Tobaccos Tinder Box - Philosopher Blend

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2014-08-22		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

Tinder Box - Philosopher.

I have wanted to try this ever since I discovered that upon the death of my pipe hero Lee Van Cleef they found many receipts for this amongst his belongings. As he smoked it I wanted to, I found it perfect! The unlit product has the most intoxicating smell, Virginia with smoky Latakia. It is of a perfect moistness, so I don't have to wait for it to air any.

Once my bowl is filled it is a real easy task to get lit, only requiring a fairly quick touch of the flame, and then it is not necessary to keep re-lighting, it's a very even burn and delivers a medium temperature smoke. The flavour ... wow, I can see why Mr Cleef liked this one! It gives a great burst of Latakia which takes the front of house. The Virginia does not go unnoticed, there's a nice subtle hay note of perfect strength to compliment this blend. Tongue bite? Well throughout the whole bowl there is not one incident of it, even if I suck like crazy! Nicotine level now, spot on (for me), it's about Squadron Leader level . The flavour does not dissipate throughout the whole bowl, one of the most un-fluctuating blends I have had. It gives a great room note: very stereotypical for the tobaccos albeit quite a light one. Perfect !

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Gift

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smokey45 (16)	2010-10-28		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I first tried this blend 10 years ago, and very much enjoyed it. Sadly, all the Tinder Boxes in my area have closed down over recent years, so I did not have any access to this blend, unless purchasing it in bulk from the Tinder Box webpage.

Recently, my nephew, who is also a pipe smoker, discovered a Tinder Box not too far from his home. He thoughtfully picked up a couple ounces of this blend to give me upon a recent visit.

Contrary to some other reviews on here, I still think it's good stuff! As soon as you open the pouch, you are presented with that unmistakable aroma that says "English Blend." The Latakia (not sure why it's not labeled as having Latakia tobacco, as you can most surely smell and taste it in this blend) immediately jumps out to greet you with its distinctive smoky aroma. The Orientials are also very present, but in a balanced way that keeps this tobacco interesting.

It lights and smokes well, albeit a bit on the hot side. Is it the best English blend in the world? No. But, it is certainly a very enjoyable tobacco, with enough nuances to keep one's interest. I like it, and frequently smoke it in a large meerschaum while listening to lectures from the Teaching Company philosophy course "Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition." A time of delight for the mind and the senses.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3023)	2012-10-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The strong, smokey woody Cyprian latakia is the star component. It offers less sweetness than expected. The woody, earthy, dry, woody, sour Oriental/Turkish also offers a light spice note as a background player, though at times, it rises above that a mite. The grassy, lightly citrus sweet Virginia forms the base of the blend in a support role. There’s a hint of soapiness present. No chance of bite or harshness. The nic-hit is mild to medium. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a mostly consistent flavor from start to finish. Requires an average number of relights, and leaves just a little dampness in the bowl. The pungent after taste and room notes do linger. Not quite an all day smoke, though the experienced smoker may find that it is. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jallen49 (25)	2013-09-09		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Picked this up from the nice folks at the N. Myrtle Beach store, along with some Sherlock's Choice...

My first thoughts when smelling this was "Squadron Leader!" It has that oriental-forward kind of smell that was reminiscent of SL, however the tobacco itself is more of a hearty, rough cut, rather than a nice ribbon cut like SL.

Anyways, I don't want to give this blend the injustice of comparing it to SL, because on its own rights, it is a great blend. Very light in both body and strength, which makes it an ideal morning blend for me. Very oriental forward, with the latakia and virginias playing a supporting role. Also, I detect some cavendished tobaccos in the mix as well, which gives it an easy creaminess that makes it great for the morning time. Did not bite, but I have noticed some goop in the bottom of my bowl a few times, which is not a good thing. Hopefully this will go away as the blend dries out a bit (it is fairly moist). Overall, a high quality leaf.

Everything you want in a light bodied morning balkan blend. I'm sure there are better light balkan blends out there, but this one is great for the price. Give it a try next time you're at a Tinderbox.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Geschichtlich (5)	2013-02-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This may well not be a proper English blend, but it certainly smokes like one. Or, I should say, it smokes somewhat like an English blend, albeit an English blend without the hard edge of a burning rubber tire and the stomach-churning nicotine content.

Philosopher is a very smooth, flaverful, and gratifying blend. Its every feature is subtle, perhaps too much so to satisfy occasional smokers who demand more power and presence in their smokes. But for regular puffers who seek solace instead of an experience, this blend is ideal. It has a terrific flavor and aroma, too.

