Sillem's Black
(3.42)
Extravagant is the right word to characterize this mixture. We have revolutionized the traditional old English art of blending. The main ingredient is the finest spicy smoky latakia. By adding highly aromatic black cavendish, this blend becomes smoother. A small portion of burley gives a slight toasted aroma, and a pinch of bright Virginia brings a subtle sweet note. Mellow, but yet full bodied aromas of honey and fruit essences result in a unique flavor. This tobacco will surely be a delight.
Notes: This tobacco is listed as English Aromatic on the website "Smokingpipes.com."
Details
| Brand | Sillem's |
| Blended By | |
| Manufactured By | |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Fruit / Citrus, Honey |
| Cut | Ready Rubbed |
| Packaging | 100 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.42 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2013 | Mild | Extra Strong | Medium | Very Pleasant |
This blend is is an Aromatic. If you're a big fan of Latakia English blends and their Balkan, Oriental cousins this blend will not be for you. Not a crossover blend in my view.
The tin is not sealed, simply a cellophane bag closed with tape and placed inside the tin. A bit concerning since there must be a tonne of added humectants. First nose is massive amounts of cherry and vanilla, with zero Latakia. After emptying the bag into a mason jar the bag itself had a slight smokiness to it.
Packs well, lights well and burns to a nice clean powdery ash, not gooey nor wet. A fairly cool smoke; however, can bite if rushed; obviously quality leaf.
The blending is expertly done, huge amounts of cherry yet rather mellow. The best cherry blend I've had, not that I'm an aromatic connoisseur. Disappointingly the Latakia never does show-up, it's used to make the cherry deeper/broader and does add a bit of depth "smoking satisfaction". Unlike most Aromatics which are far too bland and cannot deliver apart from pleasant aromas. This blend is also low in nicotine, not that I care but others do.
It's recommended to either to use one of your aromatic briars or if this becomes a favourite dedicate a few. I would not use my English pipes, it ghosts a lot despite the well behaved nature of the casings.
Unfortunately, every-time I smoke Sillem's I end up with a wicked headache due to the casing agents, humectants, and chemical additives therefore I cannot recommend this blend.
If however, you're looking for an English with a hint of aromatic sweet black cavendish I would highly recommend Boswell's North Woods the room note is definitely Latakia although the aromatic combines to make something which reminds me of Catholic High Mass and Frankincense and it tastes great too.
The tin is not sealed, simply a cellophane bag closed with tape and placed inside the tin. A bit concerning since there must be a tonne of added humectants. First nose is massive amounts of cherry and vanilla, with zero Latakia. After emptying the bag into a mason jar the bag itself had a slight smokiness to it.
Packs well, lights well and burns to a nice clean powdery ash, not gooey nor wet. A fairly cool smoke; however, can bite if rushed; obviously quality leaf.
The blending is expertly done, huge amounts of cherry yet rather mellow. The best cherry blend I've had, not that I'm an aromatic connoisseur. Disappointingly the Latakia never does show-up, it's used to make the cherry deeper/broader and does add a bit of depth "smoking satisfaction". Unlike most Aromatics which are far too bland and cannot deliver apart from pleasant aromas. This blend is also low in nicotine, not that I care but others do.
It's recommended to either to use one of your aromatic briars or if this becomes a favourite dedicate a few. I would not use my English pipes, it ghosts a lot despite the well behaved nature of the casings.
Unfortunately, every-time I smoke Sillem's I end up with a wicked headache due to the casing agents, humectants, and chemical additives therefore I cannot recommend this blend.
If however, you're looking for an English with a hint of aromatic sweet black cavendish I would highly recommend Boswell's North Woods the room note is definitely Latakia although the aromatic combines to make something which reminds me of Catholic High Mass and Frankincense and it tastes great too.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 18, 2011 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Strong |
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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 14, 2022 | Mild | Extra Strong | Overwhelming | Tolerable |
I had relatively high hopes for this based on the high average score here, and listening to others' descriptions of their enjoyment of this blend. I cannot jump on board with this one.
In the realm of Latakia blends (English, Balkan, etc), there are plenty that I greatly enjoy, and I think the tobacco blend here is decent. My issue is entirely with the cherry topping, which at no point during smoking ever completely disappeared. It was intensely strong in the tin note, as well as from first light. It reminds me of bitter, medicinal, cherry flavor cough syrup. The flavoring may have burned off of the leaf by halfway through the bowl, as it seemed to diminish, but I definitely tasted it (whether it was just aftertaste, I don't know) through the whole smoke.
Perhaps I am just more sensitive to this kind of flavor, because it doesn't seem like many others dislike it, certainly not with the same intensity that I do. What I could taste of just the tobacco blend was decent, but definitely not enough to make me want to suffer through the rest of the package.
I smoked 4 bowls in two different pipes, and tossed what remained.
In the realm of Latakia blends (English, Balkan, etc), there are plenty that I greatly enjoy, and I think the tobacco blend here is decent. My issue is entirely with the cherry topping, which at no point during smoking ever completely disappeared. It was intensely strong in the tin note, as well as from first light. It reminds me of bitter, medicinal, cherry flavor cough syrup. The flavoring may have burned off of the leaf by halfway through the bowl, as it seemed to diminish, but I definitely tasted it (whether it was just aftertaste, I don't know) through the whole smoke.
Perhaps I am just more sensitive to this kind of flavor, because it doesn't seem like many others dislike it, certainly not with the same intensity that I do. What I could taste of just the tobacco blend was decent, but definitely not enough to make me want to suffer through the rest of the package.
I smoked 4 bowls in two different pipes, and tossed what remained.
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