Tobaccos Missouri Meerschaum - Country Gentleman

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2014-10-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The red Virginia provides tangy dark fruit, a little earth and wood as a the lead component. The bright Virginia offers just a little tart citrus and grass as a supporting player. The mildly spicy, plumy, raisiny perique is a condiment. There's a dash of dark fired Kentucky that possesses a little spice, wood, earth, smoke, dryness, nuts, and a floral note. An extremely light sweet topping doesn't tone down the tobaccos much at all. The strength is in the center of mild to medium, while the taste is medium. The nic-hit is a step short of the strength level. Won't bite or get harsh. Needs a little hydration to bring out the red Virginia. Burns clean and cool at a slightly quick rate with a mostly consistent, mildly sweet, lightly savory and spicy flavor that translates to the short lived, pleasant after taste. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires few relights. The room note isn't much stronger than the overall taste. More of two and a half star entry level VaPer because it lacks depth and body, but it gets three for those who are starting out or are looking for a milder VaPer.

-JimInks

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2014-05-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've been smoking the new Country Gentleman and Missouri Pride tobaccos almost continuously, and to the exclusion of everything else, since they arrived in the mail a couple days ago. I need a little more time getting to know Missouri Pride before I post a review, but Country Gentleman I think I've got a pretty good grasp on.

Smells great in the pouch. There might be a light topping on it. I can't taste it but I can smell that sweet fragrance that you smell when you walk into a tobacco shop that has bulk aromatics in glass jars. Just a whiff.

Unlike most pouch tobacco, it's not necessary to dry Country Gentleman before packing your pipe. It's already at perfect smoking consistency. The coarse cut makes for easy packing, lighting, and smoking.

I get a little bit of bitterness and astringency on first light. I don't know how else to describe it. It reminds me of the tannic flavor of a tea that's been brewed too long. It subsides as the Virginia picks up strength and sweetness. That interplay, or transition, from bitter to sweet is one of the interesting things about this smoke.

Country Gentleman reminds me a lot of McConnell Scottish Cake, but with less Virginia sweetness, more Kentucky tang, and maybe slightly less Perique. The Perique is definitely subdued here, more of a condiment than a main ingredient. I don't get the tingly sensation on my tongue that I get with stronger Perique blends. There's plenty to like about this tobacco even if you're not a Perique Freak. I'm not (usually) an all-day smoker, but if I was, I think Country Gentleman could easily be an all-day smoke for me.

Good, tasty, easy-smoking tobacco that also happens to be a good value. $4.95 for a 1.5 oz. pouch seems real reasonable to me.

Pipe Used: cobs of course

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Robert McConnell - Scottish Cake.

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cobman (15)	2014-06-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I am a big fan of VaPers. I love the combination of good Virginias with just the right amount of Perique, so I was really looking forward to trying this blend. My normal maintenance smoke is GH Louisiana Flake, so I was curious to see how this compared. The initial aroma from the pouch was just good, clean Virginia, maybe more than one kind. I did catch just a tiny whiff of Perique, sort of like a promise of things to come. It looked just like ready-rubbed flake. It packed very nicely and lit easily. The first puff had the expected slight catsup-like aroma common to these blends, but it quickly settled down to an outstanding medium-bodied Virginia flavor, clean and slightly sweet, with just the right amount of Perique spice to keep it interesting. It smoked cool, with no-bite at all, not even the threat. My wife (who does not smoke) informed me that the room note was nondescript, just a nice clean smell, and not unpleasant. Louisiana Flake is a bit strong (to my mind), and I can't really smoke two full-sized bowls of it back to back without getting a little loopy, but Country Gentleman, while not by any means mild, is a blend I could (and probably will) smoke all-day. It burned evenly with no re-lights needed, and the taste never changed, all the way to the bottom. The short 15-minute smoke definitely left me wanting more. I think I have a new favorite.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Mini

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Gawith Hoggarth Louisiana Flake.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-03-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Brown and chunky coarse cut that came nice and dry and smelled of figgy perique and of a nice clean Virginia. Some darker notes as well, probably from the Kentucky.

