Tobaccos Astley's - No.2 Virginia Mixture

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2008-08-26		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There be just a smidgen of Perique in here, boys and girls. A nicely cut and easily lit tobacco that'll give you a blast of wonderfully sweetened Virginia flavor that'll tickle your nose and the back of your throat upon the initial lighting. The intensity settles down once the top quarter of the bowl is smoked. My major compliment is the fact that if one enjoys nicotine (and I do) but not Perique in large doses, (and I don't) then this blend hits the spot. If, on the other hand, you want a light blend with a substantial compliment of Perique, then you might want to look elsewhere.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3022)	2014-01-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The bready, sugary red Virginia is mildly tangy dark fruit sweet with a little vegetation as the lead component. The gold Virginia offers a very mild lemon/citrus tang, light grass, vegetation, sugar, floralness, and a touch of acidity as a secondary supporter. The spice and raisins from the earthy, woody perique is condimental as it adds a needed dimension. The strength is a couple of steps past the mild mark. The taste is in the center of mild to medium. The nic-hit is just past the mild level. Has a few small rough edges. Burns clean and a fast, so puff slowly or risk a little bite. Has a very consistent flavor all the way through. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste. The room note is notch stronger. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2015-08-03		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've tried alot of tobaccos in the past twenty years. Many clones - many funky - many good - many bad. This one, though, just doesn't fit in any of these categories other than "funky" perhaps...

In the "olden days" one of my absolute favourites had to be the Murray version of Dunhill's Light Flake. It had that somewhat obscure - and very pleasant - sweet and sour, honeydew, clove-like topping I haven't had the pleasure to stumble upon ever since.

I asked my rather extensive network for a tin of Light Flake - just for old times sake, but one of Denmark's most respected reviewers told me, that the topping disappeard with age. Same thing with Simmons Sixty-Three (which had somehow the same style).

"Try Astley's No 2." he told me. "it has the same topping".

He was right. Upon opening the tin, I was back - totally back as in synesthetically, scary back - a stupid kid, age sixteen standing outside the kiosk at the train station i my town of birth with a small blue and white tin of DLF. Boy was I in for a treat of what??

Pause

Yes this smells like DLF out of the tin, and the red an golden virginias look promising. But in a pipe and when lit; we're talking a whole new experience here! First of all. This stuff is loaded with peppery perique. Secondly and probably most important: No. 2 is a wicked, wicked clove-bomb! In DLF it was balanced and subdued during smoking, but in No 2, we're talking almost asian clove cigarettes.

Seriously folks: the clove topping, be it naturally og synthetically (eugenol), actually numbed my tongue and palate. Dentists use it as a mild anaesthetic, and apparantly so does Astley. This was a very, very weird experience in a pipe smoking perspective.

If you haven't tried it - do it. If you did - do it again. It's a hoot!

Numb tongue over and out.

-Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark-

Pipe Used: FRB Bulldog

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Vinspecialisten, Aarhus

Similar Blends: Dunhill Light Flake (Murray's era).

