Levin Pipes International Sophisticate
(3.50)
Great care is taken in slow-stoving beautiful, sugary Virginia until it is jet black; then, it is mixed with high sugar bright Virginia to achieve a perfect balance. Never sharp, always mellow and rich, this exceptional blend has the qualities necessary for perfect aging.
Notes: No longer produced. Reproposed by McClelland under CORPS Series.
Details
| Brand | Levin Pipes International |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 100 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Very Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 11, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Very Pleasant |
For the Virginia lover, I can highly recommend Sophisticate if you can find this old, no longer produced classic. The contents demanded long-term aging and my tin was about 20-years old. When I popped the top the smell was so wonderful, I couldn't decide whether to smoke it or eat it. I did finally opt for the former and went through the tin in a hurry. I really don't know when I've smoked a smoother, more flavorful Virginia blend. Just enough strength to keep me interested, and just enough flavor to make this one a candidate for multiple bowls in the same day... and in the same pipe as it smoked to a gray, dry ash with each bowlful.
I compare this one favorably with the first and less sweet 1983 Crop McCranie's Red Ribbon.
I compare this one favorably with the first and less sweet 1983 Crop McCranie's Red Ribbon.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 2019 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The Virginias offer a bit of tangy dark fruit with a tart lemony citrus, and some sugary fermented stewed fruit, a lot of earth, some wood, light grass, and a couple pinches of spice. The “vinegar” dissipates fairly quickly. The strength is just past the center of mild to medium, while the taste is step past the strength threshold. The nic-hit is just past the mild mark. Won’t bite or get harsh, and has no rough edges. It may need a little dry time. The sample I tried was close to that border line. Burns cool, clean, and slightly slow with a very consistent flavor that translates to the short lived after taste. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires a couple more than an average number of relights. An all day smoke.
-JimInks
-JimInks
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