Just For Him Shortcut To Mushrooms
(3.49)
This is the fourth blend in the Middle Earth Pipeweed Series! Rich, dark Latakia is blended with mushrooms straight from Farmer Maggot's field to produce a truly unique smooth, creamy, earthy smoke with a hint of sweetness.
Details
| Brand | Just For Him |
| Series | Middle Earth Pipeweed |
| Blended By | Bob Schafer |
| Manufactured By | |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Latakia |
| Flavoring | Other / Misc |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | Bulk |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild to Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.49 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 30 of 98 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 27, 2016 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The smoking and appreciation of pipe tobacco can be a sober and serious affair, but at its core it is a hobby of relaxation and enjoyment of the moment. As such, this may be the most fun I've had with a blend. It's certainly one of the weirdest, but also worth a recommendation.
I'll admit it, I'm a serious Tolkien reader, and this is an absurdly targeted blend to such a piper; I was powerless to the charms of the name and the company description. But to the leaf: this is an audacious blend concocted from possibly the two most widely separated leaves on the tobacco spectrum. The pairing of black Cavendish and Latakia is unique, but it works. The BC is mild and exudes the typical caramel and vanilla tones, enhanced of course, but they play so well against the base of the Latakia which is mildly smoky but full of exotic incense. Most of the time the BC dominates, or the two leaves struggle, but occasionally they combine to produce the tangy, beefy, and earthy taste of mushrooms. Is this a case of matrixing, the identification of a pattern in the background of random noise aided by suggestion? Perhaps, but I taste it all the same.
Another part of this blend that was so fun was the volume, mouth feel, and opacity of the smoke. Billows of white creamy smoke, perfect for the art of blowing smoke rings, and simply showing off. I'll be honest, this is achieved with a lot of additives and this stuff is goopy, but if a blend is going to be heavy in this regard it might as well be to the point where it is physically impressive and achieves something in the smoke beside moisture.
This is not a subtle smoke and is of no great quality, but it is fun. It's the work of an imaginative blender pairing unlike components, somehow delivers on the suggestion of toadstools, is mild, and makes an obscene amount of smoke. Give it a try.
I'll admit it, I'm a serious Tolkien reader, and this is an absurdly targeted blend to such a piper; I was powerless to the charms of the name and the company description. But to the leaf: this is an audacious blend concocted from possibly the two most widely separated leaves on the tobacco spectrum. The pairing of black Cavendish and Latakia is unique, but it works. The BC is mild and exudes the typical caramel and vanilla tones, enhanced of course, but they play so well against the base of the Latakia which is mildly smoky but full of exotic incense. Most of the time the BC dominates, or the two leaves struggle, but occasionally they combine to produce the tangy, beefy, and earthy taste of mushrooms. Is this a case of matrixing, the identification of a pattern in the background of random noise aided by suggestion? Perhaps, but I taste it all the same.
Another part of this blend that was so fun was the volume, mouth feel, and opacity of the smoke. Billows of white creamy smoke, perfect for the art of blowing smoke rings, and simply showing off. I'll be honest, this is achieved with a lot of additives and this stuff is goopy, but if a blend is going to be heavy in this regard it might as well be to the point where it is physically impressive and achieves something in the smoke beside moisture.
This is not a subtle smoke and is of no great quality, but it is fun. It's the work of an imaginative blender pairing unlike components, somehow delivers on the suggestion of toadstools, is mild, and makes an obscene amount of smoke. Give it a try.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2015 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Very Pleasant |
Alright this is one I just couldn't resist being a Tolkien fan. That being said I was skeptical of this pipe weed series and just really thought no way is this good total toy gimmick right?! Well I can totally stick my foot in my mouth sometimes and this is one of them. Shortcut to mushrooms is a simple blend of Latakia and black cavandish... Why didn't I think of this first? Just for him did a great job on this blend absolutely delicious smoke great room note and I just find myself wanting more of this blend. The lat once again gives it an English feel but the black cavendish comes through for the aromatic feel. I would recommend this highly to anyone! But if you get some you better share with me! Also as I smoke more and more of this blend I think its more an aromatic I think the black Cavendish has some type of topping on it but just havent pin pointed what.
Pipe Used:
Meerschaum
PurchasedFrom:
Just for him
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 21, 2014 | Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
This is a difficult review and my impressions are based on only one bowl, smoked in two sittings. But my impression is so strong, that I decided to go ahead and post it. TASTE: This tastes like nothing I've ever smoked. As other have said this is NOT an Engllish. it IS an aromatic with Latakia. It is mild, but rich, with a mix of earthy mushroom flavor mixed with a caramel-toasted marsh-mellow taste, that manages to not be cloyingly sweet. It is interesting, compelling, different and leaves you wanting more. I really like it. BODY: It has a heavy creamy, oily smoke in the mouth. The BURN: Here is where I have a problem. The first bowl lit easily, required only a couple of relights, and burned cool. THEN I LEFT HALF A BOWL IN THE PIPE OVER NIGHT. After half a bowl sat in the pipe over night IT WOULD NOT BURN. The previous session was a delight. Relighting this second half was nothing but frustration! I finally gave up. The WORST PART is that this COMPLETELY gummed up one of my favorite pipes and it is now severely ghosted. This is really frustrating because I really do like the flavor of this tobacco. It is really unique. RECOMMENDATION: 1) Dry it out a bit, first. 2) Use a cob, or a pipe that you do not intend to smoke anything else in. 3) Make sure you smoke the WHOLE BOWL, because left in the pipe, it becomes a gooey mess that WILL NOT BURN!