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-08-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Right off the bat, I'd like to admit that the Astley's range of tobacco has become one of my favorites. They have a line of tobaccos that, IMNSHO, is only matched by the "House of Pease" in consistency throughout it's entire line. Astley's # 2 is their Virginia/ Perique representative in the market place. Tin appearance: 50g gold colored tin a la Dunhill or Mac Baren, emerald green label with gold and white block lettering. Tobacco appearance, and fragrance: Fully rubbed ribbon, dappled dark blonde and light reddish brown tobacco, uniform cut. Scent has natural Va characteristics with unusual elements of mandarin. The Perique contributes a bit of fig, but not much. Unlike most of the other Astley offerings, this does have some acetic acid aspects, but comes off as a soft balsamic, not as catsup. Moisture content: Right out of the tin, a little moist. I let it dry for about a half an hour . Packs very well, it likes it a bit on the loose side. Stevie Ray Vaughn's "The Sky is Crying" on the noble Nakamichi....... let's rock! Flame touches weed releasing a very well balanced, smooth and interesting smoke. The upper olfactory registers tart elements of a lemon va (maybe about 10% of the overall note) spliced with mild pepper from the Perique. Anchoring the top notes, a solid, slightly nutty, slightly woody, and sweet center and bottom that I like in Red Va's. On a scale of 1-10, I'd say the strength would come in between 4-5. Mid bowl: Burns very well. Due to the cut and pack, the mid bowl came pretty quickly. The tartness of the lemon leaf has disappeared, leaving a subdued citrus dancing (no longer mandarin, more lime) on the top third, and the pepper slightly more dominant. In addition, there is a bit of a salty aspect that I find (and like) in the Schurch range. End bowl: Unlike some of the other Astleys, there is more fight in this one, at the end. The burn is still excellent, the fragrance and taste showing some earth to it. If you are the type of person who will just about attach a roach clip to the end of a cigar that you are really enjoying, or really get into a zone at the end of a bowl, you'll love it. Summary: Solid offering in the Va/ Perique category, with medium strength and great burning characteristics. Would recommend this one late in the day, before that gang buster bowl at evenings end. Highly recommended, 8 out of 10 Bearclaws.

Bear

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-11-26		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Nice mixture of very light to moderately dark VA's - tastes like a fair amount of lemon and orange with perhaps a pinch or red, and just a touch of perique for spice. The perique saves this one from having too heavy of a leaning towards high notes for me. This is a pleasant smoking, very delicately top-noted natural VaPer with the emphasis on the Va. Ribbon cut for easy loading and cool smoking with a minimum of relights.

This misses a 4th star due to its mildness (I typically like a bit of oomph to my blends) and it's somewhat mild tendency toward tongue sizzle. I didn't find it too bitey but it was definitely headed in that direction and I had to slow down my puffing cadence to less-than-normal levels for me. Slow puffers who like a light, mild, natural VaPer should definitely check this one out. I'm not sure what to make of the reviewers that found this too heavily flavored, as I found this to be true to the spirit of the VaPer recipe... but I would recommend you try it to see where it lands for you. I'm going to pick up a few more tins for summer smoking, as it strikes me as a nice one for warmer weather.

6 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	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Well, to be honest, I used to smoke this very regularly...I have only recently rediscovered a past love and been reminded of why I liked it so much. This used to be my everyday smoke until Haddo's Delight by Greg Pease won that top spot in my rotation. I've had an open tin for quite some time and recently started smoking it more frequently again. It is an ideal morning smoke, a little something to warm up the tastebuds before I start smoking heavier Va/Perique blends such as Haddo's and Escudo.

The Perique most definitely does not overwhelm the Virginias; complementing rather than predominating, the Perique holds the blend together rather than imparting considerable flavor (though it is very much detectable). The lighter Virginias offer a distinctly citrusy note-- really more tart than sweet. This combines nicely with the slight sweetness imparted by the darker Virginias. The blend ostensibly contains "red and gold Virginias", but really the golden Virginias seem lighter than that, moving in the lemon Virginia or Carolina belt ribbon classes (of course, I'm disagreeing with the label based on subjective taste: your mileage may vary).

All in all, a superb morning smoke or a fantastic biteless all day smoke for the lover of lighter Va/Perique blends.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Deimitori (11)	2014-09-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Astleys: "No.2 Mixture - Blend of Virginias" is an interesting blend of virginia and perique tobaccos .

Red and golden virginias finally cut in ribbon form with addition of perique. The scent when I opened the tin was the gentle aroma of raisins, figs and straw, typical natural aromas in blends in which virginia has the main role.

The ideal humidity level makes easy to light and to maintain lit the tobacco for a long smoke in the pipe .

By lighting the tobacco, the sovereignty of virginia tobacco takes the lead, light and nice aromatic. The flavors and aromas little by little are beginning to emerge. I felt "light-hearted" tasting notes of citrus, lemon, straw, and a sense of wood, always also feeling a slight sweetness, a result of the good quality virginia tobaccos in the blend. The perique appears also as the second "player", to make a successful and tasty contrast in virginia with its characteristic peppery taste.

