Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding Special Reserve

This was graciously gifted to me by a very amazing pipe maker (DragonBriars). It smelled amazing in the bag. It was a generous chunk off the main cake/plug. It seemed to be the perfect level of moisture. I could smell the latakia but also some spice from the orientals, plenty of wood and earth, and a hint of tang.

It was easy to rub out and load into my pipe. Two matches/lights is all it takes to get this one rolling and keep it going. I didn't have to relight once.

I'll state this upfront. This is a very good tobacco blend, but it seems too mild. I don't know how to describe it other than it left me wanting it to be more bold or rich, less soft and elusive. The flavors are more than well balanced and it reminded me of Margate or Penzance, but more subdued and reserved. It is very oriental forward though the latakia is present in the smoke and plays well off the oriental spice, sourness, and woody flavors. There is some sweetness to it, but very naturally light. The flavors are so good and compliment each other so well. With each puff I just kept on waiting for it to really 'open up', or deliver, and sadly it never did. I tried multiple pipes with the same result. Don't get me wrong, this is an amazing tobacco and I do recommend it. I'm still can't quite give it 4 stars, but it's more like a 3.5+ to me.

It reminded me of Neo in the movie 'The Matrix', when he is talking with the Oracle. He says, "I'm not The One...." and she responds with, "Sorry kid! You've got the gift, but it seems you are waiting on something.".

I'm going to try Plum Pudding soon so I can give a comparison between this blend and that one.

I’ll not add anything to the reviews as far as the roles the various components play or their respective flavors. The other reviews are more than sufficient for that. The tin note is wonderful. The look and condition of the pressed leaf is consistent with the high quality as advertised. The aroma is fine. The only element missing for me is strength of flavor. The flavor is incredibly nuanced as described by the other reviewers, there’s just not enough of it by half for my tastes. Even after a few years of aging, the flavor is weak. The perique, specifically, does tend to come through more strongly as you get near the end of the bowl. It’s its most redeemed quality that earns the third star. If you like a gentle, subtle symphony of Balkan goodness, this will be your 4-star blend. Respect. If, like me, you want flavor on your tongue as much as in your nostrils, it’s not quite worth the premium, but blended with something with strong flavor can become something great.

SPC- Plum pudding SR

What’s left to say that hasn’t already been said, this is a magnificent blend that gets all the components down perfectly, it smokes like a dream if you let it dry for a good 45 minutes to and hour. Breaks apart easily, and packs easier. The flavor profile is a rich culmination of everything I’ve been looking for in an English/Balkan especially with the sweetness playing with the Latakia and orientals. Glad I have another tin just in case, but will grab another before the winter months as I can see this being a regular winter time smoke. Been smoking this one for last 5 months here and there. Love the red VA’s as it has a true taste and doesn’t feel like an artificial vinegar sweetness.

3.3 out of 4

The price point is the only thing that gives this a lower rating.

Before opening the tin and and experiencing this blend, I wondered if it was going to be a punched-up version of Plum Pudding. That did not turn out to be the case. In fact, I found Plum Pudding Special Reserve to be weaker than it's stable mate, Plum Pudding. In this, I share sentiments and observations with both reviewer gladi8tor96 2017-02-20 and Criblo 2019-04-10. Like them, I waited for something above the ordinary to happen, but, it didn't. Like them, I thought it was too light a smoke to make a niche for itself in my regular rotation. Slightly confused as to what this blend was trying to be, I reached into my stash and brought out a tin of standard Plum Pudding for a side-by-side comparison. In the tin, both blends look approximately similar. I felt that the standard PP contained a slightly greater amount of the blonde component and that the background matrix was slightly darker than in PPSR. I don't know if this is significant or not, but, I noticed it. The tin aromas were very similar, but, I felt I was detecting a slightly stronger Perique aroma in the PP. Both blends have a deep base aroma with higher register aromas on top. The difference I thought I detected in those higher aromas was Perique dominated in PP and Oriental dominated in PPSR. As to their smoking qualities, I had to work harder at extracting flavor from the PPSR with no such difficulty in the PP. I finally decided that PPSR was an attenuated version of PP. Whether the blenders intended it or not, I don't know, but that's what I found. Although not bad, Plum Pudding Special Reserve does not have the magnitude nor the subtle nature of Plum Pudding and I'm sticking with the original blend - three stars.

I received a sample of PPSR in my tinsociety box this month. It had been on my list to try since I enjoy the regular PP and have been in an oriental mood recently.

the sample was mostly broken up already when received but still had a few chunks of the crumble cake. The tin/bag note was great. Campfire plus spices from the orientals.

Easy to load as I crumbled up the remaining chunks and loaded a larger Morgan Bones Billiard. I did a char light then let it set for about 30 mins before smoking. It was really easy burning and only required one relight at the bottom of the bowl.

Through the entire bowl it was great. The orientals in this version are a big step up from normal PP. They added some sour notes which complimented the smoky latakia wonderfully. No one flavor dominated and it gave a truly balanced flavor.

This is probably my new favorite oriental. I hope to stock up some for my rotation.

Very light Latakia in the scheme of things, getting some fruit as well. If I search, I think I can detect some VA influence. I'm pegging this as an exceptionally smooth and mild Latakia-forward blend, where the Latakia smokiness will never get lost as it has with a couple other blends (ex. Bankside). Even so, I think there will be times when I crave a stronger Latakia presence, maybe something like Pirate Kake.

for me it is a complex mixture A delicious mix with an endearing aroma and a flavor that wraps you up, I recommend it. Buy it.