The Country Squire Tobacconist Pilgrim's Muse
(3.38)
A Scottish-styled mixture, Pilgrim’s Muse is perfect for those that love a nuanced Latakia. Naturally sweet, ready rubbed and flue-cured Virginias blend with light Burley, Latakia, and Exquisite Turkish Tobaccos to form a complex smoke that will give the contemplative pipe smoker hours of cheer. Pilgrim’s Muse is best enjoyed by pipe smokers that are comfortable “sipping” their pipe and enjoying a single bowl for a long period of time. A complex and rewarding smoke!
Notes: This blend was formerly named Bag End as part of Country Squire's Middle Earth series.
Released 2013.
Details
| Brand | The Country Squire Tobacconist |
| Series | Fantasy South |
| Blended By | Jon David Cole |
| Manufactured By | The Country Squire |
| Blend Type | American |
| Contents | Burley, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Coarse Cut |
| Packaging | bulk |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.38 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 13 of 13 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Very middle of the road smoke. The burley comes out with the nuttiness, and the Turkish added a bit of spice to it, maybe a little pepperiness like perique would normally provide. The latakia is extremely muted. This would be a fantastic corncob blend, and I have yet to try it in a churchwarden. There's nothing that stands out in particular to me, but it is quite pleasant to smoke.
Pipe Used:
Billiard
PurchasedFrom:
The Country Squire
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 12, 2023 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
This is the second Country Squire blend I decided to try and I'm glad I did. Their site lists it as a Scottish blend, TR has it as an American. Classification is not set in stone on some of this stuff, but with the use of the burley and Virginia I tend to think of it as an American and it fits in that part of my rotation. The blend smells good out of the bag and needed no dry time. It was easy to light and keep going. When I first started the smoke I could make out the characteristics of the components. The Virginia was mildly sweet, the Turkish gave me that sour soda like taste and the burley had the usual nutty taste. As the bowl progressed the individual flavors were hard to pick out, it had morphed into one tasty flavor. It burned clean to a fine ash and the room note was ok. Nobody's going to come in and think you were baking cookies, but they probably won't be overwhelmed by the smell. Overall a decent smoke that I will probably buy again.
Pipe Used:
La Rocca Ravina
PurchasedFrom:
The Country Squire
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 24, 2022 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
With my expectations adjusted this just barely slides onto base for three stars.
First off, where's the Latakia? At least in the bag I received it is nearly imperceptible. So much for the description extolling its virtues as a blend "perfect for the Latakia lover." I also had the same reaction as Peterson314 who said "This blend did not have the complexity and depth that I expected."
The chunky broken flakes have an appearance similar to certain Mac Baren and Amphora tobaccos. Most of my first bowls did not provide a three star experience for me, but things improved when I tried it in a wide 1" bowl (an old pre-Lane Charatan pot). That allowed some of the missing complexity to emerge. Next I tried it in a 7/8" wide Vauen Luxus with 9mm filter and that was also pretty good, though the filter mellowed and softened the blend somewhat (especially on the retrohale), so it depends on what you're after. I also tried cube cutting with kindling on top but that didn't make much of a difference.
While the dominant character of the blend for me is the rather nondescript white Burley, I'd say the sweetness of the Virginia is the one saving grace. The Turkish does't add much top note but does provide a pleasing mid-palate presence with hints of sourdough and even grapefruit rind (others have mentioned a citrusy component but for me it is not a juicy citrus, more of a dried citrus rind taste). The Latakia is MIA,
Since three of the four ingredients don't really develop significantly or improve with age I don't think setting it aside in the cellar will help. But that's exactly what I'm going to do, just in case a miracle happens!
Even at its best, in a wide bowl, I have many other blends to choose from with more complexity, more Latakia, or both. And if I want a softer Scottish style blend I much prefer Wilke 436.
Honestly, I think before putting this blend in the press a pinch of stoved Virginia like Sutliff 507 would have bumped up the flavor and complexity a notch. But then the blend wouldn't be as subtle or understated if that really was the intention.
First off, where's the Latakia? At least in the bag I received it is nearly imperceptible. So much for the description extolling its virtues as a blend "perfect for the Latakia lover." I also had the same reaction as Peterson314 who said "This blend did not have the complexity and depth that I expected."
The chunky broken flakes have an appearance similar to certain Mac Baren and Amphora tobaccos. Most of my first bowls did not provide a three star experience for me, but things improved when I tried it in a wide 1" bowl (an old pre-Lane Charatan pot). That allowed some of the missing complexity to emerge. Next I tried it in a 7/8" wide Vauen Luxus with 9mm filter and that was also pretty good, though the filter mellowed and softened the blend somewhat (especially on the retrohale), so it depends on what you're after. I also tried cube cutting with kindling on top but that didn't make much of a difference.
While the dominant character of the blend for me is the rather nondescript white Burley, I'd say the sweetness of the Virginia is the one saving grace. The Turkish does't add much top note but does provide a pleasing mid-palate presence with hints of sourdough and even grapefruit rind (others have mentioned a citrusy component but for me it is not a juicy citrus, more of a dried citrus rind taste). The Latakia is MIA,
Since three of the four ingredients don't really develop significantly or improve with age I don't think setting it aside in the cellar will help. But that's exactly what I'm going to do, just in case a miracle happens!
Even at its best, in a wide bowl, I have many other blends to choose from with more complexity, more Latakia, or both. And if I want a softer Scottish style blend I much prefer Wilke 436.
Honestly, I think before putting this blend in the press a pinch of stoved Virginia like Sutliff 507 would have bumped up the flavor and complexity a notch. But then the blend wouldn't be as subtle or understated if that really was the intention.
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