Torben Dansk Black Velvet

(3.10)
A mild and pleasant mixture blended only from the best leaf of bright and dark tobacco grades. Made with a special manufacturing process in which the tobacco is pressed, and sprayed during maturation with Guinness stout and champagne. A sort of light English/aromatic crossover.

Details

Brand Torben Dansk
Blended By Dan Tobacco
Manufactured By  
Blend Type Aromatic
Contents Latakia, Virginia
Flavoring Alcohol / Liquor
Cut Ready Rubbed
Packaging 50 grams tin
Country Germany
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.10 / 4
16

13

8

2

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 38 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 08, 2017 Mild to Medium Medium to Strong Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
The Virginias offer some earth and dark fruit, and a little grass and citrus. They form the base of the blend. The Cyprian latakia mostly just provide a smoky, woody, sweet push as a condiment. I suspect there’s a little sugary black cavendish in the mix. The Guinness Stout topping leads over the hardly noticeable champagne, and both sublimate the tobaccos to a fair extent. Not very boozy or quite as deep in flavor as one might expect. There’s also light undercurrents of coffee, caramel and chocolate. The strength is almost in the center of mild to medium, while the taste is in the center of it. The nic-hit is just past the mild level. Won’t bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with fairly consistent taste, though the toppings lose a touch of potency in the last quarter of the experience. Leaves a little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste. Can be an all day smoke, and it won’t make you drunk when you smoke it. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 07, 2008 Mild to Medium Medium to Strong Medium to Full Tolerable to Strong
I like a good story, and I like all the lore of pipe tobacco. Take for instance the brief lil history of Presbyterian Mixture. I mean that is just sorta nifty to hear how a blend was concieved and for who and you know what now I can see what the old reverend was all so fired up about all these years later and ta da we are a part of the story of the blend.

I do not know the story behind this blend but I imagine I'd like to hear it. I mean were the folks at Dan just out of flavors one day and just went around the blending room asking hey what'd you drink last night.

"Really? Guiness stout and your wife had champagne.... hey lets spray it on this tobacco." Maybe someone wrote in and thought it'd be a great combo. I suppose we will never really know but you know it works for me.

I do not believe I would of figured the topping out on my own but after I read the note above it was obvious. The flavor is not so much strong though I put that in my notes for it is a bitter flavor but not all that unpleasent... sorta like a glass of Guiness! I like it you might not but it is a different flavor and for Dan tobacco to use it well out and out rather amazing. I do not know about that note on english aromatic crossover if so it seemed to me closer to aromatic which is probably why I like it.

Now I give this a cautionary endorsement for those english tobacco lovers out there. I am not one of your ilk though I like a latakia blend now and then. I know whiskey, vanilla, orange, pineapple, apple, nougat, coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, honey, scotch, wine, clove, whatever that stuff is that Lakeland tobacco use, deer tongue, anise, mint, myhrr, or whatever to you folks is just not desirable in your pure tobacco. I know I know goopy pipe flavor never leaves ya da ya da ya da day. This to me seemed a lil different and grownup for an aromatic. I think if you have to try a aromatic because of the better half is boycotting your preferred blends well this may be worth a try. Hey maybe just maybe the unique bitter taste may match your disposition (did I say that?) I mean taste and leave you with a happy home and a ok room note. Please note I was an early (and constant) lover of Bluenote so take the above suggestion with a grain (boulder) of salt.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 16, 2015 Mild to Medium Medium Full Tolerable
Let's get started reviewing pipe tobaccos by talking about the very first blend I've ever smoked. As a newbie smoker, this blend was at first not so recommended by the tobacconist, but frankly, I ignored his advice and purchased a tin, and I’m grateful to myself I did!

Crack up the tin and sniff : you immediately get a bold smokiness that, at the time, I assigned to the Stout beer topping. Only a few days after I came to know it contained Latakia: you have to forgive me, it was my first Latakia blend after all…

In the bowl it develops a nice, thick, delicate and velvety smoke. In the mouth tastes bold, full and satisfying, never tiring or heavy on the tongue. Exhaling though the nose you get a more distinct and pungent note of smokiness and earthiness that tickles your soft palate, alongside with the fresh, bitter, roasted coffee-like aftertaste typical of a Stout beer. Focus a little more, and you’ll spot that fizzy hint of champagne lurking in the background.