It is light to medium in nicotine strength and it is soft and gentle to the tongue, oral and nasal cavity. It is a tobacco that can be smoked comfortable throughout the day, from the first morning coffee until after supper dinner. It leaves the bowl of the pipe without any wet or liquids and it does not dirt very much the pipe filter. The fragrance that leaves in close areas is pleasing.

I smoked the specific tobacco in many kinds of pipes filtered and unfiltered, made ​​of briar, corn cob, olive wood, pear wood and lined meerschaum. A pleasant smoking in all pipes and by smoking it in corn cobs it made it even more delicious and delightful!

I consider it a very good choice as an introduction to the Va / Per blends.

In conclusion, a remarkable and great Va / Per smoke, who does not tire and does not trouble the pipe smoker, but instead can be a companion to a relaxing and delicious pipe smoking enjoyment.

Highly Recommended!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2017-02-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I really like this one. The first thing I notice on lighting is a touch of anise in the casing. Stays throughout the smoke. The Virginias lead with nice sweet and tangy notes of citrus, grass and darker fruits. The Perique has nearly a medium presence providing more dark fruit and just enough spice to give a good tingle on the retrohale. There is a nice sweet and sour thing going on between the two components. Gets just a little spicier with a touch of earth in the second half providing some evolution. A very pleasant smoke.

Medium in body and taste. Flavoring is extremely mild. Burn is near perfect.

Pipe Used: MM Dagner Poker, Country Gentleman, Marcus

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2016-06-24		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Astley's - No.2 Virginia Mixture.

It makes a change, a VaPer where the Perique doesn't kick your teeth in!

When I cracked this open, I wasn't aware it were a VaPer. Call me an idiot, but from reading the label, No.2 Blend of Virginia's, I thought it would be a blend of Virginia's! But, like I said, the Perique doesn't give me a thrashing of spice: what we have here is a smoke that's predominately Virginia sweetness with a subtle character brought by the Perique. This slight piquancy doesn't have much depth, it's not plummy, or really sharp, it's just a slight amelioration. The higher proportion of the flavour belongs to the Virginia: now, this is fruity, lively, and ultimately of a very high quality. Due to the ribbons being quite coarse, it burns fairly slow and gives off a cool smoke. Another thing that differs for a VaPer is the nicotine. Normally, this type of blend can carry a large punch of N, but this struggles to get much above medium.

This is a great VaPer: a little unusual, but spectacular nevertheless.

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson #03

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-09-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have often seen the word "subtle" used to describe tobaccos that seem thin, etheral, wispy, and generally just not there. In this case, "subtle" is a good beginning adjective for this fine Virginia-Perique from Astley's. "Enigmatic" might be an even better word, as I find this tobacco wonderfully mutable and varied the more I smoke it.

At the top of the bowl, the spiciness of the Perique is the main attraction, but as the bowl progresses, the tastes deepen and alternate between a mellow sweetness and a richer, meatier taste. I smoked four tins of this tobacco before writing this review and I can honestly say the taste has never bored me and I always look forward to the next bowl. Nor do I think I've done service to the complexity of this particular blend.

For a Virginia-Perique, the blend is relatively bite-free, although it will nip you if you mistreat it. I find it works well for a working smoke but really shines when you have the opportunity to pay more attention to it.

If you like heavier, more nicotine-laden smokes, this won't work for you. Otherwise, I'd say you should give this blend a try. It has become a "go-to" daytime smoke for me, knocking several worthy tobaccos lower in my rotation.

Thanks to Bear Graves for turning me on to this fine blend.

