Charles Fairmorn Lancer's Slices

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!