Park-Lane Tobacconist Black Forest

I'm not a regular aromatic smoker, when I do reach for one, the quality of the underlying tobacco, rather than the topping, is key for me. If you are into aromatic's this is a "must try" blend. The pouch scent is quite sweet but I don't smell the cherries in the pouch that others have mentioned. The combination of tobaccos really make this stand out for me. As noted, its not just another soaked Burley. However, Black Forest does arrive too wet to smoke. I do find a fruity taste to the blend and a taste of toasted marshmallow and light cherry. I enjoy it very, very dried out so that my be the cause of the marshmallow taste. The majority of Aro's don't contain Latakia and Perique but this is so well done that it makes for an aromatic with some complexity. Extra dry time will make even the biggest "puffers" (like me) avoid the mouth coat that comes from a lot of American aromatics. Highly Recommended.

This is a good aromatic. It has a wonderful fruity flavor. It burns nicely. I added some cube cut burley to give it some body and nicotine. I do smoke aros, but it has been a while since I found a good one. Happy about this one.

A short time ago I began exploring the tobaccos of ParkLane. I added two ounces of Black Forest to my order even though I am not an aromatic smoker but the description did catch my interest. The first bowl was tough going because it was just way too moist. I spread it out on a paper towel for many many hours and then put it in an old tin, this helped tremendously. It burned much easier on the next go around and was much more flavorful. It is definitely fruity, some cherry component is there but it is not the sole player. I taste a dominant black cavendish and really don't detect the latakia or the perique. There is definitely a black virginia comparable to Rattray's or Astley's. The top dressing does remain throughout the entire smoke which is rare in this style of smoke.

If you love aromatics you should definitely try Black Forest. If you like the idea of an aromatic but are mostly dissappointed in them you should give this a try. I'm glad I tried it and will smoke what I have, after that I'm not sure I'll pursue it further.

An impressive aromatic!

I tasted honey at the bowl's first half, fast leading to some honeyed cherry with a hint of warm maple. This new (at least to me) blend is delicious but not cloying, with fine base tobacco. Very smooth and relaxing. A smoky delight that is extremely pleasing to the palate and imparts a calming effect that is conducive to The Zone. The sweetness at the first half of the bowl slowly morphs into a more varied mix of tartness and sweetness, but always with its smooth and satisfyingly full flavor and taste. The coarse cut baccy is easy to fill and to keep lit, impressive considering that it came soft and a bit wet-looking in the bag, yet presented no undue problems for lighting.

Update: The aroma in the bulk bag is very light cherry, but the smoking flavor is more like soft, light honeyed maple and vanilla with the cherry undertone very distant. The flavoring therefore does not overwhelm the very good tobacco leaf. It comes wet and should be allowed to air out overnight, preferably in a pre-filled pipe. Fills easily and burns down smoothly after the aformentioned drying process. I find it to be an extremely relaxing smoke that doesn't assail your tastebuds like many aromatics do. I've been finding that the best part of the smoke is through the second half of the bowl, but it's all good.

I am rating this as an aromatic ONLY. This here is the holy grail of aromatic tobaccos folks! This ain't your typical cheap burley doused with a sweet, stinky topping. This is a real mans tobacco that is delicious and smells like heaven!! This tobacco has what the Japanese call UMAMI. The "fifth taste". It is sweet, sour, rich, mild, smoky, spicy, full and tasty all at the same time. All quality black tobaccos. The black Cav is soft and the Virginia is likely Rattray's Black Virginia or similar and the lat and perique are added in perfect amounts. It has a cherry smell in the pouch but only imparts that smell in the side-stream smoke and room note. To the smoker, it just a fantastic smoke made up of the finest componets. If you are a veteran pipe smoker looking for an aromatic you can embrace....look no further! The guys at Park-Lane are as close as you can come to olde world tobacconists in the U.S.A. This ends my quest for an aromatic, period!

Tastes like a cased English sans Orientals so some might quibble that it's not a really an English. But with the Latakia, Perique and dark tobaccos I might tend to disagree.

One Reviewer really nailed it when he claimed that this has a Umami or 5th taste. Sweet, Sour and smokey.

This is a quality Hybrid Tobacco that I think is Awesome. Might be a pinnacle in this type of Tobacco style.

I don't get this as an aromatic blend at all! The tobacco is black as Ol' Coaley's ass (he was a ram), and the tin note is a rather understated English blend. I don't get the fruit, at all, in tin, pipe or room. I was given a sample and knew what it was but hadn't looked it up, so had no preconceptions. The descriptions of this as fruity or cherry leave me scratching my balding head. I don't detect it. It is a complex little mixture that delicately evolves over the course of a smoke, with the Perique delightfully peeking out now and again, then hiding for a bit. I am ordering a bunch of this and am a new Park-Lane devotee.

Every puff is a deep, sensual pleasure. I like a mellow English, meaning one that does not smell like someone else's sour athletic socks. In other words, not a Lat-bomb. BF is mellow, just magnificent-quality tobacco. A new favorite. Even if you like heavy Lat blends, you may well appreciate this one's considerable merits. Just don't buy it thinking you've got Davidoff's Royalty cut with Middleton's Cherry, or something.

This is a mellow English blend for pipesters who think they don't like English. It's even wife-approved.

This has become my favorite aromatic tobacco. If you like BCA, but want your tobacco less wet and with more spice, this if for you. It's fairly straightforward, easy to light, burns well and tastes great. I have enjoyed Park Lane's other blends as well.