Mostex Stanislaw London Mixture

The first Air Line Collection that I tried, and, based on the ingredients, was eagerly awaiting to try out this english blend. The packaging in this one carries the picture of the venerable Fairey Swordfish (misspelled 'Fairley') biplane torpedo-bomber of the raid on Taranto and the chase of Bismarck fame - an aircraft that, despite it's outdated looks and technology soldiered on for all of WW2 and actually outlasted it's own replacement, the Fairey Albacore. I happened to get this from Stanislaw/Mostex's own tobacco shop as I was passing by in Ostrava, CZ, a place I highly recommend every pipe and cigar smoker to pay a visit to if they ever have occasion to visit that very nice Czech city, not far from the Polish border.

The pouch note is immediately that of a light, perhaps a little bit aromatised english blend, with a quite strong sweet undertone. The clean ribbon packs easily, lights and burns well. After all this it's a bit of a letdown how mediocre the smoking experience actually is - in fact, as an overall qualification, I would call this 'poor man's Early Morning Pipe'. The same clay-like undertone which I don't know where exactly it comes from is present here also but in even greater degree, tasting almost like moist dirt. Other characteristics are broadly similar too, but always falling just a little but short in every category compared to EMP - a blend that's not one of my english blend favourites anyway.

I wanted to like this, but am sorry to say that probably not going to buy again.