Tobaccos Charles Fairmorn - Lancer's Slices

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2014-04-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I just opened a jar of Lancer Slices that I put away 4 ½ years ago. If a blender is going to go with just two tobaccos in an English blend, the key is using high quality tobacco and getting the proportions just right or it can be boring. Lancer Slices gets it just right. When I first bought it back in 2009, I thought at the time that the Latakia might be a little bit heavy handed. But now, due to time in the jar or my taste changing, not only has the broken flake changed to a nice darker color, but the Latakia feels just right. LS burns cool, has a little sweetness and is a full bodied blend. I don’t see the comparison to Bengal Slices because I recall Bengal Slices having a topping where this blend has none. One of the things I really like about this blend is that the flavor continues to build as each bowl progresses. Secondly, where can a person buy a real high quality broken flake like Lancer Slices at bulk prices?

Age When Smoked: 4 years

28 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2014-04-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Lots of smoky, woodsy, earthy, musty Cyprian Latakia with an earthy, smooth, dark fruity, creamy Virginia that has spice and citrus notes, and a touch of grass. The Latakia takes the lead. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The strength is medium, while the taste is a couple of slots past that mark. The mildly sweet and very savory, campfire flavor is very consistent throughout the smoke. It may require a few relights, but it burns at a slow to moderate pace, cool and clean with no dull or harsh spots, and leaves very little moisture in the bowl. Most of the time, it burns to ash. It's not overly complex, but it is well balanced. Has a pleasant, lingering after taste, and a smokey room note. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable.

-JimInks

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2009-11-22		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I don't want to scare anybody, but I think I share the same palate as most of the esteemed reviewers here on TRC... well, at least regarding Lancer's Slices. This is another bell ringer for Charles Fairmorn. An elegant offering expertly mixed to produce a smokey, yet sweet and refined Latakia blend that burned cool, evenly and very dry right down to the last shred.

To me, Lancer's Slices tastes similar to IRC's Gourmet English and Rattray's Black Mallory (both are Latakia blends on the sweeter side) and left me wanting another bowl immediately. This one does not carry a lot of strength but is certainly full of unrelenting flavor.

Frankly, for those who enjoy this genre, there is nothing about the blend not to like. Kudos to the Fairmorn boys for producing yet another dandy tobacco for us pipe hobbyists to enjoy!

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-04-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

I purchased 8 oz. of this in bulk from 4Noggins due to all the reviews comparing it to my all-time favorite Bengal Slices. While I find some similarities, it is definitely not a dead ringer.

When I first got this the deep black color and intense woodsy, smoky tin aroma really overwhelms you at first. I was sure it was going to be a Latakia bomb, but it is surprisingly (and pleasantly) smooth with a delicious Latakia richness that is rounded out with the sweetness of the Virginias in the blend. I like it much better than Penzance, and it has quickly become one of my all- time favorite English blends.

It takes a few tries to get this one burning, but once it gets going it burns slowly, yet consistently, with a very cool yet thick and luxurious smoke that never bites and keeps you wanting more. It leaves behind the aftertaste I remember from the old Balkan Sobranie and Bengal Slices days (leading me to believe that it contains some Syrian Latakia), not unlike the ancient tin of Garfinkel's Orient Express No. 11 I am currently smoking (minus the Orientals). The flavor is both nutty and coffee like, with a dose of sugary sweetness to temper the flavor. For the bargain price this sells for, I would strongly suggest getting some and cellaring it, as I am sure that this will age marvelously. You can be sure this will remain a staple in my cellar.

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-03-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is outrageously good. Sweet, spicy, smoky, and woody. Flavors are rich and deep. Medium bodied with flavors medium to full. Not terribly complex, just dang good from the top to the bottom of the bowl. Sometimes simple is better and this is one of those times. Can't wait to try it with some age on it.

Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman, MM Freehand

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bigdadz (39)	2014-03-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

This is a full english mixture that showcases the smokey latakia with the subtle sweetness of the virginia. A well behaved tobacco with good burning qualities. I prefer it fully rubbed out. It is slightly tarry with a dry woodsy character . It is one of the finest english mixture offerings of today for the seasoned Latakia devotee.

I do not see the similarity with Penzance and I most certainly prefer this tobacco.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2013-12-05		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

To my palate, Lancer's Slices is very similar to Penzance in taste. I would consider it a poor man's Penzance, and, for those who don't have the scratch or the patience for some of that stuff to come along (at a reasonable price), Lancer's Slices makes a good substitute. I find the flavor profile between the two to be nearly identical—Lancer's just a bit more rough around the edges than Penzance. Still, Lancer's a class smoke, though I find it both a tad bit strong and harsh. Back in the day, I used to smoke Bengal Slices, and Lancer's does have some of its qualities, but Bengal was no Penzance. So, in the end, I'd rather be smoking Penzance, therefore Lancer's gets only three stars from me. Is that unfair of me? Perhaps.

Pipe Used: Molina bent

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: 4noggins

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-03-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Quite frankly, one of the best tasting latakia blends I've ever smoked. Simple latakia and virginia blend - no orientals, no perique. I've never smoked Old Ironsides but this is reminiscent of Bengal Slices, a tin of which I smoked last year. The difference is this has better flavor but the Bengal was smoother. This is a spicy and semi-sweet blast of flavor without a hard-to-take blast of strength. The latakia was pungent but had excellent presence and flavor. Beautiful broken flake cut, and very dark in color.

As good as this stuff tastes, I can't give it a 4th star. Smoking it made my tongue feel grainy... like it had a fine layer of grit on it after finishing the bowl. I don't know if I attribute that to latakia of less quality or what, but it was consistently there. And after smoking this, the taste of latakia was in my mouth for quite awhile! I found this an excellent counterpart to a fine scotch. But it misses my regular rotation due to the cotton mouth I got after each bowl. Try this if you love the taste of latakia and don't want it subdued by too many other tobaccos.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2013-08-07		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

While it isn't Bengal Slices, it is as close in character of any that I have smoked. A huge, rich smoke, it stayed cool and smoked slowly. The taste is dark and sweet and hugely of latakia without the sharply acrid taste some latakia heavy blends get. It stays sweet, dry and smokey. I like this as an evening smoke, or when I'm outdoors. I plan grab a little more and see what a few years of aging will do.

As an update, this has become one of my go to tobaccos. It has a wonderful, rich, straightforward taste. It smells like what I think one of the Edwardian Clubs in Pall Mall must have smelled like. Lancers has helped me fall back in love with latakia, it is "just right."

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipemanuk (76)	2011-09-10		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a blend that I long read about here before I went ahead and bought...you may share the feeling that you look at the reviews of something that seems to have possibilities, but there's always safe bets that you need to restock and there's no money left for possible tries :-) Well your pocket might be larger than mine and your budget also, but I've brought up two kids, put both of them through university and had my daughter's wedding to consider and all this as a single parent...soo my resources have been severely limited.

Anyway the upshot of this is that I finally managed to get hold of some Lancer's Slices. I had read all the reviews several times over and was pretty confident this would be a winner.

You bet it was. Wave after wave of smokey, medicinal flavours caressed my senses. I smoked this walking home with my Springer Spaniel on a muddy lane by the side of a wood with no other sounds save the rain on the leaves and Meg splashing in the puddles and it was perfect. Cold evening autumnal scents; September in East Anglia.

A worthy list of stars.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2017-04-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

The unsmoked flakes have a very smoky aroma. Campfire. Flakes are fairly dry and Latakia parts crumble easily to dust. Lights and smokes easily.

With the first whiff you are greeted by a whole load of flavor. Smoky, sweet, creamy and smooth Latakia backed by a nice mature Virginia. Though full on flavor it has only medium strength and nicotine and smokes cool. It’s so tasty that sometimes I can get carried away and smoke a little too fast which causes me a slight tongue bite.

The best part of the bowl is the first, as it grows a little -just a little- bitter and harsh as you go down and this is mainly where Penzance is superior for me.

