Solani 763: White and Black

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!

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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