Tobaccos Ashton - Smooth Sailing

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2015-02-12		Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

I absolutely love the taste of Maple or Caramel in the aromatic blends I smoke. One of my favorites is Peterson's Sweet Killarney, which has Caramel, but I can barely taste it. The Maple flavoring in Ashton's Smooth Sailing came through like a champ. In fact, it was a little over the top for me. I almost reached for a pancake instead of my tamper on a couple of occasions while smoking this one. If you puff very slowly and let the smoke out of your sniffer, you can even taste a hint of chocolate. Overall, it was not my favorite in the Ashton aromatic line, but my wife did say she liked the room note and the lingering smell on my mustache. I may just go to bed tonight after slathering some Maple Syrup on my mustache!

Pipestud

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2014-10-25		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ashton - Smooth Sailing.

This gives a good un-lit aroma: very sweet with a nice coconut addition. The first negative for this blend is the ribbon cut, it's not what I would say is even in its sizing of pieces! The mix contains a decent amount of large/chunky Virginia ribbons, that isn't a problem, I just see it as giving aesthetic quality but the problem for me lies with the large twigs in there, a fair few of them so it requires me to spend time picking them out prior to smoking which I find a little inconvenient as if I want to spend time with prep' then I would smoke a flake or plug, I partly pick a mixture for the ease of it! On to problem two: the water content. FAR too moist, it's really imperative to allow some time to let this air, I can feel the dampness with my finger tips!

After a decent airing period I fill up my Meer' and begin. Straight away I ascertain that this is a mild aro'. It says that there are a lot of additives in it but from start to finish the coconut takes the No 1 slot. The next in line is the maple addition: a pleasing sweetness that doesn't dissipate any as the bowl burns down. Inhalation is easy and the nicotine level is the consummate "medium" amount so if you like Lady N then a few inhaled puffs will slake your desire. It doesn't leave a massive ghost, more of a "slight apparition" so if I had taken to this (which I haven't) I would dedicate a pipe to it. I can't say this tastes horrible because it doesn't but tobacco tastes are subjective and the only word I can use to describe my feelings toward this blend is Indifferent.

Two stars.

Pipe Used: Altinok Lee Van Cleef

Age When Smoked: New with a few hours to air

Purchased From: G.Q Tobaccos

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2013-09-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

This tobacco is made with very light, lemon Virginia, Golden Virginia and Cavendish. I noted in this tobacco, only the Black Chocolate and Maple, but not the Coconut flavour. It have some Maple flavour in the tin, but their smoke have much more taste than flavour. Is a good and impressive tobacco, but too charged in Nicotine for an Aromatic.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-01-07		Very Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Better get your asbestos tongue condom out. Don't worry, there's not much flavor to taste here anyway.

Well, at least it does smell nice. It seems to be good quality leaf and it didn't gunk up my pipe.

This blend would be totally forgettable if it hadn't caused me to spend a day or two nursing my poor tongue back to form every time I smoked it. I can't recommend it to anyone.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Guillaume (15)	2014-12-22		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Not a bad tobacco at all. But it has first seemed very common to me. So common that I have put the tin in a drawer for some months after having smoked only a few pipes of it.

However, when I reopened the tin, this tobacco surprised me (in a good sense) with its discrete chocolate flavour. I have then spent some nice moments smoking it.

Nevertheless, this animal bites the tongue whenever you try to puff too quickly. This is why I would recommend it for long and lonely smokes, when nothing urges.

Pipe Used: Peterson "Tankard"

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Similar Blends: Borkum Riff "11° North" limited edition (Trinidad Rum), and Cruise Line (however, both of them are better than this one, IMHO).

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-06-18		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoked this as a beginning smoker in an English briar Estate. Thought the fire company was going to have to be called to put out a mouth fire. I could not detect the flavors others have mentioned, all I could get was heat. The only good thing I can say is the aroma was OK. I was lucky someone just let me try a bowl and I didn't have to buy a tin. Will leave this for the more hard-core smokers, can't recommend this one.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-06-18		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

EDIT - 17 July. I'm just totally retracting my original review in disgust, because I've now had altogether too much experience with this blend. Bear in mind now that this is coming from a guy who likes aromatics.

