Newminster No. 17 English Luxus

I received a generous free sample of this stuff last time I visited my regular B&M. I've had a few bowls and I consider it something of a quandary for me.

Pouch note is unmistakably oriental - latakia is most certainly present and accounted for, but it's tempered somewhat by the intriguing presence of black cavendish, mexican burley and african virginias. It's a loose and moderately dry cut.

Lighting with my sample is easy. I usually do a charring light followed by a true light regardless of whether the tobacco requires it, but with this blend I've usually only bothered with the initial light. Up an running in no time, it burns a bit hot seemingly somewhat ashy (probably a technique issue rather than a blend characteristic) and here's where it gets interesting.

Taste is full and robust English, with the smoky and earthy Cyprus latakia first and foremost. The blend is labeled as a definite non-aromatic, but curiously the room note is unmistakably sweet with obvious caramel and vanilla layers, bolstered by the smoky campfire of the oriental - it's a rich and extremely pleasant note which I can easily detect myself, and which has received rave comments from non-smokers ("What's that amazing stuff you're smoking??"). It's the first thing I've smoked where the taste and the note have a weird inverse ratio: the taste is definitely English with a very slight sweetness on the back end, while the note is very sweet with a slight earthiness to the back end.

If you've enjoyed McC's A.M. Pipe or Boswell's Bear Blend, think of the taste of the former with a stronger oriental presence, and the room note of the latter with a fuller caramel presence - or think of Shortcut to Mushrooms on steroids. Very surprising. It's really the best way I can describe it. Definitely seems to fit the bill for those who want a very robust, semi-complex English blend for personal enjoyment, while also pleasing the crowd with a gorgeous scent.

HOWEVER, there's a kicker, and quite literally - WAY more nicotine than I'm used to. I never smoked cigarettes or cigars, and my decision to start smoking a pipe was more about the aesthetic and relaxing/meditative benefits more than anything, so constantly inhaling the smoke and getting nicotine hits are things I've more or less avoided until now (not necessarily a conscious decision, but it's just how I roll). With English Luxus I've strongly and consistently felt the effects of the nicotine, both as a head buzz and as an upset stomach - and again, I don't inhale (except to enjoy that spectacular note). I do snork, as with any blend I smoke, but that's it. After smoking this blend I always need a big glass of water and short walk to clear my head. Definitely a feeling of the tobacco dropping a bomb on me and leaving me to wander through the aftermath in a daze.

I'll gladly finish the sample but it remains to be seen if I'll return for more. Maybe it can work as a nice holiday treat once in a while, for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. The unique balance of English taste and sweet aromatic note really struck a wonderful chord for me (and those in close proximity), but the nicotine content gives me pause. But to those of you who enjoy a good English toby and don't mind the Vitamin N, definitely give it a try!

This really tastes like it has Orientals in it, at least in the first half of the bowl. Not sure how they pulled that off. Peterson's Balkan Delight uses this same "magic trick". The Burley shows itself in the second half killing the illusion. The Perique is light offering a small amount of flavor and spice. The Latakia is only moderately applied. The Virginias are nearly invisible. The Black Cav adds some sweetness and, unfortunately, some harshness. The same harshness I get when I smoke P&C's Green River Black Cav. (a blending tobacco I haven't reviewed as of yet). The harshness is mild and only a small distraction from a nice tasting blend.

Medium in body and flavor. Burns well and moisture is just right.

I received a free sample of this from Smoking Pipes with an order and really enjoyed it. It is a really earthy sweet latakia blend. Reminiscent of many of the American English Genre where the burley stands out as much as any other element.

I think this would make a great introduction to latakia blends for the novice as well as an enjoyable all day easy smoker for the more experienced. Like all the Newminster blends, this will not break the bank and this only adds to its charm. I find this to be similar in tastes to HH latakia flake from Mac Baren. I think I prefer that one to this, but at the price point I still recommend this one.

I got a sample of this from smoking pipes with an order and I was so impressed that I ordered a 1/2 pound. I am an absolute lover of English tobaccos and really love Latakia. The tin note is wonderful with smoky Latakia and hay. It comes with perfect humidity for immediate smoke.

