Tobaccos Iwan Ries - International

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-09-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

International is one of Iwan Ries' oldest in-house blends, and as far as I'm concerned, still one of their best. It's a purely non-aromatic mixture, no toppings to alter the all-tobacco taste. English in character, with flavor derived mostly from orientals, enhanced with a light touch of latakia. The ribbony cut packs and lights easily, and burns steady without harshness or bite. It stays fairly dry and finishes cleanly.

For me, this is a near-perfect everyday smoke that I never seem to tire of, and for a tobacco maverick like me that says a lot. And at it's modest price, it's a good value. I have had tinned mixtures costing much more that I didn't like as well.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2002-04-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you are a recent convert from the cigarette ranks, this is the perfect tobacco for you. It resembles a qauality cigarette in flavor, and carries enough nicotine wallop to satisfy your cravings.

An honest, pure tobacco taste that fits in when you want no surprises. It burns and packs well too. Give this a try!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldmanpipe (62)	2014-01-26		Very Strong	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Damtender said that if he were on a desert island, he would have International Blend with him, along with a Bowie knife and Tobasco Sause; he also advised that if one's desert island is large-enough, there are better tobaccos to have along. Amen.

As I said several years ago about another tobacco from another purveyor, "Personally, I'd rather have a carton of Luckies and Mary Anne on a desert island than ANY tobacco I can think of," goes just as well here. And, perhaps, more-so.

International isn't a BAD blend...it's just too much. Another reviewer called it "Barking Dog taken up a few notches." Not so: Barking Dog's mascot was a Boston Terrier: Fitting. International is a Pit Bull with hives. Nothing to taste here, ladies and gentlemen, but Latakia and oblivion.

The smokers of yore must have been made of sterner stuff than I...and I've been smoking a pipe for ...well...damn-near a half-century.

HOWEVER--when International is mixed with 3-Star Blue (according to Chuck at IRC, "50-50, or so...")---'tis very Heaven. Absolutely the most satisfying "crossover" blend I've smoked since I lost my memory...uh...a while ago.

Do not ignore this tobacco! Use it right, and you will be richly rewarded.

Pipe Used: Sasieni, GBD, Chacom

Age When Smoked: Who knows?

Purchased From: Iwan Ries

Similar Blends: Blue Boar, "home-spun".

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeProfessor (15)	2009-06-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really enjoy the fullness of this mixture. Good sweet burley with just enough spicyness to keep my attention. If you tired of the drugstore burley's and want something with a nutty flavor and alittle zing, try International Mixture from Iwan Ries.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-02-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Here's a favorite in my rotation. I've been smoking Iwan Ries International for over 20 years and I'm amazed at the consistency of the blend. It's one of those blends that I keep coming back to. It has a great earthy aroma in the pouch and I just love the nutty taste and aroma when lighting this mixture. It burns nice and dry and stays lit -pure smoking pleasure well into the bowl. Real tobacco taste - yet a more agreeable, mild and a better day to day smoke than Dunhill 965 or Durbar. If you're a cigar smoker or cigarette smoker making the switch to pipes, try this blend. Look elsewhere if you're a big aromatic fan as this is one of the best, pure unadulterated straight tobacco tasting pipe tobaccos, that I've found. By the way, adding a fine blended or malt Scotch Whisky and your favorite jazz to the equation makes for a great way to end your day. Enjoy!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ducksbreath (125)	2004-11-27		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I like this the best of the Iwan Ries tobaccos I've tried, all made by Altadis. It is an English blend, but the traditional English components (VA, Latakia, Oriental ?), stay in the background. What is upfront is a very natural, medium in taste but fairly full in body (nicotine) smoke. It has excellent burning qualities and is easy to pack and has no bite whatsoever.