You see, I cannot get this stuff to not bite. Doesn't matter what size bowl, how careful I am with cadence or draw, packing it, lighting it, or drying it. The worst part is that it slow-roasts me to where I don't even realize just how bad it lit me up until the next morning. No matter how good it tastes or smells, this just ain't worth it. Not only will I never touch Smooth Sailing again, but anything Ashton is now totally off the table for me. What do you think of that, Ashton? Not recommended unless you have a masochistic bent.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-01-28		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This was one of the first Aromatics, in fact first tobaccos that I ever tried, it still remains one of my favorite aros. This blend smells wonderful out of the tin, with aromas of chocolate, vanilla and raisins. It has a pleasant taste, for some reason I was able to taste this one fairly well even after I moved on from aromatics to mostly smoking english and later virginias. The room note of this blend is also nice although not quite as great as you would expect from the tin aroma. This one is a solid american style aromatic, yet not to wet or goopy as others tend to be at times. I enjoyed this one enough to smoke through two tins which as one who mostly enjoys variety is more than I can say for most blends that I've smoked!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain Casual (21)	2019-09-24		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Ah, Smooth Sailing. My favourite of the Ashton aromatics.

Comes out of the tin at near perfect moisture, being only ever-so-slightly on the moist side of things. The tin note is lovely and inviting, with plenty of chocolate and coconut.

Once in the bowl, it takes a light with no issue, and after a bit, it'll unleash it's flavours on you. It's a very nice, chocolate-y and nutty sort of flavour. Provided you smoke slowly and with enough care, you also get a nice background flavour of coconut, with something akin to vanilla (Cavendish?) supporting it, as well. Though those flavours are quickly lost if you get carried away.

Speaking of which, you'll want to sip this one carefully. It can get hot, and while it doesn't get harsh as such, it does lose flavour quite quickly if smoked too fast. Not to mention that it'll punish you with tongue bite as well.

Overall though, this is one of the better aromatics out there. If you're looking for tobacco flavour, this barely has any, but the rather nice topping carries it. Bonus points for the fact that it doesn't taste artificial like some.

Pipe Used: Various briars, preferably a Stanwell 207

Purchased From: Cigarworld.de

Similar Blends: Robert McConnell - Cruise Line Original.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Full English (31)	2009-12-01		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This tobacco has the best tin aroma I've ever come across - a complex blend of sweetened nuts, buttery maple and chocolate, with a modest coconut undertone. It really is something special; complemented by a visually arresting, colourful mix of lighter and darker tobaccos. The presentation is extremely nice, too, what with the inner paper being made to concertina itself around the tobacco, akin to a quality French cheese.

Here in the UK, it's price is upwards of £10, which puts it firmly into the pricier bracket for pre-packed weed. With their fancifully wrapped and golden, embossed tinned produce, Ashton-Taylor would appear to want to be seen as a serious choice for the discerning pipesman, and my first impressions were exceedingly appreciative of their efforts. Moreover, I don't actually find this an incredibly heavily cased tobacco, compared with many stock Cavendishes. The casing, whilst evident upon the fingers, isn't so rich as to destroy the natural flavour and the tobacco feels and looks light and generally airy - somewhat like a Dutch ribbon.

The first puff was a little anticlimactic and flat, and it undoubtedly burns quickly - and with a ferocious heat. It can quite easily become a devil in disguise, and if not tamed, you'll get a walloping dose of tongue bite. One would be best to take heed of those wise men on here who insist on smoking it S-L-O-W-L-Y and patiently. If this is done, then what could easily be cast off as a rough and insipid tobacco becomes deliciously mellow. Indeed, now you'll stand to appreciate the depth of flavour and that chocolatey maple caramel that you were initially promised on the tin. Likewise, the room note is light and sweet. I lit up in the presence of my mother and she immediately bee-lined for the tin, because she liked it's smell. The general consensus from the women of the house was chocolate.

All said and done, this is a really well made aromatic that will unfold its secrets with a little time, patience, and the art of subtlety.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeDragon (44)	2019-03-27		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

While recently I've grown to like and mostly smoke non-aromatics or English blends, I haven't forgotten my aromatic smoking days and I'm searching for a good quality aromatic that I can enjoy smoking from time to time and become a companion to the excellent W.O. Larsen Signature. Smooth Sailing was the next in line.

