Butera Latakia No.2
(3.30)
A full English mixture of Cyprian Latakia, Turkish, Orientals, Red and Orange Matured Virginias. A touch of Toasted Carolina is used to enrich the smooth, nutty flavor. Blended into Ribbon Form.
Details
| Brand | Butera |
| Series | Royal Vintage |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50g Tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.30 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 22, 2016 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Do you like McC's Frog Morton ? Then you'll like this blend. It's been about 5 years since I last smoked FM, but I distantly remember a slight vanilla top note and RVL#2 also has it. The restrained use of Latakia, smoothness and flavor make both blends very comparable. Now , do I like this blend ? Once in awhile, as a change of pace, it's ok, but not as a steady diet . It's a little too mild, low in N and I'm really not into the Latakia/Vanilla combo. I won't buy again but I'm sure others will find this a very acceptable blend.
Pipe Used:
cob and maple
Age When Smoked:
tin open 1 month/ 9month vintage
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 09, 2005 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Similar to "American" Ashton english blends, you can clearly taste McClelland's hand into this. It isn't an english mixture in the classic sense, more of a modern evolution of the gender. I like the Germain's productions for Butera better.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 12, 2004 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
After a surprise experience with a sample of a McClelland bulk English, and subsequent positive experiences with the Ashton English blends, I was looking forward to great things with this tobacco. Unfortunately, it didn?t seem to pan out that way. (I?m sure the majority of readers already know this, but just in case ? McClelland makes most Ashton Blends, and the Royal Vintage Butera Tobaccos among others) Latakia #2 is not a poor blend by any means, but I just didn?t get the same range of flavors that I did with the sample blend. (Wish I new which one!) I have an awful lot of McClelland produced English blends in the cellar, so I?m sure I'll get to one that blows my mind soon enough!
Aroma: Probably the best tin aroma for an English that I have experienced. Smoky sweet, and almost has the smell of an old tudor mansion. (Figure that one out.)
Visual: 80% Black and Dark Chocolate, with the lightest tobacco only reaching the caramel color spectrum. Short/wide ribbon cut, and ?thick? looking pieces.
Texture: Soft and maybe a bit on the moist side, which doesn?t bother me a bit. Interestingly enough, I pour all of my tobacco onto a piece of clean white paper before packing each pipe, and this left a seriously dirty mess when I would pour the excess back into the tin. ?!
Pack/Pipe: A little more difficult to get the proper pack than I would have expected from such a manageable cut. I would recommend packing with a bit firmer hand than usual. (I am a flake smoker, so this could have something to do with me tending to pack lightly).
Light: One match to char, one to send it on its way. Usually required two-three relights to finish off, which is a lot by my standards.
1st 3rd: Fantastic smoky flavor with not nearly as much sweetness as some of the McClelland English blends I?ve smoked. (ie: Ashton Old Dog). It has a taste that stays on the tongue. Kind of like lemonade. (The way it stays on the tongue, not the flavor!)
2nd 3rd: Actually gets a little less flavorful here, which is not my experience with most other tobaccos. Not bad, just a bit muted. (Could have something to do with the ?tongue? effect stated above). Often needed the first additional match here.
Final 3rd: Usually lost even more flavor here, and if I didn?t keep the ember rolling, lost a lot more. Very seldom smoked entirely to ash and bits, usually had a small amount of dry but not charred tobacco remaining.
Notes: Having the tin open for a while didn?t seem to affect this blend too much. A very consistent smoke.
Stogie Rating of: 5 Fair Fonsecas
Aroma: Probably the best tin aroma for an English that I have experienced. Smoky sweet, and almost has the smell of an old tudor mansion. (Figure that one out.)
Visual: 80% Black and Dark Chocolate, with the lightest tobacco only reaching the caramel color spectrum. Short/wide ribbon cut, and ?thick? looking pieces.
Texture: Soft and maybe a bit on the moist side, which doesn?t bother me a bit. Interestingly enough, I pour all of my tobacco onto a piece of clean white paper before packing each pipe, and this left a seriously dirty mess when I would pour the excess back into the tin. ?!
Pack/Pipe: A little more difficult to get the proper pack than I would have expected from such a manageable cut. I would recommend packing with a bit firmer hand than usual. (I am a flake smoker, so this could have something to do with me tending to pack lightly).
Light: One match to char, one to send it on its way. Usually required two-three relights to finish off, which is a lot by my standards.
1st 3rd: Fantastic smoky flavor with not nearly as much sweetness as some of the McClelland English blends I?ve smoked. (ie: Ashton Old Dog). It has a taste that stays on the tongue. Kind of like lemonade. (The way it stays on the tongue, not the flavor!)
2nd 3rd: Actually gets a little less flavorful here, which is not my experience with most other tobaccos. Not bad, just a bit muted. (Could have something to do with the ?tongue? effect stated above). Often needed the first additional match here.
Final 3rd: Usually lost even more flavor here, and if I didn?t keep the ember rolling, lost a lot more. Very seldom smoked entirely to ash and bits, usually had a small amount of dry but not charred tobacco remaining.
Notes: Having the tin open for a while didn?t seem to affect this blend too much. A very consistent smoke.
Stogie Rating of: 5 Fair Fonsecas
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 10, 2008 | Extremely Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Very Pleasant |
My experiences seem a bit at odds with some of the other reviewers here. . .
I'm smoking a 2005 tin, opened in fall 2007. I have been impressed by the quality of the leaf and the blending. I also must say that this has a fantastic, latakia-rich aroma that I find absolutely delightful.
Where this disappoints is in terms of flavor. In short, there is none. I was shocked that a blend that could smell so wonderful could have so little impact on the tongue. . . almost like an aromatic that you endure just so other folks are happy. (Not that a latakia-rich aroma is going to make others all that happy. . . but you get the idea.)
I was so disappointed in the lack of flavor that I thought I might actually toss the remainder of my tin after three bowls. But I've never done that with a blend that was so well-made and that smelled so rich. So I continued. . . and I did find that the flavor improved slightly if you could dedicate a pipe to it. As another reviewer here has noted, this feels very much like a relative of Frog Morton; it just lacks the distinctive qualities that make the Frogs so interesting. More second cousin than sibling.
I would highly recommend this blend for new-to-English smokers or those who plan on smoking it all day. But if enjoying a pipe is something you do only once or twice a day, as is my situation, then I think you'll want something that can deliver more flavor along with the entrancing aroma.
Bob
I'm smoking a 2005 tin, opened in fall 2007. I have been impressed by the quality of the leaf and the blending. I also must say that this has a fantastic, latakia-rich aroma that I find absolutely delightful.
Where this disappoints is in terms of flavor. In short, there is none. I was shocked that a blend that could smell so wonderful could have so little impact on the tongue. . . almost like an aromatic that you endure just so other folks are happy. (Not that a latakia-rich aroma is going to make others all that happy. . . but you get the idea.)
I was so disappointed in the lack of flavor that I thought I might actually toss the remainder of my tin after three bowls. But I've never done that with a blend that was so well-made and that smelled so rich. So I continued. . . and I did find that the flavor improved slightly if you could dedicate a pipe to it. As another reviewer here has noted, this feels very much like a relative of Frog Morton; it just lacks the distinctive qualities that make the Frogs so interesting. More second cousin than sibling.
I would highly recommend this blend for new-to-English smokers or those who plan on smoking it all day. But if enjoying a pipe is something you do only once or twice a day, as is my situation, then I think you'll want something that can deliver more flavor along with the entrancing aroma.
Bob
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