Imperial Tobacco Group, PLC Saint Claude

Being in the quest to find the most similar flavor to Gitanes cigarettes but in a pipe tobacco form, came across this blend threw a friend in France.

The Grey Scaferlati being the sharpest strongest ( which by the way resembles the most to Gitanes until now without knowing the Scaferlati Superior, but if anyone points out a better, will be appreciated ) this blend falls in the Brun and Virginia blend category with a little flavorings added being honey I guess. Very similar to the Italia blend from Italy which has more Kentucky ( Fire cured Burley ) as the base. St.Claude has more Brun tobacco ( flue cured or air cured European Burley or Black tobacco) involved here. As someone stated, Drum tobacco at least smells similar but do not remember how they tasted.

Virginia and Brun are noted, sweet nutty and earthy with the honey-ish flavoring enhancing the earth note. Spice is moderate compared to Scaferlati Gris.

I bought a pack of this while in Nice France and I found it to be a very strong, heady blend but full of tobacco flavor and very little additives or flavoring. It is not for the weak of heart but for an experienced smoker like myself (47 years) I found it to be very enjoyable. I like a blend that can be strong yet be enjoyable to smoke and I smoked the pack of this in a very quick time. It does burn fast, but it is very easy to pack and light. I also found it left a strong tobacco aroma on my beard and clothes, not a bother to me but might be to nonsmokers around. The room note is very strong and heavy but still pleasing to me. I bought this in a rollup pack and containing a rough cut khaki brown tobacco with the perfect moisture content. The pouch aroma almost has a Lakeland like aroma but I could not taste this while smoking it. What I did taste was just a full flavored tobacco flavor with a head on it. It does not bite though and it burns quite easily all the way down in my pipe leaving very little moisture or dottle. This was an interesting blend that I wish I had bought more of as I have never seen it in the States. If you are a fan of strong tobaccos, I would highly recommend giving this a try. I enjoyed it very much.

The Saint-Claude is a typical French tobacco, a brown blend in the old way, it takes the formula of the Caporal, a legendary tobacco, known for having been for a long time the pipe tobacco distributed to the French troops in the army, notably during the first world war. It had lost a lot of quality over the years, associated with the elderly, but I still remember with nostalgia its characteristic smell at my grandfather's house.

Being French and having made my education with tobacco especially English or Balkan, I love the Saint Claude because it is very different from all foreign tobacco and has a strong identity, the virginia is quite discreet to leave room for the Kentucky and a light aroma of Tonqua. The tobaccos are of much better quality than the Corporal while retaining this identity so marked. It is a rustic tobacco in the good sense of the word and quite charged in nicotine.

I strongly recommend it if you are a foreigner and want to learn about French or Belgian tobacco like Semois, because it will not resemble anything you have already tasted.