Petersen & Sorensen 34th Mixture

I bought a tin of this around two years ago and basically forgot about it. I am not the biggest fan of English blends, but I do like to keep some on hand just in case it's what I want at the time. I usually smoke Perique blends.

The tin note is very nice. Warm and inviting. Smells like damp earth. The cut is a bit strange, kind of like a bigger loose cut, so I went with one of my bigger pipes. Once the tin was opened, I let it air dry for about an hour, then started packing.

This packs easily, lights easily, and stays lit easily. It can get a bit hot if you like taking a lot of sips, so take your time with it. It's a very nice, comforting blend, with nice bold flavor. Perfect with a coffee in the morning. It doesn't need much attention, however in my opinion it should be sipped slow and not rushed.

I'm not a fan of Cavendish, but I admit it does complement this blend well. I can taste it more than the Virginia's in here, that's for sure. The Virginia's to me were practically non existent, but maybe that's just because I smoke a lot of Virginia/Perique blends so my expectations may be different. Still, I got no Virginia from this blend. It's definitely there as you can see it in the tin, but flavor wise, it's shoved aside by the Latakia and Cavendish.

A very nice blend I would say, if I could find more I would go for another tin or two.

I opened this tobacco in April 2010. I kept it stored (do not know why;) since October 2008 when I bought it. Syrian Latakia and a pinch of Virginia. When I opened the tin for the first thing what struck my attention was the fact that for the first time I saw such coarse mixture that contained Latakia. The second thing was that I did not sense at all the characteristic aroma of Latakia. It is a little moist (do not think anything special) someone else they might consider this level perfect, but not me. Hardly fills the bowl and it is difficult to light. From the first 2-3 puffs I realized that this tobacco is flat, without something to grab my attention but the subtle flavor of latakia and also by the middle of the bowl and after there was absolutely nothing, neither taste nor aroma. Also left - though quite aged - too much moisture at the bottom of the bowl.

I'm not so fan of Cavendish, but this blend was truly and pleasant surprise for me. Well balanced, not tongue biting, cool burning... Taste is good...IMHO, of course. I would recommend this with all my lungs:-))))

To make it quite short: this is practically the German version of Presbyterian Mixture with a very strange and almost disgusting flavouring or casing or topping.