Benson & Hedges Special (Mellow) Virginia

Interesting reviews below: this is available to me on every street corner, which is why I avoid it like the plague, especially when there is much more to offer in London.

Benson & Hedges of Bond Street were once a force to be reconed with in pipe tobaccos and for a number of years I enjoyed smoking both their Cut Plug and Virginia Flake. As a note of interest, Orlik still blend a virginia flake under the B & H brand

Sadly, MV is now delivered by Gallaher and it's not as it was when first launched B & H; it's harsh, insipid and unpalatable.

No recommendation here - It would need to be the last in existance, before I could contemplate the thought of a purchase.

Blend did they say ? but with what I ask ? all I get is gob fulls of soap a burnt tongue and pallate, it doesn't smell bad in the pouche (where it should be left) lights easy and burns well, the tobacco, your tongue roof of mouth and tonsils if you have them, if this is B+H's attempt at an English lakeland soap then they would have done better to leave out the kerosene topping. This is an easily available offering in England and there are those who do like it, I for one many years ago, oh how times change. Count me not amongst their ranks today. I just can't beleive this is recommended for new pipe smokers, it must be some sort of test.

This is my second EDIT and I up it to 4 STARS. This is by far the best packet/pouch baccy I have ever smoked, I can only buy it back in Dublin at ?6.50 for 25grms....I shall be stocking up regardless of price next time when I'm back in the fair old city. This is a Lakeland perfume blend, this will ghost a pipe worse that the sweetest vanilla aromatic you've ever smoked. I still give it four stars, why? Well I like a wee bit of English soap, but for me the definitive English soapy VA is Irish Flake by Peterson's of Dublin, ironic or what! A wee pinch of this into Irish flake - I have yet to try, but it just might be one of the most amazing smokes I've ever had. Mild on nicotine, max on lakeland perfume, little tongue bite...and I just wish the Dutch could appreciate a good English soapy...but alas no, that would require them to think outside the box..and that is never possible. I have a source for St. Bruno in Naarden...another famous standard English lakeland....I will buy a few tins of that one too.

"A rich blend of pipe tobacco for a mature, satisfying smoke" ? DO NOT MAKE ME LAUGH! This is horrible stuff. I used to smoke MV a long time ago and either its got really really bad or I was a complete pillock then. I smoked two half-bowls of this and threw the rest away. It tastes of perfume, has no nicotine and the texture of the "tobacco" itself is wierd and unsettling. Stay away from it. (the only supermarket blend I've tried that I rate is St Bruno, which seems honest and of real quality. It's just a shame I don't like Cavendish)

Easily available as a newsagent/supermarket/corner store product in the UK. Branded Benson & Hedges (a cigarette brand) and made by Gallagher I think.

For a 'high street' tobacco I find it OK. Pouch presentation is a coarse ready rubbed with a distinct caramel topping. First light is easy and I get a biscuity flavour over the tobacco. The tobacco itself does make itself known though - medium nicotine and some earthy Virginia flavours. Overall though, I am left with a slightly coarse, cheap impression. I suspect this isn't really high quality stuff. Popular with my (non-smoking) other half though.

For me, this is fine in small doses, but could not be a regular all-day smoke.

Not at all bad! Mellow Virginia is rather a decent tobacco, to my palate at least bearing some resemblance to Stokkebye virginias, with a biscuit like taste. The nicotine content is satisfactory, the room note quite pleasant and light and the flavour simple without being boring. It is a trifle heavy on the stomach, otherwise it would make an excellent first smoke of the day. It would be a mistake to write it off as being negligible. Well worth a try.

I was looking for a mild, readily available, virginia to break in a new pipe I recently bought. Read the reviews on this and thought it might fit the bill. Wrong.

Smoked in the new pipe it was tolerable at best. Initial taste a bit like Dunhill EMP I thought but that was where the similarity ended. The rest of the bowl was unpleasant - smoked hot and harsh IMO. In order to not discount the tobacco completely I smoked two or three bowls in my regular virginia pipe and amazingly it tasted worse than in the new pipe!

To add insult to injury the wife thought I had been smoking fags again such is the aroma this tobacco gives off - that'll be the B&H touch no doubt!

Not recommended, try St Bruno or Three Nuns if you're wanting a smooth readily available UK virginia.

A rich and (surprise, surprise) mellow VA blend, thinly cut could possibly be hand-rolled. No surprise since here in GB B&H are most famed for their cigarettes anyway. I found a tendency to burn hot - but I'm used to cooler Cavendish blends, so probably puffed too hard! Sweet and very nice room note - that pipe smell, very traditional. Obvious choice for regular student smoke here in GB due to low price and extremely good availability...

Packs and lights with the ease normally associated with ciggies or cigars. Could become a staple in my tobacco diet due to above reasons.

One of the most readily available 'ready-rubs' here in the UK. I would echo Tantric's review above, to the letter. For the novice its a reassuring blend, which adds confidence by lighting (and more importantly staying lit!) easily and offering no hint of harshness or the dreaded tongue-bite. But as your tastes develop I'm sure like me you will find this bland and uninspiring. Still if you're on the road and miles from your favourite pipe shop it's better than total abstinence.