Tobaccos Wolfway - Blue - Xanthi Basma (Epos )

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2016-09-14		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Broad ribbon cut, light brown in colour. Springy with good moisture level. Upon opening, the pouch aroma is all natural but quite intense. It is earthy, reminiscent of limey soil, with a spicy note of curry and cumin and a slight grassy note. It lights easily and stays lit, needing only an occasional tampering. It gives an abundant naturally aromatic smoke of high intensity. Aromas are mostly pungently spicy, curry-like with notes of cumin. Very different from most tobaccos I've tried and this is only natural as there aren't many varietal basmas out there.... It reminds me of old greek cigarettes (which I used to hate), its aroma profile seems to be an acquired taste but this is high quality stuff and I am not so sure about the quality of the cigarettes of bygone days. On the palate it is a dry but flavorful smoke with a hint of bitterness and as it progresses down the bowl it gets peppery - white pepper. Not much sweetness here. Strength is mild with not much nicotine and I also find some pleasure in inhaling an occasional puff of this natural-tasting tobacco. No bite at all. It behaves very well, burns easily (and rather quick) and completely dry and right to the end leaving a fluffy grey ash. Room note is cigaretty but more tolerable. I smoked a few bowls by itself and I got to like this natural-tasting tobacco, even if at first I found it a little tart, but where this tobacco shines is at blends - used as a generous condiment to sweet virginia flakes it gives a wonderful spiciness to the whole. This is highly recommended to smokers of non-aromatic, seekers of rare varieties and suggested use is for blending.

Pipe Used: Corn cobs

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Greece

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cap'n Lev (19)	2017-10-05		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

When I asked about the Basma tobacco from the salesman,I was explained that in the old days was often used in blends for adding spiciness and taste, when the additive and chemical aromas where not is use still. A pleasant oriental tobacco, that seems rare to find in other countries. I appreciate the old school character of it. Seems a good component for experimenting and adding it in non aromatic blends of a high quality. I would say that it needs some better package design though.

Pipe Used: briar, meerschaum , corn cob

Age When Smoked: fresh

Similar Blends: Izmir Epos.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nikolaos Sarris (2)	2018-05-21		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

we talk for a unique smoke , a natural aroma . This smoke is spicy mix with flowers, at the begging you have an aroma of roses with a light taste of cinnamon , it tickles the neck from the begging.Υou need to be a good chef to understand the aroma and the taste of allspice .It is wonderfull if you want it for blending to mix with other smokes , but to smoke it alone is 50/50.

Pipe Used: corn cob

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: greektobaccostore

Similar Blends: there is no similar smoke Basma is a category alone..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (75)	2019-01-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

good evening gentlemen. As promised here is my look at the other packet of Greek grown and manufactured pipe tobacco by wolfway. This is purr xanthi basma, which I hear is a crop used by mcclellands when they were in the game. Opening the packet the aroma is captivating, spices such as cardamom and a woody essence meet the nose in spades, also backing it up is a lovely aroma freshly packed loose leaf tea, with a lovely slightly piquant sour note. The ribbons themselves are easily workable even the presence of a few well placed flakey pieces, moisture is pretty much spot on, loading up a cob a touch of a flame a tamp and another touch of flame then we are in business.

first to the fore is a lovely light woody note, along with the tea notes which intermingles nicely with that piqauncy and slight sourness. sometimes through the bowl I get the slightest whiff of like an aromatic wood, I think I want to say sandalwood.

now onto strength, given this is quite a light mixture, the strength is surprisingly potent with plumes of smoke emanating from the pipe, so if you are in none smoking company that will raise a few eyebrows and the room note is quite error as well so maybe best to smoke this in the presence of an understanding partner or outdoors.

but overall, this is natural pure tobacco at its finest, highly, naturally aromatic and flavourful, but without any added flavours or nasties in sight. again like it's green river cousin, this is only available in Greece so once this is gone it is gone but if you can get a hold of some then I highly recommend it, it is just a plain simple smoke, that has some surprising complexities given it is just pure oriental.

highly recommended and one to try if you can get it.

Pipe Used: corn cob

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: a shop in heraklion

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lyketeos (2)	2018-05-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Tobacco forces your tongue to poetry. How else can one express his encounter with the philosophical indulgence that tobacco smoking is or should be? There's no real quantitive scientific method to approach such experiences and though we strive to find a common way to communicate about tobacco smoking, this alas remains elusive and thus in the realm of poetry...

And so is the Wolfway Epos Blue. Firstly, it' s straight, nothing else but natural greek Basma tobacco, so not as complex or "adventurous" as a mixture would be, but still... It's pouch aroma is delightfully mild and refreshing, reminiscent of distant soil and grass wetted by a sharp summer rain. Gently bittersweet and fullfilling. Goldenbrown ribboned, it needs some drying when initially unsealed. Packs well, lights easily and burns consisestently cool, no real fuss there. It tastes somewhat dry, sinewy, with a gentle bittersweet manner and a hint of currants and honey, always pleasantly sour, always well-behaved. Sometimes, when reaching down to a third of the bowl might spice up a bit, feel a bit peppery, yet not allways and not with the same intensity. I found out that blending - specially with VAs - really suits it well, as it will make anything more fragrant. The only downside is perhaps the room note, as many find it pungent, though never the smoker himself: he thinks everything smells roses for he has just smoked a piece of rugged heaven...

This is a thoroughbred: full of virtue and idiosyncrasy, gentle in its character, steadfast in its behaviour, humble yet proud... Singular! There's a code of honour to it... Oh you simply MUST smoke it!

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: fresh / jar stored for about a month

Purchased From: greektobacco.gr and Wolfway tobaccos Greece

Similar Blends: none other really. Simply unique. Closest relatives the Orientals. The Presbyterian Mixture by Planta must have Basma in it no doubt..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theocharis (38)	2018-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

Very happy and proud to have the opportunity to try tobaccos from my country. Wolfway is a great company offering natural handmade organic blends without additives. I consider basma the best blend in the epos series. Very distinctive strong taste reminds me of greek mountain tea and herbs. It needs a few relights because it has no chemicals in it and burns relatively fast to a white ash. The room note is very strong and may offend some non smokers,so beware! Smoking this blend could make you feel full and i would not consider it an all day smoke. Rather to be savoured slowly and occasionally. Also bear in mind that it is an acquired taste, so dont be quick to judge. Highy recomend it because of its particularity. Natural quality tobacco.

Purchased From: Athens, Greece

1 person found this review helpful.