Tabac Manil La Brumeuse
(3.33)
Semois leaf is a rich, pure leaf burley tobacco that is grown and processed in Belgium in the Ardennes Valley (Val Ardennais) - think Battle of the Bulge. Highly reminiscent of smoking a cigar, but in a pipe, it is a fascinating tobacco that has been highly regarded in Europe for well over 100 years. From start to finish, the flavor becomes more and more pronounced, giving a reliable and enjoyable smoke. This is the thick-cut version (gross coupe).
Notes: According to the catalog from tabac-semois.com:
Le Petit Robin is Coupe Fine/ Thin cut. Réserve du Patron is Coupe Moyenne/ Middle Cut. La Brumeuse is Grosse Coupe/ Big Cut.
Details
| Brand | Tabac Manil |
| Series | Pure Semois |
| Blended By | Vincent Manil |
| Manufactured By | Vincent Manil |
| Blend Type | Burley Based |
| Contents | Burley |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 100 grams or 250 grams pack |
| Country | Belgium |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium to Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.33 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 61 - 70 of 80 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 01, 2016 | Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
I moved the contents to jars, and the tin note is a very rich, cigar aroma with a hint of amaretto or perhaps floral notes – hard to tell. But it smells good and it smells like tobacco. Don’t get why reviewers say it is not Burley, because it is unmistakably Burley. The room note is pure Burley. I’m a Burley man and cannot be fooled here.
I like the straightforward Burley taste, never get tired of it. There are better Burleys, to be sure, but this is good and unique. Reminds me of Five Bros but better flavor, less harsh. The taste is earthy, pure tobacco, with an occasional sweet or chocolate note. It is very much like smoking a dry cigar (some are made to be smoked dry).
LB is dry gunpowder and it tends to burn fast and hot, so sip it. If it gets hot it gets harsh. Tamp lightly but frequently. Vincent Manil has stated it should be smoked dry. Having hydrated a bowl slightly, I agree; it loses its character wet. Pack it firmly, not too loosely.
La Brumeuse is good straight (if you like Burley), especially in a cob, and a good mixer. If you like codger Burley or a good cigar, you probably will like this fine, artisanal tobacco grown, processed and packed by the same person with no additives except elbow grease. It smokes down the the darkest-grey ash I have ever seen in a pipe tobacco.
I edited to up Strength to Strong. A couple of bowls in a row can give me heartburn, though the nic kick is not that heavy.
I like the straightforward Burley taste, never get tired of it. There are better Burleys, to be sure, but this is good and unique. Reminds me of Five Bros but better flavor, less harsh. The taste is earthy, pure tobacco, with an occasional sweet or chocolate note. It is very much like smoking a dry cigar (some are made to be smoked dry).
LB is dry gunpowder and it tends to burn fast and hot, so sip it. If it gets hot it gets harsh. Tamp lightly but frequently. Vincent Manil has stated it should be smoked dry. Having hydrated a bowl slightly, I agree; it loses its character wet. Pack it firmly, not too loosely.
La Brumeuse is good straight (if you like Burley), especially in a cob, and a good mixer. If you like codger Burley or a good cigar, you probably will like this fine, artisanal tobacco grown, processed and packed by the same person with no additives except elbow grease. It smokes down the the darkest-grey ash I have ever seen in a pipe tobacco.
I edited to up Strength to Strong. A couple of bowls in a row can give me heartburn, though the nic kick is not that heavy.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 08, 2016 | Mild | None Detected | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Semois has been called many things, but the one heard most often is "Unique." An unflavored slow cured burley leaf from the Ardennes Valley of Belgium. The tobacco arrived paper dry but springy in a 3.5 ounce cube wrapped in foil.
Initial nose on opening is the faint whiff of cocoa you normally see in good burley, with something else behind it. It reminds me of sun grown Sumatran cigar leaf. A faint mustiness, like in an old attic.
I packed it as tight as I could in my old briar cutty and gave it a light. Initial taste is burley cocoa and earth, with some other subtle things going on. Light and perfumy in some ways. It's less full than a normal burley. It almost reminds me of smoking straight orientals for a moment, then that's gone. There's the cocoa notes, followed by some deeper mustiness, sweetness, and a scarce cigar-like flavor. The wind started to pick up halfway through my bowl, which made smoking this a challenge. It's very dry, and even tight packed it'll go up like gun cotton if you're not slow and patient with it.
Overall, recommended. It's different, in a good way.
