Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Escudo Navy De Luxe
(3.48)
A combination of full bodied Virginia from North Carolina and Virginia blended with Perique from Louisiana are the cornerstones in Escudo. The blend is pressed and matured before it is spun and cut into coins. This process ensures the unique character of Escudo.
Notes: Produced by the Cope brothers from 1912 to 1952, at which point they were bought by Gallaher, which produced Escudo until discontinuing it in 1994. A&C Petersen began production in 1997, with the original recipe and presses. Escudo was pulled from US market in 2000 but sold elsewhere. In 2004, production was moved to Orlik/STG and Escudo was reintroduced to the US in 2006.
Details
| Brand | Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) |
| Blended By | |
| Manufactured By | Scandinavian Tobacco Group |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Perique |
| Contents | Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Curly Cut |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | Denmark |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.48 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 37 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 01, 2018 | Medium to Strong | Very Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
I may have reviewed this tobacco some years ago based on a tin given to me, but in truth, I don't remember.
I rarely post to Tobacco Reviews, so first, a bit of background: I've been a pipe smoker for 59 years and at one time was a collector with over 300 pipes. I reduced my collection to under 40 pipes back in the mid 1990s, and I consider myself simply a pipe smoker these days. As regards tobaccos, I'm afraid my jaded palate after all these years of puffing, doesn't pick up much on all the raisin, fig, molasses, grass, citrus, etc., descriptions used by many reviewers. I simply know what I like and what I don't like. That said, I do try to be unbiased and balanced in a review.
Due to the closing of McClelland Tobaccos, (My favorite for years and years - Loved their Virginias) I've been sampling a lot of different tobaccos, among them, a fair number of coin, rolls, or ring processed. These include Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake, Davidoff Flake Medallions, (More on those two later), Mac Baren Club Blend, Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll Cake, Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls, Three Nuns, and of course, Escudo. Of those, I'll confine my remarks to Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake, Davidoff Flake Medallions, Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls, Three Nuns, and Escudo. I exclude the two Mac Baren blends because they're in a world all their own, and many folks simply can't smoke Mac Baren tobaccos because of the hot, peppery, spicy consequences to tongue and palate. (As much as I like Mac Baren tobaccos, and I did try those two, I'm one of those folks.)
Escudo: Of the five remaining tobaccos, I found Escudo to be the harshest and it had a tendency to bite. Searching for words of description, I'd say it was stout, slightly bitter, and raw. I suppose I'm committing heresy with those last two sentences, but it is what it is. Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls and Three Nuns followed close behind. And contrary to most reviews, I found Escudo to be neither rich, nor a rewarding smoke. It is certainly well made and consistently blended. The aroma in the tin is tobacco, and little else, but pleasant.
As regards Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake and Davidoff Flake Medallions, both were a cut above when compared to the others. Both provided a subtle but consistent nutty aroma, something I like, and both smelled and tasted sweeter. (Not aromatic in any way - just sweeter) I recently read a comment by someone who claimed they were the same. I beg to differ. If placed side by side, there are slight differences, the Davidoff being slightly lighter in appearance and the "eye" in the center, slightly larger. When smoking, it is also the sweeter of the two.
The pipes used were two that were cleaned and rested between changes of tobaccos: A 1960 Dunhill Bruyere 127 (Similar to the Dunhill LB shape) and an Astleys, also similar to the Dunhill LB shape and purchased at the Astley's shop on Jermyn Street, London, in 1996 not long before they closed for good.
I rarely post to Tobacco Reviews, so first, a bit of background: I've been a pipe smoker for 59 years and at one time was a collector with over 300 pipes. I reduced my collection to under 40 pipes back in the mid 1990s, and I consider myself simply a pipe smoker these days. As regards tobaccos, I'm afraid my jaded palate after all these years of puffing, doesn't pick up much on all the raisin, fig, molasses, grass, citrus, etc., descriptions used by many reviewers. I simply know what I like and what I don't like. That said, I do try to be unbiased and balanced in a review.
