Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation 1982

I will preface this by saying I am a English and VaPer smoker. Bought this at a rural tobacco retailer in NH where I did not have internet signal. The display rack had this listed as 1882 and the description was of a full-bodied English/Oriental blend. There is absolutely no listing of the ingredients on this 2018 tin - just the date 1982 - which is REALLY similar to 1882. I cracked the tin when I got home (35 minutes away) and was dumbfounded - my nose was hit not by smoky latakia and fragrant orientals, but of what smelled like a smoothie from the local health food market. Disappointed does not begin to describe it.

Oh well, I figured lets try it in a cob, there is no going back now. Tin is 2.25 years old, so it was not wet and a good moisture for smoking. I got through the charring light and then fired it up again. First impressions on charring light were not good - like firing up Fruity Pebbles or Fruit Loops in the bowl. Fortunately or unfortunately (likely the former) there was no taste after that. I dumped the bowl - first time I have done that in the 5 years of pipe smoking and 10 years of cigar smoking. No taste and a complete waste of money.

Here is a suggestion - put the constituent tobaccos that make up the blend on the tin. I get that the warning labels take up space, but c'mon.

I like these 4th Generation blends, although this is possibly one of the weakest.

This tin aroma is really pleasant, and gives promise of some sort of soft fruit with a wash of vanilla. I have to say the obvious comparison is with Sam Gawith's brilliant Firedance flake, which I'm surprised other reviewers haven't mentioned.

It can't compete with that iconic blend of course, so what you get is a light aromatic, somewhat akin to Cellini or pick any of Larson's aromatics.

The tobacco is very dry and therefore burns very quickly and rather on the hot side. After a week or so it is as dry as the Gobi desert despite the round tin.

Whatever flavour you were expecting from the tin aroma therefore disappears in the increasing aridity, leaving a very hot, tongue-burning concoction that moulders in the bottom of your pipe. This is even more evil in a meer.

This blend is a bit of a biter, unless taken in a quality briar that has been recently cleaned. I have yet to find a pipe that really suits this mixture, and when this tin is finally empty I'll not be replacing it.