Peterson Connoisseur's Choice

Well now. I'm no connoisseur of fine tobacco's, but when I am reaching for the best, I always grab a pinch of.... just kidding, I really can't recommend this stuff.

The initial whiff of sour cherry informs you that you are indeed in aromatic country, but to be sure, it is a country with no thriving tourism. That sick cherry smell (think cough drops gone wild) hid any advertised rum or vanilla. As you, my loyal reader knows, I am not a fan of cherry tobacco (with Cult's Blood Red Moon being a possible exception). Once lit, any flavor turned into a cheap mish-mash of biter chemical burn that had a habit of biting my tongue.

My biggest grumble is the bucket of spittle I kept producing in the bowl, which I am fairly certain is due to the thickness of the cut's paper thin "fish flakes".

I'm really trying to broaden my brand spectrum, but so far this is the third Peterson blend to leave me disappointed, so this will likely be the last one to cross my future orders.

smells great, no real taste.

I bought this stuff a few of years ago and set it aside when I began experimenting with English and Balkan blends.

I still enjoy smoking aromatics for variety and because I love the way they smell.

I recently picked up a Savinelli estate buy on ebay that smokes like an absolute dream. As an experiment I smoked a vanilla-cased cavindesh blend prior to lighting up a bowl of connoisseurs choice.

Here's what I finally realized (after some experience) about this tobacco: it smokes really hot.

The difference in temperature of the two was noticeable and startling. This stuff literally felt like hot steam on my tongue.

It's no wonder I always got the worst tongue bite smoking this when I first started (ah well, at least now I know.)

Anyway, if you're going to smoke it, use caution and definitely don't smoke it too fast because your tongue will pay the price.

Open the tin and the smell is awesome, really nice and fruity and makes you look forward to your first bowl full.

For me, thats where the enjoyment ends.

I have tried hard to like this tobacco but for me there is too much going on and is like smoking a bowl of pot pouri without any real definition of flavour.

I bought this based on the reviews here but it didnt work for me, win some lose some.

I have to go along with others who agree this mixture is seriously lacking in taste and flavor. There just isn't enough of either. This should not be happening when you consider all that went into making this mixture. What little flat flavor there is, is immediately when the smoke leaves your mouth. You are left with no aftertaste. Something went horribly wrong with this puppy. Perhaps Peterson needs to recall this stuff and discontinue it? Two thumbs up for the aroma alone. Ten thumbs down on everything else.

I went on a shopping spree to Copenhagen, and somehow this tin wound up in my basket. When I came home I was surprised to find it there, some leprechauns must have been pulling my leg. I opened it up and was overwhelmed by a smell that resembled those little flowerbaskets my mother-in-law has in her bathroom. Hesitantly I stuffed my Meerschaum (hoping it would suffer least harm)with it and lit up. The first sip was like the smell from the tin. I persevered. Through the gushes of nausea I started to feel I could notice Va in there, but the soapy lather of a smoke that covered it finally became unbearable.

Sorry Peterson. If this is 'floral' then I don't want floral. Come to think of it, no matter what you call this, I don't want it.

Everything about this "tobacco" has candy written all over it. It even looks like a tin of assorted gelatinous sweets and the aroma (so sweet that I feared the arrival of ants in my room) was simply overpowering. I thought for a moment that perhaps I had purchased a container of fresh pot-pourri by mistake.

As for the actual smoke, let's just say that it's improving with dryness. I left it out overnight and it no longer tastes like I'm smoking jelly beans. Even so, I prefer a stronger tobacco taste to my pipes and this one is simply no providing it. I give it one star: a necessary merit on the grounds that it provides me with a combustible substance to inhale.

RCUSElder is spot on as his experience with Connoisseur's Choice was identical to mine. It does indeed look just like Sweet Killarney, that also burns hot and both of these blends bite with the fervor of a rabbid ferret.

11-02-04 The quest continues!

Appearance and Tina aroma: This looks just like the leaf in sweet kilarney, I even opened them next to each other and could not notice a diference apart from the tin aroma. There is the same black and yellow with pieces of VA flake interspersed. The tin aroma is delicious! Candy in a tin.

Packing and lighting: i found it best to rubout the flake pieces otherwise they can clog airflow (yep, it happened to me). Lights up fairly easy for an aromatic.

Initial Flavor: sweet, the leaf is very muted. The casings seem to mix well together. Seems to burn a little hot right off he bat.

Mid-Bowl: This blend is losing me! It just keeps getting hotter and hotter. Tried to slow puff like a flake, but then it loses the leaf flavor too easily.

Bottom of Bowl: What started so-so, is now blegh-blegh. This blend just can seem to get in the zone. It either burns too hot or there is no flavor, but at the bottom of the bowl, things turn bitter. Suprisingly, there is very little dottle when you are done.

Overall: This blend does have a fab room note, but it fails IMO in the flavor on the tongue dept. I could not get this to burn cool and still have a decent flavor. I tried in a various pipes, even in a meer, but i can't get it to work. I suppose, maybe I am not a "connoisseur". Last warning: This is a hot, hot hot, blend. It will burn your tongue. I much prefer their Luxury Blend over this one.

Rating: 2 out of 5 points, make sure you have Ice Cubes for your tongue, LOL!