John Patton Dark Horse

I think this is one of the best blends I've smoked in over thirty years. It has no Latakia so the sharp slightly smoky notes in 'Soulmate's Kiss' are absent, and the slightly sour notes of the Perique and Turkish are more noticeable...odd, as I think this tastes a little sweeter than the 'Soulmate' blend. Similar in some ways to Oriental Dusk and Crossroads, this comes across to me a bit spicier and with a richer flavor...a very complex and alluring concoction - flavors dancing about like a dervish - sometimes they run up hooting and whistling and whack at you with a club...other times it's as a soft caress or a longing sigh. It's easy to work with, burns well, isn't fussy about briar...but seems to love a medium bowl of slightly deep dimensions. And it absolutely has a special relationship with the MM Freehand Cob and like most Patton blends does it's finest work there.

I've been smoking a pipe for a long time, and have at this point settled on these 'American/Oriental/Balkan' - flights of Patton Fantasy - as the best tasting and most interesting blends out there. If you haven't tried them yet...do yourself a favor...Crossroads, Oriental Dusk and Dark Horse. Three solid winners!

This is Soulmates Kiss with the Latakia replaced with Cigar Leaf. Simple.

I am really enjoying the sample of this. It comes a little dry, and I have been smoking it "as is." I am a fan of Oriental Dusk and wondered how this would compare. It is less sour and savory than OD. It is a more subtle smoke. A friend described it as "brighter" than OD, but that does not quite describe it.

I get primarily orientals and burley in that order. There is a sweet and spicy quality to the smoke that I claim is the perique backing up the orientals and Virginia contributing to the sweet. There is a mellow, full, earthy component in there that I suspect is the cigar leaf. The components are not shouting or "in your face." It is nicely balanced and multidimensional.

This is a flavorful, easy smoke. It has been a winner from bowl one. I have been smoking it in various pots, and that may be it is suited to a wider bowl. I would be tempted to experiment a bit, but I don't want to mess with success.

This is highly recommended. I think everyone should try this to see what a master blender can do with orientals and cigar leaf. It is especially recommended for fans of oriental leaf.

This is an exceptional tobacco. When I read the ingredients, I didn't know what to make of it, but it sounded interesting, so I ordered a bit from Rich at 4Noggins.

The nose note in the pouch was all Perique. Being rather an old coot, that wasn't too surprising. Not being averse to Perique, it was not off-putting. But it WAS...unusual. I didn't think my sense of smell was quite so far-gone as not to be able to detect the other constituents. But apparently it was.

Upon lighting, the Perique came strongly to the fore, though not the "figgy, raisiny" Perique others write about. Neither was it the "peppery" Perique. It was the "old gym socks" Perique I remember from 1972. And that ain't bad at all.

This is a very, very old type tobacco blend. It has enough attitude and nicotine to wake the dead, and I really doubt the room note will win the compliments of anyone except old men like me. But that's OK.

The rich, nutty burley is there. The cigar leaf performs an unusual duty: it gooses the Virginia to provide extraordinarily sweet high notes. The Oriental provides a subtle floral essence in the background. All the tobaccos are of the highest quality. There is absolutely no bite; neither is there any gurgle. Dottle? Nary a bit.

Dark Horse is just a great old-style American burley blend. The only thing that compares is Peretti's Cuba Blend. But Dark Horse is more evocative, particularly if you mix it with a healthy dose of Lane Ready Rubbed or Sutliff Edgeworth Match.

Strong, earthy, honest and real. Exhaled through the nose, you will smell oak and sycamore leaves on an autumn afternoon. That, alone, should be worth the price of admission..

A lovely blend. I concur with Blackhorse's review, one of John Patton's best blends. Full, rich, and tasty. Well worth a try.

Oh My! I am smoking a bowl of this blend and I have to say it's excellent!!! Kudos to John Patton for creating one of the most complex and smooth cigar blends ever.

I have tried several of his blends and this has to be one of my Favorite Patton Blends.

For those Pipe Smokers who like a little cigar leaf in their blends - this is the one to try!!!