A nicely balanced blend with the Virginia at the forefront and the perique and Kentucky sharing second billing. I got the impression that there wasn't much perique here but the merger of it with the Kentucky gave this a nice spicy hit that was more than the sum of its parts. This was nowhere near as powerful as my reference VaPer, Telegraph Hill, and yet it fills a niche in my rotation. Comparisons to GLP's Stratford were inevitable for me and while the Stratford is more of a true Vaper, the Kentucky jolt in this one won me over, all the while this being somewhat lighter in flavor than Stratford. I also noticed to my chagrin that relights with this one were mildly troublesome, with an ashy bitterness coming to the fore. But it dissipated quickly, and luckily this one did not need many relights. It looks like a cheap blend, and indeed it is inexpensive but it would not be embarrassed by the best out there. I love it when these OTC-type blends shine this brightly, and Russ' Anglers Dream is another. Really well done. I'll probably not smoke a lot of this but I'll always have some around. I give this 3.5 stars but rounded to 4 because if you consider this an OTC because it comes in a pouch, prepare to be wowed beyond belief.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2015-03-17		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

The Perique element added some interest in this solid blend. Not really full of flavor overall, but the Burley gave it a little more punch than what you would normally expect from a blend of this type. Similar in some respects to the old HOW blend, Country Doctor.

Pipestud

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2015-01-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pouch note is very light, with a pleasant, plummy, dried fruit aroma barely detectable over the smell of the plastic pouch. Moisture content is perfect: ready to smoke immediately with no drying time needed. The charring light, however, is of sharp contrast, bringing a pungent, Perique-forward flavor, framed in earthy Kentucky, with the sweeter Virginias further in the background. This blend immediately reminds me of McConnell's Scottish Cake, though with a ribbon cut.  As the first third of the bowl progresses, the Perique balances out with the Virginia and Kentucky to create a very smooth and mild smoke.  I find this blend to smoke mellower in a cob, and more assertively in briar. 

By mid bowl, there's a bit more tang.  No bite whatsoever, but a bit more intensity to the smoke and a more hot and sharp flavor profile.  When sipped slowly, one can extract a bit of sweetness from the Virginias. But generally, this is a smooth, rich, leathery and lightly earthy blend, with a hint of plum always in the background - easy to pack, easy to light, smoking dry and cool.  The finish is of damp wood and pine needles, burning to a dry, gray ash. 

Country Gentleman is an excellent introduction to VaPer blends; a fine, dry-smoking blend for those who prefer a lighter, smoother VaPer (or rather, VaBurPer), and an economical alternative for lovers of Scottish Cake. This could easily be an all-day smoke for lovers of this style, and I can see myself reaching for this blend quite often as a daytime VaPer. 

My only (minor) complaint is the packaging, though perhaps I am overly sensitive to the scent-inhibiting effect of thick plastic. The plastic pouch detracts from what might otherwise be a plummy, earthy and woodsy, natural VaBur nose.  The key here is to jar this immediately upon arrival.  Overall, this an excellent blend, and like most of Russ's blends, it's priced well below its class.  A great intro to the style,  or for those who desire a milder VaPer/Kentucky blend. 

Similar Blends: Robert McConnell - Scottish Cake.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2014-06-08		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Alas, unlike the first reviewer I did not detect much Perique or any Kentucky, but nearly all rather bland VAs. Oddly, I also got some tongue burn from this blend, which is unusal for me, esp from VA blends. Overall, despite the burn, this came across as basically innocous, even somewhat generic. Hopefully others will find it more rewarding.

Pipe Used: cobs only

Purchased From: pipes & cigars

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-03-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A nice spicy VaPer with just the right amount of Kentucky. The Kentucky doesn't impose on the VaPer, just supplements it with another layer of flavor and depth. Nicely done.

Mild to medium in body and flavor. May need a couple of extra matches to get it going. Ok after that.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, MM Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobacco (52)	2014-09-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Can I just say yum? Guess not. Nice thick, easy to use plastic bag. Bag note: raisin bread. Moisture level: perfect ready to smoke! Relight very easy and wonderful sweet flavor ... raisin toast? Suspicious there might be a cinnamon/vanilla light topping? Nice quality tobacco with excellent pipe manners. Perique is more of a sweet black pepper than a hot green mustardy feel, very tasty! Stronger than mild; a weak medium. Pack a bit on the firm side or tamp for flavor. Can be smoked hard; flavor and temp stay good. Flavor is great to the bottom of the bowl. Leaves the pipe clean and dry; practically no dottle. This is a brilliant marketing move by Missouri Meerschaum. I hope to find this wonderful stuff for sale at Wallgreens along with the pipes - look out Captain Black! PS Order from smokingpipes.com and you can get 1/2 ounce samples of Cornell & Diehl for free (try Pirate Kake). Happy smoking. Hope this review is helpful.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman COB

Age When Smoked: New product

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2019-06-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Missouri Meerschaum - Country Gentleman.