Recommended.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Demetri (113)	2009-09-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not that my tastes are more refined or discerning than any other smoker here, this blend did not come through for me. While pleasant to a degree it had no body, no real flavor. Let me say it was for me rather thin or weak. Burleys (Mexican?) are too heavy, Latakia non-existent (it doesn't purport to have any, really.) And where are the Orientals? Maybe this is what called an American-English? It is cheap enough, however. After effects in my mouth: pasty gumminess, perhaps from humicant. If I were shipwrecked on a desert isle with my pipe and a supply of this alone, I would not give up smoking; hence it gets two stars.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-10-17		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It is easy to become prejudiced against bulk pipe tobaccos, particularly in today's market where many, many, fine "boutique" or "designer" English blends are available in fancy tin format. Of late, I have been working on avoiding that stereotype and wanted to try some bulk blends.

So the other day I visited a local Tinderbox store. I grew up going to the Tinderbox when, during the 1970s, I would go with my dad who was an avid pipe smoker (for decades he smoked Tinderbox Cavendish and Lamplighter blended 50/50). His son, on the other hand, loves Latakia. Anyway, I bought 2oz. of Philosopher. Is this a Lane? Don't know for sure, but either way I very much enjoyed it.

To my taste, Philosopher is generally an English/Cavendish blend (e.g., Frog Morton). A mix of black and brown tobacco with hints of light tobacco. Smokey pouch aroma with hints of sweetness (like BBQ sauce) from the Cavendish. Easy to light and burns well. The ash is mottled with a bit more dottle than I prefer. Dry and fairly cool burning. Yes it has a humectant of some sort.

The flavor is generally medium in body with a gentle sweetness, not bitter, and a mild Latakia smokiness. Not much "nuance" (I think "nuance" is French for lawyer) but flavorful nonetheless.

In sum, Philosopher is a tasty, readily available, medium English that is slightly sweet. A good one for everyday puffing or as an introduction to English flavors.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2017-07-02		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

2021 Update: Yes, another rare update, and, again, what are the odds? it's a good one! I hadn't smoked this blend since the summer of 2017. I enjoyed it then, but after a couple years of sitting in a jar, this blend has improved. Some sweet notes have arisen, and the blend has smoothed out beautifully. Very nice, indeed. It's amazing what aging can do for some tobaccos, and this one surprised me!

One correction, if any one's interested, the description above (as of February 11, 2021) says this blend is a broken flake. This is clearly incorrect. Unless the blend has changed, what I purchased, at least in 2017, is a ribbon cut, not a flake.

Original post: Why the hate on this blend? I'm lovin' it. Not too strong, not necessarily weak, just right in the strength department for me. For a bulk english blend, not prohibitively expensive, I'd say this blend is a deal, and it's found a home in my rotation. I enjoyed it very much, not the best out there, but a cut above many other blends. And, I can't help but think of Lee Van Cleef, a damned fine actor, a great bad guy, every time I smoke this! It makes me want to go buy a replica of his noted pipe (which I did in late 2017 FYI). Good stuff!

Keep on Pipin'!

Purchased From: Tinder Box, Rockford, ILL of all places!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigNick (59)	2014-10-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I bought this at the Palm Springs Tinder Box (great store by the way!) This blend is a very nice, typical English blend. The smokey Latakia is the dominant leaf in this blend. The Virginias are really seldom present but the orientals make a little spicy entrance midway through the bowl. This blend packs easy and burns to a dark grey ash. There is something sweet, like maple, I can only assume those are the Virginas coming in. This is toward the end though. Overall, it is a very nice blend. It is simple but not bland. Recommend

Pipe Used: MM Legend, Peterson System 313, Falcon

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Palm Springs Tinder Box

Similar Blends: G. L. Pease - Westminster (Heirloom Collection), Dunhill - Nightcap.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Meisterlowin (16)	2010-03-12		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I tried this blend with some reluctance particularly considering the other reviews but I have to say Philosopher isn't bad. It's not great mind you but it is tolerable.

I am accustomed to smoking Squadron Leader for the most part and as I ran low, I went and picked this up to fill the down time until a new tin of the former arrived. Philosopher cannot, in my opinion, come close to being comprable with Squadron Leader but it beats the other heavily-cased PG-laden blends that are found at my local Tinderbox store.

