Charatan Four Leaf

The more I tried blends from the Charatan series, designed to fill the niche of the Dunhill pipe tobacco, which has been suddenly departed from the market, the more skeptical I became of each next blend. Especially when you consider that the hero of the review, Four Leaf, apparently named for the number of components, was created in an attempt to replace Dunhill Aperitif (which, by the way, was never renewed when Dunhill blends were produced under the Peterson brand). This Scottish blend has a complex flavor and taste that is a non-trivial task to recreate.

Appearance: the tin packaged early last year contained 50 grams of a blend of tobaccos in all shades of brown, from dark-wheat to the color of bitter chocolate. The cut is a fairly even ribbon of medium width, with occasional petioles and small flakes, though. I noticed few flakes with a greenish hue of unripe tobacco. I’ve been a little disappointed by this - in my memory, Dunhill did not allow this in its blends.

Flavor: initially well noticeable in the can "cheese" sourness covered the other notes, so I decided to let the tobacco to air out a little, pouring it into a glass jar. A few hours after opening, the sourness was almost gone and the tobacco revealed its true flavor. The smooth, slightly subdued bouquet had suede, a bit of tar, earthy and woody notes, a small amount of unsweetened spices and the lightest wine aroma of cavendish. The hay and fruity notes of Virginia were lost somewhere in the background. The overall bouquet was quite in the spirit of Dunhill blends... but had nothing in common with the Dunhill Aperitif.

Taste: A fairly harmonious overall bouquet that is, alas, sometimes, uneven for the Orientals. First of all, very light smokiness and a mixed with light oriental spice notes, which give a fair spice, but keep some hidden nuances; to catch them, you have to smoke tobacco very carefully - the taste clearly has coriander and cardamom notes, but some initial harshness and prevailing pepper taste makes them difficult to recognize. The faint wood and hay notes of Virginia have been kept carefully in the background. The Cavendish adds a slight plum-wine tone that almost disappears by the middle of the pipe, leaving only a subtle sweetness. Pipes with a short mouthpiece accentuate the initial harshness of the tobacco, relatively long and straight - somewhat softens it, but the tobacco smoked much softer in bents. The strength of the tobacco is medium, a large size pipe can deliver a slight nicotine kick. The tobacco is some sensitive to overheating, but smokes slowly, dry and cool, leaving almost no moisture and burning into a light-grey dusty ash. The aftertaste is woody, slightly sweet, almost absent, remaining on the tongue for only a few seconds.

The smoke is abundant, but quite light, with the smell of peat, smoldering wood and spicy herbs. However, the smell from it stays in the room for a long time.

What's the result? Harmonious smell, quite pleasant taste (apart from the harshness in the beginning, which I attribute to the freshness of the tobacco) - everything is very much in the style of the original Dunhill blends. But - no connection to Apetritif. St. James Park, made by Kohlhase & Kopp under Robert McConnell brand, came closer. This does not mean that Four Leaf is bad! It is quite worthy of attention even in its fresh form, and after being stored for a few years, it will be even better. So if you like it, smoke it and enjoy it. But just don't call this blend a copy of Dunhill Aperitif. These two blends are too different from each other. 3 of 4, but not much.