I believe the winning factor of this blend is the perfect synergy that take place between the natural aroma of the Latakia and the right amount of topping that shows off its best mainly in the Stout beer aftertaste. A wisely aromatized Va-Lat blend, I’d say ideal for those who fancy to shift from aromatics to Latakia Bay.

Combustion not so uniform, not a clean smoke. Still, easy to keep lit. Just a few relight and you’ll be fine.

After a smoke of this, I used to crave for more, and that’s a distinct sign that a blend is good for me. Yet, I wouldn’t cellar this in order to age : I find it gives its best when fresh, or within 6-8 months from opening.

Cheers everyone Brandr ODS
Age When Smoked: Fresh, 1yo and 2yo.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 05, 2020 Medium Medium Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Let me start by saying, I really dig the smaller tin size; regardless of how I like/dislike the blend, the tin makes for a great parting gift. Opening it reveals a sour Virginia barnyard smell with a tart, fruit, sugar tossed on. It didn't really remind me of Guinness, but could imagine the smell of a forgotten flute of New Year's champaign sitting out for a week. It was gross and inviting at the same time.

The ready rub had plenty of chunky pieces needing your attention to break apart (which I like), though it had this annoying dust coating that lingers on your fingers (which I didn't). Super easy to light with some work to maintain (the ash seemed more defiant than usual). The initial tin aroma gave way to a lighter Aromatic whose flavors I couldn't pin down. It wasn't terribly spicy, nor sweet, nor did the Latakia come to bear with any charcoal notes, yet there was something going on that was in fact a bit creamy - so Guinness like? Maybe.

The first few bowls didn't excite me, leaving me indifferent, but by mid tin I was starting to come around to the taste. It was a tad too strong for my all day smoking, but I could see others faring better. In the end, I would give it 3 stars for quality, but for the higher cost I can't justify buying this mystery again.
PurchasedFrom: tobaccopipes.com
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
CTS
Dec 27, 2013 Medium Medium Medium to Full Pleasant
The tin note comes across with a great vanilla, roasted malt and quality tobacco aroma. But the fun just begins at the tin! The rich flavors that develop through the bowl transcend the aromas in the tin. Rich vanilla, creamy malt, a hint of molasses, english walnuts, and plum. At times the pure quality tobacco notes take the lead, but can quickly be displaced by one or more of the aforementioned flavors. Whether intended as such, or not, it represents a wonderful expression of the art and science of the blending craft.
Pipe Used: Neerup, Peterson, MM
PurchasedFrom: Corona Smoke Shop, Battle Creek, MI
Age When Smoked: need de-coder ring; purchased 6 months ago
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 31, 2004 Mild Mild to Medium Mild Tolerable
For the uninitiated, a Black Velvet is a cocktail made of 1/3 champagne and 2/3 Guinness. A fine beverage indeed! Sure, Guinness is a weird beer, completely different from the usual ales, lagers and pils: I happen to love its dark, subdued and refreshing taste, and its creamy foam. It is a stout, an almost black beer from Ireland, light in alcohol, subtly bitter and thirst-quenching. Given this premise, I thought I should love a tobacco topped with Black Velvet, right? Well, more or less... The blend is composed of virginia tobaccos with a light percentage of Latakia, flavored with Guinness and champagne during maturation under presses. It's difficult to think of it as "aromatic" anyway, as the topping is very light and Guinness in itself has not an overwhelming flavor. I'd rather think of it as a natural blend (an ultra-light English mixture) with an extra touch: a philosophy which is similar to the basic idea of GLPease Mephisto, I might say. The tin aroma is elegantly perfumed, in a very unobtrusive manner: hardly reminiscent of the real Black Velvet, but fine anyway, and with some attention you CAN get hints of wine and beer. After filling a bowl and lighting, you are welcomed by a VERY soft taste. You can't really detect either a strong sweetness/grassiness from the Virginias, or a distinct smokiness/nuttiness from the Latakia: both the distinctive notes of the two tobaccos are very subdued. Hey, even the topping is so subtle that you really can't pick it out precisely! You feel there's something there, but it's more of a delicate, subtle perfume (reminiscent more of the champagne than of Guinness) that perfectly integrates the subtle taste of the tobaccos. Where this blend really reminds a lot of Guinness, is in its very refreshing, subdued taste with echoes of slight bitterness on the palate. I am not saying that it TASTES 100% like Guinness, I am saying that it gives a very similar impression on my taste buds. Alas, while good, I can't say it's a completely satisfactory smoke, either: it lacks body and taste, and I guess that even as an all-day smoke it is too light and soft in flavor. Anyway, it is refreshingly different and unique, and I can't think of another blend with a similar flavoring. Every once in a while it may be a fine alternative, also because it burns very well and with a consistent flavor throughout the bowl (the same can't be said of most aromatics, which tend to get worse from half onwards): definitely worth a try, even if it doesn't seem to be available yet in the USA. But, again, it can't compete with a nice pint of Black Velvet (the drink!) with a pipe full of something very full and sweet to contrast its bitterness, like the wonderful Marlin Flake or another sweet pure Virginia. And just one more thing: my colleagues at work say that in spite of the subtle taste for the smoker, this blends stinks like all my other English mixtures! And, I should add, it leaves a rather perceivable Guinness taste in your pipe, so beware!
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 13, 2021 Mild to Medium Medium Mild Tolerable
I picked up a tin of this about five years ago after a friend of mine declared it his favorite tobacco. I figured following such high praise I owe it to him to try it some time. I finally got around to opening the tin I purchased and was pleased. I would not rate it as high as he, but it was definitely a pleasure to smoke through.