Burns cool and with minimal bite although it is a little too moist and i had to relight more than once.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-10-11		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I enjoyed this blend it was the second tinderbox flavor I've had the first being midnight which I would not recommend. In brief though the tobacco never lost its flavor and burned with only a little maintenance. This blend of tobacco did not burn hot and it burnt slow enough to enjoy on a nice night outside

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Frosty (29)	2008-06-06		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I just smoked a bowl of this in an old Kaywoodie Bulldog. The sample I had was straight from the jar from Tinderbox, and as all the jars were full to the top, I presume this is as freash as it gets. I did not dry my sample at all, and I must say it does remind me of Frog Morton On The Town, although it seems to have a more pronounced Virginia component than Frog Morton. It starts out with a pronounced cavendish smoothness, then the Virginias come into play in the middle of the bowl. The Orientals are in the passenger seat all along. I normally shy away from cavendish, as I prefer quite full bodied smokes, but this stuff is pretty good. I think if one likes the Frog Morton series, this would please. I will smoke this on occasion, but I lean toward the likes of Nightcap and 965 when I hunger for a smoke in this class. Still, all in all a pretty nice smoke. There was a good bit of unburned dottle at the end, but again I did not dry it out at all. I think this is worthy of a try, and I just might learn to appreciate cavendish a little more. Yeah, recommended. Update: Boy, I hate to edit my original review so soon, but.... this stuff is just soaked in propelyne glycol(SP?). I think anyone who smokes Latakia or Orientals is probably an experienced smoker, and would be far better off to purchase Dunhill 965 or Nightcap. I can understand the need to keep tobacco fresh in the bulk business, but better packaging sure beats PG anytime. If one is out of quality tobacco, this will fill the bill untill top shelf stuffin's can be had, but don't bother with this if you have better options.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-01-03		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

No Virginia leaf I can detect, and Latakia is the Oriental component. This is lightly sweet, but more than say Early Morning Pipe (which is VA based and uncased) and less than Frog Morton, probably due to the cased cavendish base.

This is a moderately interesting blend for distracted consumption that burns nicely (despite tactile moisture) and leaves some fairly substantial dottle in the bottom of the bowl. Low lying forage as an occasional change for pure aromatic or traditional English blend smokers.

The one thing I like about Philosopher over other bulk Americanized English blends is that it does not have a sooty or machine oil aftertaste.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2005-10-02		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I think the reason UncleGar's impressions of Philosopher did not match up with the stated descriptive is because this present day version is not even close to what Philosopher once was in the 1970s. There is an esteemed reviewer in our group (OSR) who worked for the Tinderbox chain for many years who no doubt can give a better history lesson regarding this blend than I can.

I recently received a tin of Philosopher as well as another called Lamplighter. I am told both tins are 1970's Tinderbox originals. Philosopher does indeed have a somewhat cased "English" type taste. The very broken flake was dark and easy to light. It certainly provided an unusual flavor presentation that was almost sour. I am wondering if the casing caused this because I have noticed that cased blends with 20 or so years of aging actually cause the blend to head south over time.

After reading UncleGar's review, I think I'll take a pass on the new stuff.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pylet2000 (33)	2016-09-27		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very thoughtful (non pipe smoking) friend gifted this to me a few years ago, knowing that I liked English tobaccos. Very kind gesture to be sure, I was and remained touched with the thought.

I tried a bowl worth when I received it, and being big into Balkans at that time I found this unappealing. Some latakia, but a very notable quantity of sweetened cavendish. From there, it remained in the bag for roughly 3 years untouched. I recently came across it again and wanted to compare it to some Stokkebye bulk English blends I picked up (reviews coming soon, need some more "mileage" with them to give them the fair assessment they deserve). Sure enough after 3 years in a non-airtight-bag it was almost as moist as when I first got it. Humectant aplenty.

There is Latakia, the orientals show up, to be sure there's elements that are familiar to English smokers. I guess it's the pronounced sweetness that it's aromatic cousins share that makes Philosopher bland. It does not develop throughout the bowl in any notable way: You get sweetened cavendish at the start and you get sweetened cavendish at the end. Certain latakia blends can incorporate cavendish to good effect, although they are usually brown and / or unsweetened, a la Dunhill MM965. This one does not work with the same effect.

