The Country Squire Tobacconist Hunting Creek
(3.33)
A truly exotic cocktail of tobacco; full flavored, yet mild. We refer to this blend as a "hybrid" because it has characteristics of English and aromatic pipe blends. Semi-sweet flavors are accented by a dash of Latakia to make each bowl its own adventure. One of our most complex blends. Extremely pleasing to your companions, Hunting Creek has an intoxicating room note.
Details
| Brand | The Country Squire Tobacconist |
| Blended By | |
| Manufactured By | |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Other / Misc |
| Cut | Mixture |
| Packaging | Bulk |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.33 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 12 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 09, 2020 | Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The tin note is vanilla and maybe a hint of chocolate with an undercurrent of smokey Latakia. It came in the bag at a perfect smoking humidity for me, no drying time needed. It's not sticky or goopy and loads easily into the pipe with a nice springiness to it.
It took to lighting surprisingly easy. I was flooded with tastes and memories, mostly from the aromatic aspects in the beginning. Marshmallow is the first taste that came to mind. Then the vanilla and a touch of chocolate. The marshmallow flavor mixed with the campfire Latakia and reminded me of when I was a kid and we'd go camping and roast marshmallows and eat them by the fire. I remember tasting both at the same time. That's what this is like.
After 10 minutes the Burley comes in with a bready graham cracker taste, so naturally, with the other tastes swirling around, I taste S'mores. This tobacco keeps evolving and it is a fantastic experience. Wow!
The room note is very nice. I think you could smoke this around people who hate Latakia and be ok. I had my partner Amanda stand downwind. Because of us having a house fire many years ago, she has a very bad reaction to Latakia to the point where it triggers anxiety in her. This didn't bother her at all, in fact she liked it!
This one is a sipper. If you push it too hard the tastes muddle up. It is best when it feels "barely lit" and you're just lightly drawing.
This makes a great companion to Whiskey Biscuit Gravy and I can see myself alternating them from day to day to keep things interesting. What a great time for crossover blends!
Hunting Creek burns beautifully and while the tastes will vacillate and take turns at the front of the line, it remains a pleasant smoke till the very end.
As far as the comparisons to McClelland Crossover Blends, I think this is more aromatic than those but one could easily get some blending Latakia and experiment. I personally think, with added Latakia, this would be similar to a Frog Morton or 3 Oaks. You would just have to find the right Latakia and nail the portion.
I'd give this a 5/5 and look forward to smoking s'more of this! What a treat!
It took to lighting surprisingly easy. I was flooded with tastes and memories, mostly from the aromatic aspects in the beginning. Marshmallow is the first taste that came to mind. Then the vanilla and a touch of chocolate. The marshmallow flavor mixed with the campfire Latakia and reminded me of when I was a kid and we'd go camping and roast marshmallows and eat them by the fire. I remember tasting both at the same time. That's what this is like.
After 10 minutes the Burley comes in with a bready graham cracker taste, so naturally, with the other tastes swirling around, I taste S'mores. This tobacco keeps evolving and it is a fantastic experience. Wow!
The room note is very nice. I think you could smoke this around people who hate Latakia and be ok. I had my partner Amanda stand downwind. Because of us having a house fire many years ago, she has a very bad reaction to Latakia to the point where it triggers anxiety in her. This didn't bother her at all, in fact she liked it!
This one is a sipper. If you push it too hard the tastes muddle up. It is best when it feels "barely lit" and you're just lightly drawing.
This makes a great companion to Whiskey Biscuit Gravy and I can see myself alternating them from day to day to keep things interesting. What a great time for crossover blends!
Hunting Creek burns beautifully and while the tastes will vacillate and take turns at the front of the line, it remains a pleasant smoke till the very end.
As far as the comparisons to McClelland Crossover Blends, I think this is more aromatic than those but one could easily get some blending Latakia and experiment. I personally think, with added Latakia, this would be similar to a Frog Morton or 3 Oaks. You would just have to find the right Latakia and nail the portion.
I'd give this a 5/5 and look forward to smoking s'more of this! What a treat!
