House of Windsor Argosy Black

I remember this from 30 years back, and have not seen it for sometime. Another vanilla excess aromatic with again nothing but its wonderful room note to recommand it. A great dottle generator if memory serves me.

When I was in my early 20's I loved this and smoked it quite a bit. Now in my 40's I tried it once again and was disapointed, either the tobacco had changed (plausible), of I have changed (probable).

Its not bad but it is rather bland and has no surprises in it, and is too desert like for me now. If you like a sweet mild blend that non pipe smokers will enjoy then this is it.

The tin aroma of this medium-width, cavendish-cut leaf is a basic and chocolate- like, while the vanilla component is conservative.

Regarding the base leaf, this is typically ingratiating and somewhat bland, though there are occasional sharp edges evident along with a slightly phenolic finish. Showing a tasteful restraint, the flavoring is gently applied, harmonizing well with the leaf.

Though Argosy Black is a road often traveled, restrained blending and scrupulous fabrication make it a pleasant diversion and a particularly good example of an American, aromatic black cavendish blend.

Chamber Gauge: Medium to Wide

Upon sniffing the tin aroma of this blend, I really thought I was going to be in for a smoking treat. Because of inclement weather (I'm a married outdoor smoker with young kids), I had to wait a couple days before trying a bowl. I'd peel back the lid and inhale deeply, just knowing it was going to be heavenly.

To my disappointment, it was underwhelming. While utterly well behaved in every regard--packs well, lights well, smokes well--the flavor component is almost nonexistent. There's *some* flavor there, but it's so subtle that if you're not actively looking for it, you'll miss it. Of the flavor that is present, it's all high end with no body, like a stereo that's all treble and no bass. The smoke volume is minimal. After two bowls, I went back inside for a tin of something else with a bit more presence.

In this vein of tobacco blends, I'd probably reach for Captain Black in the white or blue label before this. Even moreso, I'd happily pack a pipe with Evening Stroll or something comparable from my local tobacconist.

I wanted to like Argosy Black, and I suppose I do, after a fashion It's tolerable for an all-day smoke while laboring in the yard or workshop, but I cannot recommend it beyond that.

**/****

Creamy choco-nilla. This will either entice you to try it, or send you scampering! It is in the same genre as Captain Black, Royal Comfort, etc. It is however, better than most of them. It was worth a try, but I won't get it again.

As with several of the House of Windsor brand revivals, I like the graphic on the cardboard tin more than the tobacco itself.

It came cut like Grape-nuts, and was very black in color, almost artificially so. It was difficult to get lit and keep lit, and produced very little smoke. All the puffing was hardly worth the odd vanilla flavor. Occasionally I could coax it to good place, but too often it would get an ammonia flavor as the bowl burned down.

Smelled okay, just way too much work.

09/30/2004:This is a good, honest tobacco that also happens to have a rich flavor. My guess would be a chocolate note with a hint of vanilla. Very tasty and not goopy or overly sweet. It smelled good to me and my S.O. didn't specifically complain (which constitutes a ringing endorsement) about the smell so it must be o.k. If you never smoke aromatics then this blend is not for you. However, if you like an occasional change of pace that includes some aromatics, give this a try.

11/16/2006 Update: Down-rated due to many better Aromatics available. Still a nice aroma. Just not rich enough for my current tastes.

House Of Windsor- Americas Most Overlooked Tobacco! I cant decide why more people dont smoke this, They do lack in distribution. Soft, Mellow, Smooth, a little chocolate, a little toasted marshmellow, some vanilla, all in fair balance. Its CHEAP, traditional dust cut ( a how exclusive, dry with actual snuff like dust...)

I found a pouch of Argosy Black at a local liquor store recently. I had never even heard of this before so I purchased it to give it a try. Wow! Vanilla overload, this black leaf smelled wonderful in the pouch and was almost fragrant in the air. I believe you could successfully sell this as vanilla potpurri, it smells that good when burned.

As for the taste, I cannot be so kind. I found the flavor lacking a depth I would expect from such an overpowering aroma. Rather flat and one dimensionial. I can recommend this for the smell alone however. If you like vanilla aromatics, you must try this blend once.