It's pretty much a Danish-style aromatic blend. The smell of the unlit tobacco is very pronounced and has a sweet smell of maple, chocolate and a tiny hint of coconut, though I can barely detect it. In fact, the smell of the unlit tobacco kinda reminds me of Captain Black Regular in a way.

Mechanically, this tobacco was pretty difficult to work with. I left the tobacco to dry for about 30 minutes on the towel and, once the time had come to fill the pipe, it was more on the dry than on the moist side. However, it still tended to burn hot, give a pretty harsh tongue bite and require many relights. That's not good. In fact, the relights get the biggest downvote from me. This tobacco was a real pain to keep lit. I can say that it didn't gurgle, so at least that something.

As far as the actual smoke is concerned, this is a pretty sweet, mellow blend that is unpretentious. I mostly feel maple syrup in the flavor, with a tint of chocolate and some alcohol/rum taste. I can't detect any of the coconut. The casing is not particularly strong and you can still feel a slight taste of tobacco there, though not a lot and it's mild. It's pretty much as the title suggests: smooth.

Really, this is not something out of the ordinary and I believe that if you are an occasional pipe smoker or mostly an aromatic lover, I think you'd like it okay. It's not really bad, but not unlike many other aromatics (Danish style) that I've smoked in the past and that's not enough to impress me and actually recommend it. For me, the search continues. Will I finish the tin? Yes. Will I buy it again? Probably not.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Tandem 202

Age When Smoked: 1 week

Purchased From: Tobacco store

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2018-11-13		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was afraid this aromatic would be dripping with sticky stuff, since the description listed a ton of flavors (maple, chocolate, caramel, coconut, etc.), but was pleasantly surprised with a fairly gentle tin aroma. In fact, any sharp flavor notes began to evaporate days after opening the tin, leaving a mild sweetness and hints of chocolate, coconut behind. As for any maple flavor, I couldn't find it. For that I would stick with McClelland's Town Topic.

I found the smell of dark chocolate Mounds Bar to be quite pleasant. The mix of dark brown ribbon and light tan fruit pebble shaped flakes, had a good moisture content, and I was excited to dig in.

At first things were going well and I enjoyed the closest thing to real coconut flavor in a tobacco. Then trouble began. There was a wonky air flow, some relights, spittle in the bowl, and a sharp tongue bite developed (though all of this could be from user error).

This was my first and last attempt using an Ashton product. My initial gut reaction was to give it 2 stars for the unique flavor, but as I got to the end of the tin, the flavor just left and everything turned bland, gross, and felt cheap.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wolf Puffer (1)	2018-10-17		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

When I opened the tin, I got a bit of a smoky smell in front of the other smells. My nose made me think it wasn't going to taste as mild as the discription of flavors. I hate it when my nose is right. I'm used to aromatics like Cult Blood Red Moon, and Sutliff Chocolate Mousse. To me this seemed like a non-aromatic, which I do like on occasion. I could tell by the hit on my tongue, I was going to have to draw slower then I normally would. It seemed to burn fast. Before not too long, I was down to ash at the bottom of the bowl. I can't say is was the sailing I thought it was going to be, but it wasn't all that bad either.

Pipe Used: Mr. Brog Royal Duke (rusticated)

Age When Smoked: Fresh out of the unopened tin.

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

Similar Blends: In my opinion, similar to, but heavier than, Carter Hall or Half and Half..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pencils (58)	2017-11-16		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

I am rarely able to distinguish the flavours many identify in aromatic blends. Like good whisky or quality coffee beans, I know what tastes good, but I sometimes fail to tease out the apricots from the mangoes and the pine from the oak. Smooth Sailing is an exception - even when unlit, the chocolate and coconut is unmistakable. When flame is applied, I have always been rewarded with a pleasurable experience - the melded components deliver lots of smooth, non-bitey smoke that qualifies as a dessert smoke. It is sweet and genuinely simple - no frills and uncomplicated. It sounds critical to suggest monochromatic, but it isn't at all, because the lack of complexity speaks to consistency and quality.

Cool burn, little leftovers, long finish. Again, cellaring hard on this.

