Cobblestone Hiking

There is not much buzz for this blend; at the time of writing there are only 4 reviews on tobaccoreviews and 4 on smokingpipes, and while these reviews are generally positive, there are disagreements as to how to characterise Hiking. What are its constituent tobaccos? Does it have a topping? How consistent is the blend between bowls?

There's another question which is not asked, but which I think is rather pertinent: who makes Cobblestone tobacco? Tobaccoreviews will tell you that Sutliff blends and manufactures Cobblestone Outdoors: Hiking, along with all other Cobblestone products, and does so in the US. But this is wrong. Sutliff blends and manufactures Cobblestone's aromatic and plug lines in the US, but Kolhase & Kopp blends and manufactures Cobblestone's Outdoors and Chess series in Germany. Sutliff is merely the distributor for the latter (this was confirmed to me by a smokingpipes.com representative). This may be information enough to prick the ears of some pipe smokers. After all, European burley blends can be quite different from their American counterparts.

The tin note is quite typical for what I would call a European burley blend. There is an enticing aroma of cocoa, raisins, and sweet bread, such as brioche, but this aroma smells natural and quite light, as opposed to cloying and synthetic. Some reviewers have said that they detect chocolate, and that this indicates a chocolate topping of some kind. I do not detect this myself. To me, the blend simply smells like good burley.

This is confirmed, at least for me, in the smoke. The tasting notes I get from Hiking are of a deep, rich burley flavour. I get notes of cocoa, nuts, some mild spice, such as nutmeg or cinnamon, and a general savouriness that remains consistent through the smoke. There is also a hint of barbecue and campfire, which some attribute to the addition of dark fired kentucky in the blend. I am skeptical of this claim, however, as the constituent burleys used in European burley blends can often possess a spiciness and smokiness of their own - take for example the Malawi burleys used by Peterson, G&H, and HU Tobacco. Some also claim a sweetness in the blend that they attribute to the addition of virginia leaf. I do not detect this either. I would not call Hiking a sweet smoke. For me, and as mentioned, it leans much more towards the savoury end of the flavour spectrum. On the retrohale, I get notes of black pepper, wood, and earth, in a manner that is almost cigarlike. These flavours are pleasant and do not overwhelm or irritate the nasal cavity.

Hiking is quite a different animal from many US burley blends on the market right now. Unlike in C&D burleys, Hiking does not possess the astringent, cigarette-like flavour commonly associated with this varietal. It is a very smooth smoke, and will only become acrid if really pushed. The blend does not need to be sipped or nursed to maintain its flavour.

Hiking provides a consistent burley flavour for the duration of the smoke. It is not a blend bursting with nuance, but this is to be expected from a blend whose sole component (at least to my mind) is burley. Some may find this monotonous, but burleyphiles will likely find it highly enjoyable. I would certainly call this an all-day smoke if burley is your pipe tobacco of choice. If you like Mac Baren's HH Burley Flake, or Solani's Aged Burley Flake, I would recommend picking up a tin of this to try, especially given how often the latter is out of stock.