Peter Stokkebye Cube Cut (PS41)

This is a hard tobacco to enjoy. Not since I began smoking tobacco 20 years ago have I suffered mouth burn and tongue bit as I have from this. I have also learned not to give up too quickly and tried in different pipes. For the most part, this tobacco is hard to smoke, will bite easily and can lead to strong/long pulls which lead to mouth burn from hot smoke. It is hard to light, and what I've found works is to toast the top layer without drawing through the pipe for a few mins to get the top layer "toasted." The best advice I can offer is that this works best in a small diameter bowl with tall sides (chimney style). That resulted in a flavor rich smoke and allowed the cubes to burn well. It has quite a nicotine hit. Tough to enjoy, but does have nice burley flavor once going.

I bought a 5 pound bag of this about 9 months ago as I plan to cellar a lot of it to try at different intervals over the next several years. This is a mild and nutty smoke. If done properly, you will never tire of this blend. Don't pack it; just tap the sides of the bowl until it settles, then give it a very light tap on top before lighting. Make sure you don't "over-light" it by trying to suck big mouthfuls or you will taste a "burn-scorch" that is a bit like burned toast. It is most unpleasant and can turn you off the blend for a while. I've smoked many bowls of this blend. When I first started smoking, I liked the taste a lot. That, coupled with the idea that I had to light as many little cubes as I could in order to cut down on relights, caused me to experience a sensation similar to biting into a bagel that had been toasted with a blow torch for about 40 minutes. Not sure what it is that causes this, it is unlike any tobacco I've ever tried. Don't get me wrong, the baccy is not that touchy. You can puff at reasonable intervals, and get yourself a healthy mouthful of delightful white smoke; just don't pull like a drowning man who has just surfaced for air.

Update 8/25/10: aged a bit this blend only gets better. A lovely bread flavor on first light, followed by a nutty flavor. There is an underlying sweetness that is followed by a bit of "tart" (sweet-tart?) on the tip of the tongue. Make sure you don't over-dry the blend before lighting. Worth aging. With a normal amount of controlled puffing, you can smoke bowl after bowl of this and it will reward you with a mild nutty aroma from the start, and a develop a subtle sweet taste as it progresses. It takes a bit of practice to keep the little cubes lit, and I wouldn't recommend it coupled with activities that require much motion. The cubes can fall out if you are tipping your pipe to violently, and they are often glowing orange. I have decided to give the blend 3 stars. As I said before, it reaches the mark because it is near perfectly done for what it is intended, a lite cube cut nutty flavored blend that can be smoked forever without issue.

Further Update: The tobacco has a traces of a natural caramel taste as long as you pull on it slowly. It is enjoyable but not practical because it can fall out of your bowl if you are doing anything but sitting. I wonder if it would burn better as a flake (and subsequently taste better due to a milder burn). If PS were to put this into a flake, I'm betting they would have a greater number of people trying this blend. Still a good smoke, but could improve with a better cut. still 3 stars.

Update: 2-2014 About 4 1/2 years of age this blend does change. While burley does not usually improve with aging, this blend is an exception probably due to the VA component. I will say this also, there is a significant VA presence in this tobacco. PS VA's, in my opinion, change more dramatically than other VA's. they become darker and sweeter to a greater degree than, for example, FVF. I'm still leaving this at 3 stars because that is where I started and it certainly has gotten better. If I were to change anything I would have started it at 2 stars and then progressed to 3 stars.

There are many who complain of a tongue burn from this blend. I have a very weak tongue ... it will burn or feel like "cloth" after a smoke very easily. This blend MUST be sipped. To do that, you will need to do relights. But it is worth it for the sweet nutty vanilla/carmel flavor that is imparted from only tobacco. I also want to mention that I am quite sure that this is the starter blend used to make Wilke NBB, as well as TB's Grandfather. I suspected this so did a bit of investigating, and while nobody was going to tell me intentionally, after being on the phone with the right folk ...I got the strong impression that I was right about this.

Just a small addition to the many reviews already afforded this fine tobacco. I definitely sense a very mild flavoring/topping. it is very low key, and never turns into that nasty tongue fuzz that the PG laced additives create. Easy to pack, easy to light. Good consistent flavor. Dry it a bit if it gets wet for you and it is still great. Also works in any type of bowl. Try it. It's cheap too.

I just received 4 oz of this in the mail. I've tried some other cube cuts and not like them very much, complaining of strong raggedy-a$$ burely. I believe crooner is a cube cut, and I hated it. But the reviews tell of a mild pleasant good old brown tobacco. And sometimes that's exactly what I want. This is exactly that. Ever see a scene in a movie, where a guy walks into a bar and says " gimme a beer"? Never mind the brand just give me a beer, because I like beer. That's what this tobacco is. You want to good enjoyable tobacco taste, in a smoke that is easy to enjoy, and little work. Right here. When I opened the package it had a very traditional tobacco smell. A little nutty, a tiny bit grassy, and some cocoa. It's a proper cube, so it loads easy and is easy to clean up. A gentle press locks it into the bowl good enough, but I suppose it could fall out. Takes a flame very easily and lights easily. The only trouble I had was keeping it lit uniformly, for me it tended to burn down in a small area. But there's nothing wrong with stirring the bowl, and retamping. This is not a sticky or messy tobacco to work with so I can live with it. All in all, this is the very definition of an all-day blend. Relights can be a little acetic or creosoteish. But amazingly this tobacco settles right back down and becomes great again in about one second. This tobacco is so easy and enjoyable that I think I'll take it fishing with me this week. Perfect for when your mind is on other things but you still feel like a smoke. This is a great, highly enjoyable blend. With full flavor but a mild temperament. This might be a great blend for an aromatic smoker to start breaking into non aromatics. I will buy much more.

