Boswell Pipes & Tobacco Sweet Tea

Any person with some experience in this wonderful little travel down briar lane that we call pipe smoking knows that this is a hobby of subtly. As a beginner we all bought those tobaccos with names like super cherry jubilation par excellence, or chocolaty explosion mania. We also, as beginners, expected these tobaccos to taste as the label stated. It takes only a short time to realize that the cherry tobacco does not taste like taking a large bite out of a piece of cherry pie (although paladin is remarkably like smoking a jolly rancher, and not so much in a good way). These tobaccos are not meant to taste like a tootsie roll, but rather have subtle hints of chocolate or other flavorings. Most of us experienced pipers realize tobacco tastes like tobacco first, then maybe a hint of something else.

What at first is a disappointment, soon becomes a challenge. Its like being a part of a secret club, or being able to decipher a special code. It is really quite an eye opener to finally "get" what these tobaccos truly are.

That is the case with this tobacco. It is nice, but do not buy it expecting to taste like a nice sip of your southern grandmothers home brewed specialty. This tobacco tastes like tobacco, but if you sip slow enough, and you pay careful attention to it, you will uncover that slight hint of sweet tea, and when you find it, how sweet it is.

Aromatics tend to be the tap dancers with two left feet of the pipe tobacco world. They are tolerated by some, but never though to be the prettiest girl at the ball. That being said, some aromatics are clumsier than others

The folks at Boswell always put out an outstanding product of the highest quality, and I would not hesitate to recommend any of their fine offerings. This one has that nice sweet tea taste, half the fun is finding it, and it takes the skill of a true pipeman to unlock the pleasure in this blend.

This is a great aromatic for smoking outdoors on a warm night. This blend burns dry and consistent, and has nice hints of citrus.

[Rating down to 3 stars, reajusted based on my experience over the past couple years. This is a fine aromatic blend, though a bit two-dimensional, and has long since fallen out of my rotation.]

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I'm surprised that mine is the first review of Sweet Tea, as I know that this blend has a significant following among the pipe smokers I stay in touch with online.

This is the only aromatic I keep in my permanent rotation, and is perhaps the most consistent, "easy" tobacco I have ever smoked. I far prefer English and Balkan blends, and this is to those what 7-Up is to good cabernet. But when I want something sweet, mild, and with a kind room note, this is what I reach for.

In the jar, Sweet Tea is a dark, fine shag, with a very pleasant, sweet aroma. I can't place the casing with any specificity: It alternately conjures up either Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies or Louie Bloo Raspberry Otter Pops. It smokes sweetly also -- with none of the sour or bitter edge I get from most other aromatics -- and with a remarkable smoothness. The base tobacco is quality stuff, but not overly assertive. This is an almost flawlessly cool, goopless smoke. Once lit, it smokes down to a dry ash, requiring fewer re-lights than most blends. It is one of the few blends that smokes like it smells, pretty much through the entire bowl.

If you don't like aromatics -- or find yourself perennially disappointed with them -- this may be worth a try. If you do like them, this is a must try.

Aiming to quench that parching pipe smoking thirst comes a lively brewed swill. JM Boswell presents their inspirable rendition of Sweet Tea. This flavorful coarsely cut mixture is served up ornamented by a mix of Burley and Black Cavendish varietals, steeped in affective black tea flavoring, fruity citrus, and gobs of sweet sugary goodness.

A gritty mixture of blacken chunks and variable brownish morsels greet you with formal introduction. The pouch nose offers a heavenly scent of distinctly brisk and malted sugary tea, tarty lemony zest, dark complementing sweetness, and some docile earthiness/soured wood. Sweet Tea tobaccos are bit dewy with composed moisture so observing a reasonable period of drying time is most advisable.

The interpretation of Sweet Tea as the problem statement at hand proved to be a simple drop in the pitcher so to speak, as there is nothing too mystical going on here. Upon lighting one is instantly presented with a tasty tea-centric extravagance. The pictured deep grained hardwood cob obliged the experience as the deliciously refined sugary and spicy black tea note emerged forward to characterize the essence of the base flavor profile. A lovely aftertaste very comparable to the chase of a healthy gulp of the old fashion beverage itself marks with residual impact.

