Two Friends English Chocolate

The Virginias are grassy and tart and tangy citrus sweet, and always obvious. They form the base of the blend. The Cyprian Latakia is smoky, earthy, a little woodsy and sweet, and although it's a minor component, there are times I notice it more than I expect. The chocolate topping is tasty with no hint of chemical or syrup, and doesn't overwhelm the tobaccos or your senses. I sense a small vanilla note, too. The topping tone down the tobaccos to a moderate extent. The strength is in the center of mild to medium, while the taste is a step or two past that mark. Has little nicotine. Won't bite or get harsh. Burns clean, cool, dry and slightly slow with a very consistent, mildly sweet and lightly savory flavor. Requires a few relights, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Has a very pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. An all day smoke.

-JimInks

I was fortunate to discover a tin dated August 2011 at the tobacconist, so this blend doubtless benefited from a few years of sitting and thinking about itself. Presentation is beautiful, dark broken flake. I have to agree with a reviewer from a few years back that the initial tin note is Latakia-forward. Interestingly, I stirred the tobacco around a bit with my finger in the tin and doing so released a pleasant aroma of light cocoa. It was reminiscent of the powdered cocoa one would use to make chocolate milk.

From the charring light through the first third of the bowl, I tasted mainly Latakia. Good Latakia. Which was fine, but not the reason I purchased this tobacco. I seemed to get chocolate in small doses, interspersed worth the Latakia, with little harmony between the two. I continued skeptically.

I have to say that after the initial third, as the Virginias begin to assert and tie the blend together, this blend really came alive for me. The Virginias are smooth as silk, the Latakia becomes a true condiment, and the chocolate is very sweetly subtle. This blend burns very dry and cool, truly leaving the proverbial grey-white ash. Absolutely no doddle. This is definitely an English blend, not an aromatic. A crossover blend, perhaps, but one that can stand on its own to satisfy English smokers looking for a change of pace that's still true to its roots. Sweet, savory, smoky, and very satisfying.

Edit: this stuff is really growing on me. Maybe it's the change in seasons. Upgrading to 4 stars as I find myself reaching for this more often. A nice inside smoke when company is present and one desires a balance between room note and flavor.

Mouth-watering chocolate tin aroma and dirty brown stubby broken flake (or fat ribbon) cut. Tin moisture was about perfect.

I was all prepared to write this blend off after half the tin was gone. Couldn't get any chocolate flavoring and the entire blend tasted like dirt. Interestingly, this blend resurrected a pipe that I hadn't smoked much lately - a Bekler CAO meerschaum. The resurrection was mutual. In this pipe and only in this pipe, did the blend reach its potential. I got a nice chocolate flavor with just a hint of latakia, much like G&H's Bob's Chocolate Flake, but without the florals. In said pipe, I preferred this, although Sam Gawith's Chocolate Flake toasts them both. At any rate, this tasted a bit like an aromatic but it smoked very dry. Nice crossover blend. Burned beautifully to a clean white ash and didn't overpower me with nicotine. This was a very well behaved blend in the right pipe. Why it only likes one pipe, I have no idea, but if you try this and aren't getting a very noticeable chocolate flavor along with the room aroma, try it in several different pipes. Not a barn burner but definitely worth a go.

This is a great tasting smoke. First half a dozen puffs give a good hit of Lat and sweet chocolate. The Lat then fades to the background and the Virginias to the fore. It's a fairly sweet smoke with both the Virginas and the topping contributing. I love the flavors, but I do get a mild bite which is the only reason I can't give it 4 stars. Bite is a subjective thing so you may not experience it here. I have no problem giving this a full recommendation.

Medium in body and taste. Flavoring is mild to medium. Burns very well.

Two Friends - English Chocolate.

Love at first light!

The tobacco has been tumbled to a perfect consistency, chunky pieces but not too coarse meaning further rubbing's required; only a small amount are larger broken flakes. The moisture's perfect and the nose is chocolatey and sweet.

The chocolate has a definite presence from the start, but isn't sticky or heavy. It embellishes the Virginia lead tobaccos, but doesn't take things over. The Latakia is a much lighter addition than the Va. It gives some woodiness, slight dryness, and a little smoke, but don't expect a 'bomb. The smoke's cool, and bereft of bite.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: nice.

English Chocolate? To me it bridges the gap between an English and aromatic nicely. I'll happily give it four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pleasant little change of paced tobacco...Nice little transition between English and Aromatic blends...If you're an Aromatic smoker and would like to try some English/Balkan blends, try this to ease your way...Also would work if you're an English/Balkan smoker and would like to dip into Aromatics...Just enough flavoring to make it interesting...Flavoring does not overpower the Virginias or the Latakia...I could see some even using this as an every day tobacco...Would be welcome as part of a regular rotation.

I bought this on a fluke. I needed another 10 dollars on my order to get free shipping, so I wanted to find something totally out of my realm.

I was looking for a latakia blend that I could smoke indoors, so I searched for something sweet, but with a latakia punch.

The tin note is awesome, perfect moisture and free of humectants. All medium brown leaf makes up this blend. The cut is a bit weird, a small chopped ribbon, that is easily sucked through the stem into your throat. This is the only drawback to this blend.

Moderate notes of smoky latakia with an upfront chocolate note that is in perfect harmony with the latakia. Thick smoke produces a great room note, and the blend smokes great and leaves the pipe extremely dry. If you are looking for a chocolate blend that delivers the fullness of an English, look no further.

I purchased this tobacco on a whim as I was curious how a touch of chocolate would go with the Virginia/Latikia. Not only do they work well together but this has become one of the very select few tobaccos to receive the "OK in-the-house" official stamp of approval from my wife! I have come to love it with a glass of espresso or simply on its own. There is no bite, none of the over-moistness found in some aromatics and has quickly become a favorite.

Unfortunately the local brick and mortar as well as Internet sources are now sold out so I guess the secret is out. I highly recommend you try it if you can find it.

It was with some trepidation I got this one, as I could never get behind C&D blends, but here we are. Wow, this one smells great. It truly is a chocolate English with a clear cocoa topping wafting over some charcoal Latakia.

The thick ribbons feel great with a tactile flavor dusting on top. Great moisture content that was ready to stuff n' puff. Smolders into a strong* smoke that might catch you unaware with its strength. The highlight for me was it still maintained a chocolate veneer over the dominant Latakia, which was a first for me, as other 'flavored' English blends I've had never delivered on the added taste, making me wonder why they bothered (or why I wasn't just smoking a parallel Aromatic in the category).

English Chocolate manages to be an English with a working candy finish; a rare success story. Not to be smoked as a desert or all day puffer, but a nice change of pace to any English regiment.

*Most other reviewers found this one mild, so please note I have become a wuss.

Nice cocoa aroma in the tin and room note. As many others have noted, just a hint of the cocoa in the actual taste, and I rarely got any Latakia flavors. For me, this burns a tad hot and acts more like a Cavendish-based blend than a VA, and is a bit too sweet for my taste, so overall, to me, it's closer to a true aromatic blend than a flavored English. Recommended for aro-lovers, I prefer to cut it with more Latakia-based blends. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is probably not.