Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation Family Reserve

(3.71)
Deep brown burleys, broad cut Virginias, black cavendish, and matured navy flake with top notes of prune, marzipan, and vanilla.
Notes: 4th Generation Family Reserve is an exceptional aromatic blend made of smooth burley, sweet Virginias, velvety black cavendish, and a bit of broken navy flake. The mixture is then topped with a combination of prune, vanilla, and marzipan for a silky flavor and an outstanding room note. It comes in a handsome 3.5 oz. tin.

Details

Brand Erik Stokkebye
Blended By Erik Stokkebye
Manufactured By  
Blend Type Aromatic
Contents Black Cavendish, Burley, Virginia
Flavoring Other / Misc, Vanilla
Cut Mixture
Packaging 3.5 ounce tin
Country Denmark
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.71 / 4
10

4

0

0

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 14 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 23, 2016 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
Another extraordinary achievement from 4th Gen Tobacco.

I think it should be understood from the start that I do like most of the blends from this company. I smoke 1957 and 1897 daily. I love Virginias, burley, aromatics and flakes.

Tin Notes - When I opened it I got a faceful of wonderful scents, there was vanilla, fruit, Christmas candy, maybe marzipan, and a bit of spice (nutmeg or light cinnamon). It was wonderful, i just took a few moments to really enjoy it. It was not overpowering or jarring, just a gentle pleasant aroma. It comes in a fairly attractive and large rectangular tin, wherein it is bagged up. This is similar to W.O. Larsen 1864 only wider. The tin is hinged on the side and will make a nice box for something later. Bonus! The presentation is excellent.

Handling the tobacco (Loading the pipe) - The Virginias were the first thing I saw when I dug into the bag, they are cut very broadly and have a silky texture. Just your eyes could tell you this is high-quality tobacco blended from the best ingredients. It loaded very nicely and the bits of Navy Flake and cavendish were pliable and perfectly moist. Not too wet, and not too dry, there was no gooey, dripping sauce on top, even though this is an aromatic blend with a topping. There was no greasy feel to it, and my fingers were clean even when i rubbed the tobacco together gently on my palm. It loaded easily into my pipe and expanded only slightly. There was no issue with packing or crumbly mess.

Smoking - Charring light expanded the tobacco slightly but a quick tamp brought it under control, and the flavor was slightly sweet with a nice tobacco taste. The next light was heaven, I was rewarded with a large plume of tasty smoke laced with marzipan, spices, and some Virginia tang. I burned very quietly and didn't seem to ever overheat and cause tongue burn. Of course, you wouldn't really expect that from a quality Virginia without really trying. What I found a quarter of the way through the bowl was a complicated, well thought out, Danish aromatic. Very special in its own right, and different from pretty much everything else. There were pockets of chestnut flavored burley and navy flake that popped up and the cavendish added that sweet flavor around the middle of the bowl. That's when things got more interesting. Midway through the bowl, I must have stoved the lower tobaccos nicely and I was rewarded with what reminded me a bit of McClellands Holiday spirit. There was spice and vanilla and heaps sweet Virginias. It was incredibly tasty. As I got to the bottom of the bowl, everything seemed to slow down to a gentle tobacco flavor with mild vanilla sweetness before going down to a nice fine ash. It was a great experience.

Conclusion: The 4th Generation Family Reserve is incredible. A wonderful and flavorful experience. A very high quality, well behaved tobacco with a lot of character. To date, I have enjoyed about 50 grams of it and it is slightly different every time. I am going to order more of it to enjoy and keep some to mellow in my cellar. They are expensive, and to my knowledge are not sold in anything other than tins. Is it a good deal, compared to other tobaccos? I have no idea, and I don't care to speculate. It's a tin of tobacco, not a mortgage rate or a car comparison. Go grab a tin from your local tobacconist and I am sure you will enjoy it.

