Tobaccos Seattle Pipe Club - Mississippi River

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3025)	2015-08-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

The red Virginia is tangy, dark fruit sweet with a little earth, bread and wood, and a touch of tart citrus. It's rather McClelland-like in that there’s a very mild barbeque flavor present at the beginning. The woody, earthy, stoved Virginias have a fermented sugary stewed dark fruitiness, and competes with the red Va. The earthy Cyprian Latakia is an strong supporting player, adding a sweet smoky, musty woodiness that is obvious in every puff as a contending leader for attention. The perique continuously offers some spice with raisin, plum and fig notes in the background. The Oriental is also a minor player, not always detectable, but it is woody, earthy, dry, floral, herbal, vegetative,and mildly spicy with a slight sour hit here and there. The strength is in the center of mild to medium while the taste just approaches the medium mark. The nic-hit is shade less potent than the strength level. Won’t bite or get harsh, but sports a few small rough edges. Presented in an easily broken apart krumble cake, it may need a little dry time. Well balanced, it burns slow, cool and clean with a very consistent, complex, rich and creamy smooth sweet and savory taste to the finish. Leaves just a little moisture in the bowl. Requires some relights. Has a very pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke. Three and a half stars.

Some smokers have complained that the newer production, which is made by a different company than it first was, is not as good as the original. In comparing the 2011 version versus the 2015 several times in back to back smokes, I taste very few minor differences, e.g., the red Virginia is more prominent with less of the McClelland notes at the beginning, the perique seems to occasionally be a shade more noticeable in the new manufacture. I don’t see any of that worth complaining about, and the two versions are certainly not night and day different. In this instance, I think the power of suggestion over rides the taste buds of those smokers.

-JimInks

63 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-10-04		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This review is from a purchase of Mississippi River in September 2013.

I bought 8oz in bulk to split with a friend and it came as 4 big speckled "brownies" with some shake that had fallen off in the plastic bag. I put my 4oz share into a mason jar.

It packs and lights really easily because the crumble cake breaks down into almost a chopped tobacco consistency, ranging from light brown, to auburn, to near black. At first, I didn't get what the fuss was all about ... it was so tasteless in my Sav pot (very wide not deep chamber), I thought maybe everyone who raves about this stuff was crazy or I had gotten a bum batch.

Then I tried it in a deep, narrow bowled Sasieni and it was a whole different thing altogether. Its still mild, body-wise, and its pretty much a morning/daytime smoke for me. But its got a lot going on in terms of flavor (in the right pipe). I occasionally have to keep myself from absentmindedly inhaling it because its just that easy smoking. That almost never happens with VA flake tobaccos I generally smoke.

Good stuff. Get it if you can because geez it sells out fast.

EDIT: smoking it a few months later a description came to mind to describe the sweetness ... its like the caramelized edge of a chocolate chip cookie. Yum.

34 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Backwoods Piper (70)	2013-11-27		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a superb blend and a go to top shelfer for me. Love the balance in this blend. Absolute all dayer English blend. Just the right amount of spice from the orientals and enough smokiness from the Latikia to keep me interested but not so much that it extinguishes the sweetness of the Virginia's. If you're a new pipe smoker or new to English blends you should try this. This will always be a part of my rotation for sure!

Pipe Used: Briars and cobs dedicated to English blends

Purchased From: pipesandncigars.com

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TnRooster (15)	2014-04-25		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is simply awesome! Not being a fan of Latakia, I shied away from this blend despite all the rave reviews of it. Finally giving in to peer pressure, I ordered a tin. Amazing... The Latakia smokiness is prominent at first light, but quickly fades into the background( which is great for me). What remains is a sweet, caramelized sugar flavor from the Virginias, with just a tiny hint of smoke. The only bad part of this blend was when I reached the bottom of the bowl and realized it was gone.

Purchased From: PipesAndCigars.com

25 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2016-03-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I love this blend! Once again, master small batch blender Joe Lankford came up with a winner. I thought it would be similar to Esoterica's Penzance due to the contents and the fact that it is in Krumble Kake form. However, it is more Virginia forward with the Orientals, Perique and Latakia playing very deep in the background. This one stands on its own merit as a somewhat spicy offering that is a real palate pleaser for those who appreciate Latakia in small doses that compliments rather than overwhelms a blend.

Pipestud

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Riff Raff (5)	2014-04-25		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was pleasantly surprised by this tobacco. I was expecting the typical english blend from the description on here. This rings more closely to a Va/Per. The spicey, sweet, cool smoke is intoxicating. The complexity of flavors changes throughout the bowl which makes this blend even more appealing to me. There is the underlying Latakia leathery and smokey notes, but you can't help but me enthralled with the spicey sweetness of the Virginias and Perique.

This is definately a must have for me.

Pipe Used: Mastro De Paja, Peterson, Nording, GBD

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2011-10-15		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A deep, rich looking Krumble Kake that begs to be smoked. I prefer to fully rub it out and let it dry. The Virginia's lead the show here. More sweet than sour, but not overly so. I prefer Plum Pudding by the same blender for a little more Latakia. English lovers that are fond of a stong Virginia component should give this one a try. Recommended.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-03-12		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The first thing I noticed when I opened the bulk bag is the smell of a mild, sweet BBQ sauce. Similar to the McKetchup smell, but not the same. The sweet part of the smell was akin to molasses.

After lighting, the Virginias took the lead and held it for 2/3s of the bowl. The Latakia and Orientals were balanced in second place. The Perique was light but discernible. There's an extra bit of sweetness from a casing or topping. There are also some nice fruity notes. In the last third of the bowl the Latakia and Orientals achieve a balance with the Virginias providing a more "traditional" flavor profile which is held to the finish.

An excellent blend. A great, satisfying smoke. Mild to medium in body with medium flavors. Just a great all-around smoking experience. Loved it.

Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman, MM Freehand

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (241)	2009-09-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Comparing this to Seattle Pipe Club's Plum Pudding, I would have to say that the presence of the Perique, for me, was the dominant factor. Also, if you like your tobacco salty, neither will disappoint.

The presentation in the tin was similar to Plum Pudding, but the tobacco was not as brick-like. It was much easier to prepare Mississippi River for smoking. I could not detect any aromatic presence once I opened the tin, nor could I detect the presence of the Latakia. I did detect the presence of the musty Perique, but during the smoke, none of the Perique's flavor - just salt. It took to the match with ease and I had no trouble keeping it lit. Not a hot smoke, and very nondescript. All I tasted was salt and no tobacco - something I certainly wasn't expecting after reading the other reviews. At times I did detected a mild sweetness, but none of the fruity presence mentioned in the above description. For me, the Perique was so dominant (more salt than pepper) that I could not honestly detect the taste of any of the other tobaccos said to be in this blend.

Nothing in this one for me to cry out about. I will finish my 2 ounce tin over time, but unless things change, I won't be revisiting it. I have been wanting to try it and I am glad I did, with perhaps a slight preference for Mississippi River over Plum Pudding. Neither will make it into my rotation. In both cases, I was actually looking for more of a fruity sweetness to go with the Latakia. I recommend it with 2 stars for what it is - a mild, sweet Virginia with a little spice.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2016-04-12		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Seattle Pipe Club - Mississippi River.

Another blend I acquired in a recent trade with Gentleman Zombie; Franck, you've made my day again! I haven't been as excited over opening a blend since I obtained Haunted Bookshop on a previous trade and I've not been as satisfied since my first bowl of Black Frigate; it's such a shame it's unavailable to us in the U.K!

I adore krumble Kakes, I love how tactile they are and this scores even higher marks than usual as it's not just one or two blocks in the tin, there's a mixture of big and small blocks with some of the blend being broken so it's loadable straight away. The colour's mainly dark brown, there are some light and dark specks but as a whole it's dark brown. Just the tin note alone hits the spot, it's very satisfying! Due to the tin being quite spacious my mixture's breathed a little and the room inside has aided some of the kake in breaking up to a smokeable texture, so lets move onto the actual smoke:

My, oh my; this is the apotheosis of satisfaction! There's masses of thick smoke with a deep, rich and buttery flavour; it's very luxurious. I simply love it! Unlike a few other folks I struggle to detect any form of topping, I get a slightly fruity, slightly woody, slightly grassy and slightly sweet taste but I'd expect all that to hail from the tobacco's used. The one expected flavour which eludes me is any smokiness from the Latakia, albeit it says it only includes a smidgen! The nicotine quantity is very agreeable, for me; just enough to be identified yet nowhere near enough to turn my guts! And finally, we have the burn: steady, cool, even and leaves a fine white ash; perfect.

I can't recommend this highly enough; this steals the crown of 'the worlds best tobacco' from Black Frigate for me!

Highly recommended

A million star blend!

Pipe Used: Savinelli Fuoco 320KS

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: A trade with Gentleman Zombie... THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-10-10		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Finally got my hands on a tin of M, i, crooked letter, crooked letter i, crooked letter, crooked letter i, hump back, hump back i.

I purchased the small tin hand blended 2oz. I peeled back the top and took a deep whiff. Nothing. I took another whiff. Nothing. Barley a movement on the smell test. Kind of shocked. Didn't have a strong smell profile. I loaded my pipe and puffed it up as I stood outside and helped my daughter with her homework through the screened window. (I couldn't wait).

Hmmm. The mildness carried over to the pipe. Then, something strange happened. My reliable pipe with a decent cake that never runs hot began to run hot. I applied my puffing skills to the hilt. The pipe burned super hot and I wasn't impressed with the flavor. SUPER mild. Not what I was expecting. Not spicy, not sweet, not ANYTHING just like that deep whiff of my noz. Since then I've smoked about 8 more bowls in two different pipes. I get the same reaction. Burns super hot. (That's strange). And the flavor was eh. Pretty mild. I have combed through the reviews a good ways back and I can't find anything similar to my experience. The word mild was used only once. I'm surprised at this blend. Maybe I just got a bad batch, or maybe it's over hyped. Or, maybe you Seattle folks put a little (extra sum'tin, wink, wink,) in the blend you smoke . I do love Plum Pudding… but this is no Pudding. And I know Pudding.

UPDATE: July 13, 2015. Based on the previous smashing reviews I must have had a bad batch of this stuff. There's no way to describe the stark contrast between all other experiences and mine. Since Oct 2014, I smoked this tin down and finally gave up at the last bit. If I didn't get a bad batch, I will say this is the most overrated and overhyped tobacco on this site. Flavorless. Even the tobacco barely had a smell in the tin. I hate this tobacco and never have I committed the sin of throwing tobacco away until today. It was taking up valuable space in my cellar and the tin was worth more than the contents.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sterling 69. Cob. Peterson 305

Age When Smoked: fresh batch from new tin 2014.

Purchased From: PipesandCIgars.com

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pilotpuffer (6)	2014-01-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Unnoticeable

This is my fist posting on this forum, however, I and my wife have enjoyed pipe smoking since 2002. We found ourselves getting back into pipe smoking in the last few months and this has been an interesting experience. During my quest to “get current” with the tobaccos blends and the general hobby/lifestyle, I started looking at YouTube and reading this forum, as well as cruising the internet and my chatting up my local B&M tobacconists. The Seattle Pipe Club blends have certainly received some nice write-ups and accolades, so I took a chance from Pipes and Cigars and ordered a sample of 4 oz.’s of MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

Ok, on to my notes concerning SPC Mississippi River -

Taste: Excellent flavor of the initial light and first few puffs. I could immediately taste the Latakia and the smooth VA and the Orientals. The Perique hid the back until about mid bowl and then I caught the taste in subtle manner. The Orientals seemed more pronounced to me than the Latakia throughout the bowl. All together I think it is a mild to medium English blend with some unusual spicy smoothness and a faint brandy note. This mix never had a bite and was consistent in taste. I just can’t figure out the secret flavor that makes this blend so unique tasting. Is it the pressing? Nice finish with no lingering unexpected flavors.

Mixture: The mixture was smooth and well balanced all the way to the dottle. I really appreciate the married flavors that did not compete with each other or change as the smoke progressed. Again, is it the pressing and resulting marriage of the components that adds this nice touch?

