Lane Limited Crown Achievement

An American English quite unlike anything else I've had so far. It's Lat heavy but there's also a ton of pepper and spice going on. Amazingly, it's still a sweet tobacco.

This is mild in nicotine but very rich in flavour. It is complex and I guess is subtle in the sense that working out what flavour is coming from what type of leaf is bewildering. But on the whole this is a punch in the face affair.

It is what it is, and what it is, is also unusual. I suspect this will divide opinions and the reviews so far, even allowing for formulation changes over time, seem to bear this out. I enjoyed it a lot. But I wouldn't want to smoke a lot of it quickly.

If you like moderately full-bodied Balkans, where the Orientals and Perique can be detected rather than be overwhelmed by the Latakia, then this blend is worth trying. Takes and keeps a light easily, but while made of good quality tobaccos, it really doesn't stand out either. A nice solid winter's smoke, but nothing to rave about or that makes it unique.

Very nice creamy smoke with a buttery mouthfeel and tang. Halfway through,the spiciness will turn up a notch which I find very pleasant. No bite,just fine fantastic tobacco all the way. Reminds me of Nightcap for its creaminess and Larry's blend for its buttery oriental qualities. Highly recommended for those who love their Englishes/Balkans. Very tasty.

I'm just not much of a fan of this one. It's fine but to me it doesn't wow me. Too sweet for my tastes. Kind of sickening.

Quality packaging, ribbon but with some twiggy bits, dark and English - like in tin note.

Smokes well enough, but I find something is amiss as it pertains to the composition; The Turkish / Lat components mute out the Virginias and [I can't believe I'm writing this] theirs too much of a Perique presence. Perhaps it's just exaggerated because every other piece of the blend cancels the others out.

Burns quicker than I would consider typical, but not hot or overly bitey.

It's like a librarian lacking skeletons in her closet...drab.

After reading reviews on this blend, I grew excited to try this an made it part of a four tin sale P&C had going. As luck would have it... a few days later it arrived in the mail. I love opening those tins as the seal breaks and the woosh sound happens. Tin note... definite Balkan blend.... stoved up the Dr. G Omega and headed out to the front porch with a cup of coffee. First light.. OHHH.. this is going to be a bit stronger than I expected.. not overpowering just strong. Once this got going.. I am a sipper... I could see this was not going to be a monotone type blend, but rather changed and in a good way during the smoke. To me nothing beats that wonderful campfire smokey aroma as you relax and sip some coffee and this one did not disappoint. The only thing I noticed.. and this was a fresh tin, that it did take a few relights along the way... but other then that... a well designed blend befitting the name Crown Achievement. While I would love to give this 4 Stars.. I am giving this 3 as I would highly recommend it to anybody who either enjoys English/Balkan blends or for somebody new to this style of tobacco. I enjoyed this and will keep this blend in my rotation. Happy Smoking Cheers Mike

Crown Achievement (upper case) was introduced many years ago by Lane, Ltd. as a tinned blend using the finest available tobaccos at a premium price with the intent of providing the crown achievement (lower case) of latakia/oriental tobacco mixtures. It was heavy on the latakia and oriental, lighter on the Virginia, and possessed enough perique to make that element obvious although not strong.

I smoked it a few times way back then and was not overly impressed. My problem was not that it was a mediocre tobacco, but rather that it did not have the superior quality to merit the premium price. Over the years Lane dumbed down the blend and omitted the perique. To the best of my recollection I did not ever smoke Crown Achievement in the no perique era. Eventually it was discontinued from the Lane lineup.

After the Scandinavian Tobacco Group acquired Lane Ltd. in 2011 they resurrected a number of discontinued bulks, the tinned Crown Achievement, and even added some new offerings. The Crown Achievement offering was touted as the original recipe (with perique), but was offered without the premium price.

The newly minted Crown Achievement offers a ribbon cut with a strong latakia pouch aroma. My tin was a bit too moist for my preference upon opening, but that quickly settled down. It smokes to a dry ash without gooping the pipe. It is medium in latakia strength, and a bit more than medium in oriental strength for an English mixture. The perique is just above the condimental level, strong enough to be noticed, but nevertheless restrained.

The room note will win no praise from significant others, but it is actually less strong than many latakia/oriental heavy offerings.

My initial response was muted, but as I progressed through the tin my appreciation for the new Crown Achievement increased. In particular I liked the creamy note, which is unusual for a latakia/oriental offering. The fact that it is being offered at a competitive price also influenced me positively.

There are some pipe smokers who despise latakia. They will despise Crown Achivement. But for those who enjoy this breed of tobacco the chances are that they will react favorable. In particular, the creamy note may influence some to add it to regular rotation.

Is Crown Achievement (upper case) the crown achievement (lower case) of latakia/oriental forward blends? Probably not, but at the current competitive pricing it is well worth trying.

I got 18 smokes out of the tin, using a number of different pipes: two Leonessas, two Petersons, one Sasieni, one Kaywoodie, one Dunhill, and one no name ("Italian briar") basket pipe. All provided good smokes, but the Dunhill and the no name tied for first place.

I recently came across CA in bulk at a local shop and thought I would give it a try. I think its a very decent blend and have enjoyed it so far. My local shop is selling it for 3.25 an ounce and for that price I find it an unbeatable smoke in that price range. As others have noted, mixing it 50/50 with some PS straight virginia has been excellent as well.

i had hoped that when i read that this had returned to perique as a component that it would be as i remembered it, but it was not. seems to me that the real appeal is in the heavy latakia, it is so strong with it that it makes my dog sneeze and leave the room. my wife says the dog smells better than the tobacco. it is just okay.