Savinelli 140th Anniversary

Let's start from the beginning so as not to forget to mention the tangy, earthy citrus reds, the lemony, citrus Virginias, buttery sweet Orientals, Florets of Italiano & the cigar leaf grown in the Sansepolcro region of Italy & just keep things simple. You either like a specific mixture or your don't for reasons of differing DNA and varying taste receptors. As far as I'm concerned, it is a crowning achievement in the pipe tobacco procurement & blending craft. Savinelli tobaccos keep me coming back for more & of those few that I've sampled thus far have overwhelmed & surprised me with outstanding flavor.

Upon opening, I didn't smell any cigar leaf at all. The first thing that came to my olfactory senses was a very "slight" aroma of fresh baked, chocolate chip cookies or brownies... American style! Did the tobacco taste good & satisfy the palate... most certainly! Did it have good flavor... extremely! Did the tin aroma carry over into the flavor... very little if any! Was it a wimpy, mild, cheap blend? Just the opposite... closer to the strong side in the medium to strong spectrum especially when you reach the halfway point. Would I smoke it again or repurchase a tin of this sublime mixture? Yes, & have already done so... the last one available online at this time. My apologies to other seekers of the blend. I was able to acquire four tins via various online venders & also was able to obtain five tins of C & Ds Sansepolcro… an indication of how well I liked these types of mixtures. Now about the flavor while smoking.

Although one might think of it as a "mild" aromatic from the tin aroma, nonetheless, it is far from such. The cigar leaf flavor was virtually unnoticeable "to me" while smoking this mixture. It is an excellent, enjoyable tobacco blend with plenty of flavor & strength that doesn't bite & should satisfy the whelms of any piper. I think it's one of the most enjoyable tobaccos I've ever smoked in the past ten years or so. The dark-fired florets (flowered portions) probably added that extra dimension of flavor that gives it a slight floral sweetness & additional flavor but all the varietals work well together especially approaching the halfway point. It sold out quickly everywhere which makes a statement without saying anything at all. Four stars plus... off the chart, as it were! Want to know more or be reassured? Check with the tobacco Guru, JimInks, the Sherlock Holmes or "Bond"... James Bond of Tobacco Reviews. I hope he has obtained an insurance policy on his taste buds & olfactory sensors as suggested. No one knows tobacco like that "dude."

This is based off of a new, 2019 tin of this blend . I have to echo what others have said, this is an excellent and unique blend that just isn’t quite like any other I have tried. Slightly sweet vabur that burns well with no bite.

Let's start from the beginning & forget about the tangy, earthy citrus reds, the lemony, citrus Virginias, buttery sweet Orientals, Florets of Italiano & the cigar leaf grown in a speciific region of Italy & just keep things simple. You either like a specific mixture or your don't for reasons of differing DNA and varying taste receptors. As far as I'm concerned, it is a crowning achievement in the pipe tobacco procurement & blending craft.

Upon opening, I didn't smell any cigar leaf of any sort. The first thing that came to my olfactory senses was a very "slight" aroma of fresh baked, chocolate chip cookies or brownies... American style! Did the tobacco taste good & satisfy the palate... most certainly! Did it have good flavor... extremely! Did the tin aroma carry over into the flavor... very little if any! Was it a wimpy, mild, cheap blend... just the opposite! Would I smoke it again or repurchase a tin of this sublime mixture?... yes, & have already done so... the last one available online at this time. My apologies to other seekers of the blend!

Although one might think of it as an aromatic from the tin aroma, nonetheless, it is far from such. The cigar leaf flavor was virtually unnoticeable "to me" while smoking this mixture. It is an excellent, enjoyable tobacco blend with plenty of flavor & strength that doesn't bite & should satisfy the whelms of any piper. I think it's one of the best, out of about 80 different samples I've smoked in the past ten years or so. It sold out quickly everywhere which makes a statement without saying anything at all. Four stars plus... off the chart, as it were! Want to know more or be reassured?... check with the tobacco Guru, JimInks, the Sherlock Holmes or "Bond"... James Bond of Tobacco Reviews. I hope he has obtained an insurance policy on his taste buds as suggested. No one knows tobacco like that "dude."

The tin note is very nice. It reminds me of the Pims Orange/Chocolate biscuits from Europe. There’s a fair bit of spice to this blend also, which keeps things interesting. I’m glad i picked up two tins of this, so I can enjoy it later on with some age on it.

Savinelli
140th Anniversary

Blend notes: "Commemorating 140 years of pipe making tradition, Savinelli's 140th Anniversary Blend is an elegant mixture of red and bright Virginias, spiced with Orientals and choice dark-fired florets from Italy, and infused with subtle notes of citrus and wildflowers for a unique and satisfying smoke. The special florets used in this blend are a staple in Italian cigar production, and are all grown and double-fermented on a singular farm in the Tuscan Tiber Valley region of Italy— a location recognized for its history and tradition of tobacco cultivation dating back to the 17th century."

This blend came in a tallish tin and ready to smoke. Sadly the experience was not that pleasant. I always approach pipe tobacco blends with joyful enthusiasm.

Notwithstanding the mostly 4 star reviews on 140 so far, this is an odd blend. Sort of a Virginia but not. Some slight topping but not enough to be an Aromatic. Some bits of Orientals to get to very mild spiciness. What throws everything off is (what I believe) to be a high concentration of cigar leaf.

I used to smoke cigars. Have some laying around in a humidor. Just don’t really want “that” in pipe tobacco. To be sure the cigar leaf adds tons of structure to this blend. I can totally appreciate how others might find this blend mesmerizing.

So what do we have? Even with the toppings, even with the Virginias, this can only loosely be called a Virginia. So we say “Virginia Based” when I would have said this is “cigar leaf based” with a bit of Virginia, a bit of Oriental, and a bit of topping.

However, reviews are not always about whether the reviewer likes or dislikes the blend. For instance, if you don't like Aromatics, then don't review Aromatics. Duh. In this case, the blending feels, to my palate, unbalanced, but not so much so as to skew a review. Savinelli's 140th Anniversary blend is, for me, a 2.5 stars out of 4 blend, rounding up.

2022 Edition dated 122922: Tin 1020 of 2800 has notes of sweet tang fruit and flowers. Tobacco is a Ribbon cut of orangish tan, reddish brown and a little dark brown. Moisture content is good, a few pipe smokers may want to dry this a bit. Burns moderate with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is medium. Flavoring is mild to medium, with notes of Wildflowers and Citrus, both are noticeable in the first 1/4, then the drop to background players. Taste is medium to full and mostly consistent, with notes of floral, lemon grass, very woody, mild cigar, spices, tart and tangy citrus, sweet fruit, savory, rich dirt, fermented sour vegetation, leathery, spicy, mild musty herbal hay, a sweet bread background note, and a peppery retro. Virginias are leading with Italian Dark-Fired Cigar, Flavoring and Oriental/Turkish supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.