Texture; My sample came as a solid brick! There was “some assembly required” to get the weed in a smokable condition. Others have commented that there is no known casing, but the moisture content was high after breaking the cake. I let it dry for an hour or two on a clean poster board before placing in a glass air-tight jar. After that I’ve had no issues with the moisture content.

Smoking notes: I lit nicely and stayed lit with normal sipping. I didn’t have to honk on the mixture to keep it lit. As other have stated, it finishes in a nice white ash. Reminds me of EMP in that respect. Great smoke with limited aggravation to my nose.

Summation for the jury: I really like this blend and plan to keep it in my regular rotation I prefer English and Balkan mixtures in general, but this SPC blend stands apart from most all that I usually enjoy. I think it is the uncommon smoothness and unique flavor for this type of blend. Additionally, with my Dunhill favorites I do not have the added task of rubbing out the blend.

Recommended.

P.S. I have many blends that have been cellared for over ten years that I will be sampling in the coming months. Some of these well-known international blends are no longer being produced or distributed. Stay tuned.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Spigot - MAPS 2002 Pipe

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Sunday Evening Pipe Smoker (54)	2016-12-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another blend I would call "meat and potatoes" but all I really mean by that is that the blend is "okay."

There are aspects of this which remind me of the Frog Morton blends, but frankly, I personally find the Frog Morton's much more enjoyable.

In the case of this blend, I got a bit of that Virginia sweetness, but only a bit. Some smokey latakia. I also could tell as I worked through the bowl that there was perique -- something that I am not a particular fan of, though it wasn't too bad all said, so I think its only a little bit of perique.

I rate blends in three ways:

Those I absolutely love. Those I find okay. Those I cannot believe I wasted money on.

I'd put this blend in the middle category. It's not something I am going to crave, It's not something I will buy again. But it's not a blend that I find distasteful either.

My reasons? Well mainly, I like something a bit sweeter, like a pure Virginia flake. I like latakia, but I like them a little more smokey-sweet like Frog Morton's Cellar. But all said, this is an okay blend. Reminds me of Plum Pudding and Presbyterian in terms of my reaction to it.

I'll finish this tin, but will hold fast to my Frog Morton's Cellar when I want a blend in this sort of family.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2015-03-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Firstly, I would not say this is an English blend, so don't let that put you off if your anti-English. I've smoked it in straight VA pipes without the standard Lat ghosting. Although present, the Latakia takes a background in this blend and doesn't in any way try to out-do the other tobaccos. I have smoked and shared many tobaccos but this one I hid when others were around to preserve it all for myself. A real top-shelf treat. The sweetness of extra mature Vas are so balanced with the spicy perique and smoky Latakia in a marbled looking little crumbly brownie that's as visually stimulating as it is tasty! Buy some and you won't be sorry.

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: Fresh and aged

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CornCob (94)	2015-10-08		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

To me this is as palatable as a Vegemite sandwich, with that said there are millions that consider Vegemite a staple in their diet. I guess the same could be said for this blend, there is obviously enough fellas out there that like this stuff, or just say they do as to not upset Joe Lankford perhaps? I'm at a loss to understand the subtle and pronounced flavour notes some reviewers mention here. Quite frankly I couldn't keep it lit long enough to get much of anything out of it, the flavour reminds me of SPC Plum Pudding and I don't mean that to be complimentary (another tremendously over rated and over priced smoke in my opinion) Eternally moist, bitey, absent of any quality tobacco flavour and about as exciting as a glass of water served at room temperature. To each their own I suppose, but I sure missed the punch line on this one. If you are looking for a similar blend at a fraction of the cost, come hang out at my place around 5:45am at any point throughout the week, my neighbor's German Shorthaired drops a big Brown twist on my lawn and kindly leaves it for me to dispose of(or step in). In a blind taste test I'd put a 50 cent piece on the table that one could not tell the difference between the two.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2014-08-02		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I had no idea what to expect with this one, especially after having just smoked a tin of it's stable mate Plum Pudding. So, I popped the tin and saw a mélange of pieces of a rather dark and mottled tobacco that looked like an irregularly rubbed-out flake. My initial sniff test caused me to think - what? It smelled like several things all at the same time; but, mainly sweet and somewhat spicey and, yes, latakia. The semi-flakes rubbed out easily and the loading and lighting was also easy. The sweetness seemed subdued during smoking and the frequently encountered English pair of tobaccos, latakia and perique, played nicely together. All in all, a rather pleasant smoke that I enjoyed; however, I don't see it as a mainstay blend. I have been including it in my English microblends to great success and enjoyment.

What we have here is, in essence, an aromatic English. I have no problem recommending it to smokers for both smoking and blending. Three stars.

Pipe Used: Northern Briars ELX half bent cognac billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 yr old

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: Pembroke, but much milder flavoring.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cellist0doom (6)	2015-07-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This blend is one of my absolute favorites! It attacks my taste buds in all the right ways. It's spicy, sweet, smokey, and tangy. I still remember the first time I had a bowl of this. As soon as the flavors opened up, I shook my head in disbelief that I had found something so good! I think this blend is a great one whether you prefer aromatics or non-aromatic and English blends.

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lit a Kia (69)	2014-07-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice, dark crumble cake with inviting tin notes of plum, leather, and a background aroma that would be familiar to Copenhagen dippers (although that last one dissipates with a little drying time).

Needs some tending and an occasional relight, but burns well overall.

Some nice spicy and earthy notes from the orientals, but the Virginias are still very much in front. Personally find them a little thin in the smoke and taste departments, and the flavor is a bit too much like a (quality!) cigarette.

Nicotine level is pretty solid.

Similar, but doesn't quite measure up, to Pebblecut or Tudor Castle, imo. (And those two are a lot easier to get your hands on!) But fans of these types of VA-oriental blends will almost certainly enjoy this. It's pretty damn good for the genre, just not my cup of tea.

Similar Blends: McClelland Ashton Revival Pebblecut, McClelland Tudor Castle.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Briarhood (2)	2018-05-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well it took me 3 tins to really figure out what Mississippi River was all about. That’s an odd opening sentence, but this is not a one dimensional blend. I always knew there was something there hence the 3 tins, but now I can properly relay my experience very well. Firstly if your looking for a sweet tooth Virginia forward blend this is not it, the Red Virginia does however add a subtle nuance of both dark fruit and a pleasureable spice note. The Perique is muted, but noticeable just how I like it. The interplay between the Latakia and Perique is very nice, and the Turkish leaf lends a bit of a sour yet tasty element. In my estimation the Latakia and Turkish leaf are the main players with the aforementioned as condiments. Now why did this take 3 tins ? It’s all about the Kake ! The krumble Kake is probably the best I’ve seen, but as expected was always moist. You can smoke this straight from the Kake, but I found out over 3 tins it really doesn’t shine as many reviewers describe it. This blend needs to be broken down and dried a LOT ! A good 2 hours or, until it feels almost too dry. Once the moisture is muted, the real Mississippi River comes out to play very very nicely. This now has become something I’d buy again and again. I wouldn’t say this is my top shelf go to, but I will visit this at least a few times a month or, whenever I can spare the time to wait for my pipe fix. An easy 3.5-4 stars now that I learned how I enjoy this blend.

Pipe Used: Peterson, Nording, Savinelli, Cob

Age When Smoked: New to 1 year

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipers' Domain (16)	2017-09-23		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

A somewhat barbeque flavored blend that could be accompanied with a smoked beer. Creamy, smooth and spicy, smoking very well to the last draw. No tongue bite. It is funny how latakia and perique can blend so nicely, giving pleasure in equal parts. As I have not yet discovered any similar blends, I would highly recommend it.

Pipe Used: briar

Age When Smoked: 1 year

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mhulsey (36)	2015-12-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

First let me start off by saying that this is an incredible blend deserving of every bit of the hype that surrounds it. Now, with that out of the way, I will begin my review. The tin that I am reviewing is one of several two ounce tins that I purchased this past spring with the intent being to age several of the tins, but they have continued to be pulled from the cellar at an astonishing rate. That should be a testament of how good this truly is. The tin note of this tobacco is very bright, being both sweet and bready from the Virginia, and slightly smoky and leathery from the Latakia, although I will say that the Virginia’s seem to steal the show at least as far as the tin note is concerned. The cut of the tobacco in this tin was more of a crumble than a cake as it seemed that none of the cake held together, however, I have gotten a few tins that were much more of a cake with small bits and pieces smattered in at the bottom of the tin. The tobacco is definitely a high quality tobacco and I have yet to find any twiggy or woody bits in any of the tins that I have purchased and smoked. The moisture level of the tobacco is generally just about right for my liking, however, this tin seems a little on the damp side and therefor I have had to rub the tobacco out completely and then let it sit out for fifteen to thirty minutes at a time before packing a bowl and enjoying my smoke. Once rubbed out and dry, the tobacco packs easily into the bowl and takes the light with minimal effort. The first thing that I am greeted with upon lighting the tobacco is that wonderful yeasty, and bread like Virginia taste, which is followed by a mild smoky, campfire like taste from the Latakia. To me, the Latakia remains mild throughout the entire smoke and plays a supportive role to the Virginias and Perique. As for the Perique, there is a mild peppery note that I can detect in the smoke, but it mainly lets me know it is there by mouth feel, as there is a slight spiciness that can be detected on the tongue. Do not let this last statement confuse you, there is no tongue bite here that will stay with you for hours or even days, but yet there is a mild spiciness that is detectable kind of like that of a mild spicy pepper. The blend remained bright, clean, and very consistent down to the bottom of the bowl. Nicotine levels were moderate, at least to me, leaving me feeling as though there was no need to light up another bowl. In the end, the tobacco burned well with no need for any relights, and burned down to a fine white ash, which made for easy cleaning of the pipe. I have to say that I am very satisfied with this blend and will continue to purchase it as often as possible so that I can possibly cellar some, and have enough to smoke anytime that I am in the mood for it. I would recommend this blend to anyone who enjoys a mild English blend where the Latakia is not overpowering, or to those that enjoy Virginia and Perique blends but want something to spice it up a bit.

Pipe Used: Various Dunhills

Age When Smoked: New from tin

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CincinnatiKid (2)	2015-10-18		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The fact that his tobacco has prompted Me to write My first review ought to say something. I am not going to attempt to delve into the many subtle nuances of this blend, as many much more qualified individuals than Me already have. What I do want to say is, now that I have nearly smoked a tin of it, that Mississippi River just may be smack dab in the middle of My wheelhouse. I favor VaPer blends much of the year (leaning a bit heavier on Burly and Latakia the colder it gets), but the role that the Latakia plays in this blend seems to never be too much or too little for my taste. That is to say it serves as an excellent supporting role to the Virginias no matter if it is 9am in July with coffee or 9pm in November with an Imperial Stout. I have only enjoyed a few dozen tobaccos in My pipe life thus far, but how this offering from Seattle a Pipe Club never ceases to match just what I am after tells Me that it is a very well balanced and masterful blend. Lastly, I love how it crumbles and packs. Makes for a delightful prep and a low maintenance smoke. Cheers.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Palermo09 (23)	2014-06-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have ordered this tobacco several times. When I bought it in bulk it was almost a fully rubbed out kake, the 2oz tin was small pieces of kake, and the 8oz tin had two large beautiful chunks of kake. I much prefer the fully intact kake, if only for aesthetic reasons. This has become one of my favorite tobaccos. The Virginia is prominent, then perique, followed by the slightest hint of latakia. It burns cool and dry, which is always a plus. The room note does not linger which makes it one of my wife's favorites as well. An easy going all day smoke that an experienced smoker can appreciate and could serve as a good transition smokle for an OTC tobacco smoker to higher quality blends.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 1-2 years

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-10-15		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Looks great smells great taste way to mild and gunk's my pipes up and never I repeat never dries out on the self in an open tin for over a year don't know what they case this stuff with but I think its what they use in most McClelland English blends because I have this problem with them too

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marosi (70)	2020-10-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It deserves to be stated from the onset that this is in no way an English blend (just because something has latakia does not make it English). Worse, labeling this an English does this blend a disservice as it in fact reflects a quintessentially “American” style of tobacco popular throughout the twentieth century. Go back and look at the ingredient list for something like Holiday Mixture, or Dr. Bradley (which I would argue is the one of several better iterations of this flavor profile). It was very common for VA and Burley forward blends to include latakia, orientals, and cavendish for very subtle effects that do not take away from the relatively mild, all-day-smoke characteristics of this style. The only real differences between this and those older blends are (1) they were generally cased to varying degrees, while this avoids any additional top casing, and (2) the crumble cake format, which of course is not itself original to this blend but seems to have become trendy again recently.

