Peterson Sherlock Holmes

I was gifted an ounce of this by a fellow pipe smoker. It had been "aged" in a ziplock, and came a little dry. Topping may have flashed off a little, so my comments may not correspond exactly to the contents of a just-opened tin. I smoked it as delivered.

This is a good but unremarkable VaBur on the Virginia end of the spectrum. The smoke is a slightly tart sweet and a mellow nuttiness. There is a little fruit that is topping and not the Virginias. I get a slight hint of spice when I exhale through the nose, and that may be the Brazilian burley. I do not have a refined enough palate to say such things with authority.

I found it a pleasant smoke, and it was not fussy about packing or lighting. It burned well and was a cool, dry smoke with enough tobacco flavor to satisfy me.

This is an easy 2.5. I could smoke it every day, but I am not likely to buy a tin. In this category there are lots of great blends that come at a more attractive price point. I am glad I tried it. It might be THE VaBur you have been looking for, so if it sounds appealing, I would give it a try. It is readily available.

Picked up as a throw-in on a trade, this light brown to gold ribbon cut had a tin nose that brought a shuddering reminder of my experience with the long out of production Dunhill Golden Hours. Although that aroma may be more common than I think, I haven't smelled it since, and this one reminded me of it. Still I soldiered on.

I suppose one could call this an aromatic depending upon one's definition. To me it's more of a lightly flavored ultra-mellow VaBur. The flavor was sort of a light wheat cereal with that flavoring I couldn't place. The flavor was of the wispy variety, which surprised me based on its component tobaccos. Some air drying and the tobacco sitting in the tin over time reduced the power of the flavoring but never the aroma. The flavor then took on a bit more of the grassiness I associated with lemon Virginias, but at no time was this a flavor powerhouse. I found it rather ordinary and tedious on the whole but it's recommended for those that smoke all day and want a little added sweetness with their very mild tobacco. I did mix in some darker Virginia with mixed results as well as some perique, which was disastrous. But it might be useful for the end of the day when the smoker can tolerate no more surprises and just wants something that will help wind him down.

First of all: this is my first pipe tobacco review, and it was also the first pipe tobacco I ever tried, in the first pipe I ever tried. So let's hope I can say something meaningful about this tobacco.

I can also add that I bought this somewhat randomly because Peterson has a good reputation, and because I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes.

Ok. The tobacco in the tin has a rather fruity aroma, kinda like sweet peach juice with notes of strawberry and vanilla. Quite pleasant to me.

In the pipe, I have to relight it quite often, but I assume that is because I am very inexperienced with packing a pipe correctly. The flavor of the smoke itself is not very exciting. A slightly nutty note perhaps. Quite pleasant though, but a little boring.

I've tried it in a (new) briar and in a corn cob, with similar results.

I've been smoking the pipe for 45 years. I have a very wide taste range for both non-aromatics and aromatics. As hard as I tried over the course of a couple months,I just could not enjoy smoking this blend. It is a quality premium blended tobacco, no doubt about that. It may just be the rare blend that can't satisfy me in any way as a smoker. I'll always encourage people to try what interests them. But, this one is not for me. And I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan from way back! Too bad for me, I guess.

There seems to be some mystery about this blend. This is appropriate, I suppose, but none the less maddening. To so many others whom have reviewed Peterson?s Sherlock Holmes, this is a straightforward, natural Virginia tobacco. Some seem to think that it is a blend of Burley and Virginia, though no Burley is mentioned in any of the official descriptions I have found. Only one other reviewer has mentioned the similarity in aroma to Earl Grey tea. With this I am in agreement. This purportedly nineteenth century blend seems to me in the spirit of many aromatic tobaccos with a truly ancient pedigree: a base of Bright or blonde Virginia with a top dressing that is rather floral and at times tangy.

I have a great fondness for such blends and this presentation manages to heighten the characteristic tanginess of Virginia tobacco moreso than say Grousemoor or Erinmore Flake. The one problem with Virginias so pale as the ones in Sherlock Holmes, and of rather a fine cut at that, is that it can become rather hot rather fast if one fails to apply an almost Holmesian level of concentration while smoking. Of all the flower & soap sorts of tobaccos to be found, I would say that Sherlock Holmes is on the milder end of the spectrum and good for those who have found the new Bourbon Street a little overwhelming.

