Astley's No.99 Royal Tudor Full Latakia Mixture

Nice to see Kohlhase, Kopp und Co. keeping the names of these brands of alive; however, this one is not very close to the original at all, rather bland and somewhat insipid. It's not bad but not very good either, just okay.

If you're seeking the flavours, complexity, and memorable blends of yesteryear give Compton's a try. There you'll harken back to the older styles of Rattray's, Dunhill, Sobranie and more. Compton's are not trying to replicate particular blends or brands, simply excellent tobacco execution. Expensive yes, but worth it as a treat or something special. Kind of like favourite recordings, one does not want to listen to them too much, becoming overly familiar.

Enjoy.

Well, maybe I don't know what a "Full English" mixture is. Maybe. But then again, maybe this is just harsh and boring. Latakia is overwhelmed by a burning Virginia base and an ashy taste similar to a bad bowl of Dunhill's Elizabethan (with none of the sweetness).

This smells and looks exactly like Rattray's Accountant's Mixture (also a Full English, apparently) but it is not as smooth, and where the Accountants has a harmonius sweet Va and Latakia mix, with basically nothing else going on, this Astley's has undertones of banana and of cloves, which at the top half of the bowl are delightful, and at the bottom, just disappear into a hard-edged smoke.

Anyway, what nuance this blend may once have possessed, K+K have produced a singularly unpleasant tobacco, genre aside. For a more interesting smoke, try Presbyterian or ACP Caledonian 466, both of which are NOT "FULL" Englishes, and both of which are far superior.

I bought this one last week when I attended the pipe club after about a month off. This tin upon opening looks like it has been in the old warehouse awhile as the paper doily was slightly stained and the tobacco was stuck to it on the inside. This has a nice mild fragrance and smokes smooth, mellow, with billows of nice white smoke. The only drawback I have with this one is the tin says “Full Latakia Mixture” and for me and others that have reviewed this, it is not a heavy Latakia blend. Not heavy by far. Maybe back in the day this was considered a full blend, can’t really say. Mentally, I bought this expecting a Lat Bomb and got a mild everyday English blend in my opinion. If I smoked a pipe all day then this is a good pick but not really for me. Will finish the tin with no problems but no reason to buy more.

First review (the original Astley's): great, great, great! Think of a Nightcap but just a little lighter and smoother, almost an all-day smoke, not so loaded with latakia as you might expect and perfectly balanced. A joy for English mixtures lovers.

Second review (the Kolhase&Kopp sold nowadays): dull, dull, dull. Nothing like the original one, the usual K&K blend with a different tin. See my reviews of Comoy's English mixture or Banker's or Robert Lewis 123.

Two stars for the nice quality leaf and for the memory of what it used to be.

Preface: I have been smoking Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium for near-on 30 years, believing that it has no equal anywhere on earth. But it is gone now, and so I begin a quest for my Holy Grail: A substitute to replace the standard on which all English tobaccos are based:

No.99 is very similar to 1830: Tin aroma is terrific and the first 1/4 or 1/3 of the bowl is very good. But after that both turn a bit harsh, and fail to develop interest and complexity. No. 99 is also packed too dry, and burns too fast, like Solani's 779. With all three, getting to the bottom of the bowl comes with frustration. Too quickly for No. 99 and 779, and all three leaving me unsatisfied, wanting more and feeling disappointed...

I’ve only smoked one tin of this, but that was enough. My tin from 2015 still says Syrian Latakia, but I suspect it was a mix of Syrian and Cyprian. I don’t really pick up the spices I normally associate with Syrian. Proportions are approximately: 50% Golden Virginia, 30% Latakia, 20% sun-cured Turkish.

Tin note of beef jerky and molasses, with a subtle funky undertone that smells like old Worcestershire sauce. The progression of the bowl is a bit of a roller coaster ride, starting out rather flat and without depth, certainly lacking in any character from the Turkish tobaccos, then mid-bowl develops more depth and spicy overtones, and then the last third gets unpleasantly weird, with salty flavors like scorched butter, the Worcestershire sauce, and finally rather harsh at the very end. Comparisons to the original Balkan Sobranie are always worth a chuckle.

Debated whether this could be rounded up to three stars for “character” - but no, just too weird.

This tin was given to me by a friend and it was good but not something I will buy myself probably. Nothing was bad about it but nothing mad it stand out either.