Of course Lancer’s Slices is very similar to Penzance! Maybe not as complex or as rounded but quite close. Also they lack the Orientals Penzance contains, but keeping in mind that Latakia is a smoke-cured Oriental leaf, I sure can taste more than traces of Oriental tanginess in Lancer’s Slices. It’s also similar to Old Ironsides yet it is Slices which is smoother and less edgy in this comparison. As for the Bengal Slices, I have smoked neither the old (which was cased whereas Lancer’s is not), nor the new version which I do intend to try.

Not a perfect smoke (tongue bite, some harshness towards the end), but definitely four stars. It is a must try for all Latakiaphiles and also a great value for money.

Similar Blends: Penzance, Old Ironsides.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2016-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Charles Fairmorn - Lancer's Slices.

Remarkable.

I'll start with the appearance of the blend, I'd call it a 50/50: half of the pouch is occupied by long flakes, yet the rest of the space is filled with ribbons. Ergo, 50/50.

It lights up very easily, partly due to the moisture being good, and then I get an adorable smoke. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wants an intricate and complex flavour, but I would strongly suggest it's tried by someone who wants a basic English style one: I get the most flavour from the Latakia, but it seems to be the calmer variety; it's more woody than smoky. The Virginia gives depth to the smoke without being overly grassy or citrus like, it's smoother than that; mild hay. Although the taste isn't too ostentatious, it's quite deep and classy.

The nicotine's medium, and despite the fact many of my fellow reviewers only rate the note as tolerable, I like it!

The ONLY possible result for this is a very high recommendation.

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Siena 320KS

Age When Smoked: One Month

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lyle (32)	2014-08-14		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

This blend surprises me with its complexity. I have come to expect English blends to be interesting and complex via the interplay of component tobaccos. However, this blend is comprised of just Virginia and Latakia, and still delivers a delicious and rewarding variety of aromas.

When smoked aggressively, which I do when I'm not paying attention, the blend has a straightforward in-your-face Latakia flavor. It stays cool and tastes good when smoked this way.

When smoked carefully, it gives a very interesting and varied experience. The Virginia complexity comes through and has a tasty interaction with the Latakia. Although words like "nuanced" and "deep" are poor descriptors, those are the words that come to mind when this blend is smoldering.

I do not get the phenolic, resinous flavors that I find to be a characteristic component of some other Latakia blends (e.g. Penzance) in this blend.

Pipe Used: Two billiards dedicated to VA/Latakia

Age When Smoked: Six years aged in a canning jar

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeterD (91)	2013-07-15		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

...Quite a nice tobacco...not much to add as the reviews have been fairly sraightfoward. "Very reminiscent of the old Bengal Slices"...well, that may be a bit of a stretch. There are similarities between the two but I believe this tobacco has its own character and complexity.

Definitely worth a try for those who like full-bodied tobacco and I enjoy this any time of day...

...a pipe is to be savored...

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-01-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a smoke that all pipe smokers should try.The strength is a strong medium with no added flavors detected.I like the room note, but others around me have not developed the sensory appreciation for the latakia let alone the virgina's. The taste is solid and smooth.This is a well made tobacco,needs little preperation but it smokes,way good with some drying time.

01/27/2013 Really nice, RUB/DRY it out, it makes all the difference in the smoking qualities and the flavor throughout the bowl. Don't be afraid to smoke a drier tobacco than you normally would

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FireintheBriar (9)	2012-11-29		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A novice pipe smoker, I entered the ring with a tin of Early Morning Pipe, Dunhill Flake and Presbyterian. After a few rounds I would say I liked them all but longed for a bit more depth and taste; enter the favorite smoke, aka champion, Lancer's Slices! Lancer's Slices burns wonderfully, tastes great and is less filling. Less filling in that one bowl usually will not be enough. I have not refined my palate enough to name nuances like leathery or peppery, but Lancer's Slices does have greater depth of taste than the previous three I have mentioned. Most important there is no tongue bite, but there is a nasally sensation most similar to eating a bit to much horseradish or wasabi. That is neither unpleasant nor disruptive, only noticeable. As far as nicotine is concerned I would say it is minimal because I am a new pipe smoker and I felt no affects of the latter. In closing there is a wonderfully fine gray ash left in the bowl, and again I am to inexperienced to answer why, but I perceive that to be a good thing.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-10-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A great, and perfect blend of VA and Latakia, neither overwhelms the other. A good, tasty, heady smoke, not to be overlooked by anyone interested in a VA/Latakia blend, especially for $12-$13 for 4oz. No bite, just smooth, smokey and tasty.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thomasanswered (11)	2011-07-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

In the Old Ironsides class of tobacco, providing the beef jerky and shoe leather smokiness that the other does, the shoe leather predominating here. Yet the Slicer's leather has a tanginess that is lacking in the former. It brings a fullness to the smoke.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2016-12-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

When I first got this, it did not leave much impression to me, so did many Latakia/Virginia blends I tried. After 2 years of aging, I am pretty surprised at what I am getting now. I don't have the experience with Bengal Slices, but it reminds me of Fusilier's Ration which is inspired by it. It is amazed that only 2 components can produce such a profound flavor. For my taste, it is better than my 5-year-old SG's Balkan blend.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gloucesterman (5)	2015-05-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is a wonderful Blend. It's been far too long since I had any Bengal Slices for me to make any authoritative comment about the similarity and I didn't find reminiscent of Penzance. It's not nearly as smooth but all that said it has much to offer all on its own. There is a very pleasant balance between the Va. and the Latakia. I was a little skeptical, the absence any Oriental leaf, that it would have the usual complexity of a good English but that doubt was unfounded. This blend will reward you very pleasant smoke start to finish. The smoke is luxuriously full and the taste strong and completely lacking the bit sometimes associated with blends that are Oriental forward. Available at very reasonable bulk prices this is truly a steal in today's market. I've put away about a half pound fully expecting it to mature well. But right out of the bag it's a very pleasant smoke. I highly recommend it.

Pipe Used: Comoy 1057

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4Noggins

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	curttuck (12)	2015-04-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Lancer's Slices is a smoky, meaty, full flavored tobacco heavy with woody campfire and leather notes. The Virginia and Latakia are each bold and strong and play off each other like two large Sumo wrestlers fighting in a circle or something. I find there is a dominant character in the mix that may be a good or a bad thing depending on who you are, and that is a slight acrid bitterness that I think comes from the Virginia side. It's not extremely complicated, but it is bold and very satisfying. The tobacco which I purchased in bulk did need some drying time. The smell in the room after you smoke this I find incredible. Very much like pretzels and a smoky campfire of aromatic woods; sweet and complex.

Pipe Used: Tom Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Tinder Box

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	clanobucklin (105)	2015-04-04		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Who would have thought that a Latakia blend with just VA's could be so good?

What can I say about to this superb blend that hasn't already been covered. Well the descriptors are all there so I'll just say that if you love a full, complex, creamy smoke that has Latakia in it - and won't trash your mouth - look no further.

I'll be buying more once my 2 oz runs out. Absolutely wonderful and 2 Thumbs up!!!

Pipe Used: John Hines Pipe, Leonard's Pipe

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

Similar Blends: Penzance.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	manno (50)	2013-08-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I incorporate herein all of the positive commentary below. Great tobacco that forces me to my piper's Thesaurus where, when I don't feel like typing, I call upon the only 3 scholarly words -- "yuck", "whatever" and "tasty". For such a manly flake I hate to say it's tasty but it's late and it is. Rich, creamy, enveloping and unctuous smoke. To my taste, surprisingly smooth and fully satisfying while almost light in its lack of abrasion. Whether you like lighter English blends or more rich and powerful Balkan/Latakia offerings, you'll like these broken flakes. Seems so much like there's a rich oriental in there but it may just be the quality of the Latakia or the "muscle memory" of my system. Whatever it is, it's highly recommended and very good stuff.

Pipe Used: billiards and dublins but good in any

Age When Smoked: new to one year

Similar Blends: it has no equals in its flavor profile, but choose a rich and unctuous smooth latakia/VA.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2013-05-23		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Leathery and full bodied Latakia that is creamy, velvety, spicy and smoky with a slightly sweet and hay like interlude from the Virginia.

