J. F. Germain & Son Plum Cake Mixture
(2.84)
Blended from Virginia tobacco with dark cavendish and extra matured black cavendish. Flavoured with a delicate and barely discernable plum topping whose ingredients are known only to the owners of the company.
Notes: This is a traditional pipe mixture of which 80% is prepared from seven different types of Virginia leaf. The remaining 20% is a specially prepared black tobacco made from Cavendish and Negrohead. A rare air-cured leaf. This is possibly the only British made tobacco containing this particular ingredient. The unique added flavour gives an agreeable taste and pleasant aroma. Origin Channel Islands.
Details
| Brand | J. F. Germain & Son |
| Blended By | J. F. Germain & Son |
| Manufactured By | |
| Blend Type | Virginia Based |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Plum |
| Cut | shag |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 50 grams pouch |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild to Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.84 / 4
|
Reviews
Please login to post a review.
Displaying 31 - 40 of 63 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2019 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Shag cut brown leaf with scattered pieces of black tobacco thrown in. Smells fruity and winey and if you put your nose close to the tobacco you can sense the peppery spices as well. It is quite moist and should be left for a few minutes to dry before loading to prevent a wet smoke.
This is a wonderful everyday tobacco, it reminds me a lot of Esoterica’s Tilbury. Plum Cake has the mild addition of Black Cavendish (actually not Black Cavendish) which is sweetened and aromatized but otherwise they are very similar and for my tastes these tobaccos are interchangeable. It has affinities with Uncle Tom’s and Royal Jersey Virginia as well, but to me Plum Cake is much more preferable to both: more natural tobacco taste and less aromatized. And whereas Royal Jersey Virginia tastes like an old-fashioned Danish (actually …English) tobacco, Plum Cake, despite its mild topping tastes essentially of matured Virginia done in the Germain way. The taste is sweet but not too much, a little pastry-like with a wonderful mature tobacco taste.
Strength is medium, as is nicotine, it's not a mild tobacco. Lights easily and smokes a little faster than most due to its shag cut and if dried beforehand does not need many relights. Excellent for a first smoke in the morning and very good for those who like to inhale.
A little whimsical, can only be compared to other Germain tobaccos but I really like it. Were it more easily available it could serve as one of my standard everyday tobaccos.
This is a wonderful everyday tobacco, it reminds me a lot of Esoterica’s Tilbury. Plum Cake has the mild addition of Black Cavendish (actually not Black Cavendish) which is sweetened and aromatized but otherwise they are very similar and for my tastes these tobaccos are interchangeable. It has affinities with Uncle Tom’s and Royal Jersey Virginia as well, but to me Plum Cake is much more preferable to both: more natural tobacco taste and less aromatized. And whereas Royal Jersey Virginia tastes like an old-fashioned Danish (actually …English) tobacco, Plum Cake, despite its mild topping tastes essentially of matured Virginia done in the Germain way. The taste is sweet but not too much, a little pastry-like with a wonderful mature tobacco taste.
Strength is medium, as is nicotine, it's not a mild tobacco. Lights easily and smokes a little faster than most due to its shag cut and if dried beforehand does not need many relights. Excellent for a first smoke in the morning and very good for those who like to inhale.
A little whimsical, can only be compared to other Germain tobaccos but I really like it. Were it more easily available it could serve as one of my standard everyday tobaccos.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 26, 2018 | Mild | Very Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant |
Not a lot going on here for me. This tobacco has a nice tin aroma of sweetness, orange and vanilla are the only 2 discernible things I can tease out. The smoke is very bland, some light grass and citrus from the VA's, a tangy earthy flavor from the Cavendish. I do not taste the topping at all in the smoke and there is a creaminess that is left behind in the after taste, almost like toasted marshmallow, the best part of the experience for me. I'd pass on this one as it isn't really an aro and it is bland for any other characterization.
Pipe Used:
Briar’s and cob’s
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2017 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Unnoticeable |
Looked forward to this and when opened the pouch the aroma was lovely. I did notice it was very golden in colour with not much of the black cavindish like blend. I also was disappointed in the fine cut. Very much like a cheap cigarette rolling tobacco. Couldn’t get it to light straight from the pouch so I dried a couple of bowls worth for around half an hour. The result was a tobacco that burned very quickly with loads of tongue bite. Very disappointing. The room note was neutral as was the taste. It just tased hot. Not much more I can say about this blend, I was extremely disappointed and somewhat annoyed that I had payed £13.96 +£2.99 delivery for 50g but it’s all chalked down to experience. I tried packing my pipe loosely and more tightly but couldn’t get a satisfying smoke. I’m sorry this isn’t an elaborate description of this blend but I don’t want to spend anymore time on it than I have already wasted.
Pipe Used:
Cob, pear wood and briar
PurchasedFrom:
Online CGars
Age When Smoked:
New and a couple of months old
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 30, 2016 | Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
To me it is one of the great fruity aromatics. As soon as I opened the tin and breathed deeply i found myself salivating with thoughts of Christmas pudding. Not for everyone, but one that everyone should try at least once.