Anyone who bothers to read my reviews will have noted if posting on a Friday I normally smoke my Altinok Lee Van Cleef replica. But, not wanting to sound moronic, CONSTANTLY recapitulating the same thing, I mixed things up today; went with a morta!

In the pouch it appears finer than a mixture, or the blend pictured here. Well, that's my blend's appearance, I note other esteemed reviewers have a blend congruent with the description. Mine's mostly medium and light browns, with just a few darker pieces. The moisture's exactly as I like for imminent smoking, albeit, a touch dry for long-term storage.

The smoke? Nice, simple but nice. The Virginia occupies first place, with a notable support from the others. Although it states Kentucky, I get more of a straight Burley flavour than a fiery, cured, Kentucky one. The Perique lifts the flavour, with a touch of piquancy; a touch, not a smash of spice. A bowl burns nice and perspicuously, giving a medium temperature, bite-free, smoke.

Nicotine: maybe above medium. Room-note: not TOO bad!

Country Gentleman? To me it inculcates three stars:

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Morta

Age When Smoked: 12/05/18

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Hun (38)	2014-12-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another of Russ Ouellette's VaPer blends, of which he is a master for my money. This blend strikes a balance between other of Russ' VaPers (ex. Louisiana Red) and C&D VaPers (ex. Bayou Morning). I guess it's the addition of the Kentucky to Country Gentleman that hits this mark.

The tobacco burns cool and dry. It delivers the sweetness of the virginias and the spice of the perique. Although I recommend it I still like other Ouellette blends better. This is really a two and a half star mix for me.

Pipe Used: various briars, cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh from pouch

Purchased From: pipesandcigars

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RJ Beattie Jr (4)	2014-10-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Another hit from MM, love it, just enough perique, I want some daily. Good clean smoke, but I like unflavored like this.this is just simple everyday smoke, just like what I look for in tobacco

Pipe Used: MM General, MM hardwood

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipes and cigars. com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2014-07-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Country Gentleman is an excellent Virginia/Perique blend with a touch of Kentucky. It is a mild mixture, but very flavorful. The perique is added with a deft hand. Lovely to puff on and very cool. Russ has another winner on his hands. This is an excellent mixture for a pouch tobacco, but I would be even happier if it were available in bulk. You can taste the quality tobaccos used and the lovely taste it leaves on the tongue. A real pleasure to smoke. I also mix this with Missouri Pride from the same blender(60%MP to 40%CG).

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rattdogg99 (53)	2019-07-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I tried this one on the basis of the reviews and a bit of a whim to try something new. I'm very glad I did. I really like country gentleman. Naturally sweet with no rough edges and the flavor remains consistent throughout the bowl. It may have a tiny bit of topping but if so its not enough for me to pick up on it. One reviewer commented it reminded him of the HOW blend Country Doctor. I agree CG does bare some resemblance to it but lacks the fruit essence I recall in Country Doctor which is not necessarily a bad thing. Just a all around good smoke at a very good price. I will buy again.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brumby (3)	2018-12-30		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my first review and I am fairly new to pipe smoking, this was also my first VaPer. I'm no tobacco connoisseur but I've had the whole pouch, so I guess I can say something about this blend. The pouch note reminds me of the cheap tobacco that is sold in Brazil in yellow bags in country shops, that good Va smell. Going a bit deeper it smelled like a country pub where old men sit the whole day playing cards, in a good way, probably the Perique. It came nice and dry, ready to be burnt. Lighted easily and kept alight for a while, normally one or two relights necessary. I found it a rather pleasant smoke, simple and honest. I couldn't really pick the Perique due to my lack of experience. It was almost like smoking a good and long cigarette, in a good way. I would call it an all-dayer, but a bit bland.

I don't regret buying it but probably won't buy again.

Pipe Used: Mandatory MM Legend

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: MM Website

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mosessupposes (11)	2017-11-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Not much to say that hasn't been said. This is a very good blend free of aromatic flavorings and totally bite free. Recommended strongly. Don't let the low price or pouch packaging prevent you from trying this.

