James Fox The Banker's Mixture

This is the third blend I've tried from Fox. All three are excellent. Bankers is described as a medium blend and I will agree with this statement from the tin's label. The tobacco has a wonderfull aroma in the tin. Very English reminding me of a Dunhill blend,but Havana leaf added for a cigar like flavor. The cut is a very nice ribbon without stems or odd cuts like I recently encountered with a tin of Pease's Westminster. Moisture was more than I like, but not wet like most first opened tins. Lighting was very easy and only one relight was needed after the charring light. The draw from my Castello medium size billiard was effortless. The tobacco smoked down to the bottom of the bowl leaving just a small amount of light colored ash. The flavor throughout the smoking was very nice..rich, balanced, sweetness just right..in all more than I expected. The cigar leaf is at the top of the flavor, latakia follows with the orientals and Virginias serving as the base. I would say the blend reminds me of Pease's Robusto, another fine cigar leaf English blend. This is by any standard a top notch blend worthy of a try by all those who enjoy tobaccos of this type.

This is simply superb. Opening my first tin of this, I wondered at first whether I had loaded it in one of the few pipes that I keep for aromatic mixtures, as it has a sweetness that is extremely pronounced. I have now swapped it into several latakia-only pipes that I own, and find the same tasty, biteless complexity every time. It may be a little more expensive than most pipe tobaccos available in the UK, but it is a real winner and worth the extra few pounds. It is smooth, low on nicotine, and wonderfully flavourful. This is gentle on the tongue, rich, and unusual - I can only suggest that the addition of cigar leaf brings the interplay of orientals to the fore in a way that gloriously complements the creamy latakia and the solid virginia base.

I prefer this in a smaller bowl, as it tends to lose some of the sweetness when smoked in a larger pipe - strange, as I would much prefer to enjoy this for far longer than the 30-40 minutes that a smaller chamber gives. The trade-off is acceptable however, as the reward for a more compact bowl is an intensified flavour that is not marred in any way. It is no hardship to reload more into subsequent bowls, however, as each new first light returns a real reward. I love the consistency in quality that this blend delivers - no woody stems, no monochromatic lumps of one type of tobacco, just a melange of blacks and browns that carries the same experience from pipe to pipe. It is musty and pleasant in the tin, and translates similarly to the room note - my wife rarely comments negatively upon any blends, thankfully, but she endorses my positive description of the way this smells. It lingers in aftertaste in the same way that the room is improved by the burning.

It is also worth noting that the gentleman who served me in the Piccadilly shop was knowledgeable and extremely patient as I browsed through the various tins on offer, and was willing to direct me to other local B&M outlets that might carry further tobaccos to my taste. It may not impact the blend itself, but his emphasis on customer service and warm offer of adjourning to the onsite, indoor smoking area made this purchase to be remembered and recommended.

Delightful mixture that burns slowly and without any hint of bitterness or boredom.

The Cuban cigar leaf is not as noticeable in this blend as in, say, G.L. Pease's Robusto - which makes sense because Pease uses Maduro cigar leaf and Fox uses what seems to be something similar to what makes a Romeo & Julieta no 2.

The cigar leaf stays in the background except every once in a while you get the great taste of Cuban cigar (I am fortunate in that I live outside the embargo where Cuban cigars are widely available). The blend is a medium English similar to a medium Dunhill blend and is of high quality - which you would excpect for the price. The cigar leafs mostly adds what I will call "mouth feel" to the blend. It seems fuller and richer than a regular English, albeit not sweeter.

From the tin the tobacco is a bit moist. The nicotine content seems only medium to me (not requiring I eat a full meal before I smoke). Having said that, I smoke mostly strong tobaccos like Dark Birdseye and ropes.

A great after dinner blend. Wonderful room note - only gave it a "pleasant to tolerable" because the wife says tolerable where I say pleasant.

I have dedicated a Peterson Antique for this blend.

Cheers,

Tim

Mfg: James Fox Blend: Bankers

Preface: I didn't know what to expect when I opened the can. I Anticipated a blend similar to Sobranie #10, or GLP Robusto, but was pleasantly surprised. This one stands on it's own, and is a treasure.

Appearance: Dark ribbon cut, with some lighter leaf evident. Perhaps a bit finer than average for an English, but not a shag cut.

Aroma: Smells like an English blend with some maduro cigar leaf. Very nice indeed, you could enjoy this without a pipe.

Packing: Packs easily into medium and large pipes. Would probably do well in a smaller pipe, but this blend seems to want a larger bowl.

Lighting: Lights easily, just a tamp and a relight and it?s going.

Initial flavor: Wow, there is some Latakia which is in perfect harmony with the cigar leaf, and together they form a dark, sweet, smokey melange which is captivating. Burns cool, but stays lit well.

