Tobaccos Solani - 763: White and Black

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2014-04-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

There's a topping that reminds me of berry wine, but it's mildly added. The Virginias are a little earthy, woody, grassy, with a little tart citrus and tangy dark fruit and form the base of the blend. The black cavendish adds a brown sugar sweetness without imposing the typical vanilla flavor one expects it to have under normal circumstances, so it must be unsweetened. The Latakia seems a little sweet for Syrian, and not as smoky, musty or woody as usual, but it helps provides the necessary depth of flavor needed here as a secondary player in terms of its effect. I suspect some Cyprian is present, and by the time of this rewrite (2019), it's probably all Cyprian. It's at the border of the aromatic English genre, and should please both crowds. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a step past the mild mark. It will not bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean at slow to moderate pace with a very consistent flavor from start to finish. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. Has pleasant, slightly lingering after taste and room notes. Not an all day smoke.

-JimInks

37 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2006-04-21		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Yes sir, a classic!

This Solani mixture was an extremely pleasant surprise. The Virginia base was delightfully sweet, and throw in the Syrian Latakia and bam, a unique taste combination.

This Solani blend smoked cool and dry all the way to the bottom of the bowl. I will add more tins to my cellar.

26 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-11-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a splendid offering from Solani. I know no equivalent to this high quality, sublime and unique broken flake. The combination of the slightly sweet Dark VA, unsweetened and spicy Black CA and smokey Syrian latakia offers an earthy,tasty and extremely satisfying smoke. White & Black does not need Or to make things interesting, the tobacco progresses and offers various rich undertones of taste throughout. My tin was dated from Nov 07 and is, simply put, remarkable. If you are seeking a different kind of English mixture, this is for you. Highly recommended!

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2015-07-14		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't know if one should call this an 'English' mixture or not. Whatever it is, it's mighty good stuff. Latakia is present, but it's not a lat bomb; the 'berry' flavour is pleasant, natural tasting and doesn't cloy in the least; it's smokeable straight out of the tin; not too strong but not too mild either; each bowlful is slow burning and consistent all the way down. In short, W & B is a masterpiece of the blender's art: a cool, sweet, flavoursome, semi-aromatic smoke. It's too highbrow to smoke all day and every day, I think (I wonder if people will see what I mean by that?); but, as an occasional indulgence, it's first rate: very highly recommended. The only slight negative is that, as always where Latakia is present, the room note (smouldering trousers, I've heard it called) won't please everybody. Who cares?

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-04-10		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is a nice sweet blend. The Syrian Lat is of high quality. Ultra smooth, smoky and mildly woody. The raisiny, tangy Virginias have a fairly strong presence. The Black Cav is mildly toasty and very sweet. It's a joy to smoke, but shouldn't be pushed or it can burn a little hot. Moderate puffing is fine. I have to avoid smoking these sweet blends too often or I'll tire of them. I don't want to do that so I'll have to ration myself with this one. I will certainly enjoy this blend on occasion.

Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2015-02-06		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Solani 763: White and Black is an unusual mixture. Although described as an English black flake with latakia, this is in fact a broken flake. It is indeed blackened, being predominately black with a little brown mixed in. And it contains what I take to be a very moderate dose of Syrian latakia.

Consider this is a blackened Virginia mixture rather than a latakia offering. There is no oriental component. Aside from the blackened Virginia there is unsweetened cavendish, which I presume to be Virginia as well. The latakia is of the Syrian variety, more mellow than the Cypriot variety. It is there in the taste, but it by no means dominates. There is also a bit of sweetness greater than what the Virginias should provide. My guess is that this is a bit of licorice or anise.

The latakia in the room note is light enough that smoking this probably will not provoke cries of "stinky" from non smokers.

The level of nicotine is not very high. I would rate it squarely between light and medium.

Although the broken flake is quite chunky, this lights well and is not difficult to keep lit. It smokes down to a dry ash. It presents minimal danger of tongue bite for an offering heavily composed of Virginia .

I smoke this primarily in the pipes I use for "English" (when that means latakia, or latakia/oriental) but when I use a pipe I normally reserve for Virginias, it does not leave a latakia ghosting. The taste level is medium, but again I stress it is not latakia dominant.

When I am in the mood for this, I thoroughly enjoy it. But I am not often in that mood, so I reward it only two stars.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2014-06-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my first go with a Solani blend and I am very impressed. This blend is a broken flake that has been blended with some fine tobaccos. Being a broken flake makes it somewhat more easy to get into the pipe than a flake. The components come together very well and a little hint of maybe berries or berry wine of some sort. It does not infringe on the taste buds like an aromatic would, just a small detection every so often. Just enough to make it interesting. It lights and stays lit easily enough and has a nicotine content that is just right for me, YMMV. It is a little moist upon opening the tin, but a small amount of drying time will cure that easily. It burns down to a nice ash at the bottom of the pipe. Definitely worth getting a tin, very recommended.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JHC (5)	2015-04-04		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

At first inspection of the contents of this 50g tin everything told me this was going to be an interesting and enjoyable smoke: The smell is deep and intriguing with a slightly sharp edge to it, the colours are rich, the texture is... Well for me I would say it perhaps needs a little drying but I'm too impatient at this point. Actually I have a tin of Solani's 333 next to me which also seems to have a similar level of moisture, something makes me suspect there is reason to this rhyme.

After a single charing draw it tamps down well and starts to behave itself, I struggle sometimes with flake trying to uncoil a little in the pipe. One more proper light and I'm away. First draw put a big smile on my face - a perfectly dense and textured mouthful of luscious smoke. Immediate impact is the little dance of flavours along the tongue, it's not the most complex pallet but it's certainly all there in abundance. Nicest aspect for me is the level of peppery, marmite flavour from the Syrian Latika - I can be put off by too much of this but it serves here to dependent and enhance the other tobaccos rather than overpowering anything. I would say though that this does require some attention as the bowl is smoked, a little push here and there from the tamper just to get things rolling. I'm going to return to this thoroughly enjoyable smoke now... Needles to say I shall definitely be adding a few tins of this to the regular selection. Can't recommend this enough especially if your looking for a rich, full bodied (but not mouth crippling) tobaccoey smoke.

Pipe Used: Rattray's Butcher Boy

Age When Smoked: new, freshly opened tin

Purchased From: the backy shop online

Similar Blends: not experienced enough to say.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-04-03		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Tin appearance is a dark chocolate coloured broken flake with a sparse amount of golden leaf. The broken flake has a tough consistency, reminiscent of beek jerky.

The tin note is of figs and dates, quite sweet. The latakia is apparent on first sniff but is quite delicate.

The flake takes a light well and needs no rubbing out. The scent to this is astounding. There is a pronounced plum aroma and drifting in and out is the faintest hint of a lakeland type perfume. And then there is the latakia. Although burning pine needles is evident, this purportedly Syrian latakia is far more understated and subtle than is the norm. I would like to be able to say I detected oak in the aroma, but sadly I do not. But this is no disappointment.There are definitely woody undertones here.

This tobacco produces volumes of white creamy smoke. No bite at all.

The last half of the bowl is adagio. The energy of the casing and the latakia have been calmed and there is a complex interplay of flavours to be savoured. This is not a tobacco to be smoked while doing something else. There is structure here that rewards focus.

Imho a contemporary classic.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tripjoker (65)	2009-12-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is perhaps one of the most pleasant smoking tobaccos I have ever tried. Not a huge nicotine hit, nor is it a heavy weight in body. But, the flavor is just amazing.

This is a sipper for sure. The nuance you get from a just smoldering bowl is nirvana. Sweet and spicey all at the same time. The syrian latakia in this is the key. God I miss that weed in the USA. If only our blenders could get their hands on some.

This is what Old Iron Sides wanted to be, what Bengal Slices should be, and what all latakia lovers should have. I cannot say enough about this blend. If you want to know the difference between syrian and cyprian latakia, try this! You will not be dissappointed in my opinion. Yes, it is pricey, but what in life worth a damn isn't?