A long smoke that burns to a white ash, there is nothing monochromatic about this mixture. The name is well chosen as I was seeing myself a 19th century British officer maybe in the Crimean war, smoking a pipe after a charge.

A pipe tobacco for journeymen pipe smokers that should appreciate the incense qualities of this proper Latakia mixture.

Update: after a few years of smoking this mixture, I came to a better understanding of it. I also realized that there is a mild honey sweet and floral topping especially at the beginning of the smoke. Also when smoked fast, this tobacco leaves me with a cotton mouth, once again proof of the presence of a topping. After aging it in a tobacco jar, It has become a harsh smoke with a very aggressive attack on my throat and mouth, down the trash bin you go!

Virginia lover

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pacman357 (15)	2013-02-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

If there is a finer VA/Lat flake on the market, I'd like to try it. A good, meaty and hearty blend that tastes great whether rubbed out, cubed, or pretty much any way you want to burn it. One of my go-to smokes.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Katharsis (39)	2011-09-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I think this has taken the place of Frog Morton for me (both being just English and Latakia). This is beefy stuff and delicious. It makes blends like Frog Morton seem way too mild, almost weak, for me now. Most of the descriptions here are already pretty accurate. However, I'm not sure why people compare it to Old Ironsides. I've never had OI, but considering it says it also contains Perique and Turkish, I'm not sure how a comparison could be made.

2011-12-15 Just coming back to say how solid this blend is. Very reliable for me with every smoke. Good sweetness from the VAs and the Latakia is blended with it fantastically. I'd actually like to know where CM gets the VA in this blend, because I think it would be amazing by its lonesome. After I'm done with this, I'll be trying Commonwealth Mixture from SG (50/50 mix). It will take a lot to get me to like something more than this one, though.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2009-02-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Just one small word of advice - you better like Latakia before lighting this one up. Starts off great, beautiful melding of the Virginia and Latakia. Rich and smooth, easy to light and keep burning, just don't pack it too tightly.

During the last third of the bowl the Latakia almost becomes more prevalent. It got very pungent and strong, but if you slow down the pace a bit and puff more gently than during the first two-thirds it'll reward you with rich smoothness all the way to the bottom. I really like this blend!

I've now got a pile of this stuff aging. One of my all-time faves.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-04-15		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Man I hate to be the voice of dissent. Oh well.

Ordered a couple of ounces of this from the fine folks at Marscigar. It was economical and I expected a sort of economy Penzance. And I was well down that road, until I actually smoked some. The appearance and aroma are lovely -- a dark musty smoky flake. It rubs out and packs nicely.

At first light, the creamy smokiness is a dead ringer for Penzance. But then some kind of bitter grassy/hay note jumped in and just overwhelmed me. I suffered with it, hoping it would abate. But just a little. It left a disagreeable taste in my mouth. I tried drying out my next bowl, but no change. It's just not my cuppa, sorry.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2018-11-12		Mild	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Lancer’s Slices is for smokers who want some Virginia with their Latakia, rather than vice versa. The tobacco is dark, dark brown broken flakes with some black bits. Bag note is smoky Latakia well melded with and dominating the stoved, earthy, slightly piquant, red VAs. Liquid Smoke and “incense” scent have been added, but with more restraint than usual these days. LS can be stuffed and puffed straightaway, or I prefer to dry it some, to dissipate the Liquid Smoke and facilitate burning. I tear some rough “ribbons” to length and loosely load them “vertically” into a group 4 pipe reserved for Lat blends. It lights easily enough and smokes down slowly with some poking. There’s plenty of smoke. Tastes stay much like a more fragrant version of the bag note from top to bottom, except the VA sugars and piquancy build and the Lat sours as LS is smoked down. A particular, earthy, fragrant, woodsy quality makes me think there is some air cured brown VA in this blend, as well. Though the Latakia stays at the wheel, the tempered VAs are good backseat drivers. Strength is mild. Tastes are medium. Aftertaste can start out acrid if LS is smoked down too far, so the bowl ends that way, but in any case it winds up a sweet, lingering best-of-the-smoke.

IMO, Lancer’s Slices is an easy 3, and it might be a 4 for those who pine for this sort of Lat-forward blend.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: unknown

Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco

Similar Blends: Compare to/contrast with Savinelli's Giubileo d'Oro.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2018-10-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

jiminks (of course) nails this. Especially the virginias where I do get a surprising "citrus note" [tangerine?] and a "touch of grass." The Latakia doesn't quite dominate. This blend is perfectly balanced and the price for this in bulk, divided by the quality and satisfaction level produces a nearly unequaled value. In this blend, I get the best of MM965 in terms of flavour, and I do understand the comparison to Bengal Slices; but this is more minimalistic and crystalline than either of those blends (or any other english blends that I've tried). I'm smoking this now after about 8 months in a jar, and it has mellowed out a bit, but I can see how this would only get better and better with age and perhaps more Virginia dominant/fruity over time. Worth jarring 10 pounds of it!

Age When Smoked: 8+ months

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Soviettubes (1)	2016-06-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

One of my top favorites, I think of Lancer Slices kind of like the Laphroaig of English tobacco blends: It's rough, straight forward, slightly unrefined, and "rustic", but somehow the realest of the real. Earthy, almost moldy notes, bright and satisfying. Not for everyone, but if you're one of the folks with the taste for it, it's going to be a go-to blend.

Just two ingredients: Va and Lat, so you can imagine it's sweet and smoky, in that order. I love orientals in an English, but LS is so good, you won't miss them. Stripped down, in your face at times, but super enjoyable. I treat it like a Virginia flake (which it is, basically) and smoke it in a (dedicated) tall, narrow-bowled Chacom. I also love it in a crappy 3 dollar cob, too.

Appearance-wise, this comes in long shreds of black, dark brown, and yellow stripes. I have seen flakes as long as a foot when I have bought it in bulk. Comes pretty dry, which is perfect for this blend. Smoke it slow.

Bag note is a very aged, almost moldy-like, earth note with some campfire going on. The fragrance belies just how smoky it is when you out a flame to it. Nicotine-wise, I find it to be fairly strong, in contrast to some other reviewers opinions here. This is probably because I only smoke one pipe a day, on average. My nic tolerance is probably not as high as others. Still stronger than most englishes I am used to, probably because of the Va proportion, I suppose.

Pipe Used: Chacom small chimney, Savinelli chimney, cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh bulk, 1 year aged bulk

Purchased From: Local smoke shop

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-12-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A nice rather on the mild side blend, nicotine wise, but that provides a nice and rich taste which is the result of a fine balance between the Virginias and Latakia. The flakes are ultra long similar to those of Marlin Flake. LS smokes nice and cool and is satisfying. It would be an ideal All Day English mixture for me. were it to contain a bit more nicotine! I find Dunhill's Baby's Bottom to be a much superior offering in the virginia & Latakia blends.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2014-04-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Lancer's Slices is a Good Thing.

Black, pliable flakes which come at the perfect moisture content. No particular care is needed in filling the pipe, and the flakes take light easily and burn steadily to a fine grey ash.

Just two ingredients, but both are of high quality. I never managed to smoke Bengal Slices and therefore cannot comment on the similarity of taste. Penzance it is not: it has nowhere near the subtle complexity of that mixture. The nearest approximation in my experience is Gawith's Balkan Flake, though Lancer's Slices is heavier in latakia.

When in the mood for a simple latakia heavy smoke, there is little that is better than these slices.

Pipe Used: several briars

Age When Smoked: four years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Balkan Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puro66 (73)	2014-01-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I first smoked this seven or so years ago. What I am about to state breaks with a lot of commentary but this is afterall about the highly subjective state of personal tatse. During no bowl of this have I ever been reminded of Penzance, it completely lacks that tobacco's depth and smoothness(Please note that my reference to Penzance which I smoked a lot of over the years has nothing to do with whatever it's production of the past two years may taste like because I've stopped looking for it.). It also gets some play as reminiscent of Bengal's which I also don't get.

