Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding

Sniffing the freshly opened tin reminded me of a sweaty horse blanket. After lighting up, similarities of Penzance came to mind. For reasons unknown, the tobaccos never seemed to meld into a sweet flavor I was expecting. The Latakia is always in the forefront and pretty much dominated the tastes in this blend.

This smoked very smooth & mild with good burning properties when properly dried. The cake crumbles easily and stays moist for a long time. If not dried out pretty good, it will burn slow, produce little smoke & will be hard to keep lit. I thought it became rather one dimensional and too bland after a few draws and remained the same throughout the entire bowl.

Not a great deal of flavor ever developed for me & nothing truly sensational ever surfaced. It does have some good smoking qualities & flavor but this wasn't a bell ringer for me. However, with its mild smoking charactertics & English atmosphere, I can understand how many would find this exceptional. I'll rate this about 2.7 stars. Sampled in a size two Dunhill.

Lots of flavors, rising and falling, always revealing a new layer as different stuff burns more predominantly and other embers fizzle out — from smooth and creamy to woodsy and spicy. Grassy and piney to cocoa, leather, loam, orange peel, red grapes, Syrah wine, jerky, paprika, cedar... You get the impression that Plum Pudding would either make a wonderful herb butter for a ribeye, or an effective household insecticide. I like it! Lots of umami flavors swirling around. The room note’s pretty strong and this tobacco tastes like it smells, although the room note doesn’t have the layered complexity of the smoke in your pipe stem, obviously. My buddy just walked in the garage and said it smelled like a dead possum out here. So maybe not for the faint of heart but if you’ve read the label and you enjoy Latakia and perique, you’ll probably like it. It burns readily and relatively cool. I’ve had to relight once each time I smoked it but I picked the bowl less carefully each time. That’s okay because flavor after relighting was still good. I’ll smoke this for a change of pace or after a big meal. It does command my attention more than my go-to tobaccos but it also has more rewarding or exciting flavors to find.

I don't know if it was just my tin but it needed to be dried quite a bit or else it was harsh and bitey. Dried it slowly in a tight but not airtight container for a day and it rounded out nicely.

If you didn't enjoy it out of the tin, give this a try.

I like to relate tasting notes to stories or experiences.

The smokiness, sweetness, and savoriness of this takes me back to a childhood memory. - I'm sitting on the hearth by the fire at my Mema's house, warming up after a long day of playing in the snow, enjoying a big bowl of her homemade soup with a whole bunch of crackers. If this blend were edible, it would be a comfort food. I love it.

I found plenty of reviews hoisting the flag the colour of Plum pudding so I bought a tin. It’s smoky and fermented fruit smell at first crack of the lid. I see where the plum comes from. While in practice there is a bit of the fruit, a little sweetness, but does it remind anyone else of Thrills chewing gum……tastes like soap. I don’t know if it’s just me or I got a bad tin but it’s not going to be a favourite.

SPC nailed it with this iconic blend.

Upon taking my first puff of this blend, I noticed a salty, fruity flavor that I have yet to experience with any other blend. Almost like a super subtle figgy flavor with a dash of salt. I think this partially comes from the oriental and the cavendish in this blend.

Also notable was the smoky, barbecue-like scent emanating from the bowl as I smoked this blend. I’d also like to add that if you don’t like Latakia, you won’t like this. It certainly has a noticeable lat flavor and scent to it.

I really like how Plum Pudding takes a hodge podge of different tobaccos and blends them together in a harmonious and delicious way.

My tin has a few years of age on it— no date code, but I know I’ve been hoarding it for at least two years. Pop the top and I am greeted with a pre-sliced crumble kake, four half-inch thick slices stacked among a half-bowl’s worth of shake. There isn’t a strong tin note, but what’s there is sweet, plummy and a little sour. Much sweeter than most Balkan blends I’ve encountered. The tobacco is very easy crumble and load into my pipe, a Tadeusz Polinski billiard dedicated to the genre. Lights with alacrity, with plumes of light grey smoke. Flavors are mild, with notes of yeast, flake salt, tawny port and fresh-laid asphalt. A little spicy pine resin in the nose from the orientals. No one flavor takes precedence, though the tarry asphalt is the most consistent. Like Bowlegged Bear in the English genre, this is a blended Balkan, sweet notes melding seamlessly with savory. The taste is also mild. I don’t know if the age has mellowed it out from a fresh tin, but I would actually prefer a notch or two up in taste. Puffing or sipping makes no difference. A very well-mannered blend, but nearly too timid for me. I never thought of this blend as mild before I smoked it. Now that I’m smoking it, I’m wanting a little more punch. The flavors are very nice, but I want a little more intensity. I’m afraid I find this a little overhyped.

This crumble cake is very Latakia heavy I would almost say overpowering and I can get a little of the natural sweetness from the Virginia and seems to burn a little wet I have to say I am enjoying it though Tim says it’s flavorful and tasty

Tin note of smoky sweet fruit, vinegary and tart raisins. Tobacco is a Krumble Kake of brown and dark brown with a little black and tan. Moisture content is great. Krumble Kake breaks apart and rubs out easily. Burns slow with many relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and very consistent, with notes of floral, smoky incense, herbal spices, fermented sour, wood, tart and tangy citrus, savory, sugar, toast, leather, musty vegetation, orange peel/zest, earthy, a smoky ripe dark fruit background note, and a peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Cavendish, Oriental/Turkish, Perique and Virginia supporting. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.