Benjamin Hartwell Chesdin Mixture

Benjamin Hartwell's Chesdin Mixture is not Frog Morton relabelled (as some have indicated). Granted, I was able to obtain some well-aged Chesdin Mixture, but unlike Frog Morton I like Chesdin Mixture. It is certainly a 'crossover' blend--appearance like an aromatic (dark and sticky) with a Latakia influence. There is a casing that reminds me of dates when I smell it in raw form and a vanilla nuance in smoking (as noted by others). Still, it is not overly or sickly sweet and does have a medium punch that pleases my smoking desires. On the downside, it occasionally burns a bit hot and leaves a residue on my skin when I touch it while packing. Still, this is a decent tobacco ('smooth' as the tin says) and a nice change of pace every now and then.

Appearance: Mostly dark leaf, combination of wide ribbon and rough cut. Fairly moist and stays that way for a long time.

Aroma: Smells like a crossover to me. There is plenty of Latakia, but there is also a definite sweetness here. This is not as heavy as Frog Morton, but does bear a strong resemblance to McClelland Coyote Mixture.

Packing: Packs well into medium to large bowls.

Lighting: Fairly typical two match light, occasionally needs three.

Flavor: Just a crossover blend for me, nothing enticing about it. All I can taste is the Latakia and a major amount of Black Cavendish, which is sweeter than I like it.

Summary: I won a can of this at a raffle. I won?t try it again.

At this point in my current circulation of tobaccoes, this is the Latakia i reach for when i'm in the mood. The tin smell reminds me of smoking hickory chunks. It feels very damp at first, but on closer inspection it is revealed as only very springy. Thus, it packs well, and the moisture is not a problem during the smoke. It burns slowly and provides a rich cool taste... one of the smoothest ive encountered. It does not however leave a satisfying cake, and i rarely am in the mood for latakia, though i keep this blend on hand.

~Lord Cavendish~

Revised: 08-04-04 Many have complained that this is just Frog Morton repackaged for Consolidated. Whether this is true or not, is not for me to figure out, although, I don't believe that it is exactly like the Frog.

Appearance: Medium to fine ribbons. Mostly dark leaves, an occasional medium brown.

Aroma: This is where I think it differs from the Frog. There seems to be a discrete amount of Vanilla casing present ala SG'S "Perfection" blend.

Packing: easy, but it is a littlle too moist, airing is recommended.

Lighting: Easy, once aired out.

Initial Flavor: Nice, smooth, light latakia flavor, vanilla is noticable, but in the background.

Mid-Bowl: buttery smooth, but monochromatic, not much complexity.

End of Bowl: Nice build up of strength, ash is grey and dry, no goop at all in spite of the casing. Slight chemical aftertaste that does not mix well if you plan to smoke other blends that day.

Overall: This is a nice easy latakia blend, perfect for those crossing over from aromatics. Not enough to keep me interested. I much prefer the original Frog or for more richness in this genre, prefer SG's "Perfection". Hard to get tongue-bite with this blend, the room note is tolerable to non-smokers.

Rating: 3 out of 5 points.

Old tin, before rerelease. Tin note of vinegary, spices and smoky. Tobacco is a course cut of mostly black with a little brown. Moisture content is great. large chunks may need a little attention. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and mostly consistent, with notes of floral, smoky sweet, spices, toast, vinegary, dry musty vegetation, incense, wood, zesty tart and tangy citrus, mildly savory, slight spicy, orange peel, an earthy, herbal hay background note, and a peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Virginia supporting. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

I had an unopened can of Chesdin Mixture in my cabinet for about 5 years. I finally decided to break it out today. The first thing that I noticed that it is very sweet, with an almost maple-like flavor. I noticed that it lit well, and stayed lit without much trouble. It was also remarkably cool smoking. While it is not exactly what I look for in a Latakia blend, but it was a pleasant smoke.

A very slow burning tobacco that you have to puff on like mad to keep going. The smell reminds me of they way your clothes smell after camping out for a couple of days and messing with a campfire almost continuously. The taste is slightly bitter and the whole thing is pretty uninteresting. If this is as good as Latakia gets, I won't be bothering any more.

This appears to me to be McClelland?s Frog Morton relabeled for Consolidated Cigar Corp.?s Benjamin Hartwell line. Not that there?s anything wrong with that. I actually prefer this, as it tends to be priced a little lower than tins of the Frog. The same great smoothness and aroma of Frog Morton, and a great introduction to Latakia blends.

Revised 02-12-04 This is one of those old blends that has been out there for a while, but for whatever reason, I just recently tried. I initially gave this a high rating, but after reviewing many other blends, have to downgrade. This really is not a true english blend, but a cross-over. It has a very light vanilla casing. Upon opening the tin, you are greeted by a medium-cut ribbon with a good mixture of light and dark leaf. Aroma is mostly latakia with the afoementioned vanilla. This blend reminds me of SG's perfection, albeit less full. This does need to air out a bit before packing due to moisture. Packing is easy, lighting is easy. Overall, this is a decent flavored, middle of the road, smooth blend, easily smoked all day, difficult to get tongue bite from. It is inexpensive and the casing is very restrained. Might be a good intro to "English" styled blends for the beginner or something with decent leaf to satify the occassional sweet tooth. Rating 3 out of 5 points.