What it is to my taste is a pretty straight forward heavy latakia and virginia tobacco which delivers a fairly full and consistent smoke. I have sense found other tobaccos I prefer but this is a solid offering. I even bought a pound or so of this at a time when it was truly inexpensive and I still have most of that pound left.

If you like heavy latakias with a background of virginias then you will not be dissappointed.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: varies

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-05-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A man's tobacco, not for beginners, strong but flavorful.Nice amount of smoke ,stays lit even with a slow sip. U Don't have to think about this one ,light it and go, ending in white ash.Creamy, earthy, just a touch of sweetness. I do feel this will bite if you over puff this one

Update 1- 11/17/11- Some more age and the bite is back? This just doesn't smoke well on my tongue ( agree with reviewers "DK" & "tabaco" from 2010). I also feel that the complexity is not here, some Orientals would help. Still a solid 2 1/2 stars

Update 2 2016-08--08 I just tried a stash from early 2013 and it is flat , no flavor, time has not been good . Don't bother to cellar this one- 2 stars

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: new and 3years old

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-01-01		Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This is the first Charles Fairmorn mixture I ever tried, and didn't really got excited about it with the first trials. A broken flake mixture of Latakia and Virginia, with intense smokey flavor. Very heavy for my taste, it does not present any sweetness at any point and the Latakia appear particularly harsh. It specifically has an intense acidity/sharpness in the beginning of the bowl. The Virginia does not make its presence very perceptible. Perhaps after some less healthy meals, than these I have this period, I may like it more. If still it is combined with a good whisky, the results may be even better. All these, hypothetically. In any case, I didn't go crazy about it.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Having smoked English blends for 4 decades, I know what I like. Bengal slices was perhaps my all time favorite. All I can say about Lancer Slices is OUCH!! Much like the review from Elcid, I'm gonna stand outside the crowd on this one. Based on its contents, you would think think it would be on my hit parade. The two seperate occasions I smoked it met with the same results. Within minutes of lighting a bowl my toungue would actually swell, and my taste buds would numb. The effects lasting for more than 24 hours. Never, before or after, have I experienced this in any blend. Far worse than bite, more like an allergic reaction.

I wouldn't let my review stop you from trying it. Based on others reviews, I wish it worked for me.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kokinhenik (93)	2020-07-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

First impressions: Meaty, sweet and smokey. I get a little bit of a floral or fruity note at the top of each puff. Is that the Virginia? I can't quite place it, reminds me of a Lakeland. According to the description it's not flavored. Maybe that's just the herbs in the Latakia? Having grown up with a lot of campfires and spent a fare amount of time trying to keep the smoke out of my eyes and throat (though it annoyingly seemed to follow me everywhere) I don't mind a bit of the woody smokiness but ive had my share of that taste already and I'm not that enamored with Latakia in general because of it. I need a lot more in a blend to make it interesting. For me, this can be a fantastic winter smoke but not a daily.

Update: few more bowls, actually the Latakia seems pretty well balanced with the Virginia. Kind of growing on me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Furious (5)	2019-08-16		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Lately I’ve been revisiting some blends that I haven’t smoked in years as I’m packing up my cellar in preparation for a move.

Lancer’s Slices is somewhat reminiscent of Penzance in terms of the quality and amount of Latakia therein. However, there is no similarity in terms of the Virginias. LS has them all beat with the use of very sweet and flavorful Virginias which I am assuming must have been stoved for added effect. The interplay between these special Virginias and the tangy, piquant Cyprian Latakia is just sublime.

I have only one jar left so I better order some more as I don’t see this one lasting for very long.

Age When Smoked: Approx. 10 year old jar

Similar Blends: Penzance.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mel64us (46)	2019-02-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This blend, with 10 years aging, is fabulous. I opened a jar and found an inviting aroma. Loading and lighting went well. At first match, Lancer's Sliced revealed a soft, smooth flavor. The Virginias and the Latakia both shine through with neither one dominating. I enjoyed this when it was fresh, but aging makes it more enjoyable, more scrumptious.

Pipe Used: Peterson, Butz-Choquin

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 10 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pylet2000 (33)	2016-10-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

For being just two components at an amazing price, this is an excellent blend for Latakia fans!

It's pretty straightforward, the Virginia is slightly tangy and grassy, with some sweetness which is rather understated. The Virginia could be a little more forward in my opinion, and that's my only critique (and easily remedied by adding some straight Virginia of your own). The real star of this blend is the Latakia, which falls somewhere between sniffing the finest leather and chewing beef jerky. There's a bit of a resinous quality to the Latakia that is not unwelcome. This Latakia is of the meaty variety, there is no incense quality to it as in say Nightcap or HH Vintage Syrian. Smokes incredibly cool with a dark brooding characteristic. Very creamy and smooth.

In the bag, it's a consistent dark brown with with occasional tan ribbons mixed in. The shaggy slices make it look a lot like a bag of beef jerky, which is amusing since smoking it reminds one of that very food product.

The closest blend I've experienced to this is Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake, which I also like quite a bit. This is better in my opinion, as the Latakia is slightly less resinous, the moisture is about perfect out of the bulk bag (unlike the Gawith which is dripping wet in the tin), and the value is unbeatable! Smokes as good as anything from a top dollar tin, at bulk prices.

Wouldn't be everyone's idea of an excellent smoke, but anybody that likes Latakia blends that are so creamy they feel like you could chew the smoke, this is about the best thing out there. I intend to stockpile large quantities of this, age should make Lancer Slices among the best Latakia smokes that have ever existed.

Pipe Used: Briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 3 months

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Balkan Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2016-07-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The best VA/Latakia mix out there. I'm not sure what the proportion of leaf is regarding the Latakia and Virginia, but the blend is not compromised at all by the lack of Orientals.

I find that some other similar mixes, including Commonwealth and Balkan Flake sometimes smoke flat without the Orientals, but I don't get that here. The flake, which is almost black in color and comes in a rubbed out, almost splintered state, is flavorful and hearty enough that I feel satisfied after a medium sized bowl.

You can get a ton of this at a good price. Great stuff.

Pipe Used: Parker Dublin

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Similar Blends: Balkan Flake, Commonwealth Mixture, Latakia Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Trumpetboy (19)	2015-12-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

With all the great and not-so-great English, Balkan, Crossover, and Oriental Blends out there, (I've deliberately not mentioned Aromatics), it's great to smoke a straight-forward mix of nice smooth Virginias and deep, smoky Latakia occasionally. Very satifying, just the thing for slightly cooler evenings--even in Florida! As one reviewer mentioned, very similar in makeup to SG Balkan Flake, with no Oriental component other than Latakia--I think slightly smoother with no "Lakeland" overtones. Just a well crafted, nicely presented broken flake, I like to use this one to break in pipes which will be used for Latakia blends. Don't expect the complexities of say, White Knight, but just kick back and enjoy!

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: SG Balkan Flake, SG Commonwealth.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Victorybiker (2)	2015-08-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I'm utterly impressed with this simple, yet very high quality, blend. The taste is phenomenal, and LS burns extremely well with minimal relights. I just purchased a 500g factory-sealed bag (foil or mylar) and it arrived at a perfect level of humidification; no drying required. LS provides a HIGH volume of rich, creamy smoke. The smoke will fill a room. It comes as a broken flake and I prefer to smoke it intact as much as possible. Personally, I believe that rubbing it out changes the flavor profile a bit. If you enjoy latakia-forward tobaccos, I highly recommend sampling this tobacco. It's availability can be hit or miss at times. My favorite tobacco is Germain's Special Latakia Flake, but F&K Lancer's Slices may have just knocked Germain's down to second place. ENJOY!

Pipe Used: JM Boswell Jumbo, MM Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: <1 yr

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Dengler's Haden, Germain's Special Latakia Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	twaksak (54)	2015-06-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

In the tin, I got a burst of lemon, almost like lemon blossoms. Then some smoky spiciness and a hint of fruitiness. The Perique also brings some peppery flavours. Lastly, some notes of leather, mouldy and roasted coffee beans.