In defense of Tinder Box English tobaccos though, I do believe one of their English blends started me down the path of more noble blends when I first started pipe smoking in the late 90's. From a blend similar to this (can't remember specifically which one), I've gone on to enjoy a huge range of amazing smokes after learning that there was more to pipe tobacco than vanilla, fruit, and tongue bite. For the reason of being a "gateway blend", and for having received this as a gift from a thoughtful friend, I'll remain friendly to the Tinder Box English blends and thank them for making blends like this available.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cmhpipesmoker (21)	2010-01-07		Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I picked up a complimentary ounce of this blend after buying a VERY nice black, rusticated Savinelli Trevi pipe from my local Tinder Box pipe store. In explaining to the manager what type of blends I preferred, it didn't take long for him to reach for Philospher. I packed a bowl when I got home (not in my new Savinelli though) and can say that I was not impressed. This is a completely harmless tobacco for anyone who thought this was an end of day robust smoke. It's very bland, not much taste and definitely no aroma whatsoever. In the baggie it came in, I could only detect the slightest hint of a sweet somewhat pungent aroma. However, that's it. It's borderline English aromatic if there's such a thing. On the plus side, I didn't get any tongue bite that I usually get from blends with unnatural casing. It doesn't smoke hot and I smoked it pretty hard. Lights easy, no relights and burns to a white/gray ash. I can't recommend even for those seeking to switch from aromatics to Balkan blends because there's gotta be something out there better than this. Two stars, would not buy again nor can I or recommend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2005-07-21		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I try to feed the local Tinderbox despite their dearth of tinned tobaccos. They have about a dozen jars of "custom" blends (Lane) with names that sound like either donuts or hookers. I was offered a free couple oz. with a pipe I bought there last year. I reluctantly accepted a sample of this.

Jar aroma: slightly sweet, slightly oriental, slightly phenolic (think band-aid.. how my nose perceives latakia). Trace of alcohol topping possible.

Appearance: typical oriental? shreds (light) about 10-20%, sticks 5%, heavy dark brown clumps and shreds, balance. Somewhat moist in a cavendish way.

First light: English, sweetish. Latakia sure seems to be there, as does cavendish. Orientals there in minor amounts. Mild tasting, like Aperitif-light. Trying hard to taste VAs.

Development: orientals stronger, sweetness stronger. Sidestream smoke curiously bland. Vague sense of autumn burning leaves. No further development. No bite, flavor mild overall.

Final call: actually, I liked it. I often enjoy mild tobaccos. I disagree with the stated description of ingredients, unless cavendish counts as a Virginia and latakia gets classified as an oriental. I haven't smoked Lane's Crown Achievement, but I suspect this is it, relabeled. A good light English (Scottish?), dainty almost. Bland, but in a good way. An English for people who don't like English, a wise offering to the customers of Tinderbox, judging on the rest of their offerings.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Blue Jazzman (73)	2019-03-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Went back in my way back machine and purchased a sampler of English tins on ebay from 1978! All unopened! Oh yeah, I'm 23 again. In my head anyway. Upon opening I was surprised that the tobacco, although dry, still had that wonderful tin note. Woodsy Latakia. So far so good. Put it in a fresh zippered baggie along with a small humidor button to re-hydrate. Next day, trial by fire! Loaded up the Ascorti and hoped for the best. First puff and yes, it has not lost a thing! The brain says, I remember this! Lat forward smoky goodness, grassy virginia and a touch of oriental. I was surprised the Latakia had not gone south on a tin this old but I got lucky. Can't comment on the new Philosopher as there are no Tinder Box stores lest around here. We used to have 3. Now to find that Lee Van Cleef movie...

Pipe Used: Ascorti New Dear

Age When Smoked: 1978

Purchased From: ebay

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kribbage (32)	2017-02-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Latakia, yes, but not too much. Orientals, yes, but again, not too much. At one time, I found this tobacco to be too rich for me, but as I have traversed the pipe tobacco world...and aged....I have changed my mind about this stuff. It will never be the great Godsend blend for me, but it has a fantastic smell, burns well, and has a great taste. again, Tinder Box Latakia blends are quite good.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-03-21		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

It has been so long since I tried my first and last pouch of Philosopher that I do not remember much about it other than it made me a pipe tobacco fan after a few failed attempts in years prior.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-10-12		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I got an ounce form my loal TB. The smell out of the can is different. the flavor is pretty good, but I cna't get overr the AFTERTASTE!!! After smoking a bowl of this, It left a waxy aftertaste in my mouth for a couple of hours.