Pipe Used:
Peterson Fishermans 069
PurchasedFrom:
Online
Age When Smoked:
54
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 06, 2016 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
This reminds me a bit of a rustic version of certain older Dunhill blends, royal yacht and some of the old My Mixture blends you could find at the old Dunhill store on Duke St (i believe it was). I make a distinction between new aromatics and old school aromatics. This is old school. I taste a sour plum note, and maybe hints of vanilla (but just a hint) and perhaps something else -- in fact it reminds me a bit of the flavoring of old Fribourg and Treyer snuffs, the perfumed ones that used Arrak and Violet. Out of the tin it looks like an old Dunhill blend, too. Finely cut. Mildly moist. Whatever this *black* tobacco is, you can taste it. And this is what gives it this quality of rustic or traditional English pipe tobacco. I love it, I have to say. It may not be the most complex, though it has some complexity to be sure, and it can burn hot if you aren't careful, but overall this is a fine Virginia based old aromatic. High quality throughout. In fact all the Germain & Son tobaccos are quite high quality and I think somewhat neglected.
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 06, 2016 | Medium | Very Strong | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Certainly a peculiar blend, and definitely not my cup of tea but I won't spend the next while belittling an obviously popular niche blend. That said, I believe there to be some redeeming qualities worth mentioning.......qualities that should be considered speculation by myself as I didn't get the chance to have a second bowl due to a rapid onset of some sort of tobacco mold, something I can honestly say I've never encountered before. It's worth mentioning the care taken by the manufacturer to package this mixture, in a relatively attractive tin you'll find a lightly pressed block wrapped neatly in wax paper. The cut is quite uniform boasting every known range of colour when talking tobacco, moisture level was spot on and I attribute that to the careful packing mentioned above. The tin aroma doesn't really differ from inside the pipe or room and is that of herbs and Italian Bitters, the former reminds me of eidleweiss specifically (or how ever it is spelled). I didn't find either flavour all that agreeable, but I would've like to explored the whole tin if it wasn't for that mold episode mentioned earlier. I certainly couldn't recommend Plum Cake to a new or novice smoker, but I think it's worth recommending to the seasoned as I'd say it will contrast nearly anything you've smoked prior. I will buy it again and put it through its paces and update accordingly.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 2014 | Very Mild | Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
This tobacco smells like like old wine in the tin. It has absolutely no nicotine effect on me (something strong tobacco smokers might not like). A unique tobacco if not a little odd compared to other aromatics. I buy it now and then but is not a regular in my rotation.
This tobacco has been out of stock with all of the best known suppliers for quite a while. I'd like to get another tin but can't find it anywhere.
This tobacco has been out of stock with all of the best known suppliers for quite a while. I'd like to get another tin but can't find it anywhere.
Pipe Used:
Dr. Grabow Grand Duke, corn cob
PurchasedFrom:
4 noggins
Age When Smoked:
fresh out of the tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 11, 2014 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
First bowl out of a new tin I thought this is pretty good. The spicy aroma you get from the tin comes across in the smoke however you have to try to taste it. The spice taste is very faint. I can't smell or taste wine in this blend. Yet it smokes cool and burns clean. By the end of the tin I think I was bored with the taste. But overall its not a bad smoke just not one I will rush back too.
PurchasedFrom:
smoking pipes
Age When Smoked:
new
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 10, 2014 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Ordering this was purely serendipitous...When ordering Holiday tobaccos from Smokingpipes, one of my choices was out of stock...In a mad scramble to replace the o.o.s. tobacco, I defaulted to Germain simply because I like and trust their blends...Lo and behold, Plum Cake...Well, Plum Cake, plum pudding--close enough...One of the most taste full Aromatics I've ever encountered...Perfect balance of prime tobaccos and plum flavoring...Thank you Smokingpipes for being o.o.s. for my first choice...Plum Cake is not something I can afford on a daily basis but, I will re-order a few tins for special occasions like changing my socks and/or taking the dog for her daily walks...Perfect strength...Perfect taste...Burns to a clean, white ash...And the room note couldn't be better...What more could you ask for in an Aromatic!?!
Pipe Used:
various for testing
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
fresh from Smokingpipes
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 02, 2013 | Extremely Mild | Medium | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Strong |
I was hoping to pick myself up a nice aromatic baccy to smoke over Christmas and Plum Cake sounded right on the money for me, how wrong I was.
This stuff is utterly shocking tobacco, it's very moist but even letting it dry out a little doesn't help the fact it's soul is utter rubbish, the smell coming off it is about 1% Nutragrain cereal bars and 99% artificial chemical sweetness mixed with something really unpleasant.
After loading a bowl all I was met with flavour wise was a very light sweetness and some really nasty sour/chemical notes, but the lack of any "plum pudding" flavour isn't the biggest problem.
This stuff burns like a bonfire and even with time to dry out it royally gunks up your pipe.
Oh and it's got a unpleasant room note that all I can describe it as is day old cat food wrapped in newspaper.
All in all save your money.
This stuff is utterly shocking tobacco, it's very moist but even letting it dry out a little doesn't help the fact it's soul is utter rubbish, the smell coming off it is about 1% Nutragrain cereal bars and 99% artificial chemical sweetness mixed with something really unpleasant.
After loading a bowl all I was met with flavour wise was a very light sweetness and some really nasty sour/chemical notes, but the lack of any "plum pudding" flavour isn't the biggest problem.
This stuff burns like a bonfire and even with time to dry out it royally gunks up your pipe.
Oh and it's got a unpleasant room note that all I can describe it as is day old cat food wrapped in newspaper.
All in all save your money.
target="_blank"