Due to the closing of McClelland Tobaccos, (My favorite for years and years - Loved their Virginias) I've been sampling a lot of different tobaccos, among them, a fair number of coin, rolls, or ring processed. These include Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake, Davidoff Flake Medallions, (More on those two later), Mac Baren Club Blend, Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll Cake, Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls, Three Nuns, and of course, Escudo. Of those, I'll confine my remarks to Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake, Davidoff Flake Medallions, Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls, Three Nuns, and Escudo. I exclude the two Mac Baren blends because they're in a world all their own, and many folks simply can't smoke Mac Baren tobaccos because of the hot, peppery, spicy consequences to tongue and palate. (As much as I like Mac Baren tobaccos, and I did try those two, I'm one of those folks.)
Escudo: Of the five remaining tobaccos, I found Escudo to be the harshest and it had a tendency to bite. Searching for words of description, I'd say it was stout, slightly bitter, and raw. I suppose I'm committing heresy with those last two sentences, but it is what it is. Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls and Three Nuns followed close behind. And contrary to most reviews, I found Escudo to be neither rich, nor a rewarding smoke. It is certainly well made and consistently blended. The aroma in the tin is tobacco, and little else, but pleasant.
As regards Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake and Davidoff Flake Medallions, both were a cut above when compared to the others. Both provided a subtle but consistent nutty aroma, something I like, and both smelled and tasted sweeter. (Not aromatic in any way - just sweeter) I recently read a comment by someone who claimed they were the same. I beg to differ. If placed side by side, there are slight differences, the Davidoff being slightly lighter in appearance and the "eye" in the center, slightly larger. When smoking, it is also the sweeter of the two.
The pipes used were two that were cleaned and rested between changes of tobaccos: A 1960 Dunhill Bruyere 127 (Similar to the Dunhill LB shape) and an Astleys, also similar to the Dunhill LB shape and purchased at the Astley's shop on Jermyn Street, London, in 1996 not long before they closed for good.
Pipe Used:
Dunhill 127, Astley's Billiard
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2021 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Not being a huge Virginian fan, I wanted to give this a shot due to the reviews and folks stating it’s strength. I can do a Va/per for some reason, but believe it’s the perique that makes it more smokable for me.
This blend tends to burn a bit hot for me, and even when slowing down I seem to have issues with staying lit, so I either relight or puff a little too hard. I guess the trick is finding the sweet spot on smoking. As far as the strength goes, I certainly don’t agree that this is a “strong” blend. It’s medium at it’s best.
I do like the blend on occasion, but can’t say I’ll reach for this more than occasionally, primarily because I guess I’m just bad at smoking these blends! When I do find a nice pace the blend tastes really good. It’s a bit grassy but also sweet with a bit of tingly spice. It is pretty smooth, so it does have that going for it.
I will probably get 3-4 tins of this as people say it gets better with age. By the time I get to the last tin - it should be quite old as I don’t see smoking a tin of this a year. Although I did burn through the first one in a couple months. I’ve been smoking two discs when I have it - but, perhaps I’ll reduce to one and use this as a blend to break in my new pipes. Should last a while that way. Who knows.
Doesn’t seem like a good blend for a new smoker at all. I’m going to stick with some of the other burley and Latakia blends a bit more I believe. But, to be fair this is an alright blend. It’s just the effort required to get the most out of it is more than I care to try most of the time - pipes are for relaxing and the extra effort takes from the overall enjoyment, IMO. 2.5 stars.
This blend tends to burn a bit hot for me, and even when slowing down I seem to have issues with staying lit, so I either relight or puff a little too hard. I guess the trick is finding the sweet spot on smoking. As far as the strength goes, I certainly don’t agree that this is a “strong” blend. It’s medium at it’s best.
I do like the blend on occasion, but can’t say I’ll reach for this more than occasionally, primarily because I guess I’m just bad at smoking these blends! When I do find a nice pace the blend tastes really good. It’s a bit grassy but also sweet with a bit of tingly spice. It is pretty smooth, so it does have that going for it.
I will probably get 3-4 tins of this as people say it gets better with age. By the time I get to the last tin - it should be quite old as I don’t see smoking a tin of this a year. Although I did burn through the first one in a couple months. I’ve been smoking two discs when I have it - but, perhaps I’ll reduce to one and use this as a blend to break in my new pipes. Should last a while that way. Who knows.
