Smokers' Haven 20th Anniversary Mixture

I'm not an English expert by a long shot, but I am guessing this has (some) Syrian Latakia in it from the very strong and smokey pouch aroma and the slightly wine like taste. There is also some kind of flavoring (anise) added but it is very subtle. Or it could be a byproduct of the unique processing.

It is not as full in the Latakia department as Margate and not as complex, but it is a wonderful smoke. This is the kind of English mixture which blends all the elements into a cohesive whole and there is not much interplay of the various elements. Like a lot of Germain products, this has a certain unique taste which simply transports me to a rocky, windswept coast somewhere far away, much like a good single malt.

In the pouch this smells of smoky Latakia, so I had high hopes. Once lit it was an odd mixture. I could taste some sweetness, maybe Black Cav. or a light casing. It would make a very good transition for those who enjoy aromatics and would like to try an English blend that doesn' t taste bland. This tobacco has some real flavor to it, I could taste the Latakia throughout the entire bowl.

I will revisit this blend in warmer months, as I tend to enjoy a sweeter tobacco in the summertime. Recommended.

I recently recieved a sample of this from the fine folks at Smokers Haven. To my knowledge , I have never smoked a tobacco blend produced by J.F. Germain & Son. If they are all this pleasant, I should try more of them! This is a VERY smooth, relaxing and flavorful english blend. I have smoked many English blends in my time, and this one gets very close to top billing. The only thing I did not care for is the cut of the tobacco, very difficult to pack into the pipe. Other than that, top notch stuff. NO tonguebite, required few relights, very mild in the nicotine department ( Just my humble opinion ), and a non-offensive room note for those around you....this is the FIRST english blend my partner has not wrinkled his nose at! Give this one a try, I think you will be glad you did! Three out of four stars. Recommended!!

I am reviewing a 2019 tin of this old blend. I will come back and review this when it has some age on it, this is straight off the boat and one of the fresher blends I have reviewed. I am sure age will change this up. Tin note: Wow, this was a weird one. It was very wet when I opened it and I attribute that to the freshness. There is some kind of liquor topping (apple/pear brandy? Absinthe?) But it is strong and it mixes with the Latakia to smell like...band aids. Yes the plastic strips for ouchies. Oddly enough I came to like it, kind of how one enjoys the smell of their own...well you get the point. This is young and the topping makes this very wet and need of some major dry time. It retains the top note and once dried is easy to pack and light. The Orientals and Latakia struggle for dominance in this and the give and take makes for an interesting smoke. The sour and spicy Orientals and the sweet, creamy Latakia are both enhanced by the topping, I am pretty sure this is a flavored brandy, but it enhances the sweetness of the Latakia and the Virginia's and it also seems to add to the spicy and sour notes of the Orientals. That is a pretty complementary topping. Germain tobacco's all seem to have age and a distinctive old world character, this is no exception but it is the "youngest" old tasting blend I have experienced from this blender. I am willing to bet this will age beautifully. I will pop another tin in a year and see what is what. Another good blend from the Germain family.

This is another fine offering from smokers have. I love the smell of latakia in the tin. It also has some sweetness. The tobacco burns well and is absolutely maintenance free. The blend is also quite flavorful and has a delightful balance of Turkish and latakia. The VA tobaccos are somewhat sweet but more of an herby taste, and the latakia is leathery and smoky. What else could you ask for. Well other than the fact that it is always on back order (for good reason).

Received a sample from Smoker's Haven today. Sample was just about the right moisture. Aroma from the baggie was not as good as I was expecting (since Syrian latakia is present). Loaded a seasoned dunhill with a nice pack and proceeded with the char. Tobacco lit and burned very nicely without one relight necessary for the entire bowl. Initial flavor and smoke aroma was reminicent of Squadron Leader with the exception of a stronger sweetness from the Virginias. Midbowl the smoke obtained a nice smoothness that was relatively satisfying. Bottom of bowl was just as smooth and burned down to a fine white ash.

I started smoking pipes again recently and missed out on GL Pease's Syrian latakia blends. I wished I could have tried them so as to make a better comparison. I do have on hand however an 8 oz tin of Balkan Sobraine 759 aged about 10 years and have rationed a couple of bowl fulls recently. This tobac is not 759 nor close to Sullivan's "00" (my beloved blend), but IMHO it is better than SL. It does not have the complexity of Margate but it is an interesting smoke. Will update after a few more bowls.