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (403)	2018-03-18		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I opened a 13year tin of this the other day. The tobacco was dark brown with light brown broken flakes. It had a wine/berry essence to it though it says there is no flavoring. The paper doily was darkened from the years of tobacco pressed against it. My question is what is it? An English, Aromatic, Virginia or all three. My taste buds are not that refined so with that being said I could not taste any Latakia. A slight bite at times but nothing drastic. This one just confused my palate too much to really get a good feel for it.

Pipe Used: Tom Howard Webley Nose Warmer

Age When Smoked: 13

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gordon Tavistock (23)	2018-02-23		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

A firm favourite of mine. The toasty, earthy backbone provided by the Virginias and the black cavendish (which I like JimInks, believe must be unsweetened) is very well balanced with the delicate smokiness of the latakia. In the absence of Oriental leaf, this blend takes on a very different character than an English blend. Although the latakia presence is prominent, it is still subtly balanced so that the latakia compliments and supports the Virginias, rather than taking a leading role. As many of the other reviews have mentioned, there's a lightly added (but easily detected) casing or topping that reminds me of berries or a sweet wine. This goes surprisingly well with the tobacco flavours, and doesn't taste like added flavour in the way that most added flavours in aromatic blends do. The broken flakes are good to go after a light rub. I pack this slightly on the loose side.

Btw: The first two times I smoked this one, I didn't like it and didn't see why I would ever bother trying it again. But the mouth is a strange organ and no smoke is similar to another. Solani 763 is to me a reminder that giving up too quickly on a blend may cause you to miss out on an absolute favourite.

Pipe Used: Prince and billiard shaped briars.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: cgars.co.uk

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2017-08-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Solani - 763: White and Black.

An early review I decided to delete and do again. When I re-read I didn't think it was too helpful.

The blend's a mixture of dark and medium browns, and unlike the current description it's a broken flake. The moisture of the tin for this review was perfect.

The tobaccos seems well balanced, none of the them particularly race ahead of the others. The Latakia gives a woody flavour, with some fruity Virginia, all brought together by the black Cavendish. Although the B.C. is quite sweet, it seems a little more rustic than some: not 'sticky'. As others mention, there seems to be a light topping present, giving a slight berry sharpness, and a touch of acidity/sharpness. I don't find the burn too good: yes, it's stable and consistent, but unless the pipe's puffed with ease the temperature can creep quite high.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: not a fan.

763: without the topping this would get a higher rating, but it reduces the score to two stars:

Somewhat recommended.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ynrozturk (62)	2017-03-04		Mild	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

Being a primarily VaPer smoker, I wanted to try something different. I'm not the biggest fan of English blends, though I do enjoy them from time to time, mainly in the winter. My tobacconist suggested that I tried this. He knows my tastes quite well so I trusted his judgement and bough a tin. Not only that, but I trust Solani as a whole - their 633: Virginia Flake with Perique is my favorite blend ever.

First things first, the tin. Very attractive, as are most Solani tins. Opening it up, I was greeted by very handsome broken flakes. While it indeed is a broken flake, they're not too broken. You can actually pick out pieces, construct a flake, and pack it that way, too. Which is exactly what I did - it's like the tobacco was hinting at me on how to pack it.

Smells absolutely divine. I can definitely smell a bit of berry in there along with the sweet Virginia's and Syrian Latakia's, which I was to discover shortly afterwards, are simply outstanding.

This blend is out of this world good. I wouldn't classify it as an English blend. I certainly wouldn't classify it as an aromatic. It's just a very high quality, supremely good tobacco. Blended masterfully. The Virginia's are definitely there, the Latakia adds a sweet smokiness, and the Black Cavendish provides further smoothness and backbone to this blend. It's absolutely amazing.

At first I thought it smoked a bit hot. Then I realized that it was just me, puffing too often and too fast because of just how delicious this is. I fully rub out the flakes now, so I get a more consistent burn, and it behaves perfectly.

I cannot say enough good things about this blend. It's rich, complex, and just downright delicious. Everything I've smoked from Solani has always been gold, and this is no exception. I plan on returning to my tobacconist with the sole purpose of buying every tin he has left of this.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2010-11-14		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

763 White and Black smokes like a sweet Virginia. I don't taste the Syrian and my knowledge of Cavendish is too limited to describe its influence on the blend. It's tasty, and has a bit of that Turkish spice, though there isn't any in here (aside from the Latakia), I feel a tingle in my nose.

I picked this blend up mistakenly believing it was an English--the tin note proclaiming, "English Black Flake with Latakia." This is no English. Not even close. In the tin you'll see dark, broken flakes, in the same kind of presentation as a McClelland Virginia.

The tin itself is beautiful, a lovely glistening silver metal attractively paired with white and black graphics depicting ancient lizard people of some sort, reminiscent of Maurice Sendak's wonderful children's tale, "Where the Wild Things Are."

I've noted the inconsistent reviews, but I can't fault this blend for anything. The body is medium, sugary, and a bit tangy. Wine and berries, some have mentioned--perhaps. Bottom of the bowl intensifies in taste and strength, culminating in a spicy, incense like dance. A popular celebration, probably not, but a sleeper, sure.

Four of Five

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-06-18		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Sorry, I just don't get this one. For that matter, I haven't had any VA/Lat combos (except GLP Picadilly - with Perique - that ring my taste meter, so keep that in mind in this review.

The tobacco is obviously high quality, mostly dark, and the tin aroma is great. Moisture level was high, this does need drying before smoking. If taken right from the tin, it will smoke wet, and can be hard to light. Care is needed to avoid bite. Even after drying out, it finishes with a damp bowl. The taste is just ok, early on it has a nice, sweet caramel flavor, but there just isn't enough Latakia to cool the dominant VA. The cavendish doesn't add anything, and the Syrian is overwhelmed. On the whole, I think it would appeal to a VA enthusiast looking for a change, but for Balkan/English buffs like myself it just doesn't cut it. A big disappointment, especially in view of it's super premium price.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-01-14		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Unfortunately my tin was primarily cavendish. I sure wish I tasted some Syrian.. any at all. Nada, none. It's okay, but after reading the other reviews I understand the mistake. A true pity.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2005-07-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

update: I recently opened a tin that was about a year old. What a difference! Much smoother! Since the Syrian used in this blend seems to be no more, stock up now. I am also upgrading to four stars. bravo to Mr. Will!

This is definitely a blend in a category of its own and heartily recommend it to you all. My tin was consigned to ash all too quickly! Upon opening the round 50g tin, you are greeted by a very dark, mostly broken flake, yes, I said flake. Tin aroma is delicious with a wonderful symphony of aroma from the three leaves used in this blend.

Packing: I found it to work better for me if I fully rubbed out the flakes. The flakes are very oily (a good sign!)and go out easily if not rubbed out.

Lighting: Once rubbed-out, lighting is a four vesta affair, you may want to let this air out a bit.

Initial Flavor: Simply put, delicious! the cavendish is not cloying and there seems to be a nice roundness to the flavor.

Mid-Bowl: Aah, this is where this blend shines. The smokiness of the Syrian latakia plays well with the Va and Va Cavendish. It has a merlot-like flavor.

Bottom-Bowl: Nice intensity of flavor builds up, smokes to the bottom without a fuss.

Ash: Dark, grey, mottled, and a nice dusting on the bowl walls.

Overall: This is a nice change of pace tobac for me. I did find that you could get tongue-bite if you puff a little too hard when fresh. This blend will occupy my cellar as it may benefit from some aging, and boy, do I look forward to trying again in a couple of years.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ElMog (36)	2016-08-15		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Tobacconists in Quebec city tend to stock up on Peterson and Solani. On a whim, i decided to go for White and Black, due to the rather unusual mix of VA / Cav / Syrian Lat. The 1st time i smoked it, i found it to be pleasant, but nothing special. The tin aroma also seemed ''meh'' to me, mostly sweet with a hint of smokiness.

But by the second time ive smoked it, it has grown on me. Maybe due to a different state of mind, but i found it both very well balanced AND nuanced. I mostly get the fruity VAs, the mouth feel has the creamy/vanilla aspect of Cavendish, and if i look for it, i can taste the Latakia.

