cant place it, almost soapy I almost put it down and walked away. The first bowl left a strange taste in my mouth. But I didnt give up. I left it open for a couple hours and the smell began to change. It sweetened and became more favorable. After a couple bowls it began to taste better. A little time in the open air does this blend well. It wasnt too wet but I think a little drying does help though I am now smoking right from the tin with no problems. I highly reccomend this tobacco but caution to not let the first bowl turn you away from it. Open it up and let it breath a while. Give it a few days after opening and give it a go.
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The Commoner	12/19/2010	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Addition By Subtraction..... This is mild English Blend with flavored black cav. Nothing new there. The market it literally saturated with blends made with Vanilla Black Cavendish. And this blend can be reasonably duplicated by throwing a splash of BCA in your favorite English Blend But, what separates Sillems Black from the stereotypical "aromatic" black cav blend is not what it has. It's what it doesn't have. It's not soaked in propylene glycol. Black Cavendish and especially its flavored derivatives gets a bad rap. IMO it's not the black cav. It's not the topping typically applied. It's the PG that makes most of them nearly unsmokable. That waxy tongue artificial taste thing. No surprise really you're basically smoking tobacco soaked with antifreeze. All of that is why Sillems Black is an absolute home run. A very nice dose of latakia. Not heavy handed. Just right. And a very very interesting top flavor that clearly goes beyond plain old vanilla. I get a hint of berry or something. Don't know for sure. I'm a smoker not an aficionado. But whatever it is it's damned tasty. And this is high quality leaf. It stores, dries, loads, lights and burns like your favorite non aromatic blend. If left exposed to the air it dries like tobacco is supposed to. It doesn't stay wet for months in the desert like the typical Hot Fudge Sundae Cream Surprise Aromatic from the like of Altadis or Lane. It burns right. Will leave some scent but not heavy goop in your pipe. Altogether, this is a legit smoke with a nice flavoring that enhances instead of disguising the good weed underneath. If your looking to bring a bit of frivolity to a staid rotation of English and VA blends, Sillems is your blend. Fits a nice niche and is worthy of a try for any discriminating piper. And if you like aromatics but have been smoking the goopy crap, you owe it to yourself to give this a try. Whole new world. A NOTE: The tin is really cool,but not airtight. If you're going to keep this around you'll want to either jar it or keep the tin in an airtight bag or humidor.
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SergentPepper	12/19/2010	Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
What a great smoking pleasure ! As soon as you open the tin, you clearly understand that it's gonna be something, boy... Perfect balance in the mixture of Latakia, Black Cavendish, Burley and Virginia. This tobacco is really... special and deserves to be smoked in a peaceful environment: doing nothing, watching nothing, earing nothing and, last but not least THINKING about nothing. Total exprerience :-) Very big stuff !
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Kaziwazee	12/14/2010	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
A really nice tobacco that I'm delighted to be smoking. A really nice tin aroma, and just as nice when smoking. It relights easily, and there is very little tongue bite. It burns clean and is a pleasure to smoke all day. This is really good tobacco. Highly recommended.
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NursDad	11/02/2010	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
One of my favorite tobaccos. Always a pleasure to smoke with no bite. Shows me something new each time I sit down and enjoy a bowl.
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Justso	10/28/2010	Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
Wow. I don't give 4 stars lightly, but this German-English blend absolutely will knock your socks off. Extravagant is the right description for this blend. Tin aroma is definitely unique: the smoky spicy aroma of the Latakia is definitely the dominant part, but the sweet honey aroma of the black cavendish is the secondary subtle part. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't come vacuum sealed, but that's not a big issue. The tobacco is a bit wet anyhow, so if it dries out a bit, it's sure to improve the smoke. However, if you're planning on long term cellaring, put the pouch in a ziploc bag and place back into the tin. From the first light, it became clear to me that Sillem's has taken this Latakia blend to aromatic levels that few other blends reach. The rich, creamy subtle spiciness is predominant early on. Others have described toasted marshmallows and I agree - definitely. There's a sweet nutiness to it that isn't overpowering and it's one of the few blends I've smoked that I could actually smell the room note and it is wonderful. The further into the bowl, the spicier it gets and I detected somewhat of a coffee bean flavor still mixed with toasted marshmallows. The bowl ended perfectly with nice white dottle and a very spicy finish. One note about strength: this one is deceiving. It's stronger than you think. You'll get a nice nicotine buzz going about half way through the bowl and depending on the size of your bowl, it might grab you by the throat when you're done. It's definitely in the medium to strong range. I couldn't smoke this blend everyday, but it's a definite treat. It's a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for and this would be a welcome addition to anyone's stock. A phenomenal blend.
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Nikolaos	10/22/2010	Medium to Strong	Medium	Mild	Unnoticeable
Very Very RARE........... The amazing is when i smoke it i feel in the top of my nose a basic element from the "White Musk" fragrance... WOW... No comments, Just TOP !
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Poppy	09/20/2010	Mild to Medium	Very Strong	Full	Pleasant
It is an black canvendish tobacco with honey and lemon aromes. The latakia in this blend is a good quality tobacco. It's my 1st aromatic tobacco, and I like it, but I taste John Aylesbury Jubilee, and it's better one, cause of arome of fruit and cognac, that I prefer. Enjoy it !
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SakamotoFan	09/18/2010	Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant
This tobacco has a strange smell in the tin. I could not recognize it, however someone else told me it smelled like potpourri. He was spot on. This tobacco has, by far, one of the weirdest tastes to it. Weird not in the sense that it tastes bad, but in the sense that the taste is something I couldn't recognize.
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