Ashton Smooth Sailing
(2.57)
Pleasantly palatable and wonderfully smooth, this aromatic mixture is slightly nutty, boasting flavors of maple, coconut and dark chocolate.
Details
| Brand | Ashton |
| Blended By | |
| Manufactured By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Burley, Cavendish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Alcohol / Liquor, Cocco, Cocoa / Chocolate, Maple |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.57 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 53 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 2019 | 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.
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
PurchasedFrom:
Tobacco store
Age When Smoked:
1 week
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2021 | 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.
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
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 13, 2018 | 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.
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.
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 17, 2018 | 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)
PurchasedFrom:
4noggins.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh out of the unopened tin.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 16, 2017 | 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.
Cool burn, little leftovers, long finish. Again, cellaring hard on this.
Pipe Used:
Several
PurchasedFrom:
GQ Tobaccos
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 10, 2015 | 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
PurchasedFrom:
A Pipe & Tobacco Shop in Berlin, Germany
Age When Smoked:
Purchased in July 2015
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 2015 | 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.
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
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 05, 2012 | 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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 18, 2010 | 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).
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 30, 2006 | 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.
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