Pipe Used: Several

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Alhaji (33)	2015-09-10		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

Starting from the tin note, this blend did absolutely nothing for me. The tin states that "...this aromatic mixture is slightly nutty, boasting flavors of maple, coconut and dark chocolate. None of these flavours manifested when I opened the tin. Indeed there was virtually no aroma at all. Nor was there anything aromatic about the smoke in terms of the room note. What I got and tasted during the smoke was a bland, characterless mixture that just burned along without any doze of 'nuttiness' nor coconut nor dark chocolate. If I thought the 'fault' was with the first pipe I used, a Falcon Coolway, the second smoke in a Butz Choquin A Metz Origine yielded the same drab result. Let me end on a positive note: at no time did I get 'tongue bitten'. And perhaps it will taste better with age or when mixed and smoked with other aromatic blends.

Pipe Used: Falcon Coolway and Butz Choquin A Metz Origine

Age When Smoked: Purchased in July 2015

Purchased From: A Pipe & Tobacco Shop in Berlin, Germany

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cultured Explorer (8)	2015-05-27		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I don't smoke very many aromatics. I suppose that that could be one reason why I find them so easy to review. This one, however, is my favorite so far. It says to you "Caribbean" from the first light. My favorite time and place to smoke it would be from a hammock on a breezy summer day. And if you're a fan of Cavendish, there is plenty here for you. It seemed a bit dry from the tin, perhaps, but is really just right for it to burn as any pipe tobacco should.

Also, some (including Mr. Pease) suggest that aromatics can lose some flavor over time. Perhaps it has a little, but, if so, only to an unnoticeable extent after having been kept in a Mason jar (not heated for a seal) for over a year now.

Pipe Used: Briars and MM Cobs with any filters left out.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2012-01-05		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

In terms of aromatics this really is not a bad blend. When I review aromatics I always compare them to other tobaccos of the same ilk. To compare this to nightcap is just plain apples to oranges.

As far as aromatics go this is a pretty nice blend. The tobacco is not extremely sodden, there really is not a lot of relights needed, there is no cess pool in the heel of your pipe on the completion, and it seems to be quality leaf.

The flavor is what you would expect of most aromatic tobaccos, it is OK but nowhere near the beautiful and inviting smells the leaf teases your senses with. Its sweet but Ill be damned if I can pick up the "coconut" that the tin advertises. Could be my inferior palate.

At the end of the day you could do a lot worse by an aromatic, and there is something very noble about this blend, as if it is in a different league than the soggy bulk blends sitting on most strip mall tobacconists shelf's. Worth a shot but not a smoke that will cause me to crave more.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-11-18		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The cut is definetly not broken flake - broad cut ribbon - yes. I am not a devotee of aromatics, but ocassionally like a flurry. I was not impressed and the combination of flavors was simply overpowering. A light casing or top note is one thing - this is something way over the top. It burned very quickly, but the ribbon cut did keep the smoke relatively cool. The melange of flavour additives didn't produce a stickey residue, which was surprising; however, while the flavours combined well together and were complimentary - there was absolutely no tobacco flavour whatsoever. The cut and flavour reminded me of Fox's 'Aromatic' (produced by K & K).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-10-30		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

A pleasure to submit the first review of this little gem. It is a lovely high quality aromatic without a hint of soapyness or cheap casing. It burns HOT, at first I thought it was going to be a problem but then I viewed it as a chance to perfect my technique and it really paid off. So long as you can smoke this at the slowest possible rate (like slow enough to win the world's slowest smoker competition) then you will be rewarded with the mysterious and rich layers of velvety notes as suggested on the tin. The cavendish seems to work well with everything, the flake is a pleasing cut and as with many similar tobaccos, it probably benefits from a little drying out to get the best performance. Smooth Sailing burns surprisingly well, it's possible to finish the pipe from one or two lights and it doesn't smoke as wet as you might imagine. I'll certainly keep this one on the A list.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bbmd (4)	2021-09-24		Very Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

This blend seems to be very divise, people either love it or hate it and I think I know why.

This, to me, is truly "aromatic" in the dictionary sense of the word; meaning it's all in the aroma.

However I do not mean the flavors only exist in the tin note or room note. I experience most of the described flavor notes throughout the entire bowl as I smoke but not so much as a taste in my mouth but rather an ethereal olfactory sense experience. I continue to smell and "taste" the flavors in my nose through the entire smoke but the actual taste in my mouth is extremely, exceptionally mild... like an incredibly smooth ocean breeze.