-=Liam
Pipe Used: Tom Eltang Bent Dublin
PurchasedFrom: Mission Pipe, San Jose, Ca, USA. http://www.missionpipe.com
Age When Smoked: Fresh
18 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 14, 2018 Medium Medium Very Full Pleasant
This has the most alluring tin aroma & is the best tasting aromatic tobacco I've ever had the pleasure of smoking and the reason being: First of all, I'm not really a smoker of aromatics although I've tried a dozen or so but I'm having trouble staying away from Erik Stokkebye's Family Rreserve due to its exotic, almost intoxicating flavor with an abundant amount of nicotiana tabacum which is unusual in a quality, flavorful aromatic. I consistently feel the desire to reach for it on a daily basis & smoke subsequent bowls.

This is not a goopy aromatic & has just the right moisture content, possesses an excellent burning rate & doesn't bite. It offers up a normal non-cased character with a flavored topping that is extremely enticing. The best way to start off with this is to set your pipe down for at least five minutes after a good burning rate, otherwise it'll take a little longer to pick up on the good flavor this has to offer. If I have a blend that doesn't taste so good or I just want to improve the taste of any blend, I just fill the bottom forth to one third of my bowl with Erik Stokkebye's Family Reserve.

I must have purchased all the tins on the planet as I can find no others available on any of the mainstream, online pipe tobacco dealers. OK... this mixture can be smoked right out of the bag & one might obtain the best flavor by doing so. The preparation requires rubbing out due to the smaller pieces of Navy flake mixed with brown Burley, broad cut Virginia & black Cavendish. There's nothing else like this in our world. It only comes in 100g, unsealed tins with a folded & taped plastic bag within. Some might say it is relatively expensive but then again, so is a good wine... and "Romulan Ale" is no longer available unless you're able to hitch a ride on the Enterprise & Scotty's hand is on the throttle instead of the last bottle.

The tobacco flavor still comes through & the well balanced topping ingredients of prunes, marzipan & vanilla combined with the fig & raisin flavor from a very slight Perique infusion from their navy flake will knock your socks off & leave a pleasant aftertaste in your pie hole. Every characteristic of a superb, quality aromatic & top shelf leaf is contained within this nostalgic tin. They say that all good things must come to an end & this may never be available again after this initial run but I hope that's not the case. I "prey" nobody labels me as "hoggish" since I took the opportunity to buy the remaining tins from various venders which appears to have dwindled the supply.

I've purchased six of these tins & all but one are sealed within zip-lock freezer bags inside an airtight, 50 Cal. military, ammunition container. They're perfect for keeping your open tins/pouches fresh indefinitely. I have a ten year old open tin of Haddo's Delight & it's still moist & reeks of vinegar & cocoa. I keep one tin of Family Reserve at the ready for smoking on a daily basis & simply love this stuff for its strength, aroma, sweet flavor, excellent smoking & burning characteristics.

