James Fox - Provost Mixture pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
< PREVIOUS Showing reviews 21 through 31 of 31 reviews of this tobacco
Grey Cloud	08/09/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
While I am pleased the last three reviewers enjoyed this blend, I have to say that they really don't know their arses from a hole in the ground. This Tobacco has Latakia in it, and if Fox says it doesn't, then they are Lying. It has enough that I can pick it out with my fingers. This is a good tobacco blend though, very mellow, leathery, smokey. Fox produces some outstanding blends, and Provost is great.
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Philo Beddoe	12/24/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
Let me start by saying that Dorisco Mixture is one of my top three or four tobaccos and that I was hoping that anything by Fox would be of the same caliber. But it was not to be, I found Provost Mixture to be flat and bland with no character. It smells bland in the tin and the taste was just not there, I wanted to find a sweet light English but this is just too mellow for me.
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Irish Newbie	03/27/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Strong
a quick note to say how much I am enjoying this tobacco. My other favourite is Dorisco so this is another success from the Fox stable. In Dublin Fox's and Petersons have shops virtually beside each other. Peterson have great pipes (Fox's have a pretty good selection too) but the Fox brand tobacco is streets ahead in my opinion. I have yet to find a Peterson tobacco I like but so far have yet to dislike a Fox tobacco. Being relatively new to pipes I cannot comment with accuracy as to the type of leaf etc but if this is an English/Oriental then that is what I like. The room note is a bit strong for my taste but the cool smoke you get from this tobacco is well worth it. A very helpful assistant in Fox's called David in Dublin recommended Provost as his smoke of choice. I can only thank him. Service is a bit eratic in Fox's ranging from superb to a bit grumpy but their tobacco is well worth it. Amazingly they did not know about this website in the shop. They do now. So far the second best tobacco I have ever had after Dorisco, ranking equal second with Bob's Chocolate flake (the only aromatic I like so far) Update - 9/03/09 - I mix this with Fox's Aromatic (another recommendation by David in Fox's Dublin) and again can only t hank him. I had found Provost slightly high in nicotine for me but mixed with the aromatic (which is very subtle) it is a wonderful mellow smoke - top notch.
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NapaWineLover	12/21/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
This is a fun tobacco to review ... and it seems there haven't been as many as one would expect. I liked Paddy's review and think he covered the tobacco well as per my observations. I don't quite understand how people are finding Latakia in the blend since, ostensibly at least, there is none. It seems that the Orientals, which are very complex and the main star, are delivering in some way, what some find in Latakia, when it is used as a condiment. There's no mistake though ... there is NO Latakia in this blend and the Cavendish may again be a misnomer since there seems to be Virginia Cavendish (unsweetened) in this blend, naturally sweet. My observation is the marketing folks at FOX do not have a clue and opted for an artistic description that isn't necessarilly doing the blend justice. I saw "sweet" and passed on it for years until someone gave me a sample. If that had read "natural virginia sweetness" I would have ventured since I already love Dorisco. They did the same thing on the Dorisco tin. As far as I'm concerned their marketing folks have probably had an adverse effect on overall sales. Fortunately they haven't worked their way into the blending area. Bravo this is good stuff! This is not overly powerful but it delivers considerable satisfaction and is very tasty IMHO. It is a very complex smoke and while no Latakia is present, it has the characteristics of a smoke that one would typically find it present. The blending is superb, just as I have found in Dorisco. A wonderful pairing of tobaccos that create something mysterious. No single component seems identifiable for very long and I find it a very intriguing mixture and enjoyable beyond expectations. The Orientals are truly remarkable. The burning qualities are terrific (as with all Fox blends a little air time and some light rubbing is compulsory). Cheers VC
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Paddy	06/06/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
For those who may be considering this blend, you should know first off there is no latakia here. Second, there is no sweet American cavendish; there are no flavorings or casing. There are dark bits in the blend which I take to be unsweetened cavendish. Third, this is an oriental blend or a Balkan blend without the latakia, if there can be such a Balkan blend. It contains some marvelous oriental tobaccos and very tasty Virginias. And fourth, I would not describe this blend as full strength in the traditional, nicotine sense. It reminds me very much of Fox's Campanile in its overall taste effect. The difference I think has to do primarily with the addition of the cavendish which I think gives the blend a bit more oomph and makes it quite distinct from Campanile. Having moved past the Virginia and cavendish, let's move to the main event which is the orientals. There are olive flakes in this mix which resemble candela wrapper. The smoke is mild with no bite. It has that wonderful spiciness of various orientals playing about and just a bit of heft or body from the cavendish. Latakia lovers may find it lacking. Aromatic lovers may find it astringent or too spicy. I love this stuff. My only regret is that, because the sweet cavendish description put me off, I did not discover it years ago. If you like a mix of mild, spicy orientals and Virginia, this will not disappoint. Most highly recommended. Paddy.
