Astley's No.55 Elizabethan
(3.10)
A pure blend of light and mild ribbon cut Virginias.
Notes: Originally blended in England.
Details
| Brand | Astley's |
| Blended By | |
| Manufactured By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.10 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 26, 2010 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
After having tried Astley's Dark Virginia Flake, I was eager to try a milder version. As it turns out, the darker version was far superior. Not too surprising for my tastes.
As others have mentioned, this is definitely not a "slightly rubbed out flake". This is a fine ribbon cut, almost a shag. Shags are temperamental when it comes to loading and they burn fast, and such was the case with this one. I had to slow down my puffing cadence to the point where I was not comfortable, and even then this one singed my tongue on a regular basis. Now, I'm not one to blame either tobacco or smoker for this phenomenon, as I believe it's simply a case of the chemical balances of smoker and tobacco being out of synch. But it severely limited my enjoyment of this blend. Further, I've never seen so many stems in a tin of tobacco, beyond St Bruno Ready Rubbed. It's cute in an OTC, but I find it annoying in a very expensive boutique blend.
Taste-wise, this is a very mild blend of golden virginias, but the flavor is subdued. I checked my notes on other blends because this reminded me of one - I think it's Esoterica Dorchester without the perique (flavor-wise). Interesting. However, this one dumbed down the flavor to the point where I asked myself why I continued when there are so many other excellent blends out there. I'm guessing this one has changed in taste since its changed blenders. Not a bad tobacco, but I was very disappointed in it after the excellence that is their Dark Virginia Flake.
As others have mentioned, this is definitely not a "slightly rubbed out flake". This is a fine ribbon cut, almost a shag. Shags are temperamental when it comes to loading and they burn fast, and such was the case with this one. I had to slow down my puffing cadence to the point where I was not comfortable, and even then this one singed my tongue on a regular basis. Now, I'm not one to blame either tobacco or smoker for this phenomenon, as I believe it's simply a case of the chemical balances of smoker and tobacco being out of synch. But it severely limited my enjoyment of this blend. Further, I've never seen so many stems in a tin of tobacco, beyond St Bruno Ready Rubbed. It's cute in an OTC, but I find it annoying in a very expensive boutique blend.
Taste-wise, this is a very mild blend of golden virginias, but the flavor is subdued. I checked my notes on other blends because this reminded me of one - I think it's Esoterica Dorchester without the perique (flavor-wise). Interesting. However, this one dumbed down the flavor to the point where I asked myself why I continued when there are so many other excellent blends out there. I'm guessing this one has changed in taste since its changed blenders. Not a bad tobacco, but I was very disappointed in it after the excellence that is their Dark Virginia Flake.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2016 | Very Mild | None Detected | Mild | Pleasant |
Astley's - No.55 Elizabethan.
The review I've just posted was on a blend that would suit beginners well: James Barber Maryland. This would also suit beginners and those who want a mild but natural taste.
The tobacco's quite light brown in colour, and the moisture's very good. The nose from the tin isn't any surprise: a perfectly simple Virginia smell. The mix contains medium sized ribbons, without the inclusion of any broken flakes or chunky bits.
The flavour from the smoke is extremely simple: grassy, hay-like, Virginia. It's nice because although it has all the common Virginia attributes, it's milder than usual for a Va: there's no sharpness nor zestiness, as can sometimes be the case. I note how a few fellow reviewers find this a bit nippy, but to be honest it causes me no harm there! Once it's lit, it burns steadily, providing it's maintained with a tamp or two.
The nicotine's quite mild for a Virginia, more so than normal, and the room-note's very pleasant.
Although it won't be added to my rotation it's good quality so I'll still recommend it:
Three stars.
The review I've just posted was on a blend that would suit beginners well: James Barber Maryland. This would also suit beginners and those who want a mild but natural taste.
