Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Escudo Navy De Luxe

Ok everyone can stop bothering me. I finally tried it.

Pouch note is... interesting. I'm getting pickled hot peppers upfront. Literally. Even handed the tin to my wife and she asked "Tabasco Sauce?". Very intense raisin/prune notes as well. I take two coins out and roughly rub them out onto a piece of paper before loading them into my falcon... and there is just enough left over to load into my backup tonight, a Big Ben Pipo.

Char and initial light, in the Falcon, it took to the match very well (not so much in the pipo, which was loaded with rubbed dust leftovers). Subtle, clean taste of scorched toffee/caramel and apple peel. Plum, black, and red pepper all make themselves known on the palate after the smoke has left my mouth and through my nose upon snork. Expecting the bowl to burn fast by assuming that's what virginias do, I took great care in a slow cadence. However, the times where I took big pulls on the pipe I was rewarded with a much amplified perique "plum and pepper", whereas when I pulled more gingerly I received a kind, caramel sweet and tart taste with only the plum and pepper in the background.

Second half of the bowl, the perique is making itself a bit more known. I have a strong taste of prunes and pepper, unique to this blend I'm getting a lot more of a red chili flavor than the expected black pepper piquant. Hot and sour (in a good way), I'm getting vibrant, bright citrus and salt water taffy with pepper.

Room note was decidedly sweet, more of that burned toffee and plum aroma. It reminded me of high quality cigarette tobaccos like Joker or Drum, but with a serious refinement and more pronounced sweetness.

I hated this tobacco... would be what I would say if it were opposites day. I didn't want to buy into the hype, but it is really good. With the exception of an occasional Luxury Navy Flake I am a usually committed English or Burley smoker. Thanks Escudo, for making me doubt my own preferences.

Mind = Blown.

I'd been reading near universal four-star reviews of this blend so I was anxious to try it after I got my first tin. The short of it is it came up short for me. Perhaps it's similar to when you see a movie that doesn't live up to the hype. The movie is OK; it just can't live up to the high expectation. Same deal with Navy De Luxe. It's a decent VaPer but no where near my top.

In my opinion, the main shortcoming is the "medallion" cut. When packed in the bowl, it's essentailly close to a shag cut. I'm not a huff and puffer; I smoke moderatly slow but even then it smoked too hot. This is similar to Esoterica's Dorchester and Peter Stokkebye Bullseye (minus the black cavendish), which like NDL has an excellent room note but smokes too hot.

I guess the bottom line is I prefer Vaper's in flake form such as McClleland's MC2015, Samuel Gawith's St. James flake, and the like. Oncd you get those going they smoke slow and cool. You can sip for an hour or two.

Navy De Luxe also packs more of a punch than expected so take it slow. It's not a particularly strong blend, just a bit of a surprise.

I bought a few tins so I'll have a chance to try the second in a few months and will report back in then.

Now this is a tobacco that was well worth the wait. Another one of those "legendary" blends, benchmark of all VA/PERs. Very similar to Davidoff's F.M. but even my unrefined palette tells the difference, slight though I find it. At 5 bucks cheaper then F.M. I can see myself stocking up on this stuff. Tin aroma is sweet, not sharp. Very, very pleasent smoke. A must try for VA/PER lovers as well as a great, affordable introduction to this type of tobacco. I recommend this, for sure.

I've had two different experiences with Escudo Navy Deluxe. The old and the new. Let me explain. The first tin I bought was presumably fresh but was still pleasing and left me with what an idea of what straight VaPer ought to be like. The little coins are great and real easy to rub out for a bowl. The price is remarkable for what you get, but hey, the earth didn't shake. This is a good staple blend. Three star experience.

I have heard Escudo ages well, which brings me to my second experience. I picked up two more tins of Escudo from a nice gentleman at Brothers of Briar, only this time they were aged six years. I noticed the label was slightly different. The font a bit faded....hmm, I thought, at least I wasn't ripped off. There is so much talk about aging perique that I was expecting a blessed experience. Well, yes and no. The tin popped and but there wasn't any bright light. The smell was great, though. Being so close to when I smoked the former tin of Escudo, the difference in the two was apparent. The notes were quieter in this tin, soften by time. I can't see bumping it up a star for that reason but I will say that if you can get your hands on some with years on it, I have a feeling you will like her a wee bit more.

