Wilke Pipe Tobacco Wilke No. 436

This is a good, solid three-star performer, but not quite distinguished enough for four stars. When it was fresh and I first lit up a bowl I was shocked at how sweet it was. I can’t think of any Latakia blends sweeter, other than Sillem’s Black. Even for a Scottish style I find the Black Cavendish used here pushes the boundary of this style. The result is a contrived and confectionary concoction that tastes of an overly-sugared cream pudding. It really comes off more like an aromatic with a touch of Latakia. I would have preferred a more neutral brown Cavendish to broaden the palate, but if you don’t mind the sweetness it certainly smokes smooth and steady and produces a rather pleasing ambient aroma for anybody around you.

When it was young and sweet I took an ounce of my supply and added a small amount of Basma and some Sutliff 570 ‘cornflakes’ along with a pinch of McConnel’s pure Latakia (so that the overall Latakia presence doesn’t diminish) and together these tweaks helped reduce the sweetness, while retaining this blend’s pleasant creaminess on the palate. My thought at that time, concerning the stock version, is that as far as other Wilke offerings, if you like sweet cream, but not taking a bath in it, I would recommend Wilke Commander.

Now, with two years in the jar, the sweetness has faded significantly. Now I get some pleasant nuances coming and going of plum/dark fruit and roasted chestnuts, atop a foundation of muted, if somewhat ashy, Latakia, and winter hay from the Virginia. Leftovers are not quite as good, tending to emphasize grassy flavors. With this time lapse overview, I’d say the optimal balance of pleasant creaminess, with some diminishment of sweetness, peaked at about the one year mark. Therefore, I won’t be cellaring this one.

Simply a very smooth, balanced medium Scottish blend. Jiminks was spot on in his review. Only difference that I note is that the finish is rather short, but pleasant. There is enough Latakia to keep my interest and all the various components blend and work well together in smooth harmony. This is one of the easiest blends to smoke I have run into. No harshness or rough spots and very easy to keep the bowl lit. Also, produces volumes of smoke. I will be ordering more of 436. 3.5 stars. Recommended.