Paul Olsen Hipster

Paul Olsen - Hipster (My Own Blend.

Once again I've been duped by the description! Yesterday I fancied reviewing a flake, checked, and opened P. Olsen PO. It said flake but was in fact a ready rubbed. Same scenario today: it says flake yet it's been rubbed; a little courser than yesterday's, but it's still not a flake LOL!..... I've amended the details.

That said though, I find it a quality tobacco. I'm a fan of this type of aromatic: the added flavour's not complicated, it's not difficult to decipher that it's been mildly flavoured with toffee, and toffee alone. I don't particularly enjoy blends that have a cornucopia of additives, where I struggle to sequester a single one; pipe smoking's about relaxation, not deep thinking!

So, I've ascertained that the only added taste that comes over is toffee. Now it's time to discuss the tobacco's: out of them all it's the Virginia I get the least attribution from; probably because the smoke gives a massive hit of Perique....MASSIVE! The Cavendish gives a nice insouciant touch to the smoke, it works towards counterbalancing the Periques sharpness; I wouldn't say it calms it fully, but it definitely completes the smoke nicely. As I've only smoked this in a Churchwarden, I can't pass comment on the temperature of the smoke, but I can say that the pipes bowl gets too warm for my fingers! The nicotine's as I would expect from a blend with lots of Perique in it: strong.

I have to admit that I like this blend. It's not my usual thing, but easily worth three stars.

Recommended.