Stephen Mitchell & Son Tam O' Shanter

The tangy, dark fruity, earthy, woody red Virginia takes a small lead. The brown Virginia is close on the heels of the red with wood, grass, dark fruit, citrus, and is slightly floral. The stewed fruity, earthy, woody, lightly sugary stoved Virginia is the third star in the mix. The strength and nic-hit are in the center of mild to medium. The taste level is a step above that. Won’t bite or get harsh, but has a hint of a rough edge. Burns cool, clean, and a touch slow with a moderately sweet and lightly savory flavor to the finish. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and needs a few relights. Has a pleasant, short after taste and room note. An all day smoke that lacks a little depth and body. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks

Notes: Yes, mine have been old tins acquired on EBay as well. It hasn't been made in quite some time. I admit never having smoked it when it was still produced. I've smoked a few tins of this, however. It doesn't seem to change much from pipe to pipe.

Appearance: A 1" x 2" tightly pressed flake of black and dark brown ribbon with a few red streaks, covered with small crystals.

Aroma: Red wine, steamed Virginia tobacco, smoke, honey, barbeque sauce, tomatoes, chocolate, cherry.

Taste: Smoky! Cooked plums, barbequed meats and corn, a whiff of Tonquin bean.

Comparisons: A traditional Scottish-style blend of cavendished leaf and latakia to my palate, it compares to Sinclair's Barney's Ideal but is stronger and bolder. Reminiscent of Imperial's St. Bruno's but less full and lacking a sour or floral component.

Bottom Line: Not made any more. For those who seek a crossover English-aromatic of the Scottish persuasion with full strength, this is one to try.

It would be interesting to try a "new" tin of this if such a thing existed.

At our pipe club meeting, the reknowned reviewer before me brought an old tin of this and needless to say, I was watering at the mouth to try it!

The tobacco was in good condition, very dark and had sugar crystals all over it. Rubbing it out I detected no casings or additional flavorings. Brother, this tobacco looked "ripe indeed"!

However, the first fourth of the bowl was hot and bland. After the first fourth bowl the tobacco settled down a bit but never really did much other than provide some va/burley flavor that was "middling" at best. Eh...

Could this tobacco have outlived it's usefulness? Well, I'll never know unless a "less ancient" tin can be found.

Truthfully, I'd much rather smoke

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flake than this so don't waste your money on an old tin unless you're into the graphics! This IS a 'graphically cool' tin but the tobacco is maudlin.

5/05...I won a tin of this on Ebay not long ago. The seller's description indicated it was a 30 year old tin and no longer produced. I don't know if that's a fact, but when I popped the tin, the Virginia flakes sure looked dark and well aged, although I couldn't detect any crystalization.

The flakes were on the dry side and rubbed out easily. The pack was fairly easy as the strands were not too long. The burn was rather fast for a flake, but there was no bite. I suspect this would nip were it not for the age of the leaf.

The taste was somewhat subdued and rough around the edges. I don't think the leaf was top-shelf but the aging sure mellowed it out. I wouldn't want to try a fresh tin! Old Gowrie's ugly step-brother is about how I can best describe the flavor. A litte grassy without the Old Gowrie sweetness.

Hey, the tin was sure distinct with the Scottsman in his country's notable garb smiling on the top. In fact, the tin was about the best part of this stuff.