Mid-bowl: The Virginia peeks out regularly, but is usually a supporting player. There is an interplay of the three main components, which adds a nice compexity to the smoke. One of the best behaved blends I?ve smoked, rarely needs a relight.

Finish: Finishes just a bit too soon. Not that it burns quickly, just that I wish the pipe werer bigger

Summary: This is a nice medium to full blend, excellent after dinner. Would also be great in the afternoon with any beverage of your choice, if you can give it your full attention. Probably too full flavored for an eye opener. This also did not draw any hostile fire from the LSW, despite the cigar leaf.

A unique and perfect mixture with decently strong flavour evolving towards the end of the bowl. Recommended after lunch with a glass of ginger beer and in front of the sunset.

La versión de Fox me parece muy buena. Soy fumador de estas mezclas y es una de mis favoritas. El burley le da a diferencia de otras, buena combustión y buen volumen de humo. La hoja de cigarro toda la calidad aromática de este tipo de tabaco y sobre todo personalidad. Es lo que muchos llaman una mezcla "inglesa/americana", en este caso con el agregado de hoja de cigarro, la cual hace de está mezcla inglesa algo diferente. Si bien me gustan las inglesas suaves llamadas también orientales, está me gusta mucho a pesar de ser más fuerte. Yo la ubicó junto a la Standard, la presbiteriana, la skiff y la accountants, en el ranking de mis predilectas. La otra versión no la fumé y por lo que leo parece no estar a la altura de esta.

Bought in a classic round tin in Switzerland in 2013, at average price for a selected tobacco, surely not too expensive (half price respect a McLelland, I mean...). Medium ribbon cut, correct humidity, very typical scent of (good) latakia and (good) cigar leaves.

Taste: full bodied, rich, maybe not delicate but really satisfying, no biting at all... in one only word, wonderful!

Room note: the only, little problem... quite strong and persistent, but I don't take care of this, maybe sometimes a good reason to take a walk and happily smoke outdoor.

Burning: perfect at first, not too slow or too fast, after some days it gets more dry and goes only a bit too fast. Easy lightning.

Best Briars: I prefer top-end thick-wall pipes, for this.

Wow, this is really good! Probably the best tobacco I tryed in the last years, medium strenght (my ideal) but not a fly-killer, strong latakia and cigarish aroma with a little orientals note, if you sometimes appreciate a good light havana cigar too, you'll love it. Highly recommended.

P.S.: reading some other reviews, I feel there are two different The Banker's Tobacco, one very good (dark label: http://www.google.it/imgres?sa=X&hl=it&rlz=1T4ADRA_itIT484IT484&biw=1229&bih=567&tbm=isch&tbnid=eb1-_kb79ei1UM%3A&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fluxurytobaccoreviews.com%2Fgo-%2Flatakia--english-tobacco&docid=B-LlvanUtX7_9M&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fluxurytobaccoreviews.com%2Fuploads%2F1292423903-James-J-Fox-Bankers.jpg&w=250&h=242&ei=xfXRUuXoD5CN4gTByIEQ&zoom=1&ved=0CFcQhBwwAQ&iact=rc&dur=840&page=1&start=0&ndsp=16) and another not so good (white label)... is it real?

I am a sucker for tobaccos. I simply love all the different kinds. Browsing through my local tobacconist, I saw that this was on sale. Huzzah! I bought two 50g tins, for only a little over $16 together. Took them home, opened one, and smoked over a Jane Austin and my robe. Great stuff, great stuff. Smokes well, tastes like old-timey tobacco, and has a room note that smells like the cigars the old horse-handlers used to smoke back in Zimbabwe. I really enjoyed this English blend, and it has actually become my normal higher-end variety, me smoking a pipe or two full every few days. Once again, this one comes highly recommended.

Although I normally smoke VA flakes, this was an enjoyable change for me. The tin aroma is strong and gives more than a hint of Latakia. This fades somewhat after the tin is opened and the tobacco dries some. I also obtained more consistent packing and therefore smoking after drying but this may be more a matter of personal taste. The nicely prepared wide ribbons range from light brown to deep black. Smaller amounts of greenish/grey Havana cigar leaf are also present but don't overpower the taste or room aroma. If you're seeking more of a cigar influence, go with Mogano. There is no question that you are smoking high quality pipe tobacco. Overall, the taste is rich but creamy, cool and smooth and the various components complement each other very well and were masterfully blended. Although the taste and nicotine content are greater than my choice for an all day smoke and I miss the natural sweetness of my favorite VAs, after a meal, this blend is fantastic. However, the room aroma is strong and was disliked by non-smoking family and friends. But they don't like cigar smoke either.