Wilke Pipe Tobacco Wilke No. 515
(3.26)
Notes: This is the blend smoked by Basil Rathbone, Wilke's famous No. 515. A blend of ribbon cut Virginias and toasted black cavendish, or as the Wilke sisters described it: "exotic tobaccos aged in a rare Jamaica Rum - smooth, mild with a delightful aroma".
Details
| Brand | Wilke Pipe Tobacco |
| Blended By | John Brandt |
| Manufactured By | Wilke Pipe Tobacco |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Rum |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | bulk |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Re-release |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild to Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.26 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 07, 2016 | Mild | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Pipeworks & Wilke are known for their aromatics. And they are terrific aromatics. Im not sure why people bash aromatics. I mostly smoke virginia and Va/pers and some burley flakes, too, these days. But when I want a change, and if that change is aromatic, then this is the stuff. This blend and Rumcake are similar but not identical. #191 is the most popular and with good reason I think. Its superb. But again...its not the same as smoking a Gawith virginia for example. Different aesthetic at work. Not better or worse, just different. I think its maybe a bit strange to slam tobaccos you don't like. Just say you don't like it. You don't get it. Period. Some blends of course are of poor quality -- lots of drugstore aromatics for example (if we had drugstores anymore but you know what I mean). But this is not that. Carol blends great aromatics. High quality tobacco. You can like it or not, but the quality is top end. Ive been smoking a pipe for forty years now and I know quality. This is quality. There is room for all kinds of blends and its one of the joys of pipe smoking. Anyway....this is a terrific aromatic, its mild, not much nicotine, but smooth and never bites. In fact none of her blends bite. Its rum flavored but with some nuttiness and hints of vanilla and something else...maybe deer tongue, who knows. Maybe something floral...in very small amounts. Its good stuff. Its an aromatic. Dont expect a McClelland virgina. Its an aromatic. But an excellent one;.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2018 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
I have been meaning to try this one for some time now and ordered 4 ounces from Wilke's. Great service BTW! My 4 ounces arrived in a nice zip lock bag and I could smell the tobacco before opening the seal. A very sweet smelling blend for sure. My first impression was butterscotch - exactly the way butterscotch candies smell (my daughter thought maple). I could not detect any aroma of rum, however. The moisture content was right for loading and lighting and it took to the match relatively easy. First let me say that the butterscotch wasn't much present in the taste - at least for me - just a vague, faint bitter-sweetness. What I did notice on lighting up was a very soapy taste which was quite off-putting for me. Not "Lakeland soap" or the "old codger blends from days gone by soap;" similar to swallowing soapy water. Although not as prevalent as upon lighting, it did remain present throughout the smoke with the ever present after taste of the stuff (whatever it really is). I couldn't taste the rum at all and there was no spice note either. No real tobacco taste at all. It also nipped at my tongue a bit, but not terrible. It smoked somewhat harsh at first and had minimal sweetness at best; tasting the way Peterson aromatics taste to me. There was no moisture/gurgle and it smoked down to a nice grey ash.
All in all, it is nicely presented with an appealing bag note that I suppose aromatic fanciers would enjoy, but something I might only reach for when the mood strikes. Recommended, but a personal rating of 2.5 stars. I thought I could smoke it while I watch the old Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies to "connect," since it supposedly is what he smoked in his role of Holmes. I'm going to watch one shortly after I post this review, but I'll be loading a pipe of Irish Flake for that one.
All in all, it is nicely presented with an appealing bag note that I suppose aromatic fanciers would enjoy, but something I might only reach for when the mood strikes. Recommended, but a personal rating of 2.5 stars. I thought I could smoke it while I watch the old Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies to "connect," since it supposedly is what he smoked in his role of Holmes. I'm going to watch one shortly after I post this review, but I'll be loading a pipe of Irish Flake for that one.
Pipe Used:
Hardcastle bent billiard
PurchasedFrom:
Wilke
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from pouch
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 29, 2010 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
this one burned a bit hot to me so only two star. try the rumcake if you like rum flavored tobacco.
i am amending my review. i gave this on another try. it is burning fine. taists fine. i would have no problem recommending this tobacco. three stars!
i am amending my review. i gave this on another try. it is burning fine. taists fine. i would have no problem recommending this tobacco. three stars!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2015 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Another blend I was given to as a sample from Carole since I enjoy Rumcake so much and I order my custom Rumcake blend she makes for me with added burley and Turkish. #515 is although similar to Rumcake is different enough to warrant the two blends being offered. I prefer Rumcake and prefer my blend to Rumcake but both blends are the best Rum cased blends I have tried in my 15 years of smoking. If it was good enough for Sherlock Holmes then its good enough for me!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 20, 2009 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Good stuff the only bulk aromatic I keep on hand. I don't like heavily cased blends so this suits me very well.
I also find that I enjoy trying out vintage blends & better yet in a vintage pipe. I smoke 515 in my 1950s Wilke Lovat.
This is a must try blend for those of us that grew up watching Sherlock Holmes & fans of Basil Rathbone.
22 May 2009 Update: I'm tightening up on my ratings and only give 4 stars to my top 5 blends that are in my core rotation of tobaccos. Those at this date are Escudo, Penzance, University Flake, Churchill & still deciding what the 5th will be.
I now rate this as a solid 3.5
I also find that I enjoy trying out vintage blends & better yet in a vintage pipe. I smoke 515 in my 1950s Wilke Lovat.
This is a must try blend for those of us that grew up watching Sherlock Holmes & fans of Basil Rathbone.
22 May 2009 Update: I'm tightening up on my ratings and only give 4 stars to my top 5 blends that are in my core rotation of tobaccos. Those at this date are Escudo, Penzance, University Flake, Churchill & still deciding what the 5th will be.
I now rate this as a solid 3.5
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