Benson & Hedges Special (Mellow) Virginia

As somebody who is relatively new to pipe smoking,i am about to write my first review.This was one of my very first tobaccos and it would be fair to say it did not leave any great impression on me.The pouch is very interesting as they always come with a picture and information on various pipes,shapes,country of origin etc, but for me thats about as interesting as it gets.The smell from the pouch is quite sweet...almost like a mixture of jam and some not so pleasant chemical of sorts, something akin to the smell of some hair dye that you will get from the bathroom when the fairer sex are sprucing themselves up for a night out.It loads very easy and stays alight quite well.The quality of the tobaccos is fine and it does have a not so bad mild aromatic aroma to it. I could never say though that i would be likely to buy again,it is what it is.A middle of the road tobacco,that will do the job,but for me...not one i will stock up on...in saying that i did think it allright..worth a try.

You know Mellow Virginia actually starts off pretty well. In fact the first quarter of the bowel is an extremely affable affair. The tobacco is of the rough cut variety. It handles well and lights easily enough. With the first few puffs you discover a sweet almost vanilla like flavour. There's a wonderful mildness about the tobacco and as you progress towards the high water mark of the smoke you begin to seriously consider this as your new all day companion.

It's the moment you pass the quarter mark that problems start and boy do they start with the rapidity of a peeved off tornado. Suddenly the delightfully sugary flavour evaporates and is replaced a bitterness which is stomach retching in its intensity. This lasts for the reminder of the bowel and gets its worst. Yes it is actually possible to go beyond gut retching. I suspect this foulness is because as this point in the smoke the casing is used up and the cheapness of the tobacco reveals itself. Nasty, nasty stuff.

All in all the last three quarters of bowel was without doubt the most horrendous smoke of my life. Even though this tobacco is readily available in most supermarkets in the UK and Ireland, my advice is to avoid unless your tongue delights in having a trowel load of hot ash plastered over it. I'll very reluctantly give this blend two stars but only because enjoyable start.

I found this one to be very similar to St. Bruno in texture if a little lighter.

Once lit I get some very sutble flavours of caramel which makes for a very pleasant smoke. As has been said, the further down the bowl this gets it starts to turn bitter and ends up being nasty.

It is a real shame because it starts so well.

I picked up my 25g pouch of Mellow Virginia at a local supermarket. As noted by other reviewers, it is indeed a commercial offering, which explains why it is stocked in most supermarkets here in the UK. As an aside, it is produced by Gallaher, who also make copious amounts of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco.

Anyway,

Appearance: a well-rubbed out brown-gold tobacco, with a few small 'chunks' of flake.

Pouch Aroma: rich, caramel-like, fruity and sweet. It is not unlike Amber Leaf hand-rolling tobacco, however, that Gallaher offering is much more acrid and acidic in aroma.

Packing and lighting: it is easily packed, lights easily and, moreover, stays lit reasonably well.

First half of the bowl: a mild-medium strength with a flavour of caramel and stewed fruits. Delicious!

Second half of the bowl: oh, what a change! The tobacco becomes stale and bland, not unlike over-chewed chewing gum: you still get hints of sweetness, but the overall flavour is close to zero. It remains mild-medium in strength and I wonder if the staleness is due to the burn-off of the delighful flavouring, leaving an insipid base tobacco. It leaves some dry dottle.

To sum up: cheap-ish, widely available and pleasant enough for a commercial product (cf. Gold Block). I just wish the flavour would last.

For an easily obtainable tobacco (in U.K.) this is quite good. Mild to Medium strength with a pleasant room note. Seems a bit 'sweetish' at first. With present litigation who is going to notice the aroma anyway, apart from your nearest and dearest!

Tried it in briars, cherrywood and corn cob, and good in all of them. Cheap enough to experiment with and recommended.

I used to smoke this regularly in my youth. It has changed and is not the same as it was 24 years ago. It used to have a lovely caramely taste and very sweet aroma. I find it quite harsh now and gives a hot smoke.

This was my first tobacco, being extremely popular with the pipe-smoking fraternity in the UK. The smoke is clean, uncomplicated but not drab, a little bit of tongue bite with it.

Anyone starting out, this is a cheap good all-rounder.