Taste: Latakia much more to the fore at the beginning, but balances out smoothly as you progress through the bowl. The Virginia adds a little bit of sweetness. Those lemony aromas are also evident in the taste. Further down the bowl, the leathery notes comes through with the roasted coffee beans also noticeable.

Pipe Used: Bari

Age When Smoked: 5 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2015-02-26		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Holy smokes, I finally got around to smoking this stuff and it was fantastic! What a nice heavy, smokey, leathery meal of a smoke! Packed nicely, I used a partial twist method for packing, sort of a stuff and twist. Lights well, stays lit nicely. The room note is wonderful for those who appreciate pipe smoke.

My cigar smoking comrades in the smoke shop even commented how delicious it smelled!

Pipe Used: Meerschaum Bent Billiard

Age When Smoked: Roughly a year old

Purchased From: Gift

Similar Blends: Bengal Slices, GLP Meridian.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Otis56 (31)	2015-01-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

What a wonderful pipe tobacco. The Virginias used in this mixture release a fantastic molasses,Canadian rye wiskey, fermented hay taste and aroma. Mix in the top of the line smokey taste and aroma from the Latakia used. I have not smoked anything like it. It also rubs out very easy. Packs like a dream, and takes well to a match. Smokes nice and creamy and burns down to a fine gray ash. I would even recommend this to none smokers lol. Simple sometimes is better. Peace.

Pipe Used: Peterson deer hunter

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: ?.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	petrisz (9)	2014-11-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

My experience was somewhere between taking a walk in a forest on a wet Autumn afternoon and having a Tom Yum soup in South-East Asia :)

I wouldn't give a strong opinion on the appearance of the tobacco as this was my first bulk tobacco purchase. The leaves are nice but it's not totally consistent. It was easy to load my pipe nevertheless. The tobacco was a bit too humid fresh out of the pouch. It required some re-lights, but burned to a fine white/grey ash anyway.

The smell in the package is rich, woodsy, leathery, smoky with a touch of paprika and maybe ginger and garlic as well.

It is not overly complex on the palate but it does have a nice and consistent taste throughout the bowl. It has a smoky, wet-woodsy taste with citrusy sour-bitterness. Burning wet Autumn leaves and twigs, fresh earth, cypress tree. In the SE-Asian bitter-sour department: lemongrass, lemon leaves, Galangal root. Also some Kalamata olive, at times even dill. The taste is rich and pleasant most of the time, but every once in a while it's a bit too intense - like biting into Galangal root. The smoke does deliver some infrequent nutty notes as well. I even noticed cocoa to my surprise. Throughout the bowl 3-4 times I felt that the taste became muddy for only one sip but then it returned to that savoury smokey-soury taste.

Nicotine-wise it has a nice punch but it's not overwhelming.

I really enjoyed smoking this tobacco. It has an excellent price/value ratio. My only cause for sadness is that Lancer's Slices is a tobacco not available in Hungary :)

Pipe Used: Mersch

Age When Smoked: freshly bought

Purchased From: 4noggings.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beercritic (33)	2014-10-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Relentless, powerful steamroller of a tobacco. Not for the timid. Huge smoky aroma and flavor. At home, recovering from hip surgery, this arrived when i was out. So I ordered another pound. Will try mixing in a bit of oriental & some with a pinch of Perique. This'll make my weekly rotation of a couple dozen Lat forward blends.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: P&C

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Geronimo Von Klaus (76)	2014-09-02		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is a desert island blend.

Simple, elegant, rich, creamy and almost decadent. A wonderful, high quality blend for an almost scandalous price.

Its just high quality Latakia mixed with high quality VA's. The lat is fairly dominant, but the VA makes itself known with a sweet and earthy pop that gets richer the longer the bowl goes.

The smoke billows enormously, in a dense cloud, and it gets warmer, sweeter and richer as the bowl goes on.

Ships at a perfect moisture level, packs and lights easily, among the simplest but also finest English blends out there.

Pipe Used: WDC bent apple

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: 4Noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ddmholst (23)	2014-08-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

When first opening this bulk offering I assumed it would be a lat bomb. It has the strong smell of latakia and not much else. The deep dark broken flakes are realy nice looking and easy enough to work with. I found a little(10-20 minutes) drying time seemed to be perfect. I choose to fully rub this tobacco out. The flakes remind me of how mcclelland broken flakes usually come. Be careful to not pack too tightly, being as some of the chunks are quite long I tend to have this problem sometimes. This baccy took a little work to get going but after several relights it settles in to a cool enjoyable smoke.

The first portion of the bowl is mostly dominated by the leathery,smoky latakia. I get thick clouds of salty with hints of coffee flavor. As the bowl progresses the sweetness of the Virginias make themselves known. About halfway through thing seem to come together in harmony. Not too sweet but not too bitter. Not too much change from here on out. Not that that's a bad thing.

I have only ever gotten moisture in my pipe when either not allowed to dry enough or just pushing it too hard. It usually burns to a nice clean white ash.

There are better Englishish offerings out there but this one is solid and at a great bulk price. Go get yourself some. Enjoy.

Pipe Used: Mr brog amigo 51

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beano (7)	2014-06-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

only 2+ years experience

A decent enough english blend. I am not a huge fan of latakia at the moment, but I like to have some on hand for when I want something different. Lancer's Slices is in the category of "like to keep some around". A good blend for someone who wants to try english.

Pipe Used: cobs, italian briar

Age When Smoked: fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stutter818 (51)	2014-06-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

SO good. Very nice latakia flavor, with a mild spiciness. Sweet tones come out, just an incredibly good tasting English tobacco. Excellent! If you like Frog Morton Cellar, I think they are kind of in the same area.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Estate Pot Sitter

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4Noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mike Munday (4)	2014-03-27		Mild to Medium	Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

LANCER SLICES IS FAR AND AWAY MY FAVORITE PIPE TOBACCO - IT HAS BEEN COMPARED TO BENGAL SLICES - PENZANCE - HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED EITHER OF THESE - HOWEVER - I HAVE TRIED OVER 100 OTHER TOBACCOS - IT'S A SUPER SMOOTH - FULL BODIED MIX THAT TASTES GREAT AND HAS A KILLER BOWL NOTE AND ROOM NOTE AS WELL. I HAD IT BACKORDERED AT P&C - FINALLY GOT BOTH ORDERS AFTER WAITING 2.5 MONTHS - JUST ORDERED ANOTHER 47 OZS - AND OF COURSE IT IS BACKORDERED. LC IS REMARKABLE - #1 FAR AND AWAY.

Pipe Used: ERIK NORDING

Age When Smoked: 66

Purchased From: PIPES AND CIGARS

Similar Blends: I HAVE BEEN TOLD BENGAL SLICE AND PENZANCE.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ThePipescott (3)	2013-03-31		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I went to my local tobacco shop and I was looking for a compatible tobacco for my English pipe. I normally smoke Boswells Northwoods and was looking for something that would not compromise the seasoning of the pipe.

After inspecting a few of the jars I honed in on Lancer's Slices. The aroma was very pleasant out of the jar. I rolled the broken flake into a bowl sized pinch and held my pipe upside down and gently twisted it into the bowl of my pipe. Then lightly pressed it level with the rim of the bowl.

I made the charring light and enjoyed the initial puffs of smoke; tamped the risen tobacco down and lit the tobacco. I only had one relight as I let the pipe rest to cool.

The lightly sweet virginias combine blissfully with the floral latakia and I get a flavor of leathery almost orange spice. This is a very satisfying smoke and one I will be enjoying for a long time.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wellpipe (66)	2012-11-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I find this blend very similar to Penzance in flavor but easier to light and just a little more 'Virginia forward'. And easier to get hold of. A wonderful pipe, but probably best enjoyed out of doors or at least away from the nose of Mrs. Wellpipe who says this smells like 'old man tobacco' no doubt due to the prominent Latakia. Yes dear, we are all growing older. ;)

*Update 4/20/2018: I packed away a jar of this blend six years ago and just enjoyed a large bowl this evening. It has mellowed and smoothed out nicely - what edges it had are gone and solid flavors of cream, leather, and wood predominate. Wonderful! Highly recommended for cellaring.

