Boswell Pipes & Tobacco Railroad Station

I must provide a disclaimer right up front. I love Boswell Pipes and Tobacco. I love the work ethic of the Boswell family, I love the customer service and I think the pipes are among the best in the world. Railroad Station is a solid great tasting Latakia blend (As I have learned more over the year(s) the term English isn't really the right descriptor for a tobacco with Latakia). Railroad Station is similar to Northwoods but I do like Northwoods better. Tin note is latakia with some grassy sweet notes from the VA's and Cavendish It has a smooth mouth feel and presents with the smoky sweetness you would expect from a Lat heavy / VA blend. This is no lat bomb by any means. It is super smooth and tasty. I get a toasty note midway through each bowl that persists to the end along with that great smoky campfire flavor. This is not a super complex blend but it is a great tasty all day smoke, light on nicotine and delicious.

Very good blend, definitely recommended for english blend smokers. It's very similar to Northwoods (almost too similar), but it has a bit more latakia added, and less sweetness than Northwoods. To my taste, it's too similar to Northwoods to justify purchasing both (unless you just want to compare the two). In other words, if you want a blend significantly different than Northwoods (i.e., much stronger/more latakia), I can think of other places to go. BUT, again, for what it is, this is a great blend, like all Boswell pipe blends.

Entering our destination comes Railroad Station the fourth provisional entry of JM Boswell’s English style tobaccos that I have embarked upon for sampling trial. Most likely this one has the honors of being the fullest of their eight original presentations. Touted as a rich flavored Latakia blend, the recipe brings together a very generous volume of powerful Cyprian, assorted Virginias, and a modest portion of Black Cavendish. As a result, I would summarize the experience gained as a venture into tangy, moderately sweet, and spicy deep woodiness.

This blend happens to be available in tin or bulk, my sampling was representative of the latter of course. I will say that, with consistency, when Boswell loads up a baggie to send you a couple of ounces, its every bit of that and then some. In particular, the received pouch of the bulked variety was bulging with a plentiful amount of tobacco, thank you sirs!

Looking on now to the pouched stated, one will perceive an ominous dark mass of primarily dissimilar ribboned tobaccos. An overwhelming midnight blackness casts a heavy weighted shadow atop scant patches of yellow, red, and dark burnished brown strands of varying thickness and girth. Judging from appearances, rough estimate suggests that the recipe upholds at least 50%-60% Latakia, maybe 20% Virginia and the balance comprised by modest Cavendish. Chiefly, Railroad Station counters a pithy and sincere vestige that foretells of what should a forceful and full-flavored undertaking.

Furthermore, visual inspection reveals that the Virginian mixture encompasses portions of yellow, Red, and possibly a bit of stoved based upon observation. Overall, the quality of the varietals used show to be well selected and nicely processed altogether. Lifting a sample pinch, the texture feels somewhat dense and nearly coarse bestowing a nominal level of collective moisture from within.

As one would imagine the nose on the mixture presents not even the slightest degree of modesty. Just removing the pouch from the outer mailer, the penetrating odor of strong tobacco whirls with unrelenting immediacy. Sampling the olfactory registration, a fat, seedy, buttered note of campfire pungency smacks one’s senses. Underneath this grand affronting, a volume of earthy sharp tartness and hardened spicy wood looms over a distant herbaceous sub-current and muted sugar. There is no mistaking that Railroad Station intends to make good on its inherent vigor.

Packing my best Savinelli proved to be an easy undertaking as the smoke-ready tobaccos wanted to cooperate very accommodatingly. Given its wide and deep bowl, the Group 6 Bruyere 315EX generally serves as an optimum vessel for experiencing the full range of an English blends taste profile. Well to be honest it wasn’t until I diverted my trials over to a series of English-designated cobs that I can honestly say Railroad Station finally confirmed its true disposition. With that the flavor aptly opened up revealing the nuances of its standard character once and for all.

By natural course, the focus of the principal flavor keys upon the featured component of the Cyprian. Namely, the compelling taste profile largely comes down to Latakia, Latakia, and more Latakia, no gest. Dominating about 80% of the flavor, the Cyprian brings a hefty body of densely dark and musty charry earthen tones. Its essential spirit is amazingly leathery and excessively woody. Accenting attributes that comprise the strain’s basic flavor standards take the form of some peak sourness, bold funk/pungency, and a very smoky proclivity. There is also a minimal bit of sweet fruitiness and herbal spicing but overall, the Latakia, make no mistake, is insistent, weighty, and intense in magnitude.

