Seattle Pipe Club Rainier Levant

Rainier Levant presents as a medium brown ribbon with smatterings of light and dark. Tin note is mild for a Balkan, with all the herbal, smoke and subtly floral notes one would expect but dramatically toned down compared to, say, the tin note of this same blender's Plum Pudding. Moisture content is perfect for smoking right out of the tin. The red Virginias sing in the charring and true lights, and they sing smooth, framed with some herb and wood from the Orientals. Latakia barely registers in the opening act.

There's body to this blend, and it's by no means thin, but absent are the deeper bass notes one might expect from a Balkan. Rainier Levant smokes very dry with a nice balance of high note from the Virginia and Oriental tenor. The natural sweetness is always present, but never out of balance. The Latakia here is smokey and woodsy as opposed to dank and dark, asserting itself gradually as the bowl progresses and adding just a bit of heft to the smoke without weighing it down. By the final third of the bowl, the delicacy of the Orientals is somewhat lost amidst the flavor cacophony. But I don't perceive this as a blend striving to highlight Oriental nuance. Rather, this is a testament to the blender's art.

Rainier Levant is a very complex blend, worthy of your attention as a more contemplative evening smoke. And I can't say it particularly reminds me of another blend. A very unique approach to these flavor profiles and I'm surprised to be the first reviewer. Recommended for Oriental and Balkan lovers who don't mind a more overt red Virginia presence, or simply for those who want to try something a bit different. An interesting take on the genre from a master blender.

*edit: This falls just short of 4-stars for me due to my lack of enthusiasm for Red Virginia as a key player. But this could easily be someone's desert island blend, loaded with complex flavors and quite unique. So if my review has piqued your curiosity, I encourage you to try it. A truly excellent tobacco.

This is a hardy blend, Latakia forward, mostly base notes and not a lot of sweetness . If the description said there was a touch of Burley in this blend, it wouldn't surprise me. A great finish to a big meal. It's also a smooth offering , no bite , no real spice and the Orientals ( I think Smyrna) sit behind the Latakia but provide a "Mustiness". It doesn't develop much, but then again it doesn't get bland. A solid 3 stars

Earlier this evening I reviewed the Drucquer version of this recreated by Greg Pease. Now I am reviewing Joe Lankford’s recreation of this blend. Smoking it immediately after the Drucquer version. This blend has relatively wide ribbons, much wider than the Drucquer version, and in appearance has less light colored Virginias. Oddly I get more VAs in this than the other. Once again a very worthy contender in the full English field. Far too many out there to truly try them all. This is based on almost finishing a 2 oz tin in maybe 6 months.

To my palate, these are so similar as to be a draw. I could be quite well happy with either.

I received a sample of Rainier Levant in my Tinsociety.com box.

The appearance was a combination of dark and lighter ribbons as expected from the description provided. The "tin-note" was similar to Arango Balkan Supreme.

I found it very easy to pack and keep lit. I found the flavor to be a mild Balkan with the Orientals working well against the Latakia. Through the bowl the different tobaccos would move to the front taking their turns.

This is one that I'd like to get a tin of at some point to try more of in different pipes as I could see it making a spot in my regular rotation.

Rainier Levant is a mild to medium tasting Balkan blend. The orientals are the main players but are unusually subdued. The Latakia is ever present but in the background. As for the Virginias, if I didn’t know they were present I might not have noticed them. They are detectable but very muted. This is a very pleasant blend and I think it would be ideal for people who usually shy away from oriental forward blends because they are afraid of the sour notes that generally accompany them. While those notes are still present they are tamed in this blend. Wonderfully spicy, mildly sour, and pleasantly floral with just a hint of incense. A great blend for accompanying a black tea or a light Arabic coffee. This is a Balkan blend that could easily be smoked all day long.

Tin note of sharp sweet smoky. Tobacco is black, dark brown and brown ribbon cut. Moisture content is good. No drying/prep needed. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and fairly consistent, with notes of floral, smoky, wood, sweet, herbal incense, dry peaty vegetation, spicy, orange peel/zest, spices, toasted bread, earth, mildly acidic, buttery, mildly bitter, a mildly sour mild citrus background note, and a peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Oriental/Turkish providing a little more support than the Virginias. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.