Traditab 1637

The pouch note of this rarity wafts upward with that combination of scents that define a field after harvest: dry vegetation, sweet fermentation, and the light breeze of freshness. Much like the Semois variety of tobacco, this blend consists of a French Burley which is roasted or air-dried, mixed with an unsweetened fermented Virginia which gives it the gentlest of Cavendish-style sweetness without any cloying elements. The result burns easily because it is very dry, and smokes with a dry grain flavor, slightly tangy almost like dark fired leaf but with a slight caramel effect from the fermented Virginia tobacco. It burns easily down to almost no dottle, and has moderate strength, with the bowl increasing in sweetness and volume of flavor as it goes. Like Semois, this is not for everyone, but for those who like a rich Burley flavor without the somewhat "green" flavor of raw Burley, this smoke delivers a rich and rewarding pipe-sipping experience that could easily be satisfying all day.

Thanks to a sample provided by a kind member of Pipes Magazine Forums.

This new pipe tobacco is strong. So if you like temper tobaccos, you gonna try. Unfortunately it smokes quickly. My bowl was empty in 30 minutes. Maybe a bit dry, maybe because it was a sample so the end of a pouch with very short cuts. I recommend this blend anyway...

Decent French tradition tobacco. The cut, though advertised as "Coupe Large", is too thin: I'd say hardly distinguishable from cigarette rolling tobacco. This makes the tobacco burn a bit fast and hot (and the combustion seems irregular as well), burying its flavours. Tin (pouch) aroma is natural and subdued. Packaging is really nice old school, but not very practical. The tobacco is apparently one of the very few still entirely made in (SW) France by an ethical cooperative founded quite recently (2008), leaf being provided by local planters. It's cut in Belguim since it seems impossible to find cutting equipment in France nowadays! Ordered 5x40g at my local tobacconist in Paris, otherwise not easy to find here.

This 100% French-produced mix of Virginia and Burley tobaccos is essentially a light Scaferlati, or just a glorified strong rolling tobacco. Its cut is slightly thick for rollies, but rather thin for smoking in a pipe.

Although its taste is rather pleasant, there's really nothing notable about it, other than its relative affordability and the fact that it is a "local" tobacco for people living in France. You might as well pack some Pueblo or Fergreen rolling tobacco in your pipe, since those actually have a notable and interesting taste profile that this tobacco sadly does not.

As an amateur of home-made mixes, I have found that the 1637 doesn't pair that well with aromatics, partly due to its comparatively thin cut, which doesn't allow for as much flavor absorption.

If you're into a smoke that you can alternate between rolling up and stuffing into your pipe, then I'd recommend it. Or, if you generally prefer fast-smoking and mild to moderately strong (as far as pipe tobaccos go) smokes, then this is also for you. I think it could do with being cut thicker, which would give it a slower smoke and more mixing possibilities.

This tobacco is produced close to the place i live, here is the reason why i tested first. Smoking it right from the package, it's a little too dry. Burns easily, even easily too hot. So used, it's a little harsh, and if nuo tongue bite has been noticed, it produces a nic burning feeling in the throat. But once remoisted, all is changing. 3 days ago i tried remoust it in a tin using a ''mini zeppeling", and a big piece of ''rave celery'', and add aproxymately 40 percent of "cornell 'n' diehl'' latakia. 3 days in the tin with the celery, and letting it dry 15 minutes on a sheet, just to get the perfect moist containt before packing in the pipe. The taste is close to a "not too bad" english blend. The spicy roughness of the "brown tobacco" replacing to me the need of oriental tobacco. Leaving a pretty nice and salty after taste. A tobacco i recomend as a base for blending. Edit for the straight using: Slightly remoisted the easy hot burning is calmed down. The nicotine bit in the throat deems to be vanished too... Finaly a very smokable tobacco as it is... Even if the nic content is maybe a lot head turning if you try to inhale.

The pouch (more of a packet really) is very stylish, looks like old pouch of "Le gris", the most ancient pipe/RYO tobacco in France. I really enjoy opening it, and wished I could use it like I use a classic tobacco pouch, but unfortunately I am afraid it will rip apart in my pocket.

Very dry from the pouch, I rehydrated it to a medium humidity level. It smells like tobacco, but sweeter. Packing my pipe quite tight, it needed 3 lights to get it going. The taste is very tobacco-y, but again, sweeter and oscillating in a way. While it is technically a brown ("brun", french blend if you like) tobacco, it doesn't really have this typical taste, like Saint-Claude, or Le gris might have. I really enjoyed my bowl, not tongue bite at all. I was afraid it would burn really hot and fast since the cut is very thin (a millimeter or less), but it didn't and my pipe was actually cool at the end. Somehow the last third lasted as long as the two first