Wilke Pipe Tobacco Wilke No. 193

There’s a bit of team work going on here because none of the components dominate. The nutty, earthy, woody, toasty, dry burleys take the lead. The smoky, woody, earthy, lightly musty sweet Cyprian Latakia and the spicy, plumy, raisiny, earthy, woody perique play for attention in supporting roles, though the taste of the Latakia doesn’t spring out as much as expected. However, it occasionally is the second star in the firmament. The grassy, tart and tangy citrusy, bready, lightly floral Virginias are mostly a condiment. The fermented black cavendish adds a sugary sweetness to the mix, and are more obvious than the Virginias. The strength is in the center of mild to medium while the taste is a step or so past that mark. The nic-hit is a little past mild. Won’t bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a fairly consistent sweet and mildly savory flavor to the finish. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. An all day smoke. Three and a half stars out of four.

-JimInks

This is an interesting tobacco that will surely rekindle the debate as to when a blend is an aromatic and when it not. I would define this blend as a true cross-over blend (think Northwoods, Frog Morton OTT etc). I guess it could be called an English blend however I think the sweet Cavendish plays a little to dominate of a role here. It is not used in a way that would be found in Dunhill 965 but rather one of an aromatic. While Latakia is not required to define an English blend, it should be noted that the Latakia is added with such a light hand that it's barely noticeable. With all of that said, #193, like all of the other P&W tobacco's I have in my cellar is a well made blend. After a little dry time, #193 is a sweet English style blend that can be enjoyed by aromatic smokers as well as English and Virginia smokers alike. Purists may not agree. Recommended

I was really impressed when I smoked the Crystal Palace. What a great blend! I smoked repeatedly both at work and at home. However, when you smoke the same blend over and over again, you inevitably get tired of the repetition. There are so many different beautiful blends out there in this world that pipe smokers crave the wonderful aromas and flavors of these blends. It's a habit. Now, I've been looking for a Wilke blend to replace Crystal Palace. It seems similar, but not quite. A blend that is medium, not too weak in complexity, easy to smoke, and deep. That's the blend - Wilke No. 193. I was so impressed with Lizzie Blood Red Virginia the first time I smoked it that I immediately ordered 2 pounds of it, and I will definitely buy this blend by the pound as well. I can't think of a time when this blend won't be in my cellar.... The blend I've been looking for.

This is the kind of blend you might want to smoke more and more, it's so pleasant! It could easily be smoked by anyone, both latakia smokers and aromatic-heads. I'd like to taste the tobaccos behind the topping a little more maybe and if it had a stronger body it could easily become one of my favourites. Said that, it's a great mixture, especially for the first smokes in the morning when you don't want to get saturated by tons of flavour, but for me it will never become an all day smoke. Recommended.

The least interesting of P&W blends I have tried. The Perique is nice and goes well enough with the Cavendish to produce a mild, sweet smoke. But I can't taste much Latakia here and I wouldn't really describe this as especially English -- rather a Cavendishified VA/Per with some Latakia for kick and some Burley for body. I am capable of liking an aromatic VA/Per (Haddo's, for instance) and I do love a mild English (Pelican, for instance) but in this case I don't think the Cavendish adds much. That said, it's quality tobacco and like all P&W blends it couldn't bite even if you wanted it to.

Since I am able to smoke only outdoors I cannot rate the room note of this blend. After smoking about ten pipefuls of 193 I find it the best tobacco with latakia that I have ever smoked. The latakia does not overpower the other elements in this blend but adds just enough smokiness to make it interesting and tasty. I only found Pipeworks and Wilke a few weeks ago in an internet search but already my inclination is to sample all their blends (as much as my wallet will allow)to find more delicious blends for my rotation.

I am going to digress a bit from the other reviews only in that this is a mild "English" only in the sense of the moderate Latakia present (definitely there is Latakia, just not dominate- it is quality, tasty Latakia, too).

This is more medium+ in nicotine strength due to the fine and obvious Perique. In fact, if you like Perique blends, give this a try. I think there is a little less of the St. James Parish product in No. 193 than what I detect in No. 72 and more than I taste in High Hat. I'll happily keep comparing for confirmation.

A rich, cool, complex smoking mixture, No. 193 changes while burning for added interest. I taste and smell an aromatic flavoring, something akin to Lake District scenting (not soapy, nor overdone). There is just a bit of sweetness that perfectly moderates the smokiness and piquancy. This is overall delicious, delightful and social indeed.

High Hat is still my favorite of the Latakia imbued blends from P&W so far, followed very closely by Bestmake.

No.193 Delightful. opening the Pouch smells delightfully, and i smoke a bowl full a non biting mixture, Virginia and Burleys Latakia, and Perique, Black Cavendish tobacco and topped with a superior Latakia creating a traditional taste. burn cool all the way down to the bottom of the bowl, if you like Virginia and Burleys this is the tobacco for you. i love it I'am puting This in my tobacco cellar,

This Tobacco it is charming

It is hard to get bit by it unless you really puff it. traditional light strength English charming tobacco.

1.) I like it's complexity.

2.) I like that it's not biting.

3.) It is easy to smoke, and enjoy a all day smoke.

4.) The No.193 lasts and lasts. the aroma in the room is delightfully,

this is a wonderful tobacco, and i give it 4 star

Carole just re-released this with her starting line up this year. It is exactly what it promises to be, a mild American-English, with a nice room note. The Burley is smooth, the Virginia adds a bit of sweetness, and the Cavendish gives off the baking spices scent which are this blender's trademark. The Latakia is very light, adding just a hint of woodsmoke. The Perique is almost imperceptible. It adds just a twinge of spice. This blend has no bad traits as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't nip, smokes easily, and burns evenly all the way down the bowl. Mild without being bland,this is a superb blend for hot weather. It leaves my palate clean for the next pipe. If you are looking for a full, contemplative smoke, this is not it. This is more of a daily companion, good with a book or wandering about town. I had actually started working with Carole on a custom blend for warm weather. Little did I know, she had it all along!

While the Turkish leaf gives some good toasted pine nut flavor the Virginias seem a bit young and give a flavor of green grass juice. There is a pleasing creamy sweetness on the surface of things, but lurking just below are some off flavors that I assume derive from the unique fermented Cavendish used in this blend. Flavorwise, this corresponds to the whiff of weirdness I detected in the jar note, specifically a combination of Kentucky sour mash and moldy wheat bread (no actual mold found in the tobacco). This negative character does become less pronounced after about six months in the jar. Enough that I can give two stars. But after a half dozen bowls of this I decided I had better options to spend my time with. If good Turkish, so-so Virginia, and somewhat weird Cavendish sounds interesting to you, then by all means do partake.