Charles Fairmorn Lancer's Slices

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!

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

...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...