Newminster No. 403 Superior Round Slices

This has been a very enjoyable smoke. The coins are sliced very thin, and they were easy to rub out. I got a medium strength Virginia flavor, with a pleasant spiciness from the Kentucky. This is a serious value, and on that basis alone it should probably get bumped to a 4. I found this very tasty and not a tobacco with a lot of complexity. You get the slightly sweet and mellow with just enough spice to notice but not overpower. I did not experience bitter as another reviewer did.

Edit: 12/1/14 I am checking reviews and updating. When I finished the 4 oz sample, I ordered a pound of this. I find this a very satisfying smoke, and have discovered I can rub out a couple of coins to mix with a "thin" Balkan/English to provide some body and kick it up a notch.

I have experimented with different ways to prepare this when smoked by itself, and I think I get the best smoke with the coins stacked, rolled up and wadded into the right size for the bowl. This gives a slightly denser pack and a remarkably good smoke.

This is a great blend to have in inventory. Solid 3.5 on the scale.

Summary: Dark Fired Kentucky Burley takes the place of Perique in this traditional curley cut

Many of us love curly cuts for their ease of packing, transport, and burning, plus the little curlicues are just cute. Like the later "Three Nuns," Newminster "Superior Round Slices" makes a traditional va/per with Kentucky Burley in the place of the Perique. This creates a smooth-burning mixture that produces a flavor not unlike oatmeal with brown sugar and a slight zing, but lacks something that the Perique gives a blend, namely that deeply fermented fruit flavor which tames the sweetness of bright Virginias. In addition, the leaf used in this blend is new and is cased with some sugar, which means that the first few puffs will burn quite hot. If you buy this blend and set it aside for a few months or years, it becomes a richer, gentler, and more molasses-and-honey version instead of the peanut-butter-and-jelly of the vapers.

A solid value in a bulk tobacco. I like this blend quite a bit. Comparisons to Mac Baren’s Dark Twist Roll Cake are appropriate, as are comparisons to Stockton for that matter. Actually I find Superior Round Slices to be somewhere in between these two venerable roll cake blends. It’s just as spicy as Stockton, but it lacks Stockton’s earthy flavor profile. It’s slightly sweeter and a bit more rich than Dark Twist Roll Cake, but it’s also more rugged and lacks Dark Twist’s delicate nuances.

Altogether this is a fairly fresh tasting blend that happens to be a bit rough around the edges, especially when puffed too hard. Is it perfectly balanced? No. Is it well matured? No. Still, it's a tasty tobacco with some sweet grassy Virginia flavor and a bit of bass and spice from the dark fired core. I am going to jar up several ounces of it and lose it in my cellar for a couple years. I am positive that a little age will yield some mighty fine results. A perfect investment blend.

Each slice looks like a Hubbel photograph of a tobacco nougat galaxy with tan and cream stars carried along by swirls of chocolate brown and black earth. The aroma is light, spicy and brisk; it's in your face without being obnoxious but also without any apologies for itself. Dried for 20 minutes and rubbed out into broken slices and shreds. It's a bit deceptive when packed -- you think there's more tobacco down in there than actually is down there. It will also expand when lit, so if you pack it to the very top of your pipe's chamber you should stand by for strands of the tobacco to stand up from your piple like tiny blacksnakes lit on the sidewalk during the Fourth of July.

The taste and aroma are vegetal and lightly astringent. Flavors are primarily pine and hay, with slight hints of black pepper and juniper. Maybe some dark-toasted, yeasty bread toward the end of the bowl, but that's as much *umami* as you'll get. It's a refreshing smoke, sort of a palate-cleaner with enough flavor to let you know you're smoking tobacco but not enough to overwhelm or indulge your senses. It's pretty strong stuff, too, probably due to the Kentucky. I enjoyed it.

403 - Superior round slices . These coins are very simplistic and quite tasty.This blend could easily be an all day type of smoke . They have more flavor than my six year old tins of Three Nuns and they are much cheaper . They needed dry time and after my first bowl I dryed it a little more and no threat of a bite whatsoever. Very similar to Mac Barens Dark Roll Cake . Virginia grassy and light fruit and bread . The Kentucky is spicy , nutty with some bbq smokiness . I think it is cased with something sweet ? A fine Vabur that is priced right and would probably age well . I may jar some for the cellar . Recommend for sure . Sometimes I wish you could comment on reviews because when I read someone saying this bites the crap out of me I want to tell them to dry the tobacco out some . If you smoke a lot of blends right out of the tin or bag it will bite you ! Virginia and Burley blends need a certain moisture level . Latakias can be quite moist and not bite . It’s a shame because that’s why some people quit smoking pipes probably. Sorry about the rant .

Good natural quality tobacco flavor,no bite,good strength and dirt cheap. No real complexity here but just a good,reliable everyday kind of smoke. It almost warrants a fourth star when taking the ridiculously low price into consideration plus the coins are fun to play with. Enjoy!

...very nice rolled coins, perfect moisture in the 1 pound bag I purchased, with a pleasant aroma from the bag.

Another solid preformer from Newminster...not overly complex, yet it has character, quality tobaccos, and could serve as an all-day smoke for many.

For the time being I rate this a 3 star recommendation and will continue my assessment...

...a pipe is to be savored...

This is the modern incarnation of Three Nuns on the cheap. At roughly a third the price of the premium, Newminster's Superior Round Slices offers the familiar blend, curly cut and all, of Virginias and Kentucky at a sharp discount. The flavor is a little spicy, robust, and Virginia forward. A bit harsher than Three Nuns in its constitution, this is an able substitute, which I would welcome to any smoker wary of Three Nuns' relatively hefty tag.

Since MacBaren has eliminated Latakia Blend, I thought this to be a possible replacement. I find no difference at all, and suspect it is the same product. I ordered a pound, and am glad that I did. It remains in a sealed Ball jar as do my other blends, including the last of the MacBaren Latakia. I fished one coin of the MacBaren, and one of the Newminster 403, and examined them side by side under the lab microscope at 30X. They are visually structured identically and no difference can be seen. Both display a slight gloss on some of the coin's turns which I presume is the casing material applied before making the rolls. Like other reviewers, the dark fired kentucky seems to be well met with the virginia. Hooray! My MacBaren LB is re-incarnated! Good karma... 😉