Sillem's London Blend

Nothing tricky, weird or even remotely dangerous going on in this round can 'o ribbon, and precious little in the way of fermentation. In other words, Sillem's London Blend is NOT a more approachable version of Sillem's prodigal Commodore Flake (more's the pity...). Instead, LB smokes like a well done but garden variety, lat-forward, medium English blend. The Burley is tamed here, and the Perique and Cavendish manage to soften the Latakia while calling little attention to themselves. Either that or the Latakia makes the other tobaccos "smoky" enough to obscure them. One does get a certain roundness from the Burly that is not often gotten from Virginias. The taste has the requisite "smoke", and there are "nuts", but the thing I like most about this blend is the sour note that starts past 1/2 way and goes on to create a smoke/sour aftertaste that lingers a l-o-n-g time and winds up making me want another bowl, not because I'm not satisfied, but... just because more "sounds good". As far as the quantity of smoke delivered, there's plenty while it's burning, but you will have to figure out how to keep it lit...

Basically, there's little to not like here, it is just as expected, and as long as you're good with the genre, you might even like it a lot. Like I said in my review of COG's York Full Mixture, the English League is tough these days. As for comparing the LB and YFM, they are two well-formed peas in a fairly crowded pod.

Over time I'll re-visit the LB I put in the cellar.

The fairly sweet Cyprian Latakia provides plenty of smoke, earth, wood, floralness, some incense, leather, and mild spice as the lead component. The dark fired Kentucky offers a lot of earth, wood, spice, vegetation, some sourness, nuts, floralness, mild sweetness, and barbecue as a strong supporting player. The perique produces a lot of pepper, earth, wood, and sweet plums in the third position. It’s a slot behind the Kentucky. The rugged burley is earthy, woody, bready and nutty. It’s just above the condiment line. The aspects of the bright Virginia cavendish are a little tart and tangy citrus, grass, bread, sugar, vegetation, sour lemon, floralness, spice, and a touch of acidity. It accents the proceedings. The strength and nic-hit are a step past the medium level. The taste is a notch past that mark. There’s no chance of bite or harshness. it does have some rough edges, which is typical of blends in this genre that aren’t topped. Well balanced and complex, it burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a very consistent sweet and sour, floral, smoky, spicy, savory flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is pungent. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Not quite an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Three stars.

-JimInks

This was quite tasty. Had it dried out to nearly bone-dry and it loaded and lit well. Plumes of smoke, nice gentle peppery, nutty smoke (slightly salty too). This is a great medium English and I'd like to get my hands on some more of it. Good job fellas!

I'm not entirely sure why there is no label (as was the case with their Copenhagen blend), just a blank tin with the info sticker on back. The guts inside were certainly full of life... the English vapors came at you immediately. Not as much charcoal as I was expecting, a decent amount of Oriental spice, and just a whole lot of bloody beef. Together it was certainly intense.

The blend was pleasantly moist, thin cut with some larger bits tossed into the slurry of several leaf types. The lit product was incredibly deep, not excessive in nicotine strength, but very heavy in body (think molasses vs honey). In keeping with the tin aroma, there was not the drying charcoal taste I associate with other English blends (ie. Nightcap), nor the anestitising sharp sparkle of an Oriental, just a robust smoke.

As a whole, I may be getting a little burned out on English blends, but London here is easily on the upper shelf.

Given the addition of Kentucky and Burley I was expecting this to be a hybrid or American English, but the front and centre character of the Black Cavendish puts this more in the Scottish Mixture category in my book

The tin note and the beginning of the bowl is marked by Latakia but this quickly settles back to allow the other tobaccos to be in play.

The BC gives this smoke a pronounced sweetness throughout, but this is not cloying at all and is well balanced by the Oriental sourness. There is a plum or berry character that might be from the Perique but is possibly an additive. Perique is here but in no great quantity and contributes, in addition to the fruity notes mentioned, a mild pepperiness on the tongue and lips.

I don't get the DFK notes promised but there is some burley bitterness and a certain ashy quality as the bowl enters the last half. Not a deal breaker by any stretch but enough to keep it from 4 stars from me.