Tobaccos Peter Stokkebye - Proper English (No.52)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2014-01-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The Virginia provides grass/hay with some tart and tangy citrus and a touch of tart lemon. It forms the base of this blend. The smoky, woody, earthy, mildly sweet Cyprian Latakia has a fairly strong presence, and also sports a light mustiness, though this is not a lat-bomb. The Orientals are dry, woody, herbal, floral, vegetative, earthy, sweet and sour with a little spice as a supporting player. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nicotine is in the center of mild to medium. Won’t bite or get harsh, but has a few small rough edges. Burns cool at a moderate pace with a little inconsistent, mildly sweet and rather savory campfire flavor with a little acrid finish. Doesn’t require many relights, or leave much moisture in the bowl. The after taste and room notes linger a tad. Not quite an all day smoke. A working man's English blend. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks

57 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bob323 (46)	2013-11-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Peter Stokkebye's take on what today is considered a typical English blend...Traditional English blends before mid-nineteenth century contained no Latakia...Only Virginias, Burley, Orientals, and perhaps some black Cavendish and/or Perique...But I digress...This is a very good blend...Those of you who expect and are seeking a Lat bomb would do well to look else where...Latakia in this blend is subdued by the Orientals as it should be...Room note is tolerable but won't win you any friends amongst non-smokers or those who run hiding whenever the words 'English blend' are spoken...Contemplative smoke...Not to be rushed...Sit back and enjoy...Would definitely buy again and again.

33 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe Newb (49)	2014-05-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Pouch note is heavy oriental stank and some woodsy/campfire notes, a little fermented fruit like raisins or plums in the backend. Tobacco in the pouch is pretty much perfect for a bowl, almost feeling too dry but with quite a bit of spring when pinched and no crackling or powder.

Initial char is oriental forward and musty, latakia provides a little nasal earthy spice and smoke. The flavor is very well rounded and balanced. While initial light gave a slight promise of a bright, almost virginia flavor, that either blended well with the other components or was just a figment of the imagination... once the bowl was burning well I lost much of that brightness... instead I got a good "benchmark" English, kinda funky, musty, spicy (like fennel or caraway seeds, not like pepper), deep and brooding. Think Grieg vs. Beethoven. Sumatra vs. Kona. Cello vs. Violin.

At the very end, I got a hint of flavor reminding me of cigar leaf. I was left with a coarse dottle and ash, fairly par for the course with most English I've smoked.

Nicotine content was just right for me personally, but I find nicotine content to be very subjective and tolerances vary. It was enough to know it was there and to relax me, but not too much for me to tempt my head to feel swimmy.

This blend stands well as scratching all the itches that an English should scratch. A good blend that I would recommend for anyone that would smoke an English as a daily smoker.

Pipe Used: Edwards Bulldog

Age When Smoked: Unknown (purchased 5/2014)

Purchased From: WVSmokeshop

32 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2008-12-19		Mild	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Never thought I'd puff on a "Danish English" blend with this much "English" flavor.... Full in the taste department but a "smooth full" if that makes any sense.

Easy to pack and burn due to the cut; this one has a flavor that Latakia lovers, in particular, will enjoy. I can't compare this one to Nightcap as this Stokkebye blend contains no Perique. Maybe EMP is comperable, but certainly revved up in the Latakia department.

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JDub (2)	2014-08-24		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a very strong and full bodied smoke. Not for those likely anything remotely mild. But if you enjoy a good English then you will enjoy Proper English. has strong notes of campfires and burning wood. The Latakia is tempered by the Oriental and it all comes together perfectly. I typically smoke this out of a smaller pipe since I best enjoy for 15-30min. Not a blend I would sit and smoke for hours on end. But it sure does hit the spot when wanting a good English blend!

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: BnB

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2013-10-09		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

If you are just venturing into the world of English blends this would be a great place to start. There is nothing to herald about this blend, it in no way caused me any sort of pipe smoking enlightenment, but at the same time there is a real appeal to its humble straightforwardness.

The Stokkebye blends are always quality and always a great bargain. I keep many on hand for this reason. This blend is just a good fullish English. No complaints. It is well balanced in the fact that the orientals come through nicely. I really like this blend, and as a bulk blend, any pipe smoker should have a couple ounces of this cellared. Very nice, and will buy again.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigCasino (27)	2013-12-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of my favorite English blends, you can taste the quality of the tobaccos used in this blend, even tho it is a pretty latakia forward blend, there is a good amount of body to the smoke which starts off nice and smokey and then a nice sweet finish

Pipe Used: La Rocca, Fantasia

Age When Smoked: all ages

Purchased From: Alegheny Smoke Works

Similar Blends: Drew Estate Meat pie.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-12-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

At first blush, it appears to be a "proper english". Fairly dark ribbon, loaded with latakia, backed up by orientals and using virginia as a base. The tin aroma is latakia - big surprise.

The blend started out amicably enough. Not as powerful as I imagined but decent tasting. The latakia is smoky as it should be and prominent. The orientals poke through every now and again and the virginias provide a light sweetness. All seems to be going well. However, the taste took a huge turn for the worse about 1/3 down the bowl. It became bitter and uneven, with a resin-like chalkiness. The mouthfeel became rough and the taste was of something I've never experienced in an English latakia blend. I have no idea what could cause this. Eventually, however, the blend settled down into what can only be called unmemorable-ness. An odd decent-to-awful-to-boring trip. Not to be repeated.

I've had pretty good luck with Stokkebye blends in the past. I cannot call them "great" blends but they are certainly "good". This one I found to be not so good. This may be PS' idea of a proper English, but it is definitely not mine. I'm giving it 2 stars because it's nowhere near as awful as other blends I've given one star to, but neither is it as good as other 2 star blends I've smoked. Low cost pushes it up to 2 stars.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-11-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

A decent English that I enjoy when I want something milder than my usual heavier blends.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-08-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is my third attempt with English blends. The two blends I tried prior to this darn near turned my off of English blends all together. I purchased a couple ounces of this blend based on recommendations from other patrons at the local B&M. Upon returning home I decided to pack a bowl of this in a cob and give it a try. This blend was easy to pack, easy to light and burned well. Unlike the previous two blends I had tried prior to this, I enjoyed this blend so much that I decided to purchase a pound of this blend at the B&M. This has now become my go to English blend and will always be in my rotation. To be perfectly honest I used to be an aromatic smoker, now because of this blend, I rarely smoke the aro's. Absolutely fantastic smoke and would highly recommend this to anyone looking to venture into the world of English blends.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2017-04-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Peter Stokkebye No. 52 labels itself as Proper English, using the popular if not very accurate label of "English" for a mixture with a notable latakia or oriental/latakia characteristic. I do not know if this offering is the proper, much less the perfect, English, but it is a fine tobacco available in bulk alone at a very competitive price.

Open the baggie or jar (according to how you store your bulk tobaccos) and you find a collection of quite thin ribbons which vary in color from light brown to medium brown to black. Sniff it, and you will discover a blend that smells very much like any other offering which has a significant latakia component.

I find the moisture level to be perfectly fine as is. Packing presents no problem. As thin as the ribbons are it is best not to pack too tightly. Lighting presents no challenge. Unless you have a very restrained puffing pattern you may need no relights. Unless you puff most vigorously there will be no danger of tongue bite.

The flavor while smoking will likely please any pipe smoker who enjoys latakia. Although PS notes this has more latakia than any blend they make that falls to a level just short of medium. The oriental taste is nearly equal to the latakia. The Virginia favor is on the light side of the spectrum, but it offers a nice contrast to the latakia and oriental.

The room aroma, like the actual taste, has a smoky campfire nature. In the presence of latakia pipe smokers there will be no objection to the room note. Non smokers will despise it.

Pipesters who often smoke latakia blends, or those who use them for change of pace, will likely enjoy Proper English. Those puffers who eschew latakia need not try this.

Smoke only in pipes reserved for latakia blends. Smoked in other pipes it will leave a latakia ghost for multiple pipe fulls. The quality of the smoke combined with the moderate bulk pricing earns this mixture a solid three stars.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stacey (40)	2010-08-22		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I picked up a half pound of this at Leaf & Ale in Knoxville, TN and am very glad I did. It is awesome, definitely one of the best I've smoked. The taste is there in spades and very pleasing if you like English blends. I'd consider this one of a handful of the best in that category. I bought it with some Dunhill 965 ( see my review on that one as well if you care ) and find myself smoking this one much more. The Latakia is very prominent but it is definitely playing with other tasty compatriots in true harmony, giving this a richness and complexity that never ceases to please. I sincerely hope this blender decides to someday blend a Balkan, that is it's equal, if they do it's likely no one would miss Balkan Sobranie!

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Indianapolis (49)	2020-01-30		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Are you a fan of pirate kake? Enjoy that lat-forward sensation? Give this a try instead.

When smoking english mixtures, I'm always looking for the balance. I want to taste the virginia, the oriental, the latakia. Some mixtures bring one flavor or the other forward, and that's fine as long as there remains some balance and I can find the component flavors.