Pipe Used: Cob and Peterson

Age When Smoked: Just purchased

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J. Ward (70)	2017-08-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

*Edited 7/24/18 Country Gentleman is another tasty VaPer from Russ Oulette. The red virginias are slightly sweet and tangy, and a little earthy; and there's light, citrus grass from the bright virginias. The perique is lightly applied and contributes with notes of raisin and a bit of pepper. The kentucky lends some body, wood and spice. It comes in a non-sealed pouch, and that creates the one downside for this blend: it comes a little dry. Rehydrate this baccy and you'll have a very decent all day smoke on your hands, though I'd strongly recommend puffing this blend at a moderate pace. It burns a little fast and it can get considerably warm. Recommended.

Pipe Used: MM Cobs

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2016-07-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I was given a pretty good sample of this from a friend who attended the Chicago show three years ago. I Smoked a few bowls of it right away and then jarred up the rest and just recently got back to it to finish the sample.

When I originally tried the blend I had two thoughts. One, this tastes like a cornell & Diehl blend. Two, I could have swore they said this is a VaPer, but it sure tastes like a VaBur to me.

I now see I was wrong on the first thought as it was made by Russ Oulette, but I will stand by my second thought as I see it does have some Burley in it and, for the life of me, I have had a hard time tasting Perique in this one. It must be very lightly applied or just muddled in with the taste of the Kentucky.

Overall it is an enjoyable smoke. Not very complex and I am sure that is not its aim. It is Virginia and burley. It is old timey and Amiercan. It is something that would go well in a cob. I would guess these are the things that this blend was intended to do and for that, it serves its purpose.

Pipe Used: I did use a MM Country Gent for a few bowls.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2015-10-05		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am a big fan of Russ O and I tend to like his blends unless they are his extreme aro blends he dabbles in. I also am a huge Missouri Meershaum fan, they are very nice people making a great corn cob and I smoke them a lot. therefore it is natural I would try some of their tobacco blends.

This blend is a mix of American fire cured leaf with some dark fired and perique tobacco. It if a rough cut blens composed of colors of brown ranging from light to dark in color. The pouch note is sweet, pungent, peat like, and while smelling of Virginia it also has a tangy sweet ness that makes me think it has some type of flavoring in the background. It is very close to the moisture content to smoke it right out of the pouch, but a few hours drying make it more to my taste. It packs well and takes a couple of lights to get fully burning and one lit stays lit well. It burns well creating a deep grey ash with lighter edges on the top. The room note while smoking it is pleasurable to me, might just be tolerable to some but this is typical of perique blends. It is medium to full in strength and is a little more bold than blends like Escudo and it is a little more raw in character. This is typical of blends by C and D who make this blend and with some age on it I am sure this will improve. I has a great sweet flavor upon lighting with the spicy perique in the background and the flue cured leaf giving it boldness and the Virginia imparting it's sweetness on the tongue. It is very good until it goes past the halfway point in the bowl, as then it picks up in strength and continues to get stronger towards the bottom of the bowl and once reaching the bottom it is quite strong reaching the point that it no longer is pleasurable. I find I rather dump the remainder before burning it all the way to the bottom as it is rather harsh at that point.

This is a good blend, not in the league of very fine vapers but then again it is not in that price range and it does smoke well in a cob. I would recommend trying it and am putting some aside to age and will return to it in the future to see how it matures.

Pipe Used: briar

Age When Smoked: 2 weeks after recieving my order

Purchased From: pipesandcigar.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TN Cowboy (5)	2015-08-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one has grown on me. I'm not sure if it's the 9+ months in a mason jar or that my taste buds have changed, but I think I can finally appreciate this blend. When I first received it, it was very dry--perfect smoking moisture. I hydrated it slightly using the bowl and damp paper towel technique before cellaring it. Everyone (including me) keeps calling this a "clean" tasting blend, and another reviewer likened it to a very tea-like tannic taste that is not at all unpleasant. For a VaPer, it's on the very dry edge of sweetness and, as others have mentioned, the perique and Kentucky are very restrained. I went on somewhat of a VaPer binge today, smoking this, Viprati and Black Parrot, and this was a welcome relief from those very sweet blends. I think I may try mixing Viprati and CG 50/50 and end up with the perfect VaPer. :)

