Charles Fairmorn Lancer's Slices

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

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.