Windels Half Grove Semois

There are some descriptions on this page I totally agree with, others I don't. Perhaps quality has changed over time. It surely is a smooth, soft tobacco with great aroma and full flavour. It surely has cigarish undertones, notes of coffee and herbs perhaps, and I agree, you "could never compare Semois to our Italian Forte or Comune. Semois is very much more delicate, velvety and well-behaved." For me, it tastes in between Italian Kentucky and Dutch RYO shag. Burns fast, but no bite whatsoever. Maybe there's a little aroma, I can't say for sure.

Things I disagree with: "strictly to avoid smoking at home": It actually smells phantastic (though tobacco smoke is always potentially harmful, never forget!); "Rustic and bold": it is smooth and well-behaved. "It contains a lot of nicotine": maybe before, but the stuff I got is medium, medium-mild. Which is fine to me.

So I can definitely recommend this excellent, Belgium-made tobacco. The only thing why I don't give 4 starts is the cut. It is neither "broken flake," nor "medium ribbon": it is shag. Medium shag. You can actually roll ciggies out of it. That's why it burns so fast. Maybe you like this, I would prefer a normal ribbon. Next time I hope I get the coupe grosse.

PS smokes best with a churchwarden!

*Update: as it dries out, it actually becomes more like Comune.

Recently there was some talk about Semois tobacco on ASP and I got curious. Luckily, a kind Belgian piperster was willing to trade some (Thanks C.!) I have smoked Semois almost exclusively now for a month or so.

This particular brand of Semois is packed in a simple plastic bag with a maroon paper label inside that says: "Semois" and "Grove snede - Grosse coupe" The latter perhaps meaning a coarser cut.... There is a picture of a gentleman with a pistol stuck in his belt standing on a ship deck smoking a long clay. Arrrrr! Underneath him: "A.Windels", which must be the blender or the tobbaconist. Or both.

The cut is thin ribbon, unifom in color, ranging from mid browns to semi mid browns (I should have just said "this baccy is brown"...). Pouch aroma is hard to pin down. Different. It's sweetish and mild, but there's something extra, something herbal, not unlike chamomillle. There could be slight topping, then again perhaps not... Could this be the tonquin flavor?

Packing this cut is easy, but due to fine cut one must beware overpacking. Lighting is a regular a two match job . From the first puffs it produces a fair amount of thick white smoke. The taste is cigarish and creamy yet mildly sweet. Quite different from anything else I have smoked this far. The "herbal" component peeks in every now and then. While Semois doesn't bite my tonque at all, a slower puffing cadence is in order since it does bring out a decent range of underlying notes. I'd like to think Semois as the oboe of tobaccos. The concerto gets slightly dull and a bit bitter in the end though. DGT doesn't do any good for this tobacco, but doesn't hurt it either IMO.

Semois Windels makes a good after dinner smoke, not only because it is somewhat potent in nicotine department, but for it's decent room note as well. Or so I have been told. A Sturdy and satisfying smoke.

This is same time simple and intriguing tobacco. Oh, and did I say it was different.

-- Jari T in Helsinki

I'm aware that this fine tobacco is very rare anywhere outside its country of origin, Belgium. I live in Belgium, so if anyone is interested in obtaining this or any other brand of Semois, you can contact me at [email protected]. Happy smoking!