Additionally, a prominent citrus top accent seasons the base that I want to say is lemon obviously, yet some decent orange-marmalade twist embellishes the overall flavoring in my opinion. A further commentary of rich dark molasses sweetness carrying inklings of what I perceived to be candied horehound, namely a combination of bitter spicy licorice and with dense syrupy root beer-like nuances, provides a very delectable finishing rim. Finally, there is some zingy native spice formed by the presence of plain earthy soiled Cavendish and charming Burley nutwood. This blend is discerningly elegant bottom-line.

With that classic Boswellian magic, this blend holds its tasty savor for the entirety of the session. Sweet Tea does burn even and slowly offering a nice extended mellow experience. However, it can get a little hot if you are too rambunctious on the drawls so in deference to popular etiquette this tea should ideally be sipped for optimum enjoyment. No bite and easy on the nicotine intoxicants.

Surprisingly, the room essence is extremely prominent bringing a bold dark sugary/tart spice that some may find overbearing. I rather enjoyed its magnetic persona, yet my wife did not as I received the classic Moe Howard numb-skull slap glare for failing to open a window to vent its strong airs. Oops!

Sweet Tea from JM Boswell another spectacular standard offering that brings originality, uniqueness, and uncomplicated gratification. Try it in traditional southern fashion with a piece of yummy, fired corn mush drenched in a puddle of maple syrup for that extra special treat, mmm, mmm! This pleasantry of this mixture does not disappoint. Whether ritualized or casually sipped, teatime gives us is a chance to relax and enjoy the simple things in life such as a comforting bowl of a solid aromatic mixture. 3.3 pipes!

Bag note smells very sweet the description is spot on for the Bag. This is what I would consider a very lite aromatic. Lite in taste, lite in strength, lite in flavor, Lite in nic hit. It defiantly tastes like light sweet tea when smoking. This would be a great smoke for anyone just starting out with a pipe. Puffing gently produces much more flavor. It even has a Retrohale of sweet tea. Its a bit too one dimensional for my taste but its a great blend if you are looking for a lite aromatic. Note it does have a slight chemical aftertaste.

Like all things Boswell the tin note is fantastic. sweet and citrusy with a some "tobacco" flavors in the background. Moist but not sopping wet and no PG that I can detect. Very lightly flavored, sweet and citrus flavors come through along with mostly Burley/Cavendish flavors from the leaves. What I love about Boswell aro's, the only aro's I smoke for the most part, is that they are not overpowering and this one is very subtle and is a nice morning smoke. Simple and enjoyable. Not sure if it tastes like sweet tea...I am an New Yorker by birth and had never even heard of sweet tea until my late teens and had no desire to attain diabetes by 25.

This is a unique aromatic tobacco. It actually does taste very much like sweet tea. I'm not a huge fan of sweet tea as a beverage or as a flavor but I think many people would find this blend satisfying. I may eventually order more after I have tried some other blends from Boswell.

"Sweet Tea."

I guess I just wasn't convinced that I'd like a tobacco that tasted like tea, sweet or otherwise. (Not a tea guy--I drink coffee.) Plus, one drinks tea to refresh oneself whereas I have never found smoking to be "refreshing" by any means. But I got a 2 oz. sample of this blend when I purchased a Boswell pipe and, lo and behold, it wasn't all bad. Not sure that I'd order more of it, but 2 ounces was certainly enough to give the blend a fair try.

I would have thought that more Virginia tobaccos would have been used to flavor a blend that would taste like tea. Somehow I think of tea or grassy flavors when I smoke a Virginia blend, but that's not what this is.

Nevertheless, Sweet Tea is still a good smoke and you might enjoy a pipeful with a nice little cuppa' the real stuff on the side, mate. Pip, pip, and cheerio, old boy!

I'm not big on the fruity blends, especially cherry. But this blend is surprizingly tasty and a nice smoke for a change of pace. In the pouch it smells a bit like Berry Cobbler, but as you light I get a bit of cherry. This fades quickly and takes on a mild sweet, citrus flavor. It not like any other blend I've tried. I really like it and like the other Boswell blends is a high quality tasty tobacco with no bite and smokes well for a heavy aromatic. And yes, it goes hand in hand with a glass of ice tea and makes for a great light, summer time smoke.