Pipe Used: cob, meer

Age When Smoked: 9 months

Purchased From: P&C of course

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	chgo.piper (37)	2014-09-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Damn fine vir/per... Comes ready to smoke out of the pouch ( no drying time). Just be sure to transfer it to a mason jar asap to keep from drying out any further/freshness.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum and MM Mark Twain Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: pipesandcigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darwin7848 (1)	2014-06-25		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This may be the ultimate codger blend, and that's not a backhanded compliment. No muss, no fuss, slap it in a cob and go. Clean burning, mild tasting, biteless, all day VA good 'un with just a tinge of St. James spice. A Legend bowl full is just about right for a work smoke break. If this pouched product could be considered a "drugstore" blend then it's head & shoulders above that funky bitey bunch. Mr. Russ done good.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: P&C

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wintermute (90)	2020-03-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

I am typically a Burley fan. I also really enjoy aromatics. I have given lack-luster reviews to such venerable blends as Escudo and Mac Barren's Virginia No. 1. But not so with this one. The smell out of the pouch is that of grass, earth, and a slight raisin note. The cut is a bit finer than I was expecting. My pouch showed up a little dry for my taste, but a few sprinkles of water and some patience cured that. It takes a light really well and, if you use a charring light then light it fully, it does not go out. The taste is that of grass, spice, and earth, in that order. The smoke aroma leans a little more towards earthy, but not too much. At first, the spice really accompanies the grass and earth, but mellows as the bowl continues. The nicotine level seems medium to me. The Burley stays consistent. In all, a balanced blend with some spice. Yes, the bowl does mellow at the end, but only toward the very last of the smoke. The ash is fine, but not as gray as I would prefer. It does jump out of the bowl with a knock. And it does not seem to ghost your pipe. The aroma will not win any compliments. And, to me, this stuff goes better with a beer rather than coffee. I think a pairing with whiskey would drown the taste of the tobacco. I give this five stars because of the quality verses the price. I have purchased many expensive tins that I do not enjoy half as much. This is not my usual genre, but I really like this version of a Virginia/Perique. However, I suspect Va-Per purists may find this to be a fine offering contaminated with Burley.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2020-01-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Country Gentleman was a little surprising. I picked up a pouch of it in my last order stuck a piece of tape on it with the date received and tossed it in the cellar. I opened my cellar again and could smell tobacco which is not good since everything should be well sealed and a pouch has a cellophane outer wrapper so you should not be able to smell anything there either, except this pouch has no outer cellophane all you need to do to get to the tobacco is pull the tape and it opens. Not good, looking closer still MM has stamped their date on it which is 12/05/18! So this is been setting on a shelf for over a year essentially open. Also surprising is the fact that the tobacco is not bone dry, a little on the dry side sure but I was expecting it to simply crumple. The pouch note is very limited at this point, I get a little citrus hay/grass and a straw like note that reminds me a little of a clean barn, some plumb and fig notes from the perique all very mild in the plastic pouch. The taste is VA forward with citrus and grass out front for me and the dark fruits of the Red VA trailing this. The KY has a little smokiness and is slightly woodsy. The perique trails behind with a faint peppery note and a hint of plumb the fig note from the pouch did not translate into the smoke for me. There is a slight topping as the blend is simply too sweet for there not to be, my best guess would be a sugar water or the like that has been added to help sweeten the blend since it could not age in the pouch. These flavors are all mild and do not develop what you get in the first few puffs is all that is there. The overall body and flavor would be at the center of mild to med. The nic hit is at the upper end of mild for me. Somewhat recommended.

Age When Smoked: 13 months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TwelveAMnTX (28)	2015-11-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Missouri Meerschaum - Country Gentleman is a fitting name for a tobacco with Louisiana perique, Kentucky & Virginias. It's a real interesting Va/Per tobacco to me with a lot of flavor components that I like all mixed into one tobacco. I've been trying some Va/Per & Kentucky blends lately, this hits the spot for both, all in one blend.

The aroma in the jar is wonderful, you get a smoky scent from the Kentucky mixed with the figgy perique on top the lovely aroma of the Virginias. It comes out of the pouch ready to smoke, no drying required & burns pretty good after you get it going. I went a little puff happy a couple times & got a mild bite, so now I tend to take it slow, might have a couple relights, but it's a better smoking experience slow. There's a nice tangy sweetness to the Virginias. I seem to get more of the dark fired smokiness than the perique taste in the blend, although you know it's there flavor-wise, it's just not a major player.