Doesn’t seem like a good blend for a new smoker at all. I’m going to stick with some of the other burley and Latakia blends a bit more I believe. But, to be fair this is an alright blend. It’s just the effort required to get the most out of it is more than I care to try most of the time - pipes are for relaxing and the extra effort takes from the overall enjoyment, IMO. 2.5 stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 29, 2013 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
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.
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.
PurchasedFrom:
www.pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
Recently Purchased
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2019 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
STG – Escudo
I purchased a sample of this as a part of a special offered by an online retailer in conjunction with a YouTube piping channel.
In the tin (ziplock bag) this smells very bready, and I’m not really smelling a lot of the Perique. It smells almost like a bakery which is very pleasing.
The Virginias are very light compared to the almost black Perique, and spun into a very nicely presented coin. They clearly spend time on this as the presentation is essentially perfect.
Lighting up this is obviously a very high quality tobacco, the Virginia is very tasty and gets nice and savoury as I go through the bowl. The Perique is quite a bit less noticeable than other similar blends I’ve tried such as LBF and Davidoff Flake Medallions. In my book that is a plus.
Despite the fact that this is clearly a high quality tobacco and likely achieves what it sets out to do, I can’t get the taste of Perique out of my mouth during and after the bowl. To me it has a flavour not unlike sucking on a penny, like copper in the mouth. I won’t be repurchasing, but I’d recommend that if you like VaPers you should give this one a try as it seems to be quite storied on this site.
I purchased a sample of this as a part of a special offered by an online retailer in conjunction with a YouTube piping channel.
In the tin (ziplock bag) this smells very bready, and I’m not really smelling a lot of the Perique. It smells almost like a bakery which is very pleasing.
The Virginias are very light compared to the almost black Perique, and spun into a very nicely presented coin. They clearly spend time on this as the presentation is essentially perfect.
Lighting up this is obviously a very high quality tobacco, the Virginia is very tasty and gets nice and savoury as I go through the bowl. The Perique is quite a bit less noticeable than other similar blends I’ve tried such as LBF and Davidoff Flake Medallions. In my book that is a plus.
Despite the fact that this is clearly a high quality tobacco and likely achieves what it sets out to do, I can’t get the taste of Perique out of my mouth during and after the bowl. To me it has a flavour not unlike sucking on a penny, like copper in the mouth. I won’t be repurchasing, but I’d recommend that if you like VaPers you should give this one a try as it seems to be quite storied on this site.
Pipe Used:
Ropp Vintage Briar
PurchasedFrom:
Tobaccopipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Unknown
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 01, 2016 | Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I just got back from the county fair and decided to pop open my first tin of Escudo. Through sheer coincidence, I was brought back to the animal pens at the fair. Both hung heavy with the musty wet pungence of hay, dung, feed, and animal oder. This city kid (out of his element) bravely set fire to a roll of coins stuffed into a pipe.
Wow, a mountain of smoke erupted! No farm flavor remained, just a very full bodied puffing smoke. If I had never smoked pipe tobacco before, this would be the taste I would of likely imagined. It feels as if the flavor is coming from the briar itself, conjuring up images of old-time sailors hoisting a rope and sail with a pipe firmly clenched.
Escudo meant business, while it lacked a particular flavor, it had nicotine in spades. Most other blends with a similar profile remind me of a cigar, this one however; did not have that bitter off putting taste I dislike.
While I still prefer the fun variety of aromatics and the charcoal taste of an English, I was happy to of run across Escudo. It likely won't make my regular rotation, but there will be times I want to revisit Escudo, and scratch a classic itch.
EDIT: Dropped this one from a 3. Recently bought a tin that was far more bitter, dense, and sticky than my first batch. It did not have any of that "barnyard essence" of the first time.
Wow, a mountain of smoke erupted! No farm flavor remained, just a very full bodied puffing smoke. If I had never smoked pipe tobacco before, this would be the taste I would of likely imagined. It feels as if the flavor is coming from the briar itself, conjuring up images of old-time sailors hoisting a rope and sail with a pipe firmly clenched.
Escudo meant business, while it lacked a particular flavor, it had nicotine in spades. Most other blends with a similar profile remind me of a cigar, this one however; did not have that bitter off putting taste I dislike.
While I still prefer the fun variety of aromatics and the charcoal taste of an English, I was happy to of run across Escudo. It likely won't make my regular rotation, but there will be times I want to revisit Escudo, and scratch a classic itch.