Trust me! This is the Beacon of Bagged Tobaccos... The Magnificent Mixture of Aromatics, The Exotic Leaf Beyond Belief & connoisseurs will thank me for this recommendation. Something tells me I shouldn't have said that... I'll probably receive some condemnation. Anyway, it's not a grab bag of chance & your taste buds will get up & flash dance. If you don't like it, call me @ BR 549 & we'll make a deal, you'll get a steal & we also take trade-ins... no matter what shape your tin is in as long as the bag is still fresh within. This rating is based solely on the basis of an aromatic blend. I think Stokkebye's 4th Generation, this deliciously sweet Family Reserve, may we never part, as I deem it should deserve, a rating above four stars & off the chart.
Pipe Used: Cavicchi (CCC), 312 Sterling Pete, Huber Dublin
PurchasedFrom: Smoking Pipes & Cup O' Joes
Age When Smoked: Recently obtained
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 28, 2017 Mild Mild Medium Pleasant
Though the nice metal box and the clear plastic bag inside it are both sent out unsealed, yet the 4th Generation Family Reserve tobacco in the bag is moist and perfect for smoking, right from the tin. The mixture is quite chunky, including some broken flake, with colors ranging from light to medium and dark browns, also some black chunks. The scent from a fresh tin is like a deluxe, fruity, golden cake, with the fragrant tobaccos scents rising along with restrained prunes, almond extract, vanilla, citrus, and faint cocoa and sweet spirits, all of it, appearance and scents, redolent with smooth, silky, luxury. The tobacco handles, loads, lights and smokes with minimal effort. I like to gravity load it, tamp it gently, and smoke it slowly in a large pipe and just cruise and let the impression of luxury continue. The VAs are cool burning and mostly meadow grassy, and they somehow conjoin with the golden cake aspect of this blend. There also seems to be some sweet, air-cured brown VA that adds some musky, lower notes. The Burleys are rich, mildly earthy, and nutty/buttery, along with some bitterness that I find refreshing. The Cav thickens the smoke, and it does a good job of melding the mixture and delivering the toppings, along with its own sweet/sour effect. Something I really like about this blend is the way the smoke is at once sweet, sour, dry and “creamy”, also bracing, with a nice mouth feel, if it’s kept cool. The topping holds true to the tin note, top to bottom, though the tobaccos are forward, once the contents have rested a while. Strength is mild. Tastes are medium. Room note is nice. Aftertaste is a lingering best-of-the-smoke.

The key with aromatics is how well the “aromatic” components play with the tobaccos while they’re smoked, also how little one notices their residues. Erik Stokkebye’s 4th Generation Family Reserve is well balanced and understated, top quality, top to bottom, a satisfying, exemplary aromatic. 4GFR reminds me a lot of Peterson’s Special Reserve, Limited Edition 2015, though FR has less dark fruit. I plan to keep some 4GFR on hand (in jars!) from here on out, if possible. Four Stars.
Pipe Used: large briars preferred
PurchasedFrom: Cup o' Joe's
Age When Smoked: fresh from an undated tin
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 31, 2017 Very Mild Medium Mild Very Pleasant
Interesting cut. Many combined textures and colors. Nose is more homogeneous then other reviewers note. But upon lighting the bowl explodes with many soft subtle flavors. Nice creamy smoke that stays cool. Easily candidate for daily rotation.

Side notE P&C SHIPPED ME THREE TINS. ONE WQS OPENED AND SHORT FILLED AS WELL AS IN AN IKEA ZIPLOCK. ITS USELESS. IT WAS RETURN D AND THEN RESOLD TO ME. UNSAFE TO SMOKE TAMPERED BACCY
Pipe Used: Bjarne, cob, meer, Horst Fleaglehoff
PurchasedFrom: P&C
Age When Smoked: New in tin
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 15, 2017 Medium to Strong Mild to Medium Medium to Full Tolerable
A very nice, high quality tobacco to enjoy. However it is very strong to me compared to some other blends.. it's all in what you're used to. I went to my folks' house after smoking a pipe of this and my mom said I reeked terribly of smoke. Haven't had others say that about other aros I smoke. It has a good tobacco flavor but a little strong for me and I wouldn't call it an all day smoke. The toppings are nice and present but when smoking I get tobacco the most.
Pipe Used: Calabresi Sandblast, Missouri Meerschaums
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: right out of tin
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 17, 2019 Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Full Pleasant
This has the most alluring tin aroma & is the best tasting aromatic tobacco I've ever had the pleasure of smoking and the reason being: First of all, I'm not really a smoker of aromatics although I've tried a dozen or so but I'm having trouble staying away from Erik Stokkebye's Family Rreserve due to its exotic, almost intoxicating flavor with an abundant amount of nicotiana tabacum which is unusual in a quality, flavorful aromatic. I consistently feel the desire to reach for it on a daily basis & smoke subsequent bowls. Oddly enough, the aroma from the tin is not purveyed much in the smoke aroma. The smoke sort of smells like a non aromatic blend... a regular tobacco room note, as it were.