This is a really good tobacco at a great price. If you like a light Va/Per & the smokiness of dark fired Kentucky, you owe it to yourself to give this a try.

Pipe Used: MM cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh to a month in the jar

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jevverrett (106)	2015-10-23		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I got this out of curiosity. MM being a solid company, I figured their tobaccos would be good. It's a Russ oulette blend, of which I have tried only a few.

The moisture content is good to go out of the pouch. Odd bc it's not sealed on arrival. I did bump that up a bit eventually, to great effect. Otherwise it smells good in the pouch. Not much out of the perique nose- wise. The cut of the leaf is good. It packs well, and it burns well. Usually one relight is about it, and it increases in flavor a bit in doing so. It's tasty, but not outstanding. The dark fired is there. As are the red vas. The perique is just a dash I think for flavor and not a good kick.

I would and have recommended this to others. The pouch is convenient and it works well that way. It could be an all day smoke if not for a small tongue burn I get if I go nuts on this puffing away. The price point is great too.

Pipe Used: Petersons x105

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Hearth and home Ajs vaper.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rhapsody Baccy (16)	2015-09-10		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

An Anglo-American blend made Yankee by the addition of Burley (nuttiness and butteriness with texture) and Kentucky leaf which gives it a dark but smooth aroma with a base of light or “bright” Virginias that keeps the whole thing nice and mellow. Many in these categories do away with all Oriental leaf while others use it sparingly in the background along with the standard Perique and/or Latakia.

In fact- I think it's time we all bite the bullet and divorce these blends from the "English" catch-all, if anything, as a testament to Gregory Pease, Russ Ouelette, the boys at C&D et al. in really taking a once-corner of the pipe-tobacco world and it to the fore of both acclaim, respectability, and an indelible part of the pipe-tobacco tapestry.

If Missouri Pride is a straight American (VA+Burley) and Patriot an English then Country Gentleman is squarely what I would categorize as an "American-Bayou" blend with its addition of Perique.

Always smooth this tobacco impressed the hell out of me and has quite a following- smokes and tastes like something much more expensive and rare. Blended by one of the rock stars of the Pipe Tobacco world (think Michelle Rolland) Country Gentleman is tailored-made for Perique lovers who still are looking for something balanced and complex.

Is it a Va-Per? Sort of-- except for that Kentucky in there which makes it a very different smoke, from a body and flavor-profile, than the typical VaPer (and so I do not consider it one... ) Can get a little bitter and dark if puffed too enthusiastically and the Perique certainly throws freshly-ground black pepper into the palate. It's a hearty pour-yourself-a-bourbon smoke at home with an Old Fashioned or a straight Rye.

Pipe Used: MM Various

Age When Smoked: New Pouch

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimPM (153)	2021-07-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Whether you are a fervent cob smoker or not, you cannot deny that Missouri Meerschaum (MM) has to a large degree capitalized on the noted pastoral sentimentality. With an impressive line of affordable quality smoking instruments made from the byproduct of agriculture, the basic cob pipe has won the dedication of generations of pipe smoker since the mid 1800’s. The Country Gentleman pipe, one of the company’s leading sellers, stands as a venerable monolith in the market of cob products. So, pairing its namesake with a complimentary blend, you must believe that MM’s effort was prudently undertaken with a specific objective in mind.

Leaning on the blending magic of one of the finest tobaccos cooks of our times, Russ Ouellette, MM tenders for considered enjoyment the pouched Country Gentleman mixture. Bolstering the accolades of the celebrated moniker, this Virginia/Perique recipe is now the subject of this week’s personal reflection.

Keeping in the spirit of humble country simplicity, the commercial packaging of this blend is quite ordinary. Essentially, a plain no-nonsense envelope resembling a common paper grocery sack with graphics that are perfectly unpretentious and to the point. Pulling back the folds and popping the mouth of the pouch open, astonishingly, I was warmly greeted by an enticing mound of cultured tobacco.

Country Gentleman is a classic looking crock of coarse cut and shaggy ribboned prime trimmings. Casting variegated hues of ruddy brown, copper and mottled black the kindhearted fellow presents a generous initial impression. Splendid patches of the flue-cured Red and Bright Virginia form the critical mass of the heap, while earthly Dark Fired Kentucky and a skillfully metered dose of Perique fortify the balance of the space indiscriminately.