This is a lat-forward english. BUT, I can still find the virginia and orientals in the flavor, which makes it a reasonable winner for me.

CONTRAST, Pirate Kake. I see that stuff hyped everywhere, and although the latakia is nice enough I guess, it buries everything else entirely. There are plenty of other lat-bombs out there, but I'm just picking on that one given current reviews and hype.

Another comparison? Maltese Falcon. MF is definitely the better blend, fresher tasting, a little stronger sweetness. But also waaaaay more expensive.

If you want a latakia forward english, this is an amazing bang-for-buck option. Personally, based on the value, I'm giving it 2.5 stars, and I'll round up to 3. If it cost as much as GL Pease, it would fight for 2 stars. And Sure, I prefer other english blends more (Ashton Artison, Margate, 965, etc). But for the price? And if you want a heavier-than-average latakia dose? This'll work!

Pipe Used: 1970's Preben Holms

Age When Smoked: Fresh enough...

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Taowhywhy (12)	2016-12-14		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

A joyful smoke, this is indeed a very good recipe, at least to me. The proportion is just right! The unlit aroma is sublime, you are expecting a smoky puff, which is without doubt being delivered! The key player is, of course, the Cyprian Latakia, along with the spiciness from the Orientals supported by the natural sweetness of the Virginia, blended properly, just a great smoke! The bonus is it is visually beautiful, lemon, light brown and jet black fine ribbon, can't ask for more if I'm honest! And let's not forget, the price is fair and the value is absolutely hard to beat!

Ah nearly forgot to mention, they use quality ingredients!

4 out of 4

Pipe Used: Ropp sandblast Dublin (Group3 20*35) appoximately

Age When Smoked: few weeks

Purchased From: Smokingpipes dot com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2014-11-08		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This must be the worst smelling tobacco i have ever smelt. It smells like an old ashtray. That aside, (and honestly, who cares what it smells like, it's the smoking that counts) it smokes very nicely. Once lit, the Lat soon gives way to a rush of Orientals and it all balances out nicely. Very enjoyable and the bulk price is close to a third of what you'd pay for a tinned English blend. I'll definitely get more. Just won't be sticking my nose in it and smelling it is all.

Purchased From: 4Noggins

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LannarkGent (145)	2014-09-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I generally smoke heavy Latakia blends. I saw this at a local tobacco store and I had the clerk pop the lid. the smokiness of the Latakia marched out of the jar , strong and proud. Proper English blend is just that -- a balanced and proper English blend. I smoked it in a very clean Savenelli pipe and thoroughly enjoyed the tantalizing smell and taste. This is a contemplative and comfortable smoke for a mature and experienced English bend smoker.

Pipe Used: Savenelli

Age When Smoked: News

Purchased From: Indian Traders Gran Rapids MI

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2020-01-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Peter stokkebye- Proper english

I bought this blend around 24may19 and have been smoking it on and off since that time, when I want an english with a slight hint of sweetness that smokes cool and needs little drying time if any it’s this.

This blend is a fantastic lite English, that I recommend for anyone beginning the hobby, it Latakia component won’t overpower you or smoke you out. It’s other components accompany the blend well, and never overpower.

I will also say though that this is not a heavy english, the Latakia is subdued more sweet than smoky and if you want a lat bomb look elsewhere. This won’t produce plumes I’d smoke, nor does it leave me with that overpowering Latakia aftertaste.

I do like this blend, and find myself smoking it on a regular occasion, but more and more it just makes me want to reach for plum pudding special reserve. This is a fantastic starter blend, and one I’m sure I will go back to in time, once this mason jar is gone I don’t see this as an absolutely essential must have blend however.

I have to give this three stars, it’s a great blend that delivers a great cool smoke each time, but other blenders just do it better

Pipe Used: Rossi notte, cob, bones

Age When Smoked: 8 months

Purchased From: Liberty tobacco

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2016-12-11		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Peter Stokkebye - Proper English.

The ribbons are quite delicately cut, the bottom of the pouch lined with 'dust'. There's not much to say regarding the aroma: uncased tobacco.

Due to the slight build of the tobacco, lighting a bowl couldn't be any simpler. And then, I quite like what I get.

The Latakia's fairly strong, but not over-the-top with smokiness, it's grounded by the others: there's a wonderful honey-type sweetness from the Virginias, along with a slightly sour/colourful note from the Orientals. There's also the usual woody/hay-like standard Virginia traits. A negative with this is the bite: it's fine at the start but gets quite nippy after the halfway point. The temperature of the smoke's good, even if I put strain into my puffing it doesn't become particularly warm. The burn's very well behaved: once it's going just regular tamping sustains it.

This makes a large amount of smoke; that's nice for the palate, but not so nice for anyone else in the room, and the nicotine's mild to medium.

If it weren't for the bite and room-note I'd highly recommend this, but these reduce the result by one star:

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Roma Lucite

Age When Smoked: Three months

Purchased From: 4noggins

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tabaco (112)	2010-10-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Going to keep this short and sweet:

Proper English is a very good tobacco. Balkan Supreme is an excellent tobacco.

Hence my strong preference for Balkan Supreme.

I have found that Proper English did take about 8 of 10 bowls for me to really appreciate it. It seems to be a bit of a creeper, not love at first sight. Kind of like that girl down the street.

Your mileage may vary.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-10-15		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Proper English is a truly commendable English blend. It never lacks for flavor though it also does not come off as one dimensional. The balance in this blend is noticed from the first match to the last puff. The latakia is not overwhelming but the blend does not go wanting for it either. It lights and burns nicely, has good body and it has a moisture content consistent with other fine pipe tobaccos of this nature. I consider this a distinguished Peter Stokkebye blend that I intend to keep in my rotation at all times. If you have not had the opportunity to try this remarkable mix give it a try, it does not disappoint.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2008-11-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I have to say this came as a surprise. After reading some of the reviews I thought I was in for a very subdued version of Early Morning Pipe. Not so. True, this may not be in the same league as Nightcap or Penzance, but it?s no timid, wishy-washy English mixture. It definitely is stronger than Peterson?s Old Dublin or Davidoff?s Royalty, and I would even say it comes close to Gawith?s Commonwealth Mixture. Like the latter, PE seems to be lacking in the Turkish/Oriental department, concentrating most of its flavour (and indeed harshness) in the Virginia/Latakia interplay. Thus, one could safely say this is a toned up version of C&D?s Yale Mixture.

My order came rather dry (maybe this accounts for the harshness), but it took to the initial light beautifully, and stayed lit throughout the smoke. In spite of the Latakia it is not a cool smoke, but it doesn?t bite either. It has a very austere structure. Not too many flavours competing with each other, but rather, like a basso continuo, a permanent and consistent bitter/sweet undertone.

In that sense, it is not a distracting smoke. It doesn?t require much maintenance once you get it going. One can be writing, reading or chatting with a reasonable fellow smoker without having to pay much attention to the pipe.

I wouldn?t go out of my way to get hold of this blend, but were it readily available where I live, I wouldn?t hestitate in keeping it in my rotation. Recommended as a reliable and consistent English, excellent for a foggy afternoon.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe_Guy75 (6)	2019-01-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

IMHO this is a good English. Not a great English, mind you--but a good one. Perhaps it's because my batch has been aging for a year or so, but I am finding its components very well balanced so that they each can be picked out and yet end up complementing each other.

If you are a lover of the English/Oriental/Balkan family of pipe tobacco, I would recommend picking some up, if you haven't already. Especially when one considers the price, this is worth having on hand.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2018-09-18		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Summary: spicy middle-of-the-road English blend that aims to meld flavors into a gentle, peppery smoke.

English blends are the sweet-and-sour sauce of the pipe world. The Orientals give it a tang, the Latakia adds a vinegar spice, and then the Virginias sweeten the mix. "Proper English" starts out with a blast of Latakia, not so much because of the high amount of the leaf but how much it stands out relative to these milder varieties. Then in comes the sour and slightly fruity Orientals, with the Virginia hovering in the background as an almond-sweet, autumnal flavor. As the bowl burns down, the Virginias caramelize and the Latakia takes a step backward, merging the flavors into something like a smoky molasses or honey barbecue sauce style taste. At this point, the blend reveals its real comfort, which is that if breath-smoked slowly, it emits a comforting flavor that is not too sweet but maintains a tinge of the vinegar and pepper that like a good sauce, maintains internal contrast despite being a recognizable single flavor. Like most Danish tobaccos, this blend aims for being a comfort rather than a taste fireball, and so for someone looking for a decent, uncomplicated English blend, "Proper English" fits the bill. If you are looking for one of those English blends that crackles with its own contradictions, rages inside like a Nietzschean protagonist, and maintains an intricate sword dance of flavors inside a burly exterior, this may be a bit tame, but for an everyday smoke that emphasizes comfort over drama this blend could well end up being a favorite.

