Iwan Ries International

(3.07)
A full bodied and exceptional rich non-aromatic for a palate that will appreciate the robust flavors in this blend.

Details

Brand Iwan Ries
Blended By  
Manufactured By Sutliff Tobacco Company
Blend Type Virginia/Burley
Contents Burley, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 50 grams pouch, 7 ounce bag
Country United States
Production

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.07 / 4
5

6

4

0

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 15 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 05, 2005 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.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 26, 2014 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
PurchasedFrom: Iwan Ries
Age When Smoked: Who knows?
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 02, 2009 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.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 23, 2002 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!
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 02, 2014 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.
PurchasedFrom: IRC
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
CTS
Dec 27, 2013 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
PurchasedFrom: IRC
Age When Smoked: not dated; at least 6 months
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 03, 2005 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!
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 27, 2004 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.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 16, 2023 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.
PurchasedFrom: IRC
Age When Smoked: Fresh
0 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 26, 2022 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
PurchasedFrom: IRC
Age When Smoked: N/A
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