Wilke Pipe Tobacco Wilke No. 13

I have yet to find a poorly made blend from P&W and Magic 13 is another winner. It was a very unique flavor that seems to be a signature in some of Carol's blends. Maybe the Royal Scot?? Like all the P&W blends I have tried the tobacco is of high quality. It does arrive a little moist and needs a little dry time. The Latakia is a supporting role here and for me the burley leads. Magic 13 falls in the light English category for me, but due to the added flavor it's not a typical one. Recommended.

For someone who finds most latakia blends to be monotone in taste and socially handicapping in use, Wilke #13 is pleasant surprise. Though the latakia still dominates, the many other tobaccos present makes this a rich, interesting smoke. If this is truly Syrian Latakia, it is more refined and a lot less rough than the Cyprian weed that seems to be in more common use in blends. For a Virginia smoker, this is a good, occasional compliment to an after dinner brandy or espresso. Tolerable aroma in the presence of company, though not one likely to draw compliments.

This is a latakia blend for for those who do not love latakia. Whether it appeals to those who crave the smoky side, is for others to say.

Does Royal Scotch mean Scotch whisky? If anything, detection of the topping was difficult or almost imperceptible. A slight sweet aroma comes and goes from time to time, so maybe this is the scent of Royal Scott. The flavors and aromas that dominate the entire blend tend to be rich and full-bodied, as in No. 524. Occasionally, there is a hint of barbecue sauce. However, it's hardly perceptible. The overall smoky, sweet, earthy feel is reminiscent of Peterson's Old Dublin. But it's not as "earthy" as that blend. In common with all the Wilke Pipe Tobacco blends I've smoked, the smoke itself is velvety, mellow and smooth. The tobacco packs easily and burns beautifully.

#13 is a medium-light, Americanized English with a modest aromatic quality and a modicum of Latakia character. Overall, this is a reasonably flavorful and fairly complex smoke—the flavors tend to wander and meander about. This s a very good, but not quite great smoke. However, I do seem to reach for it almost every day.

The modestly sweet Burley is the more expressive element in the blend with just enough Perique and Virginia added to provide a bit of necessary strength and depth to complement the blend overall. For me, the Latakia is more of a seasoning or flavor enhancer. The Royal Scot contributes a kind of butter-toffee flavor, some pastry, and a little spice and it is expressive, but not intrusive. I put the overall strength at just above the center of the mild-medium range with the taste and flavor levels a few steps beyond that, but slightly short of medium.

#13 is best as a morning smoke. It can be smoked every day--multiple times a day. #13 deserves just above 3-circles.

This blend, designated Wilke No. 13, nicknamed Magic 13, was purchased as one in a four, two ounce sample package. It is a smooth smoking mixture that is totally bite free. I cannot identify the pouch aroma... only that it smells sweet with some type of spice. Maybe it's totally derived from the Royal Scot infusion. The Latakia is predominately condimental & is tasted more during the first third & then begins to sort of lie in the background playing second fiddle to the other varietals. It is of a shag like consistency & moist in the pouch.

I found that it smokes best when dried out to an almost crispy state. If smoked with even a little moisture, it will burn fairly slow requiring picking, tamping & a number of relights. However, it does burn rather cool & smooth either way with a medium strength. The sweetness carries over only slightly during the smoke session becoming a little sweeter as it burns down. This is a very tasty smoke at the halfway point where all the tobaccos begin the interaction process. I thought the smoke aroma was fairly pleasant & helped to provide a better flavor as taste & smell combine to create a more enjoyable smoking experience.

The Perique is mildly apportioned as is the Latakia. The cavendish & Virginia along with the Royal Scot "condiment" provides the sweetness in flavor & initially the burley is noticed at times to provide a nutty & also a very slight bitterness. You know... like English walnuts. They are enjoyable & tasty but has that slight bitterness to get past. I see where they get the Magic 13 designation... it morphs into something totally different during the last third & becomes a much more enjoyable & tastier treat which leaves a pleasant aftertaste. My initial, partially dried sample was like the Energizer Bunny... it just kept going & going. Best to dry it out in a manner as stated earlier.

I've tried about a dozen of the PW&W blends & this is one I always keep on hand.

22 May 2009 Update: 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.

I now rate this as a 3.5

What a difference a Cavendish can make. Elsewhere on this site I reviewed Wilke's #78 and commented about the very strong taste and the very strong Perique and nicotine reaction. The only difference between that tobacco and #13 is the addition of Cavendish between the Burley and Virginia, and let me tell you that addition has tamed this blend. At first I thought too far, as the taste was almost negligible, plus I had a difficult time keeping the pipe lit. However, after switching from a large bowl to a medium size, I now find this tobacco to be delightful. No lighting problems and it burns slowly and all the way to the bottom. And the taste is exquisite. The only reason I didn't give this blend the highest recommendation is because of the room note. However, after a dozen pipefulls, this is now my English of choice. I'll still return to #78 on that rare ocassion I want to set off an explosion in my mouth, but it looks like #13 is a winner in my book. Thanks, Carol, for including this in my sampler package.

I appreciate the history in the above review, and that in part tempted me to try #13, since I, and many other pipe smokers are a bit anachronistic. I filled my decades-old Wilke Club, lit the tobacco (two matches) and walked outside with my dog. #13 has a sweet, natural tobacco pouch smell, and is an attractive mix of dark brown to blond flakes and strips. It began rather strong with a hint of tongue bite, but quickly smoothed into a delicious natural creamy mix of burley and virginia/cavendish - when I remembered to puff less vigorously. Next the latakia/perique came forward adding a pleasant spicy taste. A hint of sweetness peeked out now and then, but overall this a good, medium strength blend of pure tobacco. Late in the evening it hit me - this was the taste I was looking for a year ago in cigars, a Nicaraguan/Dominican blend that was out of my price range. I finally found it in this less costly Wilke blend.

Presentation is the usual P&W fine ribbon. Damp. Latakia in the jar note, enveloped by the subtle sweetness of the Royal Scot. I assumed this blend would be like No. 5 with the addition of Perique but found that not to be the case. I experimented with a number of different bowl shapes to bring this blend out while struggling to find the perique and found this smoked best in a tall, somewhat narrow billiard. The Latakia is more muted here than in No. 5, retreating to a whisper by the second third of the bowl. The Perique barely registers until that second third where it overtakes the Latakia as the primary background flavor. The flavors begin to harmonize by mid-bowl, presenting an interesting contrast of sweet and savory. Burns clean and cool despite the moisture content and really comes into its own in the second half of the bowl. In the final third of the bowl, the Perique finally takes center stage, overwhelming both the Latakia and the Royal Scot (the Latakia, in fact, fades into obscurity). For best results, I strongly recommend packing this one loosely.

Aromatic English blends are notoriously difficult to pull off, the challenge being one of creating harmony from seemingly disparate tobaccos. In that regard, the blender took on a tough challenge with this one. Overall a fine blend, but it could be that aromatic English blends and Perique simply don't mix (or at least not optimally.)

Recommended for lovers of this style, though I found No. 5 to be a better blend.

I will come back to this after a year in the jar to see what some age does to the marriage of contrasting flavors.

PS: Eulenburg's 2003 review, below, is my favorite review ever. A classic.