Connoisseur Pickwick

The now retired owner of the Connoisseur Pipe Shop in New York City designed beautiful (and often, very expensive), smoking pipes for over 40 years. He also was noted for coming up with a few of his own outstanding pipe tobacco blends. I am not sure who produced them for Ed, but they were good and to me, Pickwick was the best of the bunch. Heavy on the Virginia of exceptional quality and somewhat sparingly the use of Latakia and Perique provided a great smoking experience that was similar to nothing that I can think of. Unique and tasty. If anybody jarred up some of this and wants a quick sale, you know where to find me!

I've been smoking Pickwick for many years, one of my VVF's and I've stockpiled a couple of pounds. Smoked some from 2009 recently. Smooth and delicious. The composition, told to me by Burak is Virginia, Turkish, Latakia and Perique, in that order. (Turkish Black reverses the order of the Virginia and the Turkish.)

Recommended to me, after Turkish Black or Cavendish no. 2, by Andy, former gifted store manager. Mostly a stoved Virginia ribbon blend, with enough condimentals to be meaningful. It's been a decade since I smoked it last and I still remember it. Now long gone but not forgotten.

Back then I though this looked like a mostly black Cavendish blend, but no. Cool and rich. Deep, dark tasting (the stoved), mysterious (the orientals), and oozing with sensational flavor (the Perique combo?). I remember being in a zone many a time after I broke in a Connoisseur pipe with this fantastic stuff.

I ordered a pipe many years ago from Robert Waugel (sp?; showcased in P&T in 90's I believe), the pipe-maker, who coincidentally said he enjoyed this blend a lot too, though it became too mild for him with his heavier Latakia tastes.

I've smoked other stoved Virginia blends that are nice since, but none are as enticing or the equal of this IMO.

A couple of similar blends still exist, but not as rich as this.