Karl Erik Private Blend No.20

This really is a very nice medium English mixture.It is somewhat in the Germain family. A little like King Charles mixture.It has a very mild and creamy flavor with just the right amount of Latakia to give it a velvety richness.Super mild and a slight topping a-la-Royal Jersey Latakia.This is for someone seeking a comfortable English blend with a very nice room note.The big drawback for me was the fact that I found it very drying on the throat and mouth,somewhat like a Dunhill mixture.All in all I think this is an excellent smoke for the Latakia Lite crowd.

This is probably the first tobacco I smoked from a pipe maker in the maker's own brand of pipe. I smoked this in a regular briar KE freehand half bent. Unlike the Peterson tobaccos in Peterson pipes, I thought it was a fine fit. The tin aroma had a unique Virginia sweetness, with a presence of a Lake District floral undertone to it - a surprise from a Danish blend. My tin was about 75% ready rubbed, 25% still in flake form. It was unopened until I bought it, so I assume maybe it is normal during shipping, as this is not a particulary moist blend - thankfully! I gravity packed the ready rubbed tobacco from the tin, gently tamped, then sprinkled a little loose to aid lighting, then away we went with flame. After the first relight in less than 5 minutes the rest of the bowl smoked down to the bottom on its own with just a couple more tamps and no additional flame. It was just a little wet at the bottom, to be expected but definitely tolerable. The taste was very much like the tin aroma - outdoor with a barnyard, straw-like floral mix, with a bit of kick to it. Though a bit strong, I think it separates itself from other VA/Latakia blends wherein the Latakia content is ample and the "special" cavendish process does not taste artificial. I just may make this the official tobacco I smoke out of that particular Karl Erik pipe, as I don't have a particular fondness with many Danish blends as I do with their pipes.

This Danish product comes packed in a round, gold, 50g tobacco tin. The German labeling on the bottom states this blend to be "?for those who like the traditional English taste of select Virginia tobacco and original Syrian Latakia". Other sources add that it contains aromatic Virginias from Central Africa and North America and that they undergo a special Cavendish process.

Sight, Touch and Aroma: Dark brown in colour with bits of black, Private blend is a course shag-cut with some broken flake. The tobacco is humid without being moist to the touch. Upon putting ones nose to it, Private Blends aroma reminds me of leather, and smacks of dusty rawhide and traces of myrrh that I often find in Syrian Latakia.

Preparation & Smoking: After several frustrating attempts to smoke without the need to continually relight Private Blend No. 20, I finally gave it a damn good rubbing between the palms until it formed an oblong wad. This packed and lit very well indeed. Private Blend No. 20. has a durable burn and easy, slowly paced draws will keep the notes and flavors working along well together in a relatively cool smoke. I like it best in a straight pipe with a small diameter bowl.

Flavours: The spicy dryness of Syrian Latakia and the light sweetness of Virginia are the overriding tastes. This blend can bite ones tongue if it is not packed and drawn on with due respect.

Room Note: The Latakia in this blend generates the fragrances of peat and burning pine with the delightful scent of myrrh weaving throughout. Economics: Karl Erik Private blend No. 20 is about $10 CDN. With a slower than average burn rate and full flavour achieved through short and easy draws, this blend is a very economical smoke.

Last Word: One of the great bargain tobaccos of today, this is the perfect way to see if one likes an English blend without spending a fortune on Dunhill or Davidoff. I have stocked-up on this blend before its price inevitably rises to the level of its quality. 3.5 stars out of 5, this is a fine all day tobacco smoke. ©Copyright, Rivendel Books 2001 ®