Peter Stokkebye Proper English (No.52)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.