pipesandcigars.com Match Presbyterian

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

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.

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.