EDIT: Dropped this one from a 3. Recently bought a tin that was far more bitter, dense, and sticky than my first batch. It did not have any of that "barnyard essence" of the first time.
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 19, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Escudo demonstrated for me why it's important to smoke at least a tin of tobacco before judging it. This is my first shot at a Va/Per. I read the reviews and consensus is that Escudo is the best so I bought a tin. I smoked the first half of the tin getting some VA flavor and a lot of bite. I put the tin down for a couple of months to read reviews and talk to some guys at the pipe shop. Apparently some people get a physical reaction to the perique that feels a lot like tounge bite. I'm pretty sure I fall into that group of people, albeit a mild case. When stuffed another bowl with it months later I "got" the peppery pluminess of the perique in the tin note. When I smoked it somehow I could now pick out the perique in the tobacco and it tasted good but it did react with me and felt like burning. I have about a half a dozen coins left which I shredded in hopes of drying it out some. I'll finish this tin but not get another. The smoke seemed very "sharp" to me and I'm wondering if I got a Va/Per with some Cavendish in it if that would take the sharp edge off. May try it, May not. Good Nic, A little too moist and requires drying, Not a big fan of coins, plugs, or flakes. Great smoke for somebody else.
Pipe Used:
cob, grabow briar
PurchasedFrom:
PandC
Age When Smoked:
first half new, second half 2 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 15, 2014 | Very Strong | None Detected | Very Full | Extra Strong |
In the interest of full disclosure, I'd like to say that this tin made me realize I'm not a Navy Fan. And it's not that I find this a poor tobacco, but it's not my cup of tea. I don't think I know of anything with a stronger flavor or more unpleasant room note. I'm glad I figured this out on my own rather than via my gal's complaints.
I'm happier with flakes like Erinmore, Orlik or Peterson's Irish Flake. A Navy fan however should likely get a taste of this and pay little attention to my review other than the room note part.
I'd give this 2 stars but for the fact I know how admired this blend is, and in that vein I'd give it 3.
I'm happier with flakes like Erinmore, Orlik or Peterson's Irish Flake. A Navy fan however should likely get a taste of this and pay little attention to my review other than the room note part.
I'd give this 2 stars but for the fact I know how admired this blend is, and in that vein I'd give it 3.
Pipe Used:
cobs, small Italian briar
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes & Cigars
Age When Smoked:
purchased this earlier this summer
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 02, 2013 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I have smoked just 1 tin and while many find this a cornerstone smoke, it missed for me. The VA's are good and there is a nice amount of perique too. I do think that I can detect a topping especially on the retrohale and it gets in the way of the overall tobacco taste just a little. At the same time it also seems to be the reason for the pleasant room note, although the wife still is not a major fan. In any case, a good blend but many others suite my palate better like Hal'O the Wind for example.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 17, 2013 | Strong | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
If you like perique then you will truly love this blend. For the first third of the bowl I was blown over by the strength of the baccy pepper; it really threw me off so as to not enjoy the rest of the bowl as I wish I could. Too bad really. I liked the tin presentation, the open tin presentation as well and the aroma in tin was quite nice. The tobacco packed and smoked well. Again, if you like perique this is a must try. I prefer something that is more balanced to my palate, like Esoterica's Dunbar.
Peace to all my brothers and sisters of the leaf.
Peace to all my brothers and sisters of the leaf.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 21, 2012 | Medium to Strong | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
Lesson one: Don't smoke this on a empty stomach.
This was my first time smoking a "coin" style tobacco and one with perique (as far as I know). Had to experiment with the packing but found rubbing it out worked best.
Found it to be a bit strong and it burned well. Reminded me a bit like Dunhill's My Mixture but with a stronger edge. When I was done though I was lightheaded and a tad nauseous but that was more my fault than the tobacco's.
I am certainly going to finish the tin...and refine the review a bit later.
This was my first time smoking a "coin" style tobacco and one with perique (as far as I know). Had to experiment with the packing but found rubbing it out worked best.
Found it to be a bit strong and it burned well. Reminded me a bit like Dunhill's My Mixture but with a stronger edge. When I was done though I was lightheaded and a tad nauseous but that was more my fault than the tobacco's.
I am certainly going to finish the tin...and refine the review a bit later.
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