This latakia seemed of the ''incensy'' kind, which when combined with the Va, really evoked churches and old confessionals. Old, resinous things in general. I like the fact it can be smoked casually and not require too much attention (i find it really well behaved), its pleasant room note won't offend, but if you take time and are in a meditative mood, it has enough layers to satisfy.

Still have to go through my tin, so i cannot comment on the quality control issues... mine was GREAT

Pipe Used: Peterson Kinsale

Purchased From: Tabagie Crémazie

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	haredawg (47)	2013-05-04		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Tin note; Sweeter than I expected from an English, earthy undertones Appearance; Black with flecks of reddish brown, broken flake. Very moist in tin am drying it out now. Ten minutes. A note before tasting; I know I should have cobs around here or break out a meerschaum but, you know, what's the point in collecting fine smoking instruments if you're not going to use them, right? I mean if I had four figure S. Bangs and the like I'd keep them in a glass cabinet for show, but my nicer three figure Dunhills and Beckers I bought for their smoking qualities. Nothing about this blend suggests it will ruin a good pipe, so first impressions will be me at my best and the tobacco at it's best. I've married on first impressions (granted I've been divorced twice now, but that's not the point). So, I'm trying this out in my favorite bent brandy becker let's call it a group 4 maybe 5 and in an hour or so let y'all know what I think. First third --- I like this, I'm going to partially agree with another reviewer that if you want a different English blend this is it. I'm not sure I'd sign my name to calling this an English blend at all, it tastes more like a stoved and fermented VA with a thing or two to help it burn cooler. I really don't taste a topping so I'm calling the sweetness just from the VA, but it might be a very well made topping too subtle to give off that chemical goopiness that keeps me from aromatics. Second third --- Same taste a little darker, earthier. Last third --- No variation, burns to fine gray ash no dottle, even more evidence this is unlikely cased, no goop, no dottle. If I were to compare this anything else, and I won't name drop, it's like a well cellared stoved broken flake Virginian. The taste hardly varies at all, but then again when you eat Crème Bulee you don't expect it to change halfway through into a snickers bar. I'm not sure if I will smoke this often or always need to have it on hand, but giving it less than three stars would be insulting; it's quality tobacco. It's possible I received an off tin or something, one with just the Virginians and Cavendish (though I don't really like Cavendish when I can taste it) I mean my review seems different.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-07-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I believe this is Solani's best offering.

This broken, very dark flake is incredible.

I have recently opened a 3 year old tin and spent exceptional moments smoking no 763.

You must try it!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-07-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This blend is decent, not worth the premium price. If it were a bulk blend than it would command a bit more respect from me. The broken flake cut was very inconsistent and burned very hot. It seemed to do better in smaller bowled pipes, but never really shined. The Licorice casing really masked the Syrian Latakia and did not help to make this a better smoke. There is still some subtleties if sipped slowly.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-09-01		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Upon first smoking thing blend I absolutely hated it. I found it had too much bite and the flavor, which was very pleasant, was gone after 2 puffs.

I put it away for a week and tried again with various pipes and various amounts of rubbing. In the end I found that this tobacco smoked best when rubbed out a decent amount. I let the first wad fall loosely into the bowl and pack the top half of the bowl tighter. The flavor of the black and white is creamy but comes and goes. The flavor is better when sipped and this also keeps it from biting.

The latakia was really hidden in the background. This tobacco would probably be better without it.

All in all, I found myself wishing for more flavor and working too hard to find satisfaction. I'm not sure I would bother with this again. But I will look for the same flavor in another tobacco.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	butter_side_down (12)	2007-09-13		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Well, you may have noticed several mentions about inconsistency, as did I when I first read the reviews. But the positive reviews convinced me to purchase a tin anyway. And that tin was, let me tell you, heaven. Absolute heaven. It's a very delicate balance for me with English blends that contain cavendish. Some are excellent. Some are awful. There was something about this one that mitigated the bitter flavor that I normally get from cav. or somehow incorporated it differently. But, no matter, the bottom line is that this stuff was sublime. So I decided to go ahead and buy another tin. I thought that all the complaints about inconsistency here were just a few unlucky aberrations. Well, after opening up the second tin, I, too, am convinced there's a major problem with quality control somewhere at Solani.

I say with absolute certainty, that the second tin was not the same tobacco as the first. First off, they looked vastly different. Tin one was mostly all black, tin two had not even a single strand of black tobacco. Secondly, they smelled nothing alike. Tin one smelled like Latakia and Cavendish. Tin two smelled like a nondescript VA based aromatic. "Well," I thought, "Maybe they changed the formula, or I'm remembering it wrong." So, I decided to load up a bowl from the new tin and smoke it. BIG MISTAKE! Where was the Latakia? For that matter, where was the Cavendish? I couldn't taste either of them. What I could taste, I can't really say, but I had to fight just to make it halfway through the bowl. It was, without a doubt, the nastiest tobacco I have ever tried. And to add to it's list of vile qualities, the aftertaste was unbelievably persistent. I tried smoking a bowl of Old Ironsides to get rid of it. Didn't help. Tried brushing my teeth and tongue. Didn't help. Drank a cup of coffee. Didn't help. Drank two glasses of cheap rye whiskey. That helped some, but the rest, I just had to wait out.

So, again, I am absolutely certain that these are not the same tobaccos. Additionally, they were so different that I'm convinced that Solani didn't just alter the formula. Here's what I think happened: after reading the reviews for other tobaccos in the Solani line, I'm 90% certain that I got a tin of Sweet Mystery X with a label for White and Black mistakenly put on the front. So I suppose you should consider my comments above a review for Sweet Mystery X. Forgive the cheap shot, but the Mystery is why anyone would voluntarily smoke it.

I would love to buy another tin of the first stuff. But only if I could be absolutely assured that I would be getting the same thing. From my experiences, and others here, however, I just don't think that's possible. It's a real shame, too. They've really ruined what would otherwise have been a four star blend. I doubt I'll ever buy it again unless the store will let me open up the tin before I pay to make sure I'm getting the tobacco I'm paying for. Yeah, that'll happen.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-02-14		Strong	Strong	Very Full	Tolerable

When I opened the tin all I could think of was a winter?s afternoon in the Northeastern United States-- a windless, cloudless day, cold and crisp with the smell of wood- burning fireplaces, and the dank smell of the nearby woods. In fact, I bought this tin with the intention of smoking it all winter long, but I am, all the same, an atypical pipe aficionado. I live in the Southwest, and the weather today was well into the 60s. Not only am I 1500 miles away from my nearby woods, but I am atypical in that I enjoy tobaccos that many would call aromatics, and as a fellow reviewer said, ?You aromatic smokers keep away.? Nonsense! Light up and enjoy. The lakatia is not a problem because of the overall quality of this tobacco and because it is really something of an experience. A daily smoke? Probably not for the likes of me, but I don?t smoke daily. Ah, but on a cold desert night, such good company as Solani. It cannot be missed.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (562)	2022-12-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tin note of tart sweet, smoky, and vinegar. The black broken flakes with a little brown mixed in is listed as a ready rub. Moisture content is good, rubs out nicely, no drying needed. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and consistent, with complex notes of very woody, musty grass, dry earth, citrus peel, mildly sweet tart fruit, mildly smoky, a lemony background note, and a peppery retro. Virginias is leading with cavendish and Latakia supporting. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 2013 J.M. Boswell Poker

Age When Smoked: 6 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Manorhill (15)	2022-12-06		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

On opening the tin, the aroma is very earthy like St Bruno or Peterson Irish Flake. The Latakia is very noticeable on lighting, but is never overpowering, as it is with Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake. Smooth and enjoyable with a good strength.