Grabbing a hearty wad of the mixture, I was immediately taken back by how singular the texture felt. Namely, the bolus of Virginia is of ideal humidity, yielding yet at the same time dense and hearty, while the other condiments are almost bone dry and grainy to the touch. An interesting sensation to say the least making the blend more heartening to taste.

The nose of the dutiful pouch smacks of a wonderful field of natural sweet grass, the essence found so commonly along the country wayside. There is slight Virginia lemony tartness and an intense spicy aged woodiness that stands proud from the DFK; Marlboro-like if my memory holds true. To fill out the registration properly, the base aroma is delectably topped by a trace of soft raisin/pungent prune-like fruitiness.

As I reached for my faithful CG cob, anticipation of the blend’s character began to dance around in my palate’s mind. Yes, a cob of course, to do anything to the contrary would be sadly misplaced if not unfashionably rude to the welcoming chap. With the charring spark, the initial flavor profile began to float in obligingly; a soft sweetness beautifully spinning into just a succulent robust full-bodied earthy-woody tang, as good if not better than some of the more expensive tinned VaPers that I have smoked.

Keeping with the theme, there is a citrus barn-like hay cast to the underlying Virginia base flavor that squares up brilliantly and evenly with the smoky spice of the DKF as both work together prevailing in the overall taste. The top accent notes of the varietal combination are particularly notable bestowing tones of brown sugar, ginger, and musty dark fruit from the lesser Perique. The matrix of flavor eventually tapers into the registration of black tea braced by the feel of the aftertaste of those cinnamon candies I loved as a child. At least that is how my oral cavity’s memory flexed.

And although the recipe does not cite any alcohol additives, I could not help but register a couple of distinct nuisances here and there that had me wondering. Like Russ’s Anniversary Kake, this mix produces a zesty feeling finish, reminiscent of the presence of a slight rum topping; maybe? Furthermore, a soft tannic red wine finish like that of a mellow Merlot occasionally drops in producing a lovely parting effect.

Customarily the blend burns cool and complete with no affronting bite and modest nicotine effects. The inviting aroma that I was greeted with was an ideal fragrant manifestation of the noted taste profile. Essentially Country Gentleman advances its room presence as amiable bouquet of a toasty wood-laced redolent tang, graced by soft timbres of sweet hay and verdant spices. Pleasant, warm, and charming overall, while producing a handsome plume of smoke that is quite proper and impressive.

In saying that there is a lot going on here with the old boy is modest affirmation. Bottom-line, Russ has done an exceptional job of balancing and cultivating the overall composition on this one. MM could not have played their cards better. Consistency and preponderance for enjoyable savor is present for the entire smoking encounter. Noteworthy as the more expensive tinned VaPer product offerings, Country Gentleman is good-natured, heartwarming, and authentic in character.

As a VaPer, MM’s entry with its bold complement of Kentucky tobacco, inobtrusive Perique and tasteful selection of accents presents somewhat of a different twist in the standard genre experience that is a clear. A simple blend that extends an interesting and colorful character that brings a polite complexity.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: 2 months in pouch

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigar.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	REO (13)	2021-01-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I am relatively new to pipes after switching from cigarettes 6 months ago. Enjoy trying all the blends I read about on TR. Mainly a Vapr fan. I do not have the palete or ability to smell hay and grass in the tobacco or determine when the other blended tobaccos kick in but I follow JimInks guidance on the blend notes. I focus on what the tobaccos taste like to me. This tobacco is delightful, priced right and available. Nice presentation even if it is in a pouch! Smooth as sweet tea on ice with a rich taste. Also get a nice sweetness as the smoke advances in the bowl. The N is there if you want it. Can give the buzz if you are so prone. For those new to pipes or vapor's this is well worth giving a try. I agree with the reviews here that this is a good all day smoke.

Pipe Used: Sav 320

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Stratford, Dorchester.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TotoPipeDreams (44)	2020-12-17		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Honestly this is really nice. Would recommend as a starter VA/Per. Nice peppery note from Dark Fired and Perique to contrast the smooth, sweet Virginias. Fantastic in a Cob. No complaints!

