Wilke Pipe Tobacco High Hat
(3.55)
A rare 1870's Wilke formula of selected Cyprian Latakia blended with Kentucky Burley, Louisiana Perique and Golden Virginia. A pinnacle amongst English blends.
Details
| Brand | Wilke Pipe Tobacco |
| Blended By | John Brandt |
| Manufactured By | Wilke Pipe Tobacco |
| Blend Type | American |
| Contents | Burley, Latakia, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 2 oz. bag, 4 oz. bag, 8 oz. bag 16 oz. bag |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.55 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 30 of 40 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 08, 2015 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
How do you make a blend that showcases Latakia without making it a Lat Bomb? I don't know, but this seems to be the ticket.
Smell in the jar after a day of rest is a very subdued Latakia, all the smoky richness and only a wisp of the familiar "tirefire/boot polish" smell that some (my wife) associate with this particular treatment of leaf. There is a thick but faint sweetness in here that rounds it all out (from the kentucky I'd assume, which always carries a molasses tone to my nose).
Char and first few draws reveal a soft latakia and an interesting sweetness. The body on the smoke is incredible, very little effort to get a ridiculous amount of smoke. Right off the bat I would compare the body and even some notes of the flavor of this tobacco as quite cigar-like with latakia taking center note. As the bowl warms I'm getting a very sharp peppery spice that lingers on the palate. The snork is a monster, filling my nose with wonderful black pepper and clearing my sinuses better than any saline rinse would. Towards the end of the bowl the body intensifies. Interestingly I'm not getting much of the "dried fruit" flavors that I sometimes get from perique, the black pepper is all that's coming through past the thick chewy smoke, but that's just fine.
Heavyish hitter on the Vitamin N, but smooth as all getout. Room note is absolutely latakia forward, but not as severe as most "bombs". Burn mechanics were excellent, even in our humidity. Burned to a mottled black and grey fine ash and zero dottle, one relight when I neglected my tamp.
This is a creamy, spicy, smoky, dark and brooding tobacco, to use my coffee analogy this is a dark roasted sumatra. It also suited my smoking style which is a little on the hot side, this blend actually got better for me with long pulls on the pipe, at least until I got near the end where I had to sip it a bit more carefully. Even though I definitely veer towards the Oriental side I enjoyed this one.
Smell in the jar after a day of rest is a very subdued Latakia, all the smoky richness and only a wisp of the familiar "tirefire/boot polish" smell that some (my wife) associate with this particular treatment of leaf. There is a thick but faint sweetness in here that rounds it all out (from the kentucky I'd assume, which always carries a molasses tone to my nose).
Char and first few draws reveal a soft latakia and an interesting sweetness. The body on the smoke is incredible, very little effort to get a ridiculous amount of smoke. Right off the bat I would compare the body and even some notes of the flavor of this tobacco as quite cigar-like with latakia taking center note. As the bowl warms I'm getting a very sharp peppery spice that lingers on the palate. The snork is a monster, filling my nose with wonderful black pepper and clearing my sinuses better than any saline rinse would. Towards the end of the bowl the body intensifies. Interestingly I'm not getting much of the "dried fruit" flavors that I sometimes get from perique, the black pepper is all that's coming through past the thick chewy smoke, but that's just fine.
Heavyish hitter on the Vitamin N, but smooth as all getout. Room note is absolutely latakia forward, but not as severe as most "bombs". Burn mechanics were excellent, even in our humidity. Burned to a mottled black and grey fine ash and zero dottle, one relight when I neglected my tamp.
This is a creamy, spicy, smoky, dark and brooding tobacco, to use my coffee analogy this is a dark roasted sumatra. It also suited my smoking style which is a little on the hot side, this blend actually got better for me with long pulls on the pipe, at least until I got near the end where I had to sip it a bit more carefully. Even though I definitely veer towards the Oriental side I enjoyed this one.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli KS Lovat
PurchasedFrom:
Pipeworks & Wilke
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 17, 2013 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
An elegant example of the blender's art. Very high quality. If you like delicious smokey English just slightly on the sweet side (e.g. much less sweet than Black House, which is delightful in its own right), you owe it to yourself to at least try a little High Hat.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 07, 2012 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This is my favorite blend to date. I've tried several Latakia Blends, but none have had the full rich flavor and smokey full bodied taste of Wilke High Hat. I have not had any tongue bite from this blend even when puffing pretty steadily. Really enjoy smoking it on the way to work with a good cup of coffee and a window rolled down slightly on the passenger side. The blend might be a little moist, so best to let it dry a bit before smoking, unless you don't mind lighting it a couple of times during your smoke. I will fill a Savinelli 111EX or 814EX and leave it overnight, then grab it in the morning and enjoy it while driving to work. A fantastic way to start the day. I highly recommend High Hat for your smoking pleasure! 4 Stars!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 17, 2007 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
High Hat is one of the few tobaccos that I can honestly call "delicious". It's a wonderful blend of high quality tobaccos, expertly balanced, and delivered ready to smoke.
The various tobaccos share the stage throughout the bowl, coming forth and then receding in a wonderfully flavorful dance. The burley always takes the stage first, but after that it's impossible to know which tobacco will come forward next. Individual tobaccos, and various combinations of tobaccos, move to the forefront as the bowl progresses. None of the flavors ever becomes overpowering, but they all spend some time in the spotlight. This is a great blend for "breath smoking". The flavor seems to change with each cycle.
I've found that High Hat smokes well in almost any pipe, from small to large. It's a slow smoking tobacco for me, so a medium bowl is my usual weapon of choice for High Hat.
It requires very few relights (often none at all); other than tamping occasionally, High Hat requires no attention. At the end of the bowl you're left with some mottled gray ash, and nothing else.
