Peterson Sherlock Holmes

Firstly and nothing to do with the actual tobacco - the new tin design is terrible. There's not even a pic of Holmes on the purple label. The new design can be seen here - http://fujipub.com/elfumador/petersonsherlock.jpg.

It's somewhat moist when it comes out of the tin but I found that leaving a clump to dry for awhile before putting it in the bowl is the best thing to do. Straight from the tin it produced some bite but after drying it was a lovely smooth smoke.

The tin states that it is a virginia and burley blend but I didn't find the burley that noticeable. It does, as some have stated, have an apricot tinge to the flavour and on times it is rather creamy. It is an enjoyable smoke but I plan to leave my tin for a week or two and then try it again and come back to this review. My first impression is that it is pleasing and mild with a considerable nicotine hit but rather lacking in the flavor department. I will say though, that once dried a little, it does smoke very well and produces a nice crisp ash and left my pipe clean and fresh.

I've tried this again now that it's stood in the tin a few months and I still feel the same way about it but I do think that the creamy flavor favors oatmeal. In fact the only complaint I've got is that the new tin design is bland and boring but the smoke is anything but.

QUITE EXCELLENT.

My first review, and SH is a good one to start with, I am a fan of peterson tobaccos, being a Dublin man, is just coincidential. This is my main tobacco at the moment, it has grown to be my favourite over the past few months. I like aromatics and this is a good one, yes it is a mild aromatic, but stronger than many packet aro's. The apricot/ citrus and natural sweetness of virginia tobacco go very, very well together. Yes it is a bit damp in the tin, but i find this means it lasts well in a pouch or small sample tin I carry it about town in. Strong nicotine flavour, but still fruity and not too sweet. I little bit cigar in there too. I smoke it in a large Neerup straight (9mm filter), billard and a Big Ben straight silverline (9mm filter). It is usually my first smoke of the day. PS. I have found that filters can actually often help the taste of my aromatic tobaccos, ie reduces bite, moisture and harshness or bitterness of flavours. Most of the above has been mentioned in better more experienced reviews, to conclude a top quality, fruity, sweet virginia.

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.

Nice blend with some good qualities.

Tin Note: Interesting and/or Complex - The Virginia is there, but the added fruit flavoring really pulled me in. It was a nice balance and quite interesting to me.

Pack/Light: Standard - It could just be the tin I picked up, but it came out quite moist and almost sticky. Surprisingly, it packs and lights okay and I haven't had much trouble.

Taste: Compliments to the Chef - The added fruit flavoring is a really nice choice and the result is a great tasting Virginia. It's noticeable but not overpowering. Pleasant to say the least.

Mouth Feel: Smooth - No bite and easy smoke. I enjoyed it without any worries.

Room Note: No Complaints - I found it slightly better than a straight Virginia, but not enough to really stand out. It's not bad, but not good either.

Overall: Good, but not Great - I enjoy it enough to keep it in the rotation for now. I like the flavor they added and it makes it interesting enough to really savor the smoke and pick through it. I think the moisture content can become an issue over time as it starts to gum up the bowl, but it's manageable.

I tried this tobacco years ago when my pipe smoking was in its infancy. I recall it burned like a camp fire! Now I am an experienced pipe smoker I came back to this tobacco and I was pleasantly surprised. Firstly, if you smoke like a steam locomotive at speed this will whip your tongue. I smoked this much more slowly, sipping and easing off deep bouts on the inward draw. Secondly, this tobacco is mainly fine virginian, which is a forward taste on initial light. I was surprised by the mild delicacy of the taste . A citrus type taste, but sweet, which must be down to the virginian mixture. There is definitely burley, sitting at the back, providing that typical nutty cocoa taste from time to time. There is something else too - a sort of mild rose like taste, and I cannot pin it down in terms of whether or not something else has been added to the blend. Taking this slow it was, to my surprise, quite enjoyable. However, I ponder on the marketing of this tobacco as "Sherlock Holmes". Whilst it is an old school blend of that time, I would imagine the first Consulting Detective, fictional that he is, would probably smoke more of a London darker leaf, perhaps with s oriental / Turkish variety of leaf perhaps? But that is just my imaginative conjecture of course. The tobacco is ribbon cut, sort of fine flake, the tin aroma is stronger - fruity, than the actual taste, which is distinctly milder. IMHO the tobacco is a fine one, but it is not a complex taste. Due to it's mildness I think many would expect something quite different due to its name, with high expectations thwarted. If you eliminate the naming of the tobacco I think it would help the mindset when smoking this.

In conclusion then, it's a pleasent enough blend, but nothing really stands out as remarkable, just amiable really, an all day smoke. Room note is not offensive due to the mildness. I have this in my rotation and smoke it occasionally. I do not think though I will be going out of my way to seek it out, as it is for me, somewhat two dimensional tobacco. I suggest this tobacco would be enjoyed by more experienced pipe smoker. I would not recommend this as a tobacco for those trying pipe smoking for the first time.

I shied away from this because of some of the negative reviews, but I kept noticing it next to some of the more prestigious blends at City Tobacco and I said the heck with it and bought some. I’m glad I did. Most of the pipe tobacco that I smoke is what I would call “big tobacco” with big tobacco flavor, complexity and nicotine strength that would overwhelm a new smoker. The description says there’s burley in it, but it’s very mild as the Virginias are forward and the citrus flavoring is mild as well. Not much nicotine to get the head spinning on an empty stomach either. This is a good first thing in the morning pipe tobacco and an all day smoke as I didn’t get any palate fatigue after several bowls. This isn’t Peterson’s best or their worst either. Be wary of the negative reviews as I’ve smoked a lot over many years and have tried some of the “premier” blends out there and this is a good quality, mild smoke that doesn’t bite or get hot and would be, in my humble opinion, a good smoke for a beginner to put on their regular rotation.

Tin note is grass citrus slightly sweet. Beautiful ribbon cut bright Virginia's. I think my tin was much older than when I purchased it last year. lots of brown staining on the inner holder. I was pleasantly surprised with this blend I usually am not a fan of aromatic blends. This one has extremely light toppings and I mostly taste tobacco with some peppery notes and a super light citrus flavor. Light nic hit. An all day smoke but burns a bit hot if puffed hard If gently puffed the burley keeps the Virginia's in check. Recommended for a light smoke.

After many bowls of this blend I am upgrading it to 4 stars Its a nice all day light smoke that is quite satisfying not overly complex but enough to be a regular smoke.

Love the tin note on thos one. Fruity in a general sense w a bit of floral wafts coming out. It is def lightly cased, but done very respectful of the tobacco.

The color of the weed is fantastic. A light mahogany and tan, long ribbon cut.

Comes a tad moist for my liking and not the easiest to pack. But a small amount of tearing a pinch or 2 help with that.

Takes a flame well and relatively easy to keep lit.

The tin note is almost exactly the same as the flavor. Behind the floral/citrus smell there is some quality Va and so.e burley. The VA is light w grassy hay like qualitys ends the jury's counter this nicely w their earthyness. It's almost an all day smoke but I never buy it often even though I rate it a solid 3 possibly 3.5 life is short why settle for 3 star smome when there are always 4 star options that are easily acquired.

Buy some and I bet you will not regret it.