Owl Shop Bancroft Tower

Ah Worcester, Massachusetts, my home town, also home of the Owl Shop, one of only two tobacco houses in Massachusetts that, as far as I am told, blends their own tobacco, the other being Peretti's on whom I have written several reviews. The fact is, as much as I would liked to have kept my business in my home town, and with my good friends the Photaikis family, owners of the Owl Shop, I simply never found a blend to my liking there. That is until I bought a pipe there several months ago and the owner's grandson, Zack, told me to fill the bowl with some Bancroft Tower. Now, Bancroft Tower, for those interested, is a medeival looking lookout tower on the top of Bancroft Hill in Worcester, but I digress. I don't know why I never noticed this stuff before but was I ever pleasantly surprised! A Virginia based blend with some Perique and very little Latakia. I have smoked a similarly described blend from Peretti- British Blend- and that is exactly what it is, a very British blend reminiscent of the Dunhill blends, but this Bancroft Tower stuff from George Photaikis is nothing like it. Bancroft Tower has a certain zip, a tanginess and liveliness to it. Nothing like I have ever smoked previous, and I have smoked a pipe since I was sixteen- 36 years. I would say if you don't normally like perique, try this; if you don't normally like latakia, try this, it might change your mind about blends with these two tobaccos. This is not a mellow tobacco. It is sharp, lively, but not overpowering. When I gave kudos to Zack about this blend he said to me, "Knowing you, I knew that you would like this stuff." He was right, but, alas, I can't use this blend as my every day blend. I still prefer the mellowness of straight Virginias with a little perique, but, for me, this has become my favorite "switch-off" blend. For those smokers unfamiliar with the Owl Shop I would recommend looking into their blends. They are high quality and made with TLC on the premises by George Photaikis. As another reviewer mentioned, they tend to be dry but that's OK with me as who wants to pay upwards of $40.00 per pound for water?. If need be I'll add my own.