Butera Pelican
(2.82)
The second, after Kingfisher, in this special series of pipe tobaccos especially formulated to the specific priorities of Michael A. Butera. Simply, Pelican is the perfect Mixture, combining exact portions of the finest, most rare Cyprian Latakia, the spiciest, most zesty Turkish and Orientals, and the richest, most sweet sun grown Virginia whole leaf available today. Aged in cakes then fine cut to ribbon form. Pelican delivers multiple dimensions of sweet, mellow tastes, with a variety of contradicting rich and spicy room aromas. Return in time to those days and nights long since forgotten, when only the finest English Oriental style Mixtures would satisfy you.
Notes: According to Michael Butera, Pelican was originally blended by Peter Stokkebye in Denmark before production later moved to J.F. Germain in th UK. 21 October 2016 Update: J.F. Germain appears to have resumed production of this blend.
Blend type is English/Oriental.
Details
| Brand | Butera |
| Blended By | J.F. Germain & Sons |
| Manufactured By | J. F. Germain & Sons |
| Blend Type | Balkan |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Other / Misc |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.82 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 16, 2012 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
Wow... all I can say is WOW. I've never been so utterly and immediately disappointed by a tin of tobacco.
I've been looking for Pelican for many months... and finally found some. The tin looks really cool. And upon opening, there's a nice, albeit mild, typically English aroma. The presentation is that of a nearly solid-pressed block of fine ribbon cut tobaccos wrapped in waxy paper. Judging by color, the blend looks promising - with a fair amount of latakia mixed in with yellow, olive and orange leaf. My tin was fairly moist, but not overly so.
It packed well and lit fairly easily... up until this point, everything was fine.
I have to say, this mild to the point of being bland. The latakia occasionally rears it's smoky head, but the Orientals don't sing and dance. In fact, they barely have a pulse in this mixture. The virginias weren't particularly sweet, or citrus-y, or anything else for that matter. It says in the description above that there is a top dressing on this. Given the humidity of the tobacco, I might believe it. However, I tasted nothing of the sort. In fact, this blend reminded me somehow of cigarettes. The smell left on my clothing, in my beard, on my fingers... nothing like the rich smells of fine pipe weed I'm used to. All in all. This was a dud from match to dottle.
Lastly, I've read the complaints about the Danish production... and it's deficiencies in the flavor department. I'd have to say I agree. Continental blenders seem to somehow miss the mark with English blends (Black Mallory - made by Kohlhase and Kopp in Germany - being another disappointment in this style tobacco). HOWEVER, both of my tins have a label on the bottom saying "Made in Jersey, British Isles." After checking some forums, it would appear that JF Germain has taken back over production. However, maybe the recipe is still Danish? I don't know.
All I know is that Pelican was a massive let down for me. I'll try to get through the tin slowly... let it breathe, maybe try it in several different pipes. But I'm not holding out for a miracle - especially considering the number of amazing, immediately gratifying, and readily available mixtures out there.
Give it a shot if you want a mild, character-less smoke.
I've been looking for Pelican for many months... and finally found some. The tin looks really cool. And upon opening, there's a nice, albeit mild, typically English aroma. The presentation is that of a nearly solid-pressed block of fine ribbon cut tobaccos wrapped in waxy paper. Judging by color, the blend looks promising - with a fair amount of latakia mixed in with yellow, olive and orange leaf. My tin was fairly moist, but not overly so.
It packed well and lit fairly easily... up until this point, everything was fine.
I have to say, this mild to the point of being bland. The latakia occasionally rears it's smoky head, but the Orientals don't sing and dance. In fact, they barely have a pulse in this mixture. The virginias weren't particularly sweet, or citrus-y, or anything else for that matter. It says in the description above that there is a top dressing on this. Given the humidity of the tobacco, I might believe it. However, I tasted nothing of the sort. In fact, this blend reminded me somehow of cigarettes. The smell left on my clothing, in my beard, on my fingers... nothing like the rich smells of fine pipe weed I'm used to. All in all. This was a dud from match to dottle.
Lastly, I've read the complaints about the Danish production... and it's deficiencies in the flavor department. I'd have to say I agree. Continental blenders seem to somehow miss the mark with English blends (Black Mallory - made by Kohlhase and Kopp in Germany - being another disappointment in this style tobacco). HOWEVER, both of my tins have a label on the bottom saying "Made in Jersey, British Isles." After checking some forums, it would appear that JF Germain has taken back over production. However, maybe the recipe is still Danish? I don't know.
All I know is that Pelican was a massive let down for me. I'll try to get through the tin slowly... let it breathe, maybe try it in several different pipes. But I'm not holding out for a miracle - especially considering the number of amazing, immediately gratifying, and readily available mixtures out there.
Give it a shot if you want a mild, character-less smoke.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 03, 2005 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Avery unusual experience for me -A Butera tabac I did not like.This has almost no flavor whatsoever.It is mild to the point of boring, and I find no English qualities about it.It has a vanilla casing and latakia and that is about all you will taste. Take a pass.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 25, 2001 | Strong | None Detected | Overwhelming | Strong |
A really delicious tobacco. It's extremely dark and rich, with a luscious flavor that glides over the tongue like Bailey's
Irish Creme. It's smooth and easy-burning, and like its namesake bird it is very graceful for its sheer volume. Smoking a bowl of Pelican is
much like having a nice meal of Jerk Chicken - very filling and nicely unique. The only Achilles' Heel it has is a certain sameness - after
I'd finished 3/4 of the tin it was getting old, and it wasn't fun to come back to over and over again. I couldn't begin to guess why I can
always smoke Dunhill Standard or Three Nuns, but this didn't have that universal enjoyability... again, like Jerk Chicken, it was really good
but not something you'd want to eat every meal. Highly recommended as a change-of-pace tobacco!