Initial nose on opening is the faint whiff of cocoa you normally see in good burley, with something else behind it. It reminds me of sun grown Sumatran cigar leaf. A faint mustiness, like in an old attic.
I packed it as tight as I could in my old briar cutty and gave it a light. Initial taste is burley cocoa and earth, with some other subtle things going on. Light and perfumy in some ways. It's less full than a normal burley. It almost reminds me of smoking straight orientals for a moment, then that's gone. There's the cocoa notes, followed by some deeper mustiness, sweetness, and a scarce cigar-like flavor. The wind started to pick up halfway through my bowl, which made smoking this a challenge. It's very dry, and even tight packed it'll go up like gun cotton if you're not slow and patient with it.
Overall, recommended. It's different, in a good way.
Pipe Used:
Royal Lancer Cutty
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Just Opened after ordering
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 11, 2016 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Definitely a Burley! I felt the nicotine, and it has somewhat of a cigar/cigarette-ish smell to it (reminds me of the small cigars one can buy in tins). Tastes nutty sometimes, grassy/vegetal most of the time. Very dry right out of the package (although the packaging is barely wrapped around it, so that's no surprise). Burns well when packed properly. I've initially smoked it in two new pipes (new to me, that is; one's an Edward's estate pipe, and one's a clay pipe) so perhaps I'll need to try it in a pipe that is more familiar to me so as to get a better feel for it. In my opinion, it would be nice if the package was smaller, but would be perfect to go in on a brick of it together with someone else and split it. I really wanted to fall in love with this tobacco, as I like the story behind it and am interested in "natural" tobaccos, but I only fell into like. Maybe I'll change my mind with more time, however.
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
<1 year old
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2015 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
I appreciate that this is a rare chance to sample tobacco with absolutely no additives. But being an artisan product doesn't make it good. Like some artisan cheeses, salumi, and alcoholic beverages I have tried, it is unique in an unappetizing way. It's taste and aroma are much like a cheap domestic cigar (White Owl, to be exact). I've tried it in cobs and briars and found it a bit better in a cob. Best as a quick smoke break while plowing the back 40.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 10, 2015 | Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Strong |
Smell right out of the foil is a big dusty tobacco drying barn. Rich and un-mucked with. Bone dry and tight-packed, but uniform cut and coloration.
Packed a half bowl tightly in my fairly large Doug Erwin Nosewarmer, tamped tightly as per the other reviewers experiences.
Char is cigar leaf upfront in the smell but a taste is less peppery than most, and a slight bit of sweetness. Predominant flavor is of walnuts, perhaps toasted a bit too much. Blend isn't much of a chameleon, I had a fairly tasty bowl from start to finish, a fine flavor indeed, the only change occurring with a zealous few puffs that gave me a slightly bitter (but no bite) taste that calmed when I let my bowl cool.
Room note was "exactly a cigar" as my wife reported.
As I had this bowl after the gym, I really shouldn't report how potent the nicotine kick was but wow... it was like I got smacked in the face by a Chilean Sea Bass. I'm sure after a more relaxing afternoon with some sweet tea or a nice bourbon the hit would have been much more tolerable.
Summary. I don't have much to say on this one that really hasn't already been said. What it lacks in complexity it makes up for in quality, it's rich without being too "thick", it's nutty, but sweeter than most American burleys. I absolutely love traditional burleys and this one will have plenty of space on my shelf. Looking forward to trying it in a cob.
Packed a half bowl tightly in my fairly large Doug Erwin Nosewarmer, tamped tightly as per the other reviewers experiences.
Char is cigar leaf upfront in the smell but a taste is less peppery than most, and a slight bit of sweetness. Predominant flavor is of walnuts, perhaps toasted a bit too much. Blend isn't much of a chameleon, I had a fairly tasty bowl from start to finish, a fine flavor indeed, the only change occurring with a zealous few puffs that gave me a slightly bitter (but no bite) taste that calmed when I let my bowl cool.
Room note was "exactly a cigar" as my wife reported.
As I had this bowl after the gym, I really shouldn't report how potent the nicotine kick was but wow... it was like I got smacked in the face by a Chilean Sea Bass. I'm sure after a more relaxing afternoon with some sweet tea or a nice bourbon the hit would have been much more tolerable.
Summary. I don't have much to say on this one that really hasn't already been said. What it lacks in complexity it makes up for in quality, it's rich without being too "thick", it's nutty, but sweeter than most American burleys. I absolutely love traditional burleys and this one will have plenty of space on my shelf. Looking forward to trying it in a cob.