The tobacco itself is a loose crumble cake that when properly dried smokes cool and offers a sweet, mild VA dominant flavor that becomes somewhat richer as you move down the bowl. I never really get any pronounced latakia or oriental flavors from this and the VA’s always remain at the forefront. Why two stars? First, it is not original in any possible sense and really represents a rebranding and packaging of something that has been available for decades from other houses. There is certainly a lot of overlap from one house to another, but to try to market this as some unique brainchild of a master blender is just not very sincere, so I ding it for that. Second, once rubbed out the tobacco is more of a uniform cube cut, and this can make it very easy to pack too tightly as it tends to lay flat on top of itself as you load the bowl and can also clog it at the bottom. Not a big deal but a little variation in cut would avoid this issue.

In my estimation setting aside Smoker’s Haven’s venerable Krumble Kake, Hermit tobacco, not SPC, deserves the credit for refocusing on crumble cake long before SPC even existed, and those blends are still available and more unique. Honor Blend, for example, lacks the latakia that this claims to have but has a similar VAPER flavor profile in crumble cake format and has been around for roughly two decades. It has more nic than MS river but also offers a more complex and rich flavor profile even without the latakia. Iwan Reis also still offers several blends, like Dr. Bradley and Old Colonial, that have been made for them and sold by them for more than 50 years, that explore this American style of blending that uses VA and Burley with gentle use of condiment leaf to round things out. It should be noted that to my knowledge these blend are, and have been for a long time if not always, been made for IR by Sutliff, which makes MS River as well. Dr. Bradley, for example, has a very similar ingredient list as this, but has a little sweeter casing (but not a top flavor like true aromatics) and less nicotine. It is a true all-day smoke and in peak form is more complex and tastier than MS River (although neither are in any way truly complex). It is not a crumble cake but I prefer its more shag style cut for maintaining a consistent draw.

Ms River is a nice smoke and can be enjoyed. It is not, however, a premium smoke or groundbreaking as it is marketed (you simply cannot compare the tobacco quality in this blend to something from Germaine or S. Gawith, for example - how many other Sutliff blends do you argue are equal in quality to the best tobacco coming from England or Europe?). If you love it smoke it for what it is, but explore the early and mid-century blends still offered by Iwan Reis and the fantastic crumble cakes from Hermit if you want to take this enjoyment further.

Pipe Used: meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Similar Blends: Hermit Honor Blend, IRC Dr. Bradley and others from IRC, also made by Sutliff.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Whaley (4)	2018-07-03		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm a big fan of Mississippi River. I absolutely love that tangy taste from the Virginias. You also get that hint of spice throughout the bowl. It's a great smoke.

Age When Smoked: Out of the tin

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars and smoking pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jeff C. (5)	2015-10-05		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Although not a bad tobacco, I'd consider this a crossover for those coming from the Aro world looking to explore the world of English/Baltic blends. It's cased with something, though it may just be the humectant of which there is obviously a sizable measure. As has been stated, it just doesn't want to dry out. This however,is not a problem as it does stay lit quite well. The problem stems from the fact that it maintains that moist nature throughout the smoke which at least in my case, is a deal breaker since your concentration is always on the cloying moisture content so commonly experienced with Aro's, rather than the nature of the blend itself. Thus it's burdened having the smoking qualities of an aromatic with a taste of the flavors associated with true English/Balkans, Vapers and Straight Virginia's. The flavors never really marry and leaves the smoke rather one dimensional. It sadly and simply never really develops any real body. As I previously said, this may be a great way to introduce the Aro smoker to the joys of purer tobacco's as the moisture content will ease them into smoking pure tobacco by having many of an Aro's smoking characteristics. But, if your a veteran of the true Balkan types of weed, I think you'll find the qualities and nuances you'd expect from that type of blend to simply not be found here. 2 stars for an excellent bridge into the English/Balkan world.

Pipe Used: Meers, briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Plum pudding by Seattle Club Pipe.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Deckard Cain (37)	2015-09-29		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I completely rewrote my review for this blend. I reviewed it 5 years ago and gave it pretty high marks. But having revisited it I would like to revise it

First off this is a crossover blend. With all of the pleasant tin notes and room smells of an aromatic, but still managing to have a little bit of flavor. But I only mean a little bit. The latakia is noticeable but quite minor. Other than that there isn't much real tobacco flavor. It does seem rich, or at least it makes a lot of smoke. Above all it is very user friendly. Like many of Seattle pipe clubs blends, handling it is easy. It's consistency almost seems artificial. Light and springy like the stuff you put in Easter baskets underneath the chocolate. This stuff came in a can as a cake, but barely. It seems to me they just pressed it together at the last minute and made the loosest type of cake for novelty. The stuff is also overpriced, crazy overpriced. But it does have its purpose. It's an excellent beginners blend. Nearly impossible to burn your tongue with. Plenty of topping and casing to lure a person who has not yet fall in love with tobacco in more pure forms. It smells a little ketchupy out of the can. Also it has a slightly savory, maybe even salty flavor. In a good way. I could probably enjoy this while smoking it around a lot of people. It is excellent for blowing smoke rings. And I don't think it's possible to burn yourself with it. All in all I think blends like this do have their place. Like Burma road, or East farthing, this tobacco serves as an aromatic that might possibly transition someone into more mature blends. I bought one can of this long ago, just because everyone was talking about it. But now I think I've moved a little beyond this type of blend. I like something a little more authentic now.

But make no mistake. This is not an English blend. So don't pat yourself on the back if you like this stuff. This ain't English.

Pipe Used: New cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Frog morton, east Farthing, Burma Road, Aromatic english, Coco pops, fruit loops...ect.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Johnstraus (1)	2015-06-28		Medium	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Absolutely awful. Tastes like perfume and very chemically.

Not something I can recommend.

I bought both the 2 oz tins and the 8 oz tins from every time it was produced in the past year and I always got the same results regardless of the pipe used.

0 out of 5 stars for me.

Pipe Used: All sorts.

Age When Smoked: Aged and fresh.

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dennis Frost (2)	2015-01-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

This is quickly becoming my go-to blend. Very creamy and rich, without an overwhelming flavor. Everything melds together perfectly for an enjoyable blend. Though there is a hefty amount of Latakia, it is just enough to give it the right amount of depth and creamyness. I cannot say enough good things about this blend. It is a Kake, so I usually break some out and let it sit for an hour or so before loading a bowl. In fact, I may go do that right now...

Pipe Used: stefano santambrogio; Stanwell

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joeray (61)	2014-03-16		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Yeah this is it, a smooth, mellow, and fragrant smoke finally I found it at this remarkable blend. It came with a bulk package on a huge flip plastic with a well printed sticker and when I open the flip the smell is very good, a slight virginia well mixed with perique, oriental and latakia it's smells very good. With a good moisture level and nice to pack it directly into the bowl without wind it up.

The first draw is excellent, smokey fragrant from the pine I guess came with a good peppery and spice fulfil my mouth and stick well in to the palate. The raisin and plum scene came very nice in to my tongue and the taste is sweet and mellow. Not a harsh kick or a quick bomb, it just a gentle increasing taste. It burns well at my pipe, not juicy and easy to keep the flame on. And at the half of the bowl, the taste and flavor are steady, slowly increase it taste to be a little bit stronger but still smooth and mellow. I really enjoy the journey with this blend untill finish, until I smoke it in to the bottom of the bowl of my pipe.

I had finished a bulk of this remarkable blend and sure want to buy this stuff again. There is no tongue bite even I smoke it 3 - 4 times a day and I smoke it every day untill I finish the whole bulk. Just love this blend very much want to make this blend as my daily smoke.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Oscar Aged Briar 111 KS

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	robsm2013 (9)	2013-06-29		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I know everyone raves about this one due to all the positive publicity on youtube, and it does have a nice flavor profile, however, I just find this one way too mild -

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-12-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This blend, originally created by Joe Lankford of the Seattle Pipe Club, is a Krumble Kake and now produced by PipesandCigars.com for the Seattle Pipe Club. I find two rectangular Kakes when I open my 2oz tin, the tin aroma is Oriental/Virginia/Latakia. The flavor is Virginia forward, Oriental and Latakia next with Perique added for spice. This is a delightfully easy-going, all day smoke. The VAs are sweet with just enough Oriental and Latakia to keep me interested and at the end of my bowl longing for more. The Perique is lightly added and enhances the overall smoke. 9 out of 10 stars.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MeandMissMandible (1)	2019-10-10		Medium to Strong	Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Honestly, I'm not sure there is anything like it. I'd love to know if there is. Plum Pudding may be somewhat close, but the pure tang of this tobacco is what makes it so special and unique. Smoke it in a new or clean pipe. You'll keep coming back to it.

Pipe Used: Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation Dark Porter (1882)

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Shaun_Pearson (21)	2019-08-01		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I found the Mississippi River from Seattle Pipe Club to have better flavor than the Plum Pudding. It's sweet, tangy and had some dried fruit notes. The flavor was consistent and overall beautiful. I found that the dried fruit notes didn't overwhelm the Latakia or perique at all. Honestly, everything I ever wanted in an English.

Pipe Used: Savenelli Oceania

Age When Smoked: 1-2 Months

Purchased From: Twins Smoke Shop (Hooksett, NH)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tilley4 (16)	2018-05-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

After almost a year away from it, I'm picking up my pipe and joining back in to the fray... I made a trek to my local pipe shop only to find out that my favorite McClelland brands have been discontinued. Although disappointed, I wanted to give this one a shot as I've seen it around and I love a good Virginia based tobacco...

The Virginias are the main player in the blend but the Orientals and Latakia make their mark with a spicy, salty showing... This hits me right in the wheelhouse... The Virginias hit some high notes and bring a slightly citrusy character to the show... Smoked in a cob, nice and slowly... The Perique brings a sublime spiciness along with it as well... Really really nice after some grilled chicken when paired with some Redbreast 12... Highly recommended....

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2018-05-09		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I reach for this when I want a treat, great from top to bottom. I love it when I purchase a blend and open it straight away and its everything I expect it to be. The virginias are top notch and seasoned to perfection with the orientals. Sweet, buttery, salty, bbq smokeyness that is wonderfull for me at night while I reflect on the day and week. Flavor is balanced I can taste every tobacco used as they burn untill the last third of the bowl then the tobaccos marry into a wonderful rich medly of sweet goodness. Thankyou seattle pipe club and pipesandcigars.com! Now if the rest of you smokers would quit buying it all up LOL

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 2 years and fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: Ashton revival pebblecut similar only, Mississippi River is a great tobacco.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2017-11-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This blend is very nice. I remember when I first started smoking a pipe and remember many people raving about this blend back then. I went to a get together organized through PSF where someone gave me a bowl of this. It really didn't do much for me, but I think I drank a 12 pack of Molson at this event and probably smoked upwards of the same number of bowls. So it was not a fair comparison. I ended up buying a couple of tins to try later.

I just finished the first of these tins and now realize what those people were raving about then and now. This is a great blend. Sweet Virginia forward with the perfect condimental amounts of Latakia, orientals and Perique, all of which chime in to compliment the sweet Virginia.

The kakes are fun to work with and easily crumble out. They are basically the same as those krumble kake/flakes made by Sutliff for Watch City. I was really enjoying this tin until I took it up to deer camp and my buddy smoked the rest of it in two days. I will have to hold off on popping another until I get some more age on them.

I was hesitant to give this one four stars after giving four stars to the Special reserve edition, which I find even better, but it does not seem fair to penalize the normal MR for this. I highly recommend it and know too many people who would agree with that to go below four stars.