It's an all together entirely different tobacco smoking experience for me. I've never had another blend where I continue to get the tin/room note myself while I'm smoking it. It's pretty common that pipe smokers can't really smell their own pipe, but you can with this. Yet, at the same time, the taste on the tongue/ in the mouth is so light and airy there is almost 0 aftertaste and when you're finished it might even seem like you haven't smoked anything. Even the tobacco flavor itself is extremely light and mild.

So the Smooth Sailing experience is almost the reverse of what most would expect from a tobacco, especially one with such a strong wonderful tin note. And for this reason I think this is why it has received such high and such low reviews.

However, once you settle into the experience that is Smooth Sailing, it is very very enjoyable. Light and airy, would not overpower any beverage you might be drinking at the time, and it was very well behaved throughout the bowl. It's about as smooth and refreshing as I think a bowl of tobacco can be. If you're looking for big, loud, flavors and sweet, deep taste then this probably isn't going to do it for you. But if you want ultra-easy, smooth and light with some wonderful scents and olfactory experiences then dive right in.

Pipe Used: Ropp Vintage Bulldog

Age When Smoked: Brand new?

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-05-29		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I love the water, I always have. From getting swim in the Mediterranean Sea as a child, to living in Michigan surrounded by the great lakes for most of my life. The feeling of getting on the water in any sized boat, and floating as the waves gently jostle the boat is addictive to me.

The tin is attractive, with a nice picture of a sailboat. Opening up I found a nice multi-colored ribbon, with a few stems. The cut was mostly even. The tin note smells of chocolate, and coconut with a tiny bit of the Maple shining through. It reminds me of chocolate covered coconut clusters. It came a little wet so some dry time did help.

It lights pretty well, and I can taste the chocolate and coconut right off of the bat. The taste is very creamy with a little of the Burley nuttiness coming through. I don't really get the Maple unless I puff extraordinarily slow. This does want to burn hot, so don't try and put this in a stubby if you want to keep your tongue and tastebuds whole and intact. On a random note the pipe I'm smoking today I last used for Pirate Cake, which gives my experience a slight Latakia Ghost which makes this blend even more interesting.

The taste is a mild , nothing here is going to overpower you. Like it's name implies, it is a smooth sailing blend. The strength is likewise a mild. Lady N is not interested in going out today. The room note is spectacular and you might get a few compliments. This is a nice, mild aro for when the occasion demands.

Pipe Used: Peterson Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J-P (11)	2021-03-01		Very Mild	Extra Strong	Mild	Tolerable

I should give a prefix that I tend to not enjoy aromatic tobacco.

This stuff is genuinely one of the vilest, most horrific blends I've ever had the displeasure of trying.

It was purchased for me as a gift from James Fox (with others that were better thank goodness). The jar will remain at the very furthest recess of my cupboard until I feel like I really must be punished. If I ran out of everything else maybe I'd try it again, but likely it will remain where it is until I decide to throw it away.

The tin note is simply 'sugar'. Practically identical to a (freshly bitten into) Scots 'Macaroon'. This is a kind of chocolate bar (traditional to Scotland), filled with sweet candied coconut paste (which apparently contains potato) then covered in sickly chocolate and rolled in desiccated coconut.

The smell is powerfully overbearing. It smells not unlike an old sweetshop (well stocked in the above confection).

Tastewise, I couldn't really place it. I tried sipping it, I've tried going slow. I am unable to smoke this stuff without having to rest from smoking for several days until my tongue becomes usable again.

I could not, in good conscience, recommend this to even my most hated acquaintance. It is truly godawful.

If you like Bounty chocolate bars and you want to effectively smoke one... maybe this is for you.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Christmas 1981

