Peterson Sherlock Holmes

I bought this tobacco two years ago, I purchased two cans of it and tried it out. In the first experience, it was not at all what I had expected. It was far from worthy of the name Sherlock Holmes. I thought maybe the issue was its freshness, and if I aged it, I would experience better quality and flavor.

However, unfortunately, after two years of aging, its taste did not improve. For me, this tobacco is one of those purchases I regret.

I don't think Holmes would like this blend, though he could identify the left over ashes. 🙂 This is a blecky...yeah I said blecky, creation. I'd like to get my hands on the stash Holmes has in the slipper on the mantelpiece though. This is a bland, wimpy smoke producing blend. Never again, but I'm sure you deduced that.

Smoke in Peace.

This blend looks good in the tin, and it has a good name, but it has no nicotine and body. I prefer my winston light cigarrete to it.

I can honestly say I found this tobacco very dull indeed. On opening the tin the aroma seems quite pleasant, if only it could reflect in the taste. As a rule I am not a fan of ribbon cut tobacco, and this is no exception, I found it burned much to fast to be enjoyed and often lead to a wet pipe, resulting in the obligatory sour taste. Stay away...

The single worst tobacco I've ever tried, in thirty years of puffing. I recently reviewed their Old Dublin, giving it the highest rating I could. This is its exact opposite. How can the same company make both of these? Ghastly.

Bites my tongue immediately, therefore I can not really review this one......

Update: 9/23/08 - Have let opened tin age in a ziploc bag for 3 months and tried this blend again. Drier, less of a fig aroma in tin, still burns with wooden taste, a good wood for sure a Walnut or Mahogany, still peppery (although less) even when not burning hot. Also needs relights, stop puffing and it goes stone cold. Will try again in 3 months time. Still one star.

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This review is based on the newer tin purplish label without the picture of Holmes. Having read the reviews below and being a fan of the great fictional detective I was curious to try Peterson's 'Sherlock Holmes' tobacco.

Description: "A Virginia and Burley leaf blend of great character with a sweet taste and aromatic aroma." Aromatic aroma? Isn't that redundant?

Appearance: Tobacco in tin is moist and needs to breathe a bit to smoke well. Ribbon cut light brown and deep brown.

Aroma: Pop the tin and the sweet smell of dried figs and tobacco greets the senses. A very pleasant smell and promises a good smoke. This aroma is not imparted to the final flavor of the tobacco.

Packing: Packs well.

Lighting: Requires relights, won't burn consistently.

Taste: Initial taste is good at first light. Quickly the casing takes over, burns hot, peppery to the tongue, wooden taste. All of the above sensations increased as the bowl burnt down, eventually I felt I was smoking the briar pipe and not the tobacco.

My Impressions: Burns too peppery for my tastes. Tongue was raw and hot by mid-bowl. Impossible to finish without feeling raw and shredded tongue. Perhaps renaming it to "Jack the Ripper" would be a more appropriate reference based on what it does to your tongue. Based on my personal experience the tin description is incorrect and misleading. I generally don't smoke heavily cased tobaccos and stick with straight tobacco or blends that rely on the tobacco itself for flavor this may have jaded my overall experience.

I plan to let this mellow in the tin and try smoking in 3 months, at the time I will update this review.

Okay, I had Carter Hall once upon a time when I was young and stupid, this blend almost brought me back to that horrifying event. I don't know what the heck they were thinking with this stuff. It is a sad cross between straight poor quality virginias and a "want to be" cased Oriental. It opens with a sick sweetness that dissipates into a very wet and bitey virgina, almost like a poor burley tobacco. It is a flat tasting bitey "aromatic" of poor quality and imagination. If you like flat, sweet, and tongue bite this is for you.

I've never smoked the pictured blend. The one I've smoked looked like this: http://fujipub.com/elfumador/petersonsherlock.jpg. It is billed as "A Virginia and Burley leaf blend of great character with a sweet taste and aromatic aroma." That being said, I don't think Peterson could've dropped the ball more on this one. First and foremost, Sherlock Holmes is English, and so would be hard pressed to be found smoking an aromatic like this one. The English aren't allowed to make tobacco with casings or toppings by English law, so Mr Holmes would have to go to Ireland or elsewhere to aquire this bland blend. Second, look at the two other blends with Sherlock's name in the title: Sherlock's Reserve and Sherlock's Choice. Both are English, with Latakia and some Oriental. Third, I could definately see Mr. Holmes smoking the above described blend of unique Brazilian and Indian tobaccos, but not a Burley-Virginia mixture that's about as flat as can be. The tin aroma is about all this tobacco has going for it. It does indeed reminisce of plumcake while in the tin, and smokes like a typical Mac Blowtorch blend: hot, boring, hot, cigarette-like, and hot. The tobacco is the most moist I've ever seen in a tin, and the casing is so heavy and present that I had to wash my hands after filling my Peterson St. Patrick's Day pipe. Oh well. If you're looking for a more Holmesian tobacco try Dunhill's Elizabethan Mix or Nightcap, or Ashton's Artisan's blend. All three will serve you better than Peterson's effort.