Ashton Consummate Gentleman

A superb English style blend. I have been quoted saying that English blends are the 'Bordeaux' of pipe tobaccos. This blend is true to that sentiment. One of my favorite mixtures for any time of the day.

Consumate Gentleman is one of the first English blends I have really enjoyed. It is a medium English that can be smoked through out the day. The smell from the tin is typical of a medium English. It packs well and needs few relights. It does take some drying out in order to get the best flavor. I usually let it dry out for a day or two or microwave it on high for 10 - 15 seconds. I am not a heavy English smoker so CG is just about right for me. I started like most pipe smokers in the aromatic tobaccos and found most of them to burn hot and over whelm you with flavor. I wanted a moderate tobacco flavor and began my search in moderate English tobaccos and CG is a part of my regular rotation. Frog Morton is also a good English, however, I buy McClelland 5110 bulk which is very simular. Here are my top five tobacco's, CG, McClelland 5110, Penzance, Davidoff's Royalty, and Sam Gawith Golden Glow (my only Virginia). Highly recommend, Enjoy! Update: While I will still keep this in my rotation, I have just tried and enjoyed Peter Stokkebye's English Oriental Supreme. It is very very good with quality tobbaco. A must try for all English smokers.

CG's A very nice high quality english slightly reminicent of the Murray's made Dunhill's #965 though with much less latakia.This could be considered an all day smoke and has a good solid flavor without being terribly over bearing.I would reccomend this blend to an aromatic smoker wishing to reform or a VA smoker who likes his latakia in short supply...

Highly Reccomended * * * * prep

I began smoking a pipe in 2005. I've mostly smoked aromatics with the occasional Virginia now and then. I've always wanted to develop my palate toward English blends, but I was never successful. The latakia was just too strong.

Then I heard about this stuff. I ordered some and just received it today. I promptly packed a bowl and lit up. Wow! Very nice. Very smooth. A subtle but definitive taste. No bite. Burns evenly. Stays lit. And just the right amount of latakia. I'm going to buy a few more tins and let them age a bit.

If you've wanted to try English blends but have been intimidated by the latakia, go for this one. It's a very good transitional smoke for people coming off the aromatic train. Don't smoke it too fast. Sip it. Let it work on you.

I shall henceforth make this blend one of my daily go-to smokes.

The nice tin appearnce and the blend name forces you to purchase a tin.once the tin opens a nice natural smell comes out.spices grasses and woodsy notes combine with some smokey notes.the blend moisture and the cut are perfect to pack and light almost without effort.while smoking the flavours are pleasant and natural.burleys and maryland tobacco are woodsy,spicy and peppery.virginias are in the backround being grassy and a little citrusy.latakias are the miinor player adding some coaly and smokey notes to make the experience more pleasant.generally the flavours combine well supporting each other into a nice and simple blendi would not consider this blend as flat but different.burns cool and somewhat fast to perfect ash without creating moisture.the room note is tolerable for an english blend but not pleasant as all english blends.nicotine level is medium without a chance of tongue bite.not an all day smoke.generally this is a decent easy going english blend that differs from the typical character of this type of blend.

I find this much less sweet than Squadron Leader, but very soft and creamy on the palate. It has the slight nuttiness of burley nicely intertwined with the campfire and old leather of latakia. I think that this one is all about balance; no single aroma predominates, but the overall effect is of a harmonious and indeed proper English. The flavor and mouth feel build consistently from light to medium throughout the bowl, always clean & dry to the very last. Great stuff in a large calabash as noted below.

Smooth English for sure. I bought a tin of this tobacco to try something new. I read the back of the tins description and was intrigued. It is a good consistent English from beginning to the end. Burn is great, not to hot and no bitter taste. The Maryland Tobacco mix, gives it a little touch of extra smoothness / different / tiny sweet flavor, that compliments and enhances the Latakia-English flavor very well. After I used up my first tin, I went back to buy a second tin.

I am a smoker of aromatics, but once in a while I like a change of pace. I have 3 pipes dedicated to blends containing Latakia or Orientals, but, alas, my stomach doesn't seem to be able to take most English blends (most of them are just too strong). So I was quite pleasantly surprised by this tobacco, which, although definitely an English blend, did not upset my stomach in the least. Finally, I have somewhere to turn when I get the craving!

Tin note: definitely English, Latakia prominent, though not overpowering

Moisture content: less than aromatics, really ready to smoke out of the tin, packs well with just the right amount of resistance to draw

Room note: spicy-smokey, typically English without being overpowering

Taste: just the right amount of zest and spice to remain interesting throughout the bowl; hard-core English smokers may find this tobacco too mild.

I would recommend this tobacco to anyone who enjoys an English blend or to those lovers of aromatics desiring to make first acquaintances with an English blend. Consummate Gentleman is a smooth smoke, though definitely not as velvety as, say, Dunhill Nightcap. It is a good all-day smoke, though I prefer it with a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

This was my first English blend I've ever tried. And I LOVED it. I'm beginning to finish the tin I purchased it in and it's almost sad. I want more. Now, this IS my only English blend I've ever had, and I've been smoking it is a cheaper pipe (I don't have any actual nice ones), so I might find I like better once I've had a few. I use the 3-pack method when packing this into my pipe. It's lights very easily and rarely goes out throughout the bowl. I've maybe had to relight it 3 times depending on how well I packed and how hard I was puffing. For the most part, it stays light very well.

The taste is gorgeous. Now I finally know why people love Latakia so much. As soon as you pop the tin open, the scent of latakia hits you square in the face. It reminded me of the smell of leather. Well, I wasnt sure how I'd like it because of the strong smell, but when I lit it up and tried it... Oh goodness. I call it my A1 tobacco. It reminds me of eating a nice hardy steak with A1 sauce. It isn't spicy, but it has that nice rustic taste to it that brings memories of a nice cookout to mind. Will definitely purchase another tin of this. Great daily smoke, not much of a vit N kick.