Similar Blends: Villiger - Early Day (1888), Peterson - Wild Atlantic, Cornell & Diehl - Stratfordshire.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-03-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought about eight ounces of Proper English back in 2009 and found it to be a reliable, but not an overly interesting blend which ended up in a Mason jar. Upon revisiting PE, it has grown softer with time. The Latakia, which was never used in large quantities in this blend, has softened and the Virginias have moderately sweetened. The biggest change is that the Latakia and the Orientals have really melded together, making them less distinguishable from each other and IMHO greatly improves the blend. Now, like in the past, it is cool burning and offers a nice aftertaste. PE is still straightforward and uncomplicated, and words like solid, sturdy and reliable come to mind rather than exciting, complex or unique. Sometimes solid is a good thing.

Age When Smoked: 7 years

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2016-02-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Stokkebye's Proper English presents as thin ribbon with an array of brown shades from light to nearly black. Plenty of Latakia in the tin note with some tangy Virginias and a touch of Cavendish. I realize the description doesn't mention Cavendish, but I found its presence obvious in the tin note and charring light. The sweeter notes burn off very quickly, however, and Orientals assert as the stars of this show with the Virginias muted and the Latakia experience dry rather than musty. The burley works well with the Oriental, adding some wood and parchment notes.

Interestingly, I found this blend in the first third of the bowl to be more Oriental forward than English Oriental Supreme, the latter having a sweet note similar, though lighter than, English Luxury. The Virginia asserts a bit by mid bowl to add just a touch of dampness and lighten up the blend. The Latakia is present in no small amount, but this by no means a "Lat bomb". The final third of the bowl brings the usual English mustiness - mushroomy damp tempered by the burley and Oriental. The overall experience is pleasant and a solid argument for a lower proportion of Virginia tobaccos in an English blend. To my taste the burley is a positive, by no means a "filler", and reminiscent of classic American English blends.

Overall a solid English and a great value, but competing in too crowded a field to earn four stars. You couldn't go wrong here on a budget or as an introduction to English blends. While not one for my favorites list, I could smoke this as an all day English without complaint. Another excellent Stokkebye blend.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2010-05-31		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

This is an excellent English blend. Took about 2 ounces before I truly got to know this mixture. I have tried several high dollar tinned and bulk English blends and this one tops them all. This is a smooth full bodied smoke that never fails to bring me to that euphoric state.

Edit* 12/1/16 I have to knock off a star, not because it's bad or anything but because I'm much more experienced now and I've tried a lot of better English blends. This is however, a perfect starting point for those just starting out or looking for a well balanced English blend for a really good price.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2003-03-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Why do Northern Europeans, who are great cigar smokers, so fear Latakia?

(And why do Italians, who invented pastry, love it?? Latakia, I mean.)

"The most Latakia" that a Danish blender profers is not, dear friends, much Latakia at all. The use of the condimental Turkish stuff is pretty timid too. The result is an amiable, by-the-numbers English that might seem like the Big Bad Wolf out on the Tivoli gardens, but can only cause Nightcap aficionados to smile.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gordo (6)	2018-10-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Love it! An amazing English blend. Really nicely balanced; smokey, salty and sour with a wonderful scent. I found Dunhill Nightcap to be too Latakia heavy—this is perfect for me.

Update 2020: I have aged this for two years now and it has only improved with age. Goes brilliantly with black tea, coffee or a glass of port. My favourite blend to date.

Pipe Used: Falcon coolway, Stanwell and Peterson System

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: 4noggins

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (401)	2018-01-15		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Okay, first I need to get this off my chest. If this is the most Latakia in their blends I do not want to try the least. Whew, feel better. It is a nice 'proper' English blend with an affordable price. I have had this for two years and probably smoked more today than the previous two years. I started out with a small billiard but that did not seem to cut it and then went to a large bowl pipe where for whatever reason it tasted better and produced a lot more smoke. It is good but I enjoy my coffee strong and guess for the most part like stronger, spicier, tobaccos in the English department. It has quite a few 4 stars but I just don't seem to be drawn to it personally. To each his own I say.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: 2 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PhantomWolf (41)	2017-04-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I tried Nightcap for the first time, I was intrigued. A few pipes later, that intrigue grew into a fondness that made it clear that English blends would play big part in my daily rotational tobacco selection. When I tried Stokkebye Proper English, it became just as readily apparent that I would need way more than just one English in that rotation. This blend is among my favorites and I was a little surprised to see it garner only a 3.1 average. This tobacco burns smooth and cool with no bite. It is a bit moist however and leaves my bowl damp. The flavour is rich and varied like any proper English should be- Campfire, leather, spicy, sweet, meaty, and smooth. The room note is pretty much exactly how Ron Burgundy describes his apartment as smelling. A must try for English fans that will always be readily found on my tobacco shelf.

Pipe Used: Bjarne Viking Skagen, Virgin Acorn-Bent

Age When Smoked: Fresh, air-dried for 20 mins prior to packing.

Purchased From: Allegheny Smokeworks Pittsburgh, PA

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	colt25314 (42)	2009-04-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Right off the bat I have to tell you I was a Dunhill My Mixture 965 smoker for over 20 years. It was my "all day smoke". I would order a 5lb bag of it about every 6 weeks or so from JR Cigars. As we all know, Dunhill pipe tobaccos are gone. I emailed British American Tobacco and asked if they planned to bring back Dunhill's pipe tobaccos and the answer I received was basically "we are not saying anything at this time".

Well folks, I gotta tell you this comes mighty close to the flavor of MY Mixture 965. I had loved 965 for years and now I have a new love: Proper English. I would advise all Dunhill puffers to give Proper English a try. The only advice I have is to spread it out on some wax paper and let it dry out a bit as it is a little too moist for my taste out of the bag.

I hope all my fellow Dunhill fans will give Proper English a try. You may just find (after you dry it out a bit) that you no longer pine for the flovors of Dunhill Pipe tobaccos as Proper English is one heck of a smoke and less expensive to boot. Happy puffing & God bless PS Remember to dry it out a bit!!!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2009-03-07		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been a long time fan of Balkan Supreme (BS), so I had to grab some Proper English last time I was in the Tinderbox in Santa Monica (worth a stop just to look at the paraphernalia on the walls!). Not sure how long their bag had been open, but my four-ounce baggie-full was on the dry side, just the way I like it.

Proper English has become an all-time favorite. It's more earthy than BS, which is expected from the high percentage of Latakia. Nevertheless, it remains smooth as silk, full of flavor, a big mouthful of complexity that retains the Virginias in the background. This blend is very temperature dependent, meaning you can get differing experiences in the same bowl-full by firing it up then backing off on the temp.

The first three minutes are not so impressive, but once the bowl warms up and the flavors begin to meld, it turns into a fantastic experience that I don't want to end. I guess I need to get a pipe with a bigger bowl! When one considers the great price, I think there is no better value available in high quality english/balkan blends.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the better English bulks on the market. Well balanced, plenty of Latakia and rich in flavor. Widely available in bulk and reasonably priced. One of Stokkebye's finest achievements for sure. Knowledgeable smokers of English blends should enjoy it. Novice smokers maybe not so much.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2006-09-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I found this in bulk at my local tobacconist, as I very much enjoy latakia blends I thought I would give this a try. In the pouch it smells like pure latakia, and once it was lit, it was rather one dimensional. Somewhere between Early Morning Pipe and 965.

Not nearly as spicy or as strong as 965, but quite a step up from EMP. Recommended for those who want a daily latakia smoke that you can smoke and forget; which is not, what I usually smoke English blends for.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2004-02-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a good effort by a Danish company to produce an English blend, so I will give them an A for effort, but only a C+ for execution.

The blend is a fine cut ribbon, with a fairly high percentage of dark lead. The aroma that is of a medium english/oriental blend. Moisture level is OK for a bulk blend, but the tobacco stays mopist for a very long time; ergo must contain PG.

The flavor is typical of many similar tobaccos found in bulk in B&M stores, some Latakia, some Turkish, but just not exciting. There are too many great English blends out on the market to waste time and money on a mediocre one.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Northern Nut (1)	2022-12-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have smoked perhaps 4 pounds of this in the last 24 months. This either means that I am pedantic, or it is good.

I prefer the second option, as my pride might be wounded by the first.

If one wishes to know how good a tobacco is, one must do two things.

First, connive to have a novice smell the contents of the jar. Have them breath deeply, and do not warn them.

Second, one must smoke the tobacco. These two things, the reaction of the novice, and the experience of the smoke, are the two principle things that form the true basis for any analysis of a tobacco.

If the novice hates it, and I enjoy it, it is good. If the novice retches, and I desire an immediate second bowl, it has achieved sublime greatness.

This method has never failed me. This tobacco is good.