Age When Smoked: 1 yr 7 mths

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Champagne InHand (3)	2017-11-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

If you could smoke a fig newton over some nice Ozark hard wood, add just a touch of dark chocolate with a touch of spice and molasses, then you have the basic description of Mississippi River. This is my favorite so far of the different SPC blends that I have smoked through. Not too dry and not too moist. I really enjoy the cake or brownie type press and the multiple facets of this blends keep the smoker happy as in a room it has quite an appeal without any of the aromatic sprays of which I am not a fan. It goes wonderfully with sweetens ice tea or sweetened black tea with a splash of cream. I could probably smoke this all day as the nicotine is not too strong and the many flavors are quite pleasant.

I found this so enjoyable i went quickly to purchase 2 8 ounce tins because this blend is a winner.

Pipe Used: Rhodesian Briar, Peterson’s Briar, Apple Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin.

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars, PA, USA

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2016-09-26		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Upon opening the tin I found several pieces of cake that are extremely easy to crumble into a fine shag of tobacco, that look mostly brown with flecks of dark gold and black mixed in. The smell, as another reviewer has mentioned, reminds me of a McClelland VA blend. The smell is sweet & sour with a bit of earth, pungent, and some sweet fruit flavors.

This tobacco is so easy to prepare and load right from the tin. Easy to light and stays lit with light but firm (at the end of the bowl) tamping.

I was surprised by this tobacco. I was expecting it to be stronger on the latakia/English side of things....I'm not sure why exactly. This is definitely a VA forward blend, which really lends itself to my liking, especially of late. I've been on a serious VA kick. The smoke is creamy, smooth, and soft with mild to medium flavors. After smoking a few more bowls, it's a very mild flavor. It tastes like a typically sweet red VA blend, bready, a bit sour, dark chocolate tones, dark fruit, and woodsy. The smoke also has hints of the normal incense spice from the orientals, but just lightly, and just a tiny touch of campfire from the latakia. The perique is very mild, but discernible in the dark fruit tones. It's quite a nice relaxing, mild blend that seems to be great for an all day smoke. I would recommend this to those that are VA fans and who are looking to dabble into the English blends. I can see why so many people rate this tobacco so highly.

Update I decided to deviate from the pipe I had dedicated to this blend. I wasn't enjoying it as much as I thought I would and my experience didn't seem to align with the majority of reviews that are out there. Including some of the reviewers that have tastes very similar to my own. I loaded up my oldest pipe that is well seasoned, a Savinelli 602. Not sure if it's the cake or the bowl size, but HOLYSMOKES!!! Totally different experience! This is really really good stuff. Sweet and sour and smokey flavor in tons of smoke that is almost creamy and very soft and gentle on the palate. I absolutely loved smoking this blend in my Savinelli and it is definitely an all day smoke. Upgrading to 4 stars.

A word of advice, if you find a blend that seems 'eh...' try switching up the bowl and pipes with different cake. Still, with the light flavor I have to give it 3+ stars, instead of the full 4.

Pipe Used: Poker, Savinelli 602

Age When Smoked: 3 Months after receiving tin

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2016-01-29		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is amongst the sweetest non-aromatics available. The Virginias are abundantly sweet and tangy. The Turkish leaf is woody and slightly sour. The Latakia and Perique are subtle but give smokey and fig flavors. Every component combines to create a sugary tart desert like smoke. Definitely worthy of a spot in the cellar.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TXBulldog (74)	2015-11-23		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This blend has a unique tin note to it. Can't say it's inviting or puts you off, I'd say it's interesting since I never really had a note like it. Almost like a subtle tangy bbq. Nonetheless, the smoke it what counts and it's a good one. It has some great balance, the Virginia seems to pull through nicely with a sweet tangy nuance with the latakia balancing it out.. the perique isn't overpowering and let's you know it's there in the background. The Orientals definitely bring interest. I like how the sweetness seems to become more prevalent to me as the bowl burns down. A nice blend I think anyone would enjoy. Have kept this in my rotation for more than a year now. When I seem to not know what I am in the mood for, it's a staple I draw on regularly. I think this is one of those blends everyone should try at least once. It has enough uniqueness to it that separates it apart from so many others.

Pipe Used: Rossi, Red Point, La Strada, Cob

Age When Smoked: 3, 6 and 12 months

Purchased From: P&C

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FrozenChurchwarden (6)	2015-09-21		Mild	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Packing didn't seem to make a huge difference in flavour. I used mostly wide bowl pipes but the odd bowl in a small diameter pipe was still good. It burns very slowly when fresh but ok with a bit of drying. Drying does diminish flavour a bit.

The flavour is predominantly sweet and fruity with a bit of complexity. The smell is definitely a strong part of the experience for the smoker. Flavour is very consistent, strong up front and reducing slightly after halfway, but still quite tangible. It picks up a bitter note near the end. I've been dumping it at around 40 minutes when the flavour is still mostly good (I'm an occasional pipesmoker and don't worry about getting every last drop). It turns starchy with fast puffing and goes bitter if you burn it hot.

Pipe Used: Ferndown, Ropp, Ashton, MM Cob, Brebbia.

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 1 year.

Purchased From: 4Noggins.com

Similar Blends: Any good VaPer with choice Orientals and Latakia. The flavour reminds me somewhat of Sutliff Elizabethan Match, only with more complexity, really I can't say I've tasted anything else quite like it.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2015-09-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I am finally finishing up this tin, and I must say, I think it gets better and better. Usually Lat blends of this genre don't benefit from aging, but this being a Va forward blend it has aged nicely. The Va's have become much sweeter and balanced with the Latakia. The Perique does make itself known when exhaling through the nose. I have always loved the sour/sweet Virginia tobaccos from McClelland, and this is what makes this blend so special. I like to smoke this as I ease out of the summer VaPer's and make my way into the fall English blend rotation. Pick up a tin, you wont be disappointed.

Pipe Used: several

Age When Smoked: 2013

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joaquim Pancho (7)	2015-09-07		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This, in my opinion is the first, if not the only blend that mixes the viginias, latakia, orientals, turkish and perique, all together in a superb way, resulting in a nice cool smoke. Practically you can sense all the elements without having them in conflict. If you like English and oriental, or if you want to make a step in to English or Orientals, I recommend to start with this one.

Pipe Used: Jake Hackert

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: 4Noggins

Similar Blends: maybe Frog Morton on the Town.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	curttuck (12)	2015-05-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I struggled for a few weeks to properly understand the flavors of this tobacco. The flavors of Plum Pudding are a bit easier to pick out I think. Mississippi River has a sweet grassiness from the Virginias and Orientals, a smokiness from the Latakia, and a spiciness from the Perique, but what flavor stands out as unique, albeit in a subtle way, is a fishy, steak sauce-like umami flavor. It's somewhat of an anchovy or a lake fish gut smell and taste when, which sounds like a bad thing but is so subtle and well balanced that it works perfectly. It also has a hint of something like paper or cardboard, again which is a good thing in this blend. That fish-like character mixed with the taste that is like the smell of paper or cardboard was the thing that kept me from reviewing it earlier because it's kind of vague and hard to define exactly. The tobacco smokes slowly for a very long time. I find that while Plum Pudding is more complex, I'm not sure I can say one is better than the other.

Pipe Used: Tom Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Plum Pudding.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Autumn joy (47)	2015-03-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Ok ladies and gentleman SPC and Mississippi River are highly recommended by most. I recently just got two 2 oz tins of this from pipes and cigars and needless to say I should have bought more. This crumble mess is just such a great smooth and tasty smoke. The tobacco is actually fun to work with but does leave a little goop on your fingers. The light is pretty simple and after a false light stays lot very well. This is a very slow burning blend and will last you a good hour with a moderate bowl size. The taste of this tobacco is very sweet and about mid bowl you will notice a salty taste to this. I absolutely loved this blend so much it made my main 5 rotation. I say 5 stars for sure but 4 is all I got.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2015-02-03		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Couldn't wait to try this blend but I wanted to finish the whole 2oz tin before my review. The tin note is musty and fruity with a mild ketchup twang. It is a beautiful dark mottled krumble kake that breaks up and packs very easily. A little drying time is all that's needed and away you go. The mild Virginias add a real honest natural sweetness to the smoke. High quality tobaccos are very evident in the blend. There is just the right amount spice that is not overwhelming. The nicotine level is slightly more than medium but not a head spinner. Overall a great tobacco that I enjoyed more after dinner than earlier in the day. Medium bodied but rich and mouth filling smoke. Highly recommended.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Otis56 (31)	2015-01-29		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Joe Lankford is my hero. I have smoked all kinds of different blends of pipe tobaccos in my life time . That being said my 2 favorite blends are Ashton Artisian, and Robert Mconnell Oriental mixture. River is not even close in taste or aroma to either of the latter mixtures. But what a smoke. Wow what a suprise this mixture is. There is an amazing butter Carmel and chocolate taste and smell with a hint of Lakeland floral. It is sweet yet slightly smokey. Lights fairly easy. Is rich and creamy. And I truly have found my new favorite smoke. Kudos to Mr Lankford. Peace

Pipe Used: 60's Italian bent brandy

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4Noggins

Similar Blends: Nothing I have come across..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cavendishes (7)	2014-11-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This blend upon opening the tin reeked of bbq. It reminded me of a Kansas city bbq sauce actually. This was a bit off putting as i have never really smelled that in a blend before, but as you know, the tin note and flavor are often quite different. This aroma settled down after a day or two, and it smelled more like a sweet and smoky english blend.

My first attempt at this blend was after a bowl of McClelland's Balkan Blue, which I LOVE! This was a really bad decision, because all I could taste was Virginias after the Balkan. It was actually kinda gross and I was disappointed. I decided to try it again the next day on it's own, and I'm glad I did. The second time around was much more pleasant and worthwhile, though still not really what I was hoping for. It's still decidedly a Virginia forward blend as far as I can tell, but the Orientals and Latakia start to build around mid bowl and create a very interesting, sweet and smokey flavor that is quite complex and satisfying . . . for a Virginia. That being said, it's not really my favorite flavor profile as the Virginia's tend to dominate, at least to my palate.

Another downside to this blend for me is that it is quite wet, and does not dry out very readily. I let a bowl full sit out on the tin lid for 3 hours and it was still almost as moist as when I pulled it from the tin. It may have some propylene glycol or some other moisture preserver mixed in, I'm not sure, but I ended up zapping it in the micro for about 15 seconds to get it to the moisture level that I wanted, which worked like a champ.

It burns medium hot once dried, but it's still heavy on the Virginia, so I took it slow. It is not super strong in the nicotine department either, which is a plus for me.

All in all, not my cup of tea, but if you're a Virginia lover looking for something different, this may fit the bill for you. If you're like me and you love Balkans and fuller English blends, this may not be what you're looking for. I am going to cellar the tin I bought and let it mellow out for a few years before I crack it open again. I probably won't buy another tin either.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum straight Billiard

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Preacher PipeWeed (5)	2014-09-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Along with Plum Pudding (also by Seattle Pipe Club), this is my favorite non-aromatic blend. It also serves as a great way to cross over to pure tobacco if you are a dedicated aromatic smoker. The components of the blend marry well together. It does require some pre-smoke drying time. You can smoke it fresh out of the tin, but will struggle with re-lights (but who cares? This is awesome regardless). I have a half pound aging, as I suspect this blend will only get better with age. The amount of Perique is just perfect for me, as that particular leaf is often too much for my tongue. Somehow, they have achieved a perfect balance along with Latakia & Orientals. I normally smoke Black Gold on a daily basis (Hilands Cigars), which is an exquisite aromatic. However, Mississippi River and/or Plum Pudding have become a go-to smoke at least 3 or 4 times per week (if you prefer a bit more Latakia, then Plum Pudding is for you).

This blend has it all: the smokiness of Latakia, the pepper of Perigue, the carmalized sweetness of Virginia, and of course the spice of the Oriental. God gave us tobacco, but Joe Lankford blended it to near perfection.

Pipe Used: MM Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bulldog8483 (25)	2014-03-31		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Very Strong

Upon opening the "bag" from Pipes and Cigars, it smells very strong and overwhelming in not a pleasant way. I actually did not care for that initial smell at all. However, while smoking it, that smell is completely overhthrown by the nice woodsy/smokey smell that it exudes. It is certainly a nice change of pace from when I switch between something like this and some of my favorite "go to" aromatic blends. It's not cheap (3 ounces for $20 with shipping) and I have a hard time buying a lot of it for that reason, but it is worth a try in my opinion given the smoothness of the it.

