Tobaccos Robert McConnell - Glen Piper

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HCraven (11)	2014-07-11		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Glen Piper is something of an unusual tobacco, though in the best possible sense of the word. It is generally referred to as an aromatic, which I think is accurate, though in the context of most aromatics on the market today the term might be a bit misleading, leaving smokers who really fancy those other blends scratching their heads or shrugging their shoulders, while simultaneously putting off people who turn their noses up at anything of the sort. While the largest portion of my personal rotation consists of English blends, Virginias, VaPers and some Burleys, I've been smoking a fair bit of this lately and I think it deserves a little more press than it gets, so I'd like to share my impressions of it with you in the hopes that you not miss out on something you might enjoy.

First off, I have to say that I am disppointed that McConnell (or should I say K&K) has chosen to change the label from the traditional pastoral scene to a generic-looking lime green label with the name in a rather plain font. I assume that as with many European tinned tobaccos, they've modified the design to allow for the obnoxiously specious “Smoking Kills” warning that it seems by law must occupy at least half of the label. I think it detracts from the value of the brand somehow, robbing it of the history that we pipe smokers value. I have similar misgivings about Planta's changes to the James J. Fox labels. It's a minor complaint, though, so long as the blends retain their high quality, which is something I think Kohlhase & Kopp are dedicated to, if not so much to preserving the graphic art.

Once you take off the lid, however, you are greeted with the site of a beautifully colorful, ready-rubbed tobacco that might put one in the mind of an English mixture if it weren't for the rich, sweet aroma of fermented fruit that foreshadows the unique delights to be soon savored in the pipe. The skillful blending of Virgina, Cavendish, Honeydew and Perique, along with their subsequent pressing and flavoring, really do carry this experience through to the tongue, unlike many aromatics whose sweet aroma seems to be only of benefit to bystanders, with a flavor that may still be pleasant but different to the smoker.

From the tin, the tobacco benefits from perhaps fifteen minutes of air time before packing, though it seems it would lose something if allowed to dry too much, so you might want to load your pipe before it gets to the point where it doesn't stick together at all. I am not of the impression that much if any PG is added to this blend to retain moisture, which is unusual for an aromatic, and it will dry quickly in the open and faster than you'd think in it's rectagular tin. I'd recommend jarring this almost immediately if you don't think you'll burn through it in a week or less. The upside is that there is no sign of PG's funkiness in the taste or goop in the heel of your pipe. Packing is a no-brainer given the near-perfect cut, and I've had no trouble lighting and maintaining a good burn even with a little extra moisture.

To me, the aforementioned flavor of fermented fruit is the mainstay of this tobacco, but the rich Virginia base is there in spades as well, which not only makes this aromatic smoke more like a traditional flake or mixture, it adds a real depth to the flavor that is often lacking in Burley- or Black-Cavendish-based aros, where the flavor seems to sit on top and easily goes flat or even sours toward the end of a bowl. In my experience, the fruit flavor holds firm throughout, though the Virginia comes on just a little stronger in the end. Overall, the component tobaccos are well-balanced to do their job together, rather than taking individual bows, and give a consistent mild to medium flavor. It can nip a little if overpuffed, but it's not as finicky as you might expect. Nicotine may well leave you wanting if you require a healthy dose.

Personally, I'd highly recommend this tobacco. It's a unique smoke, in my experience, something to be enjoyed after dinner, perhaps, like a good dessert, or anytime you'd like a nice change of pace, a mild yet flavorful smoke, or a tobacco that others in the room could appreciate without having to compromise too much. I get a sense of history from this blend, as though more aromatics were once made in a similar fashion before the advent of heavy artificial flavorings and the humectants necessary to keep them from evaporating away, although I've learned since I originally wrote this review that Glen Piper was introduced around 1974, well into the era of modern aromatics. If you do try it, come to it with an open mind, as I think false expectations may lead to a less than satisfactory impression of it. It may not be on the top of everyone's list of favorite tobaccos, but I do think it has something for everybody to enjoy, at least occasionally. My overall rating: four stars / highly recommended as an aromatic, three stars / recommended among all styles.

It may be worth devoting a pipe to if you like it, as I could see it distorting the taste of a subtle Virginia flake smoked from the same appliance while Glen Piper itself has a somewhat delicate flavor that could be destroyed by a Latakia or heavy aromatic ghost.

Pipe Used: GBD Rockroot Canadian, Savinelli Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes & Pleasures, Columbus, OH

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2082)	2014-04-26		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Robert McConnell - Glen Piper.

A broken flake that's just on the cusp of being a ribbon. None of it needs a further rubbing. The unlit aroma from it's heavenly, sweet, a little fruity, and alcoholic; like Christmas pudding! The pieces are all dark and medium brown.

Glen' lights easily, burns even and steady, without necessitating much maintenance. Although, it has a propensity to burn too warm; bite-free, but warm. So that's the mechanical traits dealt with, on to the flavour: delicious. The toppings, as implied by the unlit aroma, give a taste reminiscent of Christmas pudding: sweet, fruity, rummy, and rich. The black Cavendish and Virginia form quite a common 'aromatic' tobacco flavour. There seems to be some equivocation as to whether or not Perique's been included, but I can notice a delicate wisp, next to a touch of Kentucky; these two fill out the smoke. In all, though, Glen Piper seems to be more about the casings than the tobaccos.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: nice.

If it weren't for the mechanics I'd slap four stars on this. Alas, it could behave better! Three stars:

Somewhat recommended.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Various UK retailers

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2011-12-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Oh this is nasty.

Very nasty.

