J. F. Germain & Son King Charles Smoking Mixture

King Charles Mixture has been around for many years... I imagine it is a favorite (judging from the excellent reviews here from those who choose to actually "review" blends), of those who give it three or more stars due to the quality of the Virginia, the delicate application of top-shelf Latakia and the complexity of the smoking experience.

I found that King Charles worked better after considerable drying out (I dry out most of my tobaccos anyway), and will burn evenly all the way to the bottom of the bowl. It is also very cool and did not appear very strong.

If light to medium strength latakia blends with evident Virginia leaf please you, then you may want to give this old classsic a try.

One of the absolute finest in a much maligned genre. I see light englishes written off as vapid and weak on this site quite often, and i feel that it really comes down to a labeling issue. I understand the moniker, but it does a disservice to the products. Those looking for english blends are people partial to stiff doses of latakia and bold flavors. So a light version, by its nature, only partially delivers on the promise. And then, unsurprisingly, follow the familiar complaints. Its a vicious cycle. Where these blends find their true patrons are from the crowd that has come to appreciate the flavors of virginia tobacco in its various iterations. Those who can appreciate the less strident flavors offered by our pastime. Because when you can smolder through a bowl of Marlin Flake or old gowrie and be fulfilled, then the well crafted addition of condimental latakia and orientals can be appreciated for what they are. Condiments. Not the beginning and end of the experience. Pirate Kake enthusiasts need not apply. You see, what exclusive smokers of heavy english blends often fail to recognize is that latakia is, by struct definition, an aromatic product. It has been processed in such a way as to augment the natural flavor of the leaf. True, it isnt a saccharine cotton candy casing, but it is a flavoring agent all the same. I can appreciate some latakia heavy blends myself on occasion; i love artisan's blend, engine 99, and magnum opus to name a few. But i can be honest with myself and understand that when i smoke them, i am smoking an aromatic tobacco. I dont throw stones at milder, more natural blends, or consider "light englishes" to be less masculine.

Having gotten that out of my system, allow me to express what commends King Charles. It is composed of the highest quality tobacco, the shag cut is novel and works well with the right pipe. It is genuinely flavorful, and i think the latakia is spot on. Light leather and smoke to complement the base. Ages beautifully. The blend is a little pricey, and somewhat lacking in nocotine to my tastes. But the flavor is just what im looking for when i want a "light english".

A great medium to full English blend that I was able to sample the remaining two bowls from a tin dated November 2017. This had very little sweetness to it and the overall taste was deserving of bearing a King’s name. Due to my limited sampling this review will necessitate brevity as Germain's blends are harder to find than an Ivory Billed Woodpecker and I probably will not be able to smoke this one any time soon. A really good blend.

Preface: I have been smoking Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium (SMM) for near-on 30 years, believing that it has no equal anywhere on earth. But it is gone now, and so I begin a quest for my Holy Grail: A substitute to replace the standard on which all English tobaccos are based:

King Charles is not SMM. But it's good in a different way.

Pipestud said of SMM: "If you want a smokey flavor lingering in your mouth for hours after you finish a bowl, grab a tin of this stuff."

Which is very accurate, and it is a taste in my mouth that I dearly love. But because of this, 3 times a day (after every meal, just like brushing...), (4 times with the rare Happy Hour celebration) is all my mouth can handle. But every once in a blue moon a situation will arise in life (usually stressful) where one has a sudden urge for a smoke (outside of meal times) as a calming & contemplative agent. But the thought of an in-between bowl of SMM always seemed a little overwhelming. So for a great many years I often dreamed of a clean crisp tobacco (but still interesting) to use on these rare occasions (probably with high nicotine content?).

Well, King Charles might be the answer. It is not in the least bit overwhelming. In fact, I couldn't even tell you why I like it. But I do. I find it delightful. Not boring, nor complex, not strong, nor mild. I suppose one could say it is a supremely unpretentious tobacco. And a good one. Perfectly moist, and burns quite well.

