Tsuge Premium Pipe Tobacco Ryujin - The Dragon God
(2.83)
Ryujin (the dragon god) is a medium-to-full-bodied blend of especially sweet Virginias married with the deep smokiness of latakia and the spiciness of Acadian Black (a rare fire cured, fermented tobacco made in the same way as perique). Robust in body and taste, Ryujin is in a league of its own.
Notes: Launched in 2014.
Details
| Brand | Tsuge Premium Pipe Tobacco |
| Series | Gods |
| Blended By | Mark Ryan |
| Manufactured By | Drew Estate |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Latakia, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.83 / 4
|
Reviews
Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2017 | Strong | None Detected | Full | Strong |
If you like dark, strong and wild, give it a try. The tin note is wonderful, and as a lover of Bayou Night, I thought I'd like it. But I found it an all out assault.
The base tobaccos (in this case, some VA) were m.i.a. The result, to me, was overwhelming. The cut is coarse with more than its share of uncut (looks like short filler cigar leaf) pieces.
It's blends like this that make me appreciate C&Ds burley hybrid blends, like BN and Habana Daydream. I also like the new Dunhill Englishes, for what they are. In either case, this one is off the map, a combination of strong spice tobaccos. Closest thing I can think of to compare it to is Billy Budd, which is one C&D blend I never liked. But that doesn't mean you won't like it, so I give it 2 stars.
The base tobaccos (in this case, some VA) were m.i.a. The result, to me, was overwhelming. The cut is coarse with more than its share of uncut (looks like short filler cigar leaf) pieces.
It's blends like this that make me appreciate C&Ds burley hybrid blends, like BN and Habana Daydream. I also like the new Dunhill Englishes, for what they are. In either case, this one is off the map, a combination of strong spice tobaccos. Closest thing I can think of to compare it to is Billy Budd, which is one C&D blend I never liked. But that doesn't mean you won't like it, so I give it 2 stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 22, 2017 | Very Strong | None Detected | Extra Full | Extra Strong |
Component Tobaccos: Bright Virginia, Acadian Perique and Latakia
Cut: Course Ribbon
Tin Note: Campfire smoke hits me in the face with underlying notes of vinegar and sugar.
Body: 8/10
Strength: 8/10
Nic: 6/10, sometimes this hit me hard on a full stomach, others it was fine even on an empty stomach.. so your mileage may vary.
Moisture From Tin: A little wet, but still smoke-able.
Mechanics: Smokes fine, no complaints. Cool, dry and easy smoking.
Taste:
At first this is a very sweet and smoky blend. The perique is peppery and begins to tickle the throat very early on, after just a few puffs. An acrid flavor begins to develop, it plays nice with the sweetness coming off of the Virginia. There is a lot of perique in this blend, almost to the point of overpowering.
The latakia starts to fade toward the halfway point in the bowl. The perique starts to become more figgy and the throat tickle is intense. I lose the Virginias. Occasionally I think I taste some grass or a bit of sweetness, but it's fleeting. I believe that they are helping greatly to balance this perique. What I have is a battle between the figgy, peppery perique and the cool, smoky latakia.
Thoughts:
I was really looking forward to trying this blend and the rest of the 'God' line from Tsuge, as I really enjoyed Raijin. This blend was a bit of a let down in that regard. It's not as complex and I was hoping for a level of complexity and depth. They were going for a full bodied English blend, and they (kinda) accomplished that, but by sacrificing what makes an English blend an English blend.
One of my biggest problems with traditional English blends is that they tend to lack body, body's not a problem here. As I said they accomplished the body goal. However, the latakia is not prominent enough to scratch that English itch. And this is my problem with this blend. I pick up an English blend for that nice smoky, leathery latakia flavor; maybe with a bit of sweetness from Cavendish or spice from a bit of perique. The perique is just too overpowering.
That's not to say it's all bad. The Virginias are great. They provide a nice balance to the perique and while the latakia is dialed back, it is still very good.
Overall: 6.5/10
Cut: Course Ribbon
Tin Note: Campfire smoke hits me in the face with underlying notes of vinegar and sugar.
Body: 8/10
Strength: 8/10
Nic: 6/10, sometimes this hit me hard on a full stomach, others it was fine even on an empty stomach.. so your mileage may vary.
Moisture From Tin: A little wet, but still smoke-able.
Mechanics: Smokes fine, no complaints. Cool, dry and easy smoking.
Taste:
At first this is a very sweet and smoky blend. The perique is peppery and begins to tickle the throat very early on, after just a few puffs. An acrid flavor begins to develop, it plays nice with the sweetness coming off of the Virginia. There is a lot of perique in this blend, almost to the point of overpowering.
