Tabac Manil Le Petit Robin

WOW! This ultra fine shag is truly phenomenal! Never smoked any Semois leaf, but im glad I saw a review many months ago with great reviews. It comes ultra dry, but it is meant to be that way coming in the brick that it does! It’s taste is very unique and i love it! Bought 3 more bricks and stuffed in a large mason jar! Very exceptional and a must try at minimum!

I have a very broad palette with regards to what I like, and I've found "Le Petit Robin" to be pure pipe smoking bliss. Whenever I get a new blend, I always like to see when I'm done with the first pipe, will I want another; with "Le Petit Robin", I smoked three. Since I got it two days ago, I haven't smoked anything else.

This is a very smooth, flavorful, and unique tobacco that is unlike anything I've ever had before. From what I've been told and read, I would guess that "Le Petit Robin" is the mildest of the three offerings from Tabac Manil. The shag cut makes for a wonderfully behaved and even-smoking blend. The flavor, tin note, and room note all have these wonderfully complex notes.

I can only get caught up in using bizarre adjectives, and echo others' words. It has the smoothness of a well-aged Burley, with wisps of the characteristic sweet, grassy flavors of a Virginia, along with that distinctly flavorful aroma and flavor of an Oriental such as Katerini. As many have admitted, it is so incredibly difficult to put a finger on precisely what Semois tastes like. The fact that "Le Petit Robin" is blended with other tobacco from the region makes it all the more complex both in its flavors and aromas, and in trying to describe this unusual profile. I suppose that's all part of the beauty. What I can be absolutely certain about, is that it's delicious beyond description. At any rate, this is most definitely a unique gem that is not to be ignored by adventurous pipe tobacco aficionados.

This is a mild hay smelling shag cut that smokes cool, ever so slightly sweet with low nicotine, just to let the ones who require a jolt of vitamin N. This is a nice smoke, packaging is great. A nice 3.5-ounce block of tobacco wrapped in gold foil. Glad I was able to sample this one. I admire the Man’s craftsmanship that produces this and the others he crafts.

This is exactly what I'm looking for in a Virginia/Burley blend, but unlike most such blends on the market, the Semois component in this just delivers so much more flavor. Not that I dislike other blends, but the Burley we're all familiar with is more one-dimensionally "nutty" and not as rich as Semois. The Semois offers a good nutty flavor as you would expect, but there is also more musk, more spice, and of course its signature earthiness. Combined with the Virginias, this blend comes together like the smells of a walk in autumn woods. It's truly a special, luxurious, yet simple and effortless experience. Hats off to Mr. Manil for developing this blend. It's my favorite of the bunch. I plan to get a very large mason jar and just stock up on Le Petit Robin to keep it long term.

Eval'd. as a MYO cigarette using Zen king size full flavor tubes (red). This tobacco is perhaps the "very most" in two ways. First, it surely is the finest shag I've ever seen (handles being stuffed into a tube very well). Second, it is likely the most expensive blend I've ever purchased at $25 per 3.5 oz package. That's over $100/lb.! Yikes! Is it worth it? Well, in a way. It's not going to be an everyday smoke for me. It's special occasion stuff for sure. But it IS very, very good as a cigarette. For those that have never indulged in pipe tobacco cigs...note that blends that are super light and even boring in a pipe come alive smoked as a cig. Stokkebye Turkish, Norwegian & Amsterdam come to mind. As does Gawith Kendal Gold. Then there is perhaps the premier blends, Daughter & Ryan...esp. 3 Sails. I use a Powermatic Mini injector to stuff tubes and it does a magnificent job though it's one of the lowest cost machines out there at $17. Built like a tank. But back to the Petit Robin. It's notable as has been described in that it is the only Semois BLEND, using 30% Semois. It has a very distinctive cocoa burley lightly floral note. Very fine indeed. It stuffs well as it comes in the pack once it is pulled apart and fluffed to an even consistency. I can't recommend this as a pipe blend as I've never smoked it that way. But as a cigarette tobacco ( and let me testify that the hobbyist injector machines put out a "small cigar" that is so vastly superior to any over the counter smoke they may as well be from another planet...they're that good) this stuff is crazy wonderful.

A type of burley called Semois, which is only made in one region of Belgium. It is difficult not to mention his presentation, which seems to transport us to another era. It reminds me of the tobacco packages that were smoked during World War II and that I could see in the Omaha Beach Memorial Museum, in Normandy (France).