9/21/05--Downgrading my previous rating a notch b/c after smoking a lot of this blend, I find that I enjoy McClelland 2015 just as much, if not more. No. 2 is a fine achievement, but aged 2015 is better, to my tastes, than aged No. 2, and much cheaper.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2003-02-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A very good tobacco. IMO, almost identical to Esoterica?s Dorchester. Fruity to an almost pungent extent, and captivatingly piquant, its Virginia leaf is perhaps of a less sugary variety, and the Perique a tad stronger. Other than that I don?t see any major difference. It belongs in the same category with Solani?s 633 and Peterson?s Irish Oak.

Though I find it to be of supreme quality, my love affair with this type of Va/Perique blends is still on the making, so I much prefer Astleys? straight Virginia range (N°44 in particular).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-06-08		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Astley's, No.2: A Slightly Sweet VaPer with a Hint of a Baking-Spice

The tin note smells of fermented fruit. The Virginia varietals are a mixture of darker and bright leafs. They are quite sweet and a little grassy, with not much body. The perique is not really spicy but leans towards the plummy side of the spectrum. There is a hint of a baking spice, but I cannot figure out which one. All together, the smoke is quite pleasant. It reminds me of a slightly drabber version of Esoterica Dunbar.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2019-02-17		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

At first light, it is clear that the mixture of Virginias are at the forefront of the blend. The Virginias are mostly bright with some brown ribbons. They are sweet, grassy, and slightly tangy. I do not agree with the tin description that the perique is powerful. There are some dark brown perique ribbons in the blend, but they do not dominate the smoke. The perique offers some crisp cucumber sour/tangy flavors but little spice. There is little chance of bite, though the moisture a little damp straight out of the tin. Overall, Astley's No.2 is a decent Virginia forward va/per, though nothing really helps this blend stand out amongst similar blends.

Astley’s no. 2 mixture reminds me a little of a toned down and less sweet version of Esoterica Dunbar. However, I find Dunbar to be more complex and superior in every way.

Age When Smoked: About a Year

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (161)	2018-02-21		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I absolutely love the way astley's does virginias... in my opinion they often get overlooked and overshadowed by companies like Dunhill.. #2 throws in a light but pleasant addition of perique... just right.. smokes cool.. a true medium smoke... the Virginia's are warm and earthy.. this is an all day smoke. If you like rattray's wonderful holy trinity, and you enjoy McConnell's offerings give this one a try... definitely similar yet has enough going on to stand on its own. Gonna age some. As an added note- what a great morning smoke... beautiful light lifting smoke... very gentle perique maybe a slight but well placed topping.. a gentle yet invigorating smoke.

Update! Boy oh boy is there a casing/topping on this.. some say clove.. may be true.. my overall perception and maybe it's how the flavoring tastes with the tobacco... almost honeydew melon meets candied lime (or sweet green apple?) flavoring.. very odd.. but subtle enough.. some say it's a closeted aromatic.. I just think it works..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-02-27		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Keep in mind that the 1st time I smoked this I had been smoking Escudo and Royal Navy Flake almost habitualy for several weeks.

Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with a sour apple kind of fragrance.... ala MacBaren Va#1.

Upon 1st light, I caught the same sour apple.. citrus tang. Not acceptable at all!

As I reached past the 1st light or so the sour citrus tang disappeared and the smoke became more sweet Virginia. Upon reaching midpoint or just before, the perique came thru but very very lightly. Not what I was use to.

The Escudo that I had been smoking had really commanded in the perique department in such a way that anything less was somewhat drowned out.

This is a nice tobacco. Calm, lightly sweet and well balanced between the Va and the Perique. An every day; all day smoke. Burns good and clean.

