Tavern Tobacco Co. Marrakesh Cafe

A varied cut flake, some thick and others thin. Medium to dark brown and very moist. My tin is dated June 2006 and I was expecting one hell of a smoke. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I tried everything from slightly moist to very dry and everything in between. The smoke just remained kind of muddied and the flavors of the different tobaccos were indistinguishable from each other. The burn was just OK, and that was after considerable drying. Well, this doesn't exist anymore, my tin is finished, I have no more tins stored, so, more time to inspect my cache of much better tobacco. You may enjoy this, but, it's not for me.

I enjoy pressed blends and this is a great find for anyone who enjoys sweet Virginia leaf. The soft flavors of a mild Oriental leaf support the Virginia which has been augmented by a very light tonquin application. When burned in the slice, it offers a cool and legthy smoking experience that presents rewarding complexity from top to finish. The presence of trash is minimal - which I find unusual for a SG blend... For me, the key to describing this tobacco is the word, smoooootttthhhh. Frankly, I'm surprised that more pipesters have not tried this blend. I could take a steady supply of this blend and smoke it daily. I'll have to start putting more in my cellar.

Meerschaum Man Smoking a Smooth Altinok Canadian

Rare indeed, a VA-Oriental flake is well worth a try. Upon opening the tin the slices are well moisted and pretty pale. You can tell from the smell S.Gawith blended this one, the tonquin flavour is strong enough. The smoke is an interesting, unexpected experience, perfectly balanced and not very cigarettish as you might have foreseen. There's enough "meat" to suppot a good evening smoke and the best point is that it lasts forever if packed in the traditional flake way (not rubbed out). The last time I smoked it, it took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to finish the bowl, without any relighting; pretty damn good!

Flakes of dark brown with streaks of lighter brown throughout. When lit it bespeaks a quality VA interwoven with the flavor of the orientals; the latter seem to complement and add an expanded range of flavors to the VA base, rather than being two disparate components occurring side-by-side. I find the room note strong so for me its outdoors only. The flakes are moist and do need a good bit of drying, but otherwise burn well. This is yet another quality offering from Tavern Tobacco (a.k.a. Knox Cigar).