Robert Lewis Tree Mixture

A relatively mild oriental with a nice balance of latakia that, as one other reviewer noted, lets the virginia leaf sweeten up the last 1/2 to 1/3 of the bowl. I smoked this straight from the tin from 2010 and had no problems with excessive moisture.

The smoke is nicely creamy, and the tobaccos burn flawlessly, but I do tend to relight this quite a bit as the bowl progresses-- that's just me, as I really do sip VAs and I an non too keen on getting bitten.

Not unlike Squadron Leader, but it does have the mouth-feel of being fuller and slightly more rounded, if a little less interesting.

Purchased from The Owl Shop, New Haven, CT.

I have really been enjoying this stuff, enough to order five more tins for the cellar. It's a simple formula, just Virginia and Latakia, but it's delicious and very alluring. It's a simple blend, which reminds me a lot of McClelland's Anniversary (the 2005 version) which comprises the same two types of leaf.

It's tasty enough to stay interesting, and borders on rich and spicy at its best. Stays relatively consistent in the bowl (and from pipe to pipe), is never real complex, but just a very satisfying, straightforward blend that is NOT a Latakia powerhouse.

Like Anniversary, the two tobaccos are present in precise proportions to create lots of flavor without the Latakia overload (even though, in the right context, I love Latakia bombs). Balance is the word I would use. Perfect balance.

Highly recommended.

I have just been visiting with a pipesmoking friend who was working through a tin of Tree Mixture, and who kindly gave me the opportunity to sample a couple of bowls during the course of my stay.

Although this exposure was insufficient for me to wax lyrical with regard to the merits of this blend, I thought it was worth recording that Tree Mixture seemed to be a top smoke.

Although in many respects it is a middle-of-the-road blend, it displays a degree of balance and refinement which elevates it above the common herd of medium-weight English mixtures. All the usual elements are in their proper place, but the resulting blend has a unique taste and character that surpassed my expectations.

Smokes cool and flavourful all the way down with absolutely no fuss. On this evidence, Colonel Tree was a man who knew what he was about.

This is a very good tobacco! Delicious! It reminds me a lot of the legend Balkan Sobranie altough it has some distance to it. If you love a satisfaying latakia blend than buy Tree Mixture.

I like this tobacco quite a bit, and though I am sure it has changed from the original British made version, it is still very good. Classic English mixture that reminds me of Dunhill blends. The virginia and latakia are full and well balanced. The beauty of this blend for me is that it isn't overpowering, yet it is rich. It smokes cool for me and has a refined softness that I like. That isn't blandness! There is no sharpness and that is soothing to my palate.

Notes: Sampled about 100 grams in several pipes, with the best being a mid-sized Charatan that brings out the oriental flavors a bit more.

Appearance: Black and Gold. A 50-50 mixture of bright golden and blackish strands with a small amount of green-gold and pale brown leaf in a thick-cut ribbon, fully rubbed out.

Aroma: Apricots, figs, honey, grape leaves, stewed plums, strawberry jam, and smoke -- sweet and fragrant.

Taste: A bit of tongue nip. A very mild, round-cornered English blend. Gentle smoking, smooth. Well-demarcated components. A bit austere. Figs, smoke, plum sauce, spice cake, walnut oil, crusty white bread, spice cake.

Comparisons: Similar to Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe but without the sweetness or melding of flavors. Similar to Dunhill's My Mixture No. 965, except not nearly as strong or complex.

Bottom Line: A smooth-smoking, extremely mild smoky English blend. Quite decent. Fans of Early Morning Pipe and 965, who seek a less sweet, less imposing smoke will be charmed by Tree Mixture.

Tree Mixture is a wonderful tobacco blend. However, as English blends go, this one is much more toward the oriental end of the spectrum and has far less latakia than Balkan Sobranie, for instance. The musky oriental notes are evident early in the bowl, but there is plenty of Virginia there to support it. There is just enough latakia to provide structure, but contrary to some of the other tasters, I didn't find this strong at all. It's richness comes from the ample orientals.

I found that it took a couple of weeks with the tin covered, but unlocked, for the tobacco to dry to the correct smoking point. This should be smoked on the drier side, in my view.

This is a marvelous tobacco if you like oriental blends.

A fine blend of Latakia, Virginia's, and Oriental. Supurb blending and just the right amount of ingredients makes this a pleasant and fullfilling smoke. Moisture content is like most coming from across the pond, so a little air won't hurt. The charring light is a breeze and the need to relight rarely occurs. The tobacco has that creamy effect, simular to G&H's Mixture #12, or a couple of GLP's offerings, smokes well, all the way down, without a bite or that burnt Latakia effect that others have laving the palate flat. While having quite alot of Latakia, it doesn't overwhelm, but rather mixes well with the support of the other players. In taste and overall enjoyment, I would have to put this by many of the current blends on the market, and above a few others. While being a somewhat strong smoke, it could easily be an all day companion.

I smoked half of a sample tin of this in a Wiley pipe dedicated to english blends, thanks to Joe of my local Metairie Tinder Box. I am smoking the other half now. The flavor is so distinctive and consistent that I felt a review now is appropriate, though normally I wait for a full tin or two to comment.

William Serad of Pipes and Tobaccos said this blend is rich, rich, rich. It's true. He wasn't kidding. It is a english oriental (or even balkan blend) with a good dose of latakia. More richness that Butera's devine Pelican blend. It's richer than some of the Dunhill line, e.g., Early Morning, London, Standard; is as rich as Fox's Provost, Dunhill's 965, etc., but not as heavy as a full balkan or a real strong english like Dunhill's Nightcap. So a very rich, full, delicious natural taste, but not quite as heavy as you would think a blend would have to be to produce that experience. It is close to balkan in strength though. No bite to me.

No trouble in moisture content, packing, keeping lit, or consistency in rich oriental flavor. Not hot, as the latakia keeps it cool.

I recommend this for the full english oriental smoker. This has the extra oriental kick many good english blends lack. A step up in strength from Pelican or Esoterica's Penzance and at least two from Germain's King Charles. A no nonsense smoke, especially good for outdoors.