Try this in the morning before the heavier stronger blends or stay away from the stronger blends for awhile before trying Astleys No.2

....If not, the Perique your looking for will be hard to find.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2003-02-23		Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Given its four star rating, I felt I needed to give this tobacco one more chance. So I waited until after dinner and approached it with a clean palate. The aroma in the tin reminds me of slivovitz, plum brandy, with faint musty cocoa notes of Perique, apricot preserves and fruit cake. The blend appears to be a rubbed out pressed tobacco rather than a flake, shortened strands of every brown ranging from tan to walnut with an overall attractive, medium honey color. It also seems to be of exceptionally high quality, no stems, chunks or crude bits, just soft, pliable, tempting tobacco. It is moist to the point where I thought it had been thoroughly laced with liquor, but the alcohol was not there, merely the scent. It packs easily and lights quickly. Lots of smoke, thick and substantial, the kind you can roll around in your mouth. The Virginia is there in the hint of a bite and a tingle in the nose. The Perique is there in the hint of a tang. Flavor is there in the hint of sweetness. It's all there but its not there. It's like licking a lolly made of diluted white corn syrup. I do not taste the Virginia or the Perique. The effect is there, but not the real thing. Maybe this tobacco is just too refined for my palate. All I get is a sweetness, a tingle and a tang. At the very bottom of the bowl the Virginia appeared for a brief puff or two and then it was gone. It may take some time, but I will be able to finish the tin. After all, there is nothing offensive about the blend. But I will not be buying another. I like Virginia and Perique blends that provide the flavor of Virginia and Perique. Paddy.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-01-19		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is simply one of my favorite blends. The Virginias and Perique come together and produce a wonderful and destinctive flavor that must be experienced to be believed. The taste is natural, sweet, a little peppery, and totally balanced and never dull. Right down to the bottom of the bowl it is superb. Everything from the ribbon cut, the magnificent tin aroma, the moisture level, to the uniform burn and room note leave nothing more to be desired except for having another bowl without delay. Highest Recommendation to all those who enjoy the taste of tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (139)	2022-09-25		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance: By a sad "tradition" the can of the German manufacturer had only the excise label as a date marker - "Q1 2021". The tobacco is a fairly typical Virginia blend, dominated by light varieties, with a little perique thrown in for show. The mixture is sliced ribbon, often there are uncut layers, similar to the broken flake, but not pressed. Open tobacco over time goes from strawy to slightly darker, gaining shades of brown. With the moisture, however, I personally had questions. The tin I opened had perfect humidity, and the tobacco I smoked was lighter (and, as a consequence, its volume for the same weight was greater) than what was given out at the championship. It burned slowly, evenly, and coolly. As a result, the test smoking for time gave me a result of more than an hour and a half. Tobacco taken from another tin, opened after the championship at the meeting of a club, was much more moist, almost sticky and didn't want to burn at all. So the quality of the tobacco is not stable.

Flavor: The complex topping of vanilla, clove, cocoa, and citrus gives it quite dense, almost chemical notes. In fact, it is chemical - they obviously didn't spare the eugenol here. The usual Virginia notes - hay, flowery herbs, bread note - come through only after a few minutes. As for the notes of perique, due to its small amount and abundant aroma, trying to catch a whiff of it is pointless.

Taste: the topping has left its mark here as well - the blend has a distinctly artificial sweetness, notes of clove, chocolate and citrus. In addition to these, the woody component is clearly felt, but there are obvious problems with the rest of the Virginia notes at the beginning. You can just forget about the perique until about the middle of the pipe, and only when the eugenol begins to actively evaporate due to heating, there is a slight hint of brine and plum flavors. Around this time, the rest of the usual Virginia flavor notes also come to the aid of the perique - some fresh bread, a little bit of hay, and a slight earthiness. As I wrote above, the speed, stability and temperature of the combustion depends on whether or not you have any luck with the can. Nevertheless, the tobacco is mild enough, it doesn't bite. However, another disappointment awaits fans of dense Virginia here - the tobacco has almost no strength. Even the largest of my Virginia pipes didn't allow me to feel any signs of nicotine kick. The tobacco burns into a gray ash, a fairly coarse fraction. The presence of moisture in the pipe depends directly on the consistency and pace of smoking, so in my case there was little of it. The aftertaste is woody, weakly pronounced, not persistent.

The smoke from the tobacco has a distinct woody, clovey smell, similar to the smoke from Djarum cigarettes. Certainly not everyone will like it.