Pipe Used: Peterson System 31

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

Similar Blends: St Bruno, Peterson Irish Cask.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2017-01-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

First let me say that Solani produces some of my favorite blends. I love Silver Flake and Aged Burley Flake. This one, however, missed for me. The tobacco rubbed out easily from the broken flake and was very moist requiring some drying time (this is a good thing, I have found that moist tobacco ages much better than tobacco ready to smoke) and the tin aroma was marvelous. Once dried to my preference and loaded it took to the match without difficulty. There is a topping here wine perhaps. The topping seems to mute some of the complexities. I do get the delicate smokiness of the Syrian Lat. a brown sugar note that comes from the cav. but only hints of the VA here and there. The VA's seem to have a dark fruit note or maybe it is that topping mixing with them. Not really an overly sweet smoke despite the cav and VA. The mouth feel starts out smooth and it does not bite but by mid bowl it has a rough texture to it. Again it did not bite no matter how larger of a bowl I used but the change seems a little odd. The topping does linger on my tongue for quite sometime, in fact one could say that the tobacco finish is short but the topping remains. It is not a bad blend overall but I am not sure how to really recommend it. I would not suggest this blend to someone looking to find the difference between Syrian and Cyprus Lat. nor would I suggest it as an English Aromatic blend to someone looking to try one. Still for those looking for a different change of pace from their established rotations this might fit the bill and you may find this enjoyable. It just missed for me.

Age When Smoked: 2 yrs.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.James (39)	2016-12-17		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Solani 763 had underwhelming reviews at the time I purchased a tin and I was skeptical but curious. Tin aroma did not disappoint, rich but subtle, smoky.

Sweet earthy virginias play nicely on the rich fruity cavendish and are complimented by the smoky Syrian latakia. Burns clean and smooth, rarely need relights. Flavor stays consistent throughout the bowl yet has a complexity that will keep you entertained. Leaves no dottle.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2015-02-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This blend shows wonderful blending, as each of the components complement the other without taking center stage . If you like Virginias, then I can't see you not liking this one. Don't look at the ingredients (Syrian, Virginia & Black Cavendish ) and try to imagine this blend, you will be off by a mile. The taste is a very smooth, but tangy, fermented Virginia's. The Syrian Latakia is added only as a hint and not very noticeable from a smokiness kind of way, it just adds some "Butter" and rich dark earthiness to the Virginias. I suspect the Black Cavendish is a Burley base, even though it is advertised as a Dutch Style of blending ( Virginia base ?). This adds an almost Perique taste quality of raisins and figs without the pepper ( No, it doesn't contain Perique) .

When you open the tin, the blend is a dark and medium brown long broken flakes, that are very easy to work with. The flakes require some drying and they are somewhat sticky, which leads me to believe that there might be a light molasses topping. The tin note is of fermented raisins and figs and this translates into the taste. Overall the smoke starts smooth , sweet and tangy, and ends dark and earthy. However, I am very tongue sensitive to Burley and I find a slight harshness that I attribute to the Cavendish.

This blend reminds me somewhat of "Astley's #44 Dark Virginia Flake" with the "N" toned down to Medium or Rattray's Dark Fragrant with the flavor turned up.

I also find this blend great on the relight, doesn't turn ashy and keeps delivering flavor. If you think of this blend as a "Dark Fermented" Virginia rather than a Latakia blend, you will say, Wow! 3 1/2 stars

( do you want to change this into a smooth creamy latakia forward blend? Add 25% Robert McConnoll Pure Latakia. very tasty and no harshness ,4 stars this way)

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Similar Blends: Rattray's Dark Frequent with more flavor, Astley's #44 Dark Virginia Flake with less "N".

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TorontoSmoker (19)	2014-11-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I was not particularly impressed with this blend. I wouldn't call it an English blend - no discernible Latakia taste or smell despite the claim of Syrian Latakia in the description. I'm not saying it isn't a high quality tobacco, just that it wasn't a tobacco that matches my taste preferences. This smoked more like a Virginia-based blend rather than an English. As such, it probably needs much more aging than the tin I had in order to reach its peak before smoking. I found it bitey - especially straight out of the tin. It definitely needs several hours of drying time due to the moisture of the flakes. But it does produce a nice, thick smokiness.

Pipe Used: large bowled Ardor; medm Ascorti 9mm filter

Age When Smoked: new to 6 moths old

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puro66 (73)	2008-01-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

UPDATE: 1-16-08 It would be nice to have an explanation on what is going on with this blend. I gave this tin 5 months to transmorph back to what it was supposed to be. NOPE it didn't. The trash is the only proper place for this. What ashame and what an unforgivable mistake!

Original review 7/20/07 Unfortunately this blend is inconsistent which is entriely unaccaptable given the premium price. A year ago I smoked two 50gram tins that were absolute heaven. A few weeks ago I bought a 100gram tin. The disappointment of that first bowl is overwhelming. It doesn't taste like the same stuff. Given the comments of others in this forum and my now own matching personal experience I must conclude that there are more than a few "bad" tins floating around. I will not be risking any more money on this blend. What ashame!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-05-29		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Very Pleasant

I suspect, like Redneck and Mr. Dottle, that I also bought a tin that made it past quality control. I've had perhaps one and half dozen pipefuls of this tobacco and have been disappointed with each smoke. I've tried it in Ardor pipes, a Cavicchi, a Dunhill size 5, a Ser Jacopo with a huge chamber and a Tsuge bent; in each pipe it has been underwhelming. I have tried smoking it right from the pouch, unrubbed and moist, and have tried it rubbed to a fare-the-well and I've tried it after cutting the mixture with scissors and dried almost to the crackling point. In all instances it has been underwhelming. I've puffed it fast, puffed it slow, and tried various loading techniques, including the Frank method with a hefty wad of the tobac acting as a "plug" at the top of the tobacco chamber. Still underwhelming, at times almost tasteless and definitely insipid. Visually and tactiley it is a high-quality tobacco; the pouch aroma is fantastic... it just has not lived up to the expectations intimated by the relatively high price. On the positive side, it burns very well, bite (after a good drying) is nonexistant and I have learned that a lengthy DGT (like maybe twelve hours or more) will improve the taste somewhat. I might stove what is remaining in the tin in the hopes that I can salvage something out of this purchase.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael Jan (15)	2023-04-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

________________________________

I got to say ... K&K did a pretty decent job again. Let me explain. While this is an English Mixture, it needs to be set that this blend is Virginia forward.

Tin note is the fruitiness, sweetness, and yeast from the VAs, mixed with the smokiness of the latakia. The broken flake is nice and thin. Rubbed out fully and packed well.

The smoke itself is pleasant. Virginia on the front, latakia in the background, but the black cavendish adds a lot of sweetness to the smoke.

Smoking mechanics are fine. No issues, very few relights. It didn't bite or turn on me. The smoke was cool.

Solid three stars

________________________________

Pipe Used: Rattray's billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mijnnif (130)	2022-05-25		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note Laticia with some sweetness and spice my tin was 2016 vintage. Needed a bit of drying time, ready rubbed flake. At first light its sweet and spicy more than I expected, perhaps the VA with age added more sweetness defiantly not topped. All tobacco flavors working together. The Laticia is forward but its in balance with the cavendish and the VA. I found this blend to be absolutely wonderful not a Lat bomb at all. The course cut required a few relights. But in all a very smooth blend. If you like Laticia blends that are smooth and balanced with the other tobacco. This is a really great one. Nic hit is a bit below medium no bite whatsoever.

Pipe Used: Dr. Grabow duke tasting pipe

Age When Smoked: 6 years

Purchased From: friend

Similar Blends: Wilkie Laticia blends with cavendish , Boswell magnum but not topped not as sweet.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Iman01 (1)	2022-05-23		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This broken flake comes with a musty, smoky, bready tin note. Needed minimal drying and packed well. Slow and cool brining, and very creamy. The Virginia is matured and offers. The Latakia is truly condimental, enough to add interest throughout the smoke. My tin needs to be dried out for a bit, it’s a nice slightly sweet. Burns clean and cool - no bite whatsoever for me. I find it to be a nice fall English blend when you are sitting in the autumn sun and drinking a glass of tea or coffee.