Pipe Used: Mr. Brog Amigo 51, MM Corn Cob and a Dr. Grabow

Age When Smoked: Bulk, directly from the bag

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Boswell's Northwoods.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PhillyB (70)	2013-10-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first opened this tobacco I really liked the smell. Super concentrated black tea and smoke. The taste is essentially the same and boy is there a lot of it depending on the pipe. Not a "smoke and don't think" blend, because your brain will be busy getting all the tiny flavor differences out of it. One of the best blends I have tried to date.

Pipe Used: Turck's Select Lovat

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-10-28		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Of the three Seattle Pipe Club blends this is my favorite.

Mississippi River, has a distinct balance and very intriguing nuance to my palate. The smokey Latakia, while ever present in flavor and aroma, subtly compliments the interplay of sweet Virginia and spice from the Oriental and Perique in a most wonderful way which is finished off, quite interestingly, with a smooth creamy dark Chocolate note that makes this one a truly unique smoke for me. Being a Krumble Kake, is an additional bonus. A "Treat" tobacco for me which I reach for on occasions when in the mood for a Latakia blend of medium body, yet rich in flavor with a little spice. A great change of pace offering.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-02-12		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I am a Virginia smoker. I love a great Virginia. Of the three Seattle Club blends, this is my favorite. If you like a nice base of red Virginia, this should hit the spot. The slow burn of this tobacco keeps it nice and cool for a Virginia blend. Just enough Perique and Latakia to give it a touch of spice. Definitely not a mundane blend. For the Virginia smoker a must try.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cleonides (21)	2019-10-14		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A virginia forward blend with a touch of latakia, perique, and orientals basically equally in the background. A healthy dose of propylene glycol and sugar. Give it plenty of time to dry if you want to properly enjoy this blend. Otherwise the flavors will be diluted with steam.

I think it's a safe bet that Sutliff 515 RC-1 and 507-S are used as the base of this blend. The virginias are bready, the perique for a little spice and earthiness, and just the right amount of the smoky/incensy latakia and orientals. A perfectly proportioned latakia blend for hot weather. The charcoal/burnt campfire log sucking fiends will say they can't taste any latakia, but it is there. Very sweet at the top due to the casing but that fades away quickly. Great balance of flavors going on, very mild nicotine.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (217)	2019-02-25		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

My experience here seems quite different from the majority of reviews. I have to be honest, I find no joy in this blend. There are some positives, however, it is as soft and smooth as a baby's bottom but the baby would have more strength than this blend does. As far as taste: the Lat. starts out front on the initial light, it is smokey and a little sweet. Then the VA's quickly take over. The Reds are tangy and sweet, the stoved VA offers a note of dark fruits as well. The perique does not come forward until after the first 1/2 of the bowl, it is peppery and has notes of raisin and fig but is usually present on the relights and not too much otherwise. The oriental was not found at all. I did pick up a note of dark chocolate (I think) the notes indicate that its there so I may have been looking for it and fooled myself as it is very mild. While this sounds nice, the flavor profile never developed all that much and the flavors never really stood out they stayed below the mild level throughout. The nic is not noticeable to me. I guess there must be some, they put the warning label on it but I could not detect any at all. Really sad when you are smoking a bowl and find yourself wanting to start another before you are finished. I know that a pipe is far more than just nic but when the flavors stay soft and hard to pick out and there is no noticeable nic what's the point of smoking it? The smoke was also very drying on the palate so I needed a lot of water to drink during a bowl. No complaints about the room note from anyone, I really could not smell it while smoking either. Finally, the price point on this is 30% higher than the other blends, maybe they have to up it to cover the cost for the outside blender, etc. but there are way better blends than this and for far cheaper.

Age When Smoked: 8 months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2017-11-03		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Update: 9/4/19

Well if you read my initial reviews, I did not like this stuff when I first purchased it, and I dove in with both feet and bought an 8 oz tin along with some 2 oz tins! What I remember most about this was how salty is seemed to taste. Around 5 bowls worth and it was had an unbelievable salty character to it for something you smoke. Well I threw what was left in a ceramic tobacco jar I got at an antique store, threw in a few ceramic disks to keep it moist and put it on the shelf. I may have added water to the discs 3 or so times in the last two years. I saw the jar and thought I would moisten the disks again and figured why not a smoke. Now as you may have guessed the tobacco is not only older but it is much drier. Not quite a crispy critter but it is pretty darn dry. Now I have learned that drier is better in almost every case, but being impatient I do not always wait. This may change that. With a little age and drying out this is pretty good stuff. I would not say it is one of my favorites but it is a fine tasting blend. It is pretty mild with smokey notes and a hint of barbecue. The perique give a little peppery tingle and the Latakia gives some sweetness and some smoke. I am picking up more sour notes from the Orientals, which I like. I don't get much from the Virginia's other than they seem to support the other flavors nicely.

Mississippi River may be the most finicky tobacco I have ever smoked... and I can't say that is all bad, if fact it is kind of good. This tobacco when smoked the way it wants to be, out of the pipe that it chooses, is quite delicious. On some occasions and in the wrong pipe it can be rather disappointing. For me half the fun is finding out what I am getting when I choose it for a smoke. Tin note on this is light an subtle. I get a hint of latakia and a sweet smell, like honey or sweet pastry. Not what I expected but nice I have burned through about 4+ oz of MR so I feel comfortable with a review. When this is good all of the tobacco's sing, I have found a straight bulldog to be the best bet (briar) for a great smoke with MR. Spicy latakia, figgy perique and malty sweetness dance and morph when it is behaving.The orientals provide an ever present woodiness and spice in the nose which is very pleasant. I get a saltiness that peeks in and out when this is behaving and it is quite enjoyable, I have never had the salty pretzel taste in any other tobacco , I enjoy it when MR is at its best. Now for the not so good smokes, when it is not behaving (larger bent pipes in particular). I get some latakia and a mouth full of salt water. I have had a few smokes where the saltiness was so overpowering I had to put the pipe down. Even when dried I would get a wet mouth feel, not hot but wet, and very salty. On occasion, I have come back an hour later for this to change on relight, into a decent smoke but occasionally the saltiness is all I get and it is not something I enjoy. I have a weird relationship with this tobacco because when it is good, it is really good. I am looking into my technique since something this good must have a pilot error component when it is not so good... who knows. I recommend this and will continue to smoke it and see what I get. Edit: Much of my previous review was from a roughly 8 month old purchase of several tins of MR. I ma now down to my last 8 oz tin and this has only gotten worse bowl by bowl. I have tried to replicate the few delicious bowls I had to no avail. This is an utterly tasteless tobacco on average, and when bad is salty and wet as others have described. I have roughy 4 oz left that I will banish to the cellar for a few years I split some to a mason jar and some to a used tin that I will just put away to see if it ever dries out. The one nice thing about this is that it travels well in a pouch. I find that any other tobacco in a travel pouch dries to potato chip like dryness in an 8 hour period while this remains unchanged for days . It is never awful but it is rarely good. If SPC changed suppliers they should fire them or if lucky the FDA laws may give you a reason to just disappear. I am utterly disappointed in this blend. Stock up on Dunhill now before classic reliable tobacco disappears forever. 1.5 for portability and not a bad tasting smoke...just not good either.

Pipe Used: Briar, meerschaum and cobs

Age When Smoked: < 1 yr +1yr + 1 yr (2 years is the sweet spot)

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kiwipiper (6)	2017-09-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Probably my favourite blend at the moment, the kake is very crumbly be careful not to over rub it out or its not as flavourful.

Virginias are the main player here, has a smokey background note and a little spice, the perquie is very faint only really showing up on the retrohale.

An all day smoke.

Pipe Used: Comoy and Ser jacopo Canadian

Age When Smoked: Less then 1 year

Purchased From: 4noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2016-08-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Somehow I find this blend much less than what I expected. The latakia is added so less that you can hardly make it out, and the main leading is virginia and some unknown additive casing. Good crumble flake presentation with excessive stiky moisture. When those different tobaccos mix together, this becomes a mess rather than in harmony. An overrated blend in my book. Worth a try but never get into my rotation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hiltanzil (7)	2016-05-15		Mild	Medium	Very Mild	Pleasant

Well i hate to say but i'm kind a dissapointed about this tobacco. The tin smells buttery, with hint of chocolate and a very slight of rum notes. For the first smoke until half of the tin left and a couple of pipe that i used, i still don't get it why this tobacco has a very good review. When i smoke this blend it taste very creamy, an artificial sweet with a slight of nic kick and no taste of tobacco at all. It taste so boring. After i reach the half of the bowl a slight note of chocolate has came out. It packs well and easy but it seems i cannot reach the dryness that i looking, maybe it has a PG in there. For most peoplw maybe this is a good tobacco but i'm very sorry this is not the blend that i looking for.

Pipe Used: savinelli primo fumo 626 and a gfb calabash pipe

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ian K (30)	2016-05-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Another great tobacco, Tin note is a wonderful 'plummy' rich aroma, the cut I would describe more of a hot pressed cake than a crumble cake of which a lot of the cake had already separated without having to crumble, which was fine. the tin I opened was very moist and required a good bit of drying but none of these points derive anything from the fact this is a quality delightful smoke. Latakia is very much a back note to the blend with the dominant flavour being a wonderful rich fruity VaPer. Will become a regular in the rotation, for sure

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 1yr shelved

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars

Similar Blends: Old dark fired..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J.R. Patton (106)	2016-02-15		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Wow. There are times when I have a tough go of picking my next smoke, mainly between straight VA, a VaPer, or balkan/english. I love it all, and sometimes it all sounds good...how about a little of everything in one bowl? Enter Mississippi River. This seriously great tobacco, folks. At first smoke, MR catapulted to my top 5 list...if you haven't sampled yet, you should.

It's an attractive crumble flake that effortlessly crumbles to a evenly allocated ribbon cut. Give it 10 or 15 minutes to dry. It seems to taste and smoke great whether fully or partially rubbed out, traditionally packed or gravity filled.There's a wealth of flavors here that marry so seamlessly it's difficult to pick out component flavors. The latakia is so back-seat it's in the trunk, and I don't mind a bit. It gives just a dash of smokiness to the rich sweet and peppery concoction. I've been in the habit of adding a bit of latakia to AnniKake, with varying degrees of success. But SPC nailed it here. Nothing more to add...give it a try, it won't dissappoint.

Pipe Used: MM cobs & Stanwell HCA I

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2015-10-22		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Like Plum Pudding, Mississippi River is a nice crumble cake tobacco. The dominant tin aroma was rather vinegry with a sweet edge. Again, I believe there might be some sort of topping, but it is less evident than in PP. I have to be honest and admit that the vinegar note prevented me from being able to identify the other components. As the tobacco was fairly moist so I had to wait some before being able to smoke some. When smoking, I could tell I was dealing with virginias and some kind of topping but, if anything, I can't tell that there is Latakia or orientals in there. Or maybe there are there as, at times, I am not sure if I am smoking a virgina forward blend, or not. In summary, MR is something different, yes, but, because of what I perceive as a "confusion" of flavours, it is not positively different for me to want to buy more in the future.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	r (34)	2015-10-15		Medium	Mild	Full	Very Pleasant

Remember that scene in Ratatouille in which Remy experiences mixing favors? This blend will make you feel like that. This is a delightful mix of various characters that creates something new and unique.

Producing plenty of creamy smoke right off the bat, Mississippi River constantly delivers a sweet and spicy mix with a nice finish, leaving you with a pleasant suggestion of berry flavor in your palate.

I sampled it at a Seattle Pipe Club meeting, where the tin had been open for a couple of hours. The tobacco seems to be a bit on the moist side and smokes a little wet, yet presented no issues in keeping it lit. No bite either. Very easy to rub and pack.

Do note this is the blend that keeps on giving - you will get a very heavy nicotine hit.

