Wilke Pipe Tobacco Red Oriental

The blended Turkish provides a wealth of earth, wood, floralness, tart and bitter sourness, vegetation, herbs, some spice, mild buttery sweetness, and smoke as the lead components. The maduro cigar offers a fair amount of earth, wood, smoke, peaty vegetation, floralness, toast, some spice, creamy sugar, fairly mild tangy citrus, cocoa, light coffee, dark fruit, and a touch of molasses as an important supporting player. The aspects of the red Virginia are a fair amount of tart and tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, some sugar, mild tart citrus, floralness, a few blades of grass, and small touches of spice and vinegar. It is a slot or two behind the maduro cigar. The Royal Scot cavendish is barely noticeable, but it does add a slight vanilla note. The strength and nic-hit are a couple of steps past the medium threshold. The taste just passes that mark. No chance of bite or harshness. Has a few light rough notes. Burns cool and clean with a very consistent sweet and sour, fruity, floral, smoky, spicy, savory flavor that extends to the mildly lingering, pleasant after taste. The room note is a slot stronger. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

I find this blend to be an exceptional blend largely because it is so harmonious, balanced, moderate and different. There is simply no conflict between the components to establish which one is in charge—everything works cooperatively together. I can pick up this blend at any time (or multiple times) during the day and know that I’m going to enjoy the smoke.
In this relatively new Wilke line of Oriental blends (Vice Cat, Mediterranean Nights, Dark and Red Oriental) Red Oriental is the least flamboyant, less Oriental forward (so less spicy), more subtle and a bit less complex. I certainly don’t mean to imply that Red Oriental is a bashful, shy or retiring blend lacking flavor, strength and substance. In my opinion it’s almost a medium all around—about 4.5-5 out of 10. It’s just that I find the flavor to be less complicated and less forceful than the other three Orientals in the collection. (I am excluding Royal Admiral (even though it was introduced at about the same time as the rest in the Oriental collection) largely due to its Latakia content which really alters the flavor profile and smokes quite differently.)
Another has dissected this blend in detail—I’ll avoid that exercise. My palate readily identifies the Red Virginia followed by the Oriental element then the Maduro leaf along with a hint of butter toffee from the Royal Scot. I emphasize the importance of approaching this blend in its all-together, it’s a blend after all, so focus on the tobacco interaction. And everyone is going to identify and react to things in their own individual way. It’s rather subjective and personal and we each enjoy different things in different ways.
I’ve been smoking pipes for over 5 decades and I’ve smoked hundreds, perhaps not thousands, but certainly hundreds of different blends, mixtures, flakes, coins, ropes and twists. And I have to say that this Wilke collection of Oriental blends is noteworthy, worthwhile, novel and quite different.
I believe that this blend deserves more than a 3-star rating (maybe 3.6), but it doesn’t actually quite attain a 4. However, due to the limitations of a whole number 1-4 rating system, I’ll be awarding a 4.