Pipe Used: Peterson 926 Sherlock

Age When Smoked: New to 1 year

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Anthony Caridi (30)	2022-07-26		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This takes me back to the late 60's early 70's. A tiny bit reminiscent of BS 759.That "Blue Mountain Latakia" taste". Whatever that is. Just a little bit. Of course that's just me . The tobaccos melding is like a well balanced secret marinade. No ingredient dominates. The main dish though is Latakia. Everything else just enhances it's smokiness with an added nuance to a consistent theme. No unexpected shocks behind those mad blender's doors. Midway, the smokiness gets heavier but not at all overbearing. A campfire not a college barn fire. A sweeter BBQ sauce taste is here but not spiced up. More molasses/brown sugar than heat. But a pinch of black pepper. A smi-dry feel to the mouth. The mustiness comes through the last 1/3 or 1/4 of bowl. Not old celler more earthy mushroom. Never gets harsh for me. Never gets boring and always delivers a smooth, full smoke. What I expect from a Proper English these days. Ha Ha. I've been smoking this for years and will continue to until...... The dottle never disappoints. I try to smoke it like a happy dog chewing on a bbq bone. Chew... Yum.... Chew... Yum... Chew.... Yum. Stokkebye's best English.

Pipe Used: James Upshall P

Age When Smoked: 1year

Purchased From: P&C

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkansas Piper (47)	2022-02-14		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This English blend was a well balanced smoke. I'd say a basic, standard English. The latakia was up front, but not over powering. It smoked well in both a longer stem and shorter stem pipe. No tongue bite or anything unpleasant. Taste was consistent with a oriental touch. Very nice.

Pipe Used: Mr. Brog no. 14 Churchwarden and no 40 Prince

Age When Smoked: Less than a year

Purchased From: Local BM

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DakotaHale43 (47)	2020-07-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Has a very smoky campfire-like taste to it, which is exactly what you want out of an English blend. Burns very cool and evenly, with lots of flavor. Definitely going into my rotation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pmonroeb (18)	2020-05-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A good middle of the road English. Quality tobaccos without a lot of stems and hard pieces. I find this as good or better than many much more expensive tinned selections. At a very good bulk price, this hard to beat.

Pipe Used: Devited to English/Balkan

Age When Smoked: Recent

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peterson314 (43)	2019-10-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was surprised with how much I liked this blend. The jar note made me think it was going to overpower me, but it was much more pleasant. I smoked it immediately after Haunted Bookshop and compared to that, this blend was a lot fuller but still very smooth. This was my first Peter Stokkebye blend and from this blend, I will go and try more of his catalog.

2022-09-04 Update: This is a solid English. I tried this one after I smoked a bowl of Esoterica: Margate. I found Margate to be fantastic, but overly soapy. This blend was mild in comparison and an excellent palate cleanser. I would slot this blend under GL Pease Westminister with respect to fullness of flavor. This blend was subtle but complex. Had no harshness anywhere. I could play with the flavor by adjusting how hot my ember was. A light ember allowed for subtle flavor, but frequent puffing opened the complexity without turning acrid.

I like more full English blends, like Westminster or Gaslight. When this jar is empty, I don't know if I'll refill it. But I wouldn't turn it down.

Pipe Used: Peterson 314

Age When Smoked: Fresh and 3 Years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OhioTony76 (59)	2018-11-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This is a quality bulk blend. I consider this an oriental forward English. Right to the point where if there was much more oriental in this blend, it would be to much for my taste. The Latakia is not overpowering and the Virginia comes across very mild. Reminds me of Virginia cavendish (which they say it’s not). This is the quintessential sweet, sour and smoky pipe tobacco blend. I think it would age nicely.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leaf Packer (30)	2017-07-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I don't know where to start with this blend, very tasty, and relaxing. Wouldn't what any more Latakia, it would over the Orientals which the main reason for purchase. I measure all English blends against my favorite , Dunhill London mixture and Sasieni . I smoked in a Savinelli # 3 bowl , any bigger would be a misuse as this one heady blend strong nicotine , All levels of pipers should enjoy this tobacco , from pouch note to the bottom of bowl.

If not careful you may end up spending more money on this blend than your first house. Enjoy.

Pipe Used: Savinelli bent Rhodeisan

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

Similar Blends: London mixture and Sasieni.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	papapauly (24)	2017-02-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my first journey into Peter stockkeybe tobaccos.It was a very pleasant introduction, this is what a latakia forward English should be. I love latakia blends and my daily smokes are along the lines of star of the east, Atlas balkan, and nightcap. P.S. proper English is now in that rotation as well. I didn't pick up on much virginia but the orientals certainly show up strong, complete with the tingle on the tongue from the spicy leaf. The latakia was not overpowering to me but I like to add pirate kake to some blends so it could be strong for regular va/per or aromatic smokers. I highly recommend this blend to any piper that enjoys rich, pure tobacco in their pipe. This was a very enjoyable smoke and one that I look forward to smoking for many years to come.

Pipe Used: full bent billiard

Age When Smoked: new from bulk

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: Plantation evening.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	taima (12)	2016-08-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Unsmoked, the Proper English is rather pungent -- like sour leather with a hint of campfire. It's a nice blend to smoke -- very smoky and nutty, but not too strong. This blend burns slowly and fairly evenly, but sometimes requires a relight or two. I feel it has a rather mild flavoring, but it's not awful. No tongue bite. It mixes well with other blends.

Pipe Used: Corncob

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: Paul's Cigars, Beaverton, Oregon

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NoseFlavor (1)	2015-06-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I question whether I am smoking the same blend as some other reviewers. This is a unique, highly complex blend with the Orientals and Virginias playing off one another and the Latakia providing a strong, solid smoky backbone. The "tin" note is all woodsy/campfire Latakia. On first light, you have a typical medium English start, however, the flavor develops nicely to medium-full with a peppery nose. Nicotine is present, but not overpowering. Glad I bought a full pound. Highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Savinelli author & pot

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Perhaps a cross between Dunhill EMP and Nightcap, flavor wise. This blend has its own unique characteristics..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jason h. (51)	2015-05-12		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

If you arent a Latakia fan (which im not), this just may change your mind. The blend was mild, burned well, and burnt down to a clean ash at the end. Its smell, well thats another thing. What can I say, it contains Latakia, and if you like the smell of campfires, well this wont offend the smoker. I heard it said, that "I smoke a pipe for me, not for everyone around me." Makes perfect sense when it come to this. Good smoke!

Purchased From: Havana Connections

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stutter818 (51)	2015-03-28		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Really enjoy smoking this blend. I agree with a lot of other reviewers where the latakia is present but not overpowering. There is a slight spice to it when you start getting into the bowl. What I totally get and others haven't mentioned much, is a touch of sweetness to the musky English taste, which is so tasty. very enjoyable - if you like Frog Morton cellar, you will like this or vice versa.

Pipe Used: Ardor urano bent

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Sample

Similar Blends: Frog Morton cellar.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	whippersnapper (6)	2014-02-01		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

My knowledge is very limited as I have only tried a limited number of tobaccos other than store brands, but I found Proper English to have too much Lat in it. Kind of harsh for my tastes.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gus Evening (10)	2014-01-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a great English blend. Burns nicely all away down the bowl. Great flavor. If you like English blends, you should give it a try, it is a great value as well. Strong Latakia taste intertwined with Orientals with back notes of Virginias.

Similar Blends: GL Pease Westminster, Drew Estate - Meat Pie, Balkan Sasieni - Balkan Sasieni.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-24		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

A good English blend without the spice of Perique. It's as good an English as any I have smoked....perhaps Squadron Leader is a touch tastier, but not by much.

Came a wee bit on the dry side. Lights easily, stays lit if you're paying attention to your pipe and does not bite, though there is a bit of spice from the orientals but not annoying.

I like to mix this with Balkan Supreme, because as far as I'm concerned, Balkan Supreme needs all the help it can get.

Combined, Proper Supreme is a fine smoke. On its own, Proper English is equally a fine smoke.

Well worth buying!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2011-02-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love this blend. It reminds me of P.S. Luxury English blend but with a bit more Latakia and Orientals. I noticed hints of citrus from time to time. Good blend. I am still in search of a heavier Latakia blend though.

Tasty! Highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-06-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Probably the best English blend I have smoked in decades. That along with the reasonable price make it for me a great blend. Highly Recommended

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Davo (3)	2010-05-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is great stuff for the price. The moisture content was perfect. It lights easily, smokes cool and is low maintenance. This is what pipe dreams are made of.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Demetri (113)	2009-11-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I guess I am just prone to have a slightly different expectation of what I think a good "English" is for me. Of the three PS English blends I have tried thus far (this plus English Oriental Supreme and English Luxury), this one comes the closest to those expectations. In other words, I like this the best. Close but not on target, however. May the folks who truly appreciate this continue in their enjoyment. I am beginning to suspect that just as we often read the term "American-English", the PS offerings could be called "Euro-English". Neither being what (despite the name appropriation here by Stokkebye)"proper" English. All PS English taste of a sweetness different from what I grew up encountering in my Dunhill blends. (The American-English miss the mark for me in creaminess, mellowness.)Proper English gives this same odd sweet taste to me, albeit less so than the other two PS I have tried. Perhaps my age has something to do with this. I have never tried any Orlick tinned Dunhill and I quit the Dunhills after sampling MM#965 from Orlick in bulk. Hence, many who liken these blends to MM#965 may actually find them close to what their experience tastes like if they've become accustomed to Orlik's 965 and/or other Dunhills or PS blends. Frankly, for me several McClellands and Cornell and Diehls taste more authentic. I would rate Proper English less "proper" in comparison to C&D's Stratfordshire which does give me (albeit momentarily) wisps of the old flavors and textures I miss so much. My general impressions are: if left on a desert island with my pipe and this alone, I would smoke it while dreaming of my favorite blends. I do like the Latakia in Proper better than what comes through in the other two PS blends, but not enough to repurchase Proper if other blends are available.

