pipesandcigars.com Match Presbyterian

The Virginia is grassy with some citrus as the base of the blend. As an important second lead, the Oriental and Turkish are fairly smoky, rather woody with some earth and an ever present spice and floral note that’s just potent enough to notice. They have very little sweetness to them, helping to make a dry smoke for the participant. The Cyprian latakia is a minor component, offering a little smoky, woody sweetness that is elusive at times, but when you don’t really taste it, you’ll still sense what it brings to the experience. The nic-hit is mild to medium. A thin ribbon cut that needs no dry time, it burns cool, clean, smooth and very well. Hardly requires any relights, and leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. An all day quality, gently mild English designed for those who only want a modicum of latakia. It has a nice flavor, but may lack enough depth to sustain continual interest. Two and a half stars.

It's a fairly close match, though this seems to have a slight bit more latakia, and the quality of the Virginias is shade less as good as the original. Lightly more milder and lightly less sweet, too. I gave three full stars to the original, which I smoked two months after this review.

-JimInks

It has been a while since I smoked Presbyterian Mixture, and so this is not a back-to-back comparison.

The match is very good. The orientals in the original had a slightly more savory quality, and I think the match has a touch more latakia. Puffing brings the orientals to the front. The Virginias used are grassy and contribute to the sweet notes. They are spot on as close as I can remember. I am impressed with this match.

This is an easy 3. I have bought a pound so it is really a 3.5 in my scoring guide.

I am the type of guy that keeps the first of each tin top purchased to display if it has nice graphics, I use 3M removable tape (that putty type stuff that doesn't hurt walls or paint) and Presbyterian's artwork is my favorite of all so I am biased... It's that whole marketing thing I always talk about (they get me every time) so when I say I truly enjoyed this match version I really did! The Turkish and Virginia are at a perfect level for me and I appreciated the very mild use of Latakia since I can never be sure if my older tins actually contained some or if the Oriental's just tasted and smelled like that leaf. Mild but very flavorful. I try to never judge a Match on its predecessor since batched of leaf vary over the years and there may have been a different process used on a component but for arguments sake I took out an old aged jar of Presbyterian and compared the two. Aside from the obvious differences due to 5 years In a ball jar, they are very similar in strength, taste and aroma which is wonderful in case the original goes the way of Sobranie or Raven's Wing etc etc... A mild, smooth and delicious English blend with enough Nicotine to satisfy! Oh and a great price per ounce. Besides Chatham Manor and Sutliff's Edgeworth Match, this may be my favorite replica of an old time blend!

I received my Match Presbyterian yesterday and have smoke three bowls thus far. I used a Mark Twain cob, a meer and a small brier to sample it. It is not as smooth, in my opinion, as the original. A bit harsher and lacking the distinctive "mellowness" which is the trademark of Presbyterian. I should note that, while Presbyterian used to be my "go to smoke," it has become hard to find, thus it has been awhile since I have smoked any. That said, this is a good smoke and shall enter into my rotation. I am wondering how it would be after some aging though. I may try jarring a few ounces, in separate, ounce jars, and revisiting it after 6 months, a year, two years? Just to see. I suspect that this is a tobacco which shall benefit from aging. Also, my fiance had no objections to the room note, stating that it was, "good." Of course she was half asleep at the time. LOL

This probably ain't your English lovers dream, but I happen to love it. I've not had the original Presbyterian, so my opinion is based on only this match blend. I received a 2 oz bag in a sampler and enjoyed it so much I ordered a much larger bag before the sample bag was half worked through.

I enjoy the occasional English or oriental blend, but I find that during the summer months most of them are far too heavy for an enticing outdoors smoke. Being happily married, for me an English is synonymous with "outdoor smoke". This blend is still relatively heavy on the orientals and Turkish, but the combination with bright Virginia just gives it a light, airy, and sweet body that I find refreshing even in the brutal summer heat/humidity. Orientals are on top, with characteristic sweet spice and floral notes. The virginia is a sweet hay-like backup, and the latakia is barely discernible. These are the ratios I've been searching for in a mild english, so I'm thrilled to find it at such a good price point (in bulk to boot!)

This stuff burns so well and so evenly that I don't even have to pay it any mind to smoke a large bowl with no relights. The only negative I found is a tendency to burn a little hotter than some, so cadence is of importance if you want to avoid being bitten. All in all, a very pleasant suprise that's become a standard go-to in my rotation. Highly recommended

Mostly lighter brown ribbons with a bag note (this comes in bulk only) of orientals, presumably the Izmir variety. This didn't appear as the original, which is darker in color and "juicier" of taste. The latakia is just barely noticeable in the nose.

Based on my memory, this isn't a close match to Presbyterian. Actually, this is better! The oriental taste is much more prominent for much of the smoke and the Virginias used seem a bit richer as well. This came very dry in the bag, which is probably what allowed this one to sing (in a middle eastern language!) more loudly than the original, which came pretty wet. I wish I had some of the original around to do a more direct comparison, but I preferred the oriental punch of this to how I recall the original to taste. I'm not sure I agree with the "floral smokiness" of the advert, as I think the florals come from the orientals, but this did have a gentle smokiness... like a soft breath of spice within a bed of sweet incense. Very find blend that would make for a good "mixer" ( perhaps not quite a blender but maybe one to mix 50/50 with a darker Virginia). But good to smoke alone too. I'm not sure this will work for Presbyterian fans if they're looking for a cheaper alternative, but anyone that enjoys oriental tobacco (or wants to know what oriental flavor is all about) should try this. This will tell the smoker what is meant by "oriental forward" blends, as it's front and center in this one, subservient to neither of the other components.

A good mixture of tobaccos with the perfect amount (for me) of Latakia. A very popular blend over at pipesandcigars.com because it's always going out of stock! Lights easily and burns well. Very tasty, but I prefer the original.

Smooth Grassy Virginia, tart orientals and I believe a touch more Latakia than the original. I am smoking some I have been aging or storing for over 5 years. It is a good all day smoke with no hogs or low, takes fire well, burns dry and leaves little or no dottle. It smokes well enough for me that I am adding it to my daily rotation and will be ordering another pound to jar up. Solid 3 plus for me.

$5.76 an ounce, on sale, is too dear for me. I never smoked the original, which was also too dear, but I'm enjoying what strikes me and my taste buds as a unique blend. In the tin, inhaling its fragrance, I thought I detected the slightest trace of vanilla casing. I decided this was the sweet sour of the Turkish orientals. The flavor is distinctly agreeable and reminds me of the blends I smoked in grad school nearly 50 years ago. If I detect anything that is close to Latakia, it is a simple sprinkling that adds some smokiness, but the sweet fragrance of the open tin carried over to a pleasantly subtle sweetness through the mid-bowl (which I reached without a relight, after requiring, with tamping, two or three to get it going), at which point it vaguely reminded me of my beloved McClellans, but without the "burnt ketchup" McClellan detractors hated and McClellan lovers enjoyed as part of the sweet sour package they had purchased. Burns to a fine white ash. After only my first bowl, I think this could be an all-day smoke for me, but not in the tin, instead opting for Pipes and Cigars' MATCH Presbyterian mixture kit, which yields a pound for $26.99, a bargain $1.69 an ounce, which buyers are claiming surpasses the tinned match tobacco.