McCranie's St. Alban's Best

I never though I would use the word "lovely" to describe a latakia blend but I do believe it applies here. This blend is so unbelievably pleasant. The stoved VA and latakia are a marriage made in heaven. I keep intending to pick up some more but it must be a seven mile drive and well....

I will likely buy a medium bag once the weather gets warm as SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) wouldn't even tolerate latakia being smoked in the garage.

If you like latakia blends be sure to give this one a go.

This is without a doubt my favorite all-around blend. I am nearly addicted to the pouch smell, and can hardly walk by without picking it up. It has an enticing dark and smokey aroma in the pouch that strongly appeals to me.

Since the strength of taste is medium and nicotine is mild, this is a good all-day smoke, though at night I find it to be missing a certain I-don't-know-what, perhaps a little more latakia would make me happier.

There is little aftertaste (I think a plus) and it falls in the realm of "modern English" which is definitely not a bad thing. There is a slight but persistant creaminess or smoothness to this blend that lasts through the bowl, and any sweetness is more in aroma than taste and is ever-so-fleeting. This is no aromatic, nor is it a traditional English...this is a FANTASTIC blend that I think many people would enjoy if they gave it a chance; expecially a smoker who wants to branch out from aromatics only. I suppose I would label this a mild English...again, my favorite!

I only smoke outside, though my wife has commented on the aroma of this; once favorably, once not so...it is smokey and would probably be recognized as different from a sickly-sweet aromatic by even an unfamiliar nose, but I find the "room note" (back porch note?") to be just as inticing (if not intoxicating!) as the pouch smell. I've erred on the side of caution by indicating "tolerable to strong" in that category.

If a relatively mild, English variant, barely aromatic, smokey, rich satisfying smoke sounds appealing to you, by all means, give this a try.

This blend is probably my favorite. Despite the previous comparisons to McClelland products, I don't quite see them. SAB does have similarities to McClelland 5110, but that is definitely not a bad thing.

I have smoked SAB in pipes of all sizes and shapes with no objections found. This is a great choice for anyone with a fondness for Latakia: it is neither over-powering nor subtle. Just wonderful all-around.

St. Albans Best has been compared to ?Frog Morton On The Town? by several reviewers, and with good reason. Is this possibly the bulk version of FMOTT? If it isn?t, I would have to say that the good Saint Alban definitely plays with frogs.

I am going to continue under the premise that this is indeed FMOTT bulk. There?s too much similarity not to. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. This is a very enjoyable tobacco.

The bag aroma lacks the scent of topping that one notices upon opening a tin of FMOTT. The moisture content was right on, so no drying was necessary. Once lit, a simple task, it stayed lit with a minimum of fuss.

I didn?t find the casing I half-expected, but what I did find was a nice smooth blend, rich in Oriental, well-supported by a smoky Latakia. The Oriental is spicy and full of flavor.

Not overly complex, but very tasty. A nice all-day smoke.

This blend packs and burns nice; if left out to dry bit. I have enjoyed SAB for it's leather smokey flavor!Quit rich in the latakia flavor but not heavy or stout as a full english. A med. weight smoke, but keeps my attention. I happend to agree with Le Pipe on this blends smokeyness and very leathery! The Vir.'s are sweet. If aired out a bit this does not burn hot. SAB does have a bit of aromatic or cavendish to the blend. Great for a cross blend. I may not be that "educated" but this is worth a try.

St.Alban's is what I would consider to be an entry-level latakia blend. It may not be your cup o'tea if you're a hell bent "English blend only" fiend. However,If you've smoked Dunhills Aperitif or something similar and wanted to kick it up a notch this could be a good choice. No doubt that this is a variation on an english blend,but the variation is a plus here. The stoved virginian adds a nice flavorful twist in this mixture that sets it apart from most latakia blends. The aromatic topping is not an issue for me because it still burns rather cool. It does have a slightly more pleasing aroma than most english blends. That is to say ,my wife doesn't mind if I smoke this inside ocassionally. I have smoked as many as 3 bowls in a day,and never grew tired of it. I usually reach for this when a want that pungent leathery flavor that I've come to love.

Just quick note that Todd McCranie said that this is the equivalent to McClelland's #5110. This is my replacement for Frog Morton on the Town

I agree that St. Alban's Best is close to #5110 as #5110 is close to good ol' Frog Morton. There IS an aromatic quality to SAB just as w/FM, and to me they smoke nearly the same, but the Frog seems to have a bit more smokey flavor than SAB as well as somewhat cooler & creamier smoking properties. That's not saying that SAB is a hot smoking tobak, simply that FM seems somewhat cooler. The VA's in SAB are noticeable and that subtle tang mixes well w/a slight sweetness during a good part of the bowl. The woodsy, earthy flavors seem a bit muted but were still very much present, and I noticed a sharpness that surfaced here and there but it was minimal. Coulda been puffing a bit too fast. Little bit of moisture, but no big deal, one cleaner. There was practically no bite, and the blend burned to a grayish ash w/a wee bit o' dottle. All-in-all a very good VA/Latakia mixture, IMHO, just maybe not quite as refined as others. Also, the fact that this is a bulk blend could be an attractive asset to those who are cost-concious but want something similar to higher grade medium English blends. For all-I-know, maybe this is #5110. I enjoy it, and the "dark stoved VA make-up" may be just what pops yer' cork. Works for me.

This is another attempt at the so-called modern english mixture, somewhat in similar in style to FMOTT. While I did not have both this and FMOTT on hand at the same time, my memory says that this has more of an aromatic element. The cut of this tobacco is somewhat coarse, making it a little difficult to pack. I found this tobacco to be acceptable, but my own tastes for this type of tobacco would run to something with less overt aromatic qualities.