Age When Smoked: 6 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blue Bayou (60)	2012-11-04		Strong	Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

For those of you who relish a delicious heavy Latakia bomb, this is for you! It finally grew on me & I ordered more, after a rough first trial. Now it will be in the rotation. A very complex blend that has many timbres and shadings--honey, leather, chocolate and roasted chestnuts, among them.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-07-01		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

This tobacco while my first bowl made for a very quick smoke it is definitely highly recommended that everyone try this at least once. The flavor is amazing. Even the ash looks good. The only downside is it smokes down to the last very quickly. I couldnt get even 30 minutes out of a 1 bowl pipe. I got maybe 15 to 20 minutes. But if I can figure out how to make this tobacco last longer I would gladly smoke it all day. It is just that good.

The taste is 4 star even 5+ star The length of smoke per bowl is 2 star The tongue bite is about 2 star (this case 2 not being very severe) The heat is about 2 star

Overall it is definitely a new favorite of mine so go try it :) You wont be dissapointed

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-05-18		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I don't know about room note - I can't smell what I am smoking! For a bulk, I really love this blend! Along with Peter Stokeby's English Luxury, this is one of my two mainstays right now. Nice, flavorful, but not overpowering. I don't understand everything about blends, but I know I prefer non-aromatics, but not too strong. This is a really good blend for me!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tontine (1)	2011-06-08		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

I have had battles with friends over this one, but every time I pick it up, I find something new to rage about. An amazing blend is all I can say with a note of caution. It does bite, from what a few friends say an overwhelming desire to be a desicant in your mouth sucking the moisture right out. Ah but you see a 5 star! Let me explain and a possible solution to that. But the blend! Let me first say that I am a BIG virginia perique blend guy. And though this is a latikia virginia blend, the mixture seems to compliment nicely. I love the fullness of great virginias and this one comes screaming out for attention after the initial blast of a rich latikia hits you. But to my palate the virginias kick in with a carmel, buttery taste to my mouth. AS such demands a lot from your mouth including moisture. Have no fear- add a fine rum or scotch or another adult beverage and you are good to go! I originally thought there might be a flavoring or casing on this but correction needed. I think there is added a topping of some kind or another that is added to this. The unpleasant bit I think and maybe the noticeable dryness comes from this. No doubt some of the characteritic of the blend is made from that but it is has a drying tendency which to me agravates the bite as well. Others have noted it. Well I am blessed to have a Master Blender available to help with that, Master Blender Steven Books of Oregon, who said to add a little Deer Tongue to it. Presto a majority of the dryness and bite cleared up and revealing more depth and richness to make this virginia,latikia mix better. A magnificent blend but be prepared for its rich character. (I love a cigar blend as well of his and find it rich as well, so a lot of this has to do with the type of tobacco's you favor and it is not for everyone. I have smoked it in a variet of pipes, a calabash tends to cool it of course and takes a little of the edge off the bite to me. AA few of these reviews reflect the bite and dry mouth,but this blend seems to bring out the best in virginias to me and I tell my friends, this blend demands a lot but it pays big rewards! Oh and Steve is opening up a shop soon here in Oregon-Can't wait for those forthcoming-some have up to 45 year old tobaccos blended in-sweet and ones to give anyone a run!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2011-04-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Lancer's Slices is by far the best Virginia/Latakia mixture I've ever tried: velvety, earthy, smooth, creamy and perfectly balanced, it stands above all other English mixtures with little or no Orientals because, instead of running flat towards the middle of the bowl, it stays complex, deep and satisfying until the very last puff.

Should I be forced to choose 10 tobaccos to smoke for the rest of my life, this one would be one of them, beyond any doubt.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Buster Bluth (56)	2011-01-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I buy this in bulk from an online retailer. A very dark rubbed out cake. Thick. Frequently find myself cracking the jar I keep it in to inhale the aroma. Mouth watering to the Latakia lover. Good value for the dollar.

This is a straightfwd Va and Latakia mixture, and Latakia is what you taste. You get a very direct earthy Latakia flavor. No doubt it is tempered a bit by the Virginia, but the sweetness never dominates, nor are there any of the undertones that one might find in a mixture containing addt'l Orientals. Behaves well in most pipes. No special effort req'd to keep lit & ran cool all the way down with consistent puffing.

Have been smoking for a year and give it 3 stars. Rate it up there with Penzance and Star of the East Flake as my favorite Latakia smokes. Lancer Slices is not as complex in my book, but has a robust edge the others lack. 3 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mate (3)	2010-12-29		Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

When the Greek Gods walked the earth, this is what they left for us mere mortals to enjoy.

This is the most beautiful baccy.

A Latakia Lovers Delight

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2010-11-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

BBQ smoke was all I thought of today as I smoked this blend all day to review. I love a good English blend but I like to taste the sweet notes of the VA and or other compnents in an English. I did not get that with this blend. it was like smoking straight Latakia. While some may like this I am not one of them, I want a blend that brings all the tobaccos together in harmony. Quite frankly, I don't think this one does that at all, it's all about the latakia. It is smooth, it is a full creamy smoke that behaves very well in the pipe. I think the tobacco in the pouch looks and feels very quality, a dark brown and black mix of straight long ribbon cut flakes. It smells very peaty in it's puch note and my mouth waters smelling it. It came at a good moisture content to open and smoke and it did smoke quite cool and down to a dark grey ash to the bottom with minimal relights. It smoked very dry and had no dottle when done. Everything about it would be perfect if they had just let the VA come though and offered its sweetness to the blend. The room note was tolerable to strong but that is typical of this type of blend. I can only recommend it if you like a very latakia dominated type of blend but out of four stars, it is only a two in my book.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-09-23		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

The first time I tried this I found it a little strong for me and a bit of a nicotine bomb, but still liked it. I'm kind of a puffer which causes most everything I smoke to run a little on the hot side. However this does just fine. Stays lit pretty well, and over time I've come to like the stronger taste. I'll buy more when my jar is empty.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A great straight forward Lat/Va blend. No complaints at all with this. Taste was a fantastic earthy smokiness. I wish the Va played a bigger role but it is still on top of my short English list.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-15		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is an outstanding balkan / English blend. A lot of Latakia, but there is a sharp tang to this blend that keeps it from getting dull.

Burns slowly, on account of being flake, I suppose, so one pipe lasts a long time. No bite, and a good vitamin N kick -- just about everything one could ask for in a balkan.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-15		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I've been on an English bender.

Trying out about 8 different well thought of and promising english/balkan blends in sort of my own private smoke off.

Beck's Ol Limey Bastard jumped out to an early lead, and Balkan Supreme is pretty good stuff too. Engine 99 is very very solid and certainly right up there.

Then I ordered some of this sort of on a whim. I happened to see the reviews of it from an advanced search of this forum and it sounded worth a shot.

Indeed it was. I'm not yet declaring the race over but Lancer's Slices is leading right now, by quite a margin. And I'm starting to ignore the others.

DK said it might be the best tasting English Blend he's smoked and I agree. It's very "reliable". Smokes the same every time. Doesn't bite and hits the sweet spot for me in what I'm looking for in an English blend. The VA and Latakia are just right. Together but still standing on their own.

I just love this stuff and would be perfectly happy to smoke only this if forced to pick one English Blend.

Personally I'm a rubber outer. But treat this however you typically treat a flake and I think you'll get good results.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tabaco (112)	2010-02-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Overall an okay smoke, ignites quickly for a slice, burns fairly well, and the slices pack quite nicely.

Is it akin to Old Ironsides . . . sort of, maybe second or third cousins. Is it akin to the celebrated Bengal Slices . . . not really. Penzance replacement . . . different solar system, you'll need a higher power telescope.

There is a nice wisp of natural Virginia sweetness that comes through and a good amount of Latakia, which I really enjoy. Often, most blends of this ilk are right up my alley, all very good stuff.