Update - 03/08/2014 I purchased several ounces of this while out of town and what I got has definitely changed for the better. I am not sure if the corporate changes with the blender had anything to do with this but the cut on this blend is now a quality ribbon and the Latakia is still a bit edgy, it is far superior to what I reviewed before. That was pure coal smoke.

I also found this remarkably similar to Balkan Sasieni - current production. I had also bought a tin of BS at the same time and smoked these two in alternating sequence. Frankly the difference, if there is any, might just be an artifact of the tinned product catching some aging. Both are now STG, are they not? Hmm....

Bumping this to three stars.

Similar Blends: Balkan Sasieni.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-07-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I like this tobac. After searching for replacements for the Dunhill tobac I have smoked for 45 years I came upon Stokkebyes blends a few years ago. English Oriental Supreme is hands down my favorite in the P.S. line-up but P.E. comes in a close second. Here is a english that has a lot of taste!! the Latakia really shines with the virginias adding a a nice body of sweet that perfectly compliments this blend. This is an all day blend that packs and burns great. Brought to you in bulk and at a great savings compared to the cost of the boutique blends available. Master blenders like Stokkebye could teach apprentices like Pease a thing or two IMHO. This blend does not disappoint!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	poppy43 (11)	2009-03-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I find this a very satisifying smoke, I have a 3 tobacco rotation thru the day, and I always time for this, usually in the evening. It's a great last smoke of the day on the back deck in the summer and the price at Mars Cigars can't be beat. Highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SirShaggy (28)	2008-07-03		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

4 stars from me. MMmm! I love this tobacco. I find it has everything I like but not too much of it. It is stronger but not overwhelming. I think the room note is very tolerable but have seen a few people cringe a bit. My kids don't find it appealing either. I smoke this daily now. I searched for a tobacco that was just right for me, this is it. I like several others too, this is just me. It smokes to a fine ash without much effort. I like this in a mid to upper sized bowl, 3-5, for after a good meal. Several people mentioned the pouch aroma is a bit like Smoked Salmon, I like the smokey smell and the taste is even better.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-01-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I enjoy heavier English (and Balkan) blends and this fits right in my favorite zone. In my way of thinking [taste] Proper English is more of a medium to heavy English and it's brother, Balkan Supreme, has a flavor profile that is more a medium Balkan. These two blends provide plenty of variety for me.

The blend is a fine string cut of mostly dark leaf. The flavor is Latakia (Cyprian) forward along with the VA, the Orientals fill out the rest of the blend. Tasty and satisfying, the price can't be beat either. 9 out of 10 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2004-10-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I smoke this when out of the good stuff. Considering the price, it is at least three stars. If you smoke a lot of this in one sitting the value aspect wears a bit thin. Very good blend when smoked occasionally, downgrade to two stars if you smoke it too many times in one day!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimPM (153)	2021-10-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Stokkebye’s English blends are one of the best choices in value; great quality at a very comfortable price.

Proper English features a classic indulgence of plentiful Latakia, vibrant Turkish and striking Virginia. With a very personable pouched aroma, one is convinced of its merit as a gently sweet, lemony, earthy spice form its fragrant projection.

For the taste, in general, No. 52 is suggestively sweet, tarty, woody, and floral. The softly cased fruity-citrus Virginia grounds the over taste profile. A little forward, hearty tones of smoky musty woodiness emanate from the fine strain of Latakia provide a wonderful thrust of flavor, while the Oriental supports accenting tinges of floreated peaty spice in the backdrop.

And the charming room note speaks fittingly as a respectful benchmark towards the genre. No bite, cool burning and consistently satisfying, drop this one in your bowl and enjoy the Proper English distinction. Tally ho!

Pipe Used: Briar & Cob

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jevverrett (106)	2021-09-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I bought this recently in a deal that included a branded tobacco jar. I like to smoke English in the colder months, and wanted a decent daily smoke for work. A pound of this is pretty reasonably priced.

It came in a big bag when I bought it in bulk. It’s a moderately fine ribbon cut, with some sticks to pick out. It’s mostly very dark and medium brown, with bits of golden and yellow here and there. The nose is very smokey latakia with a little something sweet. It’s not a topping, but there is something extra in the casing. Industry secrets are fun mysteries.

I tried it in an acorn I use for English blends, and it didn’t work out well. Hot, and finished wet. I tried it in a pot lovat, and it didn’t burn well enough. Then a MM country gentleman to great success. And a Brigham bent billiard works great. It needs a narrow chamber to burn well and the graduated bottom end of the bowl in the acorn was too narrow to let it breathe. As it came is how I’ve been smoking it for a week now. Several bowls a day even.

It burns cool and doesn’t bite. Takes a few charring lights to get going properly. It took relights for me, but I’d imagine it could work better if it was smoked with more attentiveness. Finishes up nicely with fine ash. The flavor is solid and smokey, and is very well married in the batch I got. A little sweet zesty flavor shines through the darkness once in a while. The nic is mediumish, which is well enough, though I prefer stronger generally.

There’s not a lot to think about here. It’s good and satisfying, while not being a complex and contemplative smoke. Alternately, it’s enjoyable during quiet times. I’ve smoke a good 3 oz of this in the last week riding my routes at work. It’s a great work smoke, for a great price. I may try tweaking it a bit for strength at some point. Maybe a pinch of five brothers to give it some extra backbone.

Pipe Used: Brigham bent billiard, MM bent country gentleman

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: Other stokkebye English blends..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Seanv (35)	2021-04-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Bulk purchase. The cut is made up of long thin ribbons and some small chunks mixed in. Lots of dark Latakia and some bright looking Virginia's.

Bag note is smoky Latakia upfront followed by some sweetness which probably is the Virginia's. The Orientals are slightly pungent and only barely noticeable.

Packs well enough for the long cut and lights well. My bag was pretty dry but that is how I like it. First flavors are of the smoky Latakia. The Virginia's give it some sweetness and the Orientals add that slight incense note. As the smoke evolves the components stay consistent. The sweetness is becomes more noticeable towards the final third. The Latakia stays as the main player however. The Orientals come and go towards the end but really become muted for the final third of the smoke.

A few relights will be required along the way. The burn is easy and produces a lot of smoke and will leave behind some dottle but most will burn to a grey ash.

Overall this is a basic English style blend that most people will probably find middle of the road as I do. It is not bad but it doesn't stand out and that's not a bad thing. I probably won't rebuy but I would recommend this blend.

Pipe Used: various briars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bibicus2112 (2)	2018-01-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

In the jar, the aroma is of campfire, leather, and beef jerky. The moisture level is perfect for packing right out of the jar. Once lit, I get dry woody, smoky, and sweet notes. This tobacco seems to be fairly consistent throughout with a build in the sweetness as I smoke. Up to this point I have been a predominately aromatic smoker. This blend has made me think twice about English blends. I plan on keeping this one in my rotation. Because of Peter Stokkebye's Proper English I will continue to explore others. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Billiard/Chimney & Corn Cobb

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Randy Tuggle (46)	2017-12-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

This one seems to have a very present peppery kick. As you start the smoking experience, it seems rather mild with a nice blend of latakia - not too much, but just right. Not what I'd call my favorite English blend though. As the pipe smoking continues on toward mid-bowl, the taste of black pepper starts to come to the forefront and everything else fades away from the taste of the tobacco. By the time you get toward the end, you feel as if you have been tasting pure black pepper alone for nearly an hour. This experience is not one I prefer to have when smoking any English blend as it has never happened before with any English I have smoked.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula 68 2012

Age When Smoked: One year

Purchased From: Cigars International, Hamburg, PA, USA

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pinko (52)	2016-08-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A step up from EMP in Latakia strength, with similar Turkish flavor that gives it a very well blended taste. The VA never did show any character, but it wasn't like anything was missing.

This is a well-rounded textbook English blend. My tastes run more on the 965 end of the spectrum, but I'm never disappointed by this Stokkebye offering. I'd recommend it to smokers who are beginning to explore Englishes as a good benchmark.

Age When Smoked: fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J.R. Patton (106)	2016-05-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Most of the other reviewers have already voiced my sentiments here. It's a solid, no bells and whistles English with a heavier but not excessive quantity of latakia. If oriental content were a little higher, I suppose it'd be more balkan than traditional English - there's only a smattering of Orientals here, just enough for some pleasing spicy notes to keep it interesting. One reviewer said it best...it's a working man's English, no more no less. Just right in the strength and nic departments, and behaves well when smoked. The quality here is above what I expected of this price point. Gotta love Stokkebye!

