Butera Latakia No.2

This is a much more laid back tobacco than the #1 version because unsweetened black Cavendish has been added to lighten up the taste while providing fullness and the throttle has been eased back a little on the Orientals. The Cavendish also sweetens--naturally--the mixture. If you are a latakia lover who wants a more delicate taste than Butera's Latakia #1, then you'll find it here.

A great all day smoke.No bite & it burns like all quality tobac does. The Latakia is plentiful mingled in with the Virginias giving it a nice smooooooooth taste.The cut is ribbon for easy loading and no drying needed. No nicotine overload here but lots of flavor to carry you through to the next bowl. Now go smoke a bowl!!

A very nice English Tobacco. Opening the tin reveals a blend that is very much on the darker side with a relatively high moisture content. The aroma from the tin was pleasant for me as a smoker, smokey with a hint of being sweet. The relatively finer cut made for easy packing and there was no problem with lighting it which was a bit of a surprise given the higher moisture content it seems to have, at least to the touch.

The smoke itself was flavorful though not overly strongly so. The taste was in line the tin aroma, smokey and slightly sweet with a hint of nuttiness backing up the full tobacco flavor. Again given the full flavor and relative thickness of the smoke, I found it surprisingly mild on the tongue and mouth. The room note was as you would expect for an English, fine for me as a smoker but probably not appreciated as often by non-smokers.

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Bottom Line - A very nice high quality English Blend, nice flavor and relatively thick smoke but not harsh at all, smokey/slightly sweet taste. Highly recommended as a mild mannered English but a bit on the expensive side for an all day smoke.

14 Sept 08 I have to update my review a bit, as I have tried several more English blends since this review. I do still like it quite a lot, but I think my tastes have shifted more toward the less sweet/more latakia heavy RVL#1. My recent purchases of this tobacco have been newer tins, marked 2007, and I can tell they're not nearly as good as the more aged 2005 tins I'd previously bought. I've mixed it with some RVL#1 at 50/50 proportions, and I like that quite a lot. I recommend trying this and the RVL#1, and try mixing them if you want something in between.

22 Feb 08 This is my first review on this site, and I hope I can add something useful here. I've only been smoking in earnest for about 10 months, but this is the tobacco I've smoked most, and I seem to like it best. I only have 2 pipes, and I certainly am no expert, so please bear that in mind. 🙂

I have tried the Latakia No. 1 as well, and I have to agree in general with PipeStud's characterization of this as a more delicate taste than No. 1; it seems to have more sweetness and a bit less Latakia.

I love the smell of this tobacco out of the tin. It reminds me of a smokey campfire, or perhaps barbeque. Seems to be a good moisture level upon first opening, perhaps a bit on the moist side. All the tins I've bought thus far have been stamped "302005". My understanding (not sure) is that 30 represents the blend, and 2005 is the year.

It has a mild to medium sweet flavor and a decent bit of Cyprian Latakia, and I have definitely grown to notice and enjoy the mild nutty flavor. This is a very smooth tasting smoke, to me.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed.

Probably smoothest, best-balanced English I've tasted. It closely resembles Pelican, also from Butera, in that it gives special prominence to Orientals. But it has a bit more latakia and is bit earthier in taste. It's just exquisite blending, with some of the depth you normally associate with flakes in a ribbon cut. I still like Margate better but this is just superb stuff. Packs good nicotine, I might add, and you can't make it bite.

A lot of good things have already been said about this blend, but I'll too sing its praises. Yes, this is a McClelland based product, but with Mr. Butera's own particular brand of inspiration and polish. It's not as sweet and ketchupy as McC's, and it has all the elements in perfect balance, each introducing itself to you as you work down the bowl. Latakia provides the right amount of condimental spice, while the virginias gird it with a sweet, satisfying base. The turks add just the right hint of elegance and toasty enjoyment. When you take the fastidiousness of a master blender and partner him with a company that produces some of the world's finest blends, you get a tobacco match made in heaven. Very few things in tobacco or in life are perfect, but Butera Latakia No. 2 comes pretty darned close. A great blend!

Four and a half of Five stars.

Butera's Royal Vintage Latakia No. 2 happens to be my every day favourite smoke--like the steadfastness of a quiet wife and the excitement of a wild mistress all rolled into one. It is amazing--simply a brilliant weed worthy of a supreme hobbit's affection (one weed to rule them all). The balance here is truly a masterpiece. The tin calls this gem both "rich" and "soft" and that does not really make sense yet it is true. The amount of Latakia is just right and I can only think that the toasted Carolina in combination with it (and the other additions) is what makes this tobacco so bloody special. The smoking of this ribbon weed (nutty, creamy, smoky, and smooth) truly is both "original" and "distinctive". I highly recommend this, but leave enough for me because I do not know what I would do without it in my normal smoking routine.

This one tastes as if it were a first cousin or even sister to Ashton's Celebrated Sovereign. The diference between the two is that this blend is a little more restrained and therefore can be an all-day smoke. It is a little moist upon first opening the tin, so I leave it open for about ten to fiteen minutes before packing my pipe.It lights easily and smokes without a fuss, maybe one swipe through with a pipe-cleaner for excess moisture, but apart from that it has joined my daily rotation. I love the way this matures as you smoke to the bottom of the bowl with a earthy smokiness that you wish did not have to end. I recommend highly!!!

Nutty, sweet, and smoky, with a light citrusy underpinning to brighten it up, and quite a bit of spice dancing around in your mouth from the orientals. Just what you'd expect from the description. It's the same general strength as Dunhill Std Mixture Medium, only more complex, and doesn't have that pungent bitterness from the orientals like Std Mixture Medium. A very nice daily smoke.