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: new intin

Purchased From: my local smoke shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phils Galore (12)	2017-08-10		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is not a tobacco that I normally would have purchased. Neither the blend description nor the tin art would have attracted me. But as luck would have it, there were a couple of tins of 763 in a box of ten year old tins of tobacco that I was given recently. So I decided that I would give this a try and if I didn't like it I'd toss it out and there would be no loss. I have to say I'm glad I tried this. It has turned into one of my favourites and will be one of my regular smokes. Others have done a good job of describing the taste profile. I know our tastes and perceptions of taste vary, but this hits the spot form me. It strikes me as being a very cultured smoke. It's sort of aromatic, sort of English, and sort of Virginia. The virginia and latakia and cavendish are blended together so smoothly that I can't tell where one starts and the other stops. I'm assuming this is because of the age on the tin. The only way to know for sure is to check out some fresh tins of 763, which I will be doing.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: 10 years

Purchased From: a gift

Similar Blends: Hudson's Bay.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rade19 (7)	2015-08-19		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

First class tobaccos in a weak blend, lack of character and personality It need the touch of a Master blender to push out all the quality of these fine tobaccos. Take 20 grams of Cairo from Pease and mix with 100 grams of 763, put in a jar for a week and smoke again, all the colors gone out and you will enjoy a great English blend. The perique and the others orientals open an space where the 763 can express all its quality.

Pipe Used: Dunhill

Age When Smoked: 10 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Alone, to nothing, With Cairo's add, Penzance, odyssey..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beardywul (5)	2015-07-08		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

As smokable right out of the tin as my limited edition Public Image Limited cd and quite anomalous.

On the one hand: seemingly fairly well cased and sweet like an aromatic and burns and bites hot like some aromatics do too. But on the other: some Syrian Latakia has been wasted in it as well, quite reminiscent of, but certainly not making it, an English. A fact I'm quite sure you wouldn't need to have posted 200 reviews, of everything you've ever had a little puff of, to fully appreciate.

Slightly 'winey' like some people say but with occasional, smokey Latakia traces which in a fair few tobaccos I've really like in both large and small quantities, but which here just seems to adulterate. Like putting oregano in curry, or barbecuing a strawberry. Which is a very personal take, I admit. Tastes vary. Maybe Solani are the Heston Blumenthal of tobacco producers (he of the 'snail porridge' p.r. masterpiece) and I am just a pedestrian philistine but to me it is not pleasant and it does not appeal.

The heat and resulting pain are worse offences to the senses, though. Some might say 'Oo, this one is best sipped and treated with respect or it can bite'. I say that it's lack of behaviour and 'respect' for my expectations of a fairly cool and smokeable smoke and my fragile, fleshy taste buds is a tobacco crime. My tobacco should yield to me earning it's price and shouldn't have to pussy-foot around it.

There's me trying to strike an effective equilibrium between 'enough drawing to get it to light after the initial char' and 'not enough drawing' so that it won't turn around and injure me like a petulant pup. I think I'm getting somewhere because I've got a plume of reek going that I might potentially be able to smoke in a bit, so I continue my precipitous little balancing act for a good few puffs; trying to edge towards the, normally quite easy to reach, heady plateau otherwise known as 'a lit pipe'. Then I look into my bowl to find a burning bit in the middle slightly wider than the hole in a polo mint, surrounded by a donut of black. No heady plateau yet then. So I pull out my lighter and tamper, pull on the mouthpiece a bit and this irksome prima-donna goes 'How very dare you!' and nips me quite hard in the mouth. Pain is not why I do this, so I let up on it a bit and it's like 'That's better', 'This is all I'll be burning for you', 'A wee bit in the middle as wide as a size 10 knitting needle (or something) for your enthusiastic cheek' and I find I'm the one kind of going 'Sorry, I'm sorry, I'll be nice and just sip you' before thinking, 'Hold on a minute, you're just a tobacco out a £13 tin among hundreds'. 'And you're not even that nice either'. 'I don't need to take this piffle off of you'. Chuck!

2 stars because some intrepid connoisseurs might like snail porridge, because some mad tobacco scientists went to a great deal of effort creating this for the edification of the strange and the morbidly curious, because beauty's in the eye of the blablabla... and because some people may enjoy carefully sipping partially cremated aromatics; without wishing to offend them.

Not that I am calling this one. I obviously don't have a clue because 'Frankenbaccy' or something's what I think.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 106, 305 & Falcon

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Leith, Edinburgh.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ELF (40)	2011-01-01		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Being a Serious Pipe Smoker living in Canada..Our Choices are FEW+FAR Between(for Premium Pipe Tobacco)I'm very pleased that "Brigham"Did their homework 2find a Company with Consistent-Quality Lines(that'Renier' Embodies)I've tried ALL Renier Tobaccos that are Avail.in Canada.This English Tobacco is not Unlike H.O.W.(Revelation)or McC's(Frog Morton) I find it smokes best if U rub it out Even more/This weed smokes best in a Meer or Cob.I usually have a SM-scotch or Expresso in my free-hand. Take Ur-Time+enjoy this Complex Character

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-02-08		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

i got this just because of the latakia,i also got the gold label which is much better in my opinion.this one is ok but not as good as solani gold label. in my opinion flakes or broken flakes do not burn as good as ribbon cuts,and i have to relight it but it might get better when it gets dry.i would give this 2.5 stars if i could i expected more!but still its not a bad tobacco its smokable!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-04-05		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

My experience with 763 is exactly the same as smokeemifyougotem except that I was introduced to this mixture at a local pipe show and was so impressed that I purchased three 100g tins of it. Well, those three tins bore no resemblance to the fine product I had sampled.

Save your money.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-07-22		Extremely Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

OK, so I'm an aromatic smoker, but I thought I would try this out because of all the rave reviews. Ooops! It just blew me away. It was a very strange experience smoking this. At first, the flavours were very pleasent - interesting nuances I was not familiar with (Latakia?) But after just a few minutes i found the strength building up to become overwhelming. I ended up light-headed and nauseous. Is that the nicotine? What-ever it was, it made this a once-only experience for me. So, beginners beware! (and I should know, because I've been a beginner for 20 years now)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2007-04-06		Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

I may have received a tin of B&W from the same production run (or ?bottom of the barrel?) as Redneck below and I echo some of his comments. I found B&W flat, lacking in flavor, body, taste and strength. It was very much a ?hot air? smoke in that it pirouetted across my palate on ballerina tiptoes, i.e., I hardly knew it was there. In short, BLACK and WHITE apparently has a GRAY area and that gray area may be in quality control. I?ll have to try some of Redneck?s friends B&W or purchase another tin at a later date. There are just too many glowing reviews here and it leads me to believe that I, like Redneck, received a ?gray? tin with our first purchase.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this blend 7.1 out of 10.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-02-06		Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

If you are aromatic lovers please just stay away from Solani Black and White; Latakia may disturb you. As other reviewer say it is a good tobacco, but this is true only if you are a ?profi? with Latakia.

I recommend this tobacco only if you smoke once or just twice in a day.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2004-03-27		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Roger Wills at the plate; Steve Monjure pitching. A slow ball, Roger swings and hits a long fly ball into deep, deep center field. Back. Back. Way back. Tim of Paylesspipes, playing outfield, runs and leaps up to steal a homer, but it's over his head. HOME RUN! The crowd goes wild.

I met Steve and Tim with a new batch of Rinaldos at paylesspipes recently . They tempted me with his new tin. I have smoked nearly two tins now in a new large Rinaldo.

Yes sir pipe fans, this is a no non-sense tobak. Full, deep, rich, manly. Very slow burning, and needs no extra rubbing. Combines three simple tobaccos into a majestic broken dark flake. Easy to pack and light. Medium and mellow in taste at the start, it quickly builds to a spicy, stronger middle. The end is very round and dark. Dry smoking; you feel like you just had a meal after it's end.

Not many a tobacco pack this much flavor and are as smooth like this. The only things much smoother are the very old and aged old syrian blends. This blend must have been aged plenty, and is ready to smoke off the shelf. Extra aging may improve its smoothness.

This is also quite complex. The syrian latakia adds strength but not the smokiness of cyprian. The black cavendish is not sweetened and just gives the taste a dark side. The dark and lighter virginias used give it a semi-sweet, natural base. No one tobacco dominates, and this is a good finish for the evening. Quite rich but different than most english blends. No orientals.

