Wilke Pipe Tobacco Commander

This is described as an American style blend but to me it veers more toward being an Aromatic English. There are no added flavorings but the quantity of sweet creamy Cavendish tends to suggest this genre. However you classify it I enjoy it, on a fairly regular basis, whether for mid-morning walk, afternoon on the porch, or in the evening gazing at the stars. Two of the three reviews here talk of this being grassy and with some tartness. I only got a hint of grassy chlorophyll in one pipe with a tall narrow chamber, with all the other pipes I didn’t get that. Above all, at least with the batch that I received, this is a smooth and creamy smoke (possibly a bourbon vanilla note). I get some restrained Latakia and scorched brown sugar poking through the creamy foundation.

With the first half of the bowl I had best results employing micro sips, three or four in a row, per mouthful, rather than one long draw or vigorous puff. But by mid-bowl I found it retained its delicious flavor even with heavy puffing. The distinctive flavoring persists throughout the bowl which tells me it is derived from the casing process by Sutliff, and not a topping added by Wilke.

I have several jars in varying stages of aging, and with the one jar that is almost two years old the yummy factor has not diminished. This is not a deeply profound or complex blend but I give it a full four stars for the amount of pleasure I get every time I load up a bowl.