I found the pH varies quite a bit from batch to batch. During my first encounter the tongue did not agree with this blend at all, even though it combusted quite cool and my test pipe Charatan was humming along as per usual; surely old reliable would never let me down especially after a thorough cleaning.

I can somewhat recommend this blend; however, it's not memorable rather mediocre and tends to bite. There are many others which I'd pack before I reached for this again.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-01-22		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

My interest in Lancer's Slices was peeked by what I had read on various forums.

My shipment arrived yesterday in the mail – I hurried home to investigate and taste. The aroma from the open mylar bag was divine – smokey, sweet latakia! The cut is in log slices, the color is very dark.

For my first taste, I decided to charge a small clay pipe that I use for tasting purposes. The taste was mild and very much filled with latakia. The sweetness of the Virginias came through very nicely. Later on in the evening, while watching TV, I decided that another bowl was in order. Out came a Nanna Ivarsson designed Stanwell and the bowl was filled and lit. As difficult as it may have been to make a decision, I believe that the Lancer's Slices in the Stannie came out on top of the hockey game.

The tobacco burned clean and dry leaving a grey ash. Very few re-lights were required. This wonderful mixture is recommended for those who like latakia and mild, sweet Virginias. I would suggest that it is an all day smoke. As with most Latakia blends, the room note leaves something to be desired however, the Virginias mask a lot of the pungency.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tripjoker (65)	2009-11-22		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Update 12-24-10

Ok...my initial review was a bit harsh. Maybe I was smoking some Va. at the time and just didn't appreciate this blend. I have since revisited it and am far more impressed. It still isn't a four star, but will qualify IMHO as a strong two or a weak three. I will give it the three in recognition of my earlier savaging...lol

I had high hopes for this as I was a fan of the long gone Old Iron Sides. But as with most people who are looking fo replacements to their favorite blends, I was let down in a big way.

As a fan of latakia, I was prepared for the strong smokey essence of that leaf. This however carried with it the flavor of a casing that is not definable or pleasant. It coats the mouth and assaults the senses in a way that I found most objectionable.

Burn qualities are good. That is the best I can say for this blend. The four ounces that I have remaining in the cellar will probably be there when I pass on. Maybe by then someone will want to smoke it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	constantsmoker (65)	2009-04-11		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

For those of you bemoaning the disappearance of Old Ironsides, here is a blend for you. Truly marvelous, slightly sweet and smokey taste. Right up there with Penzance, IMHO. Treat yourself to this one...you won't be disappointed.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-03-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This has absolutely no bite in it. I smoked it with greedy fervor when I lit the bowl... i was drawn by the sweet/smokey flavor to puffing with haste. I controlled myself and enjoyed the tobacco, but was left shocked my mouth felt no burn whatsoever. This is amazing! Smells almost like an extremely gentle topping of vanilla, could just be the baccy though. Lights and smokes perfectly- maybe the best burning tobacco I have ever encountered. What a blend!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Read what the others that favored these delicious shreds of heaven said below. Smokey, rich, luscious and yummy! On my list of regulars and in no risk of being displaced.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2009-02-05		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Virginia with Latakia top flavored with fair amount of licorice, Wonderful smoke, the licorice casing reminds me the flavor of Mac baren Mixture.

This is my TOP favorite Va/Latakia blend, absolutely fantastic smoke!.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fife&Drum (34)	2008-10-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

Well I gotta say this is a very good English blend. I will rank it with my usuals, Margate, & Penzance. Of course, it's less expensive than Penzance, so it's a great alternative when cash runs low. Lancer's Slices came to me buy a good Latakia loving friend in coarse flake form, semi rubbed out. It is dark brown with some lighter tobacco dispersed evenly throughout(Virginia). I rub it a tad further for easier loading and lighting. The flavor is full with some spiciness that I really enjoy. The Latakia element is dominant but the Virginias hold their own admirably, melding into cohesive pleasure. Very nice indeed. At times during the smoke I seem to think there's a bit of Perique thrown in the mix. Hard to tell, but I tend to think that spicy note is the Perique, or even the quality Latakia. Anyhoo, I like it.

Peace, F&D

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-03-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I know I give almost everything I review 3 or 4 stars, but I usually like what I smoke. I like Lancer's Slices.

It doesn't claim to be a "complex English with delicate arpeggios, ephemeral in gustatory countenance yet ever so nuanced with the unyielding plenary perspicacity of the blender."

No sir, this is just Latakia and Virginia I'm told. Mostly Latakia to my gustatory muscle. But it's really nice to have around when the urge for a campfire in the mouth strikes me. Yes indeed this is a Latakia festival.

The flakes I get are broken, just the right moisture level and light and smoke great without my usual rub out. It can bite just a little and I haven't made too many friends smoking this at work. But if you like smoke in big doses, this is a good one.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-03-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

This bulk blend is a dark, nearly black, broken flake of latakia and virginias, wonderfully pungent in the bag, rich with the same manly virtues one finds in campfires, barbecue, and jerky. I usually rub it out a bit before packing. Deeply smoky, darkly sweet -- it's not busy with orientals or other components, but is extraordinarily satisfying. Once I get it lit, it burns very well.

While the smoke itself is silky smooth, you should expect to taste the latakia for a while afterwards. And this isn't one you're going to go to when looking for an inoffensive room note for the easily queasy. But as a red-meat smoke for a latakia-loving smoker, this has become one of my very favorites.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Irishlefty (22)	2008-01-28		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

What a pleasant surprise! Great smokey flavor without any trace of bite.

An interesting dark tobacco, Lancer packs easy, lights easy, stays lit pretty well and smokes extremely smooth.

I lit my first bowl - in a Fairmorn Pipe - that is only fair and was impressed from first puff to last. According to my room mate, the room aroma is 'no stinkier then my cigarettes', for whatever that is worth.

This doesn't have the zippity do dah of most English/Balkan blends, it is instead a cool, smooth, earth/smoke experience. Won't be for everyone but I'll keep it around especially for those times when several bowls of harsher blends have left my mouth feeling abused - a nice smooth smoke would be perfect towards the end of the day.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-12-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

My Highly Recommended rating is for Virginia/latakia smokers only since that was all I detected in this tobacco. AH, but what a VA/LA blend! It's smoky, woodsy, down to earth taste is hard to beat without adding some orientals but then, it wouldn't be Lancer's Slices, would it? Folks that like a medium to full English may also like this, Aromatic smokers should stay away, far away. It won't win many Significant Other awards but this blend represents a fine value for a fine smoke. Charles Fairmorn hit a home run with this one. Finally, give it about three to six months shut away in a mason jar and most of the edge come off, there is even more of a marriage between the tobaccos and it tastes even better.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-08-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

*Update Consistency is worthy of a note. This tobacco is very consistent. My latest bulk purchase had a little more age on it than previous purchases and must say it had already settled down. The high quality of the components is evident at once not only by taste but in the way the long wide slices appear. Years after my first acquaintance with this tobacco it still holds a vital position in my rotation. It ages very very well. The latakia is the highest quality Cyprian, which is considerably different than the general market blending condiment. The tobacco that comes closest to this in my opinion is Sam Gawith Balkan flake - although the VA in Lancer's is sweet and natural, as opposed to the SG Lakeland style which can often seem slightly bitter in a blend.

**Update: This tobacco remains a favorite in my rotation. I have changed only one aspect in the review, that is moving the Room Note descriptor from Pleasant to Tolerable, based on my cohabitants declarations. (Personally, I'm addicted to the aroma but I also singularly enjoy anchovies, fine Stilton and the entrails of various species.) The taste, however is in a rare class of sweet mature VA and smoky-creamy Latakia. I can't share some fellow reviewer's comparisons to other blends that have many other Orientals - such as Penzance. While they may have a similarity inasmuch as they both have Latakia - the comparisons are much like saying Lamb is just like Beef.

11/20/2005 Review This is a difficult review to write because this tobacco was exactly what I hoped it would be, so I'll start by saying that I love this stuff.

