Tabac Manil La Brumeuse

"Tin" / bag note - Cigar leaf, pasture (hay, sweet grass, "gaminess").

Moisture - None, bone dry.

Pipe - Meerschaum

Lighter - Zippo

Smoke spot - Balcony, no wind, 64 F.

Smoke speed - Quickly and HOT, packed tightly.

Flavor - Much like a nice oily maduro, but equally as earthy as it is floral. A slight hint on the puff of "gaminess" is the best way to describe it, or to contradict two flavors, a clean manure. Earthy and grassy.

Overall Impression: 10/10 my favorite tobacco thus far, I've had a variety of aromatics, englishes, va's, vapers, many more, and none are like this or similar. If you like a very down to earth, literally, cigar-like flavor, this is for you.

Value - Highly recommended, $25 for 3.5 oz/100 g is well worth the artisanal beauty and incomparable flavor that you get.

Pure Semois by Vincent Manil is a welcome oddity. For best results, it should be smoked very dry with a packed bowl. When smoked as described, the taste is very nutty and floral. The nic punch is pretty high, but it is a very enjoyable, albeit quick smoke. I would describe it in terms of single malt scotches... This is a single leaf smoke, with no other blending tobaccos. It's pure burley from a single farm in Belgium. I don't smoke it every day on account of the N kick, but it is a welcome addition to my rotation. Try this if you like pure burley from the old country.

The tobacco comes as a paper covered brick. When opened the first thing you notice is that its bone dry. However, I consider this a good thing. Wet tobacco means preservatives and humidifectants and while I dont know for certain this doesnt contain any, I strongly suspect this is pure, untainted leaf.

The brick note is strangely familiar. It triggers something in my mind of a simpler time, perhaps something I smelt in childhood, perhaps its akin to something my grandfather smoked. I wouldnt dwell on this except that I know other people have had similar experiences with the smell.

Mechanics are well documented, dont pack it too tight, dont draw it too hard, its dry so it will burn hot easily. The taste and aroma are not dissimilar to a mild cigar, indeed, the tobacco used in this is also available in cigar form. It can be quite strong so I wouldnt advise smoking it on an empty stomach, nor would I recommend it for beginners. I use it as something a little different when I dont feel like a standard blend but dont fancy committing to a cigar. That said, I could imagine the right person enjoying it as an all day blend.

Vincent Manil's La Brumeuse Semois has become my favorite tobacco. It seems to be everything I have been looking for in a pipe tobacco since I first took up the pipe in 1999.

My jar is now ten months old. I noticed a substantial improvement at 8 months and am greatly looking forward to the one year mark and beyond.

I also have jar of the Reserve du Patron (medium cut) which is now six months old. I find that I prefer the La Brumeuse (thick cut). It is quite amazing what a difference the cut makes.

After ten months, when I open the jar, I am greeted with musty wet earth, soft honey, fennel, and jasmine fragrances, these translate beautifully into the fragrance and flavor of the smoke provided the pipe is packed very tightly and sipped very slowly.

This tobacco lights easily with one match and can be smoked straight to the bottom of the bowl without any relights leaving only a fine white ash.

The first few minutes of the smoke are spicy like a serano chilli pepper, complimented by floral fragrances reminiscent of green thai curry. After a short while, the flavors settle down and the smoke becomes soft and creamy, sweet, honey, fennel, jasmine, with a wonderful undertone of wet earth and mist. Which continues to the bottom of the bowl.

This tobacco pairs amazingly with Baochong, as it would with any oolong tea with floral or honey notes. This tobacco beautifully compliments the Spring fragrances in my backyard garden rich with fresh mown grass, sweet peas, and jasmine.

I imagine that La Brumeuse would also be lovely with gin and tonic or red wine. The perfect Spring, and I would imagine also Summer, smoke, it would also be lovely in Fall or Winter due to the musty notes. Somehow this tobacco--for me--seems perfect any time night or day, or during any season due to the many flavors and aromas it exhudes.

Like a good strong cup of oolong tea, it leaves the palate feeling fresh with a slight lingering astringency on the tongue--like applying some bracing witch hazel to the face after a shave.

Semois leaves a pleasant aftertaste of honey, fenol, and toasted rice/cereal which is delicate and not at all overpowering. For me this is a big plus as many (not all) tobaccos leave an aftertaste that I don't particularly care for or my tongue feeling scorched or abraided.

Yesterday, I was smoking Reserve du Paton across the street from where I work and was complimented by a fashionable lady on how good it smelled--so it wins points for being pleasing to passers by as well.

I recently started smoking this tobacco, having throughly enjoyed Windals Semois.

I find this one less harsh and slightly sweeter. As with my previous semois experience, this is an earthy and cigar like tobacco that is straight forward, fast burning and very enjoyable.

...Nothing quite like it...you bet! A first rate tobacco with no flavoring/topping...Very woodsy, leathery, and an interesting cigar leaf quality that I find compliments the underlying chocolate/floral notes...

I hydrate a little bit and find it smokes better that way...a good nic kick for those seeking such. A bit stout for an all-day smoke but a solid choice in the afternoon/evening.

Truly a one-of-a-kind tobacco and worthy of a try for those seeking artisan pipe tobacco...

...a pipe is to be savored...

2014-03-23: Started putting a dent into my brick from The Pipe Guys last week, and this stuff is still enchanting.

It's a completely natural, very dry burley. That's it. The tin note, while interesting, won't blow you away. But the room note and flavors are one of a kind. Also very easy, despite a healthy nicotine level; this won't sit on your tongue for two days like a good Lat blend will.

2014-01-17: I have only smoked one bouchon from Manil via transAtlantic mail (it was amazing), but just a heads up -- La Brumeuse goes on sale in the U.S. on Jan 20th thru Pipe Guys, LLC website. (Don't know why I'm telling you this... ;))

Reviews below capture it well. Semois = floral and terroir. Really unique and enjoyable stuff.

Excellent Kentucky tobacco produced only in Belgium.

No additives and no casing/topping. This tobacco is broad cut and a bit on the dry side (as it has no additives. But it is the way it is smoked and does not lose on the taste qualities at all.

The taste is very unique, earthly, leathery, spicy, woodsy notes throughout the bowl. Very rich and satisfying.

It burns easy, does not bite and tastes great throughout.

The Vitamine N dose is excellent and once finished, I craved for more.

This is tobacco at its best. All semois tobaccos are worth trying for those who seek a tobacco that truly tastes like tobacco.

My girlfriend brought a hunk of this tobacco home as a gift from a trip to Belgium. It’s really one of a kind. It’s the only single origin tobacco commercially available, to my knowledge. Every pipe smoker should try it once.