Benjamin Hartwell Chesdin Mixture

Benjamin Hartwell - Chesdin Mixture.

The ribbons are short, and apart from some occasional flecks of yellow, jet black. The moisture's a little too high, not unsmokeable when fresh, but in need of a short drying period.

The Latakia leads, unequivocally. But, isn't sharp, or cutting, instead it's very smooth and laid back. I get hardly anything from the Virginia, it's overwrought by the flavour from the Lat'. There's the presence of a sweet, vanilla, flavour, which works well with the smoothness of the Lat'. The burn from Ches' is without fault, giving a consistent burn, with a cool, bite free, smoke. I think this would suit an English/Balkan smoker who wants something insouciant to relax with, for a change, but has little interest in over-sweet/mild aromatics.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: pleasant.

I think this deserves full marks:

Four stars.

Luscious, velvety, rich, voluptuous, how many adjectives can I apply to this blend which you can see I am obviously very much enamored with. If I could reward it with six stars I certainly would. I wouldn't have suspected such piping pleasure from an Altadis product. Chesdin Mixture has the perfect balance of texture, smokiness that is complimentary not overpowering and a rich but not cloying sweetness. Think dark chocolate (but it doesn't taste like chocolate). The contents list Virginia and Latakia but I would suspect also some quality Cavendish has been included as an ingredient. This blend lights easily, burns well but is very long lasting. No tongue bite but it is a moist tobacco so it should be sipped not huffed and puffed on. It contains some vitamin N but not in an overwhelming manner. Fill your pipe lean back and become entranced. Most highly recommended.

I was hesitant to submit my opinion of this stuff on the grounds that I don't know just what the hell I got when I purchased this. But after seeing how inconsistent and all over the board all the other reviews were in their descriptions of Chesdin, I figure my two cents can only add to the ambiguity.

This blend certainly wasn't anything I anticipated. When I asked my tobacconist to try a good English mix, with a bit sweeter, darker profile, but not too heady, this is what he suggested, stating that it's close to McClelland's Frog Morton. I'd have to trust him on word alone, as the tin description was vague to say the least, (and I unfortunately never managed to try FM when it was around) but it sounded good enough. Latakia...Virginia..."Fine Old Recipe..." Call me nuts for expecting English style blending...smoky...leathery...figgy...you know...English?

What I encountered was another beast entirely. A uniform mixture of long, thin, brown and black ribbons of extremely moist leaf, speckled here and there with some light golden flecks. When I say moist, I mean the paper in the tin was disentigrating because of just how wet it was. But the hermetic seal was intact, so I didn't suspect any spoilage, then again, It'd certainly be difficult after being so enraptured by such an alluring smell. It smells like a chocolatier's kitchen-Vanilla, caramel, molasses, cocoa, and a subtle aroma of dried fruit that just sets your mouth watering. I didn't detect much in the way of Latakia or other condimentals, but there is a whiff of some "X" factor that can only be described as "deep and rich smelling," so maybe my sniffer just isn't refined enough.

Despite the saturation of moisture, it takes to the match like a dream. Its flavor is rich, sweet, and creamy. Like espresso and ice cream, but theres another, nutty and woodsy note that rounds this out beautifully. Does smoke a touch wet out of the tin so I'm going to leave it be in the popped tin and see what it does. Maybe the English flavors will become more prominent. I saw some other folks say that they suspect that this may have some Cavendishes or even Burleys...it does have a touch of vanilla casing that is undeniable, but it is not overbearing, and I believe the sweetness in Chesdin Mixture is solely from top notch leaf of high caliber, which was the only congruent theme in all the reviews I read. NOBODY can agree on what exactly comprises the composition in Chesdin Mixture, or how the smoker experiences it, but everyone seems to be of the opinion that regardless of whatever it is, it's crafted from good leaf. This stuff was delicious, and very pleasurable for me and those around me, so I refuse to say that it's bad, even if it wasn't what I was going for.

Nevertheless, it remain confusing, and after lurking on here to see if my confusion was an outlier, I can only conclude that this blend has been enchanted with some kind of black magic or hoodoo sorcery, meant to confound us mortals and leave us pondering and bewildered...but to what end the wizard responsible for this enigmatic spell did so, I haven't the foggiest. Maybe even that element of ambiguity is just part of it, and our unnamed tobacco warlock (What if it was Ben Hartwell himself???) is just some absurdist prankster...or he's just a lunatic. Either way, for whatever it's worth, Chesdin has my endorsement as a quality smoke.

I am always fascinated by polarizing indulgences in the world of consummables...the "love it or hate it" stuff. Weird cheese, weird wines, funky foods that come in jars and cans that are simultaneously adored and reviled...now I can add a tobacco to this list. Try it out for yourself, and see what you think. I'll let you know when I finally figure it out for myself, then again, pipe smoking is all about pondering the bigger questions...maybe that was the intent. Chesdin Mixture certainly has me questioning reality now, and I can't say that it's a bad thing.

07062008 This blend, while very good from the fresh tin, is even better with age. I recently opened a tin that had been in my "cellar" for over a year, and I was greatly impressed. I now have 7 tins ageing and am smoking another. For me, IMHO, this is the perfect end-of-the-day blend, calming, relaxing.

06242007 Chesdin Mixture is a blend I go for when I want something mild. Being a lover of heavier english blends and the occasional VA, I wanted something that didn't demand a lot of attention at times, and Chesdin Mixture fills the bill. CM loaded easily in any size pipe I tried it in. It took the flame well, burned cleanly and smoked cooly throught the bowl with only the occasional tamp. No gurgle, no tongue bite, a clean, dry pipe. Could be an all day smoke for some. Certainly a good starting blend for someone wishing to experience English blends. 4 stars for this Benjamin Hartwell blend.

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.