I did think it a bit of a shabby trick that they took a mixture that may well have originated in the nineteenth century and simply attached the name of a famous nineteenth century personage. I will say with confidence that this is far from what Mr. Holmes would have been smoking. For a pipefull more like unto the Master?s perhaps one might try Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.?s Special Dark Birdseye?

Sherlock Holmes is another polarizing blend... but this time I don't understand why. I really like it. It's pleasant and sweet and easily an all-day smoke. Opening the tin/jar, there's a sweet, familiar fruitiness that I can't quite place. The color of the tobacco is striking, it's fairly light tan, almost orange. And the cut is a perfect ribbon. First few puffs... it's the Virginia's way up front with dark and earthy fruit and some light hay. And the fruity topping. The topping is almost like they took the mild sweet citrus note that comes from good Virginia's, bottled the pure essence of that, and added that as topping. It's a pleasant, slightly citrus, slightly berry flavor. The Burleys are only minimally there, but they're an important part since they really temper the blend's fruitiness with a nice earthy, woody flavor. I really do love the overall flavor, but it can be a little rough sometimes. And Sherlock Holmes does bite and get hot when smoked fast, but slowing down a bit seems solve that issue. I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars, because I really do love this blend. But my general rule is, if I can't decide if it's a 4 or not... then it isn't.

Bottom line: A really nice, pleasantly sweet and fruity Virginia-forward blend. I have a hard time understanding the hate some people have. Solid 3 stars.

Sherlock Holmes truly is a "old-fashioned English blend" (without Latakia) as I think of! Like 3Ps, or maybe St. Bruno. As Lazarus77 said well...not flavoured enough to be considered an "aromatic", but noticeably, mild aromatized, whilst the flavouring only underscores the Virginia tobaccos.

**Unburnt aroma** is of bread, honey, and fruits. Fine ribbons, easy to handle, in orange-red coloration.

**The taste is** dominated by the Virginias, and oh my...these are some fine leafs they used! Orange and red Virginia sport lots of sugar (whilst not being overly sweet though!), bread and pastry notes and I also get some hay and stoved fruits. The Burley lurks in the back, giving this blend a somewhat nutty undertone of sweet and tart nuts! By times the Burley stands out a bit more, but it's mostly in the back. The flavouring is somewhat fruity (reminds me of yellow- and orange fruits), light-handed applied and underscores the experience par excellence! Not standing out too much, but flattering the fruitiness of the VAs.

I was expecting this to be like Petersons 3P's, and in a way it is. But 3Ps has more strenght and more Burley. Yet Sherlock Holmes is in the same fashion as 3Ps. Plenty of tobacco aroma, underscored by a mild flavouring.

Yes... I like it! 3Ps is a tad better to me, but Sherlock Holmes is much more All-Day-suitable due to lower strenght and less intense flavours. **3 stars for me**, but this is without a doubt top-notch, classy and tasty blend! Well blended, I only had a nice sample, but I'm quite sure, that I'll get a tin (or two...;-P)

I thinkt that would be the best of Peterson's regular series. Little bity, but instead of it's brothers and sistars it has an original taste (rose & cherry). What is unique for this Peterson, it's that you won't be attack by chemical flavour (which you should rightly afraid of). They say there is a Virginia and Burley, but I always get 100% golden leafs, so it's rather Va gently sprayed with some aroma. I like to go back and try Sherlock, but not more often than once a year.

PS: Have you noticed, that Sherlock Holmes threw the years always gets purple color on it's tin? It's because first Arthur C. Doyle's novel about famous detective was "A Study in Scarlet".

SH comes in a round 50g tin, the colour of the ribbon cut tobacco is bright and bronze. Tin smell is like overly ripe red apples, orange peel, apricots, and traces of banana cake and dark chocolate. I doubt there are Orientals in the mixture. SH needs a slow sipping to show its strong points. The smoke might be a bit boring for most, I detect oak, black tea, orange peel and a touch of honey - all not in a "Danish aromatic" kind of way. Burns down peacefully and dry, doesn't require much attention and has a medium dose of Vitamin N. Room note is slightly sweet-sour, honeyish. Unfortunately, this tobacco is too expensive to be an all-day smoke (Mac Baren's Navy Flake might be a good replacement). I can imagine it tastes better with a cup of black tea, or whiskey. I absolutely like SH, but I can understand people who find it boring, flat, uninteresting. Nevertheless, the tobaccos used are high quality. 3.5 stars