James Fox Campanile

James Fox - Campanile.

Hmmmm., confusing. Because, it isn't exactly congruent with the description! C'est la vies!

I'm unsure about my tin's age as there's no date stamp but because the paper lining and cap are well stained with oils I prejudicate it has a good few years on it! 'Absolutely NO black tobaccos'? Well, that's quite a specious description seeing as mine contains a few black pieces! The aroma's musty, indicative of Orientals and Latakia, and the hydration's perfect.

I note this gets a lot of different reactions and ratings, that might depend on newer or older version? Either way, I find it pleasant. I find the smoke has a fairly formidable hit of Turkish. This Turkish isn't overly floral or perfume like, but more rustic and a little butyraceous. The Virginias account for the base of the blend, but other than a mild hay flavour I don't get much more; it isn't awash with 'zingy' citrus, or succulent fruit. Again, the flavour doesn't go along with the 'NO black tobaccos'; the smoke is definitely reminiscent of a snifter of smoky Latakia being included! On the low side mine can burn slightly fast, albeit not warm and without bite.

Nicotine: medium at a push. Room-note: pretty nice.

Campanile? Although it's had a decent amount of low ratings I like it. I guess this proves we all perceive things differently and have to form our own views! To me, the factor which diminishes the rating is the speed of the burn. So, I'll give it three stars:

Recommended.

I'm currently on a 'Virginia-Oriental' kick.

That's what this blend once was, apparently. I suppose it's unfair to rate this blend on what it is (or was) "supposed to be," so I'll increase the rating from 2 to 2½ stars. However it's important that you be informed (before purchasing it) that this is in fact a mild English mixture and not a bona fide 'Virginia-Oriental.'

My guess is that the manufacturers opted to improve the aromatic qualities of the mixture by supplementing it with a minuscule amount of Latakia rather than investing in higher-quality Orientals. Unfortunately the mixture is left somewhat like a tripod without a third leg: Virginia, an unremarkable Oriental, and a remedial amount of Latakia.

It's an appealing mild English mixture, however since it's lacking in significant body or depth, I would relegate it to more workaday uses or as a contemplative early morning smoke. I somehow envision this mixture as the base to which the manufacturer might add other ingredients to make the desired final product

Review of red tinned, Peterson & Sorensen blend bought from Germany Jan 2011.

This tobacco comes packed in plastic, a la Prespytarien. Aroma is that of a good Va mixture with the presence of Oriental also detected, but predominently Va. Appearance is of a ribbon cut blend of Va tobaccos and a small amount of darker tobaccos which after smoking, I believe to be that of a (Va) Cavendish rather than that of Latakia.

Campanile may have undergone some variation during its transformation from a James Fox blend to that of its present German blenders. But as we know, this period can sometimes lead to blends losing its original identity if the blenders do not stick rigidly to the original source and recipes. My current tin however is representative of everything the makers say it is. An English Oriental with no black tobacco other than what I take to be that of a Va cavendish. Certainly I detect no latakia present in this blend

Moisture is fine and the tobacco packs and lights very easily. I was impressed with the Va blends which are the dominant flavours of this smoke, although as the smoke progresses, the spicy almost peppery flavours of the orient leaf become more apparant. I find this blend to be an easy smoking, slightly bland English oriental, not great, but also not bad at all. For the smoker who likes English blends but is not over fond of latakia I would recommend Campanile in its present manifestation. Medium in both taste and strength with a substantial Va body and peppery Turkish undertones, This blend shouldnt dissappoint, its not meant to be a strong latakia English blend, more of a slightly spicy English Oriental. On the value for money scale I would say that Campanile does itself justice and represents good value with good quality leaf providing a mellow yet slightly spicy and rewarding smoke. Recommended

This is for the white tin version. There is definitely black leaf in it, but I suspect it's cavendish since I didn't notice any latakia. This is a very clean tasting blend, sweet from the virginia and slightly spicy and almost floral from the turkish. It reminds me a bit of McConnell's Oriental (a favorite) but without the latakia, however I found myself really missing the latakia. Campanile is rather like a nice cup of light tea in the morning; it's just not really my cup of tea. Still, it's a very well constructed blend, perfect for those who enjoy orientals but dislike latakia that usually.

Recommended for thee but not for mee.

Exquisite mixture of matured, mostly red Virginias with superb Smyrna (or at least it tastes like it). A sweet, mellow and tasteful smoke which burns cool with no tongue bite. No Latakia here, this is a plain Oriental mixture.

I always try to provide comparisons for the reader to know what to expect. This is a tough one, but the closest I can think of is Davidoff Royalty, without the top-dressing (Campanile is unflavored, as far as I can discern).

I remember ordering a tin of this back around 2010 after reading Pipestud's review but my tin was the newer one which had the white label attached. This was back when I began sampling many different blends to determine which types that suited my palate and specific desires for various Nicotine strengths. I found this blend a little lacking in Vitamin N content to suit me. However, it did possess a good flavor & the tin aroma was awesome.

This didn't smoke like the tin aroma suggested. It was a little harsh initially but soon subsided into a very mild, smoke. It lacked the strength I was seeking & didn't possess the flavor I was anticipating from the tin aroma. It seemed to be very suitable to some pipers but I don't favor such mild blends lacking a good tobacco kick.

As to the recommendation of a few pipers, I can't agree. I didn't finish the tin but should have mixed it with some strong Burley or Picayune... didn't think of this idea at the time. I was just tossing out the trash that I didn't prefer and this was one of them. I have no need or desire to purchase another due to its wimpy stature & lack of strength.

This must have been a mixture of mainly ''Orientals" & maybe a mild strain of Virginia which lacked strength & possesses only a minor amount of Nicotine. This was almost like smoking plain air. Not for me. I respect those who like this however but not my type. Three stars for the flavor & mild smoking characteristic & two stars for lack of strength which leaves us with only; please wait while I get my calculator... two & one half stars.

To be sure - a nice, smooth, flavoursome experience. Perhaps somewhat lacking in identity of its own among many similar mixtures...

However, after reading many reviews distinguishing between the "old" one and some "new" versions, I checked the tin (which otherwise looks the exact copy of what is displayed here...) only to notice that it bears a "Petersen & Sorensen" logo (???). Anyone can tell me - am I missing something here?

Update 08/10/08 After the third K&K thin I have to downgrade this. Not a great smoke anymore, a classic is gone. Maybe I will even downgrade this further in future. What a pity.

Delicious, rich and creamy oriental taste. Contrary to the description there is obviously some very dark tobacco in the K&K version (the original Fox version had no black tobacco indeed). However, taste is still great!

Update: The original red label Campanile tin has been replaced by a plainer tin and the tobacco inside is not the same either. Once a uniform, medium brown fine ribbon, it is now a mixture of light and dark tobaccos which contain a different blend of orientals and perhaps, some Latakia. There is a general similarity in taste to the original but the current edition is rougher around the edges and lacks the smoothness and underlying sweetness of the original blend. Unfortunate. Still a decent smoke but no longer exceptional.

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Campanile is truly a unique tobacco in that there are not a lot of Virginia-Oriental blends made that do not include the dominating influence of Latakia. Even so, there is a slight smokiness in the tin aroma from the other tobaccos.

Though primarily a Virginia, the Orientals give it a lot of character. It differs from Cairo (another good V-O blend) in lacking the latter's distinct, but not unpleasant, sourness. Instead, more of the Virginia's inherent sweetness is present. As the description says, "smooth and sweet"-- but in a natural, unflavored way.

Were it not for the relatively high cost, I could smoke this every day.