State Express London Mixture

Blast from the Past #1 - I found two tins of this online at surprisingly low prices, since it hasn't been available for quite some time. I smoked a few tins of this back in the '80's but much preferred the State Express Roundels, an Escudo-type VaPer. Wish I could find that one! This one looked and smelled like a prototypical English mixture with latakia in the lead (aroma-wise). Nicely presented ribbon with a whole tobacco leaf (I'm told it is Xanthi) on top. I guess this is where McClellands got the idea of putting a leaf on top their Smyrna blend.

Taking memory for what it's worth, age has not been all that kind to this blend. The latakia has softened to the point where it is but a whisper and the orientals turned a bit too sour. Still, it has an interesting flavor with the Virginias playing the lead role and the orientals close by. The sour flavor was enticing but a little over the top - just a little. I think this sourness mingled nicely with the sweetness of the Virginias, however; I just wish it were a little toned down and the latakia were more prominent. Overall, I preferred my memory of this but it's still enjoyable to take a walk down memory lane. Worth a shot if you can find a tin at a reasonable price. I haven't seen State Express pipe tobacco fresh on the shelves in a long time but I believe they still make cigarettes - rather strong ones, as I recall. Three stars... interesting but not terribly compelling in light of what's available today.