A wonderful cube cut tobacco that I am always stocked up on. Over the years I haven't enjoyed very many cube cut blends because they are usually very strong burleys. This one is different. The burley is not too dark and nicotine laden as usually is the case. The addition of some red Virginia and a little cavendish is brilliant! Sometimes I even add a little extra red Va.(5100 that I thankfully stocked up on). This burns low and slow, keeping it cool and tasty. It has a sort of bready tin note to it that I really like which also comes out in the smoke. This blend stays very well within the Stokkebye tradition of reasonably priced tobacco that burns well and has a nice natural taste, great working in the garage/yard blend. Personally I never have any trouble with it popping out of the bowl...just don't overpack it.

Very pleasant, tasty and simple. While I wouldn’t call it strong by any means, the burley does add a bit of heft and throat tingle. I can’t decide if there is a flavored topping. If it’s there, it’s very lightly applied. I’m more inclined to think there is a sugar casing that caramelizes a little bit. The sweetness isn’t cloying, but always there and I think to good effect. It really brings out the nutty cocoa flavors of the burley. By last third of the bowl it’s almost chocolatety. The Virginias provide a malty tangy dark fruit taste in the background that keeps this from being monotone. Other than the two components complementing each other, it’s not really complex, but I don’t think it was meant to be. It’s not an aromatic, but just a bit too sweet to be a purely “natural” blend, though it is definitely tobacco-forward with the burley predominating. Nic level was medium.

While I always have a hard time judging the room note of something I’m smoking, I’m sure most people would find it very nice.

IMO it does need a bit of drying time, as otherwise it can be hard to light as others have noted. But dried a bit, I’ve never had an issue either getting it lit or keeping it lit. Just do a careful charring light/tamp/relight and you’ll be all set.

Like a lot Stokkebye blends, the quality far exceeds the price, and this blend is fantastic fresh (unlike LBF or LTF). That value and its consistent availability make it a great candidate for bulking up a cellar.

Now here's a tobacco that took my by surprise. I tried it on a whim not expecting much. I'm no fan of Burley (though I do enjoy a good one from time to time, and wouldn't stop smoking my pipe if Burley was all that was available). I just wanted to give the cube cut thing a shot. And wow. What a fantastic tobacco. The Burley was definitely in the drivers seat for the first few minutes, but then the blend settled down and the Virginia Cavendish really shined through. It has a lovely sweetness and good body. Burns well if you pack it properly (gravity feed then tamp down slightly). Very complex, with the different components making themselves known at different times throughout the bowl. This to me is just a plain old fashioned no-nonsense tobacco that is suitable for any occasion, all day long. Quite possibly one of the best bulk blends on the market, and better than many tinned offerings. Try it if you're a fan of pure natural tobacco taste. You won't be disappointed.

Peter Stokkebye Cube Cut: Bought this 2 year-old tobacco from a friend. The cube cut is an interesting challenge to smoke. Don't pack it tightly because the cubes expand when they burn and you may have tobacco heaving out of the top of the bowl when you light it. I use gravity to load the bowl and stop short of filling the bowl by about 1/4 inch to leaf room for expansion. Due to the shape of the cubes, it is easy for a lit cube to tumble out of the bowl and burn your shirt or pants if you are not careful. It takes some effort and care to light this blend without burning your tongue. Be prepared to relight several times. You want to be careful about puffing too vigorously, particularly when you are lighting it for the first time. You can experience bite if you do. The initial flavor is of Burley with an early threat of a bite from the Virginia. The natural sweetness of the Virginia comes out with slow, careful puffing. Mid-bowl brings a balance of flavors between the Virginia and Burley, nutty, bold Burley flavor and subtle Virginia sweetness. The finish brings more of the Virginia taste to the front, with the Burley fading slightly. I smoked it in a Comoy's Guildhall billiard and a Missouri Meerschaum that is about 40 years old. I like the taste of this tobacco, but the bite factor brings down my rating to 2 stars.

This isn't a bad smoke, but like other stokkebye tobaccos I find there to be an issue with consistency. I've ordered this a few times over the years and I've noticed the cut and colour is never the same as the order prior. This might remind one of the original Kentucky Club in terms of cut (at least the last few lots ive bought) and the flavour isn't a bad match for an old Edgeworth RR smoker. There is no topping detected and the leaf isn't overly stout or boisterous. It burns relatively smooth the whole way down but can get hot if you try to jumpstart it when the embers dwindle. It's worth a try if your into burley/va natural blends, the simplicity here is really it's shining attribute.