What's the result? An unstable by moisture, obviously flavored Virginia blend of average quality with a slight hint of perique and a fairly persistent smell from the smoke. Some may like it. I, on the other hand, would rather avoid it.

Pipe Used: Peterson 69, 106, D18

Age When Smoked: 2021

Purchased From: Online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	archéologue (14)	2018-08-14		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin note is grassy with the smell of sweet condiment. It tastes condimental as well but the sweetness of Virginis is present. It is also spicy down the bowl. I would prefer a neutral Virginia but this one is not bad at all.

Pipe Used: Nording churchwarden

Age When Smoked: new out of tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2018-07-30		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Once the tin opens a very sweet topping wich i cannot identify comes out.a deeper smell reveals some citruses accompanied from some plum notes.the blend texture is nice packs well,though some serius drying is needed because it's very moist.lights easy with a few relights needed through the process.while burning the virginias are the main player offering cituses.grass,dark friuts and lots of lemon notes.perique is added in small amount though it makes the difference.plum ,spices and some fig notes are working well with the virginias.the topping wich is nice is there from the beginning till the end doesn't fit the other compoments all the time because it makes the flavour sweeter than needed and some times makes the flavours one dimentional.burns fast and medium hot to perfect ash with a few moisture being created at the fliter.the nicotine level is medium and the room note pleasant.if smoked peacefully no tongue bite appaers.generally this is a pleasant alla day smoke but not something unique.though i am a va/per lover i was not as pleased as i expected from this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	½ bowl (103)	2017-03-08		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

The Virginias are soft and sweet and more breadlike than grassy, with a fruity character in the realm of peaches and pears -- as opposed to citrus. There is also a darker, raisiny bottom end (probably from the Perique, though I don't get much peppery pinch.)

Some subtle suggestion of clove, as subdued as it is ineffable, adds to the intrigue of the blend; and it complements the tobacco flavor(s) very well.

A good change of pace blend that satisfies an itch for something sweeter, with intriguing spicy subtleties; but the spice may annoy a VaPer purist.

Pipe Used: briar

Age When Smoked: 2½ yrs. in the tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-03-04		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I’m a big fan of Astley’s No. 44 and not a fan of No. 109. Astley’s No.2 falls squarely in the middle for me. No. 2 is light, in flavor, slightly sour in a good way and sweet. The perique is lightly added and should be enjoyable for those that prefer the lighter side of Vapers. The tanginess from the red Virginias is apparent, but not overwhelming. Unlike No. 109, I detected no bite from No. 2 that others have mentioned, but my tins are well aged so that could be a possible reason. There is a topping on this blend that I would describe as a little more than extremely mild. It’s very straightforward and isn’t a tobacco that offers much in the way of the complexity. Mild to medium in strength, No. 2 is pleasantly light and I have wondered how differently it would have presented itself had it been pressed?

Age When Smoked: 2004

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hiatus67 (6)	2011-05-06		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my first VA/Per mixture and I like it very much.It is another way to taste tobacco, the mixture of bright and red Virginia with a pinch of Perique opened other possibilities. This mixture goes well with withe wine or green tea, contrasting with Full and Dark Virginia or the English blends that goes well with red wine and black tea. A very good mixture that I have tried it is a 1:1 with Latakia Flake from Robert McConnell.Now I make my own VA/Per mixtures adding a little apple cidder/honey vinegar to mix the tastes, the percent of Perique is 10-12%, higher that in No.2.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2006-05-09		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Upon opening the tin I smelled dried apples and figs, it packed easy and lit well. The peppery flavor of the Perique hit me on the first few bowls but then subsided and I haven't noticed it in several bowls hence. I am a great admirer of Virginia and Perique blends and count Dorisco Mixture as one of my all time favorite blends.

