A & C Petersen Caledonian Melange No.499 Original Navy Cut

It is IMHO of little use to review a tobacco that has passed away for years and will never be back. It had been my all morning, all day, all evening and all night tobacco from the mid nineties to the early twothousands. Then it was discontinued as A&C. Peterson was sold to BAT. Made me almost quit pipesmoking. A substitute from a friendly shopkeeper in Denmark could not convince and was extremely expensive.

Lately I found out that here IS a successor!

If my tastebuds and my palate remember well, Peter Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake is very close if not identical to the bygone Caledonian 499. So now I have my new all morning etc. tobacco again. The only inconvenience is that it has to be shipped back over the ocean again to reach me here in Switzerland as it is sold in the USA only.

Thus I recommend TIEPOLO to give this a try!

I agree with Pipestud that this isn't as fully realized a blend as my memory of the Curly Cut was, but this is still a good smoke if you can find it - luckily I found 4 more tins, from Pipestud, no less!

I found the perique in this one extremely faint. More prominent to my taste buds was a mild casing of some kind that worked quite well with the sweet and flavorful virginias. The casing was alternately sweet and spicy (perhaps the perique rearing its head?) and this made for a very enjoyable smoke. It was a touch too mild for my tastes overall but this fits the bill when I want something sweet but don't want to deal with aromatics. The #499 is a fairly monodimensional smoke but it's great for what it is. This takes the place in my occasional rotation for Mac Baren's Virginia #1. Where the latter is very sweet, this one is also sweet but with a hint of spice. Worth a try if you can find some. Too bad this one and the Curly Cut are no longer in production. Same with Premier Cru. A&CP produced its share of wonderful blends that are sadly no longer with us.

Although not nearly as tasty as the long gone Caledonian #410 Curly Cut Melange, this blend still has merit. The curly cut was discontinued due to the difficulty in producing the tight curls with Perique in the center. It was rich, sweet and satisfying without an overwhelming dose of the Louisiana Hot Sauce. Original Navy Cut is an updated attempt at maintaining the Va/Per flavor without all the trouble.

Although Original Navy Cut will please Virginia/Perique fans who have a bit of a sweet tooth, there just isn't the depth of flavor that Curly Cut Melange #410 had. Still, this is a darned good smoke!

Another vintage tobacco I got from a guy who wanted to get rid of his passed away relative for small money. My tin was a stand-up, 50g tin, unlike the picture on here. It only contained 30grams as it was opened, but I got it for 3€, so this was a no-brainer! After researching I'm most certain the tin is from late 90's or very early 2000's, as it was discontinued afterwards. The tin has a tax stamp from Denmark an did cost 29,50 Danish Corwns back then (about 3€ nowadays...insane how the prices peaked today!).

I was scared if it was falling to dust when touching, because it was already opened, but the former owner must've taken good care of this tobacco, needed just a little bit of moistening and the flakes were in very good condition for their age.

The tin note is very(!) natural of tobacco. Some fruitiness, some bready aroma, little sweetness - classic, smooth Va/Per aroma! Simple, yet elegant tin-art with its rich blue and gold colors.

In the pipe this is smooth as silk! Clearly Virginia-forward to me, yet with a spicy, tart Perique backbone. The Virginias are citrusy, lemony-grassy and also hold some mild bready notes, as well as hay-ish qualities. The Perique is mild, yet noticeable in every puff and contributes stoved-fruit notes of plums and figs, maybe even some raisins! It adds its signature tangy, peppery spice to make for a pleasant contrast for the refreshing and fruity-sweet melange. Some fermented quality arises after the first quarter, which lends the mixture a bit more body to settle for a upper half of "mild to medium"-strenght and taste. Taste-wie it's rather medium than mild after the first half of the bowl.

Really an All-Day Va/Per due to its smoothness and mild, yet spicy aroma. By times the Perique tickles your nostrils, but just very gently to remind you its there. As most Va/Per blends, this one also demands slow, mindful puffing, or it'll turn a bit bland and might even bite. I got best flavours, when puffing it real slow.

