Vauen No. 15 English Blend

The Lat and Orientals combine to create the lead notes of smoke and sour wood. Not far behind are the fruity notes of the Virginias and Perique. They also provide a little tart sweetness and a mild spice. The Burley lends a little nuttiness to the background. This is a very solid smoke. Taste more like a traditional English than an American English as the Burley stays to the rear. 3 stars. If this field weren't so crowded it might rate higher.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in taste. No added flavoring. Burns very well.

Upon opening the tin you will be greeted by *wet* tobacco, its only short from dripping. Worse than any Lake Land tobacco. It has been suggested that this stems from the fact that this blend is only 25g packed in a 50g tin which otherwise probably would dry out too easily. But also you will be greeted by a nice english type smell and a dark brown to black tobacco mixture - it is indeed nice on the eye.

Another beef many smokers have with this blend is its price. But if you calculate the 25g up to 50g you will see that it is not any more expensive than any other english blend.

On with the positive:

After you let it dry properly this blend lights up and burns very well with almost no effort. In the beginning of the bowl the taste is rather mild but it develops over time and gets richer. It has a dark earthy sweetness to it which, in my opinion, is nicely balanced. The latakia comes along nicely, and while in the foreground it is far from overpowering. It is a good entry to the world of english blends and i recommend it that way. For the experienced smoker it is an excellent every day smoke. The burley and orientals are only there in traces. Both strength and taste of the blend is mild to medium. The room note is dominated by the smokiness of the latakia. The smoke is very smooth and tongue bite will not ocure even when smoked too hastely and hot.

This is one of *the* most underrated german blends. I am tempted to give it a 4 star rating, but objectively its neither a classic blend nor a true must-need-to-know tobacco. But, if you can get hands on it definatly give it a try, my guess is you wouldn't be disappointed.