Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding

As with all other Latakia forward blends, the Latakia is about all I taste. I do get some sour, sweet, dark fruit flavor, but I have to search for it. I do enjoy a Latakia from time to time, and this is a very good one.

Plum Pudding seems to be most flavorful immediately upon opening. The sweet, smokey notes are, to me, most pronounced when the blend has not yet had a chance to be subdued by contact with outside air. The only downside to packing a newly opened tin is moisture. The cut of this blend seemed reluctant to accept a flame without some drying time and rubbing. And although dissipation of moisture provided for a less frustrating experience, I am of the opinion that some intensity of flavor was sacrificed in the process. Nevertheless, Plum Pudding delivers a rewarding smoke for anyone seeking the unique flavor of Cyprian Latakia when combined with quality sun-cured Oriental leaf and a condimental portion of Perique.

This is not a blend I would consider to be a "Lat Bomb". Rather, Plum Pudding is well-balanced and just complex enough to satisfy discerning tastes. No single component of this blend oversteps its role at the expense of the other elements. I consider this blend suitable for any time if day, as its flavor will neither fatigue a smoker's palate, nor bite one's tongue. Plum Pudding smokes cool and delivers a nic-hit of negligible strength.

This blend is a worthwhile purchase, a likely repurchase, and worthy of its acclaim.

This blend was a pleasant surprise. Tin note was of strong vinegar. Almost like that from a jar of apple cider vinegar. Fortunately, this quickly fades into more of a back note leaving behind a smokey stewed fruit tin not with hints of pepper and spice.

The cut was small faggots of crumble cake with some loose chunks of tobacco and dust in the bottom of the tin. Moisture is spot on and the crumble cake rubs out easily. Burns and smoked cool and clean with a fair number of relights.

Gentleman Zombie sums up the taste quite nicely. This has a mellow smokey and spicy taste that is semi-sweet and creamy.

Quite unlike most balkin blends that I have tried. The stoved cakes presents a harmonious marriage of the assorted tobaccoes contained within. Although the Latakia leads, it is softly guided by the Cavendish. Thus, although smokey it not as pungent as the usual lat bombs. Does leave a pleasant lingering smokey aftertaste and room note.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a mild balkin blend.

The notorious Plum Pudding...It's okay. The flavour is rich, sweet, creamy, musty, smokey, spicy, slightly sour with notes of vinegar, plum, nuts, grass, campfire, peat and blue cheese. That's a plethora of different tasting qualities, but there are quite a few varietals co-mingling here. Three caveats I have with it: first, it smells a lot like blue cheese and musty books in a dank basement; It's not that I hate it, I just prefer blue cheese and moldy books the way I prefer bungee jumping... from a great distance. Second, it's quite moist when fresh and needs drying with a light pack or the relights will effectively double butane's contributions to GHG emissions. Third and most seriously, as I am often too hyperbolic, Plum Pudding like all the SPC blends is too darn expensive. The pros? There's depth and a warm homey quality to it, like sitting by a fire on a cold snowy winter's eve. It burns slow and cool. It has a delightful sugariness that gradually comes on and smooths out the musty and spicy aspects. I do get tongue tingle if I puff too fast, likely the perique spice or virginia. An acquired taste, but a delicious and rewarding smoke nonetheless. I only buy 1 or 2 tins a year, but I like it and enjoy it more with every fire and snow storm that passes my way. Plum Pudding is overpriced and a tad overhyped, but is still quite exceptional. Once acquired, the taste is… hmmmm rewarding. 3.5. Highly recommend you take a shot, if it's a miss... well, Im sure, like me, you've wasted more on less. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good pipe.

I swear when you crack open the tin of this stuff and inhale that it smells just like barbecue sauce. It’s amazing. I absolutely love Plum Pudding. I know that people love to hate it because of how popular it is and how everyone likes it but this is probably my favorite English/Balkan blend. It is super flavorful and satisfying, and I swear the smoke has a purplish tint to it.

The downside to this one is that I think you almost have to plan to smoke it. If I know I’m going to want some later, I will roll some out and let it sit out during the day. It’s perfect by late afternoon/early evening.

Only my second nonaromatic tobacco and I love it. From the first tin note of smoky, woodsy goodness to the last puff from the full ashed bowl. This is only my second nonaromatic but the flavors could have fooled me. The smoke is thick and to my palate sweet. I did have to do several relights particularly on the last 3rd of the bowl. The flavor of the tobacco changes from the first 3rd to the last in a plesant way for me. The opening is sweet, earthy, dark chocolate. Think barbecue as others have said. By the end its deep woodsy, reminds me of a fire of leaves and branches in fall. Definitely a keepa.

At first, I was apprehensive when it came time to try this blend. Seattle Pipe Club has a good reputation to be sure, but the hype surrounding this blend has swelled and swelled for years. And, at the risk of outing myself as being a bit parochial in my tastes, I could not help but think a blend with this many components would fail to consistently harmonize its flavors over repeated sessions. I was expecting something pleasant, good even, but inconsistent and not able to meet the incredible praise heaped upon it.

Well, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. This blend delivers.

The tin note smells deeply of smoky Latakia and with a hint of sweetness given by the Virginias and Cavendish. The crumble cake is a joy to work with, and rubs or folds readily in the hand.

The smoke itself builds slowly, with the Latakia acting as an opening act and the cavendish as a mooring. But with each draw, with each puff, this blend slowly builds in complexity. The Perique adds sudden brightness and spiciness, the Orientals compliment the natural smokiness and reward patient smokers with subtle and rich flavors of clove and raisin. The smoke itself eventually reaches a creamy and thick cumulus, with a mouth feel that is full yet never overwhelming. That this blend does this and also manages to smoke coolly and doesn't need excessive relights is all the more impressive.

This is a blend to be savored, to be enjoyed on a still night as slowly as possible. The complexity of this blend sometimes intimidated me; my own palette, especially as it concerns Balkan blends, is in need of a little more refinement to fully appreciate this tobacco. But make no mistake: this is damn fine tobacco geared towards the enthusiast. Get some.

This is one very well balanced English. It's got all the smoke, some sweet, some spice. All in all this one ticks all the boxes I look for in a nice pope tobacco. It crumbles easily, but be careful of making dust. Packs well, lights very easily. I don't dry this one as I can make the very top bit of the bowl quite fine and it takes the flame well. Doesn't need relights unless I'm forgetful of puffing.

The smoke is thick, creamy, and sweet. I had a hard time picking out the Virginias. The Perique is pretty far in the background. It’s good, but the mechanics are on the low side. It easily crumbles to dust when rubbing it out, and it doesn’t like to stay lit. This might be better smoked on a breezy day. If I can figure it out, I’ll bump it up a star.