Tobaccos Astley's - No.1 Medium Latakia Mixture

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2016-03-16		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

Astley's - No.1 Latakia.

I've not been having too much luck lately; I've found nothing special in the new tobaccos' I've reviewed. Mind you, I've been going against the better judgement of this site a lot of the time and opening things such as Savinelli Armonia and Solani Green so it's my own stupid fault! Because of these blends that have been over-cased I wanted something full and natural; this seemed like it could be the one!

The aroma from the newly opened can lets out a huge paroxysm of " I'm what you want"; it smells very natural and un-cased. The ribbons are 50/50 black to brown and apart from a couple of twigs there's no problem. So, on with the smoke:

The taste isn't as heady with Latakia as I'd expected it to be; there's a good amount of it in there but it's more 'rich' than just smoky. In fact, all of the tobacco's are well rounded with one another, they're all notable without being too imperious .

The burn is superbly even and the temperature of the smoke is pleasant. This blend can issue a slight bite if sucked with too much voracity, but if it's smoked 'normally' it's no problem.

This has hit the spot perfectly; full, very natural, very rich, and just what I needed!

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Levent Meer' Claw

Age When Smoked: 3 month

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2004-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I cannot really add to what the above esteemed reviewer has said other than the fact that this blend will probably perform better once its been dried out some. I found the leaf to be too moist straight out of the tin.

This is indeed an elegant, Latakia dominated blend with just enough of the other elements to cause Astley's #1 to really shine, particularly in larger bowled pipes. I have no idea why, but it seems that Latakia/unsweetened cavendish blends tend to smoke better for me when given more room for the flavor to "roam," if that makes any sense.

More sweet than smokey, I think Astley's #1 is probably going to please anyone who enjoys Latakia enriched blends that don't flex their muscles and then slap you across the face.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2017-01-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Although this is a decent smoke, I think the Black Cav is a bit overdone. I taste it more than I taste the Latakia and that is not much to my liking. It also overshadows the Turkish and Virginias to a fair extent. It is pretty smooth and it burns very well. Just doesn't entirely suit my taste. I'll somewhat recommend it.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in taste. No added flavoring.

Pipe Used: MM Little Devil Cutty, Little Devil Acorn, Marcus

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Mars cigars and pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3025)	2014-01-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

There's some dark fruit and a little earth from the red Virginia, and grass from the cavendish that offsets the smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia a little, though the latakia is the main player here. I got a light hint of spice, and dry wood from the Turkish in the background. The nic-hit is just past mild. No chance of bite, though there is a slight rough edge at times. A well balanced blend that burns clean and mostly cool at a moderate pace with a fairly consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a decent after taste. Not an all day smoke, and it does lack a little depth. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2001-10-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Between this and Astley's #99, almost all of my need for English type blends is satisfied. Astley's #1 is unquestionably my favorite mild to medium English and the perfect latakia blend for a Virginia and Va/Perique smoker such as I.

Perhaps the most appealing characteristic is the way that the Latakia does not overly dominate the blend. The combination of that earthy, smokey character that Latakia imparts, mild sweetness from the predominant Virginias and nutty, mildy sweet flavor from the black cavendish (it isn't overly sweet though-- more like the washed black cavendish used by Greg Pease or Craig Tarler than the sweeter cavendishes used by other firms-- perhaps the proportion isn't just that great. Not sure, but don't let the black cavendish turn you off as it would me had I not tried the blend).

All round, a superbly balanced blend and a perfect English smoke for those that generally do not lean towards heavy proportions of latakia.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-02-07		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

With the tin open there is a slight antiseptic odor that is different but not displeasing. A little too chemical for my tastes. However, that clinical feeling quickly disappears as I close the tin.

It is easy to work with while filling the pipe. A virgin volcano chosen for the natural flow of grain and the fact that the gods of pipe smoking require a firey sacrifice. There is no sweetness to tempt the taste buds. There is no nashing of teeth to mortify the tongue. It is a benediction that is heard by the blenders is the sacred realm.

