Peterson Wild Atlantic

I have just started smoking pipes as of December 10 2018. Been a chain smoker for over 24 years, the last 5 years being a "roll your own cigarettes" aficionado. Eventually smoking cigarettes was lost to me as I can't seem to find joy anymore in tobacco indulgence.

Enter Pipe Smoking, the original art of tobacco appreciation. And to cut the story short, I have been adjusting to life as a full time pipe smoker and abandoned cigarettes altogether. The first big mistake I did was to chug on an Aromatic (Mac Baren Cube Silver) like a cigarette which left me with a destroyed tongue for over two weeks, LOL.

And so the hunt began. I tried many type of blends. From straight Virginia to Burleys. And then I tried Erinmore Supreme Latakia - and I was hooked. I was also hooked to Captain Black Original. Switching between the two on regular basis for daily smokes. The thing is, I found the Erinmore SL - I can't smoke it as frequent as I wanted to - it's somewhat one dimensional feel which I find to be less enjoyable by the third puff done for the day. Captain Black on the other hand, being an Aromatic Virgina, from time to time still give my ever sensitive tongue nagging bites. Besides, I think it's somewhat a bit to sweet at times for a smoke on hot weather condition like where I live. Don't get me wrong, I love both - just that I can't chug on them as frequent as I wanted to.

Enter SM Squadron Leader, I got myself an aged SL in exchange for a partially used Devil's Holiday (which I found even sweeter than Captain Black). In SL I found the balance I seek. However there's this one problem with the price point. My intention for my primary tabac would mean that I need to smoke at least 300gm of them every month. So SL isn't that very economical to me

Then......there's Wild Atlantic. What caught my eyes first was the price point. Roughly similar (or perhaps a tad cheaper) than Erinmore SL. And so after reading the reviews here and getting some feedbacks from fellow pipers, I pulled the trigger on 4 pouches of WA. And that's probably one of the best decision I ever made in my life as a Pipe Smoker. WA to me gave the full Day to Day English experience. It is mildly sweet and smokey, it is definitely smoother than Erinmore SL, it offers the refined edges Squadron Leader are famed for. It is not a palette bomb, which makes it so easy for all day long indulgence for Latakia addict like me. Yes, as I typed this, I have just finished another greatly satisfying bowl of WA. For the record, I have aired the pouch contents for over 1 hour before smoking them - as my tongue does not respond well to moist tobacco. Not that WA is a very moist tabac in itself, but it does help to tone it to my liking. I am sure there are many refined or exquisite Balkan/English/Orientals offering out there, but at this price-to-value ratio, nothing can beat this nondescript Peterson's Wild Atlantic..... 😀

Great taste and mild, but a stronger version of Presbyterian I think. However I have to lit it up again and again. I tasted bread, apple flavour from it

Well, well... wild... It all boils down to what you expect to find in a "wild" tobacco, not to mention an Atlantic one at that. One would expect from an Irish company selling a wild Atlantic tobacco something that brings to the mind and to the palate scents of winds, waves, cliffs, salt, iodine, even notes of citrus or spices. You will find none of that in that blend. It's not wild and it's not Atlantic, in the way a fine single malt whisky might be. That being said, it's not a bad blend. To me it's a tamed down version of the Dunhill Early Morning Pipe. Same kind of smell and taste, but in the least wild way. It's definitely harsher, the ash is flakier (use a large pipe if you don't want to play your own version of Vesuvius' ashes covering Pompeii), the taste is less complex. The name is misleading, to say the least.

Reminiscent of D.P.E. (Levitt & Pierce) Cambridge MA (USA) Although, not a cube cut. Easy to load & light, medium to fine cut, burns quickly out-of-doors. Not wet, perfect moisture content and ready to smoke directly from the pouch. I will definitely keep some on-hand.

This is completely new review for May 2021 on tasting some old cellared pouches. Obviously we have a good quality 'English' mixture which generally behaves well and burns easily, but the importance of this one is the strength of the oriental element, which is higher than you might have expected, giving a marked dry spiciness which you will love or hate. I LIKE that spice for a change every now and then, but it can easily become too much if the pipe is smoked too quickly, at which point it becomes an annoying hot peppery overlay to everything else. Gives of its best when slightly dry. Take it easy, and you have a good English with interesting spices!

-It's in fact a mild English blend

-I feel some hay like notes perhaps coming from Virginia and some very mild note like walnuts which are really pleasent

-I like mild English blend like Dunhill early Morning so Peterson Wild Atlantic can fit in my daily rotation

-I personally highly recommend this blend if you like mild English blends

Peterson - Wild Atlantic

Neither feral nor turbulent, nor quite natural.  It's tame really but I like the image its name evokes.  *Balkan* latakia??  Okay.  Its a fine ribbon almost shag touting a bag note of leather and dulce de leche.  For cheap tobacco in a bag I'm impressed.  This seems somewhat comparable to the Wessex Tradition I wrote about a couple weeks ago, but here the flavors aren't as bold or distinct and there's more topping.  The topping is like a spicy liquorice, anise I suppose, it's not strong but is noticeable.  The blend wants to smolder and at that pace I can catch some virginia.  Abuse it some and the hay goes away, and it becomes a mildly leathery spicy beast, I like it better at this pace.  Nicotine hit just approaches medium at most.  Pairs well with coffee (but what tobacco doesn't, right?)  Would make a decent first bowl or all day smoker, which I suspect was the main idea here.  This one exceeded my expectations.

I'm just not seeing it gentlemen, the four star rating I mean. Every component of this blend is bland. This is well behaved tobacco but very uninteresting, kind of like my brothers kids. I like a "generous amount of latakia" but only token amounts in this blend it seems. Once you get through the first third there is really nothing left to look forward to other than some common Virginia with subtle amounts of condimental leaf. For a similar but much tastier and more interesting pouch, get some John Bull.

Wasn't too sure what to expect when I obtained this, however exceedingly grateful I did. Tobacco is neither too moist, nor too dry straight from the pouch, takes a light readily, and the flavour is very soon discernible.

A really enjoyable all-day smoke, and one that Peterson seem to have got right, having had a few misses with some of their other recent offerings.

So wholeheartedly recommended.