Peterson Special Reserve 2011

As others have noted, Peterson's Special Reserve blends really do pull out the stops when it comes to tin art. Another gorgeous tin design. However it's a bit of a double edged sword, as from a practical standpoint the tin is useless. Lovely looking, but useless for storage as it isn't airtight.

The tobacco, which is high quality, comes 'cellophane' wrapped, and whilst of a compact appearance, it too is nowhere near air tight and will be good for about two or three weeks if you're looking to keep it in the original tin.

Onto the blend....

When it comes to aromatics, particularly in the UK, I don't think you can go wrong with Peterson's, and would go far as to say they are probably the highest quality aro's you can get over here.

Lovely creamy aroma with a definite strawberries & cream candy style scent, and if you take your time a truly outstanding aro. Will turn heads and get you comments, and if you're a millionaire and like aromatics, then nabbing a dozen of these tins wont do you any harm. As long as you look to store the tobacco in an air tight container, as opposed to the very pretty but very poor storage jacket that it comes in.

In comparison to the Holiday season 2011 mixture (Christmas blend 2011 to us Brits) There isn't really a massive difference between them. For anyone whose interested, the Christmas 2011 blend is a little fruitier in a tropical sense than Special Reserve.

This deserves 4 stars just for the tin alone . Surely one of the most beautifully presented tobaccos of all time and I am sure the tin will be a collectors item in years to come. The tin note is mouthwatering - I'm not sure whether to light it or eat it . A wonderfully tactile mix of broken flake and mixed Cavendish - perfect moisture in my tin . Packs beautifully with no effort and lights easily . I use a large bowl in a pipe I have set aside for aromatics for this. Subtle and smooth smoke - very low nicotine levels but the flavours of Strawberry and Tonquin bean are definitely there. I found a fair bit of tongue bite at times and occasionally an unpleasant overcased chemical residue comes through - not enough to spoil the overall quality but I have deducted one star for this reason. Leaves a toasty warm and sweet taste on the tongue. Room note is fantastic. A very good aromatic and a lovely smoke with a nice cup of tea or a lager . Not as good as the 2010 Special Reserve in my opinion but a great smoke non the less .

This is blend I picked up along with a tin of summer time 2011. I have been on a aromatic kick lately, and gotta tell you. This is phenominal stuff. In an aromatic it super. If you are wagging back, and forth as to whether you should try this blend, and you like aromatics---GET IT. AWESOME STUFF. Another Peterson Special blend home run. For me this along with the Summertime 2011 is a hit out of the park.

The best of Peterson yet. I absolutely love this tobacco. Many pipe smokers start of with cheap aromatic tobaccos and never venture on to high quality tobaccos. This blend is rated in my opinion As Good As It Gets. I make sure I fill the bowl all the way to the top for a long and lovely smoke. Enjoy!

Wow, Wow, Wow, what a beautiful blend. I like Aromatics, and this really is a corker!

I find it does burn hot and if drawing too hard, tongue bite for sure. It doesn't suit my Dunhill Cherrywood(Gp 5) at all.. burning hot and bitter regardless of pace.

Glorious however if just sipped in a Comoys/Peterson/Savanelli/Castello/Mastro de Paja. (All Billiards)

The initial aroma is probably for me, the best I have noted, and the room note is better than almost any other.... Everyone who comes across this loves the room note.

Along with my Dunhill Early Morning Pipe & Nightcap(I love them both) I will stock up on this if I can.

If you like Aromatics, you'll adore this!

Love this, it is the first tobacco I heve thoughrly enjoyed, great room note, even the non smokers stated how lovely the smell is, one of the best I have smoked and I am a newbee. looking forward to the summertime blend if it is as good as this! buy it and you wont be dissapointed (but leave a couple of tins for me)

Hmmm, last year it was orange and vanilla, this year it's strawberrys and cream.

Who would have thought that such sublte flavours could actually be translated onto the pallette of a pipe smoker? Well, some how it has! This is a wonderful smoke from start to finish. When you first light the tobacco it's as if you're sipping on a strawberry milk-shake rather than smoking a pipe. I can understand why that sentense may put some pipe-smokers off, but have no fear! Like the previous reviewer has stated, this stuff is in no way sickly and the flavouring is certainly present but not overpowering. As you smoke down the bowl the flavours from the virginia bring themselves more to the fore combining to make a wonderful smoking experience.

The tin looks great, the tobacco smells wonderful in the tin, the room note is even better! Well worth a try for aromatic fans and the more traditional pipe smokers out there! I wonder what it'll be next year?...

For me, the mark of a good tobbaco is one that makes you want to smoke a pipe even more. This blend realy delivers in doing such.

Before opening the tin, you know that this is a quality product. Beautifully presented packaging, Peterson always go above and beyond with their limited editions.

Once opened you are greated with possibly the best tin note I have come across,and this is before you brake the seal on the plastic wrapper inside. When you do open the wrapper the sent of this tobbaco intensifies ten fold, prepare to salivate as you will wish you could eat this as well as smoke it.

Taking the tobbacco out to breath a little, it packs, lights and smokes perfectly. Slow, cool and without bite, down to a fine ash without any dottle. The sent from the tin translates very well into the smoke, the flavour of strawberry cuts through the sweet creamy taste in such a way that, although this is a very sweet blend, it is never sickly.

Leaving the room once smoked and comming back is the best way to truly enjoy the room note from this tobacco. It smells so good that you would be forgiven for thinking that jam had been made in there rather than a pipe being smoked.

Overall I would say this is a blend that could easly be smoked all day, however is perfect for an after dinner smoke and is just right for spring and summer...