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bigjonburley	12/04/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
Update 08-04-09 I had to write an updated review for provost mixture because of the original verbiage that I used. My how my tastes and experiences have changed. I look at my statements concerning the possibility that this blend contained latakia. HAHa! Back then I knew so little. The truth is still that this is one of my all time favorites. I still view the craftsmanship and quality in provost as top notch. I value this blend heavily now that 965 is gone. The twangy, mild-edginess, of the orientals are so provocative. They are full on the palate and intriguing in the nose. The orientals don't come of as spicy. In a freshly opened tin, the moisture is quite high. The excess moisture seems to cloy the combination of flavors, yet with a slight amount of drying, the orientals begin to "pop" against the smoky sweetness of the cavendish. I really can't say enough for this blend and its level of refined elegance. I can't think of another quite like it in composition and matching depth, given the ingredient list. The cut and quality is everything that I lost when the dunhill stuff went bye-bye.(whining,groaning) Provost is a must try for those who love english/oriental blends. It is a mainstay for me. --------------------------------------------------------------- I must say that like the others who have reviewed this blend, cavendish is not what comes to mind. Unless J. Foxes concept of cavendish is tobacco painstakenly cured under a smokey fire of cedar. I'm sorry, but the characteristic charred cedar essence of smokey latakia is just too evident in this blend to pass it off as cavendish. I do believe that there is a trace amount of cavendish present but, not so much as to take this blends flavor away from the beautiful essence of the English style. There are so many likenesses found in many of the great english blends that I have to say that to deny latakia would almost be blasphemy. Oh... but don't let me be the expert, (because I'm not) I'm just going by what my nose and taste buds tell me. Upon opening a tin of Provost I'm met with the wonderful essence of smoked red meat and tangy worchestershire sauce, the same aroma the left me hopelessly addicted to Dunhill's 965. All in all whether or not this blend is complimented by cavendish, latakia, or both, I could really care less. I let the true guruhs debate the topic and, the blender know the truth. This a blend for the ages and is ultimately classic in its composition and quality. Get your self a few tins and be enthralled.
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RCUSElder	06/15/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Strong
I am afraid that this one is not according to the description given above. Rather, I found this just a typical English blend. Appearance: After opening the round 50g tin, you are greeted by a medium ribbon cut with all the typical brown's, yellow's, black's of a typical English blend. Tin Aroma: A mustiness typical to a English, maybe a tad more orientals, I think there might be a pinch of Perique. Moisture is perfect. Packing: Easy Lighting: 3-4 lights max, normal. Initial Flavor: Definitely tilted to the orientals, with the VA and Latakia close behind. Mid-Bowl: Good English, similar to Squadron Leader, but with a little more Oriental pungency. End Of Bowl: Some strength build-up, a Perique tartness, very faint though. Ash is grey and dry. Overall: This is a good blend, but there was nothing outstanding to keep me coming back. It is pricey, $12.50 a tin in So. Cal. I found it to be a little bitey at times, worked best in a group 5 size bowl. Nicotine cont. is med. (which is good for me!) I suppose if there were not so many excellent blends out there, this could be in the rotation. The room note is strong, will definitely disturb the non-smokers. Rating 3.5 out of 5
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Briarabbit	12/21/2003	Mild to Medium	None detected	Full	Pleasant
Outstanding English blend! Soft smokey,full,light natural sweetness with the leathery smokey Latikia playing bass. This is a most elegant tobacco and packs well,lights well,does not come too moist,and is most savory.This is not a harsh English blend,it's not edge-y or acrid, but smooth as silk.A really great English tobacco.