The best way to describe #2's flavor is to cut Haddo's Delight 50/50 with Old Gowrie. Astley's #2 is a good solid VaPer blend, I have finished the tin and would smoke more, but I wouldn't buy more. This blend is just too middle of the road to keep in my cabinet, I have already found too many great tobaccos to settle for O.K.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-10-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Astley's No 2. is one of the more robust vapers I've tried. The tin aroma is redolent of its blender, KohlhaseKopp, in its organic sweetness. Dried apples comes to mind with this particular blend. As for the smoke itself, the tang of the red Va's and the peppery tingle of perique are the predominant aspects. The perique runs the first few acts of the show, with the red va's and finally the lighter leaf increasing in presence toward the last half of the bowl. Not as subtle an interplay as some other vapers but still a most enjoyable smoke. My only real gripe is that it has a less than ideal moisture content, another Kohlhase trademark. It's a little too moist, which combined with its stringy ribbon cut makes for a relatively high-maintenance smoke. I tend to tear apart the tobacco into finer shreds and let it dry for an hour or so before I smoke it. However, with proper care, No. 2 is one of the better vapers out there. Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2004-10-27		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I found Astley?s #2 to be a pleasant, citrusy, fruity and lighter VA/PER blend that packs well and has good burning qualities. The perique will come to the fore from time to time but not in overabundance. Others have recommended this as an all day smoke. I don?t consider it as such. This tobacco will demand your attention. If given short shrift, ignore it and you puff too fast or smoke it too often on a daily basis, ?the nip? will sneak up on you in small steps. But perhaps my tongue is more sensitive than the tongues of the previous reviewers. An excellent tobacco nonetheless as are the other Astley blends that I have tried.

I rate this tobacco 7.5 out of 10.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-12-05		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This is very tasty. It has that tang I love in VA's, and there's a distinct bergamot flavor that I like that kind of dies down to a sort of a tangerine-esque taste towards the end of the bowl. I could easily smoke this all day, (but I don't smoke a pipe all day, and probably wouldn't smoke one all day). There's little to no nicotine hit, and this is just all-in-all a nice, clean, tangy smoke. It WILL bite you if you don't show it respect. I'm guessing you'll enjoy this most the first 3/4 of the bowl. It got a little wet on me towards the end, but that was no big deal.

Good stuff!

DJM

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2003-04-14		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another in my tobacco trials of blends from pipe makers I respect, this one is a fully rubbed out but unusually uniform mixture of high quality, golden to reddish brown VAs + perique. I was packing a bowl after lunch and the fruity tin aroma was immmediately noticed and complimented by those sitting near me. Since I normally smoke true VA flakes, I intially had some difficulty with the high initial moisture content and/or my packing technique that caused numerous relights. With some drying and experience with a looser pack, the smoke improved. I found the taste on the tart side as opposed to the sweetness I normally prefer. Perhaps my taste buds have been scorched one too many times or the balance of this blend is so perfect, but I didn't appreciate the "subtle" contribution of the Perique as in a Solani 633 where it was much more dominant. Overall, an enjoyable smoke @ the right moment but a bit lite for my personal taste as an all day smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-07-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is the third Astleys blend I have tried. I have to say it is the one I like the best. Although each of their tobaccos has been excellent. This one is a Va/Perique blend and is superb. Very enjoyable, burns cleanly, has a nice spicy note to it and the flavor is very good. Compared to other Va/Perique blends, Escudo and Haddo's Delight for instance this one ranks up there with Haddo's. If you are looking for something really good and this could easily be an all day smoke, pick this one up and give it a whirl. I am now coming back to this review after having finished my tin and I like it even more now . This makes a wonderful smoke early in the AM, as well as all day long. 4 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2018-01-15		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