The recent review in P&T magazine (March 2004) recommends this but does not add how truely superb and special of a blend this is. It is on the stong side mind you, so may not be an all day smoke for many. But it is a wonderful experience even once or twice a day. Highly recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nuvoleazzurre (36)	2021-11-21		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Solani White Black, un tabacco dalla scuola semplice e raffinata che strizza un occhio al rimpianto Sobraine, il contenuto è un delizioso flake prevalentemente scuro Virginia, Cavendish e Latakia uniformemente tagliato.

Il Latakia è dichiarato siriano, ma sicuramente in quella martoriata nazione avranno altro cui pensare che affumicare tabacco.

Il primo pensiero che mi ha assalito la mente, alla prova a secco è quella delle vecchie cantine ove il vino riposa nelle botti. Poi ecco la frutta secca e le terre del Virginia, il Latakia non è così preponderante, si percepisce dopo un po’ l’affumicato tipico di questo tabacco. E’ assente la nota dolce del Cavendish, segno di bassa o assente zuccheratura.

Carichiamo la pipa dopo aver fatto asciugare appena appena la quantità scelta. Oramai è noto che non sbriciolo, ma avvolto i pezzi di tabacchi spezzati nel fornello. Utilizzo ovviamente pipe dal fornello ampio. L’accensione è lenta e delicata affinché la brace sia persistente, ma sopratutto uniforme.

Cosa mi dice il palato? Che abbiamo di fronte una EM delicata, signorile, costruita per i palati signorili, quelli che apprezzano le cose fini, delicate e odiano la ruffianeria.

Partiamo da Latakia: non è violento, grezzo anzi appena appenda dolce (sicuramente tutto cipriota), non è il protagonista, ma il co-protagonista, quella figura in secondo piano, un po’ in ombra, ma senza la quale lo sviluppo della trama crolla. In questa miscela dona il corpo e profondità.

Il Virginia: ohibò sentire tutta la tavolozza aromatica dall’agrumato alla terra passando per la frutta secca al legno ad ogni puff, non ha prezzo.

Il Cavendish è invece una scoperta, poco zucchero o vanigliato serve per addolcire la miscela che alla lunga stuccherebbe.

Se sentiamo il retronasale saremo più propensi ad avvertire un po’ di pizzicore dato da Cavendish.

Alla Solani hanno fatto un ottimo lavoro.

Certo non è la classica miscela inglese cui siamo abituati, ma hanno aggiunto una grande variazione al tema. Come quel musicista che rivede una partitura classica e senza stravolgerla sa mettere il suo carisma e valore personale.

Non è assolutamente forte, ma non è neppure da bamboccioni; fumato male la nicotina sa ricordare della sua esistenza. Ripeto è un tabacco per signori, coloro che accendo la pipa e si fanno una passeggiata nel verde autunnale pieno di colori o per coloro che accompagna alla fumata un ottimo libro.

La nota ambientale è puro tabacco. Può essere on piacevole, ma non è mai disgustante per chi sta accanto.

La persistenza è buona e lascia memoria palatale, come il ricordo piacevole di una dolce compagnia.

Lo posso raccomandare oltre che a quel fumatore che (come dicevo) cerchi una variazione al tema EM anche a quel fumatore che voglia avvicinarsi al Latakia senza farsi sorprendere o spaventare.

Non voglio parlare del prezzo imposto alla vendita perchè esulerei dalla recensione, posso dire che la spesa è comunque giustificata dal prodotto che andremo ad assaporare.

Il giudizio numerico 4,9 (non do il massimo solo per il prezzo esagerato).

Pipe Used: Ulrik, Chacom, Dunhill

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brunello (166)	2020-06-14		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I was a little worried that the Cavendish would impart a muted dullness to the palate, as it often does. But no, everything is actually in perfect balance. The Cavendish does not impart any overt flavorings in the manner of some crossover blends like Northwoods or SPC Plum Pudding. What we get here is just an ever so slightly sweeter version of a classic medium-bodied English (Virginia-Latakia). Clean and focused, with wonderful spice from the Syrian Latakia (toasted pinoli, sunflower seed, clove). There are also some hints of broiled steak which suggests to me that the Cavendish is actually more of a dark-matured Virginia. Nothing heavy or overtly campfire. If you like Lat-bombs like Pirates Kake or Gaslight, this will not be for you.

I did a direct A-B comparison with another elegant classic using Syrian Latakia: Mac Baren Vintage Syrian (no longer available). Impossible to declare a clear winner because they are not intended to be considered in the same category. The Mac is more savory and clearly shows the 'sour cream' flavors of Turkish, while the Solani has no Turkish, its spice derived from the wonderful Syrian. Some nice cedar notes, and the Cavendish gives a slightly sweet finish. This is also a versatile, non-fussy blend that seems fine for either warm or cold seasons, morning or evening, briar or meer. Thick chunky ribbons seem slightly moist but they burn just fine without needing to dry.

I also spent several sessions going back and forth between blends that are considered in this same category of English-Aromatic: Frog Morton, Cult Embassy, and Boswell Northwoods. Embassy was the smoothest, with the least amount of natural tobacco taste, and that has its own appeal with a companion cup of coffee, but not much to get excited about. Frog has always seemed muddled on the palate, and all I get on the retrohale is scorched ketchup (least favorite of this group for me). Northwoods has the boldest, deepest flavors of the group, but you really have to like the idea of chocolate flavored Latakia. To my tastes Solani is the best of the bunch because of ideal balance, quality natural tobacco taste, and a slightly sweet background note that is not derived from obvious flavorings like vanilla or chocolate.

By the way, this is European processed red Virginia, so no American-style ketchup or vinegar; just natural goodness! I'm surprised this isn't talked up more, it was a great discovery for me, and a real treat from start to finish of the bowl!

Pipe Used: Peterson Deerstalker, SMS Meer, Stanwell Trio.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Falliver (42)	2019-12-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Searching for some Balkan blends, Sol Cigar conjured this among two others for me to smell and taste. Almost aromatic in aroma, only a faint note Latakia was detected. I still agree to buy a sample.

This I do not regret. Although it very unlike the previous Balkans I’ve tried, it still produce a medium-to-full bodied smoke, with the Virginia and Cavendish as the main players. It’s this very sweet, exactly how I’ve pictured a non-aromatic Cavendish, providing some brown sugar and dark honey sweetness, and almonds. The Virginia offers some earthy notes and sweetness as well, with the Latakia offering a supporting role of some woody notes. After some drying, more spices are detectable. Easy to light and stay lit, it does not bite. A highly pleasurable smoke.

Pipe Used: GL Lillehammer 1212

Age When Smoked: From the tin

Purchased From: Sol Cigar Oslo

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lyle (32)	2016-11-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

In the tin, "White and Black" is very sweet and only slightly smokey. For my style of smoking, it is a touch moist but easily dried out.

This tobacco smokes like a sweet Virginia with a bit of Latakia. I assume the sweetness is enhanced by the black Cavendish. The Latakia is certainly mild, and I don't know if this is an effect of being Syrian (as the tin says) or from a relatively small portion of it, but it certainly tastes condimental.

Looking at other reviews here, I'm surprised to see others mention a berry topping. I noted nothing like that, but my tin was over seven years old and perhaps the topping faded over time.

I found it to be delicious, but somewhat unremarkable. This isn't a bad thing. Sometimes restrained and elegant is better than loud and obnoxious.

Pipe Used: A Savinelli and Charatan dedicated to Latakia

Age When Smoked: 7+ Years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jediokie (6)	2012-01-27		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This was a superb smoke for me. Looking at the other reviews I don't know if I got lucky with my tin or if my taste buds are just right for this blend.

I found it very mellow for a latakia blend which is awesome for me. The virginia was sweet and the cavendish gave it a nice full body. This hit its stride about mid-bowl and kept delivering until the end.

One note this is a serious sipper. Strong puffing will cause this delicate leaf to bite and all the flavor will vanish. If this happens just walk away for a couple of minutes and let it cool off and everything goes back to normal.

