Elephant & Castle Isle of Skye

A VERY expensive purchase of dark brown ribbons with an hefty tin nose of rich, earthy virginia tobacco. I smoked about a dozen tins of this back in the day and I recall it being very blonde in color, so age has darkened it considerably. Tin is from 1986.

Well, this used to be a soft, mellow straight virginia of lemon variety that purred like a violin but age has turned this into a rich, throaty cello. Still mellow and easy on the palate but it now has some excellent bottom end. Once again, this is why I've cellared many, many tins of Cut Virginia Plug and Butera's Golden Cake, as lemon virginia really shines with age. This reminds me of slightly toned down version of Dunhill's Ye Olde Signe (the original, not today's stuff, which is a mere shadow of its former self) with a light tea scent and flavor and smooth grasses, perhaps a lemongrass. Some spice in this one as well, but I can't place it specifically. I want to say bergamot but that's not quite right. Very easy to smoke but with a bit of punch as well. Golden virginia perfection! Very hard to recommend at over $100 per ounce, but if you have some extra coin lying dormant and you stumble upon a tin, don't hesitate because the next guy (me!) will snap it up! I saved back about half an ounce for special occasions.

A smooth as silk Virginia that never wavered from its intent, to offer a soft approach. I note where TRC says Perique was in this one. I had never heard that before and have never tasted it in the 304 tins of Isle of Sky that I've smoked over the years. Just a velvety smooth Virginia flavor that made my palate cry for more every time I smoked a bowl.

Somebody here at TR must have been reading my mind—I was about to list this very same tobacco! Why? Because back in the 1980's and early 1990's Isle of Skye was, hands down, my single favorite pipe tobacco. For reasons that were never well explained to me, my tobacconist back in the day had a very difficult time procuring this fabulous stuff, so, I only ever smoked 2 measly tins (I still own one of the tins, it's my most highly prized tin).

Even though my memories of the tobacco itself are nothing but a faint whisper, I'll try to impart the greatness of this baccy in words, nevertheless. It was a lightly colored combo of sweet and fragrant Virginia's that met the eye. The tin note was unlike any other baccy I've ever had, it reminded me of a woman's perfume, yet, this was tobacco alone, there was no topping of any kind—did I say fragrant Virginia's (I honestly don't recall any Perique coming through in this blend)? You bet, the most delicate smelling leaf I've ever come across in all my many years of piping. The taste was relatively light, softly rounded—the tin's scent came through ever so slightly in the taste. For nearly thirty years I've been trying to find another tobacco that duplicates Isle of Skye but I've been unable—it was truly a unique blend! Please, someone, bring it back!

Keep on Piping!