Pipe Used:
Peterson System 307
PurchasedFrom:
The Country Squire
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 28, 2019 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
The brown sugary black cavendish is the lead component. The nutty, earthy, woody burley is a supporting player. The grassy, citrusy Virginia is a secondary player. The smoky, woody, earthy sweet Cyprian Latakia is a condiment that plays a slight bit above its station. The vanilla topping seems to be the most prominent, but I notice a little nougat, light chocolate, and something else I can’t put my taste buds on, but it seems have a fruit note. The toppings sublimate the tobaccos quite a lot, though they do allow them to mildly peek through. That’s especially true for the Latakia. The strength is in the center of mild to medium, while the taste barely reaches the medium mark. The nic-hit is a slot below the strength threshold. Won’t bite or get harsh, and has no dull moments or rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a very consistent sweet, lightly creamy, mildly rich flavor with a hint of savoriness that translates to the lightly lingering after taste. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. The room note may make you a few friends. An all day smoke. Three and a half stars.
-JimInks
-JimInks
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2020 | Medium | Medium | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
It finally has gotten cool enough in Charleston SC for me to sit outside on my small 2nd story balcony and have a pipe! I loved this tobacco! It is very delicious, creamy, yet mild. I like Balkans, English, Scottish blends. Learning the aromatics, and am discovering TCS Second Breakfast, Old Toby, etc. Doesn’t bite. I don’t have the palate to distinguish what flavor is what, but I know a good smoke when it hits me. Been pipe smoking since I discovered Wilke shop in NY during mid 1960s. Loved cavendish from early on. Hunting Creek is in my top 5 for sure. I’m not an all day smoker, two good bowls a day suit me. Relax and ponder, good conversation when available! Discovering things like Hunter Creek assure that God really loves me!
Pipe Used:
Dunhill paneled Shell briar sitter
PurchasedFrom:
The Country Squire
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from CS
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2016 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
This is a very good aromatic. It tastes very close to how it smells and did not sour nor burn the tongue. I will say that it does lean more on the aromatic side than the English/Aromatic crossover side. I get chocolate, vanilla and marshmallow flavors with the occasional taste of Latakia in the background. Again, very good and I do recommend it. If you prefer a little more Latakia flavor McClelland 5110 mixes in nicely.
Pipe Used:
Peterson Meer
PurchasedFrom:
The Country Squire
Age When Smoked:
fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 28, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
An "English" aromatic that I didn't realize was an aromatic at first. A great blend for the aromatic smoker that wants to start experimenting with "English" blends.
No syrup, no goop. Tastes wonderful.
No syrup, no goop. Tastes wonderful.
PurchasedFrom:
The Country Squire
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 31, 2020 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
If you like sweet an smoky, you will love this. A fantastic lat-aro hybrid and could dethrone Eastfarthing as the ultimate crossover. Warm sweet flavors mixing with the lightly applied Latakia make this a comforting blend for a cold day. Burns well if dried a bit.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 06, 2020 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild | Pleasant |
I found this blend from the Squire to be an unsung hero. Similar to "Crossover" blends like Frog Morton, its an English Crossover that you can smoke around others because of the pleasing room note.
Ribbon Cut it is easy to load and fire up. The main player is a sweetness with I'm expecting from the Cavendish. The sweetness is not overpowering (but carries in the room note) and allows the other players to come through. There is a nutty mid-range and also a little bit of smokiness from the Latakia here.
My jar has been aging now for a couple of years and the blend continues to improve with age. The components are more melded than I remember fresh from the order and its become a quite enjoyable smoke.
Nicotine is mild to my taste and I never have gotten bit by it even when pushed.
This is one I'll be getting more of to cellar and enjoy in the future.
Ribbon Cut it is easy to load and fire up. The main player is a sweetness with I'm expecting from the Cavendish. The sweetness is not overpowering (but carries in the room note) and allows the other players to come through. There is a nutty mid-range and also a little bit of smokiness from the Latakia here.
My jar has been aging now for a couple of years and the blend continues to improve with age. The components are more melded than I remember fresh from the order and its become a quite enjoyable smoke.
Nicotine is mild to my taste and I never have gotten bit by it even when pushed.
This is one I'll be getting more of to cellar and enjoy in the future.
Pipe Used:
Radiator Pipes, Cobs
PurchasedFrom:
The Country Squire
Age When Smoked:
2 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 01, 2022 | Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
To give you a hint from where my below impressions are coming from; I favor aromatic blends, although I am finding I enjoy English/Scottish blends more frequently, which I could not stand when I first started smoking a pipe. I have been trying more of the English/Aromatic combo blends, which I have found being more and more of that I am reaching for for my everyday smoke
Opening the bag what I smelled was a lite note of Virginia/Burley/Cavendish (could not detect the Latakia), with none of them overwhelming the other... I did smell a sweet scent from the toppings, but it was hard to make out what it was if you didn't know what it was from the description.
