Delicious on first light with a sugary strain that must come from the Virginias. The sweetness tastes natural, but it?s quite noticeable; by no means a bad thing! It does tend to recede as you go down the bowl (or maybe I just get used to it). The blurb on the tin calls the Orientals ?zesty,? which is not wrong but neither is it the whole story. There?s a bit of spice at the tip of the tongue, but the real job of the Orientals is to soften the blend and bind the flavors. They give it a cloudy gentle feel. The latakia is exactly right for this situation: sturdy and a definite presence, going right up to but never crossing the point at which it would throw the others off balance. It's very skillfully done.

Pelican is not one of those blends which, like Margate, combine many different flavors in a kaleidoscope. Instead, like its sibling Kingfisher, it uses a restricted palette. Each flavor is clear and distinct ? I can easily separate the latakia, the VA, the Oriental, with that sweet note over all ? but of finest grade and the ensemble marries wonderfully. Not a big booming blend, but by no means bland.

Verdict: A fine mild English, extremely pleasant and expertly made. If you like strong tea or coffee with a biscuit, you?re sure to like Pelican.

Reviews of this blend tend to extremes. I have noticed that Pelican smokes very differently in different pipes. I have a big Ser Jacopo rusticated billiard that really makes it ?sing.? A equally large Ser Jacopo blast does not. If you try this blend and find it flat, it might be worthwhile giving it another chance in a different pipe.

Pelican is an enjoyable blend. A nice-looking, and very dark, blend in the tin, and quite dry. Very tasty and enjoyable, but not really anything remarkable, and in the end it doesn?t make for a particularly memorable smoking experience. The more I smoked of this, in fact, the less impressed I was. Unfortunately for Pelican, I was smoking this tin at the same time as I was working my way through tins of Abingdon and Raven?s Wing by Pease and some bulk Proper English by Stokkebye, the blender of Butera?s Pelican. The Pease blends left Pelican in their dust, taste-wise, and the only significant difference between Pelican and the bulk Stokkebye was the presence of some nice orientals in the Pelican.

I had intended to give this a ?Might Try Again? rating but, to be honest, I doubt I ever will try it again. If I want to smoke a Stokkebye mixture I?ll stick to their bulk English Luxury or English Oriental Supreme?just as nice in flavor at a much lower price.

Packing-Packed well in all the pipes I tried it in

Lighting-Two matches and a tamp

First Impression-This blend starts well with a mellow English aroma lifted from the bowl. It burns cool and light, without impacting my senses.

Mid Bowl-By mid bowl, this really hasn?t developed into anything I would describe as complex. The Orientals dominate the taste and they are good, just not exceptional. The Latakia remain subdued in the background.

Finish-Develops a slightly stronger flavor towards the end though it doesn?t come to life per say.

Over all-I was excited to try this blend because of all the good things I had heard about it. After 4 bowls, I can say my initial disappointment has remained. It?s a blend of quality tobaccos, but they never develop into anything beyond pleasant but singular. One other note, most of my tins will keep their tobaccos moist through my duration of smoking them. This one went dry within two weeks even though it was stored the same way as the others. This is an OK smoke if I were trapped on an island with nothing but, but I won?t buy it again.

Lighting was easy, charring light, tamp and second match. A definite full flavor of smoky latakia with a some nice orientals/Turkish in the background for the first fifteen minutes of the smoke. One-third down the bowl, the Virginias entered the fray with a subdued sweetness. Some bitterness encountered near the end of the smoke, but overall a very enjoyable English blend. Not as full flavored as appearance. I've already picked up a few tins for future enjoyment. Recommended.

According to close acquaintances of Mr. Butera, Stokkeybe hit the mark on the first batch of the mix, following Mr. Butera's formula and directions exactly. A great accomplishment for normally an aromatic blender, as this time it is straight tobacco.

This is indeed a smooth english blend, with enough latakia to have meaning but still having the flavor dominated by the sweet oriental leaf and virginia. It is not balkan in strength but, in character, it is close. Cool and steady burning, I find it enjoyable whenever I yearn for a good tasting english. I do not find it strong or boring but complex.

Aroma: Classic Oriental aroma. Good sweet Virginia base, spicy nutty Turkish, moderate Laakia smokiness (probably Cyprian).

Packing: Nothing unusual about the ribbon cut. Packs well into any pipe except very small.

Lighting: Takes flame quickly, sometimes just one Vesta.

Initial flavor: Initially the Virginia stands out, the Latakia right behind it, and the Oriental coming in not long after. Nice balance of flavors, and easy on the palate.

Mid-bowl: Great balance and layering of flavors. Can get hot if puffed too strongly, but you would have to try,or be agitated No moisture.

Finish: Just a bit stronger at the end, not very harsh at all.

Summary: At first I was not impressed with the flavor, but it grew on me. By the time half the tin was gone, it was my standby. Medium rich Oriental flavor is it?s strong point.

Original Review: I've been puzzling over this blend for a few weeks now. I'm a diehard BS White fan that is down to his last few ounces, and this was recommended to me by several reliable sources as exactly the sort of tobacco I was looking for. According to Butera this is an attempt to replicate Sullivan's, which I remember as being vaguely Sobranie-ish. All in all, I really wanted to like this blend.

Pelican is certainly a nice enough tobacco, with many elements of a fine balkan blend -- the virginias are mild and play a supporting role providing a touch of orangey sweetness to counteract the drying affect of the orientals. There's the spiciness of the orientals providing a nice middle palate that the smoky latakia is missing. There's even a hint of that saltiness that I love in Sobranie.

The problem is, I'm getting nearly all of this from the aroma -- the mild flavor is tantalizing but offers only hints of greatness. It does seem to vary a bit from pipe-to-pipe; it is nearly completely tasteless in my Ashtons, thin in a Boswell freehand, and reasonable (but still underwhelming) in an Upshall. It is also the most heat-sensitive tobacco I have ever smoked -- smoke it cool and it tastes like diluted spiced orange pekoe tea, smoke it hot and it begins to show its balkan underpinnings.

According to the wife, the room aroma is nice and reminiscent of oranges.

Butera supposedly designed Pelican as a replacement for his beloved Sullivan's. Several hats older and more experienced than myself indicated that he had indeed hit the mark, possibly surpassing it a bit.