This isn't something you would smoke while on a date. The aroma is a bit uuhmm....reminds me of a woodsy, camp fire smell. Notbad, but nothing I would make into a car air freshener.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-01-30		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Back when I got my first pipe or two, this was my first foray into anything English. I remember liking the fact that it didn't give me as much tongue bite as the aromatics that I'd started with. But, as time goes on, and you get introduced to the real quality English blends, this is just revealed for what it is - a light, monochromatic English blend. Oriental means a dash of latakia, and the Virginias are okay, but not stellar. It is what it is, folks, a reasonable English bulk product. There is a noticable, albeit mild, casing, and like most Lane bulk tobaccos, too much PG. The best I can do for this one is to somewhat recommend it. If money is a real issue, then this might be good for you. But frankly, if that were my situation, I'd smoke a lot less, and make it count, with one of the Frogs, Odyssey, or even Penzance.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2006-12-05		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I opened the bag and smelled Latakia I packed the pipe and had good feelings, but to no avail. Once lit it was a pale one dimensional light English blend. I tried it again in a meerschaum but it still did not impress. I can see no reason to revisit this tobacco again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-11-22		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I found this blend a little to light for me. While I could taste the blend there wasn't alot there, or perhaps I just felt like the smoke itself was not "thick" enough. it may have been to moist, or it may have an additive of some kind on it because it left a waxy feeling on my tongue. just not enough "there" there for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-11-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pretty decent for a Lane bulk English. Reminds me of Dunhill Early Morning. My only issue: too much moisture or PG right from the tobacconist's jar. It dried out, but not quite as much as it should have - indicative of PG. Aside from that; good, rich, mild / medium bodied oriental taste with nominal spiciness.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheOtter (61)	2023-02-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is the blend that introduced me to the English genre, as recommended by the now shuttered Tinder Box flagship store. I have fond memories of this blend, and I rarely smoked anything else for a long time. However, once I expanded my palette I discovered there are better English blends. This blend is still perfectly fine, and an ideal choice for beginners since it is on the milder side. It has a pleasant room note that doesn’t linger for very long. I recall friends being surprised that I smoked inside as this blend is undetectable after opening the windows for a couple hours.

While I doubt I will return to this blend anytime soon, it holds a special place in my heart. Final verdict 3/4

Pipe Used: Savinelli Regimental Rusticated Prince

Similar Blends: Sutliff Tobacco Company - Lavish English #17 (Sutliff Private Stock), Peterson - Old Dublin.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2015-06-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Years ago, when I was but a young new pipe smoker I tried this blend. I remember the scent and taste of pine and not any sweetness. The blend was very woody, smokey, and fragrant. I remember enjoying it quite a bit, but was something new to my nose and taste buds. Based upon my initial impression, it doesn't remind me of any other english blend I have ever smoked. I'll have to try it again at some point to confirm my original impressions. For now I'll leave it at 2 stars.

Pipe Used: Bent Billard

Age When Smoked: New from store - 1-3 months

Purchased From: TinderBox.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CTS (138)	2014-11-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Pretty much delivers as stated. Not a powerhouse, but not intended as such. Spiciness noted on the retrohale. Needs a little attention, but did not dry before loading. Solid 3*.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 624 KS

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Tinder Box, Mishawaka, IN

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-05-24		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

* I've just taken up the pipe, so by all means lend little credence to my humble reviews. At the moment, I'm simply using this very fine website as a sort of dossier.

Visually dark with a robust scent out of the bag --- unfortunately, it doesn't translate well to the pipe. Philosopher seems one dimensional, and is surprisingly weak and un-rounded. Not that I mind mild tobaccos, its just that I was looking for something full and that is exactly how the employee at the TB represented it. In fact, he warned that I should only fire it up after a hearty meal. The threat was definitely unwarranted.

I "somewhat recommend" because it is rather inexpensive and certainly tolerable. Being a rather broke law student, both are important considerations.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipemanuk (76)	2008-03-21		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ooooh I wish people wouldn't call this kind of tobacco an English blend!

English blends do NOT have orientals or balkan leaves in them. English blends are straight Virginias, often from Africa rather than America though not exclusively. They might be cased but never have any east european or mediteranean tobaccos in them.

Sorry about the rant.

You Americans! Love you to bits, but you always get us Brits wrong!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stacey (40)	2007-05-30		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

Lights and smokes easily, but not much here to excite anyone. If you just like to stare at smoke or love bland food this might be for you.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-11-05		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

This blend albeit priced right, reminds me of when the garbage disposal in prison backed up and the chopper blade sprayed me in the mouth with the molested fruit left behind by the well satisfied rectums of the 'lifers'

Nobody has rated this review yet.