Irish Creme. It's smooth and easy-burning, and like its namesake bird it is very graceful for its sheer volume. Smoking a bowl of Pelican is
much like having a nice meal of Jerk Chicken - very filling and nicely unique. The only Achilles' Heel it has is a certain sameness - after
I'd finished 3/4 of the tin it was getting old, and it wasn't fun to come back to over and over again. I couldn't begin to guess why I can
always smoke Dunhill Standard or Three Nuns, but this didn't have that universal enjoyability... again, like Jerk Chicken, it was really good
but not something you'd want to eat every meal. Highly recommended as a change-of-pace tobacco!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 27, 2008 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Well this just goes to show how different taste can be. Or maybe I got a bad tin.
Several have commented about a subtle Orange flavor. Several others have said this was bland and tasteless.
I had neither experience. For me the tin note, flavor, and aroma were all full bodied and very woodsy. What I did not like was an occassional taste and smell that I can only compare to the armpits of the average New York City taxi driver. Not my thing.
Several have commented about a subtle Orange flavor. Several others have said this was bland and tasteless.
I had neither experience. For me the tin note, flavor, and aroma were all full bodied and very woodsy. What I did not like was an occassional taste and smell that I can only compare to the armpits of the average New York City taxi driver. Not my thing.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 23, 2005 | Mild | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
This is the second Butera blend I have tried that had almost no taste at all (the other being Kingfisher). This is so mild its just boring. Other than a subtle vanilla'ish aroma and a very, very weak hint of latakia flavor, it's similar to puffing air. Very dissapointing. 🙁
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 19, 2005 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
You don?t need to see the ?Made in Denmark? sticker on the back of the tin to know that this is a Danish creation. The tin aroma has the same distinctive undertone that I find as characteristic of Danish blends as the Worcestershire/ketchup smell is of McClelland blends.
Pelican is an enjoyable blend. A nice-looking, and very dark, blend in the tin, and quite dry. Very tasty and enjoyable, but not really anything remarkable, and in the end it doesn?t make for a particularly memorable smoking experience. The more I smoked of this, in fact, the less impressed I was. Unfortunately for Pelican, I was smoking this tin at the same time as I was working my way through tins of Abingdon and Raven?s Wing by Pease and some bulk Proper English by Stokkebye, the blender of Butera?s Pelican. The Pease blends left Pelican in their dust, taste-wise, and the only significant difference between Pelican and the bulk Stokkebye was the presence of some nice orientals in the Pelican.
I had intended to give this a ?Might Try Again? rating but, to be honest, I doubt I ever will try it again. If I want to smoke a Stokkebye mixture I?ll stick to their bulk English Luxury or English Oriental Supreme?just as nice in flavor at a much lower price.
Pelican is an enjoyable blend. A nice-looking, and very dark, blend in the tin, and quite dry. Very tasty and enjoyable, but not really anything remarkable, and in the end it doesn?t make for a particularly memorable smoking experience. The more I smoked of this, in fact, the less impressed I was. Unfortunately for Pelican, I was smoking this tin at the same time as I was working my way through tins of Abingdon and Raven?s Wing by Pease and some bulk Proper English by Stokkebye, the blender of Butera?s Pelican. The Pease blends left Pelican in their dust, taste-wise, and the only significant difference between Pelican and the bulk Stokkebye was the presence of some nice orientals in the Pelican.
I had intended to give this a ?Might Try Again? rating but, to be honest, I doubt I ever will try it again. If I want to smoke a Stokkebye mixture I?ll stick to their bulk English Luxury or English Oriental Supreme?just as nice in flavor at a much lower price.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 18, 2005 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Tin Opening-Mottled brown black with a mild English scent. A very light English scent. The Latakia is faint.
Packing-Packed well in all the pipes I tried it in
Lighting-Two matches and a tamp
First Impression-This blend starts well with a mellow English aroma lifted from the bowl. It burns cool and light, without impacting my senses.
Mid Bowl-By mid bowl, this really hasn?t developed into anything I would describe as complex. The Orientals dominate the taste and they are good, just not exceptional. The Latakia remain subdued in the background.
Finish-Develops a slightly stronger flavor towards the end though it doesn?t come to life per say.
Over all-I was excited to try this blend because of all the good things I had heard about it. After 4 bowls, I can say my initial disappointment has remained. It?s a blend of quality tobaccos, but they never develop into anything beyond pleasant but singular. One other note, most of my tins will keep their tobaccos moist through my duration of smoking them. This one went dry within two weeks even though it was stored the same way as the others. This is an OK smoke if I were trapped on an island with nothing but, but I won?t buy it again.
Packing-Packed well in all the pipes I tried it in
Lighting-Two matches and a tamp
First Impression-This blend starts well with a mellow English aroma lifted from the bowl. It burns cool and light, without impacting my senses.
Mid Bowl-By mid bowl, this really hasn?t developed into anything I would describe as complex. The Orientals dominate the taste and they are good, just not exceptional. The Latakia remain subdued in the background.
Finish-Develops a slightly stronger flavor towards the end though it doesn?t come to life per say.
Over all-I was excited to try this blend because of all the good things I had heard about it. After 4 bowls, I can say my initial disappointment has remained. It?s a blend of quality tobaccos, but they never develop into anything beyond pleasant but singular. One other note, most of my tins will keep their tobaccos moist through my duration of smoking them. This one went dry within two weeks even though it was stored the same way as the others. This is an OK smoke if I were trapped on an island with nothing but, but I won?t buy it again.
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