Solani 131: Red Label

The only tobacco blend flavored with scotch whiskey that I've appreciated is Peterson's Irish Whiskey. It has been the only one where the casing did not overpower the "natural" flavor of the tobaccos.

Solani has made a terrific effort here - and while it will not become a regular smoke in my rotation, it will receive attention from time to time.The leaf is supple and reeks of quality, but the flavoring does make its presence known the moment the lid is popped. You will smell a wonderful bouquet when you open the tin, and you might even be tempted to pour this blend into a shot glass rather than your pipe!

The good news for me (and great news for you aromatic fans) is that this blend is quite cool while burning, and very flavorsome too. It's just a bit over the top for my everyday consumption. Don't get me wrong, the blend does have some nice qualities. For instance, I found it makes a nice after dinner smoke. It satisfies my sweet tooth without adding any calories. Hey, I'm liking this stuff more and more already!

The critics caught my attention so i had to try this blend!when you crack the tin you get a very pleasant flavour of whiskey and vanilla.the moisture is higher than needed let it dry out for an hour.the lighting needs a bit effort.while smoking the flavours come out with malt whiskey and sweet vanilla.the burleys give a nuttyness with a very earthy flavour wich i don't like.the virginias are drowned from the topping and the burleys.burns very cool and slow.the moisture level is ok.the room note is very pleasant.the nicotine level is ok for an all day smoke.i don't give 4 stars because though the flavours are great they are not balanced.

I lean towards light aromatics and selected this blend as a freebie with the purchase of a new pipe. They had an open tin as a sample, and the aroma was very strong, a combination of sweet and whiskey. Not a fan of the way whiskey smells or tastes as a liquor, and was dissapointed it was in my tobacco. I would not have purchased this because of the strong whiskey aroma. I thought it would sit, unopened, and use it to trade, but curiosity got the better of me, and glad it did because i found an excellent product. Although i can taste the whiskey, it is subtle and just flat out works in this blend. I dont smoke it every day, but i make sure i always have some on hand. I was pleasantly surprised all around ay how well it smokes, biurns, tastes and smells to others.

Really liked the tobaccos, milder Virginias and lighter burley. The single malt flavoring is noticeable; but it's there almost as a afterthought. Don't get me wrong, this is a aromatic type tobacco, but for me, the taste is an accompaniment. Not a major player. Although one would swear it is the point of the tobacco. I liked the way the tobaccos presented themselves while smoking. Each inhale/exhale produced flavors of hay, grass, and there it is, the tooty fruity flavor I so enjoy in Vas. So, excellent flavors, will reorder.

The tin aroma & is out of this world. This one should please those preferring aromatic blends. However, the room note is very subtle... not like some of the aromatic blends that leave a lingering, intriguing aromatic room note. It is fairly comfortable on the palate for an aromatic but will bite a little if puffed too hard, especially toward the end of the bowl. The palate is bathed with a little of the enticing, sweet flavoring that comes through while smoking & leaves behind a pleasant aroma. This Solani 131 blend seemed a little similar to Torben Dansk Blue Note but tin aroma has a stronger aromatic essence & left more of an aromatic aroma behind. What you smell in the tin is transferred to the palate during smoking but not much & it didn't taste all that sweet. It leaves a lingering taste that I wasn't real crazy about. I just wanted to try it out since it received some favorable reviews but I doubt I'll purchase this again.

The tin aroma is such that one might be enticed to find a spoon & dig right in. It leaves no goopy dottle in the bowl but it will leave a ghost in there for the next couple of rounds. I don't smoke many aromatics these days & this review is based only on the merits of an aromatic blend. Therefore, IMHO, Solani's 131 blend earns three stars.

131 tin description reads very promisingly. When I opened the tin I Thought oh no not another sweet cased tobacco. Upon lighting I was immediately impressed with the tobacco but still dismayed at the casing. However 5 min into the bowl I got the taste and mouth feel of a fine Singke malt. The casing lingered until half wssy through the bowl. But it lessens and makes way for fine tobacco taste. This blend is nice and wont burn hot, but clean and cool.

Recommend

Red Label is a lot better than Green. As Green, the tin aroma is fantastic but the casing in Red is not overwhelming.

A bit too mild for me, it is still very enjoyable.

Worth a try for the fans of cased tobaccos.

I had never really given this blend a second look, but when the reviewers below said this was a whisky topped blend that got it right, I had an urge to give it a try when I saw this at my B&M tobacconist recently.

This is my first whisky aro. I've been afraid to try any others because the reviews for them are generally not so favorable, seeming to range from abysmal to mediocre at best. But I like whisky, and if a blender got it right, then I think it's worth a try.

Unlike the other reviewers here, I don't really taste the whisky as such. Or, to put it more precisely, I suppose I can convince myself that what I'm tasting is somewhat whisky-ish, but it could be a case of perception following suggestion instead of what's really there. Maybe the casing is more like a whisky liqueur, since the vaguely whisky-ish flavor I'm getting is delicately sweet with hints of honey.

Whatever it is, it's pleasant. This is a quality leaf with a slightly sweet, smooth, vaguely whisky-liqueur casing that's applied with a firm but sure hand. So many of the virginia based aros I've tried are way too high key for me, and burn hot. Not this one -- 131 burns cool, has a nice balance, good range, and accessible complexity. This is a quality aro that can be appreciated by non-aro smokers willing to venture into new waters. Plus it has received more comments from total strangers about its delicious room note than any other blend I've tried, so it's definitely a hit in public, which is good PR for our defamed hobby and so nothing to sneer at.

This is my second Solani blend, and they've both been successful, quality blends. They're doing something right, so I will be trying more of their blends in the future.

Another successful blend from Solani boasting the usual high quality tobacco in the tin (in this instance) rounded off by Single Malt Whiskey. After trying out Solani's X-Sweet Mystery and the Green Label 127 which are excellent aromatics, I wondered if they could get it right a third time. They certainly did! A lovely whiff wafts out of the tin and immediately brings a smile to ones face. Slightly moist out of the tin, one is well advised to (like with most aromatics) to pace this one. Lights and smokes easily and adequately substantiates a change of pace. The essence seems to be be on burleys rather than virginas augmented with cavendish. Personally, I would have liked the virginas to come through - but thats a personal preference. Well deserved three stars from my side.