Ashton Original Oldchurch

I thought it would be fun to smoke this Old Church blend in my XX Ashton Old Church billiard. The fun increased when I put my lighter to the bowl and drew in my first puff. Wow, Virginia and caramel, two of my favorite things! The topping was unobtrusive but certainly did its job as an enhancement in the old English style (staid and laid back). And with the enhancement some strength was also included in this smooth as silk aromatic.

As a pastor I thought I'd better try this one. My preference is for the strong ropes and flakes. But I needed something light that could be good for a few bowls and possessed a good room note. I like the tin note, but the room note only receives a "maybe" from the little lady. I will smoke it occasionally. It does at times serve my purpose, but I'm searching still for something strong with a positive on the room note. My tin wasn't goopy and my tongue wasn't scalded so I will continue to the Old Church every so often.

I have a true love affair with this tobacco. I had not learned it had been discontinued until I had burned through my supply. A sad day for sure. I have since learned these old beauties have been re released by McClelland and I hope they are close to the originals. The thought of being able to get my hands on Old Dog just about has me jumping for joy.

I came to the gentrified art of pipe smoking via the cigar world. I still enjoy cigars equally as much. As a new pipe smoker but a relatively learned cigar smoker when I looked for my first pipe tobacco the brand Ashton stuck out like a shining beacon. In the cigar world the brand Ashton means nothing but the highest quality, and I was soon to learn it meant the same to the pipe world.

First, this is hands down by far the greatest smelling tobacco in the tin I have ever experienced. The grandma's cookies draped in toffee like smell had me in love with this blend at first whiff. The tobacco itself is pretty moist and goopy like your average aromatic.

The beauty of this blend is there is no misleading name to send you looking for some obscure fruit flavor. I am not sure what this stuff tastes like but I like it. It is sweet and nutty and maybe a little bit like good baklava. It is lovely. It has a nice wholesome tobacco undertone too.

Even though this comes from the regal house of Ashton it is still an aromatic. That means it smells good in the air but will bite if rushed, and will most definitely leave an oil slick in the heel of your pipe.

Overall and excellent example of what an aromatic should be.

Finally finished the aged tin I found in a tobacco shop in Richmond. Too much of a true aromatic for me. I would rather smell it than smoke it. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, and I even dumped a couple bowls out and ran for the unflavored Virginia. It was good with hard cider and would go well with other sweeter alcoholic drinks, or with sweeter non-alcoholic drinks, or with no drink at all for those who, unlike me, like sweeter blends. That said, for those who do like such blends, the quality was excellent and the cans that are still availiable are nicely aged.

This rates as one of the best aromatics ever produced in my opinion. I confess that what I have smoked has been aged for several years. Perhaps those who posted less than stellar reviews had not had the opportunity to have try some that has been aged. Aromatics do not always age well, this is very much the exception. Delicate with a very mild top note, this tobacco offers a unique and wonderful/delicious experience. If you can find any of this tobacco, your palate will thank you.

Update: down to 3 stars because I have stopped enjoying aromatics for the most part. Though this downgrade is biased in that regard because for an aro lover ... this is worth a try.

A delicately fruity and sweet aromatic that is very similar to McClelland's offerings (Pal O'Mine, Mellow Mack). Not bad, though it's quite wet and sticky and tends to bite the tongue. I prefer the Mellow Mack, but this one is a quality offering and should be a crowd pleaser with its very intense sweet smell.

This is one of my favorite aromatic tobaccos. The matured Virginia is a mottled chestnut brown (with some broken flake) and makes up at least half of the mixture, with reddish brown Carolina and Black Cavendish making up the rest in approximately equal proportions. The leaf itself is shiny, which to my mind indicates the presence of some PG. That said, however, I didn’t notice an excess of moisture when smoking it. I like this a lot. The aroma in the can is of a rich toffee desert . When lit, the underlying natural sweetness of the Virginia base is apparent, and the aromatic casing is not egregious, but provides some richness to a light-bodied smoke. As with most aromatics, the casing wears off as the smoke progresses, but only to reveal a soft, mellow base that is quite nice by itself. It doesn’t get bitter or weird tasting toward the end, either. The room aroma after smoking is a mixture of musty natural tobacco smell and caramel. As with all McClelland VA-based tobacs, you need to be careful not to smoke it too fast, or else you’ll fry your tongue. But with temperate smoking, this is quite nice.

I am sorry I only discovered this wonderful blend after it has been discontinued. I recently recieved a tin dated from 2001. This is a very mild, refined, and very pleasant smoke. I would have to say this is one of the lightest Aromatics I have ever encountered. I am a big VaPer fan, and I must admit to loving sweet and goopy Aromatics as well. This is a very nice change of pace for me, and I am once again sorry I did not discover it sooner. Hopefully I will be able to continue to find this on Ebay or on a shelf somewhere in a Tobacco Shop. Highly Recommended without hesitation! Happy Puffing and Happy Holidays!!

Did you ever have one of those perfect pipe moments? You know the kind: whiskey or martini on the table, good book in hand, feet up on a table or ottoman, late summer weather, no work, no worry and life is good. Suddenly, what seems to be something uneventful comes along to rock your world. I'm not sure if it was a flight of fancy brought on by the vodka martini and the poetic mythological creation of the world according to Ovid in his 'Metamorphosis', but OO revealed to me an incredible smoking experience I soon hope to relive. I reached for this stuff expecting nothing, especially after smoking the wonderful Tarler/Pease 'Valle Crucis' all afternoon. A friend brought me a 1/2 opened tin of this from Rich's Tobacco in Portland Oregon, and I'm glad he did. I've enjoyed the now departed 'Black Dog' Ashton/McC collaboration, but this takes the cake. It's almost hard to believe this is a McC. It's not ketchupy nor is there a burnt ember nose in the tin. The Virginias shine through with a metallic immensity that genuinely whets the palate like a good aperitif. Whatever casing is used is at once spicy and chocolatey but never detracts from the purity of the satisfying tobacco flavor. The spin ribbon cut provides for a perfect, even burn that lets it be known that there are few pleasures in this world that rival good reading and pipe smoking. Even the name brings reminiscences of damp, ancient churches in the melancholy heaths of England or Scotland. I have to try this again unaided by neutral spirits or the literary imagery of rocks changing into trees and again into people. One of the most refreshing tobacco experiences I've had in a long time. I only hope that it continues to be available, though I hear that McC & Ashton have discontinued production on certain blends. Comfort food for the pipe and a heavenly aroma for your room, OO is simply lovely and mysterious, the blender's ambrosia!

Five of five stars

----------update

i must've been a bit drunk or head over heels in lust when i wrote this. it's not bad, mind you, but it's too sweet and chocolaty. too many other things out there to worry about this one. then again, it's no longer made. or have i grown up a bit? whatever the case, i lost interest in it.

Two and a half of five stars

I have always found that the Ashton Tobaccos produced by McClelland are superior to their own marketed products. No exception here. This is a less sweet and far less astringent "DEEP HOLLOW" or a sweeter and tangier "GREY HAVENS". However you look at it, it is superior to both and in the same vein. The Matured McClelland Virginia provides the tobacco flavor backbone for this blend. They add in a vanilla-ish topping and VOILA! you have Original Old Church. A different aromatic than most. It will appeal to Sweet Virginia flake smokers more than anyone else. A solid 3 stars.