Pipe Used: Peterson System 312

Purchased From: Seattle Pipe Club

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CREED (2)	2015-06-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Nice morning smoke.......mild and smooth. However, that is about it, anything after lunch and this is too mild of a smoke. Smoke it slow to try and get the taste. Like I wrote, after lunch you will be wanting more flavor! So, if you're new to the pipe, you just might get a lot out of Mississippi River! Enjoy

Pipe Used: Got the same taste in any size I smoked.

Age When Smoked: 5 weeks only....had to try it!

Purchased From: on-line

Similar Blends: Seattle Pipe Club - Plum Pudding only milder .

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bobbysmokes (15)	2015-05-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I first tried this at the 2015 Chicago Pipe Club and immediately fell in love. The part I liked the best about this smoke is the aftertaste is the best I have had to date. I did not find the latakia off putting as I have found with other blends but I do not have the advanced palate of others.

I plan on making this a top tobacco in my rotation.

Pipe Used: Danger Rhodesian Bulldog

Age When Smoked: unknown

Purchased From: Sample at the Chicago Pipe Show from Seattle Pipe Club

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	THE-GYPSY-SMOKER (3)	2015-03-13		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

lets make this review simple... the tin not smells like a brand new leather jacket beef jerky ketchup mustard and bbq sauce. as i am smoking it now out of several different pipes the 1st pipe i tried it in was a mr brog lumber jack giant bowled nose warmer stubby poker i also tried it in a savinelli miele honey pipe the non bent version billiard type and a couple different style cobs and what ever you smoke this in you will get ghosting no matter what i tried it in. so i went out and grabbed me a cheap 25$ pipe either a grabo or a medico and this stuff smokes great! its a all day smoker don't listen to all thes other ppl online telling you it tastes like cookies its not a aromatic lol it tastes like...well tobacco its mellow woodsy earthy im not gonna lie every body tastes are different just because you watched reviewers on youtube like jayson dagner and aristocob etc. don't mean you will love it to its all apples and oranges it depends on what your into dunhills are a upper class english tastes the way mississippi river is your upper class redneck tastes with blends like dunhills you sit back infront of the fireplace with a good book and a churchwarden long stem pipe strong and suttle with mississippi river your by the campfire cleaning your mossburg shotgun ready for action smoking in your shorty clenched in your jaw i personally love em all. happy pipe smoking y'all side note all i gotta say is try a 1oz sample you might not be dissatisfied im guessing theres a big reason why its always sold out everywhere

Pipe Used: mr brog lumberjack savinelli miele

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: boswells northwoods.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jifunkera (2)	2015-02-11		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Not much more needs to be said that hasnt been said about this tobacco already. It is amazing. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, particularly because I am a newbie.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipeguywes (1)	2015-02-03		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I smoked this for the first time today. I am mostly an aromatic smoker. I like my black Cavendish but also like to try other tobacco's from time to time. the reviews on this one were so good that I bought two ounces. Upon lighting it I was surprised at how smooth it was. I liked it right from the beginning and felt very satisfied smoking it. It tasted the same to me from start to finish and burned like a charm in my older GBD. This tobacco lives up to the hype and I will be buying more right away. This tobacco will become part of my regular rotation along with by black Cavendish and my Lane1Q

Pipe Used: GBD

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	H Gillman (39)	2015-02-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Finally I got some. I had to try it after Joe Case said it was so good. I tried to get some for a while but it's always sold out. Nevertheless, I'm happy to add this to my library. I took it from the bag and jarred it right away. The "tin" note is interesting. Some report bbq, I smelled good old hienz ketchup. I like the chunkiness of this blend. Dark and crumbly. It's a pleasure to smoke. I find the balance of the smokiness goes very well with the sweetness of natural maturing.

I agree that there is a likeness to Caramelized sugar. I will definitely get a pound for aging. It can only be better with some maturing.

Pipe Used: Pete's, cobs, other briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipealicious (21)	2014-10-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Going through a 2oz bulk sample and I'm really enjoying it. I keep on craving more. The tin note is sweet and stout. The first light and 1st third of the bowl is sweet and savory, the flavor deepening as the bowl evolves. Wonderful changes of flavor from sweet to spicy to earthy and back. The moisture level is perfect fresh out of the bag, it packs and lights easily, nice mouthfeel and decent amount of smoke. I smoke at least a bowl a day of this till my bag is finished and I will definitely stock more of this blend. Five stars without a doubt.

Pipe Used: Group 5 size,all with 9mm filter

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Nothing (4)	2014-10-09		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

having heard such good reviews for SPC Ms River, when I saw a jar of it at a B&M, I had to grab a couple ounces.

In bulk form, this is a mostly rubbed out kake. There are still many good sized chunks in the mix, though, and that gives me a good idea of how it comes in tin form. It smells of damp earth and sweet leather, with some initial smokiness from the Latakia. The weed color ranges from dark amber to almost black.

The first bowl was exquisite--sweet with a hint of spice. The flavors were mellow, but every sip off the pipe seemed to be a bit different. Dried apricot, plum, sugar cane, white pepper. It was ever evolving.

After that first bowl, others have been similar, but I seem to find it more and more disappointing. I wish this blend had more body, as I find it to be a fairly mild tasting blend. It's fine first thing in the morning, but fails to live-up later in the day when I need something a little more.

I will keep Mississippi River in rotation, but relegated to days that I've been without a pipe for awhile and I can enjoy the mellow flavors that this tobacco has to offer

Pipe Used: Cobs, Stanwell, Meers

Age When Smoked: 3mo

Purchased From: Tinder Box, Tacoma, WA

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wmf (14)	2014-09-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Solid 3.5 stars. Tin note and flavor for me are one in the same. Broad Virginia dynamic with a touch of spice and baking bread muddling through in a good way. Be careful not to rub it out too much and MR will carry you away. Natural sweetness, creamy flavor, and a great companion to my Rick Black poker. Buy the big tin!

Pipe Used: Rick Black poker

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aegis (2)	2014-08-30		Medium	Medium	Full	Pleasant

When I first received Seattle Pipe Club's Mississippi River I had mixed feelings. The tobacco seemed "moist" and dense and I didn't know how it would smoke. After a few bowls and a little packing experimentation, I really began to enjoy the blend and found myself returning to it. It's a great tobacco if you want a long, slow smoke with a mild taste and a pleasant room note for a English blend. Be warned you will be doing a little more relighting than you might be used to, but it is worth it.

Pipe Used: Briar - Prince

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tamper Dan (9)	2014-02-20		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I ordered this in bulk, and it arrived mostly in loose ribbon cuts with a few chunks of cake. It's way too moist to smoke straight out of the bag so I usually leave a pinch sitting out while I pour a cold one. I knew with my first charring light that I'd be keeping this one around forever. It tastes and smokes consistent down to the bottom of the bowl, and is just plain good. There's alot of big flavor in this blend for being so smooth. Happy Pipe Day !

Pipe Used: I've tried it in all my pipes at least once

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puro66 (73)	2014-02-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a krumble kake that breaks up very easily so don't let that stop you from trying it. It is absolutely a Virginia forward blend with all other components playing only a supporting role, at least to my taste. While Plum Pudding is Latakia forward here it plays a very small role as does the perique. It is very tasty without ever biting or turning sour. There is nicotine present but unless you get carried away with puffing it will not bother you.

Subtle sweetness with a dark chocolate overtone is present but does not strike me as artificial in anyway. A very enjoyable tobacco and ages well, that is if you have the will power to age. My tobacco ages from the first bowl to the last, however long that takes. I have no trouble smoking Mississippi River upon it's arrival. I first tried it tinned two or three years ago and now buy it bulk and transfer it to a jar.

Pipe Used: Tinsky Panel

Age When Smoked: fairly new

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeABowl (1)	2013-12-29		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is nothing I can comment on that hasn't already been said. But, I am a big Frog Morton fan. and although this is a bit milder than most F.M. blends, I, like others, can't get enough of the stuff. This is my new go to tobacco. looking forward to trying Plumb Pudding.

Pipe Used: Vauen

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Frog Morton blends..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ethan (34)	2013-12-21		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I just tried this for the first time after reading all the positive reviews I wanted to try it for myself. I ordered a couple ounces in bulk to see if i liked it. Upon opening the bag it smells of rich high quality virgina and slight latakia which coincidentally smells just like ketchup. The crumble cake packs nicely. At first light the latakia pops out a little up front but then blends nicely with the sweet virginia once it gets going. This blend is best sipped to appreciate the full flavor and it will burn cool for a very long time if done so, puff it too fast and it can get mean. All-in-all a good relaxing smoke. I am not a fan of straight virginas but if blended properly with other types and smoked with the right approach they can be quite enjoyable. I may keep some of this on hand due to the fact that it is always sold out and I would like to enjoy a bowl of it from time to time.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: www.smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-11-28		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

It is great stuff. It is as smooth as silk but has a distinct and unique flavor. It is hard to describe. Make sure to sit back and enjoy the whole bowl, the smoke is a journey through a number of different flavors. I get a buttery flavor through the whole bowl. I can't really add anything more to the deserved praise it has already received.

Pipe Used: Country Gentlemen, Savinelli Giubileo D'Oro

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-11-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Ah, Mississippi River.....what a beauty.

It's hard to add anything new to the near-eighty reviews which already abound this forum. Though I must add my approval.

A medium English for sure. A Red Virginia Showcase, if you will, with an artful addition of Perique and Cyprian Latakia in perfect proportions to just spice things up. In my estimation, all tobaccos used are of a high quality. Packs, lights, and smokes beautifully.

One interesting note is the alleged flavor-consistency difference between the tin, and the bulk. I have only ever purchased in bulk. Immediately transferring the 3/4 crumble-cake and 1/4 rubbed-out strands I receive to a hermetically-sealed jar. I'm interested to try the tinned blend to investigate any differences. Regardless of whether purchased in bulk or tin NO ONE has ever complained of dryness in this blend. There is just enough moisture in the cake to provide a consistent, slow-burning smoke with minimal relights.Towards the end of the bowl, there does tend to be a buildup in the bottom, though nothing detrimental, and easily managed with a pipe tool.

Great flavor, just enough spice to keep it interesting. The pouch aroma is incredibly strong, and also fresh, in my case. There is some casing but nothing which detracts, and in fact adds perfect sweetness. One downside is that you MIGHT have to take this blend outside to accommodate family and house guests. The room note is strong, smoky, and not favored by the ladies.

MR is revered by many, as are most of SPC's blends, for good reason. This is a must try for any English lover, or new pipe enthusiast looking to diverge from aromatics.

Purchased From: PipesAndCigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pauliepipes (5)	2013-05-08		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I learned about Mississippi River by watching you tube videos. I purchased this from Pipes&Cigars.com. At the same time I was smoking Frog Morton's Across the Pond. I found amazing similarities between the two. With both tobaccos I enjoyed them very much. I tasted a really nice tea like flavor on the tongue with a tad sweetness. These tobaccos were reminiscent a fine English teas.

One downside was that I purchased 4 oz bulk and did not see any real evidence of Krumble Kake. Maybe I will need to try a tin? Thumbs up to Joe Lankford the blender. Great job!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoking Sam (20)	2013-04-24		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Currently, my second favorite pipe tobacco. My initial purchase was an eight oz. bag, bought strictly from all the glowing praise by Youtube reviewers. They were not wrong!

This tobacco does everything well. It packs and lights easily. It exhibits a consistently wonderful rich flavor from the start to the end of the bowl. I find myself PUFFING this tobacco aggressively. Pleasant taste, enjoyable nose exhale, an even burn, plentiful smoke, nicotene buzz - you name it, this tobacco has everything needed to be great. Taste? Sweet Virginia, just the right amount of Latakia, Perique, and Oriental. The is a dessert smoke!

I pair this with a strong cup of coffee or an iced coffee. Puffed hard, this blend will put one back in their chair, with a moderate nicotene buzz. It reminds me a little of Dunhill Nightcap in that respect. I find it to be a very relaxing smoke, that burns well for over an hour, and always ends too soon. Only a white ash remains. A VERY rewarding smoke. HIGHLY recommended for English lovers beginner or veteran. 4 stars all day long.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-03-24		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I had high hopes for this tobacco. Everyone and there mom talks about it on YouTube. I had to try it!

