Ashton Consummate Gentleman

This is indeed a medium bodied mixture with deep notes filtering in from time to time thanks to the sparse hits of Latakia. The Burley gives this one a somewhat unusual taste sensation for an "English type" offering.

I really liked this one. Oh, and this blend's name is spelled correctly on my tin. (-;

Delicate EU style Latakia taste is what comes to my mind, but there is nothing to which I could make an analogy, milder then Dunhill EM or 965 and somewhat sweeter. It is a tobacco to like and buy constantly.

Because I'm far from being one, Consummate Gentleman came in as a nice surprise. Firstly, because it was part of an early Christmas gift; secondly, because this is not at all a bad blend. From the onset: this blend does not aspire to be a Balkan or a Scottish mixture. It's a middle of the road English in all the extension of the term: straight Virginias, Burley, some Maryland, and a pinch of (enough) Latakia to spice things up.

It's beautifully presented in the tin. Ribbon cut, the variety of leaf covers a range of brown and reddish hues, plus the jet-black strands of the Latakia. Unlike many English and Balkan blends, this is not a pungent tobacco. Instead, upon opening the tin, one is greeted by the natural fragrance of matured Virginias, the Burley nuttiness, and a slightly sweet whiff from the Maryland leaf. The Latakia is there all right, but in a rather restrained form. The level of moisture was perfect: not too humid, not too dry, but definitely on the drier side. Easy to pack and light, it also has a nice burning rate.

If I had to compare this blend, I would say it's somewhere in between Gawith's Squadron Leader (though far less pungent, as there's less Latakia in CG and no Turkish leaf at all), and Davidoff's Royalty (both, in structure and in price). The first light yields a creamy taste, the Virginias being the most evident flavor, with the Burley smoothing things up. Tasty, lightly piquant, the Latakia hovers in the background, providing density and an incense-carbon aftertaste. The presence of the Maryland leaf is almost an anecdote. As you progress down the bowl, the flavor remains consistent, with the Latakia coming to the fore every now and then, but never overpowering the Virginias.

Absolutely tongue bite free, Consummate Gentleman is never imperious or demanding. There is no mystery, no complex interplay of flavors. Austere, tranquil, you can smoke this blend as a reading or writing companion. It's tasty and smooth enough to enjoy it regularly through out the day. Granted: I wouldn't go out my way to get hold of this blend, but if given the chance to smoke it, don't let it pass you by. For the novice, this may be a wonderful introduction to English and Latakia blends; for the established smoker, this is a quality alternative when not in the mood for a heavy Latakia tasting blend. Nice, composed, polite, but with enough punch.

Ashton- Consummate Gentlemen

I am revisiting this blend today as I recently cleared out some jars I had buried in my cabinet this Jar is dated 28Feb19. I don’t remember why I purchased this but this was early in my pipe smoking hobby. I think this was my purchased in some confusion as I’m sure I was looking for artisan blend instead.

This English blend has a sweet and smokey dynamic, the sweetness from the Va’s and what I can only surmise is also from the Maryland’s. This is an easy to pack ribbon, with no pronounced topping or flavoring added, it has the same taste profile as a SPC plum pudding.

This blend which goes for $10 dollars a tin is a great value buy, not something I will stock up on but if I get a craving I will not let this sit on the shelf again and smoke it again.

This is an excellent all day English blend. A little bit less flavor than Frog Morton (hence why just recommended). Not strong but still gives enough flavor.

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 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.

I've been smoking pipes for only 3 years. I still consider myself a newbie in this arena. I've smoked about 18 different pipes but only a handful of tobaccos. After going through the available drugstore brands, all aromatics, I decided to order something totally different online. Consumate Gentleman was my introduction to English blends and Latakia in particular (along with Balkan Sasieni and Astley's #1 Mixture, reviewed separately).

The aroma that comes from a freshly opened tin is quite strong to me, so I figured it would produce flavorful smoke. Not quite. I've smoked cigars before and the flavor of the smoke usually corresponds to the smell of the cigar. This is very light on the actual smoke flavor. I can taste it, but just barely. The room note is OK. It's got that that smoky/spicy/leathery combination. It's not overpowering. I actually find it relaxing. I haven't experienced any bitter aftertaste. It will only produce tongue bite if you puff very quickly. Otherwise, it smokes fairly cool. I recommend it. I certainly find it better than anything OTC.

My overall score for this blend is: average. But I haven't smoked too many different tobaccos, so my criteria for evaluation might be limited. I might have to come back and edit this review after a year or so of trying different blends.

I enjoyed this blend pretty well, although it was not what I consider a "great." When the tin was opened I could smell a certain sweetness in the tobacco. The pinch of Latakia is very apparent, but It did leave a slight bitter finish on my palate. It seemed moist for an English blend, so I am going to let some dry a bit next time. I did blend this with some Lane black Cavendish just for an experiment and it ended up smoking very nicely. I would say a little bit less than half of the mixture was the Cavendish. I recommend that it at least be tried, because as the saying goes, "To each his own."

Update: I am smoking the very last of this tin and it has been about two months. I must say my views on the tobacco changes a bit. Aging this tobacco helped mellow and mix the flavors to a rich but smooth and satisfying blend. I may actually have to buy some more!