Lane Limited LEO
(3.40)
Winner of the People's Choice Award at the 2012 John Cotton #1 and #2 Medium Throwdown. An initial burst of latakia gives way to the sweetness of Virginias. Cyprian Oriental adds a subtle hint of spice.
Details
| Brand | Lane Limited |
| Blended By | Leonard Wortzel |
| Manufactured By | |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | Bulk |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.40 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 20 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 17, 2014 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
(I am a newer and irregular pipe smoker. My reviews are subject to my preferences and tastes and pipe smoking habits)
The description is pretty spot on for this blend.
Opening the tin, you find a bright ribbon packed tin of yellow, orange and some mixed black. The tin note is a soft but noticeable Latakia, smoked meat aroma. Not as strong as any other English/Balkan blend I have purchased. Packed it light and tried to smoke it slow. The initial taste of BBQ Smoke is encased in a nice somewhat rich and Sweet flavour. The Latakia appeared to disappear within the first few minutes and was a mostly Sweet and Spicy blend. The spice was something along the lines of cinnamon or allspice, somewhat distinct but then again muddied. I kept searching for the flavour and would start puffing too hard. This blend can get a little bite to it. Overall, there wasn't anything 'stand out' flavour wise for the overall smoke, but it had these great starting moments of interesting flavours, then settled into a medium bodied, sweet and earthy tobacco. Left a little smokey/ashy after taste, but not too strong. If I was an everyday, several bowls a day pipe smoker, I could see this being an all day blend. I may think about cellaring a few tins, and at the price currently, there is no reason not to. A nice, Virginia prominent, mild English Blend. Could be a great place for those curious about English blends but only wanting to dip one toe in safely.
The description is pretty spot on for this blend.
Opening the tin, you find a bright ribbon packed tin of yellow, orange and some mixed black. The tin note is a soft but noticeable Latakia, smoked meat aroma. Not as strong as any other English/Balkan blend I have purchased. Packed it light and tried to smoke it slow. The initial taste of BBQ Smoke is encased in a nice somewhat rich and Sweet flavour. The Latakia appeared to disappear within the first few minutes and was a mostly Sweet and Spicy blend. The spice was something along the lines of cinnamon or allspice, somewhat distinct but then again muddied. I kept searching for the flavour and would start puffing too hard. This blend can get a little bite to it. Overall, there wasn't anything 'stand out' flavour wise for the overall smoke, but it had these great starting moments of interesting flavours, then settled into a medium bodied, sweet and earthy tobacco. Left a little smokey/ashy after taste, but not too strong. If I was an everyday, several bowls a day pipe smoker, I could see this being an all day blend. I may think about cellaring a few tins, and at the price currently, there is no reason not to. A nice, Virginia prominent, mild English Blend. Could be a great place for those curious about English blends but only wanting to dip one toe in safely.
Pipe Used:
Estate Pickwick Arms Briar Billiard
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
new/Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 28, 2013 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Good medium Balkan Blend...To my taste, none of the individual ingredients over rides the others...Nothing here to make your eyes pop...A good satisfying medium Balkan Blend which should do yeoman's work as an all day smoke...Very dependable...Would definitely buy again.
Pipe Used:
various to fully test
PurchasedFrom:
Smokkingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
just purchased, did not cellar
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 07, 2013 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
It believe that it is good to challenge one's prejudices. Some time back from the description of the contents I may have not held much interest in such a blend. However since I feel in love with Presbyterian Mixture after finding this tobacco and noticing it's incredibly low price I had to order some and give it a go. What a treasure of smoking pleasure this surprise offering provided. I find myself smoking it daily. Leo is not too strong but delivers an intensity of satisfying flavor and is mild to the tongue. Savory sweet and slightly spicy with a consistent seasoning of sophisticated smokiness this golden ribbon cut with streaks of dark brown tobacco is a current favorite. I don't like tobaccos with an overpowering dose of nicotine and while the N is present it is in proportion and unobjectionable. I've tried it in a number of pipes and seems to consistently smoke dry with little exception. Too bad that I never had the opportunity to try John Cotton, the mixture that it emulates. I'm ordering up more of this wonderful smoke as my tin is quickly evaporating. Very highly recommended. Four stars plus.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 28, 2013 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild | Unnoticeable |
First let me say that I have a positive attitude toward the idea of currently producing blenders offering up "new" blends inspired by old blends no longer being produced. This was the People's Choice winner of the John Cotton Throwdown. One thing that is of note is that the tinned version of this is being manufactured and packed in Denmark.
The tin aroma is quite pleasant and inviting with the virginias and orientals dominating. It is a blonde to brown ribbon with minor black flecks. The tin description suggests an initial burst of latakia but for me it was more of an intial whisper of latakia which quickly gave way to the virginias at the forefront with orientals quietly playing in the background. There is a bit more spice at the 3/4 bowl mark and ends with a tad bit of sour. I found the moisture content acceptable right out of the tin and it burned dryly with very few relights.
This is clearly a blend made with top notch tobacco but with so many good blends available there is nothing here which stands out for me as being exceptional. I have no qualms about suggesting others give it a try but it will not be added to my future orders.
The tin aroma is quite pleasant and inviting with the virginias and orientals dominating. It is a blonde to brown ribbon with minor black flecks. The tin description suggests an initial burst of latakia but for me it was more of an intial whisper of latakia which quickly gave way to the virginias at the forefront with orientals quietly playing in the background. There is a bit more spice at the 3/4 bowl mark and ends with a tad bit of sour. I found the moisture content acceptable right out of the tin and it burned dryly with very few relights.
