Peterson Special Reserve 2006

I don't like aromatics. I do like this tobacco. It burns really well, and the flavor is interesting, lots of high citrus notes. I don't get any chemical flavors at all. Very dry at the bottom of the pipe. I am tempted to buy some, which for me is high praise for an aromatic. I think it's the first time I've given an aromatic four stars...

Last year on Christmas eve('08) My wife and I were at my mothers house in Los Altos, Ca. for the Christmas holiday. I managed to sneak away for a couple hours to the local Pipe Shop. While I was enjoying a complimentary pipe full of the house Rum blend and talking it up with the old timers, out of the corner of my eye, on the top shelf collecting dust I noticed two cans of, oh ya, Special Reserve Limited Edition 2006. I gave up on finding this stuff over a year ago and boom, there it was. I had to beg to buy one tin since the shop owner claimed it was his private stock, well, I got one and he kept one. Boy am I glad I did! I will probably never see another tin again, and what a shame that is. Calvados, that's what intrigued me, Calvados, a French apple liquor. The blend of three different Virginias and black Cavendish crowned with Honey and Calvados was simply marvelous! The aroma was fantastic! There is nothing else like it. Strictly for aromatic pipe smokers. No other Peterson even comes close to the unique flavor. I have no way of describing the flavor of the Calvados topping other than, sweet, uniquely flavorful and in total harmony with the tobacco.

I see no reason that this is not an every day offering from Peterson.

Hey yo, Peterson, you have a problem with making money?

I have been dedicating the past few months of smoking to Peterson tobaccos. This is the 4th review I'm posting on Peterson after Luxury Blend, Old Dublin and Sherlock Holmes. Let me start out by saying this is truly a rewarding aromatic, probably the best of the Special Reserves to date and one of the best overall for Peterson.

When forming an opinion on a pipe tobacco, and before offering a review which could influence others, I pay attention to the what-where-when-how. I keep my tobacco at 70% humidity and 21 degrees C to promote further curing and mellowing. I put whatever I'm about to smoke out to dry at room temperature for about an hour. I smoke at least 1 tin or 50gr over time as basis of an opinion. I use different pipes which I clean before returning to this blend, I smoke in a peaceful environment away from drafts where I can relax and enjoy 3 or 4 pipes full at a time and fill the room with that smoke. I refrain from using silica filters and choose my accompanying drink, if any, carefully. I prefer a neutral drink with my pipe, mostly coffee ? neutral in the sense that it prepares my palate rather than work against the tobacco, which is the case for as an example, wine or acidic drinks. I light my pipe using a soft butane flame, not a match, to prevent sulphur contamination. My views are based on smoking 80gr of this tobacco over about 4 weeks.

Peterson Special Reserves are beautifully packaged and this example is no exception. The black tin with gold foil sachet holds the promise of something rare and precious. This raises expectations which could lead to tough judgments. The broken flakes are loose within the sachet with significant moisture. The cut is medium and after drying the tobacco it packed well, lit easily and burnt well. As is typical for cased tobaccos, it burnt into more of a charcoal cake than white soft ash. The blend burned hot and lends itself to relaxed smoking rather than a puff rush ? I got maximum smoking pleasure using big bowl pipes. The taste is pleasurable with little bitterness but with noticeable alkaline bite ? not uncommon for a Virginia rich blend as you all know.

I kept this tin for almost a year before opening it. Out of the packet the tobacco has a wonderful inviting aroma. Vanilla, honey, some plum and apricot, raisin and brandy (thanks to the calvados infusion). You can't help but to hastily fill your pipe to discover how this translates into smoking pleasure.

The smoke delivered top notes of vanilla, honey, red berry tea, tree fruit and nuttiness with a light floral core ? truly complex. As you progress through the bowl, base notes of light wood and natural tobacco develop with hints of black coffee. Nicotine content is light.

The overall experience is highly enjoyable and will satisfy most smokers who enjoy aromatics. I found it difficult to put this blend down and it simply worked well with all times of day and any mood. It also delivers an enjoyable ambient aroma and I was asked more than once what I had in my pipe. I highly recommend this to any smoker, novice or experienced, who enjoys aromatic tobacco and my only words of caution are that you have to smoke the blend slow and relaxed to minimise bite. Hein Garbers, South Africa

This has been my favorite for quite some time and sadly it was a limited edition. The wonderfulness that greets you upon opening the can is just superb- my mouth waters just thinking about it! I contacted Peterson's in Ireland and they recommended these two as possible replacements: Sunset Breeze or Sweet Killarney. I haven't tried either yet to make the comparison.