Benjamin Hartwell Signature Blend

There's a very mild spice and some sweetness along with some vinegar. It's a "McClelland light" type of Virginia flake. The Virginia is grassy with some tart and lightly tangy citrus along with a pinch of earth and dark fruit. Has little nicotine. Won't bite. Burns slightly slow and cool with a fairly consistent flavor. Leaves a bit of moisture in the bowl, and needs some relights. Has a pleasant after taste, and can be an all day smoke. It does lack some depth and suffers from a little dullness, so it gets two and a half stars.

-JimInks

There are several references amongst my fellow reviewers to McClelland's style of Virginia flake associated with Signature Blend. I would go so far as to make the conjecture that this is made by McC for Consolidated. The fermented aroma from the tin, broken flakes, texture and quality says someone like the McNeil's put this together.

Anyway, my tin was from 1997. It produced an extraordinarily mellow effect, smooth on the mouth and nearly biteless. There seems to be a middling amount of Perique to my delight. Despite the flakes being properly hydrated upon popping the lid, the tobacco is nearly without aroma while burning, something associate with dried out tobacco. It does burn the eyes somewhat, though. Even flavorwise, I get the structure of flavors rather than distinct flavors when smoking and also a nice little tang. Hopefully that makes sense to someone else. I enjoyed it most in the morning with black coffee.

Not my cup of tea, as it is sort of bland as others have noted. I imagine that a little fresher, this flake had more character and edge. However, smoking 11 year aged tobacco makes this special and that means, to me, that there was good quality to start. Time does not heal all wounds, and this would not be what it is if started with inferior ingredients.

Kinda like sweet and sour. Not the best va around. Not the worst either. A little vinegary smelling to me. Kinda makes my eyes want to water sometimes from the smoke smell.

Scotty's old red is superior for less money in bulk though.

I am reviewing a tin from 1997 so please keep this in mind. I have never seen so much sugar on a tobacco before; about half of the tobacco is covered in white crystals. The standard McKetchup smell is there but its a little muted and joined with a musty odor. The smoke has a similar musty odor and taste which is a little dissapointing. Overall, a nice straight forward virginia with a little pepper to boot.

aj

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.

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.