Sillem's Black

What can I say about this that hasn't been said before? This blend is near perfection, if only it weren't so hard to find.

There are two different tins, a square kind and a rectangular kind. Neither are airtight, as the bags inside them are unsealed and simply closed off with tape. Luckily, it seems that even if the blend goes dry it doesn't get harsh or lose all of its flavor, like many other blends in the same packaging do. In fact, this blend smokes best dry, and it will dry; no goopy PG here. The tin note is fantastic, a sugary honey-like sweetness with a hint of fruit (think syrupy-sweet fruits like mango, passionfruit, or candied strawberrys) and a backing smokiness like marshmallows on a campfire. The tobacco is pitch black with some flecking of bright Virginia, not quite a ribbon cut but almost needle-like, kind of like some kinds of tea.

It takes to flame quite easily and forms a grey ash quickly. Some people like to call this a crossover English blend, but I disagree with the latter; it is not at all like an English, but its own thing. The taste is that of a wood fire perfumed with honey. It's a very gentle, mild taste: no intense Latakia soapiness, vanilla aromatic, or fake fruit topping, just a satisfyingly sweet smoke. The black Cavendish and Burley help provide a decent body to the smoke, which helps further accentuate its gentleness. The flavor lasts all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Won't bite, in fact it almost does the opposite; the smoke is so dry it'll start to dry out your tongue in a tannin-like fashion. An easy favorite, for as long as it's still available.

When I think of aromatic English blends, I tend to think of blends with the components of an English blend with some added sweetness (like Frog Morton’s Cellar) or a light topping. Sillim’s Black takes that to a whole new level. Black, like all of the Sillim’s aromatics is comprised of high quality tobaccos with a very heavy topping that smells wonderful. I don’t really pick out the toppings named in the description, but with that said, I can’t think of an aromatic blend that contains this much Latakia and is so aromatic (aromatic in an additive sense). It needs some dry time, and it will leave a pretty strong ghost in your briar so be sure to use a briar dedicated to aromatics or even a cob. It will even ghost an aromatic pipe that hasn’t been used with Latakia. With that disclaimer out of the way, it burns cool, is very rich in flavor and won’t burn hot. Black is fuller in body too. It will leave a tad bit of moisture in the pipe is not properly prepared. A lot of aromatics don’t cellar well, but I have had them jarred for as longer than four years without a problem. The packaging, while elegant, isn’t designed IMO for long term storage so I would jar it if cellaring is part of the plan.

As others have noted, the tin fragrance is similar to toasted marshmallows. The marshmallow taste is greatly diminished while smoking which gives it a subtle quality. Contrary to other reviewer's comments, I could not detect any hint of floral or soapy smell or taste. It is sweet but not cloying or artificial or chemical. This is a unique blend because. although it is sweet and it has latakia like MacBaren's Latakia, it has a delicate, smooth taste. The idea of lat combined with sweet Cavendish seems bizarre but Sillems somehow accomplished it. It can give a slight bite if multiple bowls are smoked continuously but, generally, it is a well behaved blend. Great stuff and deserving of 4 stars.

I couldn't even really taste and smell the tobacco through the soapiness and I even worked my way through 2-3 bowls of it. As soon as I smelled the tobacco through the tin I knew I wasn't going to like it. It smelled STRONGLY of some kind of chemical to me, but it was kinda funny cause none of my friends could smell it. The only way I can explain this is that maybe I have some certain gene that allows me to smell this soapy substance.

Example: In 1931, a chemist named Arthur Fox was pouring some powdered PTC into a bottle. When some of the powder accidentally blew into the air, a colleague standing nearby complained that the dust tasted bitter. Fox tasted nothing at all. Curious how they could be tasting the chemical differently, they tasted it again. The results were the same. Fox had his friends and family try the chemical then describe how it tasted. Some people tasted nothing. Some found it intensely bitter, and still others thought it tasted only slightly bitter.

What a great smoking pleasure ! As soon as you open the tin, you clearly understand that it's gonna be something, boy... Perfect balance in the mixture of Latakia, Black Cavendish, Burley and Virginia. This tobacco is really... special and deserves to be smoked in a peaceful environment: doing nothing, watching nothing, earing nothing and, last but not least THINKING about nothing. Total exprerience 🙂 Very big stuff !

Wow. I don't give 4 stars lightly, but this German-English blend absolutely will knock your socks off. Extravagant is the right description for this blend.

Tin aroma is definitely unique: the smoky spicy aroma of the Latakia is definitely the dominant part, but the sweet honey aroma of the black cavendish is the secondary subtle part. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't come vacuum sealed, but that's not a big issue. The tobacco is a bit wet anyhow, so if it dries out a bit, it's sure to improve the smoke. However, if you're planning on long term cellaring, put the pouch in a ziploc bag and place back into the tin.

From the first light, it became clear to me that Sillem's has taken this Latakia blend to aromatic levels that few other blends reach. The rich, creamy subtle spiciness is predominant early on. Others have described toasted marshmallows and I agree - definitely. There's a sweet nutiness to it that isn't overpowering and it's one of the few blends I've smoked that I could actually smell the room note and it is wonderful. The further into the bowl, the spicier it gets and I detected somewhat of a coffee bean flavor still mixed with toasted marshmallows. The bowl ended perfectly with nice white dottle and a very spicy finish.

One note about strength: this one is deceiving. It's stronger than you think. You'll get a nice nicotine buzz going about half way through the bowl and depending on the size of your bowl, it might grab you by the throat when you're done. It's definitely in the medium to strong range. I couldn't smoke this blend everyday, but it's a definite treat. It's a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for and this would be a welcome addition to anyone's stock.

A phenomenal blend.

A smooth, easy going blend with a toasted marshmellow aroma. It burned easy with almost no bite. The latakia gives it a smoky body that lies under the sweetness of the cavendish. As others have said, a true English aromatic

After 30 years of pipesmoking, just one word - best!

Love at first bowl.
Sillem's Black is a beautiful craftsmanship and artistry in tobacco blending. Its intricate flavor profile, with good latakia and Virginias, cavendish and interesting solid presence of citrus and subtle taste of honey and fruits, elevates it to a class of its own. The quality shine brightly in every puff. For discerning tobacco enthusiasts, Sillem's Black is an absolute must-try, and it never disappoints.