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Eulenburg	01/28/2003	Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Well, I don't know. (I bet you thought you would never hear me say that !) American Cavendish implies cased, caked burley. But there is no burley in this mix, and certainly no casing. This might contain English Cavendish (pressed Virginia, steamed) which could account for its mild taste and lack of bite. Yet the tin calls it a "Full Mixture", and several persons, including Mr William Serad and other knowledgeable and esteemed connoisseurs, have compared this to the potent DUNHILL My Mixture 965! My reaction on reading that was to exclaim, HUH? The English [mostly the Irish, now] take great pride in the things they can do to Virginia tobacco, without resorting to flavourings, to change and adapt its taste by affecting the sugar content through pressure and temperature. The combination of unflavoured Cavendish, red (mildly stoved) and mahoganny (more so) Virginias give this blend the sec, mildly astringent flavour of a medium-weight Balkan blend, with the darker leaf suggesting some of the smokiness of Latakia. (There is no actual Latakia here.) The result is pleasant, but slightly bland. For my taste buds, this does not resemble DUNHILL's 965 in any way, shape or form. It tastes, if anything, like a blander, lighter version of FOX's great *Dorisco* blend, a favourite of mine for its pungent, mouth-puckering zest, and delicious and intensely apt application of Périque. This blend does not bite. I smoked it quickly and impatiently, in a large Don Carlos calabash, an immense Castello oom-paul, an old Charatan Supreme with decades of latakia burnt into it and even my fake albatross-bone Butz-Choquin The Thing. It never hurt me. It is perhaps this forgiving nature that made me find it boring.
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Tantric	10/30/2002	Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable
I definitely agree with the esteemed P.Tatum as to the misleading description of this tobacco. There is nothing sweet about the toasted Black Cavendish used in this blend, to the extent that one can easily think of it as a Latakia of sorts?But it isn?t. The only other blends I have found that use this particular type of Cavendish are Larsen?s Selected Blend N° 20, and Two Friends? Redwood. And yes, this tobacco can easily compete, in strength and richness of flavour, with Dunhill?s My Mixture 965 (take away the Latakia), or Elizabethan Mixture (substitute the Perique with the toasted Black Cavendish). It?s that good. Provost is a wonderful, natural tasting, sober and almost religiously austere smoke. The initial harshness that seizes the palate upon lighting gradually subsides, evolving into a full bodied Virginian flavour that only gets better as you progress through the bowl. By the second half, and especially towards the end, the whole blend acquires symphonic proportions, with the Virginias expressing a full blown maturity emphasised and underlined by the rich, dark, earthy undertone of the Black Cavendish. Better than sweet,and within the austere limitations noted, this blend can be opulent, intense and palatably nutty. The Virginias are treated and processed in a completely different vein from those used in, say, Light Flake. They are bolder, almost aggressive, with quite a vigorous density. The Cavendish provides a deep, roasted touch that fires up a splendid steamy and woodsy texture. Not a cool smoke (the tobacco is quite moist in the tin and airing is highly recommended), it lends itself as an excellent autumn/winter smoke, and as an alternative to any Latakia mixture. Not as pungent nor diverse in flavours, it nevertheless provides enough punch and body to satisfy a well seasoned palate. Great stuff!
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Paul Tatum	01/15/2002	Medium to Strong	None detected	Very Full	Strong
Not too sure about the above description ""sweet American Cavendish" . This tobacco is a full english latakia blend that gives 965 and Standard Medium a run for the money . A very nice full latakia blend . Highly recommended .A nice change of pace for the latakia lover .
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