James Fox The Squire's Mixture
(2.39)
For over a century blenders have added the aroma and flavour of Turkish and latakia tobaccos to Virginian and cavendish leaf, giving this blend its distinction.
Details
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.39 / 4
|
Reviews
Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 16, 2002 | Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Like all of the Fox blends I have tried, The Squire's Mixture is a quality mixture of beautiful tobaccos beautifully cut. Colors range from black to light browns and the ribbon is cut thin and short for easy packing. The tin aroma is sort of fruity, sort of floral, sort of soapy in the way of old-fashioned English "aromatics." (I think this tobacco is intended to be an "aromatic English." ) Usually that soapy smell puts me right off a blend, but in this case, the taste and aroma are restrained enough to add interest to the blend without overdoing things. Once lit, the smoke is cool, smooth, and neutral with the slightest floral undertones. The room note is airy and slightly sweet, not bad at all according to my wife. I don't think you'll find here the sort of flavour you expect from the usual stout English blend, but non-smokers will find this easy to be around, thus proving there is a niche for an aromatic English. I've not yet had this blend bite me, but there's enough Virginia here that you could probably force it into a nip or two. Latakia is listed as an ingredient, but if it's here, it's just a smidge. Overall, a nice, light, mild tobacco you can smoke around others indoors that still tastes like something. Not a bad accomplishment.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 08, 2020 | Mild | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
This is my first review of any tobacco as I'm a newbie. Upon opening the tin the smell is of Turkish delight chocolate bar or something along those lines. Needs a short while to dry and the ribbon cut makes for easy packing, the char light will tease your taste buds very nicely indeed and last for most of the bowl. Not sure of all the leaves or how they are processed in this blend because the beautiful taste and smell is enough for me in my early days enjoying pipe tobaccos. It can bite if not dried and must be sipped as I'm doing right now. In concluding this review I enjoy it a lot and sells very well from what I know. Thanks as it's my first review
Pipe Used:
Briars and a cob
PurchasedFrom:
Jamesfox.ie
Age When Smoked:
Out of tin/jarred
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 27, 2010 | Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
when i ordered it i was asked to take 5 tins, because no one else asked for it so far at my tobacconists. Nothing to say about the tobacco itself maybe about the pipe smokers around in this area. Upon opening the tin, a fresh floral rather musky flavoring invites you to keep your nose in the tin, guessing what the hell is in there i cannot detect. But it is no lakeside flavoring in this tobaco anyway and it is not soapy, although i like the lakeland smell very much. The colour of the cut virgina leaves is from light brown to dark brown a bit moist but good for loading a pipe right away. The flavouring is always there, it vanishies within the second half of the bowl, the smell of the smoke becomes more the way good tobaccos should be, earthy and with a little touch of the typical virginia smell i love. Burns down to the bottom, no problems with relighting needs. Simple and easy to smoke. At the end there is nothing of a ghost in my pipe, compared with other more established tobaccos like condor. To me this is a typical oldfashionde tobacco one likes or not. So I don´t give any recommendation. I think everyone should even try it - I don´t have it in my weekly rotation but I smoke it very often.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 20, 2018 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
I'm writing this review because I was surprised to see how poorly rated this blend is. I was also a bit surprised to see is listed as an "American" style blend. I thought they were supposed to contain burley! I would characterize this as an auromatic oriental because the two dominant flavours one encounters upon opening a tin is orange and oriental. It's a nice orange too, not syrupy or overdone. The orientals provide a sour note that works well with the sweet orange flavour. In some pipes the oriental is more dominant, while in others the virginia sweetness appears. I didn't realize there was any cavendish in the blend until I read it's description. It should probably be noted that I'm smoking a tin that has been sitting on the shelf for 6 years. Maybe that explains why I'm rating it above the average rating here. I'm also wondering how long Planta has been producing this blend. Could it be that we are reviewing a blend that has come from more than one source? In any event I give this a solid three and a half stars, and will buy it again.
Pipe Used:
a variety of briars
PurchasedFrom:
James Fox London, U.K.
Age When Smoked:
6 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 13, 2022 | Mild | Mild | Medium | Very Pleasant |
50 years ago I was given a sample of "Diplomat", a store mixture, at the old Pipelane store in downtown Seattle. I liked it well enough as a change of pace to occasionally get some more and then the store closed. I was surprised then when I opened a 17 year old tin of "The Squires Mixture", to taste what seems to be the same blend.
Perhaps because the sample accompanied a pipe my wife had given me for Christmas and it was my boon companion on an Alaska fisheries patrol in February, I have a special nostalgia for it. The description on the tin states this is "A Medium Strength Turkish Blend" which led me to assume this was a Virginia/Oriental blend. There is clearly an added topping which I can't identify but it smokes cool and cleanly and is easy to light. Though my tastes have certainly changed over the years I find I still enjoy this.
Update; I decided to see if the currently available version is the same as the older, blue label tin I tried. I have to say it is not. Whatever topping is used with this was applied much too heavily in the fresh version. Perhaps aging or airing this out will help but while still smokeable, I would only give the current version 2 stars.
Perhaps because the sample accompanied a pipe my wife had given me for Christmas and it was my boon companion on an Alaska fisheries patrol in February, I have a special nostalgia for it. The description on the tin states this is "A Medium Strength Turkish Blend" which led me to assume this was a Virginia/Oriental blend. There is clearly an added topping which I can't identify but it smokes cool and cleanly and is easy to light. Though my tastes have certainly changed over the years I find I still enjoy this.
Update; I decided to see if the currently available version is the same as the older, blue label tin I tried. I have to say it is not. Whatever topping is used with this was applied much too heavily in the fresh version. Perhaps aging or airing this out will help but while still smokeable, I would only give the current version 2 stars.
Pipe Used:
GBD Granitan
Age When Smoked:
17 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 14, 2006 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
This fine shag tobacco comes very moist in the tin ... so a little drying out will serve one well to start. I found the components to create an interesting smoke with a light casing that moves to the background quickly. I'm not sure if I would classify this as a aromatic but it definitely has an initial flavoring. As far as it being an English blend, it claims no pedigree, and many English blends have a light topping.
One thing for certain, if one packs this too tightly and smokes it without a moderate drying, it will be a steamy and tasteless experience. I've noticed this about Fox blends and approach them accordingly. I find by lightly rubbing half a tin at a time into a container long before smoking makes for a totally different experience than directly from the tin.
The Latakia is light and the Turkish is more abundant making the bowl more naturally flavorful as the casing fades to the background. I think this is a terrific time to time smoke that is complex without being strong.
Cheers, VC
One thing for certain, if one packs this too tightly and smokes it without a moderate drying, it will be a steamy and tasteless experience. I've noticed this about Fox blends and approach them accordingly. I find by lightly rubbing half a tin at a time into a container long before smoking makes for a totally different experience than directly from the tin.
The Latakia is light and the Turkish is more abundant making the bowl more naturally flavorful as the casing fades to the background. I think this is a terrific time to time smoke that is complex without being strong.
Cheers, VC
target="_blank"
