The flavour starts as a really mild, fruity virginia taste, and builds only a little through the bowl, until near the end the spicy perique appears. Theres not a huge ammount of Perique in this, but enough to notice it, and it makes a pleasant finish to the smoke. It burns evenly, needing a couple of relights if you smoke it gently, which I advise that you do, as the light virginia could bite if it gets too excited.

Not an enourmous smoking experience as some of the other perique blends can be, this is a pleasant smoke all the same, and is of about the right strength to smoke rather a large bowlful while reading a book.

It's an OK smoke, but not really a great one.

The flavor of this tobacco is a Virginia heavily fortified by Perique. There is some zest and a subtle sweetness from the flue-cured leaf. Sometimes you can actually taste the Perique on it's own, in which case you get a heavy, dark tobacco flavor that is somewhat tangy or peppery. Mostly, the Perique boosts the overall body of the blend, accentuating the deeper themes like a bass violin in an orchestra. The blend just isn't as integrated as a flake, though, so occasionally the Perique does a solo of its own. It burns well enough and does not produce any bite.

The room note is like a strong English cigarette, with a darker tobacco flavor.

The strength of this blend is substantial, but again it's not really what I'd call a "strong" tobacco, but it's definitely for experience smokers only.

Some have compared this blend to Escudo, but I find Escudo at best to be a much milder blend with far less of an emphasis on Perique, and far more tongue bite.

Reasonably nice tin aroma with the emphasis on VAs with a hint of Perique. Not too much of that Perique stewed fruit aroma (which I love).

However, the flavor was too flat tasting for me. Just sort of dryish, smokey and strong. No complexity and very little natural VA sweetness. Serious nicotine hit which is a plus or a minus depending on your preferences.

Bottom line: There are better VA/Perique blends out there.

I was frankly disappointed. Plus, this was one of my first experiences with real bad tongue bite. Youza! The stuff seemed to smoke harsh and HOT. Of course, I was not calibrated to blends with a high virginia content. There was neither a sweetness or a smokiness, so what was the point? The tin aroma was flat, also seemed to suggest nothing special.

I got that tin at a local tobacconist's store that carries only about a dozen tinned blends, so I figured that this must "one of the best". (I later found out that he stocks the stuff mostly for two regular customers that each buy 1+ tins a week at his greatly inflated price. So much for that theory...)

Well, fast forward to the present. After having discovered the wonderful world of Va/perique blends through Escudo, I decided to try the other VA/p offerings out there. Some reviewers gave the impression that Eliza. was one of the best around, kind of like a toned-down Escudo.

So... Back to the end of my tin, which by now had considerable cellar time. Since it was stored in an airtight container, it was still in good shape. Eliza still smoked hot, but I could handle it much better with a slow and shallow draw. It had a great body, almost chewy, but... where was the perique? It IS there, but true to legend, it plays but a minor role. It is NOT the best virginia out there by any means, even with some age, and for a VA/P blend it is not at all a standout, like Escudo or Haddo's or even McClelland's #2015 Va Flake. I have enjoyed the last of this tin, but will probably not replace it. It is a quality product, just not one suited to my tastes at this point in time.

One last point: Several of the other reviews here mention the high nicotine content of this blend. I am a confirmed nicotine wimp, but never had a problem with Eliza, maybe because I use a smallish bowl for this blend.

Probably the Virginias used in this blend are so matured or processed in such a way, that most of the natural oils, sugars and sweetness seem to have gone. Instead, they offer a tough, rather toasty flavour, that asserts itself in the palate with a very high density. I believe the lack of oils makes the leaf seem drier than it actually is, but you do get the impression of a raw and heavy tasting tobacco, closer to the Oriental blends than to pure Va. Flakes. Secondly, the added Perique seems to be prepared in quite a different way than the one used in at least one AC Petersen blend, or Solani?s or Stokkebye?s. It has not got that piquant and tangy quality. Its more peppery and sharp. As a result, the blend seems to smoke hot and heavy.

No doubt, this is a veteran?s tobacco. There is no nonsense or hidden hints about EM. It gets straight to the point, and hits your taste buds with the bluntness and matter-of-fact tone a Queen would command upon a subject. I much prefer Fox?s Provost mixture (similar in the Virginian component), but I gather a well seasoned smoker should handle and enjoy this rather hard-hearted royalty member.

I love VA/Perique blends, but this tobacco leaves me flat.

Elizabethan mixture is flavorfull enough to satisfy without being particularly strong. It also leaves the perique far in the background (which I appreciated).

There was a variant of flavors as I worked my way down the bowl. At the final one third of the bowl, the perique did begin to show its face. So, I simply let the fire go out.

***** UPDATE 8/4/02 ***** I recently received a 100g tin of this blend from a friend who had it made especially for him at the Dunhill store in London. It was made without the perique. The blend is still not one of my favorites, but was quite tasty.

Physical Characteristics: A short, thinnish ribbon cut, leaning more towards the blonde end of the color spectrum than the dark brown, but still nicely balanced. Packs like a charm once it has aired out a bit, and smokes evenly to a cool grey ash.

Notes: I have smoked two tins of this, one 'new' and one with a year's worth of aging on it. I FAR preferred the aged tin, so much as to not really recognise that they were the same tobacco. As a matter of fact, if I had not smoked then one after the other, it would have been hard to make the connection between the two. Where the young tin was grassy and musty, the aged tin I smoked had none of these flavors, being instead a full-on tobacco-tasty experience. This is a powerful blend, and those faint of heart when it comes to nicotine should probably smoke this sitting down.

Verdict: I much enjoyed the tins of this I have smoked, and will waste no time in putting more of this in my cellar. I would heartily recommend aging this to anyone, and especially to those new to Virginia/Perique blends.

I'll reserve full judgement on this one for some other time. I'd definitely try this one again, but I don't think I'll make it one of my regulars.