Residing in a much more meeker complimenting posture, the Virginia struggles in desperation to find a calling. Circulating in the lower background, being almost drowned by the massive frontage of Latakia, the assorted Virginian strains provide a modest remarking of tang, cultured sweetness, and fairly strong floral spice. There is a degree of maturity to its taste all the same. And although traces of grass attempt to shine through, like the Cyprian, the Virginia tends to step more on woodiness as the basis for its foot printing. Highlighting takes on distinct tea notes and some sugary caramel and mild sourness as well.

As to the Black Cavendish it functions mostly as a facilitator of the taste fusion or perhaps corralling some of the Cyprian boldness in forbearance. Even with exercising much effort, the strain is exceptionally hard to record. At times, however, a natural soiled woodiness and an inkling of smoky zest do surface bringing a hint of diluted sweetness most likely from some form of sugar-based casing.

Railroad Station demonstrated model performance with respect to certain critical mechanical properties. The blend burns exceptionally cool and even in a gradual tempo. The vapors produced are of impressive volume, creamy thick clouds of greyed masking. The resultant room note is ostensibly bold and potent. In practical terms, its character is no-holds-barred, bringing a strong heavy waft of pungent sourness and smoky herbal spicing. A thickening takes the form of dense charred wood and earthen stodgy must. Showing incredible tenacity for permanence, Railroad Station’s magnanimous room note is not for the weak stomached.

Additionally, for what it is, the blend fared well on flavor attributes. To say that Railroad Station is a well-balanced English might be somewhat of a stretch, however. Respectable nonetheless, this blend is more categorically a Latakia product offering period. Specifically, the scale is heavily weighted to emphasize and feature the bold-faced smoky Cyprian. That fact is entirely appropriate given that this was the design intent of the JM Boswell blender.

With that Railroad Station therefore is not an overly complex mixture nor does to exactly measure up to crafted rounding respective to the English genre standards. The flavor is consistent and steady without question. And although the spicing is colorful and robust it tends to be channeled and little too narrowed to be badged as a well-balanced English specimen. Again, this is primary a Latakia blend with marginal complementary influences.

Some fundamental strengths realized in the scoring assessment showed that Railroad Station exhibited considerable depth of body, the experience is quite meaty to say the least. Similarly, the strength, fullness and intensity are ideal for experienced smoker and most definitely for one looking for a Latakia dominant excursion. With so much push from the Latakia, Railroad Station tends to impart a bit of roughness on the palate. This does not equal to a bite necessarily but more so a harsher sensitization of the mouth cavity with prolonged smoking. The ensuing nicotine is naturally low given the recipe.

On a final note, in recognition of the fact that the blend does lend itself to a relaxing enjoyable occasion, this one is not a casual smoker with all due respect. Yet the consistency of the noted flavor and general savor, strong as it may be, speaks volumes to the quality of JM Boswell’s craftmanship, noteworthy indeed. So, if you are a bona fide Lat zealot I’m quite confident that this mixture will be most pleasing towards your preferences. Here’s your stop, the conductor has called it, Latakia Central don’t miss it. Another fine JM Boswell offering worthy of your consideration in my opinion.

Objective Measured Scoring (basis- genre attributes, mechanicals, & cost): 146/184 @ 79% (3.03) Personal Subjective Rating: 3.1

Pouch aroma is slightly sweet, earthy and smoky. The blend doesn't have the aroma of a typical "lat bomb"

Thin crinkly ribbons with short choppy bits of latakia. More than the average amounts of stems in this blend. Packs easily enough, no difficulties.

Initial lighting bring forward toasty notes, very earthy, medium amount of smoky Latakia, and next to zero sweetness. Burns extremely well and even, minimal relights. Thick, chunky, voluminous amounts of smoke with little effort. The further down into the 2nd half the Latakia comes forward, but can get a bit acrid if puffed to hard. This is a great morning blend with coffee!

Well, now…this is closer to a true English than is common in American blends, even Northwoods. Latakia is ever-present, but not overbearing. Smoky like a campfire, earthy, herbal. Pleasant.

Burns slowly and cool, but I hasten to add that it is not for everyone. I do not think, for instance, that I would choose Railroad Station for my morning bowl, although I do like the blend. For me, an evening pipe with a single malt or a double shot of espresso.

In the Boswell family of blends, I like the Northwoods and Countryside favorites, but I do not rank or compare Railroad Station to those, either. For me, this is as close to the English blends of years past without Perique, which I cannot tolerate.

Of note: I ordered a 2-oz tin with a Boswell pipe. When I opened the tin some five hours ago, the tobacco was too dry. I live in the desert, and I do not know how long the box had been in my mailbox, nor when the tin was sealed by Boswell. At any rate, I am now nearing the end of my first bowl, and this review is subject to change after the tobacco is rehydrated to a proper level. I will probably add this blend to my Boswell orders going forward, but I will buy in bulk. Film at eleven.