Smokers' Haven IN-B-TWEEN Mixture

Smokers’ Haven IN-B-TWEEN Mixture is a mild English of Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia, made by none other than J.F. Germain & Son. It’s listed as a ribbon, but when I popped the tin, it reminded me of pencil shavings, the kind you find when emptying a pencil sharpener (albeit somewhat moist pencil shavings). IBT was my first Smokers' Haven blend, and I found it to be a delightful, creamy smoke; I love the spicy/tangy Orientals in this one, along with mildly pleasant citrus just behind the soft-smokey Latakia. Initially, I too had a “meh” reaction to the first bowl (pilot error: not dried sufficiently). I allowed some of this shag to dry enough so that it wasn’t tacky when pressed together between the fingers (I did not allow for enough of on the first bowl – drying some of the moisture away is key to getting the most out of this mix -- at least with moisture level in the tin I received). I was then tilting towards a 3-star recommend by my third bowl (3.5 actually), when it dawned on me that IBT would be the absolute perfect go-to smoke for the front porch in mid-August when it’s 88 degrees outside – whether it be 7:20 in the a.m. or 10:40 at night. (NOTE TO SELF: IN-B-TWEEN is the perfect blend for when it is just too hot outside to smoke anything else). 4-stars.

Just a short review of a fine ribbon cut VA/Oriental/Latakia.

This blend has a sweet VA base, with a healthy dose of an oriental leaf (not sure which one) and sprinkled with latakia. Burns sweet, with a nice creamy sweet spice, followed by a muted, smooth latakia. It's a medium bodied smoke, richer than a straight VA, a little light on the nicotene, but tasty & satisfying. The latakia is strictly a condiment, lightly sprinkled throughout the blend. It burns to a light fluffy ash.

My suggestion, dry it so it doesn't stick together when pinched in a wad as it arrives a bit moist. Best results are achieved during a relaxed draw.

will post more with additional time in the tin

9/15/08. This has been a consistently good smoke, one I now cellar. Long may this fine blend live.

Smoker's Haven, as it has been mentioned before, has their house blends made for them by Germain & Sons (maker of Esoterica blends, amongst other lines). As such, all the SH blends I've tried have been very well put together; they use high quality leaf (as far as I can tell), blend and age their leaf very well, and pay fine attention to detail.

Of the three standard english blends SH offers (and I'm not counting here their heavy hitting Krumble Kake, as it's a bit different, or Exotique, which is a classic Balkan, not english style blend) this is in the middle. Not as full and rich as Our Best Blend, not as wimpy as Select Mixture. I think it achieves a happy medium.

IBT is a medium english style blend with a stronger focus on the orientals than what I typically see in these blends. It's still very well balanced and no one component steals the spotlight from another. In this way it's similar to Dunhill's London Mixture. Though this lacks the mustyness I usually got from LM, IBT has a very briney smell and taste which I also appreciate. I think it often gets overlooked due to its marketing and name, but for those who don't need the latakia bomb which is OBB and KK (see above), IBT is a fine blend with lots of flavor.

Recommended for all smokers wanting a solid medium english blend, highly recommended for those who love the above with a solid oriental component.

This is a nice tobacco, it is just as it says and in between tobacco, not a lot of latakia or anything else. It is like a warm cu of soup on a cold day, I guess what I am trying to say it is the tobacco equivalent to comfort food. It is always the same mellow and cool smoke no matter which of my pipes I put it in and it never lets me down. I have on a few occasions used this tobacco as a base for my own blends, it works well with Cyprian latakia. I think this tobacco must consist of at least some Turkish tobacco. I prefer this tobacco in the morning but have smoked it latter in the day as well, but by late in the day I want somthing with more of a punch in the taste department. If like me you sometimes want a gentle smoke that makes you forget the troubles of the day this one might be your ticket to mild English tobaccos. It might also be a good way to break yourself of the habit of aromatics.

If you've tried Smoker's Haven "Our Best Blend" then you will recognize In-B-Tween immediately; it has both a similar cut and tin aroma. This is correctly described on S-H own web-site as a lighter weight version of OBB and I find it a pleasant all-day smoke. Our Best Blend is one of my favorites but this is a fine smoke all on its own.

The tobacco is a moderately long, string-cut (which I prefer), the strands are mostly dark. The mixture is mostly VA with Syrian Latakia next in quantity and the Turkish filling out the blend. The flavor is mild and enjoyable, the aroma is slightly smoky and sweet and there is a bit of that Balkan tang which I love. I think I've found the perfect summer blend. 8-1/2 out of 10 stars.

Nothing bad at all with this blend. Ordered it once when Smoker's Haven was out of 'Our Best Blend" and was pleasantly surprised. I find it to be more friendly than OBB and consider it a great standby. No longer use OBB but will continue to buy this as long as it is available.

Recommend for newbies.

This blend is very comforting. There is a good harmony in this blend between the Virginia, Oriental, and Latakia. The aroma is mild and unassuming, but it smells very much like how it tastes (although the taste is relatively stronger).