From the moment i opened the bag to smell it I was blown away. I shoved some in my pipe. From charring to dumping the ash all my expectation where beyond surpassed a few times over. This is a wonderful and fantastic blend. Virginia's - This is a Virginia heavy blend. If you don't like virginia this might turn you off. For myself, I love me some virginia.

Latakia - Latakia, to be honest, indeterminate me. It's not my favorite by any means. But the way the latakia is blended is beautiful. It is a very intelligent contrast between the sweet and smokey. It really finds in well. Even if you hate Latakia you'll love this blend.

Perique - It isn't strong but's is not week either. I think it's is the perfect amount. It's just enough so there is there a slight, and very enjoyable spicy edge.

Oriental - I don't really know much about Oriental. I am assuming they are there for a good reason.

I really dig the Krumble Kake. It's different but in a good way. Rub a bit and you're good to go.

In summary, there isn't one thing I dislike about Mississippi River. This is by far my favorite tobacco. I can never get enough. If you're considering ordering some, do it!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	larryjly (2)	2013-02-25		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Had a second bowl today, which was better than the first. This is a remarkable smoke for both veteran and novice pipe smokers. Like the Three Bears porridge this blend is not too hot, or too cold, but just right!

Neither the Latakia, or Perique is dominanat, but you can tell that they're there. For the novice smoker interested in English type blends, this is a good place to start. The krumble kake cut is also a nice intro to flake type tobacco without all the fuss and bother. The blend is a low maintenance smoke requiring few if any relights,and the flavor becomes more pronounced half way through the bowl with little bite or bitterness. Wonderful stuff, and a very comfortable smoke.

In my rotation at #5...glad I tried it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-07-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

This is the best tobacco iv smoked its gust such a woundefull cocoa flaver.As long as you buy it by the tin.I'v tryed buying it in bulk fromand pipesandcigars.com and it's a gamble somtimes tasting terrable.

I LOVE this blend must try for ever pipe smoker.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-07-18		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I use to smoke aromatics and was never fully satisfied. then I decided to get some of this highly talked about blend. I ventured my way into virginia's and loved them. I got my tin of mississippi river and smoked a bowl and I have never smoked such an amazing blend before. This blend features such an amazing balance of virginia's, latakia, oriental leaf, and perique tobacco. beyond it's smokey smell from it's tin, it has an amazing taste. it has a creamy smoke with no tongue bite what so ever. As you continue to smoke it you encounter a pleasant sweetness sweeping across your tongue. This blend also does not burn hot at all. This blend went form being one blend in my tobacco rotation to being the only tobacco I tend to smoke. I find my self always going to it for a great smoke and is always a great smoke for any mood or occasion. This blend makes great for an all day smoke and easily out does all of my other tobaccos. I highly recommend this blend to every pipe smoker. If you like virginia tobaccos and english blends then this blend should definitely amaze you.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-02-09		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is my first venture into the crumble cake, I have been wanting to try blockade runner and so this was recommended by the gentleman at the Tacoma tinderbox. Please excuse the comments of this novice...

I found it to be a wonderful smoke. The overall taste seems very good however my palate is rather dull due to years of MREs and tobasco sauce. I have a partially functioning nose though, and this is where my appreciation came into play. As I develope a more knowledgable appreciation of the blend I hope to revisit this review.

Simply put, I have to ration this as I gave a fair amount to a coworker in china and there is no more to be purchased here for awhile. I do not believe it an appropriate choice for the novice, but if you're brave, give it a try.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kokinhenik (93)	2012-01-28		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a great smoke, very flavorful, a worthy addition to the Balkan style blends on the market. It's a perfect example of a nice Balkan. I agree with Steelcowboy, it is best rubbed out and dried a bit. It smokes in a very well balanced manner with the Virginians, Orientals and Latakia on par. The Parique was alive but in the background.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JLong (36)	2009-05-05		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I've given this a few days for my palette to adjust and the flavors really came through. This is a smoother, silkier version of C&D Mississippi Mud. The fruity chocolaty taste is there and I love it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip'n'Piper (51)	2023-03-02		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very good. I was anticipating more similarities to Plum Pudding, yet they're apples and oranges. I like Plum Pudding, but I dig Mississipi River. Tin note is sharp and sour vinegar with a bit of stewed fruit, similar to HP Sauce or a smokey vinegrette; it burns the nostrils on first lid pop, I get a kick outta watching my non-smoking friends taking a whiff from the jar and puckering and contorting their visage, it packs a whollop. Mississippi River is virginia forward with orientals providing a tart/sour essence and a light spice, faint fruit note from the perique. The latakia is purely condimental, the hand that mixed it was soft, gentle and as steady as the flow of the mighty Mississippi. It says on this page that this is a krumble kake, I can comfortably say these days it's a sliced kake. I am blown away by this blend, it has no contemporaries that I've smoked; it is quite unique and difficult to describe, but it's perfect to me. Enjoyable from top to bottom. Never bites, never any harshness on the throat or palate. Similar to Plum Pudding it has a fairly plentiful sugar caseing and requires drying, but not nearly as much of either. Sweet, tart, grassy, bready, woody, earthy, smokey goodness. Very, very nice. I'm getting in my canoe, sittin' back, putting my feet up, tipping my cap over my eyes and drifting down this lazy river for a good long while. 4 stars. From Canada to Clarksdale, cheers to the delta blues and the fine state of Mississippi.

Pipe Used: Chesepeake cob, Sav 614

Age When Smoked: 2 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PatrickBarkman (7)	2023-01-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Starts off with really bright Virginia sweetness. Similar to tart cherry or other stone fruits. The Perique is really only apparent on the retrohale for me, barely so, but I can tell it’s there. As the bowl burns down, the perique adds a little spice, and a touch more sweetness. Otherwise it is a pretty linear blend.

The main problem with this blend, is it makes my mouth water uncontrollably, so I’ll have to remember to have some pipe cleaners ready.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nonpareil (20)	2022-01-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As others have noted, this is an attractive "krumble kake" in the tin with a delicious tin aroma of fruity red Virginia. When crumbled and dried briefly, it yields a number of thin flakes and a fair amount of tobacco dust. This may be the reason it burns rather hot. The flavor is thinner than the tin aroma would lead you to expect and this was somewhat disappointing. Requires a few relights and burns cleanly. I have jarred the remainder of the tin and will see if some aging can improve the flavor.

Pipe Used: Savinelli, Sasieni

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Everett smoke

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (139)	2022-01-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It is claimed that Joe Lankford had a dream about the recipe for this mixture. It's hard for me to say what twilight genius visited his mind at that hour, because I have very mixed feelings about Mississippi River. But let's cut to the chase. The tin did not have a date stamp on it, however, I'm pretty sure it was produced around September 2021. So the tobacco in it was fresh. By the way, the tin was as big as in the case of Plum Pudding, when you open it, you get the impression that tobacco was obviously unfilled - you could have put 100 grams in it.

The appearance: tobacco, finely chopped and pressed into a "crumbly cake" of almost monochrome dark chocolate color. The tobacco is easy to peel, and chopped into neat bars of about 10 grams each.

Flavour: sour barley wort straight from the oak barrel, spiced with smokiness and tar, quite bright black pepper, some cooked plums, a bit of withered hay. Sour note clearly dominates, only intensifying if you let the tobacco rest, and almost overlapping the latakia, not to mention the rest of the notes - orientals, say, I could not detect.

Taste: The initial fruity sweetness of the tobacco is quickly and excessively overpowered by the spice of pepper mixed with the sour taste of stout. A smoky latakia note covers the main picture, but the tobacco flavor clearly lacks the volume to call the overall bouquet an English blend. Closer to the middle of the pipe, the acidity goes away a bit, and the taste of the blend begins to resemble a white dry wine drunk around a campfire. The tobacco smokes quite hot due to its fine cut and thin leaf, burning out into a light gray fine ash and leaving almost no moisture. The strength of the blend can be called close to medium, in very large pipes a nicotine hit is possible. The tobacco has a citrusy, sour-sweet aftertaste.

The tobacco smoke has a light smoky flavor with a sourness. It is not heavy and perhaps not uncomfortable.

Bottom line: I smoked almost the entire 2 oz tin within two weeks, trying the blend in half a dozen different pipes. Perhaps the most honest thing to say is that I didn't understand the author's intent. Perhaps Joe was hungover and decided to recreate from memory the taste and flavour of what he had been so drunk on the day before. Perhaps the flavour and taste of the mixture was related to the steamboat parties on the Mississippi. I never solved this puzzle. One thing I could say for sure was that the mixture was definitely not for me.

Pipe Used: Various Petersons

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaulMcCoy (78)	2021-10-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is a really good tasting tobacco, but it has some flaws. I don’t think it’s what most people would expect from an English. The Latakia, and Orientals are background players. Its more of a Virginia blend with some condiments. I found it difficult to keep lit. No matter how much I dried, or packed it, every 7, to 8 minutes, without fail, it would go out. I’ve had several tins over an 8 year span, and they all acted the same way. Maybe it’s me, I don’t know. I’m going to give it 2 stars as It tastes good, but Its hard to recommend a tobacco that’s consistently fighting with me, so it’s somewhat recommended.

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: New to 8+ years

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Guitarhayes (1)	2021-06-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I started this off by calling a store in Mississippi to get an opinion on the McClelland Frog Morton Bayou and could I obtain something sorta similar. They told me this.... I purchased this along with Plum Pudding and I love both blends however this one is my #1 for now. I love the subtle complexity with a good amount of tangy driving the bus. It keeps its flavor for most of the pipe and will change during the last 20%. The tangy will take a backseat and it will still be a great flavor just changes.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 601 Tigre

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OhioTony76 (59)	2020-01-04		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Some Virginia/perique blends I tend to find a bit underwhelming. Mississippi River takes a Virginia And perique blend and adds another dimension to it. Technically it is an English, but Mississippi River is no doubt being driven by the Virginia tobacco’s. Tin note is reminiscent of McClelland Virginia, but a bit more spicy. The smoke starts sweet and mild but builds in flavor quickly. At the mid bowl point, in my experience, is when some vap/er’s loose their magic. They muddle and become monotone. Not here. This is when the Latakia earns its keep. It assists in making Mississippi River taste great, burn cool, and smoke all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Again, just like Plum Pudding, drying this blend is key to a good experience.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (107)	2020-01-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

SPC blends all seem to have a reputation of excellency, especially Mississippi River, and it certainly lives up to it. The sweet Virginas stay in the forefront with a sweetness throughout the blend, with the assistance of the raisin-like sweetness from the perique. The orientals deliver a wonderful spiciness that doesnt fade while the latakia stays in the background but gives a steady smoky taste.

For a Balkan/English blend, this blend actually delivers a pleasant room note, which even the wife noticed.

Update: 05/20- Though still a quality blend, I have just grown away from the extra-vinegary note of most SPC blends. This one is not exception. Nor do I have much enjoyment of krumble kake blends, as they seem to be more trouble to prep, typically needing drying out. So despite some great flavors and notes, my rating has dropped. 6/10

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (213)	2019-11-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

I consider this more of a red Virginia vapor . Sweet dark fermented fruit mostly with spice and some bbq sauce notes . The orientals and latakia fade in and out nicely . I labeled the jar after opening Mississippi River Red Virginia. I like this in a medium sized bowl like I do all Red Virginias . Someone else said they didn’t like this in a wide pot and i agree . Very tasty and deserves 4 stars ! Seattle Pipe club blends are really growing to my liking . A 2 oz tin adds value to price !! Man does this get creamy in the last third of the bowl ! ..........................................,..,,,,,.........Update 01/05/20 sometimes this blend is so tasteless that all i get is some red Virginia sweetness barely and that’s it ! I smoke it from the same pipe too !! Other times it is great , too inconsistent for me . I have read some other reviews that seem to agree and I don’t think it is just me . Downgrading it to 2 stars .

