Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Escudo Navy De Luxe

I first tried Escudo when everyone on ASP was raving about it (Summer of 2001 approx). It was my first foray into the world of VA tobaccos. It bit the living hell out of my tongue so badly that I had to take over a week off from smoking to get any feeling back in my tongue. I tried it again a few months later with a much slower smoking technique in a group 4 pipe with a slightly longer stem ... still bit the living hell out of me. Then, not being one to quit easily I slowed down my smoking even more (group 4 bowl lasts over 1hr 45min) and made it through the bowl fairly unscathed. The flavor of the VA's is there but to my taste the Perique is just to overwhelming. Now, that being said, I must admit I'm one who has learned that no matter what tobacco I try, if it has perique I generally don't like it ... this tobacco has perique and, you guessed it, I just don't care for it in the least. I can't understand why so many rave about it to be quit honest. Burns hot, Bites Back, Flavorful but not fulfilling IMHO. Move on to another blend, there are too many great ones to waste much time on this one.

As this tobacco has been reviewed already by 47 discriminating smokers, I'll be brief. Escudo is terrific and I absolutely love its taste. Unfortunately, my throat rebels at the perique load, as yours might. A tragedy not to smoke it, as it's one of my favorites, but même la gorge a ses demandes.

As a big fan of Dunhill's Nightcap, I recently tried G.L. Pease's Haddo's Delight and found that both the nicotine and Perique contents were just too darn high. Not my cup of tea if you will. That's okay, there's another famed VA-Perique blend out there named Escudo Navy Deluxe. So I thought I'd give it a try. The first half of the bowl in my group 5 sized Savinelli was quite good. Plenty of flavor and a full-bodied, velvety smooth smoke. During the last half, I basically broke out into a sweat, the room aswirl, and the nicotine blast turned the smoking experience around for me. I guess there's more Perique in these (2) VA/P blends then I can handle. I'll stick to Sir Al's Nightcap when I need my mild taste of Perique and leave these two to the big boys out there that can handle it. It's back to the world of Latakias, Orientals, and matured VA's for me. No sweat.

O.k. I keep re-trying this blend based on the popularity and character of reviews that strongly favor this blend. I can't taste a thing but a vague hint of corn-husks or puffed rice. Otherwise this is flavorless - almost completely flavorless. I thought it was just me, so I talked up the blend to a nearby friend who tried a bowl. After a few puffs and a distant stare, he looked at me archly and asked "Can you taste anything?". He gave up half-way through the bowl and dumped the rest on the ground. I remained uncertain.

I smoked this all night, trying to get a handle on why this is so popular - but after three consecutive bowls, I can't figure it out.

I don't know what I'm missing here, maybe but chalk it up to a difference in pallets. This is the blandest tobacco I've ever smoked in my entire life - completely flavorless. Slight cigarette qualities to the smoke make me wonder if this is just a favorite for people who inhale their pipe smoke?

I'll say that just about everything I have read about this seems dead wrong to my taste. The only complaints that people have are that it's too spicy and has bite. This has NO detectable bite at all. I'm not tasting any spice. Just vague wisps of what other people are calling "hay".

I'll give it this - it burns easy (just stuff the disks in your pipe and it lights like magic). It has no bite. It offers a little flavor if you smoke the second half of the bowl a day later.

I've just lit another bowl after reading all these reviews. Am I a cretin? I don't know. But...shrug...there's no real flavor for me here.

I was convinced to purchase Alfred & Christian Petersen's Escudo Navy De Luxe from a fellow who had to be a Ken Dodd impersonator. Now that I have smoked this stuff, I am not laughing. The sliced rope is a unique and alluring presentation that I have not seen before. The Virginia base is sweet and inviting, but the perique--with its peppery attack--destroys what could be an enjoyable smoke. In terms on the music of Mr. Dodd, this weed is less 'Happiness' and more 'Tears'. Let us forgive and forget, though, as a better tobacco is just a tin or so away.

Quality tobacco, but I don't see what the big deal is. I find the smoke rather boring and one-sided but not in the pleasant sort of way. It's produces a good volume of smoke and I suppose, if this was the last tobacco on earth, I would smoke it. I don't plan purchasing more. I prefer Bayou Morning Flake or 2015 as Va/perique blends.