I'm going to cellar this the next time I make a big TAD order for sure.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipey duck (50)	2012-01-07		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

to less nicotin to me is the reason i will not buy it again. i think the VA and latakia leafs are high qualitie but there is not enough power in i expect from a english flake. but there are many tobaccos describet as `strong` which have only a few nic but much taste!! I think many reviewer confuses STRENGHT and TASTE. this is my first review so forgive me my lack of details course my english is not so good as it should be. all in all 2 stars for the good baccy taste 2014-02-10 I have to upgrade my review! after 2 years the diamond become a brilliant.Aging is the key for getting a sweet and smoky and a rounded powerful smoke. I will buy a tin again to cellar it. With some age Highly Recommended

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-11-05		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This mixture of the Solani waited anxiously for me to open it and gave me a surprise. The basis of Virginia is delightfully sweet, and cavendish is flavored with wine and berries. And at the end of the 'spoon' Latakia added, creating a unique combination. Good nicotine taste. Smoked easily to the end. Actually it has a very dry finish leaving only ashes. This does not mean that it retains its flavor to the end, because from the middle of the bowl unfortunately the SOLANI taste disappears. It needs to be smoked easily to avoid any tongue accidents. OK, I tried it, I wrote in my records about it... but, that's as far as it will get for me. Perhaps in my next order I can put another box which I will leave for 3-4 years and see if I can benefit from aging.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-10-18		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you like Dunhill mixtures you will like this also, it's on the same side of Latakia concentration. Smell nice, tastes nice,smokes nice so I highly recommend it.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-10-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am about 3/4 through this tin and I have recently started rubbing this tobacco out a bit and leaving it in the open air for a few minutes. I find that this allows for a longer smoke. I am a new pipe smoker (I started pipe smoking about a year ago) and have recently moved away from aromatics. I went straight to Irish Flake which was far to strong for me - at this point. 763 White and Black is an incredible blend for someone that is between aromatics and English tobaccos. I look forward to smoking this blend as I finish off the last of my aromatics. I am not the most sophisticated smoker but I certainly love this blend. It is peppery and leaves a wonderful after taste. Thanks to all other reviewers that have helped me understand other tobaccos.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-05-13		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Update January 2011: This is still my favourite Syrian Latakia blend, but I just wish I could find exactly this with less Liquorice.. Upped to 4 stars nevertheless and I bought some tins to age and see what will happen.

Tinnote: dark, sweet, alluring... Great!

Taste: smooth, mellow, caressing. Liquorice? I don't know, but I like it.

The sweetness and heaviness makes this a nice smoke in the middle of the evening. Not directly after dinner, not just before going to sleep. A great companinion to sip when I'm winding up my day and planning the next, the contemplative phase of the day...

Keep sipping because relighting is not a pleasure.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-03-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A de-li-cious combination of stoved VAs and Latakia, this broken flake is a must for the English mixtures fan.

W&B, despite its rather expensive cost, is still worth the expense. You will be extremely pleased by the bold, earthy and spicy taste of the Syrian latakia balanced with the sweetness of the stoved VAs. Rich and tasty, you will not get hit by a nicotine wall. Its content is minimal for my liking. You will be especially pleased by the fact that this tobacco does not offend the anti Latakia crowd because it is barely noticeable in the room note.

This dark broken flake mixture is a pleasure for the palate, burns cool and slow and is simply outstanding, especially after aging for a couple years. I have never been disappointed by this mixture and will definitively rebuy on a regular basis.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-11-20		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This blend has a sharp tang for about the first third of the bowl. Initially, a bit harsh with a little bite. After some of the casing burns off, it doesn't bite at all and provides a cool smoke with a little sweetness. Nothing special here for me, though. I will finish the tin, but will probably not buy it again because it wouldn't be an all day smoke for me. I'm going to set the tin aside to air out for a while & see what happens. Always a treat to try something new, however, & overall this is another good blend from Solani...just not my cup of tea. It is good enough IMHO to rate it a three star blend for now.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-04-04		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a wonderful blend of mild Latakia, sweet Virginia, and aromatic and flavourful Cavendish in perfect combination. It does change character and become a little too sweet at times but I can forgive this little quirk.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-11-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I will put my money on First Sealord!!!!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

DUDES, THIS IS PURE GOLD IN A TIN!!!!!!!!! Jesus, Joseph and Mary!

The description at smokingpipes.com said that I would deal with a mixture of Black VA, Black Cavendish and Latakia, ready Rubbed. At my tobacconist, the tin itself told me that I would smoke an "English Black Flake with Latakia, RR".

By both descriptions, I wasn't sure at first, because in my mind a mixture of all black Bakkie and Latakia based would be too much in terms of smoking strength and time to smoke...I pictured an all black Flake similar to Bengal Slices and went yuk, no way!But after a while, curiosity obliged, I decided that I had to give it a shot, you know what I mean? I had nothing better to do than take a risk, which I've taken all those years I've been a pipe smoker: I've thrown a lot of money in tobaccos I didn't like, so I figured that one more, at the very worse, wouldn't make a difference. By all means, it's part of the pipe smoking game. So I bought a tin ( Atmosphere of intense suspense: sweat is pouring down the forehead from anticipation...)

Let me reassure you, the "Black" is not so black; in fact, upon opening the tin, you will be greeted by a mixture that is composed of approximatively 65% dark brown, 20% black and 15% golden leaves. I guess the percentage will vary from one tin to another, but I'm sure by not very much, give or take 5% for each category. The first couples days, as the mixture was very moist, I did not attempt smoking it. I let it sit in the tin, closed of course, and let time do its work. At first, I could not make out the Latakia at all, it was mostly a very earthy and barely sweet smell welcoming me, very rich and pleasant. After three days, the tobacco was less moist and the Latakia started sticking out, but discreetly.

Anyway, I decided to give it a shot last night, after 5 days, and I was thrilled to discover a very refined, rich, tasty smoke that was still smooth by all means; yea, this is pure silk smoking, you taste it significantly but it does not harass your senses at all. The puffs get up to your nostrils and you want to smell it some more. Your taste buds are in heaven and the smoke does not bite; surprisingly, despite the Latakia, my wife did not complain at all and, believe me, whenever I smoke Latakia mixtures, I hear from her not long after, and not in a positive fashion, to be precise! This time, she did not say a thing! I lighted up, saying to myself " Yea, another two minutes and she'll turn around and give me her verdict" but hey! Silence at the other end after those two minutes. I just went "What the heck?" but happily carried on my smoking. After a while, confused because of her lack of reaction, I had to ask her if she could smell the Bakkie and she replied "Yea, no more or no less than the other ones". End of discussion. I felt like saying "Yea, but how come you're not complaining, there's freaking Latakia in there", but I'm smarter than that. I smoked by butt off...

It'll be our secret, guys. The only Latakia mixture a guy can smoke with his wife or non-smokers around and nobody will whine, can you believe this? Let's praise Solani's Black and White!!!

7 stars out of 5!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-11-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

All the best to your search; I hope you have an exceptional intelligence team, armour-all sir!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Am I supposed to be scared? What are you going to do, attack me with your Fleet? I am not accessible by water way!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Why, absolutely not, your excellency! What makes you think such a thing?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A true gentleman's tobacco: the combination of Syrian latakia, Black stoved VA and unsweetened black CA is outstanding! And easy to smoke despite the darkness of the rubbed-out flakes.

The smoke reveals diversified layers of taste that release a rich, creamy and delicious smoke that is barely sweet and mostly smoky and spicy from the Latakia. Surprisingly, as our one and only First Sealord - how blessed are we to count an admiral, no less, among our brotherhood?- revealed, the Latakia remains undetected among the roomnote.

Contrary to the last couple brothers that mentioned their sad experience with this glorious ready rubbed flake, I have never had this issue with Black and White. I hope this manufacturing mistake will be quickly sorted out!

This tobacco is worthy of Johannus Christus's stamp of approval.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-11-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

You certainly must be reacheble through waterway: your last name sounds like it's Dutch!!! There is plenty of water where you live!!!! I shall get you!

///////////////////////////////////////////////

You watch your tongue Sailor or I shall beat to Quarters!

