Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding Bourbon Barrel Aged

Plum Pudding is one of my favorites and so I bought this to see if the bourbon added or detracted from Plum Pudding. Smoking the tobacco immediately after opening the tin, the bourbon is a bit too strong and covers the subtle flavors I enjoy in Plum Pudding. However, canning the tobacco and letting sit for about a month and smoking it again, the bourbon mellowed and I am now able to pick up the flavors I typically get in the straight tobacco. The bourbon now plays a less dominant role and adds to the overall flavor profile. If you are turned off by the bourbon upon first opening the tin, let it sit for a while and try it again. I think you will really like what the bourbon does for Plum Pudding.

When I first tried this I thought it might be a four star blend. The bourbon scent and taste was wonderful. If you are a binge smoker who blows through a tin of one tobacco in a couple weeks before moving on to something else, well, this could be a four star blend for you, especially if you like both bourbon and Latakia. But even when it was fresh and at its most appealing aromatically, I always tired of it somewhat by the end of the bowl. Like a comfort food that starts out yummy but you’ve soon had enough. Thereafter I started using smaller bowls, and now as I finish the last couple bowls 18 months later, much of the initial novelty has lost its appeal.

Just a few days ago I submitted a review for Lord Morgan and since they were both bourbon infused and both are Latakia based I did a direct A-B comparison. Generally a good idea to compare blends of the same genre, but in this case it was like going from a ruby port to a sauvignon blanc. A shock to the taste buds, as they are completely different! As I said in the other review Lord Morgan is soft and sweet in character, this is much firmer, much drier, and the Latakia much more forward. There is also a weirdness to the original plum flavoring and how it interacts with the bourbon infusion; I mean you have to ask yourself: would you drink a plum flavored bourbon? This didn’t bother me when the tin was first opened and the bourbon was clearly more dominant, but it does now. The Latakia while much forward, also has a pervasive dullness on the palate, almost as though the Latakia had been washed and then dried to reduce the more vibrant smokiness and spice from the particulates that settle on the leaf during the curing. So don’t worry about creosote with this (or the regular Plum Pudding), but what I would worry about is loss of overall flavor once the aromatic infusion dissipates. Best to finish this off shortly after you open the tin.

If you buy into the sales hype of the original Plum Pudding being the perfect Balkan, or even its crumble cake inspiration from the likes Penzance and Pembroke, then you might like this more than I do. These are all fine blends, and well worth trying, but they all three star blends for me, compared to some of my four star favorites in the Balkan category.

A lot of the positives repeated in reviews are true, BUT I find that if you don't smoke it up quickly, and instead leave in a jar , smoking occasionally, it becomes bland. The bourbon flavor flashes off and you are left with a smoke that has little character , except for maybe a hint of a pleasant flavor, with an unpleasant diesel undertone. So this is one to smoke, not age.

PLUM PUDDING BOURBON BARREL AGED is truly a peculiar Latakia mixture. Mild in strength it has a very full taste. Especially Latakia and Bourbon. Bourbon aroma is really penetrating. Complex, spicy and smoky blend, it is the ideal choice for everyone who wants to try a new latakia experience. Probably this is the only way of flavoring a latakia blend. And the outcome is good. Not extraordinary but good. Generally, Latakia doesn’t like aromas but bourbon fits well. This rare blend represents a change of pace and a pleasant novelty for Latakia lovers. And when you need a change of pace try this bourbon/latakia mixture. Give it a chance and maybe you will find what you are looking for. Not recommended for inexperienced pipe smokers and puffers not in love with latakia. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 9 and three and a half stars.

To paint a picture, i was working on a bike in the garage when the little voice in my head told me a bowl of something new would make for a more enjoyable experience. This blend had just come in the mail a few days prior and it had been in the back of my mind since. I loaded it up and sat back down to replace an inner tube. Rarely do i come across a blend that makes me forget what I'm doing to analyze what i am smoking. This is one of those blends. It has beautiful fruit notes and just enough of a burbon flavor to keep it interesting without being intoxicating. Needless to say i abandoned my project to finish this smoke and i feel i made the right choice. As a warning, the reason i dont give this full marks is not because i find the blend to be lacking, but rather because my wife complained that the garage was to stinky to come and have a chat with me. Full disclosure, she has a very sensitive nose and doesn't much care for the english blend brand of room note. Nontheless, i enjoy her company and feel as though this is one of those blends i can only enjoy when i want isolated contemplation.