Age When Smoked: 3

Purchased From: James Fox, London

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2018-12-13		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I am in a Christmas mood and that means aromatic blends.my first choise for this year is Ashtons Smooth Sailing.once the tin opens a wonderful aroma consisted of coconut,rum and maple comes out.a deeper smell provides some chocolate notes.the blend is consisted of bright,brown virginias and lots of black cavendish.the tin moisture is high and some airing time is needed.packing isn't great neither lighting.several relights are needed afterwards.while smoking you instantly realize this is a typical Danish style blend.virginias are mostly fruity and citrusy.the cavendish are creamy providing lots of nuts and chocolate notes.the topping is pleasant from the beginning till the end offering coconut,rum and maple notes.generally the flavours combine well with the topping giving a nice result from the beginning till the end.burns quick and medium hot to ash with unburned tobacco.nicotine level is almost medium with a lot moisture being created at the filter.aftertaste is pleasant and the room note is very pleasant.no tongue bite present.an all day smoke.generally this is a decent blend but not something unique.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Marcio Alves (2)	2018-12-12		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I smoke cigars for 14 years, but I'm a beginner with pipes. I found the tobacco extremely aromatic, smoke sweet and soft. The beginning was very simple, pure tobacco, but it evolved, revealing very good flavors. Positives: Aroma and room note excellent. Negative points: It takes time to evolve and show off some flavors.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Alparoleofficer (10)	2014-08-05		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Strong

I tried this tobacco at the recommendation of the salesman and was told that smelt awful by my fiance. Needless to say that it will likely not be in the regular rotation at home.

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Harbor Cigars Destin, Florida

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-04-05		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I was impressed by this blend.

The Tin-note was good with hints of Chocolate and Nuts, but I have had this before and found them a banale smoke.

Not with this Tobacco. The wide cut ribbon is easy to fill but takes a bit of tamping to keep it lit. The draw was good with generaly cool smoke and a nice smooth rouded flavour though (as is so often the case)light compared to the tin-note. It has little bite and burns quite clean to the bottom. A good non pervasive room note is a further plus.

On balance a much better than average lighlty topped cavandish. A fine pleasant smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-07-01		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I absoulutley love this blend. It's a great afternoon smoke in a good pipe. The Tin scent is fantastic, you can really smell the cacao. Room note is very plesant, my wife and friends all enjoy when I smoke this blend since it smells so good.

Although it is a very mild blend I find the taste really nice and it is a no fuzz tobacco.

A sure favorite.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-06-12		Very Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

A little too light in that its like flavoured air, and I prefer a bit more oomph in a smoke, but what you get is very pleasant coconutty chocolate flavour. Certainly a good one for when you dont want full blown strength.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-06-10		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

picked up this blend after trying guilty pleasure and finding it to be okay. tried this in my new peterson irish sea and was blown away by how good it was. it tends to start off very sweet which may turn some people off but it mellows out very quickley and all in all is a plesent smoke. does not burn hot and burns down till almost nothing is left. i did have to tamp down several time to maintain the draw i like but its such a good blend i didnt mind defenately recommend this blend

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-02-08		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I really like this Aromatic. I'm not usually an aro smoker, but Ashton has a price point I like, and comes in vacuum tins which I prefer to travel with pouches can get messy in your pockets, or in the glove box of your car.

The smell from the tin is just lovely. A cocoa with hints of maple. It's a little wet, so dry it for a few minutes before packing and you'll appreciate it more. I've found cased tobaccos have very little tobacco taste unless properly dried, or unless you buy a good Peterson like the Luxury Blend.

Initial bowl shocked me with how good it is. The room note is heavily chocolate and the sweeter flavours play on your tongue. Again, if dried properly the nice Cavendish they use comes into play.

This was my first Ashton, and the others will go into my cellar as well, if they are this good.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	meerkat (64)	2010-07-02		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Really nice, sweet, tin note.

Burns well and gives faint tastes of cocoa and walnuts. Just not quite enough flavour for my taste buds but would be great for anyone who favours less robust flavours.

It's nice tobacco and I'll finish the tin, eventually. I guess I'll smoke it when I'm worn out by the stronger stuff.

To be fair to it I have to give Smooth Sailing three stars, as it is good at what it does but I don't know if I'll bother buying it again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	johnson430 (7)	2010-04-14		Very Mild	Strong	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