High Hat is one of the very best blends I've ever tried. It truly is delicious, and well worth a try by anyone who enjoys English blends.
The various tobaccos share the stage throughout the bowl, coming forth and then receding in a wonderfully flavorful dance. The burley always takes the stage first, but after that it's impossible to know which tobacco will come forward next. Individual tobaccos, and various combinations of tobaccos, move to the forefront as the bowl progresses. None of the flavors ever becomes overpowering, but they all spend some time in the spotlight. This is a great blend for "breath smoking". The flavor seems to change with each cycle.
I've found that High Hat smokes well in almost any pipe, from small to large. It's a slow smoking tobacco for me, so a medium bowl is my usual weapon of choice for High Hat.
It requires very few relights (often none at all); other than tamping occasionally, High Hat requires no attention. At the end of the bowl you're left with some mottled gray ash, and nothing else.
High Hat is one of the very best blends I've ever tried. It truly is delicious, and well worth a try by anyone who enjoys English blends.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 09, 2006 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
High Hat's taste is very nearly full. The Virginias and Burleys bulwark the main players, Latakia and Perique. There is just a subtle and welcome sweetness. The components dance, taking turns leading. This is courtly frolic, not slamming in a mosh pit.
I detect some scented tobak that makes this mildly aromatic, yet not the cased and cloying type or in the black Cavendish manner of introducing aromatic agendas to blends (though P&W does the latter well, too, ala Bestmake). HH burns to a salt and pepper ash with no dottle, leaving the pipe dry for reloading more High Hat.
If you desire to smoke fuller blends all day, High Hat will not make you any worse for the wear. However, the DGT technique (?Delayed Gratification Technique? of lighting a blend, smoking it a bit then letting sit ?curing? a while, then returning to finish the smoke) seems to detract from P&W blends.
What I like most about P&W blends is that the tobacco is so well-aged, smooth and the blends are so flavorful that the easiest puffing produces copious volumes of smoke. This extends the smoking pleasure, is economical and reduces just about any chance for a sore mouth. P&W proves that quality does not necessarily require a tin
I detect some scented tobak that makes this mildly aromatic, yet not the cased and cloying type or in the black Cavendish manner of introducing aromatic agendas to blends (though P&W does the latter well, too, ala Bestmake). HH burns to a salt and pepper ash with no dottle, leaving the pipe dry for reloading more High Hat.
If you desire to smoke fuller blends all day, High Hat will not make you any worse for the wear. However, the DGT technique (?Delayed Gratification Technique? of lighting a blend, smoking it a bit then letting sit ?curing? a while, then returning to finish the smoke) seems to detract from P&W blends.
What I like most about P&W blends is that the tobacco is so well-aged, smooth and the blends are so flavorful that the easiest puffing produces copious volumes of smoke. This extends the smoking pleasure, is economical and reduces just about any chance for a sore mouth. P&W proves that quality does not necessarily require a tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 29, 2006 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
A rich, spicy, delicious American English, made with P&W's usual high standards. An old classic that I highly recommend.
With the exception of C&D's Yale Mixture, this is the best English blend I've ever smoked.
With the exception of C&D's Yale Mixture, this is the best English blend I've ever smoked.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 01, 2004 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
This is another terrific offering, hand blended by Pipeworks and Wilke, and has replaced Dunhill's 965 in my afternoon routine. I find this a somewhat complex blend in that the flavors change during the course of the bowl from the perique to VA, to the Latakia during the second and third portion of the bowel, and back again. The Latakia is not overpowering to the other tobaccos at any time. This blend smokes cool, and dry, is very flavorful wtihout a heavy nicotine punch that I find (and tolerate well) in some of the Dunhills, and can be smoked all day. I love the taste of this old recipe, and do not tire of its offering. The best way I can describe it as a very tasty English.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 17, 2022 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Another delicious English blend by John Brandt...smokes cool....Latakia leads the way.....I alternate with #78 which is a fuller smoke...minimal relights if any....I often smoke 3-4 bowls a day...try it if you enjoy English blend
Pipe Used:
Rossi Lucca 8510
PurchasedFrom:
Pipeworks and Wilke
Age When Smoked:
Over a year
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19, 2021 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Strong |
Starts Latakia forward, good nutty Burley right behind, with the mustiness of the perique and a little bit of grassy Virginia sweetness providing the backbone. An outstanding and well-measured blend. Closer to full in flavor than medium, and a medium to full dose of nicotine. Absolutely cool smoking right down to a good gray Ash. By the last third of the bowl, the distinctive fermented Perique and the dark toast notes of the Burley trade off, puff to puff, and this is a blend that never gets tiresome. Absolute pinnacle of a classic American blend. Easily imaginable as the sort of blend a Mark Twain or another avid 19th century American Piper might have been stuffing into their pipes back in the day.
Pipe Used:
Peterson Spigot Prince
PurchasedFrom:
https://www.wilkepipetobacco.com/
Age When Smoked:
fresh to a few months old
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2016 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I have smoked High Hat on and off for the last decade or so. It is an amazingly flavorful American English that has a delightful combination of smokiness from the Latakia and Kentucky, sweetness from top shelf Virginia's and a wonderfully spicy finish from the Perique. The Nicotine strength is right on the money which for me is an unusual bonus in an English blend. I also love the fact that I can smoke a recipe that is over a 100 years old and has stood the test of time allowing one to share the experience that folks in the late 1800's enjoyed. Pricey but worth every penny due to P&W using the very finest leaf. Try some of Carole's blends while they are still available!!
PurchasedFrom:
Pipeworks and Wilke
Age When Smoked:
5 years on this batch
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