Tabac Manil Réserve du Patron

The one thing I am sure of, is that Semois is a natural tobacco, without anything inside. Pure Burley coltivated in its country. Simple, sincere, straight, big nicotine hit, no humidity, fast to burn, difficult to smoke and enjoy it…

On the contrary, I can’t understand all those people that describe it as an excellent tobacco, with so many different tastes, odours and …nuances, that smoking this, gives. I had filled bowls many times, in various pipes (briars and meerschaum), I forced myself to smoke that Semois, finishing the bowl, I think I didn’t get all this sort of excellent taste, nor the “nuances” of odours, Semois had to give me. Only a big nic-hit, sometimes to throat me, some hay and a lot of earth, mud and manure, I can’t affirm am going crazy of it!

Is it of the new tendency of people in masochistic behaviours? Is it because of their desire to harm themselves, proving, in that way, to be …tough masculines? I can’t tel…

For sure this is a simple, rural natural tobacco, apt to woodsmen, rude peasants, farmers on their rest hours, max for workers, walking back home after a hard-working day. Something they own, grew from their own land, a poor thing, but sincere, giving all that has to give paying little money to buy it, smoking in old half-burned pipes, that have a lot to tell about hundreds of full bowls smoked in winter mountain sharp paths, or quietly in home-confortable seat besides the fireplace. But nothing else.

We, very different people, with our lots of pipes, smoking and tasting delicate flavours, chatting about fine briars and block meerschaums, about brands that do this or that, delicate nuances of fine expensive blends, that a woodsman or a peasant can’t buy, can’t taste: a pack of Semois, cost in their land, about 5euros and that is all they can afford.

It’s something out of our reality, maybe an old tobacco that still survives only for them and the trend of ours is the only thing make us doing miracles to get it, as if it was something so precious, also because it’s not found or sold nowhere in Europe, except the lands of Belgium.

I’ve got two packs and I’m nearly forced to smoke it, better in meerschaum, because I have no courage to throw it away, hoping to get used to its rudeness. I’m a pipe smoker since 1970. All these years, I had the occasion to smoke and try many tobaccoes —some of them are dead, already— I never ever got myself smoking that …thing!