This tobacco smells incredible in the tin. WOW! But smooth sailing is too smooth for me and I have trouble finishing a bowl because the taste flattens out mid-way through the bowl. I can see why many have rated this highly though as it is a very smooth, mild and pleasant smoking experience but it leaves me wanting more.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Persian Slipper (30)	2010-01-12		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I found that Smooth Sailing remided me of a lighter cased Sweet Kilarney from Peterson. The same tastes are there, only Smooth Sailing is milder and doesn't bite like Sweet Kilarny. All in all, this is a good blend for an aromatic smoker. I wouldn't recomend it for an all day smoke, but it is best kept in the rotation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smokey45 (16)	2010-01-08		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The name of the tobacco is spot on! It brought to mind thoughts of sitting aboard an old wooden sailing ship amidst calm seas. This is a thoroughly relaxing, enjoyable smoke that can be enjoyed anytime of day.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-03-07		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Opening the tin produced an aroma which I can only say was delightfully sweet and somewhat fruity, but not so fruity as to overwhelm the aroma of tobacco. It is a pleasant upper middle of the road aromatic which (unless you puff hard) does not bite. I noticed a nice smell of rich cappuccino, which may be taken by others as chocolate. Either way, it was delightful with the subtle hints of vanilla. Now here's the odd part, and I experienced it only once. About half way down the pipe I got a definite taste of peppermint! This was a nice refreshing blast, but it lasted only for a few seconds. I liked it. None of these delights overwhelmed the tobacco scent or flavor.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-02-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I picked up a tin from my local smoke shop, and when I got home and tried it, it was very harsh. I had to put the pipe down. It burned my nose. I thought that I can't let a can of tobacco waste so I tried a couple of days later with a old pipe that i had lying around and surprisingly it was a more nutty and woodys flavor than the punch in the face first time.

It turned from a beast to a beauty for the taste buds.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-01-20		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A nice mellow (mild!) composition this, is easily smoked morning, day or night.

Best smoked slowly letting the smoke hang just for a second in your mouth -- you may bake your tongue otherwise.

Quite (fairly) sweet, but definately not sickly in my opinion, might leave long term pipe smokers wanting a bit more "oomph" but it is pleasant nonetheless.

I find this is a good one to start the day, possibly watching the sunrise. Sat on a great chunk of granite, on the crest of a nice, forlorn (yet beautiful) crest. (Shame I live in a town, isn't it!)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-12-09		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

this is a blend that says on the tin that it has flavors of maple, coconut, and dark chocolate. the aroma of dark chocolate and coconut are evident when the tin is first opened, but not upon lighting. Very colorful blend, that packs easy. The moisture content is minimal, and requires no drying out. The smoke is a cool dry one, but as with all aromatics, puff slowly or you'll slow-roast your tongue. This one is something that you'd think is way to sweet, or over-cased, but it definitely has a consistent tobacco taste that blends very nicely with the dark chocolate and maple-coconut topping. Burns to a nice salt and pepper ash, with no syrup or goop left in the boil. Great winter time blend, to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate. Another winner for Ashton!!!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-08-06		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Smooth Sailing is just as its name implies a real smooth blend. with a nice taste of chocolate, maple and coconut this would be a nice smoke after a good meal or in the A.M with a nice cup of coffee. the room note is mellow so if your not into a strong aromatic you will love Smooth Sailing. I like to pack my pipe 20 to 30 minutes before i smoke it allowing the tobacco to de compress some and air to get to the tobacco witch will reduce bite, improve taste and provide a cooler smoke. enjoy happy sailing :)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-07-26		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

If yoy really want tot taste chocolate, maple and coconut and I you also like a real tobacco taste try this one. Great when sipped very, very slowly. Goes together very well with a cup of good coffee. Recommended for those who think they don't like aromatics (any more).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-03-28		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

A very good and chocolatey European version of McClelland's Best of Show. If ou like that particular European aromatic agent found in most of that continent's blends this will be a nice change of pace. It is pleasant yet far too expensive for an aromatic. 3 of 4 European Aromatic Stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipePaladin (78)	2008-02-24		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am not into aros but I love this one! It has a smooth toping that awakens your palate! I have to say that the chocolate scent is not overpowering which I thing its a good thing! It burns cool and is a very relaxing smoke of high quality leaf! Sweet enough to accommodate a nice cap of black coffee! A just right aromatic for a change from my usual non-aromatic blends!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-02-16		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

