W.O. Larsen Signature Vintage Mixture

I must confess it's been more than 3 years since I got stuck in the "experimenting with all sorts of tobaccos" phase. I have developed a range of favourite mixtures, switching between moods and/or pipes as the case might be, but probably leaning more towards Latakia blended ones, the occasional stronger Balkan mix, but not just these to be sure... I am definitely not a huge aromatics' fan, even if very consistently attracted to Danish blended tobaccos. (I let you figure it out if you can! :-))

I bought a tin (a bit expensive for the yield...) of W.O.Larsen's Signature Vintage mixture on a Friday evening whim: "Why not try something else?" Haven't regretted it.

Beautiful presentation, of course, W.O. Larsen obliging: a 100 g. navy blue tin. A powerfull whiff of honey-vanilla-something flavour upon opening the tin, that might get you wondering isn't this just toooooooo much of a tooooooo good thing, the kind that you do not necessarily want to have. Perhaps a bit too moist too, I tend to agree that leaving it to dry out some will probably help. Lighting is easy, and burning no effort all the way. Best at mid-bowl with a nice bouquet developing in both nose and palate. A very subtle and delicate back note then starts being detectable - what is it? Much as I have tried, i couldn't name it. It is the main attraction to me, though.

Well balanced, and definitely not too much of an "aromatics" nuisance. Room note is more than likely to be appreciated and encouraged by those around you. I would say it is just the right mix for someone wishing a change - homely, and good company. I have found out that it is greatly influenced by the type of pipe you use. A nice, if not sensational, surprise to me. Have decided to keep a tin of it around, just in case.

Signature Vintage Mixture is one of the best Danish aromatic tobaccos out there. Taste/smell/flavor is heaven! Tobacco is top quality; flavoring is Danish style, naturally blended and flavored, colorful and fruity. The smoke taste much better after 2-3 weeks of opening, it also improve dramatically after 2-3 years of aging.

This is a HEAVY aromatic, finely crafted in the Danish aromatic style, a tobacco that impresses people around you, delights you senses and bites your tongue if not smoked slowly. If you like this kind of blend, this is best you can find.

This is my favorite Heavy Aromatic so far

I see where no one can agree as to the flavoring agent(s) added to this mostly Burley/Cavendish blend with some Virginia leaf tossed in for good measure. I've read licorice, vanilla, cherry, strawberries, bananas, figs, rum, anise etc... Well, I won't even guess.

A solid aromatic with palate pleasing sweetness that is sure to tickle the aromatic crowd and offers a nice change of pace for the uncased tobacco fanciers among us.

I am glad I finally tried this blend as I've repeatedly been told it is the best aromatic ever unloaded on the pipe hobbyists. I really can't disagree... I put it up there with Iwan Ries 3-Star Banner Lite (although totally different in added taste presentation), which I greatly appreciate as an aromatic smoke.

Update July 08

Tin has been open a couple months I guess... stuffed a Bjarne freehand with this weed. It's almost like 5 or six different tobaccos in one, and the flavor changes from maple to rum to a light fruit (strawberry I guess) to vanilla... it's like whatever flavor you think of... poof, there it is.

The tobacco flavor becomes more prevalent, and this finishes almost like a lakeland. There comes an almost rose-like taste at the bottom of the bowl, and it is exquisite.

Not an every day smoke for me, but I will surely keep some on hand. And the room note is simply special.

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Well, this is an aromatic, plain and simple. If you like tobacco with a dash of flavor, look to Mac Baren Navy Flake or something. This is a fairly heavily cased blend, similar in many respects to Connoiseur's Choice from Peterson. CC smokes a bit hotter and just a touch bitter sometimes, but also has a bit more tobacco flavor.

Tin smell is alluring - anise, fruits, rum? Yum.

Smoking, this does have a fairly monotonous strawberry note, which I thought I would hate, but hey, it's not bad at all.

A very light, easily smoked blend. Aftertaste is pleasant, and that's when you get the idea that there may be tobacco involved in this process.

Top quality aromatic. Not for everyone. Maybe not even for me... time will tell.

This a heavily cased and hence artificially determined blend, which nevertheless does a good job in providing and maintaining an aromatic smoke with no unpleasant surprises.

Its vast array of aromas in the tin (from fruit, to grain and chocolate etc) makes one slightly suspicious as to the origin of all of this bouquet, but I suppose this pertains to all aromatic blends.

Slight tongue bite and possible overwhelming feeling after a couple of bowls due to its dense casing. On the whole recommended for the fans of sweet and heavy aromatics, as it possibly stands out in this genre as one of its best representative. Too much overdone aromatically for my tastes.

As much as I like the Larsen's Selected Blend series, and acknowledge the company's fine craftsmanship and packaging, this blend seemed to me exceedingly bland and sweet in a very artificial sense of the term.

The tobacco is a variegated mixture of black, gold and different brown hues, packed in golden metallic paper, inside an elegant blue tin. The aroma is highly perfumed and sugary.

As with all Larsen's, the tobacco packs well and its easy to light. However, the strength was so mild and sweet that I noticed immediately the first effects of tongue burning. Slowing down my puffing pace, the sensation ameliorated but the sweetness and perfumed aroma were so overwhelming I completely renounced to it.

I keep the tin, with the tobacco inside, merely as a decorative object.

W.O.Larsen are the best aromatic blends.this is the top to me.when you open it you get fresh flavours including caramel, citrus and fruits in a very natural way.comes out in the right moisture packs ok and lights easy. The flavours are very pleasant.caramel is dominant and the citruses come out really nice in the backround in a nutty way.burns medium to hot leaves propper moist.the nicotine level is proper for an all day smoking pleasure.every experienced aromatic smoker should try this at least ONCE!

The various deep tart and tangy citrus, strawberry, honey, creamy vanilla, caramel, and floral perfume-like toppings are the star attractions. Their potency reduces the effect of the Virginias and burleys quite a lot, but they don’t drown them out. The Mexican and Kentucky burleys provide plenty of earth, wood, sweet nuts, bread, and very light spice. They are a couple steps away from giving full support, so I categorize their effect as secondary support players. Just above the condiment line are the Malawi and American Virginias which produce some ripe tangy dark fruit, tart and tangy citrus, earth, wood, grass, sugar, bread, vegetation, and light floral notes with a pinch of spice. The strength is a couple of notches past the mild mark. The nic-hit is light. The taste level is a slot past the medium threshold. No chance of bite or harshness, and barely has a rough edge. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a very consistent, deeply rich fruity, floral, creamy, nutty, mostly smooth flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room room is pleasant. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Can be an all day smoke. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

A great classic and mild tobacco, very well designed to give you an all-day smooth and somewhat classy smoke. It is also very popular among my non-smoker friends.

However, every time I smoke it, I always feel that something is missing… Although the pleasure is there, I would not venture to compare it to a Peterson "Nutty Cut", which gives me much more pleasure, while satisfying the non-smokers as well.

Finally, a note about its ageing : kept in the sealed tin, this tobacco can last for ages. But, once the tin is opened, the flavour vanishes very quickly… Which leaves you with an average "english-type" tobacco.

I've tried this in two different pipes so far, and I love it! It's just beautiful! The tin note is sweet, with strawberries, a hint of raisins, and a definite citrus note - lime? As many others have commented, this tobacco tastes pretty much as it smells. For me, strawberries and raspberries dominate the aroma. The room note is also very nice, and my office now smells like red berries (sweet raspberries in particular)! Incredible. (I should also add that I've only been a pipe smoker for ~6 weeks, so I'll probably re-review this tobacco when I have some more experience.)