The flavor I tasted was mostly the sweet Cavendish with chocolate being the topping I could taste, maybe some of the vanilla (but it lent itself more to sweetness than actual vanilla). I could not detect any Latakia (which I was looking for, I like a little but not a lat-bomb). The room note was pleasant although not to Christmas blend smells, just what I would call nice... This blend is advertised as an English/Aromatic, I feel this is mainly an aromatic.
It arrived semi-dry, so absolutely no drying time was needed. Was able to light this without issue and almost no relights. I did not have any tounge-bite with this blend.
Opening the bag what I smelled was a lite note of Virginia/Burley/Cavendish (could not detect the Latakia), with none of them overwhelming the other... I did smell a sweet scent from the toppings, but it was hard to make out what it was if you didn't know what it was from the description.
The flavor I tasted was mostly the sweet Cavendish with chocolate being the topping I could taste, maybe some of the vanilla (but it lent itself more to sweetness than actual vanilla). I could not detect any Latakia (which I was looking for, I like a little but not a lat-bomb). The room note was pleasant although not to Christmas blend smells, just what I would call nice... This blend is advertised as an English/Aromatic, I feel this is mainly an aromatic.
It arrived semi-dry, so absolutely no drying time was needed. Was able to light this without issue and almost no relights. I did not have any tounge-bite with this blend.
Pipe Used:
Rattray Goblin 99
PurchasedFrom:
thecountrysquireonline.com
Age When Smoked:
new
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2022 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Hunting Creek is a delightful, savory and not overly sweet blend with enough complexity to make each bowl a slightly unique experience every time. I detected hints of citrus, vanilla, and mild chocolate amongst the very balanced and smooth notes of the ingredient tobaccos, plus a kiss of smoky Latakia goodness. Everything in this blend cooperates from start to finish, creating a very enjoyable experience.
Pipe Used:
Lorenzetti Constantine bent apple
PurchasedFrom:
Country Squire
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 13, 2023 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
Hunting Creek from TCS in a Rossi Notte poker. Given that this is described as an "English aromatic," I figured a taller, narrower bowl might enhance some of the tastes.
I find it to be stronger on the aromatic side as opposed to the English side, in the way TCS's Northwest Trek or Just For Him's Hornblower is. This isn't a negative, by any stretch, but if something has an English description to it, I want there to be a bit more depth.
Flavors are good. Tobaccoreviews.com has it listed as vanilla/fruit, and I can taste that. It's quite light, gives you enough room to taste the tobaccos themselves, and together they meld into something very nice.
One last thing - previous reviewers have mentioned that every bowl is different, thanks to the various tobaccos and various toppings used. I've even noticed that even within one bowl, different puffs are different in character. This is by no stretch a one-trick pony.
I still have a couple ounces left, and will be interested to keep trying it every couple weeks to see what else I can tease out, but barring something fantastic taking over, for me it's a 3/5. Good, but not great, and probably not something I will keep stocked.
I find it to be stronger on the aromatic side as opposed to the English side, in the way TCS's Northwest Trek or Just For Him's Hornblower is. This isn't a negative, by any stretch, but if something has an English description to it, I want there to be a bit more depth.
Flavors are good. Tobaccoreviews.com has it listed as vanilla/fruit, and I can taste that. It's quite light, gives you enough room to taste the tobaccos themselves, and together they meld into something very nice.
One last thing - previous reviewers have mentioned that every bowl is different, thanks to the various tobaccos and various toppings used. I've even noticed that even within one bowl, different puffs are different in character. This is by no stretch a one-trick pony.
I still have a couple ounces left, and will be interested to keep trying it every couple weeks to see what else I can tease out, but barring something fantastic taking over, for me it's a 3/5. Good, but not great, and probably not something I will keep stocked.
Pipe Used:
Various
PurchasedFrom:
TCS
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 29, 2024 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
I love The Country Squire. The majority of my favorite blends come from them. That being said.. This one was a miss for me. It's advertised as an English/Aromatic crossover blend - in my opinion it does neither very well. I was hoping for a rich sweetness with a good dose of latakia. What I got was very mild vanilla, nougat flavor with some earthiness. It's definitely not bad. I would imagine that aromatic lovers will swoon over this one and English fans will be left wanting. It seems like a niche blend for a particular kind of palate. The leaf burned great and lit up right away, perfect moisture and cut. 4/10 for me - perhaps my expectations were too high.
Pipe Used:
Cobs
PurchasedFrom:
The Country Squire
Age When Smoked:
New
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