When I first opened this, I found it rather dry and flavorless. there was little room note, and I tried it in two of my lesser smoked briars. After a month, I noticed little change, but out of curiosity, I dropped a button into the tin with the leftovers and left it alone for a week. I was amazed at the improvement after a little humidifying. Sweet and fragrant, easy on the toungue, and mellow. I like it in the mornings with my coffee. A good day smoker in mixed company.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-11-06		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A pleasant surprise. Cavendish and gold Virginia with vanilla taste and mild honey. It is a good quality aromatic tobacco without cheap wrappings. Initially it burns the tongue and I thought that this was a problem. However, when you smoke it calm, you realize, that doesn?t burn so much the bowl and the tongue. It needs a very good technique of calm smoking in order to enjoy the velvet taste, which is proposed by the constructor. Cavendish functions well. In order to taste better, it needs a bit of drying.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MAXYSDAD (9)	2007-05-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Take easy -take it slow -andante . andante- enjoy the smoke to flow- Or -It will bite your freaking head off ,magic to be unlocked for the pipe man whom has reached a state of (practised)calm whilst partaking of this pleasant weed .

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (561)	2023-02-02		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Tin note of maple, coconut, and sweet. Tobacco is light brown and black ribbon cut with a little dark brown mixed in. Moisture content is a little high, drying may be preferred. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is mild and nic is mild. Flavoring is mild to medium, with notes of Coconut, Cocoa and Maple. Maple lingers in the background, Cocoa dissipates about midway, and the Coconut dissipates in the first 1/4th. Taste is mild to medium and mostly consistent, with notes of toast, spices, marshmallow, sweet grass, dry wood, spicy/acidic, nuts, floral, orange peel, a brown sugar background note, and a peppery retro. Cavendish is leading with Flavoring, Burley and Virginia supporting. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is ok.

Pipe Used: 2015 XXX Ashton Brindle Author

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	atomicbuster (79)	2016-09-05		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

Didn't work for me. All those flavors listed in the description simply did not manifest at all. It's a shame because I tried other Ashton blends and enjoyed them. Oh well, 2 stars for my 2 cents.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-05-22		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I like the the flavoring combination and the tin note is suprb. But when light, this tobacco has a very mild taste. Too bad I was really looking forward to a heavier flavor. Man does this stuff bite! I tried it several different pipes including a full-bent Savanelli with a dry filter system and it still bit the hell out of my tounge.

Some reviewrs like this blend while others don't and I gues this is just one of those tobaccos that you either like or hate. I'd like this tobacco more if the tast was stronger and the smoke was cooler.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-10-25		Extremely Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

After reading reviews I picked up a tin of this from a local b&m. I wanted something smooth and tasty for the first pipe of the day. This is an extremely light tobacco. I smoke it on the front porch as the weather begins to chill and feel as though I am smoking nothing. For now this tin will go to cellar until the weather warms back up and I will revisit it then. Perhaps it will be better without the crisp morning air. If things change I will edit review accordingly. Perhaps it fares better in a warm indoor environment but this I cannot test. Have smoked 5 pipes giving it a fair chance and have come to the same conclusion each time. Too light.

I have had no problems with relights with this tobacco and it does burn all the way down to a nice ash. I have had no problems smoking it right from the tin as well with no need to air it out in order to dry it prior to smoking. The aroma is very pleasant and warm feeling.

This may be for you. It is just not for me. If you're thinking about trying it give it a shot as my taste may differ from yours. It is just much much to light of a smoke experience for my likings.

Happy smoking.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2010-10-16		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I don't have much to add to the reviews below: smells great in the tin, very mild, drying helps, a quality aro that must be smoked slowly ("andante", as MAXYSDAD so aptly says) to get the subtle sweet flavor, otherwise it'll burn hot and flat, goes great with coffee.

I find the flavor pleasant, sweet but nondescript, but overall too mild. It does have a hint of a chemical agent at the finish.

Nice, but not special enough for me to get another tin. I can certainly see how it would have its fans, though.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-05-29		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

I found this blend reminded me a lot of Peterson aromatics. Somewhat sticky coming out of the tin, very heavily cased and rather sweet. I detected a fruity note in the blend and an occasional taste of chocolate muted by what I assume is some kind of coconut flavor.

If smoked properly, it doesn't produce much of a bite. A decent smoke but nothing to make me come back for more. Once this tin is gone, I won't buy it again.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-11-03		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There seems to be some tounge bite on the charring lite but then the baccy settles down and becomes a cool, tastey smoke. The burn quality is very good and burns all the way to the bottom without any relite. I do agree with other posters that this blend should be smoked slow. By doing this, you can really taste the chocolate and the hint of nuts. I do not however taste maple or coconut. A good change of tatse blend, but not in my regular rotation.

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