The tobacco's quite light brown in colour, and the moisture's very good. The nose from the tin isn't any surprise: a perfectly simple Virginia smell. The mix contains medium sized ribbons, without the inclusion of any broken flakes or chunky bits.
The flavour from the smoke is extremely simple: grassy, hay-like, Virginia. It's nice because although it has all the common Virginia attributes, it's milder than usual for a Va: there's no sharpness nor zestiness, as can sometimes be the case. I note how a few fellow reviewers find this a bit nippy, but to be honest it causes me no harm there! Once it's lit, it burns steadily, providing it's maintained with a tamp or two.
The nicotine's quite mild for a Virginia, more so than normal, and the room-note's very pleasant.
Although it won't be added to my rotation it's good quality so I'll still recommend it:
Three stars.
Pipe Used:
Stanwell 2016
PurchasedFrom:
The Danish Pipe Shop
Age When Smoked:
8 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 03, 2017 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
A touch of honey, a fair amount of hay, a mild spice. Pretty average as far as flavor goes. Burns quick and burns hot. It's not for me, but a slow, patient smoker might get some pleasure here.
Mild to medium in body and taste. No added flavoring. Burns like tinder.
Mild to medium in body and taste. No added flavoring. Burns like tinder.
Pipe Used:
MM Little Devil Cutty, Little Devil Acorn, Marcus
PurchasedFrom:
Mars cigars and pipes
Age When Smoked:
fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 04, 2006 | Extremely Mild | None Detected | Very Mild | Unnoticeable |
Like Nojoqui noted earlier, sour plums and raisins in the tin. But very mild. Astley's manages to pack 50g into a standard 100g tin. I ran into the same problem in my bowl -- it doesn't pack very well, resulting on re-lights and a short smoke.
The taste is so mild as to be almost non-existent. If there's a saving grace to it, the room note ends up scoring fairly well, important if you have to pass a "spouse test". The upshot is that it's a weak Virginia with nowhere near the flavor I've learned to expect from golden Virginias, and, for the most part, not worth the number of matches it consumes.
Having said all that, this might be an excellent choice for someone trying to convert from cigarettes as I did 30 years ago. Inadvertent (or, presumably, inexperienced) inhalation won't leave you gagging for oxygen. It might even give you enough of a nicotine hit to try inhalation a few more times. But in the mild-Virginia arena I think I'll stay with the Orlik Golden Slices, or experiment with some of the recommended GS alternates.
The taste is so mild as to be almost non-existent. If there's a saving grace to it, the room note ends up scoring fairly well, important if you have to pass a "spouse test". The upshot is that it's a weak Virginia with nowhere near the flavor I've learned to expect from golden Virginias, and, for the most part, not worth the number of matches it consumes.
Having said all that, this might be an excellent choice for someone trying to convert from cigarettes as I did 30 years ago. Inadvertent (or, presumably, inexperienced) inhalation won't leave you gagging for oxygen. It might even give you enough of a nicotine hit to try inhalation a few more times. But in the mild-Virginia arena I think I'll stay with the Orlik Golden Slices, or experiment with some of the recommended GS alternates.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 15, 2023 | Mild | None Detected | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
My tin had five years of age on it when I opened it, and since then I’ve sampled it out of the Mason jar for another year. I get flavors of sweet grass, oat wafer, and a little bit of lemon custard. I’d rate it above MV-1000 for sure (burns cooler), maybe slightly better than GH Kendal Gold, but honestly none of these are satisfying to me as solo smokes. These ribbon/shag Virginias may appeal more to the RYO crowd, but I can’t say as I’ve never smoked cigarettes. I’ve started using the remaining amount of 55 as a blending tobacco.
This is probably more of a 2.5 star tobacco, but I can’t go to three stars as it is too simple and one-dimensional. Not a must-have tobacco, so here’s one you can cross off your TAD list!
This is probably more of a 2.5 star tobacco, but I can’t go to three stars as it is too simple and one-dimensional. Not a must-have tobacco, so here’s one you can cross off your TAD list!
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