I roll this around my tongue, French inhale and savour this with every draw. I find no bite. I also find that the flavours of the blend are wonderful from start to finish. There is a very subtle spiciness as well which adds to the experience.

Pretty similar to the Peter Stokkebye of almost the same name. The alleged differences were the addition of perique to this one, a presence I never noticed, either in the taste, the aroma or the "throat tickle". Couldn't even pick it up in the snork, so I'm leaning towards it being an error on the part of whoever created this listing. Also this supposedly uses African Virginias instead of the PS' "Georgian". Do they mean Georgia in the U.S or Georgia as in Europe? Hard to say. But smoked back to back, any differences between this one and that may have been imaginary. Then again I only smoked an ounce of each, so who knows.

Here as in the PS, the burley and latakia were frontrunners, while the Virginia (or whatever location) were well to the rear. The Cavendish may have been unflavored or it may have had a bit of vanilla. It was sweet and decidedly non-Virginia (straight) derived but it provided a nice counterpoint to the nuttiness of the burley. I always really enjoy a sweetened burley. The latakia provided its usual smoke and spice. Here again, this is a very pleasant, easy to get along with English blend with the twist inclusion of burley. I actually seem to prefer English blends with burley instead of orientals because in blends of the latter persuasion they often don't do enough to offset the latakia. Here the burleys do, as they are equals. This blend is fun to smoke and I wouldn't mind getting a bit more. Try it if you enjoy burley and English blends by themselves and want to try them as a casserole.

No.17 English Luxus is a nicely balanced blend for my tastes. I've not got a refined palate but know what I like; The Virginia is more obvious than the Burley. There's a touch of spiciness that I attribute to the Perique. The Latakia gives a nice smokiness without it being overbearing. There's a touch of sweetness from the Black Cavendish and maybe also a very lightly applied topping.

English Luxus has a nic-hit closer to mild-medium than mild. As I mainly smoke blends with mild nicotine it's rather noticeable so I smoke this in smaller bowls. It can heat my tongue a little if I puff too fast [but but it's rather tasty]

This is a pleasant blend that's smooth and tasty. I'd especially recommend to those venturing into the genre and those who enjoy Latakia and Perique when they are not dominant nor overbearing.

A solid 3 stars.

[Just to add; I know that tastes vary from person to person but I really don't understand the one star reviews for this blend. It makes me wonder if those reviewers have actually smoked No.17 EL.]

I enjoy a lot of English cross-over blends and this one rates right up there with the best of them. To my tastes, this seems to be an exact duplicate of Lane's HGL (which I also enjoy). The Latakia is perfectly applied, not to strong, not to sweet and melds nicely with the constituent tobacco's to make a tasty, well balanced smoke. The moisture content was perfect from the bag and I only had 2 relights and it seemed to burn well without getting too hot or harsh, I can see this being an all day smoke for most people and I will be buying more of this to put away and age.

Tin Note: sweet dark fruit, leather, slight hints of baking spices & cocoa powder. Slightly moist - dried for 10 minutes.

Room Note: Toasted Vanilla w/ subtle undertones of incense.

1/3: Brown sugar and molasses (Virginia like sweetness but darker), raisins and stone fruits, anise and nutmeg in the nose, deep warm cedar in the background, mild grass, and a slight dark tang hiding in the background.

2/3: Brighter citrus from Virginia’s come through more, baking spice turns to pepper in the nose, sweet ashiness, soda bread, bowl was slightly warm at this point.


Final 3rd: pleasant spice on palette between relights or while resting. Cedar and incense lingers in the nose, earthy notes come through, charred cocoa, coffee, spicy tang come back in finish.


Additional notes: I recently had the pleasure of reviewing this alongside P.S. #17 English Luxury. Both are excellent beginner bulk English Blends. I do detect a slight sugary casing with this blend but NOT a topping. It’s very light if it’s there at all. For that reason I am considering this an American English blend. Newminster’s gets the slight nod for its additional complexity, most likely due to the inclusion of some condimental Perique. Nic hit is between mild to medium.