Dan Tobacco Roper's Roundels

I love the smell of dried figs when opening the tin. The tabacco keeps its aroma well; it doesn't fade once the tin is openened. The individual slices are easily picked up out of the tin and don't fall apart. Packing and lighting is easy, even though the tabacco feels sticky and seems unlikely to ever catch fire.

I use small bowls and pack one or one-and-half slice. The pipe stays lit without any need to relight even when leaving the pipe alone for a minute.

A slow and restrained smoke brings out its flavour. I feel a slight throught irritation if I draw with too much zeal. If smoked very slowly the smell of straw on a sunny day and the taste of dried figs will remain until the end of the bowl. Leaves no dottle but does help you to build up a carbon layer.

I particularly enjoy smoking this in the Big Ben Pipo

This was my 3rd Perique blend and its one of the better ones.

I have to admit my first try with the Ropers Roundels wasn't a "revelation". Maybe it wasn't the right setting, maybe my taste buds "evolved" or my taste changed (it did..) But now I wish I had more of this awesome smoke, because its delicious!

It comes along with a charming Virgina sweetness and citrus-ish freshness. Very lemon-like with deep grassy tones. Fresh moan grass and hay. Sparkling and lively. The Perique (of which there isn't too much) adds a decent tangy-note and a slight wiff of fruits (being plum raisins) to it, which makes this blend perfectly balanced and highly enjoyable. Ropers Roundels creamy smoke flatters the palate, and the sweetness can be described as caramel-like. Always with a very citrusy/lemony note to it. The Perique is more on the peppery, spicy side and delivers just a slightly dried-fruit taste. Anyways the Perique isn't very present to me, but it's definetly noticeable throughout the whole smoke.

The Cavendish...mhm... I guess the Cavendish adds a bit smoothness to it and enhances the sweetness (?). I havent smoked pure Cavendish by now, so I cant really tell what to expect from a Cavendish as I only know it in aromatics as aroma-carrier. But it works - and I guess somehow the Cavendish sweetens up rounds off this smoke even more.

Truly an "All-Day-Smoke", and compared to most other Va/Per offerings this blend is pretty mild - but satisfying enough!

You should smoke this one real slow to get the best taste imo (like all Virginia forward blends, but this one gets very quickly bitter to harsh when smoked too fast). I mostly just let it glimmer slightly so I get richest grassy, citrusy and slightly spicy taste for me. It leaves a nice, somewhat sweetish and spicy/peppery taste in the mouth, that's not lingering for too long which I personally enjoy a lot.

The presentation in coins is a joy for itself. Chapeau and thanks to the blenders of Dan Pipe, this is very well handcrafted and a very tasty blend. Highly reminiscent of PS Bullseye Flake and Davidoff's Flake Medallions and (also produced by Orlik) Orliks Bulls Eye (if they aren't the exact same..)

|| Personal rating: 3-stars | Rated for what it is: 4-stars! ||

The slices of Roper's Roundels look similar to Escudo or Dunhill's DeLuxe Navy Rolls, however, the manufacturing process and the blend are quite different. While the later are Va/Pers that are spun into ropes and then cut as curly flakes, for Roper's Roundels Virginias and Perique are pressed into thin flakes that are wrapped around a heart of Black Cavendish into a roll which is then cut into slices.

The way the tobacco coins are stacked into the tins reminds me of Bell's Three Nuns, even though the slices are much bigger. They give off a delicious scent of brown bread with a distict malty sweetness and notes of prunes or plum butter. The moisture level is perfect.

You could rub out the flakes, but I prefer to use the fold and stuff method or to make small balls of tobacco. Depending on the size of your bowl, it takes up to three coins to fill your pipe. Either way, you'll need a thorough charring and true light to get it burning evenly.

It's important not to draw too eagerly in order to avoid it getting burn too hot. A re-light is better than that. Enjoyed with leisure, this complex tobacco will give you a dense and creamy smoke that tastes deliciously of toasted bown bread with a sublime tangy sweetness from the Virginias, some fruity acidity from the Perique in the background and notes of marzipan and dark chocolate from the Black Cavendish. It burns down dryly to some graying ash.

The room note is unobtrusive and sweetish.

Davidoff Flake Medallions and Orlik Bull’s Eye/Peter Stokkebuy Bulls Eye have that same core of Black Cavendish. Leave that out and you’ll get pretty much Dunhill Navy Rolls/Escudo. At least to my impression, the Flake Medallions and these Roundels are the same tobacco by the same manufacturer (Orlik), varying in availability, price, tin size and design.

And they are good, really good. I much prefer them to pure VaPers and if I don’t rub them out, I can even taste when the BC core is contributing a sort of “box opening event” within the bowl. The taste of country style bread, roasted nuts, spiciness and only the slightest of sweetness is what I experience. Hitting the core, I also get reminiscence to MB’s Roll Cakes. Roper’s Roundels taste best to me after I let them age for at least ½ year, it merges the tobaccos harmonically to an even rounder, more soothing smoke (as if they weren’t round enough already).

Where I live Roper’s Roundels are 20% cheaper than Davidoff Flake Medallions… I vote for the contents, rather than the tin (plastered with warnings anyway), enjoy!

All day smoker with a taste that you can play with through your pipe. Go slow and enjoy the malty, raisin sweetness, or push a little harder for a nice cigarry tobacco note. The actual rounds are a perfect thickness, nicely moist but benefit from a storage jar and maybe one hour in the open before smoking. Can be folded or rubbed. Aging potential aplenty and even 6 months in a jar ensures a rounder smoke if you'll excuse the pun.