Germains- King Charles Smoking Mixture - it has been quite some time since I smoked a light English blend . Not sure why . The Virginias and Turkish lead the way . The Smokey Latakia always in the background. It offers a mild sweetness and grass and fruit ,then the Turkish comes in with woody earthy nut spice and savory tart . Buttery like good Smyrna leaf . Creamy mellow smoke that is quite smooth and tasty . I like the Oriental- Turkish in this blend . No detected flavoring but good honest tobacco . Well rounded . 3 1/2 since I can’t decide.

King Charles makes the tin appearance to seem magnificent and prepares you for a royal smoking experience!once the tin opens a natural smell comes out.dark fruits ,spices and smoke notes are combined to a moist blend.no drying time is needed,packs ok lights easy and some relights are needed.while smoking the flavours are simple and well combined.the main player is virginias wich are mostly fruity and citrusy.some grass notes are also detected.orientals are spicy and earthy.latakias are in the backround offering smoky and sweet notes.the flaνours are simple, balanced and very natural.burns cool and fast due to shag cut.no chance of tongue bite.the nicotine level is low and the room note discreet for a latakia blend.leaves no moisture,dumbness and burns to total ash.in conclusion this a natural all day english blend.also a nice one to enter the english blends.

This was the first J.F. Germain (JFG) blend I ever smoked. I was immediately impressed with its unusual fragrance in the tin. JFG's unique processing method has a way of bringing an almost perfumed quality out of the leaf, yet there is no identifiable "scent" that one could ascribe to any kind of additive, and the smoke is pure tobacco flavor.

If my tastes weren't so varied or they didn't demand much fuller-bodied blends in my regular rotation, I would probably smoke King Charles more often. I've dedicated a Stanwell Year Pipe 2000 (a Tom Eltang-designed modified Dublin sandblast) exclusively to this blend, and it's always an exquisite smoke when I want something on the lighter side in the way of taste.

The burning characteristics are excellent, although I generally like to let it dry a bit after I first open the tin. Even so, the moist tobacco right out of a fresh tin can be smoked straight to the bottom of the bowl after a couple of charring lights.

Like all the JFG blends I've tried, King Charles is gentle on the tongue & palate, yet it delivers far more flavor than you'd expect for such a cool, dry, gentle smoke. You'd have to puff pretty thoughtlessly and vigorously to get this weed to burn your tongue. Just realize that it's not designed to be a full-flavored blend.

Speaking from personal experience, don't make the mistake of smoking it outdoors in a brisk breeze; it will just burn hotter without delivering any more flavor. It's a blend to be savored in quiet contemplation, or while reading, and it makes a great first smoke in the morning.

2004, January 03 - freevito

What I have heard referred to as a "traditional English" blend, which I have interpreted to mean a light Latakia blend that is Turkish/Oriental forward...and yes that is what this is. The tin note is sweet Virginia and woody Orientals, I do not pick up any Latakia in the tin aroma. The Latakia is there, if you look at the shag cut you can see the dark Latakia in there but it is applied with a light hand. This blend reminds me of Skiff Mixture a bit, woody spicy Orientals on a bed of aged sweet Virginia's. The VA's are well aged and have a slight grassy note and a subtle sweetness that support the Turkish/Orientals which are the predominant flavors. The Orientals are spectacular. A sour note is always there but the woody and spicy flavors are present throughout the smoke. The Latakia is a true condiment, it is smokey and sweet and in the background, I find the Latakia in the room note more than anywhere else in this smoke. The tin description is "full bodied", I would not say that. It is a mild to medium, oriental forward blend. It is very tasty and if you appreciate Turk/Oriental mixtures you will really like this. Can burn hot so I recommend sipping.

Another great tobacco no longer distributed in Italy and it's a great pity. King Charles had a very reasonable price for a typical english mixture, perfect for a novice or for an all day smoke, because the generous portion of Latakia doesn't undermine the balance of this blend. 4,0/5 in my personal rating system.