The packaging is quite rudimentary, in golden aluminum foil, and as it is not sealed it does not retain moisture, so the tobacco is very dry. I changed the tobacco to a glass container, where I inserted a humidifier bag and it worked perfectly. Once the tobacco absorbed the moisture it needed to do its best, everything was so much better than when I smoked it dry the same day I opened the package. The cut is an extremely fine shag, which together with the dryness of the tobacco makes it burn as well as it does quickly, although it can sometimes have the consequence of heating up the pipe. For this reason, I highly recommend transferring it to a glass container and moistening it, since it allows this tobacco to express itself and offer its best organoleptic qualities. Loading is very simple, since it is enough to take the tobacco balls that are formed and introduce them into the pipe.

It took me about four or five pipes to get a taste of this one, but at this moment it seems like a very good option to smoke something different and enjoy it from time to time.

I would recommend giving it several chances before making a hasty judgment, as you could miss out on a tobacco that is very original and natural, compared to the many blends on the market that resemble each other. However, if you are one of those who are fleeing cigarettes or you do not like that type of flavor with some mineral nuance, I will understand that it is not for you.

Whoa..... what a cool smoke. If you're looking for something different in a nice, natural, every day tobacco, give this a try.

It really is different. Think the sweetness of a good virginia, a little nuttiness like a burley, and an occasional VERY LIGHT cigar-like ashiness. The cut is very very fine, it comes super dry in the package, and burns awesome. Since it is a little faster burn, use a slightly larger pipe and sip.

Its not an "in your face" blend AT ALL. It's subtle but highly complex. Every taste shows me a little different side. One taste will be a little grassier, then next a little sweeter, the next a little richer tobacco flavor. I'm going to age about 10 oz of this and see if those complexities develop or if it becomes more uniform, but after a few months it's keeping that "draw by draw" complexity that is fascinating.

Because of the complexity, I could smoke this stuff non-stop, because every draw is lovely, different, and fun.

Not big and bold and brash -- just lovely and evolving. What a treat. Oh, and a nice little nic-hit to boot. Yum.

Such a beautiful CLASSIC pipe tobacco. So flavorful and satisfying. World Class! Burns fast so temper puff cadence. Wonderfull... cellar deep! Doesn't age... perfect as is!!!!!

This is an extremely fine cut shag blend that is fairly dry due to the packaging. My first sniff noted a slight tea aroma which I noticed in another blend I once sampled... I believe it was Pete's Sherlock Holmes. The charring light produced a burst of flavor that improved considerably after about 1/3 had burned off & provided more flavor & a better taste without any harshness. I loved this Belgian Burley flavor combined with the VA from the very first puff but the third ingredient or ingredients seem destined to remain a mystery but I think it's an Oriental variety. Whatever, the varietals play well together. I've never seen or tasted anything like it before. Very unique indeed & fairly strong.

There's a lot of tobacco packaged in this brick-shaped, gold foil, wrapped container. It didn't feel like it weighed 3 1/2 ounces when I received it but I didn't put it on a scale. It comes in a very dry state so I hydrated it within a zip-lock bag with a pouch humidifier for a couple of weeks. Afterwards, I could feel that it had gained a little weight. It is not packaged to retain moisture & the folded ends are not sealed. It will inevitably contain a moisture content of its environment. I had read reviews prior to purchasing & pretty much knew what to expect & it is very tightly packed within the brick.

It must be packed tight & drawn lightly to get the best flavor & won't bite if puffing cadence is properly controlled. It has a tingly sensation on the palate & leaves a pleasant aftertaste. I liked this well enough to reopen the package & load up again. I'll be keeping this in my rotation as long as it's available & ordered another brick & will be filling up my Mason jars after a proper moisture content is achieved. From my experience with cigars, cigarette & pipe tobacco, they all seem to smoke best with the proper moisture content & from my experience, Le Petite Robin is no different.

If you're looking for a quick tobacco preparation with an easy load and good flavor & a decent burning rate, you might consider giving this one a try. Much better than expected. I plan on sampling all the Tabac Manil offerings & liked this one well enough to prompt a purchase of the Reserve Du Patron brick & will give my review on that shortly. I found this blend to be "convenient," easy to use, takes readily to the match, burns to the smoker's preparation choice/preference & produces little or no moisture. It has a captivating taste & aroma.

I stored this in a Mason jar after hydrating to about 65-69% humidity & pinch off a quick bowlful on many occasions. There's a lot of fairly dry tobacco... hard-packed in one of these bricks that can be quickly hydrated to increase weight & proper smoking moisture & thus, found it to be a great value... a fine blend that will remain in my rotation. FWIW, I preferred the flavor of this over that of Tabac Manil's Reserve Du Patron & will stick with this one... just right for me.