Charatan FC 1863 Mixture

(3.25)
This blend pays tribute to Frederick Charatan who founded Charatan in 1863. Generally a full bodied, smooth, rich and balanced smoke, full of nice tannins, with a clear smoky base due to the premium quality of Latakia tobacco in this fine mixture. Overall the taste notes are woody smoky, tannin and spicy.

Details

Brand Charatan
Blended By  
Manufactured By  
Blend Type Virginia/Latakia
Contents Latakia, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 50 grams tin
Country Unknown
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.25 / 4
2

1

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Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 20, 2020 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Charatan - FC 1863 Mixture.

Since the fall of Dunhill I've been impressed with the 'remakes' from Charatan. Sure, some aren't identical, like their take on Navy Rolls, with a Cavendish core. But although not an exact copy that was still a smashing smoke; in it's own right! This is offered as being their version of Baby's Bottom 1938?

The appearance and aroma are like BB 1938. The blend's made from medium and dark brown ribbons, the smell isn't overly strong with Latakia and a high point, for me, is it being a touch moist.

I love the smoke. Like I found with the original, it doesn't give a 'whack' of harsh Latakia. The Lat accounts for a formidable flavour, but offers a weighty, heavy, almost 'clumsy' and languorous character rather than a flavour of wood and smoke alone. The Virginia's definitely riding shotgun. From it comes a fruity sweetness, a sort of doughiness, but I get none of the hay, grass, citrus Virginia nuances that are commonplace. It burns nicely, steady and cool giving a bite free smoke.

Nicotine: below medium. Room-note: quite nice.

FC 1863? To me, this has EXCELLENT quality Latakia in it. It's a belting smoke which does justice to a full score, easily. Four stars:

Highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Tekin Meer'
PurchasedFrom: GQ Tobaccos
Age When Smoked: 3 months
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 25, 2020 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Charatan's answer to Dunhill Baby's Bottom, a blend I wasn't hugely enamored of, but appreciated for what it was, a mild to medium English with only Virginia and Latakia. The Charatan substitute seems to fill the gap quite nicely.

The tin is full of assorted coloured ribbon, slightly on the moist side. The aroma is mild, very mild: some bready Virginia and a hint of Latakia smoke. Packing and lighting is a doddle, the Virginias invite the flame down greedily and you're soon puffing away quite happily.

The flavour is very mild from the start, toasty and bready, the usual Virginia fare, with moderate sweetness and a background of charcoal smoke. It gains some density towards the end of the bowl, and like its Dunhill inspiration, it's much better in a large bowled pipe. In fact, I'm smoking it in a colossal German porcelain right now, a pipe I rarely fire up due to its absurd capacity, and its splendid!

There is no bite, and in a Meerschaum there needn't be much if any dottle. The nicotine is on the lower side. I think this is an acceptable replacement for Baby's Bottom, but would like to hear the opinion of anyone who was a more regular smoker of that tobacco. A mild to medium English that will probably come into its own in the summer months.
Pipe Used: All my largest ones!
PurchasedFrom: Turmeus Liverpool
Age When Smoked: New
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 21, 2024 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Tolerable
Although this blend is claimed by the manufacturer to be original, those who have smoked it note its close resemblance to a rather controversial, in my opinion, tobacco from Dunhill, My Mixture BB 1938. "BB" meaning here is "Baby's Bottom," which hints this blend as exceptionally mild. I wasn't, personally, impressed with the Dunhill original, though - I found it a bit harsh compared to other Virginia-latakia blends I've tried.

Appearance: the 50 gram tin was released in early 2022, hitting our shelves only a year later, so the total tin ageing amounted to two years. The aged well-processed bright Virginia has acquired an orange tint. In addition to it, there is some dark virginia and a relatively small amount of latakia. The cut is a short ribbon. Moisture is perfect, as for the consistency, there are occasionally some fine tobacco leaf stalks in the blend, but I note this is more of a nit-pick than the real problem.

Flavor: quite bright, but mild. A sour herbal bouquet prevails, in which it is difficult to recognize individual notes. It is supported by soft notes of peat and tar, with a touch of leather, which makes the citrus of bright Virginias slightly spicy. In the background there are notes of dough and baked fruit and a faint odor of rotten wood. After weathering in the open air for half an hour, the excessive acidic note goes away and the overall bouquet becomes even more mild.

Taste: initially a little harsh, but quickly comes to a balance. Moderate smokiness and meat juice, lightly seasoned with soft "mushroom" earthiness, tannin and spicy herbs, which are especially noticeable on the retrohale, and may surprise those who have not read the composition list - it seems that some orientals are present in the blend. There is some dough and a very slight fruity sweetness present, which almost completely disappears as you smoke. The blend becomes "dry" in terms of taste. The tobacco does not bite, smokes extremely cool, slow, dry, burns out into dark gray ash without lumps and moisture. The strength is very close to medium. Aftertaste is practically absent.

The smoke is light, unstable and has a woody odor.

What's the bottom line? A good everyday blend for someone who likes a small amount of latakia. It's hard to add anything to that definition. I have smoked more interesting tobaccos made of only two components (for example, 1865 Mixture from Peterson's Founder's Collection series), but Charatan FC1863 is quite worthy in comparison.
Pipe Used: Peterson 69, 106
PurchasedFrom: Online
Age When Smoked: 2022
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 22, 2023 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
Charatan FC 1863 Mixture, Tabacco con Latakia e Virginia, riedizione del BB 1938 della Dunhill.
Cosa dire? Innanzitutto è molto, molto vicino all’originale, rotondo, elegante. Una miscela davvero unica, così lo era l’originale e così lo è il clone.
Più elegante del (vecchio) Early Morning; più delicato del 965. Il Latakia (e non mi importa sapere da quale posto del mondo provenga) è davvero ottimo affumicato e legnoso come pochi, ma quello che rende davvero preziosa la miscela è la qualità dei Virginia utilizzati, quell’erba e frutta che emergono nel corso della fumata che accompagna a tipo controcanto il Latakia, non lo umiliano, anzi esaltano i suoi tipici sentori, facendolo apprezzare ad ogni puff. Osservando i ribbon deve essere Red e Bright Virginia.
Va saputo fumare, lento, a fil di respiro, tranquilli non si spegne, basta vere cura nel caricare ed accendere il fornello, poi va da se, regala una esperienza inebriante. Ovvio dedicato a chi ama il Latakia.
La forza è media e l’aroma in stanza è sublime.
Non può mai mancare nella mia cambusa. Ovvio che L’Italia non importi certi tabacchi di livello superiore.
Pipe Used: Dhunill, schiuma
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