Age When Smoked: 1 year 2 months

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RKT123 (3)	2016-04-25		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is an interesting tobacco...it's not the greatest, but I've kept it on hand for about 10 years now. Today, I enjoyed...mostly...a bowl in a Dunhill bent that caused me to write this review. I say "mostly" because I don't enjoy the last third of a bowl as much as the first two-thirds. The Latakia seems to go flat toward the end. But, I keep coming back to smoking it on a continuing basis. Some of my pipes do not smoke it to ash but today the Dunhill 52021 sang and it was grand and thus I'm speaking up for the blend. The price is reasonable and it's a blend you should try once...or maybe weekly.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Root Briar 52021

Age When Smoked: 2 Years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2015-12-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Today being Christmas Eve, I decided to venture out to my local tobacconist in search of some Holiday deals and perhaps finding a new favorite. Fast forward an hour, I walked out with a new pipe and several 2 ounce samples. He was not offering any Holiday deals and somehow shnookered me into buying a beautiful Oom Paul. Anyhow, one of the samples was PS Proper English which smelled delicious in the jar and was very inexpensive. Various shades of brown with yellow and black ribbons, very thin and long strands that take flame quite easily. Light up and the musty /salty taste with a slight sweetness leads me to believe I am really going to enjoy myself! If they stopped production of Dunhill tobacco's again I could actually be quite happy and content with PS PE. A very middle of the road English with just enough Nicotine to content me, just enough to not bowl one over with strength, I do prefer 965 due to the slight sweetness the Cavendish provides but again I would be pleased with PS PE as my regular go to English especially considering cost and high quality leaf.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Haebar (52)	2015-12-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Peter Stokkebye Proper English No. 52: The appearance is mostly dark brown with some black ribbon-cut pieces. The aroma from this bag of 2 year-old aged tobacco is fruity, musty and tangy with a characteristic oriental tobacco scent. This is a very balanced English, not too heavy on any particular component. The Latakia is rich and smooth but not a bully. The orientals lend a pleasant diversity to the taste experience. The Virginia provides the matrix to hold it all together with natural sweetness. I have smoked it in 4 or 5 pipes and every time have had a pleasant smoking experience. Tonight I'm having it in a Savinelli Punto Oro 906 EX with the Corallo finish. It is a slightly bent stacked billiard with a tall bowl; this tobacco smokes great all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Proper English is a very good medium strength English offered at a reasonable price.

Pipe Used: Savinell Punto Oro billiard, Missouri Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: a friend

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2015-11-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a typical English blend with average latakia and oriental. No one particular stood out, and you can call it consistent or boring. All I am saying is, there are much more interesting blends in this category. I figure PS makes much more fine vaper than latakia blends, IMHO.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2015-07-02		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

A very surprising English mixture given the low cost. This one is salty, savoury, with some wonderful oriental perfumed notes. The Latakia is always present but never overbearing. Definitely pushed to a tingly acidic side, it has a citrus sweetness but is pleasantly understated in this regard. Nicely balanced imo. Some harsh notes as the bowl progresses.

Nothing individual here stands out as exceptional except for the orientals, which are impressive at the price point. Burns well and is a trouble free smoke, probably helped along by being quite dry. There is, I suspect, some synthetic assistance in the flavour department but it is unobtrusive enough to avoid complaint. Not quite 3 stars, but close.

Pipe Used: Lepeltier, Missouri Pride

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fred T (67)	2015-04-17		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Latakia, Latakia, Latakia. I love a good English blend with plenty of Latakia. It's stated that this one has the most Latakia of Stokkebye's English blends. Well, I've finally reached my limit. This one is a little too strong for me with a tad too much Latakia. I didn't think it could happen. This one is for Navy Seals and other Special Forces only. Mere mortals stick with Dunhill 965.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Billiard

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-08-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I am fairly new to pipe smoking and have been looking for that specific taste I want and I have to say that PS Proper English is just the perfect smoke I have been looking for. This is the first English blend I have ever tried and I am satisfied to the point that I don't really need to buy a whole bunch of different ones because Its that good and the price cannot be beaten. This suits the taste that I have been looking for. What I like is the taste, I guess it is the Latakia that I really like, it seems to dominate the rest of the other tobaccos that are mixed in which I like.

When I first opened the bag I immediately smelled it and I just knew that I would love this stuff. Why? because the smell reminded me of Bruton or Rooster Scotch snuff which I use to love and use before.

I would say that If you are new to pipe smoking and you previously used to chew something like " Grizzly Straight " or if you used nasal snuff and like scotch " Bruton, Rooster or W.E Garrett this PS Proper English would probably suit your taste. It did for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CriolloCorojo (18)	2013-07-04		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a great, affordable, English/Latakia blend for the money. The price is right on when purchased in bulk. I love English blends but also smoke a lot of flake and some non-English and aromatic blends. I could smoke it every day and did for a while. I have been smoking the Ashton Artisan's Blend, Davidoff English (blue tin) and Ashton Consummate Gentleman as of late, but I do work this blend in a few times a week. I would give this blend four stars if they could get some better quality virginias in it. Of course, the price would most likely go up. So, for the price, it is a good blend. I have a pipe dedicated to it - although, I have used that pipe to smoke some other English blends as of late. I will be ordering some more soon, as I am getting low. I will be smoking it daily again...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2012-11-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I love this stuff most of the time. I cannot give it 4 stars because one batch was very different from the others I have purchased. The stuff I love is rich, sweet, smoky, with a hint of spice in the background from the orientals I would guess. However, as I said one order came in and it was bitter, and would bite quickly. I am not sure if it is a quality control issue or not but an issue nonetheless.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BlacksmithTim (10)	2012-07-26		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is my first English blend. I'm not sure what it is about this but I like it.

The flavor is OK, but nothing to write home about in my book, but I keep finding a craving for it about every other day. Going to get more of this when it's in stock.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tleek (51)	2012-07-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a good little, no frills English blend. Though it is Stokkebeyes heaviest English, in terms of Latakia content, I would call it a medium english. It is in no way a latakia bomb at all. It is a fairly simple smoke. All the components are there and blend nicely, but it isn't too terribly complex.

I think it would be a good first English and I recommend to all!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	earl (12)	2012-06-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Though not a particularly complex smoke, I find it to be a good smooth smoke with a smokey, "velvet" quality to its taste. Latakia-prominent, though the oriental and virginia tobaccos are noticeable. Unlike some reviewers, I find its smooth, smokey taste present throughout the bowl. Certainly, for the price,if you're looking for a consistently good English blend, can't go wrong with this one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-02-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a solid, no-frills straightforward English. The pouch aroma is unusually strong, but the flavor seems fairly typical. Spicy, with some leathery notes. Fine all around.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-11-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

My first venture into heavier latakia blends, although from comparing reviews it seems there are certainly some much more flavorful and stronger (vit N) latakia blends out there. Taken on its own merits, this one is very pleasurable to smoke and gives off a nice campfire smokiness, tempered somewhat by the oriental/balkan tobaccos present. The Virginias participate very little to my taste, perhaps adding a slight sweet finish. I don't get much nicotine from this.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Blue Jazzman (73)	2011-10-20		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Proper English lights easy and burns well. Not the beat English I've tried, but not at all bad for the price. I had no problem with it losing it's flavor as other reviewers had, maybe because I smoke a vintage 70's meer exclusively? Good quality tobacco from P.S. as usual. I wish these guys who throw away their tobacco would mail it to me!I'll pay for the postage!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sirchud68 (60)	2011-10-20		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

As the weather drops down here it's time to break out the Latakia and Oriental blends a bit more often. I have puffed on Proper English here and there throughout the summer but plan on hitting it in earnest now. I find P.E. smokes like a p.e. should with a rich woody taste that brings open campfires, old books, and fine leather boots to mind. That is until about midway through the bowl. Like a switch flipped off, P.E. loses its flavor to the ash. Maybe I just need to spend time and figure out how this blend needs to be smoked. I love Stokkebye tobaccos and say this is worth the price I paid for it. Not the best "English" blend I've ever came across, but it's all about the hunt, no?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HokieGeek (23)	2011-04-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, this started out quite nice and tasty, but about halfway down the bowl it simply turned ashy and smokey, even though I had plenty of tobacco left. Not entirely sure if it was merely technique, but that's never happened before. On the plus side, it light up perfectly with one match and never once needed a relight.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-02-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

SIMPLY AMAZING!

Packs good, Smokes great

So far this is my favorite tobacco due to its taste(during and after) and how wonderfull it consistantly smokes.

Not harsh, hot, or wet

Best of all is the amazing price for bulk.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-22		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Proper English is a good solid English blend. Nice taste. Nice aroma. It's not going to put Pease out of business or be confused with something like Artisan's Blend.

But it's probably as good or better than most of the other offerings on the market.

It's exceptionally smokable and highly enjoyable. For the price it's a great staple for anyone's rotation.

If it was a steak it would be a sirloin not a filet. But a sirloin done the right way is a damned good steak.

I'd suggest everyone with a taste for English blends try PE. You might fall in love and save yourself a great deal of money in the process.