This is not a goopy aromatic & has just the right moisture content, possesses a relatively fast burning rate & doesn't bite after employing the DGT method. It offers up a normal non-cased character with a flavored topping that is extremely enticing. The best way to start off with this is to set your pipe down for at least five minutes after a good burning rate, otherwise it'll take a little longer to pick up on the good flavor this has to offer. If I have a blend that doesn't taste so good or I just want to improve the taste of any blend, I just fill the bottom forth to one third of my bowl with Erik Stokkebye's Family Reserve.

I must have purchased all the tins on the planet as I can find no others available on any of the mainstream, online pipe tobacco dealers. OK... this mixture can be smoked right out of the bag & one might obtain the best flavor by doing so. You may or may not want to rub this out due to the smaller pieces of Navy flake mixed with brown Burley, broad cut Virginia & black Cavendish. There's nothing else like this in our world. It only comes in 100g, unsealed tins with a folded & taped plastic bag within. Some might say it is relatively expensive but then again, so is a good wine... and "Romulan Ale" is no longer available unless you're able to hitch a ride on the Enterprise & Scotty's hand is on the throttle instead of the last bottle.

The tobacco flavor still comes through & the well balanced topping ingredients of prunes, marzipan & vanilla combined with the fig & raisin flavor from a very slight Perique infusion from their navy flake will knock your socks off & leave a pleasant aftertaste in your pie hole. Every characteristic of a superb, quality aromatic & top shelf leaf is contained within this nostalgic tin. They say that all good things must come to an end & this may never be available again after this initial run but I hope that's not the case. I "prey" nobody labels me as "hoggish" since I took the opportunity to buy the remaining tins from various venders which appears to have dwindled the supply.

I've purchased six of these tins & all but one are sealed within zip-lock freezer bags inside an airtight, 50 Cal. military, ammunition container. They're perfect for keeping your open tins/pouches fresh indefinitely. I have a ten year old open tin of Haddo's Delight & it's still moist & reeks of vinegar & cocoa. I keep one tin of Family Reserve at the ready for smoking on a daily basis & simply love this stuff for its strength, aroma, sweet flavor, excellent smoking & burning characteristics.

Trust me! This is the Beacon of Bagged Tobaccos... The Magnificent Mixture of Aromatics, The Exotic Leaf Beyond Belief & connoisseurs of aromatics will thank me for this recommendation. Anyway, it's not a grab bag of chance & your taste buds will get up & dance. This rating is based solely on the basis of an aromatic blend. I think Stokkebye's 4th Generation, this deliciously sweet Family Reserve, may we never part, as I deem it should deserve a rating above four stars & off the chart.
Pipe Used: Cavicchi (CCC), 312 Sterling Pete, Huber Dublin
PurchasedFrom: Smoking Pipes, Cup O' Joes & P & C
Age When Smoked: Recently obtained
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 05, 2019 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
I'm usually not a fan of aromatics this stuff is really really good. Prunes raisins vanilla Spice and nuttiness from the Burley tobacco sets this apart from any aromatic I've ever puffed up on. Highly recommended!
Pipe Used: Ropp jawhanger
PurchasedFrom: Smoking pipes.com
Age When Smoked: Fresh
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 26, 2019 Medium Medium Very Full Pleasant
This has the most alluring tin aroma & is the best tasting aromatic tobacco I've ever had the pleasure of smoking and the reason being: First of all, I'm not really a smoker of aromatics although I've tried a dozen or so but I'm having trouble staying away from Erik Stokkebye's Family Reserve due to its exotic, almost intoxicating flavor with an abundant amount of Vitamin N which is unusual in a quality, flavored aromatic. The best way to start off with this is to set your pipe down to cool after a good burning rate is started... use the DGT method, as it were, which will negate any bite & won't take as long to pick up on the good flavor this has to offer.

This is not a goopy aromatic & has just the right moisture content, possesses an excellent burning rate & offers a normal non-cased character with a flavored topping that is extremely enticing. If I have a blend that doesn't taste so good or I just want to improve the taste, I'll fill the bottom forth to one third of my bowl with Erik Stokkebye's Family Reserve or maybe just mix it in depending on the blend. I mixed a small amount into some HH Vintage Syrian & created a superb Balkan flavor that was otherworldly.