They are pleased as I start to smoke. The slight odor of burning myhrr fills the room. Something sacred goes on between the puffs of white smoke. The taking of smoke into my lungs as I open my mouth is a hymn; a solemn moment. I must continue my prayers.

It may not be the same religious experience for you, but I will never commit the sin of not having a tin in my house.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darkarts (2)	2019-03-05		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

An interesting but restrained English with a fairly heavy reliance on British style (unflavoured) Cavendish. The Latakia is light but enough to smoke up the ripe-fruit Cavendish flavours. The base is an unassuming mixture of Virginias and Orientals but it’s hard for me to tease much apart from those components. Loose ribbon cut, easy to burn and handle. This blend won’t be everyone’s favourite but I think it will appeal to anyone who likes a lighter English or seeks a little twist on the every day standards. Recommended.

Pipe Used: Various briar pipes

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stinkypipe (155)	2017-01-18		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

While it has Latakia and it is in the name not so much in the flavor of this blend. It is a really fine smoke but if your a Latakia lover like myself this simply falls considerably short in that category. This is a good smoke and has some flavor but if your looking for that big time smoky taste you will be a bit disappointed.

Pipe Used: GBD

Age When Smoked: Fairly fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Richard Jhonson (13)	2017-01-13		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This is a good English blend with character. I didn't have any bad experience with this one. With that said, it's not perfect and it didn't blow me away. You could do a lot worse, but I'm still waiting to do a lot better.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	atomicbuster (79)	2013-10-22		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is a good English blend with character. I didn't have any bad experience with this one. With that said, it's not perfect and it didn't blow me away. You could do a lot worse, but I'm still waiting to do a lot better.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-06-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Interesting taste, turkish is there and I like it but I do not find the one thing highly interesting effect that I had found in the US tobaccos or Dunhill 965.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CPT/VSG (72)	2010-04-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Astley's No. 1 is a tobacco you don't hear much about but is worth a try. It's basically a lighter English blend with a touch of what I assume to be cavendish. The result gives it a sweetish tone with a fine room note. A shag cut, it burns cooly down to a dry ash. Overall, a fine option for one looking for a fairly interesting, not overly complex, lighter English.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-10-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

When I first have a bowl of this I immediately love the flavor, sweet and smokey with a touch of toastiness. The problem I have with this blend is it can be a bit bitey at times. I think this probably has something to do with the sweet virginias that are in this. If this did not bite me as much I would give it a higher rating. Although I would smoke this if it was given to me (thanks Brad for this tin) I probably would not buy another tin of this as there are many blends in this genre that are very tastey but are not quite as bitey.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (139)	2022-09-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance: as usual, Kohlhase & Kopp don't put a release date on their tins, so I could only be guided by the excise stamp, which had Q1 2021 on it. So the tin was most likely produced at the end of 2020. The blend looks like a fine ribbon cut of tobaccos of different colors - from straw and light Virginia to almost black cavendish and latakia. The different varieties are easily distinguishable, and despite the "medium" prefix in the name, there is plenty of latakia. The humidity is moderate, the tobacco should be dried a little.

Flavor: tar and smoke slightly dominate, a bit of leather added, complex woody tones (with a slight touch of sandalwood). The wine note of Cavendish smoothes out the overall coarse flavor, there is a slight salty, fruity notes of Virginia when you mix the tobacco. Apparently, the amount of Oriental in the tobacco is minimal, and their addition is only intended to ennoble the overall bouquet. I also detect a certain earthiness or, to be more precise, dustiness in the overall flavor. The overall bouquet can easily be broken down into its constituent notes.

