Brebbia Preludio (Mixture No. 60)

Basic English mottled color, black to tan. This had a very different and kind of offputting tin aroma that I couldn't describe in a million years. Sort of "winey" and musty. It came on the dry side in the tin, which may have impacted my rating somewhat, as latakia blends usually work better for me with a bit more moisture.

Pipestud summed this up nicely in just a few words - ok, but hardly inspiring. The Syrian latakia was toasty and spicy and lead the proceedings by a small margin. The virginia lacked the kind of character I look for - no real sweetness to speak of and leaning toward the bland side. I did, however, enjoy the Oriental flavor that came through from time to time. It was at turns bitter and sweet, spicy and fruity. The previous Brebbia blend I smoked with Syrian had burley in it and I couldn't seem to get past the thought that the addition of some sweet and nutty burley would have elevated this one. I don't typically think of latakia blends as bland (although I just smoked a bowl of Rattrays Professional and that description fits that blend nicely!) and I found this entire concoction disappointing. I suppose it's no longer available, as it contains Syrian, and that doesn't hurt much. But if you find a tin and you like an extremely composed and airy presentation, this one might work for you.

This is a high quality blend from Germany (Planta). It has all the right components to make this a great blend and as a matter of fact, it is. But, yes, there is a but. The tin states that this has Syrian Latakia, Macedonian, and American Virginia, but it does not tell you that there is Perique in it(More on that later). Upon opening the tin you are greeted by mostly dark leaf with an occassional mohagany and gold leaf peaking out. Moisture was too high to pack immediately. You have to let this sit open for a few days before putting in the pipe. Packing is easy (fine ribbon cuts usually are). Lighting is easy once dried out as mentioned. Initial flavor is deliciously sweet and smoky. The virginia is noticable in that you can taste the good maturity of it. About mid-bowl is where I like this blend most due to the nice interplay of all the leaves. Bottom third of the bowl is where this blend lost me. Perique builds up to a peppery slap that I do not like, with every bowl a chore to finish. I am aware that for many of you this is good, but as for me and my pipes, I prefer almost no Perique in my tobac. Other than that, this blend is better than most and I will recommend it highly to those who don't mind a Perique finish. Rating 4.5 points out of 5 Update: 06-23-04 This is an excellent blend, delicious in the first and second third of the bowl, but I still have difficulty with the spicy Perique ending. So I commend it to those of you who like the St. James Parish weed. My last tin is now gone, alas I must now say my last farewell to this blend. Maybe one of you will give this excellent English style blend an opened arms welcome.