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2019-02-12		Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

I really tried to like this one. I’ve tried the older version of it by accident, I had a 2010 8oz tin of what I thought was Plum Pudding (that’s what the label said) and I decided to open it for a special occasion but I was sorely disappointed when I discovered there was an error when they were labeling the tobacco’s, I’ve been holding on to MR not PP all these years! I will say that P&C gave me great customer service and sent me out a replacement tin rather quickly. I decided to judge this one on its own merits and not compare it to PP. This blend had been fermenting for 9 years by the time I opened it and it smelled lovely in the tin. Very dark, almost black, oily chunks of tobacco at perfect smoking moisture for my tastes. The VA’s smelled very similar to that of what one expects of a McClelland VA, just mouth watering. But when I put the tobacco to flame it was just so light in flavor and nicotine I had trouble teasing out much of any flavor. I decided that maybe it just mellowed too much over the years so I bought a new tin to compare it with. The new tin was packaged much more elegantly than the old stuff as they were layed out in perfect crumble cakes. The blend was much lighter in color and didn’t have that McClelland tang that I smelled in the older tin. Same thing, this stuff is just way too light for my palate, I was hard pressed to tease any subtleties from the leaf. Most definitely a high quality blend just too soft for my taste buds. I would recommend this to smokers that enjoy very mild blends or beginners, you could puff away all day on this stuff with no fear of tongue bite. I still have a tin of the Special Reserve, I just hope it has a bit more flavor than this regular version. I give it two stars for quality.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KrzysD (24)	2018-11-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I got a chunk of this blend as a sample from my brother. It’s a pleasent smoke, that I would like to get in my rotation at some point.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2017-09-26		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Grinding chunks of tobacco apart with your fingers has the feel crumbling clay into dirt, there is something primal to packing krumble kake which I enjoy. Mississippi River has a nice earthy scent as well, with some bright pops of the oriental, adding to the imagination of smoking that which came from the ground.

What burned, was a no nonsense beefy smoke that brought on images of field laborers spitting plug juices in the hot sun. It took some relights, which may of been attributed to overpacking on my part, but each time I was reminded of the burliness of the smoke. I rarely find myself in the mood for this kind of experience, so for me it was something of a miss, though I can't deny it is made of quality bits.

This was the second krumble kake I've smoked, and it ranked a distant second to Bengal Slices. Chances are, I'm too frail of an aromatic smoker to be the target audience, but I can see the appeal for those wanting to feel the nicotine kick in the nuts.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	roadkill0000 (23)	2017-04-05		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Very Strong

this review is just to keep track for myself mainly, less intended as a serious in depth review.

This is still my go to fav as of now, meaty, dark but balanced, lots of character, I just love it.

ones to stay away from at all costs, Seattle pipe club Pikes place, hated, tasted and smelled like straight up manure, but I think they dont make it anymore.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gripsholm (41)	2016-06-25		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Mississippi River is an auburn colored krumble kake with specs of tans and blacks. It’s soft and moist and crumbles very easily. I let it dry out a bit before I actually tried smoking it.

I have to agree with a lot of the other reviews in that the tin note is McKetchup. The ketchup aroma that I so often smell in the McCelland Virginia flakes.

Matured Red Virginias, Matured Red Virginias, Matured Red Virginias. For me this tobacco is all about the sweet slightly nutty flavor of the matured Red Virginias. The smokiness of the Latakia presented itself every once in awhile but was very mild and most of the time undetectable. The same is true for the spice of the Perique, very mild, every once in awhile, and mostly undetectable.

The sweet slightly nutty flavor of Mississippi River almost reminds me of some of the Burley blends that I’ve tried. I know it sounds a little odd comparing Mississippi River to Burley blends, but that is how it tasted for me.

02/16/2022 UPDATE: I cellared four 8oz tins of this stuff 7yrs ago back in 2015. I recently opened all of them and put the tobacco in mason jars. OMG that familiar McClelland McKetchup aroma is there as bold as ever! The tobacco is black with a reddish hue, very McClelland-esque. There is no doubt in my mind that at least the earlier Mississippi River was made using McClelland red virginias, probably some time prior to 2018 when McClelland discontinued their products. Brought back such memories!

I've been smoking quite a bit of this seven year old Mississippi River. It presents itself as an extremely smooth and mild VaPer. It kind of reminds me of a very mild natural Virginia Cavendish with just a pinch of Perique added to achieve a mild VaPer flavor. Nothing complicated, just a soft, mellow, and extremely smooth VaPer.

Pipe Used: New Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: 1 yr old tin, also a 7 yr old tin

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars.com

Similar Blends: Burley blends or other blends where matured Red Virginias are dominant.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Cardinal (4)	2016-03-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Got the label with Mark Twain on the front. Newer batch I reckon?

Either this is a disappointment or I'm an irredeemable 'Lat-Head'.

Well made. Needs drying. But I suspect I got the batch that has jumped the shark. To be determined.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: None

Purchased From: PipesAndCigars.com

Similar Blends: A richer more agreeable, less fussy Virginia Flake..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2016-03-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This turned out to be a much nicer blend than was my initial impression. With two weeks of breathing and a lot of drying, the blend turned out to be a somewhat mild, all day blend, very much in the style of a Peter Stokkebye or Sutliff bulk Balkan product . None of the components overpower, however, I do feel that my tin (not date stamped) requires about a year of additional aging . It's not overly complex ,but then again, it's not boring.

The Krumble Kake pressing, breaks apart with only a touch. This reveals a short shag cut that WILL be easy to over pack, especially from a new tin that has not had 24 hours to dry. DON'T try to smoke this damp, as it will "steam clean" your tongue !

Will I buy again ? Probably not, as the aging and drying time is more than I want to invest on a middle of the road blend ( 2 1/2 stars).

Pipe Used: cob & MM hardwood

Age When Smoked: fresh tin / 2 weeks open

Similar Blends: H&H Anniversary Kake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	noquarter (23)	2015-09-25		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

When i am in the mood for a tobacco with a mild but smoky taste,i either reach out for this or the Frog Morton. I usually end up loading with the FM. I find it complex but wished it was monochromatic since the first third is just wonderful. Would probably be out of my rotation after i'm done with my stash.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PuffPuffKeep (8)	2015-06-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Enough has been said about this blend. All the good is true. Medium in strength coupled with a sweet and smokey flavor make it an exceptional all day smoke. A 3.8 for Mississippi River. Puff ...puff ...keep!!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Renar (9)	2015-04-29		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

I was really intrigued to taste this tobacco and then... I'm kind of disappointed. It reminds me a lot of Shortcut to Mushrooms but a little more subtle on aroma. So for me this tobacco is definitely aromatic. And latakia aromatics are very special mixtures, they have to be just right otherwise they are terrible. This one is not terrible, but nothing special. I can feel chemical taste as well. So for me - just passable. Have a lot of more serious tobaccos.

Similar Blends: Just for him Shortcut to Mushrooms, Ruins of Isengard..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Grovesy (32)	2014-09-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Absolutely great smoke from the beginning to end. This one really lived up to the hype, and I can buy it in bulk. Happy piping!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-11-27		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Not so bad as a VP blend. Smooth somehow bored. Can't taste Latakia, only slight hint. Very smoky. Left gunky things in the bowl. Highly casing of sugar?

Pipe Used: Ashton Pebble Grain

Age When Smoked: 45

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Orlik's Golden Sliced.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Scott (82)	2013-02-02		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I got this in bulk and I didn't think it was a crumble cake. It was well-rubbed out, or had crumbled into ribbons, when I got it from the jar. It has that unnatural waxy moisture that polyethylene glycol adds to a blend, and the sweetness that PG seems to add. The blend is cased more heavily than most of my usual smokes. Despite being very moist, it lights and burns easily.

The flavor is almost light-English, dominated by the Virginias. It is a little bitey. There is a medium-high dose of nicotine which was unexpected, and was present from the beginning. It is a pleasant smoke. I won't go out of my way to get it, but when I am in the Seattle area, I might pick up a couple of ounces.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mijnnif (127)	2022-10-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

My tins are about 2 years old. I have 4 tins all swollen when opened the smell was an assault on my nose like strong Indian cooking spices. Crumble cake no mold on the tobacco at all. I am guessing the perique fermented quite a bit while in the tin. Easley rub's out and packs in the bowl nicely. I was actually leery of smoking it, without letting it sit for a bit, but I dove in and gave it a go. Surprisingly this is a Virginia forward blend that has that BBQ thing going. Very tart. The Orientals are in a strong second place along with a healthy dose of perique. The latakia is just at the condiment level. I think this is the most complex blend I have tried from SPC. Joe did a great job on this one. I would recommend smoking this outside the room note is quite strong . my guess is this will ghost whatever you smoke it in. I personally like it in a cob. Full tobacco flavors and very smooth. Nic hit is medium. Burns fairly quickly. Not sure I could smoke this all day but a few bowls here and there would be nice. 4 stars

Pipe Used: custom long stem cob

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: friend

Similar Blends: This one is on its own.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SSJOH (17)	2022-10-01		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The Virginia hit strongly at the first puff, and remained dominant to the end. Light, grassy, tangy, mildly citrus and acidic, it is definitely the centerpiece of this blend. It was complimented nicely by the figgy spiciness of the Perique, with woodier Oriental providing a solid baseline, and the faintest whiff of Latakia at the back end.

This is undoubtedly a Virginia blend, and with the faintness of the Latakia and Oriental, I'm honestly surprised it's classified as an English. It tastes a lot more like a VaPer with an Oriental/Latakia garnish. That said, it smoked smoothly, with little to no bite, and with fewer than average relights required. A delightful diversion from my more usual Latakia-forward English blends. Recommended.

Pipe Used: Briar

Purchased From: Cigarbid.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipefitter (51)	2022-06-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Is it an English or a Balkan or I suppose it doesn’t matter. This is a rich pipe tobacco that doesn’t overwhelm. I smoke a lot of burley forward tobaccos and it’s nice to light up some well aged Virginia. The Latakia, Perique and Orientals keep their places so the Virginia shines. I’ve smoked a good deal of this over the years and it never bites and my Cobb stays relatively cool. I get plums and a slight sweetness that works well with the Smokey Perique and Latakia with the Oriental spiciness . It’s like a curry with all of the right tastes coming through and nothing overpowering……This is a great smoke for intermediate smokers that want to explore something other than ribbon cut ( not that there’s anything wrong with ribbon) . I smoke a big Cobb with a 2” deep bowl that I pack well and this stuff is consistent from beginning to end. I gave a Peterson’s English a 4 and I like this better. An all day smoke that’s a little dear, but worth putting on your rotation.

Pipe Used: Cobb

Age When Smoked: Bought undated tin 6-5-22

Purchased From: Carolina Tobacco Emporium in Manchester Ct.

Similar Blends: Peterson’s Nightcap . Balkan Sasieni.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bushido (26)	2021-12-07		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I guess I’m weird, because I’m not a fan. It’s ok, I just don’t get a lot of flavor. I’ll put away a can to try in 5 years, but I just don’t get the hype.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jwr0201 (4)	2021-09-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

To begin with, this is an amazing and complex blend. Listed as an English, IMHO, it really is a hybrid of an English and Virginia with nice subtleties of perique. This seems to be one of the very few bends I've seen that has just a whisper of smokiness and lots of wonderful billowing of multiple Virginias. The fruitiness comes through front & center with the subtle smokiness and later, a bit of perique. Simply. Good. Stuff. 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 3-5 months

Purchased From: Online

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SpicyLegato (9)	2021-08-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was skeptical but this lives up to the hype. A tasty, easy smoking blend with elements of both sweet and sour. Very reminiscent of iced tea with plenty of lemon. It's been a summer favorite and something a I'll keep in rotation.

Pipe Used: Filtered Big Ben Mavyn

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sosakan (33)	2020-09-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This blend is really good, easy to keep lit, easy to crumble, just an all-round good blend. I love crumble cakes and this one is beautiful. The Latakia and orientals are well balanced, with the Virginias and perique rounding out the background. A little on the full side, but not overwhelming.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gordon Tavistock (23)	2020-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Sweet and satisfying. Like the sweetness of a cardamom bun paired with the smokiness of lapsang souchong tea and the richness of dark bread. Yet the smoke appears light and casual, perfect for a sunny spring morning on the front steps before the slumber has fully left your body.

My only negative impression is that it burns hot, so I have to watch out so my bowl doesn’t char. Perhaps it would have been different with another pipe. Otherwise four out of four from me. Wish I could get hold of this stuff in my country, I am just rationing a sample from a swap I did with an American.

Nobody has rated this review yet.