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Devil Anse Cutty

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Derek LaRose (7)	2020-07-22		Very Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This baccy has a simply beautiful natural smell in the pouch. It comes perfectly dry to smoke. It tastes very mellow. The flavour almost reminds me of a captain black “blonde” cigar. Very easy going, makes a good gift to go a long with a fresh cob to a beginner piper!

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Corncobpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Randy Tuggle (46)	2019-06-17		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

I tend to disagree with the positive reviews on this one. I got nothing in flavor from this one. Tasted like ash from the start of the smoking experience. The pouch found it's way to the trashcan quickly. Missouri Meerschaum makes fine cobs. I'll stick to purchasing cobs from them but no more tobaccos.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Devil Cutty

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	clanobucklin (105)	2015-03-17		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ok I'm trying this blend to see what I think. So far it's not bad if you like cheap Vapers. The Perique is mildly spicy and the Virginias add some body and natural sweetness. There is some kind of casing that reminds me of caramel - but it's not cloying or overly sweet.

So for what it is - it's good.

This blend would work in any kind of pipe - so if you like Russ's blends - I say give it a try - albeit it is nothing like AnniKake, Louisiana Red or Va Spice. Mild

Pipe Used: Rossi Rubino

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2023-04-16		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've been having a little trouble getting a good full light with this one, probably due to some stems. Early smoke requires several tamps and relights. Starts off grassy with no sign of the Kentucky and a slight touch of the perique. Once fully underway at about 2/3 down it settles in nicely with all the flavors apparent. The Virginias in the front, followed by a nice touch of perique to add some spice, with the Kentucky sitting back to fill in the gaps. Burns a little hot as expected but no bite, and leaves a mostly fine white ash. Overall and enjoyable smoke once you get it going.

I've said this on all of my other MM pouch tobacco reviews: this one would be a great introduction to this type of blend. If you already know and like VaPers, it might not do it for you, but it wont be a bad smoke either way.

Pipe Used: Country Gent Cob, Viking briar

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Match Victorian, but less perique.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (556)	2023-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Package note of mildly pungency, sour fruit and spices. Tobacco is a mostly a ribbon cut of orangish tan, brown and a little dark brown. Moisture content is ok, most pipe smokers will want to hydrate it a bit. Burns moderate with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and moderately consistent, with notes of sour fermented vegetation, dry, spicy, sweet bread, plums, spices, woody, earthy, hay, tangy and tart citrus, acidic, orange peel/zest, floral, moderately savory a lemon grassy background note, and a peppery retro. Virginia is leading with Kentucky and Perique supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: Peterson Bard Rusticated 221 Fishtail

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SSJOH (18)	2022-04-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

The pouch note was extremely pleasant; it almost smelled like an aromatic, although the first few puffs once lit did away with that notion. The cut was consistent, and the tobacco was in prime smoking condition fresh out of the pouch, without any drying time.

The opening puffs tasted light, dry, and the slightest bit citrusy. There was no flavoring or topping detectable. The room note throughout was generally pleasant. Deeper in, the brighter flavors of the Virginias were balanced by the fainter, almost fruity tones of Perique and a slightly earthy note in the aftertaste, which I can only attribute to the Dark Fired Kentucky in the blend. The flavor arc and aftertaste were superb. Definitely not as complex as my favored English blends, but decidedly delightful in its own way; in a wine analogy, this blend is to a good English what a Sauvignon Blanc is to a Merlot.

This blend smoked slightly hotter than the English blends I'm used to, and perhaps for that reason was a bit more likely to bite. However, what bite was present was relatively mild, certainly not at all bad enough to turn me off to this overall pleasant smoke.

I will be smoking this again, and recommend it.

Pipe Used: Mr. Brog Briar

Age When Smoked: Just Purchased

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2021-03-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I received a pouch of CG from Missouri Meerschaum with my IPSD2021 set. I had tried it several years ago and it didn't make much of an impression then.

The pouch came without the plastic wrap and was already open so I figured I'd smoke it some and jar the rest.

It's a pretty straight forward blend. I get sweetness from the Virginias along with some spice from the KY and Perique. In a cob, so maybe some of the sweetness is added from it. The blend has a little nic (enough to notice) and burns cool if not pushed. It's a decent blend produced by Sutliff for MM.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh from pouch

Purchased From: Missouri Meershaum

Nobody has rated this review yet.