Elephant & Castle The Roanoke
(3.33)
A superb Virginia mixture, sweet and ripe and pleasant to the palate.
Notes: At the time the E&C range was being developed, many of the mixtures which had established London's well earned position of dominance, were no longer being made. One such blend was Freibourg & Treyer's Golden Mixture which was a Virginia in the truest sense and was composed of all ribbon cut Virginias of lovely golden color. McConnell's had manufactured this blend for the F&T shop in London for many years, but for some reason it was no longer being sold by them. Ken believed this particular mixture was among the finest of its type, thus the decision to add it to the E&C range. Its name comes from the city in southern Virginia, which is well associated with tobacco.
Information from "The E&C Story" on the Marble Arch Ltd. website: http://www.serjacopo.com/e%26c/E%26C_000.html
Details
| Brand | Elephant & Castle |
| Blended By | Peter & Robert Siegel |
| Manufactured By | C.E. McConnell |
| Blend Type | Virginia Based |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50g Tin, 250g Foil Bag |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Very Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 16, 2016 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
I couldn't let this sit in the cellar any longer. I'm surprised there are no reviews here yet and I'm further surprised at how cheaply I came by this (perhaps because there are no reviews!). Ribbons of deeply fermented lemon leaf with a savory aroma of pure tobacco goodness!
This is why I have cellared so many tins of F&T Cut Virginia Plug and Butera Golden Cake. I'm not the biggest fan of straight (ish) lemon Virginia blends, finding them fruity and sweet but not deep nor dark enough in flavor to interest me for long. Those two were notable exceptions and I enjoy them both fresh and with a few years of age on them. But in 20 years, I expect them to age as this one has. I smoked a tin of this in the '90's but found it less than fully enticing. 25 years has changed this to a deep walnut brown in color and a flavor to die for. Rich and full of flavor, yet mellow and easy to smoke. Not the most complex but a top-to-bottom cohesiveness that escapes a lot of lemon Virginia blends, with a sub-basement deep flavor of Heath bars, graham cracker, nuts and a sweet perhaps lemongrass flavor - but deeper. Hard to describe. But as good as the two above-mentioned lemon VA's are, this one is incomparably better. I've never experienced the richness and depth of flavor in this genre before. As I likely won't find another tin at this price, I'm hopeful that I can reconnect with this flavor thru the other two blends.
This is why I have cellared so many tins of F&T Cut Virginia Plug and Butera Golden Cake. I'm not the biggest fan of straight (ish) lemon Virginia blends, finding them fruity and sweet but not deep nor dark enough in flavor to interest me for long. Those two were notable exceptions and I enjoy them both fresh and with a few years of age on them. But in 20 years, I expect them to age as this one has. I smoked a tin of this in the '90's but found it less than fully enticing. 25 years has changed this to a deep walnut brown in color and a flavor to die for. Rich and full of flavor, yet mellow and easy to smoke. Not the most complex but a top-to-bottom cohesiveness that escapes a lot of lemon Virginia blends, with a sub-basement deep flavor of Heath bars, graham cracker, nuts and a sweet perhaps lemongrass flavor - but deeper. Hard to describe. But as good as the two above-mentioned lemon VA's are, this one is incomparably better. I've never experienced the richness and depth of flavor in this genre before. As I likely won't find another tin at this price, I'm hopeful that I can reconnect with this flavor thru the other two blends.
Age When Smoked:
25 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 30, 2017 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Very smooth....sweet texture....not cloying at all....smoked great right out of the tin. This blend does not have the annoying grassy smell/taste other Virginias seem to have, and for some reason, it does not burn hot for me. Burns to a clean white ash at the bottom. Highly recommended.
Pipe Used:
Cob, briar
PurchasedFrom:
Private seller
Age When Smoked:
Aged about a decade!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 19, 2017 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
The Roanoke was a fermented Bright Virginia in very fine ribbon cut form. When I smoked it back in the 80s a friend of mine who was a roll your own fanatic, would make cigarettes using this blend. It did burn faster than most of the other E&C offerings, and despite the higher sugar content, never bit. Testimony to how McConnell's secret processing of Virginia leaf really made the presentation smooth. Not a lot of depth to The Roanoke, but what you got sure was good.
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