Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Skandinavik Full Aroma Cavendish

This is often see as a replacement to the no more available in the USA Amphora but is a different tobacco at the same time.

Close but not the same. It is milder and the tin aroma is also different - but not by much.

But, at least, there is something close to it!

Picked this up @ a local B&M. I gotta tell you, I like it alot. It seems to burn slow, so it takes awhile to smoke a bowl of it. Virginias dominate. The smoke has good body to it, and just the right amount of nicotine for me. Aroma is nice..not Aromatic in the American sense, but certainly better than cigarettes. Very satisfying smoke indeed. Simple, Cheap, and much higher quality than many American OTC's. Never bit me either. Good stuff, glad I bought it.

Ahhh Skandinavik...I remember when the "regular" made its US debut as an OTC exotic in an orange & black wrapper at groceries and drug stores back in the 60s. It was a satisfying blend then and this fuller, richer aro version follows the tradition. And in these Great Recession days who can resist the marketing allure of "18 % more tobacco" in the 1.5 oz. tri-fold?

Agree with a couple of reviewer comrades that this tobac is better in a smaller bowl and needs to be sipped as it can roast on the heavy draw. Found it to be an excellent mixer, satisfying my craving for sweet and fruity aro blends. Added some "condiment" Paladin Black Cherry and it kicked up the taste quite superbly. Solid, steady smoking pleasure from our Danish friends. Happy hunting...

I just finished entering my review for Skandinavik Regular and the Full Aroma is my second foray with the Skandinavik line. Similar to their Regular with regard to tin packaging which I liked very much. This very fresh broken flake was not as coarse as the Regular - almost half-width, short ribbon. There was a mild fruity tin note which was quite pleasant, almost plum-like.

Like with Regular, filling and lighting were a breeze. Full Aroma was more Virginia forward than the Regular, but very mild as Virginias go. It was a much fuller smoking experience than the Regular and did not smoke harsh for me. It had a nice spiciness to it. A mild fruitiness did translate into the smoke, along with a mild tobacco presence with that. Not a cloying aromatic by any means. Is Full Aroma better than Regular? Not necessarily, as it depends what you are after. A simple, unadulterated smoke would be best served by Regular. If you want an aromatic presence with some flavoring, Full Aroma would fit the bill nicely. Although I prefer the Regular overall, I can recommend either as a pleasant smoking experience - especially recommended for newbies to pipe smoking. I can't say if Full Aroma is similar to Amphora Red as noted by several reviewers, since I never had the opportunity to try that tobacco. Although milder than what I am used to, I would sum it up as a solid smoking experience.

Good smoke. Have a friend that realy likes this. He gave me some of his stash. I would buy it myself.

I confess: I purchased SFA based on the very attractive price requested at pipesandcigars.com. Usually, I do not fancy aromatics, with the execption of Solani's Whiskey, Peterson's Irish Whisky and Sweet Killarny, but I could absolutely not resist the price.

I was not disappointed. It turned out to be a very successful bet! SFA is a very nice rubbed out flake composed of golden, light and medium brown leaf exhaling a subtle cherry and vanilla aroma combined with some natural tobacco tones which suggests a toppping rather than casing.

Lighting up and smoking are child's play. It behaves remarkably well, tastes of subtle cherry, vanilla and natural tobacco and burns clean down without gooping up the pipe, leaving fine gray ashes. It does not get stronger as you work your way down. As a matter of fact, typical of this type of aromatics, it will loose some of it flavor and become a bit more unidimensional. But this remains common among the aromatic leaves.

I haven't experienced any type of tongue biting, but that is probably because I fill in my pipe with the tobacco a bit more packed than usual. Sometimes the fact of packing too loosely will result in tongue biting, independently of the tobacco used.

Not only will I finish this tin, but I will buy again when I fancy a mild smoke. It represents a half decent daily smoke that does not require attention, and is non-smoker friendly for the most part.

Recommended for those who prefer a tobacco that is mildly topped and mild in flavor, especially the new comers to pipe smoking. 2 1/2 stars.

Well the trick to this is to place a very loose wa in the pipe and just lightly press with the finger. It should look like it isn't going to stay lit. Go slow and it doesn't bite or get hot. My best pipe for this is a Bjarne Houston develops the flavor and stays very cool. This is a regular for me, but the experience is not earth shattering, just a comfortable all day tobacco that doesn't get old.

PROS - The price is the very good especially if you buy the big tubs. It is also a high quality tobacco that tastes a little sweet but the fresh "hay" flavor comes through with a little nutiness from the burley. It has a very pleasant room note and burns very well.

Cons - It is not too complex and will bite if smoked too fast.

Finally picked up a package of this and was favorably suprised. I've been smoking the Mildly Aromatic stuff occasionally and have really enjoyed it, so when I saw this I naturally picked up a pouch. Now I didn't notice the "overwhelming fruity aroma" that some have described, although it is certainly an aromatic. Nicely cut with a good moisture content, I pack a billiard with ease with little or no rub out and can puff away contentedly for at least an hour. Faint whisps of fruit, like a pie baking in the kitchen tickle up the nose while a satisfying-enough base of real tobacco flavor lays on the tongue.At no point was I bitten by this Dane.

As far as such things go, I think this is pretty good tobacco. Farly cheap, available and certainly undemanding, I think this fits into a league with sail green and Skandinavik Blue. Could be an all day smokefor me, honestly, were I not so enamoured with other things.

I find that all of this style of tobacco actually taste better when smoked out of smaller (narrow) bowls...i.e tall narrow billiards or cobs...smoking them out of big wide bowls does strange things to their taste and burning characteristics.

P.S- Try throwing a flake of penzance into a couple pinches of this...WOW...

UPDATE- 1.28.10: My supply has transitioned over to the new Orlick blend with the updated packaging. Wow...unbelievably, it's a much nicer blend now and I enjoy it even more. A little more flavor, alot less bite and more quality weed with a better virginia component (and a lower price!). I have been stocking up in bulk pack pouches from JR and this has morphed into an all day, go to smoke for me. I've discovered that eyeball mixing 2/3 Skan FAC with 1/3 McClelland blending Oriental makes for a tremendously wonderful aromatic smoke with the exotic sandalwoody notes of the oriental carrying over into the fruit topping of the Skan in a wonderful way. Try it...

Update 4/25/12- Purchased a bunch of packets bulk from JR a few years ago (probably 15 of them). Have been smoking them on and off for a while and purchasing packets here and there locally, and I'm still impressed. It has certainly become my go-to smoke. Excellent, and despite the almost absurd increase in tobacco prices in NY, still fairly reasonable in the local smokeshops. Seems to get more distinctly pleasantly "cherry" as the packets age on the shelf in my cellar.