Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation 1855

Erik Stokkebye - 4th Generation 1855.

If you like a flake fully rubbed, you'll find a small proportion of 1855 in need of a little more attention. Although the tin's seal was totally intact (hissed as I prized off the lid), the blend's a little on the dry side.

As expected, it lights easily. But, unless the chunkier flake pieces are used to fill with, it burns hot and fast. The flavour's quite nice: just sweet enough, but doesn't seem exactly cased, lots of zesty lemon and sharp grass: quite a sprightly smoke for the mornings? Although it burns too warm, it doesn't bite.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.

I think 1855 justly deserves two stars:

Somewhat recommended.

As of the time of this review, I haven’t tried Mac Baren Virginia #1 so I don’t have a bases for comparison. This is also only based on a two bowl sample that was offered a pipe club meeting. As with 1931, I find that a light pack, with the flake broken into smaller pieces gave me my best results verses packing it firmer as I did with my first bowl. The sweet topping is tasty, but for me, it detracts a little too much from the tobacco flavor as I find it harder to get a sense of the Virginias although there are a lot of high notes. I really enjoyed the flavor of this blend, but I experienced some bite. Not a lot, but it was there and it was similar to the bite that I experience from some Mac Baren blends. Made by them, maybe? Overall, not a bad smoke, but not a blend that I would spend the money to cellar.

Contents This is a ready-rubbed broken Virginia flake with a mild topping (I detect honey but could be wrong here). Fairly grassy bright Virginia, becomes bready later on in the bowl. Sweet, but close to cloying at parts, as I'm not one for aromatics and sugar. Decently flavorful but not a serially smokable for technical issues raised by the sugar.

Technique As a rule, this tobacco seems to burn about 30% hotter than Virginia flakes that I like (Capstan, Dunhill, and Stokkebye Navy), and you can taste the high sugar content in the blend. It rewards a slower smoke with a Canadian or reverse calabash-type pipe, and I initially burned my palate smoking it as I would a burley flake in a shorter billiard. There is also a minor moisture challenge, in that my seasoned estates that I've smoked this in tend to gurgle, despite appearing dry in the tin.

Very mild and just plain old Virginia taste. There are some slight nuances to it, but overall I found it bland and rather tasteless. There was light sweetness to it.

Had I not purchased it at a good discount, I would have disappointed.

If you are the type of pipe smoker that enjoys a tame tobacco, then this may be for you. But at the retail price it’s not something I would buy again.

11/21/2021 I bumped this up a bit after opening another tin after a few more years. With a total of 5.5 years of age on this it has become a bit more palatable. There no rough edges, the grass and hay notes are bit more noticeable, as is the sweetness. Visually it appears to have darkened slightly since the last time I smoked it.

I would say it's similar to Sutliff 507C Virginia Slices. As far as a comparision to Mac Baren Virginia #1 goes, well I haven't smoked any of that in a while...

At today's prices, I can buy just over double the qty of 507C compared to Stokkebye 1855.

A straight forward demonstration of Virginias with light notes of clementine and honey. Sweet, slightly nutty background. Natural tasting. Burns at a moderate pace, leaves very little moisture behind. Mild nicotine strength, burns cool. A smooth all day smoke, 1855 makes up for depth and complexity with consistency and balance.

I am sorry, I have tried this blend in several different pipes and in different kinds of pipes such as meers, briars, corn cobs, etc and I just can't get excited about it. There are a lot of VA blends out there that just have a better taste than this one and I enjoy more. It is not a bad blend, just average at best. To me it tastes more like a Va cigarette tobacco more than a good pipe tobacco. It does have a nice sweet pouch aroma and made my mouth water smelling it. It is all a long cut ribbon and is all golden in color. It is a little on the dry side and it does pack and light very easily. It has pretty much the standard fresh hay like flavor and room note common in a lot of straight Va's, but that is just it. It is like a lot of other run of the mill Va's out there with a much higher price. Nothing about it made me stop and take notice. I did not dislike it and I have smoked all the bowls I have smoked all the way down to a nice dry grey ash with little dottle, so I do have that to say about it, it does smoke nice and dry to the end. Would I smoke a pound of this blend if given it, yes. Would I buy a pound of this to smoke, absolutely not! So I can only rate this one as two stars out of four.

I opened the tin and rubbed the tobacco a bit then let it air dry. At first the taste and smoker flavor was going well. After a while, I found that the smoke was somewhat bitter? I also found that I was getting a wet pipe and a sour taste in my mouth. I have not given up on this just yet, but its not in my top picks.