Anybody who loves Virginias and/or Va/Pers and has the chance to get ahold of some slices of this lovely flake - GRAB IT! It's worth it. This is all natural, smooth and tasteful toabacco that's definetly 4-star worthy!

I'll update this review and post some pictures of the tin and tobacco soon!

This is the most delicious new tobacco I have tasted in quite a while.

Inside the flush blue tin there is a rectangular plug, sliced from top to bottom?that is to say, the flakes lie one on top of the other, perfectly and evenly, like a new pack of cards. The neatness of the cut, the utter symmetry of the flakes, are a testimonial to A & C Petersen's usual beautiful handiwork. The smell inside the little pyx is the expected dry fig-like redolence of Virginia flake: it makes my mouth water.

Cut to cubes width-wise with a small scissors, I spoon one flake into a Peterson's bull-dog, which it fills 3/4 of the way.

I fire with two long matches. A wonderfully sweet, full, creamy, port-like taste offers itself to my tongue. Then the Périque, perfectly applied, adds a zesty edge that keeps the whole thing from cloying. What an exquisite delicacy! Where has this baby been all my life? You could never get that delicious burnt-sugar taste from some artificial sweetener: this is the unique douceur of the best Virginia. And the Périque! It acts like the peppery aftertaste of some very smooth brandy. Does it sound to you like I have lost my head?

Like a delicious, very rich Sachertorte, or the finest Louisiana pralines, you couldn't make Caledonian 499 an all-day affair, but enjoyed as a treat, with perhaps a chaser (Madeira Boal?) as refreshment, this has got to be one of the most enticing, scrumptious tobaccos available.

A cult classic.

I have been welcoming the spring by opening some old tins and this review is based on an old tin of Melange #499. I have not smoked this new and don’t believe this is produced any more. The beautiful, neat, wide rectangular Navy flakes smell of the usual figs, and raisons that are common with well-aged VaPers. I also detect some sort of a light topping too. Based on some of the much older reviews, my guess is that this blend has aged quite well. The best way for me to describe this flake is to compare it to Escudo when it too was made by A&C. #499 smokes with a little more high notes than Escudo, with a little less Perique, less nic and an added topping. I prefer Escudo to #499 because of the sweet topping, and given the choice between Melange #499 and its former stable mate Escudo, I prefer Escudo. But I still enjoy this blend and am happy to have secured a few tins. It’s too bad it’s no longer available.

This is one of the best, tastiest Navy Flake I have had the pleasure to smoke. Not very loaded in nicotine, it is still rich and it had my full attention every time I smoked it.

What do you want? The perfect flake packing? An amazing fermentation note when opening the tin? The perfect tobacco burning properties? The perfect measure of Perique in a VA flake, to satisfy every taste? Thick white smoke and nice nuances on the palate? Here you get it all. And you know what gentlemen? They STOPPED producing it! I don't know how many times I have complained in the Olsen shop in Copenhagen about it, hoping the ears of the Orlik manufacturing can hear, but in vain. Yes, of course, they have a flake that resembles it, but all that is left of it is 2 tins in my cellar which I doubt I will ever open, because every time I pick one I put it back in 5 min "Leave it for a special occasion". RIP 499, my definite 4 stars of a VaPer.

This Navy cut wa the first one I tried; haven't had it in a long time, though.

This flake is a beautiful flake, dark brown, brown and with some golden shades. You can make out the VA aroma combined with a more spicey, peppery taste that is Périque.

The flake is easy to break, easy to fill.

This flake is perfect for those who want to venture in the VA/Pér blends because, as it contains a distinctive taste of Périque, it is not overwhelming and it doesn't quiet down the Va contained it it.

Rather tasty and not strong at all. A bit too mild for me, but a nice one anyhow.

A great VA/P blend, 499 has become one of my favorites in this genre. Based on a top quality VA base and with the right amount of Perique, 499 delivers a rich, sweet and creamy taste. It burns slighty hotter that Escudo or DNR, but it is sweeter than both. A delicious smoke for special evenings .