It is a very smoky latakia blend but totally creamy. The mature and non-tangy VA is very subdued but clearly apparent and sets a nice background to the Latakia. This is interesting without being complex. It starts out with creamy cool Latakia, but not acrid in the rooom note. It also doesn't hang. I can only imagine that the maturing process of this tobacco has been nailed. The VA's in the background are also missing the sweet sour tang, and more like a hint of VA sweetness.

The top half of the bowl is dominated by Latakia and then it backs down considerably and the cool dark viginia plays a duet but in the dark stoved VA manner. The is an incredibly cool smoke without a bite in the bowl.

My bulk order came in long slices that I have recannistered. The first whiff is an incredible Latakia smokiness. You can actually smell the complexity of the smoking curing process. Once the initial pop has subsided, the smell is incredible, inviting, again very subdued sweetness with the smokiness in the foreground but almost an addictive pouch aroma. I have smoked it as flake and partially rubbed out and fully rubbed out. My preference is fully rubbed out since the VA's seem to be more assertive when rubbed out.

It has mellow enough to be an all-day smoke without being boring. You must have a great love of creamy smooth cool Latakia to enjoy this since it is the headliner of this show. 4 of 4 stars without question.

Cheers, VC

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-06-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

What a find!

Upon opening the bag, I was greeted by the all too familiar musty smell of a heavy latakia blend. Surprise, surprise. This is not a blend that overwhelms the smoker with latakia, and while the latakia is pronounced, the virginia's do shine through.

Packing is remarkably easy although one needs to be careful of packing too tightly as a fresh package can be quite moist.

I wish I could compare Lancer's to the old Bengal Slices, but my only familiarity with that blend is one pipefull some forty years ago and memory does not serve me well. On the other hand, comparisons abound with Penzance and some of the G L Pease latakia blends, past and present. All are creamy, wonderfully flavorful and of the highest quality. The one obvious difference is that Lancer's does not seem to have the complexity of the others. Then too, one does not always seek complexity.

I'm not about to remove Penzance and Pease from my rotation, but Lancer's will take a place therein.

At about one half the price of Penzance and one third the price of Pease's blends, Lancer's has to provide the biggest bank for the buck.

Unless you smoke only aromatic's (heaven forbid!) you Must give Lancer's a try!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-03-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

03/17/2007 WOW!!!! Others have given this blend good reviews, and they did well in their descriptions, but words do not do justice to Charles Fairmorn's Lancer's Slices. Of all the latakia blends I smoke regularly, Samuel Gawith's Balkan Flake is my favorite. but Lancer's Slices could quickly become the #1 blend in my tobacco rotation. I ordered a 500 gram bag based on the previous reviews of this blend, and I will be ordering 3 or 4 more bags soon. I am very curious to see how this blend responds to aging. After about 10 minutes or drying time, Lancer's Slices loaded easily in my pipe. A charring light, an easy tamp, and a second match, along with an occasional tamp, were all that was needed for the entire bowl. No gurgle, no tongue bite, just very good flavor. A bit milder than Balkan Flake, this blend is well orchestrated. The Virginias were sweet, the latakia smoky and peppery. All in all, a very pleasant experience.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Satc001 (67)	2007-01-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I was excited to have a chance to try this tobacco that I had heard so many good things about and it did not disappoint. My sample came in a sort of broken, unorganized flake. The pouch aroma is heavenly. I am a particuarly big fan of the straight VA-Latakia blends like this. It does need to be allowed to dry out a bit, but after ten minutes or so it is ready to smoke. The rubbery particles take a litte bit of work to be well lit, but once ignited this provides the smoker with a lovely experience. It starts off semi-sweet, kind of like dark chocolate with a rich smokiness in the background. As it progresses it becomes smokier and one is greated with notes of pepper which rounds this tobacco off with a bit of spiciness. The wonderful thing about this tobacco is that it is very rich without over powering ones palate. This is very reminiscent of Esoterica's Penzance, only a bit sweeter and not quite as full bodied. Overall this tobacco is on pace to be a favorite of mine, there will be more Lancer's Slices in my future. Highly recommended!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-03-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love this stuff. I smoke 98% latakia blends and 2 % Virginia Flakes. It is generally listed that only pressed virginia + latakia is in this blend. And for such simplicity, it is rich, smokey, creamy and intersesting enough to simulate complexity. Where a straight virginia, like SG Full Viginia Flake, which can bite if not sipped slowly, this blend never gets aggressive on the tongue. It smokes from top to bottom leaving a clean, white ash. It really reminds me of Penzance with less complexity and more body. One question I have is how names like Charles Fairmorn and Robert McConnell are German tobaccos? Are they actually English companies or just "English" names used by the German producers? Anyway, I recommend this tobacco highly.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-02-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I love this tobacco. It?s my ?I?m putting on flannel and jeans and huntin? grizzer bear? feel smoke.

A perfect marriage of Latakia and Virginia?s, the tobacco is rich and beautiful shade of dark umber. Tin nose is of vibrant Latakia: slightly peppery with the smoky overtones of a Korean BBQ on a winter?s eve.

Lancer?s is served in long, somewhat moist slices. I?ve always enjoyed the ritual of preparing a bowl of pleasure. With Lancer?s, I rub out the tobac and tear the slices into lazy thirds, enjoying the rich earthy colour and woodsy aroma of this tobacco. Amazingly, the aroma that arises during this process with Lancer?s Slices wakes up the salivary glands as I prepare for my journey into a piper?s paradise.

Lancer?s takes fairly well to the match. About two lights and an easy tamp and it?s off.

By nature, I tend to sip my pipes, relishing (or more likely searching) for layers of flavour. With Lancer?s sips are lovely things indeed. So are two handed, hedonistic gulps for that matter!

Regardless of how Lancer?s is smoked, there is no bite. A hot bowl does little damage to the flavour?no medicinal overtones from over-cooked VA, there are no crackling forest fires with kim-chee chasers. Nope. Just warm fingers.

Slowing down of course brings out the bells and whistles of this fine tobacco. The smoke is creamy and copious, the room-note rustic and inquisitive. There are no ugly aftertastes or peculiar mouth-feel. Lancer?s is the perfect blend for my finicky personal chemistry.

There are numerous flavours laying in wait as this is consummed. As the latakia gives way, the sweetness of the VA's slip around the tongue. At times, especially in the final furlong, I experience hints of wine infused chocolates, while the next sip may bring out oaken casks and berries followed by whispers of distant campfires. There's a lot hidden within this simple mixture. Like life itself, much can be found if you take the time to find it.

I highly recommend Lancer?s Slices to traditionalists and British fancier?s who want a simpler blend (but ever so rewarding nonetheless). Also recommended for the aromatic smoker who want?s to try something different and is willing to experiment a bit.

Try an ounce. If you don?t care for it, you can always send it to me!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-18		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The description states this is reminiscent of Bengal Slices. I have to say that I never smoked the original. But, if it exhibited the wonderful attributes of this avatar, I could understand the tears of many who witnessed the denouement of the old Bengal Slices.

Lancer?s conveys an amazing balance between the sweet and nutty Virginia and smoky wood-like overtones of Latakia. The taste is a leather and toasted nut harmony that smokes the whole way through without bite and ends with predominate white ash.

Fans of Latakia should find this is a tobacco well worth placing into rotation. An amazing treat that is best when left to dry a few days. Congratulation Charles Fairmorn, well done.

AGA

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Great late evening smoke, after a meal, or with a single malt scotch,

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-08-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This may be the best Virginia-Latakia blend on the market, for sure it's the best as far as burning qualities. It is presented in a broken flake format, you can smoke it as it is or rub it out some more; it will burn slow and even, with a rare to find freshness and no bite or moist at all. The colour is very dark. From the beginning of the bowl you can taste the strong latakia presence, but the Virginia is not just a background at all: the two tobaccos' wedding is an ode to smoothness and perfect balance. Maybe it's too smoky and flavourful to be an all-day smoke, but it's really easy and somewhat refreshing, one of the rare times when I don't feel the need of a good amount of orientals to add deepness.

2 people found this review helpful.