There's nothing else like this on our planet. It only comes in 100g, unsealed tins with a folded & taped plastic bag within. The tobacco flavor still comes through & the well balanced topping ingredients of prunes, marzipan & vanilla combined with the tangy sweetness from the VA flavor & a light infusion of Navy Flake containing a little Perique will knock your socks off & leave a pleasant aftertaste in your pie hole. Every characteristic of a superb, quality aromatic & top shelf leaf is contained within this nostalgic tin.

I keep one tin of Family Reserve at the ready for smoking on a daily basis & simply love this stuff for its strength, aroma, sweet flavor, excellent smoking & burning characteristics. Trust me! This is the Beacon of Bagged Tobaccos, the Magnificent Mixture of Aromatics, the Exotic Leaf Beyond Belief & connoisseurs will thank me for this recommendation. It's not a grab bag of chance & your taste buds will get up & dance. This rating is based solely on the basis of an aromatic blend. I think Stokkebye's 4th Generation, Family Reserve, may we never part, as I deem it should deserve, a rating above four stars & off the chart. A crowning achievement, as it were.

Pipe Used: Cavicchi (CCC), 312 Sterling Pete, Huber Dublin
PurchasedFrom: Smoking Pipes & Cup O' Joes
Age When Smoked: Recently obtained
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 17, 2019 Medium Medium Medium to Full Very Pleasant
Came in a gorgeous 100 gram tin with the 4 generations of Stokkebye men on the front in a bag loosely sealed...absolutely desert sand dry! Huge chunks of broken leaves with ample bits of chopped up navy flake.

Smoked in a Peterson system 315XL.

Smells like banana bread in the bag. Lit well probably due to it's absolute lack of moisture. It stays well behaved and even when pushed does not get overheated or bite, which is incredible considering its extreme dryness...(or maybe it's because of it... we'll see how it does when its re-hydrated.) The sugary, dessert style smokey flavor is a unique combination of the Vanillla/Marzipan/prune casing, the cavandish and the natural sweetness from the Virginias. I can taste all the foundational tobaccos: the burley adds its nutty, slightly dry earthiness… the Virginia hay and grass come through as in a straight blend. The black cavendish isn't artificial tasting but adds a nuanced secondary aromatic sweetness. It is complex in a way I've yet to experience. It achieves a bouquet of flavor that hits all the component notes with distinction. I can taste all the flavors individually but as a whole at the same time. It is the epitome of balance and composition. Its brilliant! It is hands down the most delightful aromatic I've smoked. I'm looking forward to hydrating a jar and tasting it again once it's at a more standard moisture. As it is, bone dry… its fantastic!
Pipe Used: Peterson Standard System 315XL
PurchasedFrom: Pipes&Cigars.com
Age When Smoked: fresh
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 29, 2019 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
I must say that I had never tried anything from 4th Generation. The rating on their aro's were somewhat lackluster until this one came along. The tin caught my eye, and I checked the reviews and decided to buy one.

This is a very unique tobacco, I do not recall ever smoking anything like it before. When I received it, the tobacco was dry. The pouch note was wonderful. I loaded up my favorite Lumberman and lit it up. So many times a dry tobacco can be a little harsh, not so with this one. Few relites, mostly due to putting it down to regulate the nic-hit, which is stronger than most aro's. Easy to smoke to the bottom of the bowl

I am not very good at naming the flavors that I taste in a tobacco, but lets just say it was very tasty, the taste was consistent to the bottom of the bowl, and the after taste was also quite good. Not really an all day smoke due to the nicotine level.

It is more than a pretty tin and if you are looking for a unique aro that separates itself from he crowd, I would highly recommend 4th Generation Family Reserve!
Pipe Used: Unmarked Lumberman
PurchasedFrom: Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked: new
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