Seattle Pipe Club Deception Pass

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.

This is a wonderfully complex, delicious and satisfying blend with sweetness, fruitiness, and a touch of spice. Adding some age only makes it more so. It’s one of my daily go-tos.

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!

Tin note is quite pungent sour citrus and grass smells. Sort of a thick ribbon of small pieces. the tobacco packs very easily and the moisture content is perfect. The aged Virginias are the most prominent flavor and bring quite a bit of natural sweetness to the blend hay, grass, sweet citrus. The perique brings the fig raisin spice flavors and the Orientals provide a back note of spice. This is quite a complex blend with lots of different flavors. I suggest a deep bowl not to wide as it burns fairly quickly and stoves as its smoked. As you progress though the bowl the flavors change and develop. strength and nic hit are medium. The room note is quite strong. Not sure I would smoke this al day but I would smoke more than one bowl.

This is a very unique Va-Per. True to the other Seattle Pipe Club blends, its base is deep, rich red Vrginias, which provide the considerable depth I find in this brand. The Virginias add a plummy, earthy quality to the smoke, and a depth not often found in the Va-Pers I've smoked. The black Cavendish highlights the sweetness of the Virginias and adds considerable fullness to the smoke. There are bright Virginias as well. My first batch was heavy with them, and they provided a wonderful lemony, grassy quality. It is much more subdued in my second tin, a year later. I miss them. Added to this are the orientals, which add tartness, and the occasional zing of the Perique. This is the deepest, richest and most varied Va-Per I've smoked. It still has the lightness of other virginias, but with considerable more body. It could be an all day smoke, but I appreciate it more on its own on a warm summer's night. One of my favorites.