1-22-10 More than a year on (I first reviewed this blend months after I bought it), and jar aging has done its work. Wonder how it would taste in five years? What a great burner: can be smoked fast or slow, or alternating fast and slow, with nary a bite or relight. Superb mellow taste.

12-19-11 Smoked some again recently, and very nice after yet more aging! I could see getting an 8 oz bag if I saw one. There's some been popping up recently from time to time, but of course more pricey than when I got mine!

For me there is no best tobacco. The best tobacco is the unsmoked one always. This was my motto till I met Stonehaven. Yes, it is the best tobacco I've ever smoked.

Dry it well. Rub (or not) how you wish. Puff it carefuly. It worths respect and attention. Flavors are hard to describe. But you'll find the sweetness and real tobacco taste here with a well balanced strength.

There are a lot of reviews that describe this tobacco well. It is an extremely fine VA/Burley flake.

From my limited understanding of flake tobacco and how to smoke it, Stonehaven was an experiment on multiple levels. I decided to use the rubbed method for my first bowl. I enjoyed the rubbing and the aroma coming from the tobacco was exquisite. The smell reminded me of fresh cut wet sweet hay with a sugary topping. I was going to enjoy this. I packed the tobacco in my Peterson Rocky Donegal Billiard and proceeded to char it and prep for smoking. The first real pull of smoke was sweet and smooth with a hint of spicyness and NO BITE. I did have some difficulty keeping the bowl lit and smoking properly, this was more me and my inexperience with flake tobacco than the tobacco itself. The flavor was consistent and full the entire time. This was a great way to explore the flake tobacco and VA's. I would recommend this tobacco with gusto.

This blend has depth and complexity, the nuance of flavors coming through at different times. Sometimes the burley takes center stage and sometimes the stoved virginia rears its head. Throughout most of the smoke, this blend is a true "blend", with all the tobaccos melding harmoniously into what just may be my favorite mixture. I have about 20 "favorites" and I think this one may be the best of that group. I cannot recommend this blend highly enough. If you like natural tobacco taste with just a slight sweetness that can either be complex enough to sit and contemplate or easygoing enough to sit and forget, you have to try this one. If you don't like it, don't throw it out! I'll be happy to take it off your hands. :)

At this point I cannot say there is a finer tobacco that I have tried. The entire experience is without equal; the look of the slices, the leathery texture in hand, luxurious billows of smoke, the complex layering of flavors and aromas. This is the gold standard of what a tobacco should be in my opinion. Flawless.

It comes wet in the plastic container wrapped in foil and stays that way if you don't open it. Doesn't dry quickly after opening either. So it needs a good 2 hours airing before loading your pipe.

I normally cut the flakes into thin strips, lengthwise and then cut them into cubes of 2 - 3 mm then load the pipe by way of gravity filling, only tapping the side to settle the baccy and no tamping whatsoever. It is a lot of preparation but worth every second of it. What a lovely, gentle, fulfilling smoke. Mine is from 2007. This should be even better (if that is possible at all) after 5 years.

An all time classic. 6 out of 4 stars.

Feel, smell, and taste the rush of Hershey's chocolate syrup pouring into your mouth and coating all surfaces.

Taste the rich true tobacco flavors.

Enjoy it, life is truly good when Stonehaven is handy. It has all been said, this a true master work of tobacco.

Get some, try it. Now!!

I admit the vast majority are in step, and this flake will be better dried a little and and aged some, probably rubbed out too. I enjoy folding or rolling flakes. My plan is to dry it a little and try folding it. If it doesn't reveal its 4 star qualities I will age it and rub. Or maybe I will cut it with scissors into small pieces. I like that suggestion.

Right off the bat I had to run a cleaner through to address a slight gurgle. After that it burned dry and even, a couple of relights.

Not much going on. A little VA tangy-sweetness. No bite. A well behaved rich tobacco smoke, this. The burley produced no real nuttiness, but the nicotine satisfied. A pleasant finish. Chocolate? It must have escaped out the top of the bowl. I look forward to enjoying this as a four star tobacco.

3/13/09 Update: Air dried for 45 minutes and rubbed out it is much improved. Woody, earthy, rich like baked acorn squash. The finish reminds me of 1792 with chocolate. 4 stars.

The smell is deep and dark, just like the leaf, and the older Stonehaven (produced before the turn of the 21st century), is much more perfumed than current production with not quite as much of a nicotine hit. This is also one of the coolest smoking blends I've ever put in a pipe. The flavor comes on strong, and is almost like dark chocolate in its richness.

This may not be a morning smoke for some because of its strength on the palate. But, I can see where this can be puffed in the late afternoons and evenings non-stop. Puff as hard and fast as you like, there will be nary a nip! Again, I have never smoked anything quite like this. Although loaded with Burley, Stonehaven is smooth all the way down the bowl whereas many Burley blends will fan their gill plates near the bottom.