Pipe Used:
Hard Castle Bulldog
PurchasedFrom:
Just For Him
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 06, 2013 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild | Pleasant |
This is a very unique blend, at least in my experience. I like Balkan/English style bleands, with Va/Pers a second, aro's a distant third.....this is not an english blend, at least in the traditional sense, but an aro spiced with latakia. The black cavendish latakia combo does lend an earthy/mushroom-esque quality to the smoke....it has the room note and sweetness of an aro with just enough latakia to keep it interesting and spicy...a very enjoyable crossover blend that could be an everyday smoke for the latakia lover and an intro to english for those who love aros....and it's certain;y a baccy that will be accepted by those who don't smoke as the room note is great.....
Well worth trying - and, as I said, might just become your number 1...
Well worth trying - and, as I said, might just become your number 1...
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 07, 2013 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Ahh, Shortcut to Mushrooms, the better of the bunch.
A very cool, earthy and sometimes sweet smoke.
Very good on a late summer's evening.
There isn't much to add to the other reviews, this is good stuff.
A very cool, earthy and sometimes sweet smoke.
Very good on a late summer's evening.
There isn't much to add to the other reviews, this is good stuff.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 26, 2012 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
This is a real tough one to pin down. This is how I would describe it. This tobacco is an aromatic blend, sorta, or no wait kinda an English blend, sorta. Cant really pin this one down, but it is good.
This stuff is in the same category as sillems black. Its an aromenglish, or an englishmatic, or whatever you want to call it. This stuff is definitely out of the ordinary.
The taste is really good, at times almost savory vs sweet. I know the name originates from a Tolkein reference but in a way I can almost understand why they named it shortcut to mushrooms. There is a nice sauteed mushroom flavor there. This phenomenon could be all in my head due to the name, but it is good stuff.
My one complaint here is the burn. This stuff is a little goopy. I believe this is due to the cased black Cavendish. It is also a little sticky. Due to these factors this stuff doesn't burn very well, even when I dried it out. It requires a lot of relights for me. The good news is this tobacco doesn't seem to be negatively affected by the increased heat of a relight.
Definitely different and definitely worth a try.
This stuff is in the same category as sillems black. Its an aromenglish, or an englishmatic, or whatever you want to call it. This stuff is definitely out of the ordinary.
The taste is really good, at times almost savory vs sweet. I know the name originates from a Tolkein reference but in a way I can almost understand why they named it shortcut to mushrooms. There is a nice sauteed mushroom flavor there. This phenomenon could be all in my head due to the name, but it is good stuff.
My one complaint here is the burn. This stuff is a little goopy. I believe this is due to the cased black Cavendish. It is also a little sticky. Due to these factors this stuff doesn't burn very well, even when I dried it out. It requires a lot of relights for me. The good news is this tobacco doesn't seem to be negatively affected by the increased heat of a relight.
Definitely different and definitely worth a try.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 15, 2012 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
The first time I tried this, I thought I had inadvertently packed a bowl of E. Hoffman's Distinguished Gentleman. While the two are very similar, I find STM's flavor to be a bit more subdued. Shortcut to Mushrooms seems to be a bit more moist than DG as well, so a modicum of drying may be in order. Predictably, as someone who absolutely adores Distinguished Gentleman, I really like Shortcut to Mushrooms. The earthy flavor and sweet, smokey undertones blend wonderfully for a truly manly smoke. Which probably explains why my wife hates it. While the name may be a bit off-putting to some, rest assured that this tobacco tastes much better than any mushrooms you may have smoked.
Update 12/05/2013:
Maybe I really was smoking mushrooms when I wrote my original review; this is nothing like DG. In fact, maybe I should apologize for the comparison.
The more tobaccos I try, the better this gets. The flavor is unique and gives lie to the old expression "You can't have it both ways." STM has become both my favorite aromatic and English blend. This wonderful blend smokes surprisingly cool and dry and, like a faithful old hound, never bites regardless of how many times you step on it.
I just bought a pound and already wish I had bought more.
Update 12/05/2013:
Maybe I really was smoking mushrooms when I wrote my original review; this is nothing like DG. In fact, maybe I should apologize for the comparison.
The more tobaccos I try, the better this gets. The flavor is unique and gives lie to the old expression "You can't have it both ways." STM has become both my favorite aromatic and English blend. This wonderful blend smokes surprisingly cool and dry and, like a faithful old hound, never bites regardless of how many times you step on it.
I just bought a pound and already wish I had bought more.
Pipe Used:
Various Petersons, Savinellis, Stanwells
PurchasedFrom:
JustForHim.com
Age When Smoked:
48
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 28, 2011 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
I absolutely love this stuff, I was mostly smoking English when I first tried it and I was hooked! I swear I taste mushrooms when I smoke it, but maybe that's just because of the name... Anyhow it is a unique aromatic and the smoothest presentation of Latakia that I've smoked to date! Try this one, you won't regret it!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 03, 2010 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Had high hopes for this blend but it just doesn't do it for me. It taste like a very "young" tobacco as if it was blended the day I purchased it. The flavors are not well melded and at times the smoke can be harsh, just not a very good balance going on here. It just taste to me like the blender put together a mix of vanilla black Cavendish and Latakia and viola sold it as a Middle Earth blend. Not impressed in the least. I give it two stars because I think it would make a great blend for beginners looking to transition their way into Latakia blends.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 05, 2010 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Upon first lighting this fine blend up, I noticed it tastes something similar to Frog Morton by McClelland, which for me is hardly a bad thing. It burns down to a fine ash and leaves the pipe dry and not a gurgle to be found. It produces a nice amount of smoke and the Vitamin N is in the right portion for me. The room note (always a negative if the wife is on the floor gagging) seemed pleasant enough for me. I haven't really had any complaints about it, so it goes down as "pleasant." I definitely think this will be something to keep in stock. I recommend this very highly.
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