Peterson Sherlock Holmes

University Flake aside, Sherlock Holmes is probably the best of a lackluster bunch from Peterson. The bright ribbon cut tobacco has a subtle sweet scent though I cannot detect any flavouring. It burns slowly with a smooth, medium body smoke, but again has no detectable flavourings. Reasonable tobacco taste - a little on the mild side given the body of the smoke, but certainly doesn't bite the tongue. Don't know if I will buy again but certainly good enough to finish the tin.

This is an example of a tobacco that is very good but is just not my thing.. I like the apricot citrus flavor but i find it kind of dominates a little too much for my tastes.. it burns well smokes a little on the hot side but if you slow down it shouldn't be a problem.. I would recommend that you try this blend if you like natural tasting aromatics.. or if you like virginia burley mixtures.. It is good and I will probably try it again.. but it does not excite me very much..

I have often referred to this tobacco in reviewing other blends, but for some reason had not come round to specifically expressing my opinion about it. On and off, I have smoked about three tins of Sherlock Holmes. IMO this a good quality Virginia, but with a flavor and a structure that, as a whole, I find strange, watery and bland. It has a kind of sweetness that does not really hit the mark for me, and I have not been able to reach that point where the tobacco?s body and structure merge with the palate creating a harmonious unity. So far, every time I have smoked SH the flavor ends in an elusive and ghostly fashion, with a grassy undertone.

Though they are entirely different, for me the experience of smoking SH is similar to that of University Flake: unexciting and conflicting (there is a ?something? there, but I just cannot seem to get to it, thus making it very frustrating). Maybe I should try this some more, because I do acknowledge the quality of the leaf and the excellent craftsmanship of the blend. So far, however, I am not convinced.

This tobacco was an exercise in expectation management. I believe the type category on this site used to classify this as a straight Virginia. It didn’t taste like that to me.

It’s an attractive blend, red and blonde Virginias in a stringy ribbon cut that makes packing a pipe a breeze.

The flavor has taken me a minute to put a finger on. I taste Virginias, to be sure, mostly in their bready, malty aspect. That’s the base note. But there’s also something sweet added, a topping that reminds me of nothing so much as sugar cookies. All well and good. But alongside that, there’s something sharp and astringent— ozone, or an electrical fire. It stings my throat and the sidestream smoke makes me sneeze.

I smoked more than half a tin before coming to terms with this. And over the course of that half tin, I modified both my opinion and my smoking technique. This is a sipper, not a puffer. It takes relights well, so I made peace with letting it go out occasionally. And I started focusing on the overall flavor profile of the leaf, rather than judging how well it performed as a straight Virginia. A semi-aromatic, if you will. And I like it okay. It’s a sweeter smoke, and it reminds me a bit of Peterson’s Sweet Killarney, just more toned down. There’s a bitter note, like dark-roasted coffee or burnt nuts, a bit of tingly spice (this could bite if you let it), and some dried grass. But that’s what it is. Not an aromatic, nor a straight Virginia. Kind of in between. It goes well with coffee, black or sweet.

It’s not my favorite, but it’s not bad. I like Sweet Killarney better, because I get more of what I expect from that blend. But if you’re looking to get into lesser-cased blends and Royal Yacht is too strong for you, try this.

Only a few months into the pipe smoking “way of life” so there are certainly better tuned and more sophisticated palettes out there…therefore take this with a grain of salt…

Saw this at my local B/M and grabbed a tin.

Tin note is initially strongly dark fruit, figgy almost “minty” for lack of a better word.

I found the flavor to be fairly mild; slight plummy sweetness throughout with an occasional juicy citrus on the back of the tongue and the nuttiness of the burly showing up now and again in waves.

I can see how this could punish your tongue a bit if you go too fast. I have really been focusing on developing a good cadence lately and I think that helped. For that reason it could potentially be useful for a new smoker who wants to learn to slow down…high stakes may help you learn fast or something like that. Some really good albeit muted flavors to be had if you don’t force it.

Bit of a nic hit towards the bottom of the bowl (nowhere near as hard as Old Dark Fired).

Not bad, not amazing. I could see buying the occasional tin if it grows on me a bit but I would wager there are better lightly flavored VaBurs out there.

If you haven’t tried it I would say go for it if only to see what it is.

Tin note is fruity, a little citrusy with some lemon or lime notes, a bit of honey.

Presents itself in short ribbons, all golden with only few light brown parts. Quite moist, needs to dry.

The taste is that of a straight virginia, with little sweetness and some hay notes, citrus and bit bready. Burley can’t be detected easily, if I didn’t know it has burley I would’ve thought it s a straight virginia. Actually, I can detect it only at the middle of the bowl, with a mild nutty/hazelnut taste. Has a mild to medium taste, flavoring is extremely mild to very mild, mild to medium strength. Smoking this with a filter will feel like inhaling air with no taste, so if you want to avoid the bite by using a filter, be aware that the taste will be diminished almost entirely, since this has a mild to medium taste without filter.

And speaking of bite, it does tend to bite a bit and to get hot. Maybe because I’m trying to get something out of it and puff too much.

However, it burns excellent, leaving a perfect white ash.

A decent smoke, between mediocre and pleasant, but I wouldn’t pay again for another tin.

Let me start by saying.. in Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes The house of Fear, Watson tells Holmes "Must you smoke that filthy stuff, it smells like an old sock". Who hasn't heard their other-half say that? With that in mind, one would think a Dark British Character would have a Latakia with Burley, Virgina, Orientals, possibly a pinch of Perique. to show his many sides. Not in this case.

Citrus tingle Virginias dominate. If Burley exist it is washed away. No latakia? not even a pinch so you can claim it? I was quite disappointed With the name staring at me on the tin. The burley provided if any, cannot tame the Virginia and Citrus flavor. My only savings is to drink tonic water while smoking this, which those ole Brits like their Gin and tonic for their Malaria fears back then. Citrus soft drink lovers may enjoy this nipping blend fine. Myself, I will keep the tin once emptied and put some mild Latakia blend in it, for watching some good old Sherlock Holmes movies, and seeing I don't have a slipper tobacco pouch. Only offer this to Virginia lovers, while they sip their Citrus soft drink. Besides the Holmes reference, knowing the wonderful Wilke 515 rum blend made personally for Rathbone, I could possibly put a safe bet out that this was not in his pipe. Maybe Watson.. but never Holmes.. it's simple elementary dear lads. This is nowhere near a three pipe blend.

This is one of the first blends that I tried, and honestly it's just boring. It is hardly a step above over-the-counter blends flavor-wise. I'll admit I bought it for the namesake but it never really lived up to it.

UPDATE: After allowing my palate to mature a bit, I can better appreciate the virginias used in the blend. On the bright side, I can almost guarantee that it will age really well, so I'd buy it for that purpose. Raising my review from one to two stars.

Smells good! The Virginia's are sweet and those of quality. And as expected, this blend definitely wants to bite, so take it slow and keep it cool. A cool retrohale from this blend tastes lovely. I'd consider this an aromatic but for those who prefer a purer Virginia/Burley taste.