J. F. Germain & Son Royal Jersey Original Latakia Mixture

This would be a good introduction to English tobaccos as it is quite mild. This however, is its weakness as it is too mild for me. This is otherwise a nice tobacco for an all day smoke.

soli Deo gloria

Nice light latakia that burns to a clean ash. Smokes great in any size bowl and has a subtle sweetness. Let it air out a few days and it will lose some moisture smokes very well right from the 1st match.

I'm glad to discover I wasn't the only one to notice the sour apple undertones in this very strange blend.

This was one of the few blends I tried that the more I smoked it, the less I liked it: what started off as an ok english gradually morphed into something grotesque as those sour apple undertones started to appear. Then, once its presence was known, I couldn't get past it. It was like discovering the milk in your coffee was bad after having already finished half the cup.

It's not that the quality was poor (or even mediocre), but those cider undertones gone bad really put me off. I finally had to give the tin away.

I can easily conceive that some could develop a taste for this blend. Some people like the taste of durian. Good for them. But I can't, in good conscience, recommend this to the average pipe smoker.

A friend gave me some of this tobacco to try, 4/5 bowls. The first thing I noted is a strange topping but, after that, the tobacco has little to say: too flat to be interesting, ever for a mild tobacco. Not really bad, but not something I will buy.

The tobacco is mostly brown, with some light-brown and black parts. It smells sweet, with aromas of bread, old wood and campfire. It burns well and makes a sweet and sour, consistant and pleasant smoke. Like Dunhill Standard Mixture, I think it smells a bit like cigarette occasionally, but not in a bad way. The Latakia is definitely there and there's no doubt that this is a true english blend. It's strong enough to keep you satisfy, but mild enough to smoke all day.

If one acquires Original Latakia Mixture hoping for something like Special Latakia Flake from the same blender, one may be a little disappointed. Why? I couldn't say if it's because of the Maryland or the Oriental, but there is some sourness or tartness in the taste of this tobacco that I can only compare (for now) to Dunhill Standard Mixture. It is not bad at all and I find it gives another perspective to appreciate the flavors of the Latakia.

Some compare it to Esoterica And so to Bed, which makes sense because of its sweet smell and taste and the presence of a tad of sourness, but I think Original Latakia Mixture is a little less mellow than ASTB. There may also be a very mild topping (maybe anise as often suggested), that some reviewers find annoying. It is quite subtle though and it doesn't ruin the overall flavor. I even find it adds some roundness to the smoke.

I wasn't sure how much I liked it at first, but after trying it on different occasions I find it very good, enough to recommend the try for a change of pace. It is a good mixture from Germain.

This tobacco has taught me to give the product time before reviewing. Initially this tobacco was confusing, but after six months of smoking it in different moods, weather and times of day, I find that I enjoy Royal Jersey.

Opening the tin one is greeted with a sweet aroma and a moist shag cut tobacco full of brown Virginia with frequent flecks of black tobacco. The paper was slick with red oil. Nothing unpleasant, but different.

The predominant flavor in Royal Jersey is sweet and hay like. This is contrasted with the occasional earthiness of the Latakia. Small amounts go along way with Latakia, so while this flavor does not predominate, it does make its presence know, but in a surprisingly subtle way. The Orientals join in as an overtone and they are balanced by the casing on the "Red Virginia", which to me is just sweet. If the casing has any flavor, I taste honey, not vanilla.

In any case, a sweet and sour, light Latakia, held together by the gentle Virginia is what I experience. Because none of the flavors predominate except for the mild Virginia, it is subtle and interesting. Definitely worth a try for either an aromatic lover looking to explore English blends, or an English fan who want to go the other way. In summary, an light English blend and a worthy and enjoyable smoke.

Well, well, well, this is a wonderful surprise!

J. F. Germain & Son make some of my favourite tobacco's, however nothing I've had of late has really impressed me. That was until I had this Royal Jersey Original Latakia mixture.

I wasn't expecting anything of exceptional note, and was actually a little perturbed as I'd been sent two pouches of this as appose to one and one other blend that was out of stock.

Germains state that this tobacco is "Specially processed to produce a mellow smoke with rich flavour", and I have to agree that it is indeed mellow with rich flavour. It is comforting and reminds me of blends my farther used to smoke. The Latakia shines, but is subtle and blends in with the rest of the blend. People have noted a sweet element which I get as almost liquorish root.

I'm really surprised this isn't rated higher as for me it really is one of the best tobaccos Germains produce. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Bought this in error when searching for a pouch of Special Latakia Flake, and although I was initially disappointed at my carelessness, opening the tin and filling a bowl quickly changed my mind.

This has the characteristic Germain 'house topping' taste, in the same way that a certain other blending house has a ketchup note to everything that it sells. It doesn't intrude hugely, but it would be a mistake to discount its existence, and I suspect that the smoker that is unitiated to Germain's will either enjoy or be slightly put off. It is a matter of taste, and for this reviewer is not unwelcome.

I would put it in the higher bracket of flavour profiles for Germain. More latakia than SLF, less orientals than 1820, and more enjoyable in its entirety than King Charles. This is a middle of the road but satisfying latakia mixture that carries greater consistency from bowl to bowl than other JFG products - you know what is coming as you fill each pipe. Good tin smell, with sweet and sour layers, and a fair translation of that to the bowl as it burns. Easy to light, easy to smoke, easy to finish - not monochromatic, but not complex. Dry in the bowl and doesn't translate excessive heat to the briar.

Would I class it as an all day smoke? Probably not, but mainly because it does have that slight undertaste that is a novelty for the first couple of bowls, but can be wearying beyond that. I crave something else between bowls just to shift up the palate. I would go with it every other day, however, and at times have made it through an entire tin very quickly without realising just how much I have enjoyed the experience. Latakia content is good; great if you love it, probably not if you don't, but then you are unlikely to have bought a pouch if the dark weed disturbs. Not a lat bomb, mind. If you are after a latakia detonation, you need to go elsewhere toward the heavier Pease or Gawith blends, but at the same time this is bigger than a Stratford, Kensington or SLF.

I recommend this to all lat lovers who don't mind an easy going bowl that you don't have to think about. Good quality tobaccos, no tongue torture, no wet dottle, no nic overload.

Another home run from Germain & Son The tin note on this is something I'd like my office to smell like. Germain uses some topping on this blend (apple brandy is my guess), it is strong in the nose and gives the tin note a very pleasant smell that goes well with the underlying tobacco's add to the note but it is all topping out of the tin.

This is a great Latakia (English mixture), I prefer this as an evening or post dinner smoke. The topping noted in the tin note are present in the first third of the smoke, but not so much that it masks the tobacco's, there are some great tobacco's in here! I am guessing that the topping is applied to the Maryland as it is a minor player in the blend but readily absorbs casings and flavors. The Virginias are sweet and are ever present but in the background. The smokey sweet Latakia slightly edges out the orientals in this blend (at least to my palate). The orientals add a sour and spicy note throughout the smoke that is really interesting in the first third when the apple brandy is more prominent. I am not a fan of aromatic's (as a rule) but a nicely topped liquor in an "English" blend I find pleasant. If I were a betting man I would say this is the original version of Pembroke under the Esoterica brand, also made by Germain. As the topping fades this becomes a very nice mild "English" blend. Smoothe and cool to the end and sweet and smoky. I am very glad I was able to get my hands on this and would recommend it to all but those that do not like a noticeable topping on their 'baccy.