The smell of this is great. I get the champagne on the nose. I can't really say I could even identify the smell of Guinness on tobacco, but I know I don't really like drinking it. Overall the sweet notes coming from the topping really play well with the musty campfire smells of the latakia.

This tobacco is somewhat moist, but does not need any dry time. It performs great as it is when opened, at least my tin did. As far as the taste, I didn't get a strong presence from the virginia, but it had to be present or the latakia would just be too much for me. I felt the topping did overwhelm the Virginia a little, but not the latakia. Nothing can overwhelm latakia.

I found the latakia noticeable and above a light condimental addition. I think this is would be a great crossover for someone coming to english blends from the Aromatic world even if this is as far as they venture into Latakia. For me and most others it is a nice change up. three stars as I feel there is a little bit of everything in this and it is hard not to like.
Age When Smoked: 5 years 2 months
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 22, 2017 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
This is a very interesting tobacco. It is a mostly Virginia blend with some Latakia and spread throughout is some cube cut Black Cavendish misted with some kind of Malt Liquor and Vanilla maybe? The presentation was slightly sweet and smoky, with some strength added by the Virginia leaf. As fine an English style aromatic as I've smoked.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 08, 2013 Very Strong Medium to Strong Medium to Full Very Pleasant
I had high hopes on this blend but it simply did not delivered.

Upon opening the tin, you will find a very dark blend. Eventhough Latakias is said to be present, it is not apparent on the tin aroma, and could not be tasted on the smoke either.

As with other Dan Pipe tobaccos, this is a very sweet rich aromatic. Is is somewhat complex, evolving a bit while it is being consumed.

But alas! the nicotine punch of this blend is too much for me. This is uncalled for, as it is a true aromatic, and no trace of the latakia can be perceived, not even too much of the virginas. Yet, no matter the pipe, time of day or previous meals, this tobacco makes me flip all the time. Probably its just me and my system, but I will stick to others Dan blends.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 13, 2012 Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Medium Pleasant
Please take this review from a non Aro smoker. That said, this tobacco came very dry and ready to smoke. One of my big complaints with cased Aros is that they are too wet, no so here. I also did not experience the typical bite that I get from most Aros, maybe because it was so dry. This reminded me of Sillems Black, but not as high quality and the Latakia was not as pronounced (sorry, but my tastes are diffrent than reviewer,"doc'spipe 02/17/2011" ) . I did get hints of chocolate that was very nice but didn't stay.For you Aro smokers I think this would be a 3-4 star , but for me it's a 2

I do love the little tin.
2 people found this review helpful.
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