Wilke Pipe Tobacco Surbrug's Crystal Palace
(3.93)
Mild mellow and naturally aromatic since 1859. Virginia and latakia base with a touch of perique, black cavendish, and burley.
Details
| Brand | Wilke Pipe Tobacco |
| Blended By | John Brandt |
| Manufactured By | Wilke Pipe Tobacco |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 2oz., 4oz., 8oz., 16oz. Pouch, Bulk |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.93 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 14 of 14 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 08, 2022 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
John hit this one out of the park , bulk bag house blend. Latakia and Cavendish bag notes with Perique. Perfect blend IMO. Latakia forward and a touch of sweetness at the start of the bowl. as you progress through the sweetness of the cavendish and Virginia are more noticeable as well as the Perique. Burns even and great flavor all the way. This is my 2ond favorite blend. I buy it 8 Oz at a time from John. Perfect all day smoke if you like a light latakia. This is the one
Pipe Used:
1920s BBB Brier
PurchasedFrom:
Wilke pipe tobacco
Age When Smoked:
fresh from the bag
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 18, 2024 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
SCP is a nice, mild blend with a smooth balance and creamy finish. The Latakia is light, but enough to hold interest. Taste is a bit light, but satisfying and a bit complex. By mid bowl, the various tobaccos meld together and seem to play well in satisfying harmony. I believe this blend will age well. I'll be ordering more of this blend.
Pipe Used:
Old English briar
PurchasedFrom:
Wilke
Age When Smoked:
4 weeks
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 26, 2023 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
This has a very enticing jar note; as others have mentioned it is like a slightly sweeter version of Arango’s Balkan Supreme. On the palate it tastes like a very mild Balkan with toasted sunflower seed that accumulates some sweetness by end of the bowl. Whenever I take this along on my trail walks it always leaves a pleasing aroma in the vicinity. It’s a bit lightweight to be a Top Ten Favorite for me, but there is no question about the sophistication and refinement of this blend. The slightly sweeter taste that others have mentioned seems to me to stem from a subtle note of sassafras in the casing. Although the flavor is mostly consistent from start to finish, every once in a while I get a faint botanical note like green tea, but mostly the underlying creamy sweetness turns this into more of a southern-style sweet tea note.
This is one blend were leftovers tend to be even better than when the bowl is fresh; at least for me it seems to take on more concentration of flavor. So, it’s really a two-fer blend: mild elegant smoke for a mid-morning session, and weightier mid-palate concentration for an evening send-off.
In sum: creamy but not heavy on the palate, elegant in balance (no rough edges) and delicious. Four stars.
This is one blend were leftovers tend to be even better than when the bowl is fresh; at least for me it seems to take on more concentration of flavor. So, it’s really a two-fer blend: mild elegant smoke for a mid-morning session, and weightier mid-palate concentration for an evening send-off.
In sum: creamy but not heavy on the palate, elegant in balance (no rough edges) and delicious. Four stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 29, 2024 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Wilke Pipe Tobacco
Crystal Palace
(bulk)
Blend notes: “Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Perique, Virginia.”
Crystal Palace is a mild, Latakia-forward English blend from an old brick & mortar establishment founded in 1872 (https://www.wilkepipetobacco.com/history).
There is a slight sweetness, on my palate, from the Black Cavendish and the Virginia, but the blend also has a bit of the Perique sour-ness — not the raisin or plum taste profile but a background counterbalancing that lends interest and some complexity.
Wilke’s master blender, John Brandt, mentioned in an email correspondence that CP was his favorite blend among their offerings. Of those I have so far tried, I slightly prefer their No. 400, but Crystal Palace is right up there. On my palate it’s a mild English. The reviews on TobaccoReviews are skewed by three identical posts, though I tend not to trust averages there unless we get to 30+ unique review posts or upvotes.
Brandt seems to love his Latakia and why not? The key for most people is finding that sweet spot among the various components which consistently speak to one’s happy place.
Crystal Palace is a terrific English. I’d give it 3.5 stars out of 4, rounded up because the folk at Wilke really know their English blends.
Crystal Palace
(bulk)
Blend notes: “Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Perique, Virginia.”
Crystal Palace is a mild, Latakia-forward English blend from an old brick & mortar establishment founded in 1872 (https://www.wilkepipetobacco.com/history).
There is a slight sweetness, on my palate, from the Black Cavendish and the Virginia, but the blend also has a bit of the Perique sour-ness — not the raisin or plum taste profile but a background counterbalancing that lends interest and some complexity.
Wilke’s master blender, John Brandt, mentioned in an email correspondence that CP was his favorite blend among their offerings. Of those I have so far tried, I slightly prefer their No. 400, but Crystal Palace is right up there. On my palate it’s a mild English. The reviews on TobaccoReviews are skewed by three identical posts, though I tend not to trust averages there unless we get to 30+ unique review posts or upvotes.
Brandt seems to love his Latakia and why not? The key for most people is finding that sweet spot among the various components which consistently speak to one’s happy place.
Crystal Palace is a terrific English. I’d give it 3.5 stars out of 4, rounded up because the folk at Wilke really know their English blends.
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