Taste: quite ordinary for an English blend (despite the fact that it has cavendish) and not too dense. Compared to such English flavor coryphaei as Dunhill and Pease English blends, the tobacco somewhat lacks density and volume - both in smell and taste. Nevertheless, all the typical notes are present - smoky, leathery, and especially woody notes in a light creamy "wrapper", notes of dark stout with salty cracker, barely noticeable astringent sweetness of plum. The tobacco is barely sweet, although initially I managed to catch a bit of fruity sweetness. As you smoke, the emphasis on woody notes and leather increases, the sweetness disappears completely. The tobacco finally becomes a "dry stout from the barrel" with light notes of smokiness and a slightly salty flavor, to which a slight wine note is added. The taste of the blend at the beginning of smoking is a little rough, but quickly smoothes out. The strength is below average, even in a very large pipe I did not feel any signs of nicotine shock. The blend does not bite, is tolerant of overheating and burns quite evenly and slowly, burning out into a light gray dusty ash and leaving almost no moisture. The aftertaste is woody-smoky, not persistent.

The smoke is relatively light, but, as with other latakia blends, has a characteristic smell of smoldering peat, tar and wood. And, of course, it is quite persistent.

What's the bottom line? The ratio of latakia and cavendish in this recipe reminded me of a pretty decent tobacco, Ashton Artisan's Blend. But the taste of the blend without the Kentucky and perique was much simpler, without the zest. And the Virginia is obviously simpler in this blend. Nevertheless, I dare to recommend this blend for you to get acquainted with Scottish and English flavors: it's light enough, doesn't scare a beginner with its massive amount of latakia in smell and taste, doesn't stun with its volume. I myself, when choosing tobaccos from the same manufacturer, would prefer the aforementioned Ashton Artisan's Blend - if, of course, I find it in the store.

Pipe Used: Peterson 69, 106, 999, POTY 2007

Age When Smoked: 2020

Purchased From: Online

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (85)	2021-03-02		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another one of those blends who presents itself as a latakia blend in the name/description, but lacks latakia. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad blend, but neither is it great and even if it says it’s Medium, the latakia in it is... mild.

Tin note is mild, with sweet notes and just a bit of leather.

Very nice cut with small ribbons and chunks of black leaves which should be the black cavendish and the latakia, brown leaves and dark yellow.

Perfect moisture, goes right into the bowl.

First description I wrote: Sweet and only a bit smoky latakia combine with black cavendish is the first you’ll notice. Floral orientals dance together with a hay-like virginia. There’s a sugary taste. The latakia is mild, it’s too aromatic due to the big influence of black cavendish. Has a medium, well rounded taste which blends the tobaccos well to make a smooth, mild smoke, good for someone who is new to english blends. The orientals are floral rather than leathery.

Second description I wrote: Very sweet right from the first match, could be the virginia and black cavendish which seem to be the stars of this blend. The latakia is unnoticeble and the orientals might give a floral taste, if not a small casing/topping. I could barely call this an english blend. This is rather a scottish blend than an english blend, but good nevertheless. However, not for latakia fiends, so don’t be deceived by the title.

The sweet black cavendish seems to be in the front, backed by some orientals. It has some leather and wood notes, but little smokiness from the latakia, rather a sweet and creamy latakia here. After the middle of the bowl a shy appearance of latakia, combined with the black cavendish which stays with you till the end of the bowl. I’ve left the smoked tobacco in the pipe for five hours, because that way I know that the latakia starts to make itself present. I light up the pipe again and indeed, the latakia started making its presence more, but still very sweet, the cavendish is too much in this.

Reminds me a lot of Presbyterian Mixture, although that one doesn’t have cavendish in it, it has this sweet, creamy notes, same type of orientals I think and is also as mild as this one.

Burns very well, evenly, cool, doesn’t need relights, doesn’t get hot.

Room note is also sweet, pleasant, only a bit of latakia can be detected but more sweetness.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: JPB Tobacco Stores

Similar Blends: Planta - Presbyterian Mixture .

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-01-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I consider this a middle of the road English blend. Nothing great and nothing lousy either. Good cut and good burning characteristics. More emphasis on the Turkish component than I care for. Not too much emphasis on the Latakia. If you like basic English blends and like that pungent Turkish taste, then try this. I prefer blends like 965 that have a hint more natural sweetness.

Nobody has rated this review yet.