this is an ok vaper...mild but without a lot of distinction. I mean i can think of a dozen Vapers I would rather have. But there is nothing wrong with it and the quality is top notch. Its mild, and a decent enough smoke if you want something you dont have to think about ...also not so much Perique. But its fine. Just not special.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-06-06		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ordered this by an mistake and was close to dump it when I opened the tin and got this fruit like perfumed smell in my nose. I decided anyway to give it a try and I must say I was VERY positive suprised about this tobacco. The taste is mild and contains a lot of interesting flavors and absolutly nothing perfumed here. I look forward to get to know this tobacco more in depth.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-09-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am a huge VaPer fan, I had 3-4 kinds of VaPers at home and wanted something else, I couldn't find anything that would satisfy me at the momment and I gave a try to this blend. When I opened the tin and smelled the vinegar I was thinking that I had got something better then I had thought, as it reminded me of Butera Royal Golden Cake(witch had a stronger smell of vinegar). I still like BRGC more, but this is a blend that I can buy in my country so for sure I'll buy it more. A little stingy on the tongue but good tobacco. I couldn't detect any flavor which is also good for me. Perique content is very very low. Overall : a recommended tobacco for Virginia fans.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-04-30		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I have to say, I was supprised how much I enjoyed this tobacco. A fresh tin, a little moist - gave it a good hour to dry out some. Lit way easy, stayed lit as long as I cared to pay attention to it. The first 1/4 of the bowl is good. The last 3/4 bowl is where the action is. Holds on to the last puff. A excellent mild VAPER. Would be a good starting point for those wanting to try a VAPER - does not over power - a good smoke.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-07-07		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Apple cinnamon flavored tobacco.

won't buy again.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-05-20		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

During my current trip down the Viginia super hiway I turned off in to the village of Astleys. My first encounter was No. 2. My impresions....

Aroma...sweet/tart fermintaion vinigar Presentation... lots of golden, and red Va. nice cut/moisture Packs great Lights easy...stays lit Taste...what it's all about isn't it. Sweet/tart, fruity, pungent,light perique, balanced natural tobacco.

'Nuff said, good stuff RATE *

5/20/08 update....The more I smoke this the better it gets. I can't get enough of this sweet fernented weed....move it up to a four star

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-03-20		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

judging from the other reviews, this tobacco must have changed a lot over the last year. i find it cloyingly sweet, too mild, flat - in short: poor quality tobacco. this reeks of german topping, and is not worthy of the astley name.

and where is the perique?

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-07-16		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Upon opening this I smelled what appeared to be vinegar. Lots of vinegar. I was very much turned off at the start from this odd aroma, certainly not finding in it the complexities that other members have mentioned...

But I packed up a bowl anyways. Expecting a sour, hellish blend, I was relieved that the aroma didn't carry over to the flavor. Starts off almost fruity and then later into the bowl settles into a solid, high-quality Virginia flavor reminiscent - but different from - Scottish Cake, which is blended by the same company. It's a very good tobacco, I'm not giving it four stars primarily because of that original smell, and also because I like Scottish Cake a bit more.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-04-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Cut: Rubbed out VA ribbon, about 1.25" length Tin aroma: Tangy, figs and apricots. Hand: Soft, a little on the moist side. Pack: Easy packed to a dense draw Pipe: Aldo Velani Canadian, group 3 bowl

I'm going to skip the preliminaries and cut to the chase:

#2 is the lightest, sweetest, VA/Perique blend I have ever tried. It fully revealed what perique could do for a VA ribbon. Far from the spiciness typically associated with VA/PER blends, the perique here seems to have mellowed and sweetened the VAs. It is the perfect breakfast smoke for me. The tin aroma is initailly very pungent, but as it breathes out a bit, it is redolent of figs and apricots.

The smoke, from top to bottom, maintains this aroma and the taste matches it, becoming richer and deeper toward the bottom 1/3. When overpuffed it can bite a bit, but the onset of tongue bite is easily recognised and controlled. I leave the tin open for about 4 to 6 hours before smoking, and the reduction in moisture content dramatically improves the smoke. Despite the medium rating , the presence of the smoke in the mouth is quite filling, a nice smooth texture.

This is an ideal smoke for the person looking to transition from aromatics, and an excellent all day smoke. Perhaps not enough body for the evening, but when the sun is down, the day is over, isn't it?

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