This is clearly a blend made with top notch tobacco but with so many good blends available there is nothing here which stands out for me as being exceptional. I have no qualms about suggesting others give it a try but it will not be added to my future orders.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2016 | Mild | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
Having never had the John Cotton blends, i have nothing to base my memories on which to me means i am reviewing LEO based on its own merits.. I knew just as soon as i opened the tin that LEO would be a very light English blend. Standard easy to loans ribbon of Virginia, Latakia Orientals. The Virginia leads the way most of the bowl but the condiments do show up around mid bowl. I prefer a much more stout bowl so mixed in some Elizabethan Mixture that added the perfect amount of Perique, There is a niche for a mild English type blend like this and as i have stated before i applaud Leonard Wortzel VP of Marketing & Product Development for Lane for being so involved in our hobby (his business) and recommend LEO for a refreshing light yet tasty English,
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 06, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
There is a lot of taste here; however, it doesn't smell like anything special until it's lit - so do not be put off if at first the tin note does not impress you. Leo seems to smoke well, burns pretty fast and evenly in the bowl. Like the previous reviewer stated, there is a bit of spice in this, gives Leo a unique character that I personally appreciate. I have paired this blend with coffee in the morning and very much enjoyed the combination.
Pipe Used:
Britannia - Straight Billiard
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked:
Newly Opened Tin, then again aged
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 21, 2014 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I have to say that this is a good blend. In fact it is like many Lat. blends in the mild to med. body range. Perhaps that is the issue for me. I have never had the pleasure of smoking John Cotton's blend and have nothing to compare it to but this is just another average blend IMHO. Lat is forward to start with but falls behind the VA's and Orientals. There is a musty note that is slightly sweet that I assume comes from the Orientals. The VA's are sweet too and they really take over at about mid bowl. The lat, is still present but in the background for me. It was a rather predictable smoke. The smokey, musty/tanginess with a little nuance here and there but really a little boring after a couple of bowls. There was also some kind of top note that I get throughout the bowl. My best guess is clove or allspice maybe. Not heavy at all and not bad but not something I would expect the Orientals to provide either. The price is nice right now but I don't see the need to revisit this one. There are other mild to Med. range blends that are much more exciting. SG's Skift comes to mind for example.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 11, 2014 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Unnoticeable |
This blend added immensely to my understanding of both English blend balancing as it pertains to the proportions of Vas, as well as in bright Virginia versus red Virginias. While there is a base tin note involving latakia, such as Nightcap, its visibly loaded with primarily tans and blonds.
Packs very well, perfect slightly tacky moisture, uniformly ribbon...albeit one inch long twig (bordering on a branch really). This blend smokes cool, burns slow and easy. Its relatively mild, I noticed no real nic hit at anytime in my experience with Leo.
Taste-wise Leo is Va forward sweet. Some interplay b/t lats and orientals, changing throughout bowls. All in all worthy of attention, I would think it would be attractive to both english and Va lovers.
I intend to cellar a few tins soon, as the Va content should lend this blend well to aging.
Packs very well, perfect slightly tacky moisture, uniformly ribbon...albeit one inch long twig (bordering on a branch really). This blend smokes cool, burns slow and easy. Its relatively mild, I noticed no real nic hit at anytime in my experience with Leo.
Taste-wise Leo is Va forward sweet. Some interplay b/t lats and orientals, changing throughout bowls. All in all worthy of attention, I would think it would be attractive to both english and Va lovers.
I intend to cellar a few tins soon, as the Va content should lend this blend well to aging.
Pipe Used:
small bowl Sav, B&C,
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes&Cigars.com
Age When Smoked:
6 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 21, 2016 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
A nicely balanced, 'inoffensive' latakia blend tolerated by friends and family. Perfect for those times when one simply wants to relax and contemplate one's navel, and not have to deal with a heavy-on-the latakia concoction. A pleasant mild and mellow dose of Latakia ably supported by fragrant Orientals.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 08, 2015 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
I just smoke my first bowl of it while I write the review. I'm somewhere at the middle of the pipe, but I got enough impression in order to write a few words. This is more of a Virginia than Latakia blend. Latakia stays hidden and if you don't pay attention, you might think you smoke a pure straight forward VA. And the bright "grassy" one too. The exact grassy note that is present in the new Germain's Balkan Sobranie. But here it's much more present and makes the main course. There are also Orientals, one can almost detect them, and Latakia of course, but in all the smoke is somewhat Virginyish all the way.
Not bad, but if you like the Oriental spiciness and Latakia smokiness, and expect to find them here, you're gonna have a bad time.
I'm gonna give this 3 stars, just because I've smoked only one bowl, I might get to like it in the future.
Edit: I'm halfway through the tin, and have smoked nothing but that for the past days. It really is a good smoke, and I'm tempting to give it 4 stars. I just finished a cob with it, and didn't even wait to cool down, packed another bowl immediately. Moreover I even started to like that virginia note that bothered me in the new Balkan Sobranie. Good smoke, really good smoke.
Not bad, but if you like the Oriental spiciness and Latakia smokiness, and expect to find them here, you're gonna have a bad time.
I'm gonna give this 3 stars, just because I've smoked only one bowl, I might get to like it in the future.
Edit: I'm halfway through the tin, and have smoked nothing but that for the past days. It really is a good smoke, and I'm tempting to give it 4 stars. I just finished a cob with it, and didn't even wait to cool down, packed another bowl immediately. Moreover I even started to like that virginia note that bothered me in the new Balkan Sobranie. Good smoke, really good smoke.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli bent Dublin
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
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