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

Are you mocking me, Mr Christus? Do you know who I AM???

///////////////////////////////////

After reading the reviews below, about the discrepency between 50 and 100 gr tins, I cannot help but wonder, because every time I smoked this delightful ready -rubbed flake, the content and taste were consistent. But I have noticed that Solanis English mixture has significantly changed over the last 4 yearts or so.

This fine tobacco is dark, dark and dark. I highly fancy dark tobaccos, and B&W holds its promise of being dark. Just a small proportion is dark-medium brown Tin aroma is of fine rich earth, leather, smokiness from the latakia and a slight sweet note. The rubbed-out flakes make it easy to fill the pipe and they don't require supplementary break down.

Despite its darknes, this tobacco is easy to light and maintain. One is greeted with pure, complex tobacco taste alternating from the smokiness and spiciness of the Latakia to the subtle sweet notes of the stoved black VA. The beauty of this tobacco is the fact that the latakia is barely detectable in the room note. I can therefore play a trick on Mrs First Sealord because she does not fancy the Latakia smell!

By all means, this tobacco is not strong, but it is rich and satisfying. the nicotine level is rather low, but greatly compensated by the delightfullness of the smoke.

Black and White gets the First Sealord's stamp of approval!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rsvp2rip (27)	2008-06-24		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Now this is about damn near perfect...for me at least. I think this might qualify as a crossover, which is what I really like. The berry/wine-like topping never really goes away but fades to a ver nice background flavor. I didn't get a wash of latakia at the end and I'm glad for it because I don't like latakia forward blends. Sweet, smooth, a bit of zestiness from time to time, caramel notes, the gentle slap of nicotine at the end...just about the best tobacco I've put in a pipe. I hope it cellars well, but I can't imagine something better. 9 (almost 10) of 10 11/27/2006

UPDATE: Well 1-1/2 years later and I find that the Latakia has now moved into the foreground, not what I'm really after. Still a great smoke but I find I don't like it as much anymore. Gonna knock off a star.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smoking-rob (79)	2008-01-25		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It was not without some trepidation that I opened my first tin of Solani 763 the other day: what with all those mixed reviews I wasn't sure what I would get! But luckily I was greeted by the sight of a nice, coarsely rubbed out, flake that did smell of latakia and VA. It was rather moist so some airing will do it good. It is a very tasty, slightly sweet smoke with a subdued Latakia presence and with a little tendency to bite, so nipping it brings out the best. Not overwhelmingly strong either, it will satisfy the palate for a good Va, BC and Latakia rubbed out flake.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-09-02		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Simply fell in love with this blend...what a variety of flavors right till the end. I left it behind for a month or so...I was giving the dunhill 965 a try...then the other night decided to open my solani Black and white again...wow...just a beautiful smoke...toasty, sweet, rich, just enough Latakia...love this blend best after dinner. Puff it slow and let those flavors and that aroma fill the air and your palate...enjoy

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2007-07-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The German blender R. L. Will has yet to disappoint me and provides some of my true favorite Va/Perique flakes in Reiner's Long Golden Flake and Solani 633. Now I've found a favorite with Latakia. My interest in this relatively new item, 763, was its blender and its flake form since I've always favored that for slow burning rates. The partially rubbed out flakes were predominantly dark brown to black but some golden and red VAs were also present. The moisture content from my tin was fine, no condensation developed and lighting and burn rate were excellent. Usually, I get complaints or smart remarks when I open Latakia blends in non pipe smoking company but this blend actually brought compliments. The room aroma was also less objectionable to others. I sensed no bite but found a cool, rich, dense and enjoyable smoke. The taste is too full for me as an all day smoke but after dinner, this is a joy. The Latakia that is present is not so dominant or smoky to cover the sweet VAs. As the flavor develops from the initial lighting, it gets stronger but not bitter or sharp. Although I've generally shied away from Latakia blends, this would be my #1 pick.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-02-20		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

just started smoking this a week ago. i usually smoke straight virginias such as best brown or marlin flake but have been exploring latakia lately. the tin aroma is very delicious and natural smelling. maybe there is a berry topping as other reviewers have noted, but it is very subtle. i smell mostly ripe red virginias and delicious latakia. it must be syrian latakia, because it smells and tastes nothing like the cyprian variety. the smoke starts off very smooth and rich, gets a little spicy at mid bowl and finishes smooth and tasty. this is an incredible blend. i'm starting to like it more than my straight virginias. all the components are very balanced. definitely a classic. it's amazing how smooth and rich this tobacco is from the start. hard to imagine that it could get any better with aging. needs to dry for an hour before smoking though......

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-01-12		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable

I find this blend to be rather boring. It does not have the spice or depth in taste I expected. At the price they are charging, I will pass this one up in the future.

Ok Ok. I made a mistake!! I had NEVER had a bad tin of tobacco before. The part tin I smoked was missing something, (bland and no flavor)! My buddy said I was crazy and that I should try a bowlful of his. Its hard to believe that was the same blend. I agree with the other people here that this is a very tasty blend, (but still costs toooo much & one star for Quality Control).

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ranger (79)	2006-12-15		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco comes packed in thickish stringy pieces that can be stuffed right into the bowl or broken slightly after a little airing. Dark in color, sweet and earthy in aroma, the best part comes when smoked. I don't know if it is the Syrian, but man, this is smooth as silk. Definitely not as smokey as other latakia blends, slightly more sweet. Too bad it costs more than most. A good latakia for those not really into the dark, heavy, smokey stuff. (This is updated from previous review in 2006)

Age When Smoked: 12years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-11-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There are just SOOOOOO many medium-full English blends out there that taste similar to one another or with so little difference between each other. THIS ENGLISH IS NOT ONE OF THEM. I like the word 'pipestud' used in his review ..."unique".

I recently have been on a binge in trying different pipe tobaccos over the past month. I've smoked around 50 different blends or so in about 1 months time. I was beginning to think that I was losing my taste for latakia blends but this latakia based English has restored by faith in this 'genre' of pipe tobacco.

This blend is easily in the top 2 or 3 blends that I have recently tried. It is a medium strength English which is creamy, smokey, tasty and well rounded with a wonderful flavor/taste. The room note is outstanding. It burns to a fine, grey ash with no moisture at the bottom of the bowl. I love the broken flakes as IMO they seem to be the ideal cut for burning.

I don't know if it's the Syrian latakia that is purportedly used or the flavoring added via the cavendish, etc. but it is no doubt a masterpiece of a blend. The highest accolodes from this reviewer.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Satc001 (67)	2006-04-11		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Sometimes, certain tobaccos fit certain occasions. A nice sunny afternoon at 80 degrees in the park requires a nice McClelland or Rattray virginia. A cold winter's eve requires a big bowl of Penzance or Odyssey. A cool summer night on the lake requires a bowl of Solani 763 Black and White. This blend has absolutely lovely virginias forming the base of the smoke. I detected a bit of a wine casing, but wasn't dissapointed as I felt that is complemented the tobacco well. The cavendish serves to smooth the smoke and add some body. The Syrian latakia in this starts out almost unnoticeable, but as the bowl progresses in adds a nice peppery spice to this. A wonderful blend that I highly recommend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-04-26		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

In my opinion RCUSElders review is spot on. This is a real treat and a quality blend. I have 5 tins in the cellar and can't wait to try this with some age on it.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-08-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Let me start by saying that I tried this and 633 on the same day and found two new members for my aging cabinet.

I think this is a great blend. This is, by far, the best smoke I've had that contains Syrian Latakia. To add to this, it is very unusual also since it comes in flake form! I find it needs just an hour or so of air drying (per bowl) and, in my opinion, to be rubbed out completely. I like smoking this in big, big pipes. (Heck, I like smoking nearly everything in big pipes, so why should this be any different?) I have found that this is a little sharp upon first light, but once the bowl develops, the smoke is round, full and smooth.

Also, the importer for this and other fine products is Steve Monjure, and if you ever get a chance to meet him and/or buy pipes from him, you too will realize what an asset he is to our humble hobby.

Review for 633 to come once I finish a whole tin.

JP

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