Seattle Pipe Club Deception Pass

Sweet, smooth, creamy with sweet waves of flavor from the Oriental/Turkish. I keep coming back for this one as has a different profile from other VaPers

This is one of the first blends I've had that made me immediately want another bowl as soon as I'd finished. Tastes sweet and bready, with wonderful tangy and sour notes to balance it out. Notes of pumpernickel bread and balsamic vinegar, molasses cookies. Smokes very easily and has just the right amount of nicotine. Goes great with coffee! Perhaps not as complex as some other blends out there but it is deceptively intriguing.

Only two bowls in but I like doing early on reviews because first impressions usually determine whether I will stay with a blend or not. I like this. It is a sweet start and mild throughout. The blender makes the ingredients known and as most I would say that it is Va forward but with all of the ingredients working well together to make a mild and flavorful smoke. I did find however that it required a few relights and reuires more than average pipe cleaner passes. I found the burn aroma to be pleasant enough but the lingering note to be typical of Va/Per type blends (somewhat spicy and pungent), I am not a mixed company smoker but I doubt you would get a lot of complaints if you did. The smoke volume is medium. I am not sure yet whether this will make it into my regular rotation or not but in all likelihood it will not be something that is around forever anyway, that being said, if you want to try this excellent blend, you had better not wait too long. As I continue through the tin I will try to remember to come back and update. Hope this helps.

I am down grading my original 4 star to 3 because after several more bowls I feel there is not enough complexity in the blend to warrant 4. This does not mean that it is not a very good blend though, it is! Sweet, consistent, and a good any time of day blend. I hope I am wrong about it not being available for years to come and that if I decide to make it a regular it will be there when I want it.

Very nice tin art. The tobacco is cut in ribbons of light and medium brown and darker hues. It smells vinegary, all natural otherwise, with no other detectable added flavor. It smells nice to me, very much like the McClelland’s signature smell.

Initially I was not very enthusiastic about Deception Pass. It did not taste like a Va/Per nor did I taste much of the Orientals. Actually it seemed like the major flavor component was the unflavored Black Cavendish and moreover I did not seem to get much flavor out of it anyway. On the other hand there was nothing to not like in Deception Pass, pure tobacco of good quality, nothing sharp, no bad taste, just not a traditional Va/Per and not very tasty either. It also burned well, had medium strength, good nicotine content. So I continued smoking and slowly it kind of grew on me.

I came to realize it is a subtle blend, not a flavor bomb, but a very agreeable tobacco with considerable sweetness reminiscent of McClellands 5100 which comes out especially when sipped. Of course it is not as flavorful as 5100 but a similar taste does come out. It is mingled with unflavored black Cavendish and a touch of flowery Orientals. Now Perique could possibly contribute to the taste but I cannot distinguish it from black cavendish.

If you’re looking for yet another Va/Per, Deception Pass is not something I would recommend as it barely qualifies as a Va/Per. Yet I would recommend it if you’re looking for good, subtle tobacco based on red Virginia and unflavored black cavendish with a touch of oriental spice.

Among Seattle pipe club blends, Deception Pass is not as famous as the other two: Mississippi River and Plum pudding; however, the latter are latakia involved, DP is a Vaper with oriental with unsweetened cavendish, which blend in good balance as a result of smooth, sweet and sour flavors. May be the best among the three IMO. I jarred several oz to see how it ages.

Given to me as an aged to sample. A solid three star, I don't see it getting any better or worse. Good enough to smoke on occasion when I don't feel like something aromatic. Leaves a wonderful peppery aftertaste reminiscent of a cigar. Packs easy and isn't hard to keep lit. I will enjoy the rest of my sample.

With all the recent SPC hype I was very excited to try this blend as it is one of their only blends without latakia. While the tobacco is of very good quality I was not very impressed. To me there was just to much going on with this blend. I would really enjoy it at certain points during the smoke then it would go off a flavor cliff in another direction. It did not seem to have an identity or particular direction and was often times overly sweet for me.

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.