By the way a not to the prior reviewer. Stokkebye does indeed make a Balkan. Aptly named Balkan Supreme. Very well received. Try it you'll like it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-06-23		Strong	Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I got an interesting flavor profile off of this one. On my first light I could swear I tasted something like burley, and then as the bowl progressed I got into the more Lat flavorings and spice. A hint of sweetness that was either the Orientals or the VA's, but for the most part the Latakia is the Diva and the show-stealer. It takes center stage quickly and only lets the others have a few words in edgewise until it takes it back again. If this is a lat bomb, sign me up, because I'm enjoying this thank you very much.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-04-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is some powerful stuff. 'Proper English' may be somewhat of a misnomer. This is not a particularly sophisticated blend of tobacco though it is well balanced and not one dimensional at all. In fact it is rather uncouth, 'countrified' if you will. But it is very very good. High powered sour mash as compared to a single malt Scotch. Hearty, not delicate.

I didn't notice anyone else mention this but I tasted a tanginess when smoking this that I don't usually find in an English blend. Some cellaring may take that out of it. I put up half of what I got in a Mason jar and kept the rest out for smoking now. When I've smoked all of what I have out I'll see if what's in the jar has smoothed out some. I expect it will have. If it doesn't I won't complain. This is a very tasty, and very full blend of tobaccos that I can easily live with just as it is.

It's easy to pack, easy to light and keep lit, doesn't produce a gurgle or goop in the pipe. It will bite if smoked to forcibly, and it is not what I'd consider an 'inside' smoke.

Probably because of the Virginias, the tanginess fades into a gentle sweetness as the smoke progresses. And I thought the bottom of the bowl tastes better than the top. In fact, it is almost like having two blends in the pipe; a harsher, bull-headed, blend at the top that becomes more easy going as it is smoked.

I'd rate this tobacco high at any price, but at the price it sells for it's an unbeatable value.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	camachoman (6)	2010-02-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Although with this blends make-up, maybe a more proper comparison would be to SG Squadron Leader, but with it's heavy latakia content, I find Proper English to be similar to Commonwealh Mixture. Neither are very complex, but between the two, PE has a bit more depth (assuming it's due to the oriental). I love both blends, and although Sam Gawith brands are relatively inexpensive, PE is an exeptional bargain!

Comparisons aside, Proper English can definately stand on its own as outstanding English blend. A new staple in my rotation, and plenty more will be added to my cellar!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kissphantom05 (22)	2010-02-08		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is definitely one that could be an every day smoke. I had a little trouble keeping it lit, but perseverance yielded one of my most relaxing smokes of the month. The latakia is not overpowering, but its presence is not lacking. I do think that this is the first blend of oriental tobacco that I have tried. I recommend this tobacco for those looking for a proper English blend for pleasure and not a nicotine fix.

Also mixes very interestingly with R C cola.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-08-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I like this tobacco. It has a good amount of latakia and orientals in it. Nice smoky-ness to the smoke, this is also my first experience with orientals, and I love them. This is the 2nd english blend I tried and it made me fall in love with them all over again, as my first blend did. Like english tobaccos? Give this a shot! Stokkebye's strongest, and best, latakia blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fofo (81)	2009-02-26		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's really not that bad for the price, but not something i'd buy again. I enjoyed for a little while but then, after smoking Balkan Supreme this stuff just doesn't quite cut it. It's one dimensional and can get boring.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Very "Proper" as well as very "English". A little moist for this smoker's taste at first, but about an hour at room humidity brought it within the preferred range. Smoooooooth, if that is what being part of the Danish variety brings, then well brought.

Not a Latakia powerhouse, but no wimp either. Balanced and easy smoking. LIt it ONCE, that's right one light, and it performed like a champ all the way to the end. Love the variety of spice against Virginia, off the smokey Latakia. Variety is the spice of life and this was different without being abnormal.

Tantric hit it with their review; this requires little smoker attention, just puff, sip and enjoy. Great value and well worth a sample to try. A good diversion from the PS Balkan Supreme as well as complimentary to it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	final_id (37)	2009-02-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Above-average English, but it?s very dry and rather unflavored. A good smoker for someone who?s addicted to nicotine, but not for someone who?s interested in flavors. B.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-10		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Bought this from a local B&M a while back, and assumed it was one of their house blends. Liked it so much I went back today and bought 1/2 pound. Imagine my surprise when the clerk brought out the gold foil PS bag!! This has become my "go to" English blend. While I still like the various Dunhill (no matter who's blending 'em, I don't have enough backgroud to miss the original versions) blends, I find this to be extremely smooth and satisfying, but with enough richness and complexity to keep me from becoming bored with it. Truly, if you like English blends, especially with a lot of latakia, you owe it to yourself to try this tobacco!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-12-13		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Proper English may not be in the same league as Nightcap (which honestly is a little to much for me),but this is an excellent english with a good mix of Latakia and Oriental on top of the Virginia used. A solid 3 stars IMO!!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-08-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A very pleasant blend that offers a high quality smoke at a very good price. All three tobaccos make their presence known, with none outdoing the others. Easily, an everyday smoke, and one worth cellaring. If you like an English blend, try it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2008-08-09		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another great blend from Stokkebye. Both my wife and I agree that there is definitely a woodsy, campfire type of aroma about it. A great price for the quality of the blend. A nice white ash appeared at the end of a number of smokes. Will definitely keep some on hand. This is not quite as powerful a blend as English Luxury, but in itself a very good tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-05-03		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I've been smoking for about a year now and this is the blend that got me out of the beginner aromatics. I've tried a lot of blends and this one just the right amount of latakia to not be overwhelming.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	constantsmoker (65)	2007-09-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a tasty, medium-to-full English blend, superbly crafted by the Danish master, Stokkebye. Pleasantly sweet Virginias, smokey Latakia, and not-too-spicey Orientals (a plus in my book) that both temper the Latakia and add a dimension of their own. Consistenly flavorful. This blend compares very favorably to pricier versions. A satisfying, cool-burning, all-day or evening smoke that is well worth adding to your cellar. One of my favorite evening smokes.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-08-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I like Balkans and latakia. I don't smoke anything anymore w/o latakia in it and found this blend quite compatable. I also let my tobacco dry out fairly well before smoking it. I've gone through a 4 oz. jar of this blend that I've had sitting around a couple of months. It got better toward the end, as I put the last 2 ozs. in a pouch to take on vacation with me.

I've not had a bad bowl of it, no matter if it was in a large freehand Knute, group 5 Dunhill Shell or small Stanwell. I've been smoking a rotation of: Squadron Leader, Nightcap and Proper English for the last week. Given my choice of the three...this one is the one I want on that deserted island with me, if I only get one baccy to take!

Good latakia taste, not too strong and no bite for me...the price is right and I'll be buying more!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AL (26)	2007-02-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

For a Danish blender this is one blend that does not have a Danish signature that I expect to find in most of their blends. This is English that is as advertised, loaded with Latakia. My last batch of bulk was not mixed well and came with a lot of clumps of Latakia, easy enough to remedy. The smell of the blend is as expected; musty Latakia. Moisture content was excellent right out of the bag. As an English, I find this to fill all the requirements of an English, however the Latakia is either a little too high a percentage of the mix, the Virginia seems too light or is overwhelmed by the Latakia, likewise with the Oriental. This is typically a road tobacco for me, I?ll fill a pouch with this and smoke it through the day while on my rounds. The tobacco I find smokes best in medium sized pipes, I have had no bite from this blend. It?s a Latakia blend that produces abundant smoke. The taste I find to be musty and a little astringent at times. Burns down to a coarse dark gray and black speckled ash.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Moe (46)	2006-11-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Going to have to disagree with my fellow pipers on this one, I find this blend to be a great change of pace from most english blends I have tried, although it IS heavily laden with Latakia (which I love) It is in no way a Night Cap/EMP/965 wannabe, and has a flavor all its own, yet unmistakably English. To try and describe its flavor..salted leather and anise, that is realized best (by me) when exhaled through the nose. When I rated the room note as pleasant, I wasnt using the wife scale, I personally like the room note (it dont stink if you like that smell), however the wife hates the heavy Latakia and turns the kitchen exhaust fan up to super noisey smoke suck mode. I can smoke it fast, slow, cool or hot and it never gets harsh tasting and never burns the tongue. Though I enjoy the previous mentioned Dunhill blends. Proper English is a great all day smoke for the heavy Latakia lover,even if its not a crowd pleaser, but who do you smoke for?

I will never let myself run out,3 stars yummy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-25		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Really not latakia ladden, still within the realm of tasty english mixtures. Orientals lead the way and virginias come right behind, sometimes changing places. Sweet and interesting, simple at first puffing and increasingly complex afterwards, just as in Stokkebye's English Oriental Supreme but with an extra dimension borrowed from some discretely applied cyprian latakia. I love to smoke this one the whole day, but it comes to a price: it bites after the 5th bowl. I cannot think of anything bad to say about this mixture. It carries first class tobacco, burns and packs fine, even the light topping is unconsecuencial. It contains no bad note in any sense. The only thing I woud ask is a small addition of syrian latakia, for this is the strongest mix latakiawise PS offers. There are many "elder" english blends which are better in some way, richer or cooler or smokier at least, but would not appeal for a continuous smoking like this one does.

