Benjamin Hartwell Signature Blend

Several previous reviewers have mentioned a citrusy / spicy flavor. I noticed neither but the taste is what YOU perceive. The perique, if in this blend, went unnoticed by me. On my palate, Signature Blend, by Altadis, delivered a mild and mellow roasted and toasted VA flavor with a slight sweetness and no bite. Yes, it is largely one-dimensional but I never fault a blend for this quality, i.e., if it is good in the beginning, you know it will be just as good at the end. This is an excellent blend to curl up with on a cold winter?s night in front of an open fire???..with your chestnuts.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 9.5 out of 10.

I bought a few closeout tins of this and I suspect they have a few years on them. Please keep this in mind if your results are different.

This has to be the most tin-pungent of all Virginias I've smoked. Woof! It makes my eyes water. I keep it in a pouch and wonder if the fumes alter the lining at all. That said, it is indeed a very mild tobacco and remarkably well behaved: no bite, no sourness, no burning mouth. Indeed, no perique is present; I might be tempted to add a tiny bit despite my issues with it. It just needs something more to grab my interest. Its only fault is a recurring bitterness in the last quarter. I do like the room note, it smells far richer than it tastes. Compare this one to F&T's flakes for subtlety.

I suppose this is a good intro Virginia for those unsure of the genre. It's just too bland for me for most days; give me my Hal O' the Wynd. It still was a bargain, though, and is nice to have when my mouth is sore or when I've had enough nicotine but still crave the comfort of a smoldering bowl. Not quite a three-star for me, but it might be for you.

If McClelland Virginias remind you of ketchup, this one might be BBQ sauce. There is a pronounced vinegary, sweet and spicy aroma to the blend. The flakes are well formed and of medium thickness. Any packing metnod from fully rubed to fold-n-rolll works well.

The tobacco lights easily, but not too fast, and starts cool. There is a definite tangy note to the smoke, but the BBQ sauce isn't there when it's burning.

It is a bit monochromatic for my taste, totally without layering or nuances and unchanging from start to finish.

Overall, a nice enough medium blend, but not good enough to displace any of my favorites.

I am not a Virginia fan but decided to try this anyway. The tin aroma is almost grassy/hayey under the vinegar top notes. The burn is fairly even, either rubbed out or folded and stuffed. The flavor is spicy and citrus like with a slight sweetness to it. I was supprised that the flavor is fairly consistent, only getting a little spicier toward the end. I do not detect Perique, I think the spicy "Hot" notes are more from the fermentation (evident from the vinegar aroma) of the Virginias. Ash is whitish grey and the burn is average. One relight per bowl, usually resulting in a complete burn. No bite. Public reaction has been about 50/50 accepting/put off by the aroma, which does have some of the typical cigar/cigarette notes to it, albeit sweeter than these for the most part.

I plan on keeping this on hand.

If this is the sort of thing you like, you will like this sort of thing.

Signature Blend is a very tasty Va broken flake. I find it a good option for a change of pace, but I would not smoke it constantly. A slight vinegar-acid aroma emanates when opening the tin, but it doesn?t carry on to the pipe. It is easy to pack, and it burns very nicely. I had no trouble keeping it lit. It has a tangy-sweet natural flavour, yet there is nothing complex about it.

I think it is a blend every Virginia lover should try. But if looking for the more mysterious subtleties in flavour and composition that other Virginian blends possess, this may no be your best choice.

I have a hard time with Va tobaccos , but this blend is very smoker friendly. I was at a pipe show and had no tobacco . In a hurry I grabbed the first thing I laid my hands on at my partners table. I was a little disappointed to find that I had selected a va ( I had assumed that anything with a black lable would be a latakia blend!), but upon lighting it I was very pleased. Spicy in the tin and cool and flavorful in the bowl. This packs a lot more flavor than a lot of the va's I have had. I'd reccommend this for anyone interested in va blends.

This is the 1st blend that I've tried from Consolidated Cigar and I wasn't disappointed. A nicely formed flake that is easy to pack and keep lit. Overall a cool smoke that starts with natural sweetness from the VAs and grows into a slightly more tangy and richer taste. I sometimes use this for an all day smoke.

I received a tin of this for free at the 2001 St. Louis show and swap and am quite glad I did. Upon opening the tin there is that wonderful tangy virginia smell inherent to a "certain" company's virginia blends. The flavor of this tobacco starts somewhat light and sweet but builds to a rich, slightly peppery finish which can be appreciated by all. Try some, you will not be dissapointed.

I'm a perique-weenie, finding it too strong and unpleasant in Escudo and Haddo's Delight. I like Signature Blend however, despite its presence.

While good enough when young, some age makes this absolutely delicious; citrusy sweet and sour, with that hint of pepper. It satisfies in a single bowl but I can smoke three in a row without getting tired of it, and the bite is manageable. This could be the everyday VA/P blend for perique-weenies!