Details
| Brand | James B. Russell |
| Blended By | |
| Manufactured By | |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Latakia, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Other / Misc |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 31, 2004 | Strong | Extra Strong | Overwhelming | Overwhelming |
I'm glad that someone referred to this blend as BSA, which I would normally associate with the great English motorcycle company Birmingham Small Arms. Great bikes, with the expected penchant for Triumph-like oil leaks. An old adage maintains that one should always park his British bike in the exact same spot, so there is only one oil stain, rather than many. Apparently, some enterprising chap took this advice one step further and decided to place a tobacco tin under the leaking casing and package the resulting product as Bengal Slices Aromatic. That is the only possible explaination for the atrocious odors that emanate from the tin.
If current thought maintains that the most foul flavoring in all of tobaccodom is 1792's tonquin, then BSA is surely flavored with the Gulf of Tonkin, at low tide no less, replete with residual napalm.
I recently polished, or should I say shoe polished, off a tin I had purchased in 1998. More correctly, I had one bowl and flushed the rest. Anyone who removes a tin of this abomination from the marketplace has provided no less a service to humanity than those intrepid souls who scour the third world removing land mines, and should be considered a frontrunner for the Nobel Peace Prize.
If current thought maintains that the most foul flavoring in all of tobaccodom is 1792's tonquin, then BSA is surely flavored with the Gulf of Tonkin, at low tide no less, replete with residual napalm.
I recently polished, or should I say shoe polished, off a tin I had purchased in 1998. More correctly, I had one bowl and flushed the rest. Anyone who removes a tin of this abomination from the marketplace has provided no less a service to humanity than those intrepid souls who scour the third world removing land mines, and should be considered a frontrunner for the Nobel Peace Prize.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 03, 2001 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Despite the marketing prose, this blend has absolutely nothing to do with the original celebrated Bengal Slices except the can, which is identical between the two save for a little "aromatic" sticker on the corner.
Upon inspection, BSA appears to be composed primarily of bright virginias. The aroma is basically what you'd expect from a tin of a Virginia/Perique blend (both visually and nasally, initial impressions are that is McConnells Scottish Flake in a Bengal slices Tin).
Unlike most modern aromatics, this one doesn't have a heavily cased feel -- it does have a slightly sticky feel, but that's typical of slices. I'm not sure what the flavoring is -- I haven't yet smoked it with an audience around, but from the flavor contribution I suspect its some form of anise.
It rubs out easily and consistently, although the slices are very thin so if you rub it out too far you can get a very hot smoke indeed.
If the top layer is rubbed out very finely, it lights well and quickly forms a nice ash cap. The taste is about like you'd expect an aromatic virginia/perique blend to taste, sort of escudo with licorice, and it's really a shame that they ruined this tobacco with a casing.
Update: I just discovered that the flavoring is as persistent as Erinmore, after I smoked some Penzance in the pipe and it tasted exactly like Bengal Slices Aromatic. aargh!
Upon inspection, BSA appears to be composed primarily of bright virginias. The aroma is basically what you'd expect from a tin of a Virginia/Perique blend (both visually and nasally, initial impressions are that is McConnells Scottish Flake in a Bengal slices Tin).
Unlike most modern aromatics, this one doesn't have a heavily cased feel -- it does have a slightly sticky feel, but that's typical of slices. I'm not sure what the flavoring is -- I haven't yet smoked it with an audience around, but from the flavor contribution I suspect its some form of anise.
It rubs out easily and consistently, although the slices are very thin so if you rub it out too far you can get a very hot smoke indeed.
If the top layer is rubbed out very finely, it lights well and quickly forms a nice ash cap. The taste is about like you'd expect an aromatic virginia/perique blend to taste, sort of escudo with licorice, and it's really a shame that they ruined this tobacco with a casing.
Update: I just discovered that the flavoring is as persistent as Erinmore, after I smoked some Penzance in the pipe and it tasted exactly like Bengal Slices Aromatic. aargh!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 28, 2009 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Full | Tolerable |
AAAAARGHHHHH... Geee, man, werent I fooled...I bought this tin of junk believing I was getting a tin of the English stuff... I opened the tin and to my total disappointment got a harsh smell of insense to fumigate dead bodies. You get the picture. I thought maybe it will smoke better that it seems, but guess what... Barfing bag needed. Stay away from this insult to pipe smokers.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 25, 2003 | Mild to Medium | Strong | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I believe this tobacco was flavoured with shoe polish. Thats a little harsh,maybe it was flavoured with nuclear waste! This is the most, BY FAR the most horible trobacco I've ever smoked thus far on planet earth. The flavouring lasts in the pipe for years. Stay far away from this dung heap.If I had one word to describe this so called "pipe tobacco" it would be,TOXIC Poop!
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