A very nice finding. A powerfull everyday smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-31		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The description says "The most Latakia of any blend we make..."

If you love Latakia, don't let this statement mislead you. This is in no way a 'full' English blend. Pretty mild, really. Is that bad? No. Sometimes I feel like something lighter. Proper English can fill that bill nicely. The Oriental is pretty mild too.

My "Proper English" was a bit damp for my taste, but a short time exposed to the air took care of that. It packed well, lit well, and burned well. Room note reminds me of a campfire - just what I expect from a light to medium English.

This is available in bulk, but don't classify it a a 'bulk blend' in a derogatory fashion. This is actually pretty good tobacco.

New to English blends? Want a break from the heavy stuff? Give Proper English a shot. I'm betting you won't be sorry.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-27		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This has been my daily smoke for last two weeks, great out door smoke. like in my bigger bowls, all the way to the bottom.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-11-16		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Update - I'm going to upgrade Proper English to its rightful place. 4 of 4 I'm reaching for this more and more and find myself craving it. It's never boring or flat and behaves very well when treated nicely. I'm wondering if they forgot to mention in their description that there is a pinch of perique in this blend? My taste buds tell me yes.

It leaves a wonderful room note and handles very well. Sometimes I open the jar just to get a whiff. This is a delightful Medium strength blend that is very consistent and I truly enjoy some daily. Even the consistency of the fine cut with some mixed ribbon is very easy to pack and nice to handle. (I know that is not the criteria for the rating but it is a definite endorsement.) -VC

===

18 Oct 05 This was my first visit back to PB blends in quite a while. I'm not impressed with the line in general ... however ... this is good stuff. It is tasty Englishy blend. There's some Latikia but not so much as you may gather from the company's description - noted by other reviewers. Nonetheless, this is a very nice smoke. While I love strong tobaccos, this is one of those that I will reach for when I want a mild English. I find the room note to be very pleasant. I detect a dash of the old vanilla and fig that rounds off the pleasant note. It smokes cool, packs easily and the moisture of the bulk was perfect. The moisture consistency may be a natural result of a little PG. Of this I am not sure, but, I find this to be good, reasonably priced, cool, dry smoking and tasty enough. I think it's a fine blend. It could very well be an all day smoke.

Cheers, VC

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hunter (54)	2005-11-02		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

For the aromatic lover that I am, this is not a bad addition to my rotation. It is an inoffensive, modest English blend, and an acceptable change of pace for me. If you're new to Latakia, or are afraid of them, this is a good place to start. I smoke this blend on occasion. It's not terribly heavy like many English blends, but it's what you would expect from a Danish manufacturer. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it, but isn't bad when you want a slight change of pace from PS's usual offerings.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-08-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I find this tobacco a little too bland for my taste, though it is for sure a good quality one. The flavour is pungent but it really lacks some kick, and I could taste a light casing but couldn't identify it. It can be one of the tobaccos good to be smoked during summer for its freshness and dry-smoking quality, but after that I always want to go back to some serious latakia blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-08-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I was quite satisfied with the first 2oz sample I received of this blend. I have come back for more on a few occasions and find that it improves upon aging in my bulk jar. The longer I keep on hand, the more tanginess I can taste from the Orientals & Latakia. A local tobacco shop offers this PS blend by the name of Euphoria. It took a while for me to warm up to this blend, which was recommended to me; but after about 5 - 7 bowls, I must say I did indeed feel quite euphoric. I can't put my finger on it, but it's got a little extra taste in it resembling that of French bread in the midst of the typical Balkan flavor. It's just a hint, but it's enough to make it stand out. Balkan fans: give this one a try. It's no Dunhill London Mixture, but worth your time nonetheless.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-02-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

I was introduced to this special tobacco at Uhle?s, Milwaukee, by the helpful and enthusiastic people behind the counter. They keep it cellared in a golden foil perma moist pouch behind the counter. It's labelled PS 52. I was told that this is the same recipe of the Balkan Sobranie. Since I never tried that mixture but only have read about it, I thought ?why not?? This is a fine blend, and if Sobranie was really this good, then I?m glad I?ve had an opportunity to try a manifestation of it. The cut is dark and stringy. Packing qualities are good. The aroma is full and the taste rich in orientals and sweet spice. It?s not as balanced, round and complete as Balkan Sasieni, and it lacks its perfect finish, but it is an excellent choice for the oriental tobacco lover. Caution: be careful how you puff because this does have a cumulative tongue burning effect. If you can find some at your local tobacconist, give this one a try. A quality blend such as PS 52 certainly does not deserve all the thrashing it gets in these reviews.

Four of five stars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-01-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I began smoking this shortly after finishing a couple of ounces of Stokkebye?s English Luxury, a blend I think very highly of, and thus the Proper English found itself living in its brother?s shadow. Not nearly as smooth and tasty as English Luxury, Proper English also has much more of a tendency to bite. A perfectly fine bulk option, but there are many superior bulk English blends, even within the Stokkebye line, so I?m not going to rush out and stock up on Proper English. In many ways, this blend reminded me of Paul Olsen?s My Own Blend 7000 and of Butera?s Pelican, which are very nice blends but also have a tendency to bite.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2003-05-02		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

There was nothing in this blend that will have me coming back. I tried the bulk form of it. It comes in a fine ribbon cut with some long strings that make it a little messy when packing. The moisture was at the proper level. It easily burned hot, so you have to watch it. The flavor was too bland for me. Not enough of anything, especially of latakia. I tried a pound of it before reviewing and I have to say that even though it was reasonably priced, I would rather spend twice the amount for something with more flavor and complexity, and more latakia. Sorry.....

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I ordered this on the recommendation of a knowledgeable friend. I have been smoking quite of bit of Renaissance lately and there is quite of bit of similarity between these two. Proper English is perhaps a little less strong and does not have the complexity of Renaissance, but is a good alternative if price is a consideration. I believe I paid $24 for a pound of Proper English whereas Renaissance is far more. I certainly have smoked quite a few English mixtures that were not as good and cost far more.

Proper English is good, but not great.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2023-04-14		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I didn't like this one as much as the luxury English because nothing really stood out to me as far as English blends go. I suppose that is what's good about it, it's a standard "proper" English, the name is quite fitting. Something I will usually grab an ounce or two to smoke with my two feet on the ground and not ponder which leaf is where in the smoke (I'm not good at putting that into words anyway) Just a good ole trusty English.

Pipe Used: Briars

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pie Eyed Piper (22)	2023-01-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Bulk English blends that's been around for decades. A rich, cool, and sweet smoke. Smokey Latakia that is creamy, floral, spicy, a bit musty. Virginias shine through with sweetness, orientals provide sour notes. All of it plays out in a nice interlude. A good quality bulk English that's heavy on the Latakia.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: New to a year old

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-10-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Ok so full disclosure I am not a huge fan of latakia but I'm trying to get into it. I feel as much as many like it perhaps I am missing out.

As for this blend all I taste is latakia, its overpowering. I could smell it as soon as I picked up the box it was mailed in.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-10-12		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

This pungent, delicous baccy is the perfect antidote to EMPs 'bite' (for me, at least), as I mix it 50:50, the strength of EMP counters the mildness too, for a very flavourful puff!

The delectable pungency of the baccy is simply adorable!

And it smokes well too. If you like a very flavourful English blend, get a nosebag full of this - you won't be disappointed.

Along with a goodly supply of EMP, I'd definitely take this one to my desert island - and that would cover my 'English' blend!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thomasanswered (11)	2011-06-30		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

There are so-called one-dimensional tobaccos one might enjoy, but Stokkebye's Proper English approaches un-dimentionality, contrary to the expectation one gets from reading some of the other reviews here. One is amid much smoke, nearly all of which is tasteless, a warm, dry nothingness.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-06-21		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

For the price this may be good, but there are so many full English blends out there that are better balanced in terms of flavor I cannot see my self buying more of this. I would rather spend the extra money on a tin of GLP Odyssey and get something that actually has complexity to it.

The latakia simply overwhelms all the other flavors so that after the initial light (when I can detect the fine perfumed Orientals) all I taste is salt and leather. Smoked in the evening, I can taste this the next day until noon even with 3 teeth brushings in the mean time. Not my cup of tea.

Bump this up one star if you like lat-bombs and you are on a real tight budget.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-10-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

In a brief moment of clarity amidst my current Virginia flake reverie, I happened to notice that I was out of anything even remotely resembling an English blend. The sudden latakia craving that followed had me ordering a couple new latakia-laden tins and 8oz. of Nightcap, but what to do in the meantime? 2nd Day Airmail is just that, so I went down to the local tobacconist and grabbed an ounce of the most latakia-heavy bulk blend I could find, which happened to be Proper English. Oh what a cruel tease this stuff is. It's not horrible, but it tastes like a dried-out dirty sock compared to the tobaccos I have sitting in a UPS freighter somewhere...

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