It is monochromatic, though. I find IRC Int. to be the perfect tobacco to blend with wimpy, dark Cavendish dominated aromatics, as long as one doesn't mind a touch of Latakia. My attempts to bolster tasty but punchless aromatics has in the past always been a disaster. The stronger tobaccos (such as sliced rope) always seem to ruin the taste of anything they come in contact with. However IRC Int. blends very well with Lane LL7 and Edward's Supreme, for example, so I have no doubt it will work well with any simliar sweet, darkish aromatic. It is also a good on its own, of course.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JuanOrez (22)	2014-01-02		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This is a pretty good tobacco but a little bit too close to how I remember cigarettes tasting. If you like a dry simple smoke give this one a try.

Purchased From: IRC

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CTS (138)	2013-12-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

IRC website describes this as a full-strength blend of: Burley, Virginia, Latakia, Perique, Oriental. I got a soapy flavor early that settled into good solid tobacco flavors, with a slight background of floral soap (?!). Definitely more medium than strong, with nice spice and pepper notes on the retrohale. Stayed lit and burned down well with no problems. 2+ stars.

Pipe Used: MM

Age When Smoked: not dated; at least 6 months

Purchased From: IRC

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-09-22		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

To me this would qualify as a 'desert island' necessity in the same vein as a Buck knife, Zippo lighter, an old Jeep and Tobasco sauce. Nothing at all fancy, just a good solid tobacco that does it's job of providing you with a cool smoke and nicotine. If your island will allow a large cellar of varied and exotic blends then leave this at home.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-08-12		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is fast becoming one of my favorites. Full taste, no bite, good room note, good nicotine pleasure...relaxing. I would think this is an expensive tobacco, but it only tastes that way. I won't be without this tobacco and will need to reorder soon, as I'm smoking this last order faster than I have any tobacco of recent memory.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-03-04		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

I had a bowl of this and it was good.This is Barking Dog taken up a few notches.A true American English blend ,a lot of burley with a fair amt of Latakia for flavor and depth.Not an everyday blend ,,but good enough a few times a year.It is smooth and flavorful with an interesting Barking Dog quality about it.When you need a reliable smoke without the hoopla this is it. 3 of 4 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-04-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I recently switched from the aromatics to the non aromatics and I am glad that I did. Has a great taste but a bit too strong for an "early pipe", at least as far as I am concerned. Good amount of spiciness in the beginning then savory as the bowl progresses. A fine smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigSwede (93)	2023-04-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

First of all, this from the Iwan Ries website: “Blended with a large base of fine turkish tobaccos. Equal parts of white burley and Virginia are then added. Touches of latakia and perique make this truly complex, flavorful yet easy going tobacco". Thats how it tastes to me.

The ribbon cut allows perfect packing. Lights easily. Throughout the bowl I taste the slightly spicy, fragrant turkish on top of a decent nutty burley. VA is there in the backround. The latakia melds with the turkish but is lightly applied. Every so many puffs I get a slight distinct peppery hit from perique. It's an all tobacco non-aromatic experience that is as smooth, cool and dry as anything I smoke. A solid so called "American English".

Pipe Used: Long stem Brigham canadian.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: IRC

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Diesel Fumes (11)	2022-11-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

As mentioned in other reviews; so I won’t “beat a dead horse”; International does have some small similarities to just plain almost cigarette like tobacco and yet for me it’s a nice inexpensive alternative to a desired English. It’s almost like a bundled cigar, in that it’s a good smoke for an everyday cheep alternative. I will keep some on hand as my garage tinkering go to.

Pipe Used: Just my basket pipes

Age When Smoked: N/A

Purchased From: IRC

Similar Blends: Nothing I’m aware of yet..

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-04-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a blend of burley, latakia, and perique. It has a spicy, peppery flavor that is supported by a sweet nutty flavor--I might even say that it's subtly floral. This earthy sweetness nicely balances the spiciness that is immediately apparent. This is the only English I have smoked so far, so I have nothing to compare it to, but it's a good smoke.

Nobody has rated this review yet.