Seattle Pipe Club Deception Pass

I haven't smoked a lot of the SPC blends so buying this tin was a step in the dark for me. From what I know SPC is known for their English blends. The tin is attractive with a small picture of Deception Pass. The only gripe I have is that there isn't much of a tin description. When you open the tin you will find a course cut ribbon. The smell is Red Virginia forward, sweet, tangy, bready, herbal. This blend loads well and lights well. I don't think it needs a dry time, but as always, your milage may vary.

Once I light up, the Red Virginia is up front. I taste bread, hay, herbs, and tang. There is an underlying sweetness to this whole blend, which is kind of toasty to my taste. I think that comes from some Cavendish. The Perique is in back adding stewed fruits. The Orientals are very soft, woodsy, and slightly citrusy. This doesn't come across as a spicy blend by any means. The burn is very consistent from top to bottom.

The taste is a medium. Everything is smooth and consistent. The strength is also a medium, so don't expect any tricks from Lady N. This is a decent, smooth VaPer for the money. Does it have enough bells and whistles to get into my regular rotation: no. Is it a good blend to pick up once in a while: yes.

Mostly stoved Virginia, with a dash of Perique, some black Cavendish, also a bit of Oriental for a sour note. All around good blend that satisfies the nose as well as the mouth. Sutliff does an excellent job of mixing Joe’s formula. Not a bitting Virginia, but one that provides a good bit of Ketchup and even a taste of Carolina Barbecue sauce. This taste is enhanced by the fruity and spicy Perique. The Cavendish provides some sweet note while the Orientals offset with a sour taste. Good blend all around. Can have a little roughness at the finish though. Burns clean and completely with no dottle or any goop.

The tin I opened had the date "October 26, 2021," so the tobacco in it was fresh enough. The tins from Sutliff (who make all of the brand's tobacco now) are pretty big, and usually it seems like 100 grams would fit in there, but this time the tin was full to the top.

Appearance: a mix of different varieties from light brown to dark brown in color with some chopped perique and cavendish, with some big leaves among them. The tobacco is lush, loose consistency, because of its volume it seems that there is more than in reality. It is a bit dry to the touch, and dries out in the open air very quickly.

Smell: dense bread note on par with the lemon and floral bouquet from Virginia, supported by a persistent spicy perique bouquet with a salty hint, a little sandalwood and dried apricots.

Taste: quite bright wheat bread taste, which is joined by the taste of dried fruit, very soft, slightly astringent sweetness (as from a slightly unripe pear). A fair amount of pepper and nutmeg, plus a slight saltiness and an almost imperceptible wine note overlay this base. The sharpness of the pepper drops off quickly, giving way to just a mild spicy sweet taste. Towards the middle of the pipe I suddenly had a more pronounced woody cedar note (don't be surprised, but at one point I flashed the feeling that I had just tasted a pencil in my teeth), but overall, the taste doesn't change much - it just becomes softer. The strength is just slightly below average, but in very large pipes there is a possible risk of nicotine kick. The tobacco smokes medium-hot, but does not overheat the pipe, burning out in a medium fraction of ash, light gray with a subtle yellowish hue. Despite the apparent apparent dryness, the tobacco had quite a lot of moisture in it - by the middle of the pipe I could literally pour it out of the pipe and mouthpiece. Despite this, the tobacco has only a slight roughness in flavor, and doesn't bite. That said, the presence of a filter in the pipe does not practically detract from its taste. The aftertaste is bread and wood.

The smoke from the tobacco has the flavor of fresh bread with citrus and a slight hint of nutmeg. It is almost weightless and easily dispersed.

Bottom line: I don't know what association the author had with the name of his blend, but it turned out to be a fair enough representative of the Virginia Peric, despite having a bit of Cavendish in it. I can't say it's outstanding, but it's great for a pleasant everyday smoke. I'm not sure it will change much after a few years, but I will keep the second jar in my collection for a few years.

I had to let this blend grow over me. I did not like it at first. However, by the end of the tin, I think it has a decent future of being filled into my pipe.

If you hope to get the Virginia/Perique equivalent of either Plum Pudding or Mississippi River then I hate to disappoint you. This is in a different level, a lower one.

First thing that stands out in the tin note is the fermented Red Virginias. Made by Sutliff, these remind me of other Sutliff Red Virginia blends that smell like red wine and vinegar. The tin note is nice and inviting.

However, the smoke is very different. I get less of the fermented, red wine, vinegar Virginias, and a lot more of the aromatic Balkan/Turkish leaf. The Virginias are still the main actor, but this is far from a typical Va/Per. The Perique pops up from time to time to add some plum and a bit of spice. The Cavendish mellows everything so it's not too sweet, sour, or spicy. I won't lie, I hope to see how this would've come out without the Balkans and the Cavendish. That, of course, would be a completely different blend.

Ribbon cut, easy to pack and smoke. Requires couple of relights. Needs a bit of drying time. Can be an all-day smoke.

Mild-medium in body and strength. I'd prefer a different balance of the flavors with the Virginias and Perique coming in stronger. But the way it is gives it a nice complexity of sweet/sour/spice.

I know that what I'm asking for is an entirely different blend and that if I want to smoke a Va/Per there are plenty out there. Considering that the blend is what it is, I think that it's a good one. Just not top notch. After SPC's Plum Pudding and Mississippi River being among my favorites, this gets 2.5 stars, which I'll round up to 3 because despite my personal taste, this is a good blend.

The tin note is very vinegary, but the amount of perique is subtle. That vinegariness seems to transfer into the smoke as well. It gives it a crisp taste, allowing the perique to give the Virginias a fresh hay quality to their flavour. This is supported even more by the Orientals adding a touch of earthiness. This is not my favourite Va/Per, but it offers something refreshing. It's great in all weathers, and I am excited to see what age does to this blend.

Tin note of pungent, sweet fruit, and spices. Tobacco is a mix of black, dark brown tan and yellow ribbon cut. Moisture content is good, no drying/prep needed. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is mild to medium and mostly consistent, with notes of sweet, vinegary, tangy citrus, wood, bread, spicy, floral, leather, spice Rasin, earth, dry hay, herbal, acidic, mild peaty vegetation a stewed sour fermented fruit background note, and a peppery retro. Virginias is leading with Black Cavendish, Oriental/Turkish and Perique supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

When opening the tin the color combination of the strands of the different tobaccos presents a very pleasing appearance to the eye. The aroma is somewhat chocolatey but I don't think it is reproduced later in the flavor during smoking. It comes with a perfect degree of humidity to load the pipe immediately. In the first puffs, an acid or citric flavor predominates that I attribute to the Orientals, specifically to Smyrna, but before finishing the first third it fades, although it never completely disappears. I would say that the oriental tobacco is quite present in this mix. From the second third the spicy flavor appears more strongly.

An interesting mixture if you like oriental tobaccos. I would not present it as a va/per but as an Oriental ahead.

New tin, tried with a virgin cob. Pleasing look when opening tin, nice scent. Easy to pack right away - no drying. Lit easily after initial char and required almost no relights (not till toward the end), just gentle tamps and light puffs. I’m a fan of English blends and lower nicotine and this was a light and easy smoke. Perfect with some iced decaf. update Nov 29, 2022: More bowls smoked in various pipes. Love it. Have already cellared more tins!