The latakia starts to fade toward the halfway point in the bowl. The perique starts to become more figgy and the throat tickle is intense. I lose the Virginias. Occasionally I think I taste some grass or a bit of sweetness, but it's fleeting. I believe that they are helping greatly to balance this perique. What I have is a battle between the figgy, peppery perique and the cool, smoky latakia.
Thoughts:
I was really looking forward to trying this blend and the rest of the 'God' line from Tsuge, as I really enjoyed Raijin. This blend was a bit of a let down in that regard. It's not as complex and I was hoping for a level of complexity and depth. They were going for a full bodied English blend, and they (kinda) accomplished that, but by sacrificing what makes an English blend an English blend.
One of my biggest problems with traditional English blends is that they tend to lack body, body's not a problem here. As I said they accomplished the body goal. However, the latakia is not prominent enough to scratch that English itch. And this is my problem with this blend. I pick up an English blend for that nice smoky, leathery latakia flavor; maybe with a bit of sweetness from Cavendish or spice from a bit of perique. The perique is just too overpowering.
That's not to say it's all bad. The Virginias are great. They provide a nice balance to the perique and while the latakia is dialed back, it is still very good.
Overall: 6.5/10
Pipe Used:
Various
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking Pipes
Age When Smoked:
New tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 25, 2017 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
What a shame, the tobacco with the best "Tin" art, is only a mediocre smoke. I find this tobacco harsh but flavorful. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of the flavor, or the particular tobaccos used resulting in a strong Balkan/English,,, who knows? . If your into strong blends, no sweetness, and a "funky" tobacco flavor and scent, this is for you !
Agree with "Ducksbreath" & "Cantrell"
Agree with "Ducksbreath" & "Cantrell"
Pipe Used:
cob
Age When Smoked:
1 month
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2022 | Medium | None Detected | Very Full | Strong |
I was not a fan of this one as it is just too deep, dark and smoky for my tastes. The virginia may be as sweet as the description says, but its sweetness is cloaked in a lot of leathery latakia and heavy spice hits from the acadian black.
I never enjoyed a single bowl of this regardless of the vessel from which I smoked it; and I tried meer, morta, cob and briar. I found Morta gave me the best results FWIW, but I still can't say it was good. Finally I realized I needed to change it or donate it off, so I had some open Acadian Gold and decided to try a 50/50 mix and it was heavenly, so I ended up mixing the rest of it with the Acadian Gold and am now able to enjoy this.
I obviously am not recommending this blend, since I needed to cut it in half to enjoy it, but it did have some positive qualities in that it was well presented and performed well from beginning to end of the smoking session. It did not gum up the pipe, so for anyone who just can't get enough Latakia, this could be a great blend for you. If you like your blends lighter on the latakia, stay away from this one. It is a true Lat bomb!
I never enjoyed a single bowl of this regardless of the vessel from which I smoked it; and I tried meer, morta, cob and briar. I found Morta gave me the best results FWIW, but I still can't say it was good. Finally I realized I needed to change it or donate it off, so I had some open Acadian Gold and decided to try a 50/50 mix and it was heavenly, so I ended up mixing the rest of it with the Acadian Gold and am now able to enjoy this.
I obviously am not recommending this blend, since I needed to cut it in half to enjoy it, but it did have some positive qualities in that it was well presented and performed well from beginning to end of the smoking session. It did not gum up the pipe, so for anyone who just can't get enough Latakia, this could be a great blend for you. If you like your blends lighter on the latakia, stay away from this one. It is a true Lat bomb!
Pipe Used:
several
Age When Smoked:
5 yrs 10 mths
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12, 2019 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Very Strong |
Can I add 1/2 a star for the tin art??
To me, this was a pretty standard English. Campfire taste and smell, without a lot of complexity but also a quite satisfying smoke. I tried it when new and jarred the rest for later.
Now that it is winter, I found myself going through the cellar looking for some blends I might have not smoked in awhile. This was one of them.
Easy to pack and light. It puffed along in my Radiator without a complaint as I listened to some jazz on a dreary day. Smoked down to nice ash without a lot of moisture in the Radiator tank.
Is it exciting enough to go out of my way to get more? No, not really.
To me, this was a pretty standard English. Campfire taste and smell, without a lot of complexity but also a quite satisfying smoke. I tried it when new and jarred the rest for later.
Now that it is winter, I found myself going through the cellar looking for some blends I might have not smoked in awhile. This was one of them.
Easy to pack and light. It puffed along in my Radiator without a complaint as I listened to some jazz on a dreary day. Smoked down to nice ash without a lot of moisture in the Radiator tank.
Is it exciting enough to go out of my way to get more? No, not really.
Pipe Used:
Radiator and Canadians
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
fresh from tin to 1 year
target="_blank"