I wonder what a tin with ten years tastes like?

This is one that gets better after being opened for a few weeks (as all tobaccos do). It definitely has that classic sweet virginia cereal and warm cookie taste to it, and if you sip it slowly it is quite mild on the tongue. The Perique in this is a perfect condiment, giving it that great spiciness, but is not overwhelming in the slightest. I am going to cellar few tins of this, as it is truly a winner.

Update: I have decided that this is one of my all time favorite tobaccos, and definitely the best VaPer I have smoked to date. I have a nice little S Bang pipe that is used only for VaPers, and this is the blend that really makes the pipe sing. I have cellared 10 tins of this.

I'm a huge VAPER fan, and Escudo is my desert-island smoke! I can smoke this everyday and never tire of it. Surprisingly easy to pack with incredible flavour. The VA and Perique is so well married together, you cannot taste either tobacco on its own, instead you get a delightfully fulfilling & unique tobacco which will never disappoint. One of the world's best-selling and highly regarded tobaccos.

Escudo. The word elicits excitement from smokers. I am now a big fan. I get the virginia and perique blend now. The character of the Virginia's, the subtleness of the perique. Great flavor and great smoking. I enjoy this blend rubbed and just folded and stuffed. Excellant. I wonder why o why did I f' around with the aros all this time. I am starting a journey that I am eager to continue. Great stuff this.

This has to be the standard by which all VaPers are judged. It comes perfectly arranged in flake wheels that I find it takes about 1 2/3 wheels to fill a pipe. The tobacco burns perfectly with no gurgle, no bite and the perfect balance of Virginia and Perique. A very satisfying smoke, that I have enjoyed anytime of the day. I do like to change off Vapers between Escudo, Dunbar and St James Flake, as each has a slightly different flavor . I would say that Escudo sits in the middle, a slightly bitter/sour rasin taste , SJF is the smoothest and has the Virginia out front while Dunbar has the Perique. All three fail the " Wife Test" , as she hates the smell of Perique, oh well! I find that many of the mail order places run sales on Escudo from time to time, so I stock up then. This is a must have tobacco if you are into VaPers. Try these in a cob, they really sing.

The only way to truly appreciate this hallowed tobacco is to try any number of crappy VA/PER blends, and then smoke this. I think you will notice three differences. First, this has more flavor, and is a more well rounded smoke overall (I am not including blends which include cavendish. While I love that mixture, I think the addition of cavendish adds a component of sweetness and flavor which makes such a blend something different than a straighter VA/PER. For great blends in this category, try Davidoff's Flake Medallions or Hermit's Honor Blend). Second, this burns very easily and evenly, without becoming hot or grassy. Third, and perhaps most importantly, this is a very cool smoke (meaning no bite) for any VA blend. No amount of flavor can make a blend enjoyable if it is shredding your tongue the whole time.

With respect to the flavor, I, unlike some others, do not find this to be particularly sweet. The virginias do give it some sweetness, but nothing unusual or more than average. The perique is well balanced, and this does not seem to be super spicy. I would describe it as smooth, medium bodied smoke with a little spice and sweetness to be found in rich tobacco flavor. It is richer and more flavorful than Dunhill Navy Rolls, for example. The perique is noticeable in the room note, but not in a harsh way, and overall my impression is one of harmony.

With respect to the burn characteristics, what is really notable is that you can accomplish relights without increasing the level of bite, something that is often not the case. Of course, it burns so easily, and cooly, that I was surprised when I reached the bottom of the bowl.

This is an example of one of those rare blends which does everything right. It is not going to overwhelm you with flavor or nicotine, but everything is in balance, like the finest cigars (but not the taste, lest you be misled), and you do not have to fight it during your smoking session. This is an extraordinarily satisfying smoke, and should be considered an essential non-latakia blend to have in your arsenal. It really is that good.