Wilke Pipe Tobacco High Hat

Although I've not smoked High Hat in over a decade, it was one that I really enjoyed over a decade ago when I got in my order of 15 different P&W blends for my local pipe club to sample at our tobacco bar over a 2-3 month period back in 2005. Nicely aged Virginia along with rare Syrian grades of Latakia made this one (now gone from the lineup), really shine. The Burley and Perique added a powerful presence to the overall presentation and at times, according to my notes from back then, my palate would get overwhelmed if I puffed too fast. Overall, a quality smoke that for me, was not a blend I wanted to smoke everyday.

This is No 13 WITHOUT the scented cavendish, and still seems a great blend to me: a classic clubman's choice from the glory days of Imperial New York, American-English. Smoke it in the evening, strawling down Madison Avenue looking at the Christmas displays. It doesn't get better than that.

Merry Christmas, everybody! [12/'02]

High Hat is an interesting blend. While moving the tobacco from baggie to jar, I received the aroma of Latakia.. Upon lighting, the tobacco showed itself to me in layers through out the bowls. At the top of the bowl is a nice taste of Latakia on the sip, surrounded by good Burley. Getting to excited with the draw will bring a slight harshness. Settling in, This blend is a cloud blower. No need to worry about those skeeters on that night lighting on the porch. About a quarter down the bowl I start getting a peppery flavor added to the blend. Sometimes a bit over powering. hints of floral/perfume enters into the mix. Then comes the half bowl. Surprisingly from nowhere, a light sweet draw begins to come into play and dances with the Latakia that always remains till close to the end. This blend remains lit and burns slow and quite warm in a two inch briar bowl. The end of a long bowl brings back a bit of the pepper as I try to gather every last draw. Overall, a nice experience from this Wilke blend.

A very good blend, solid 3.5 stars & I enjoy it more than Magic #13. I'm tightening up on my ratings and only give 4 stars to my top 5 blends that are in my core rotation of tobaccos. Those at this date are Escudo, Penzance, University Flake, Churchill & still deciding what the 5th will be.

This is an excellent smoke. What I enjoy most about it is the way the Latakia predominates but does not overpower the smoke. After aging for a year, I find that the woodsy, mustiness of the latakia blends really nicely with the other tobaccos. Smoked slowly, the sweetness of the burley comes through, along with occasional hits of spicy plumness from the Pirique. I don't taste the Virginia. This is a great smoke if you want the flavor of Latakia, without getting hit with a Latakia bomb.

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.

This is an extremely well balanced mixture. Though it contains burley, VA, Latakia, and perique, they all come together harmoniously to produce a medium-full English mixture. If I am in the mood for latakia and perique but don't want to get bowled over by Nightcap, this is what I reach for. It's almost a cross between 965 and Nightcap and is up there in quality with Dunhill. There is a slight bite at light up, but then it settles into a smooth and satisfying mixture. It's heavy enough that one bowl satisfies me, but doesn't knock me out. For a blender known for their aromatics, P & W makes some killer English blends.

3/14/2006 I've downgraded this slightly as there is some harshness which prevents me from smoking this as much as I would like. Still a great blend, just a bit rough on the throat for me.

To me this is dominated by the kentucky flavour in the first part, then it becomes very complex with all the tobaccos playing their role her and there. The main feeling is a little bitterness, but of a pleasant kind. As the other P&W offerings, it burns perfectly and evenly. Recommended.

An English with loads of flavor. Replaced 965 as our pipe clubs English offering at meetings.