Pipe Used:
Doug Erwin Poker Nosewarmer
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
Unknown
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 13, 2015 | Medium | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I've been searching for something like this since I went back and recently picked up my old pipe. Years of cigars left me always wanting a bit more creamyness and fullness in the smoke and flavor of a pipe tobacco.
This product delivers! Cream, nuttyness and a touch of earth in every puff. It also makes a perfect commute smoke as it keeps itself lit with just a light tamp now and then. One dimensional? Probably. However, that single dimension is fantastic and usually just what I'm looking for.
It does get a little more bitter and harsh toward the final third of the bowl, but it's relative. The cream and nuttyness is still very pleasant and while I usually knock out a goodly bit of dottle from other blends once the ash taste gets thick, this one burns to a grey ash and I'm left wanting more. Perfect way to end a relaxing smoke!
Highly recommended.
This product delivers! Cream, nuttyness and a touch of earth in every puff. It also makes a perfect commute smoke as it keeps itself lit with just a light tamp now and then. One dimensional? Probably. However, that single dimension is fantastic and usually just what I'm looking for.
It does get a little more bitter and harsh toward the final third of the bowl, but it's relative. The cream and nuttyness is still very pleasant and while I usually knock out a goodly bit of dottle from other blends once the ash taste gets thick, this one burns to a grey ash and I'm left wanting more. Perfect way to end a relaxing smoke!
Highly recommended.
Pipe Used:
Small J.J Fox Billiard
PurchasedFrom:
PipesandCigars.com
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 10, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Strong |
I don't have much to add to what's already been stated about this tobacco in other reviews. I will say it's unique. I've never smoked anything quite like it. I enjoy it. It's a bit monochromatic though. Not something I want to smoke day in, day out. Nice for a change now and then. It does have a somewhat cigar-like smell, but if you're looking for cigar flavor in your pipe, I think you'll be disappointed. It actually reminds me more of French *tabac brun* cigarettes than a cigar.
Smokes dry and cool if you pack firmly, burns easily and quickly with few relights. A bowl lasts about half the time as most other tobaccos. Don't let some of the other comments deter you from trying it. It's an enjoyable, if somewhat plain and simple, smoke. There is nothing unpleasant about it.
Smokes dry and cool if you pack firmly, burns easily and quickly with few relights. A bowl lasts about half the time as most other tobaccos. Don't let some of the other comments deter you from trying it. It's an enjoyable, if somewhat plain and simple, smoke. There is nothing unpleasant about it.
Pipe Used:
mostly cobs, a few briars
PurchasedFrom:
http://thepipeguys.com
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 26, 2014 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Straight up, medium to full, pure tobacco flavor. This thick cut version is smoother and less harsh than the the thinner cut. Also burns a bit slower. The cigar-like similarity is striking. Hints of the the leathery, woody goodness of an Oliva Serie V plus the hint of dry black cherry from a Savinelli Special Selection 2005. Stays pretty much the same through the bowl. More cigar-like on the inhale, more like pipe tobacco on the retrohale. As it burns down, a creamy bittersweet chocolate note dances in and out. I was lucky enough to have a BOTL gift me a jar of this baccy. Thanks Rick! Burns clean and dry on one light. 4*.
Pipe Used:
Alpha Executive 35+ years old
PurchasedFrom:
The Pipe Guys, LLC
Age When Smoked:
Jar dated 15-MAR-2014.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 13, 2010 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
This stuff is delicious. The leaf smells like a good quality cigar-very earthy and spicy- and it tastes like something very close, and different, to a good habana.
Despite being a coarse cut, it smokes well. You need to fill in your pipe tight because the leaf comes slightly dry. this will allow you to get maximum pleasure from the various tastes this tobacco offers.
If you do stop in Belgium, this is a madatory try!
Despite being a coarse cut, it smokes well. You need to fill in your pipe tight because the leaf comes slightly dry. this will allow you to get maximum pleasure from the various tastes this tobacco offers.
If you do stop in Belgium, this is a madatory try!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2022 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Package note of mildly sweet, earthy, and mild licorice. Tobacco is brown ribbon cut, a little on the dry side but soft, no prep needed. Burns fast with few relights. The strength is medium to strong, and nic is medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and very consistent, with complex notes of a very spicy cigar, very earthy, herbal tangy vegetative, bitter wood, mild sweet cocoa, very bready, floral, dry hay, a sweet nutty background note, and a peppery retro. Burley is leading with the "secrete leaf" (maybe Virginias?) supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.
Pipe Used:
Peterson Bard Rusticated 221 Fishtail
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
fresh
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