That's one helluva damnation Mr RH I hear you cry.

This tobacco has a nasty aftertaste that creeps up on you when you aren't looking. There's a chemical in this tobacco that I swear has been obtained from old WW2 MOD stockpiles bought up by somebody called Robert McConnell just to get even with the English for Culloden.

It's the sort of aftertaste you associate with those godawful sugar free drinks that only women and children seem to enjoy.

Oh yeah, the tobacco looks innocuous enough, hiding its evil secret in a somewhat floral (albeit chemically enhanced) alcoholic scent.

It's a little swine to keep alight and just as vile in any type of pipe. I couldn't finish a bowl of this poison, I was glad when it went out.

Surprisingly, the was no complaint from the anti-tobacco faction in this house. Indeed I have claimed in the past to have had no sense of room note but this stuff seems to cling to the walls, the carpets and the curtains like dentist gas that nearly killed me in as a kid back in 1965.

This is the first tobacco since I started several years ago to make me cough. This is the sort of stuff to drive me back to cigarettes.

I'm ditching what's left of this tobacco into the darkest depths of the bin. If Samuel Gawiths had leftovers after making Celtic Talisman it would taste like this.

You didn't like it then Mr RH ?

Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaarggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh,

Haha.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2016-07-07		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Ready-rubbed cut (ribbony but not quite ribbons) mottled but mostly darker mixture with a horribly disconcerting tin aroma of a fruit basket. Mostly darker fruits but also some apricot. Perhaps some type of liquor scent as well. No evidence of chocolate or perique in the tin bouquet. I've smelled this aroma in various pipeshop "house blends" that turned into flavor disasters but this is a Robert McConnell creation so I soldiered on.

At tin moisture, this was overly fruity tasting but still pretty decent, with the fruit playing well with the tobacco flavors. As I get much more flavor from drier Virginias, I dried this to various levels and got the best results when it was very dry. At that point, the Cavendish receded in potency and the natural Virginia sweetness and crispness became dominant. Interestingly the chocolate flavor was more in evidence when dried. I can't say I ever tasted perique, even during the snorking process - no nose or throat tickle - and the persistence of the fruity Cavendish hid perique's dark fruit and pepper quite nicely. But its inclusion makes sense, as K&K has added it to several blends that didn't originally have it in order to restore the flavor to the state in which McConnell devised it. And again, I'm not as sensitive to perique in small doses as I am latakia, so it's inclusion is not as obvious as the latakia is in Presbyterian or the lack of latakia in something like Provost. As to what is obviously here, even when dried the fruit flavor is a bit over the top for me. It's smokable and I actually enjoyed it, but smoking too much of this would wear me out, the same way eating too much chocolate cake would. This is good as an occasional smoke, as it's not a nicotine powerhouse, it holds a light well and it's got that "special flavor". Worth a try to Virginia lovers looking for some aromatic pleasure or for aromatic smokers who might like to taste tobacco instead of just flavorings.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2008-12-05		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

GP is exactly what the label describes: a (very) light aromatic, in the English way (but not in the Lakeland?s soapy fashion). As Tantric wrote: polite and discreet ? with nice room aroma. Frankly, I don?t detect dried fruits or figs. I taste a winey and flowery (think to Sauvignon blanc) mild smoke, not much ?substantial? (in the sense of big volume) and slightly peppery, but nothing to do with Perique. Black Cavendish has the main role, counterbalanced by the the herbal bright Va?s. While smoking my mind runs to both Black and Gold? and Scottish Blend, seems they do share the same Black Cavendish. Leaves a pleasantly sweet watered mouth, and doesn?t ?wax? the palate nor bites unless you run. It?s quite moist in the tin ? like all the RmC?s (say it better: K&K), that?s it again: excess water paid for tobacco - but better not smoking it dried out.I have left a pipeful drying a couple of hour, that was a wrong choice, it?s going to bite me, and develops an unpleasant bitter note. (Somewhat) Recommended as a change of pace. That?s why I?m reviewing GP upon ending the first tin, instead of the second, as I usually do. I'm not running to buy a second one.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2003-05-30		Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

The reason the perique cannot be tasted is the fact there is no Perique in this blend. There is enough cased cavendish though to call this a light aromatic.

Plen Piper burns cool enough, but lacks depth and is too light on the nicotine to keep this piper satisfied.

This could easily be an all day smoke for those who enjoy aromatic blends. I think Virginia lovers will feel cheated regarding true tobacco flavor. But, if light and sweet sounds good, this may be the tobacco for you.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Burn-A-Briar (7)	2020-03-04		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This is my kind of aromatic pipe tobacco – a blend where the natural flavours of the tobacco are given a priority over the added flavours, which act to sweeten the blend.

The charring light offers an almost toasty taste and aroma, but after relighting one is met with a grassy, citrusy flavour which could be compared with that of Mac Baren’s Mixture: Scottish Blend. A little further down the bowl, a creamy sweetness develops; this sweetness I attribute to the Virginias, but the topping certainly acts to fortify this. I would not describe the added flavours as chocolate or rum, they are more like stewed fruit and there is perhaps a hint of whisky. What sets this blend aside from other good quality aromatics is the presence of Perique and Kentucky leaf. The Perique is subtle but can be enjoyed when retrohaling through the nose, whereas the Kentucky appears to take a back seat, providing a slight richness.

The nicotine is noticeable but of a medium level.

I believe that Glen Piper’s status as an aromatic could put off certain smokers who would potentially get a lot of enjoyment from this blend. The aromatic toppings are incredibly discreet, and I would liken them to sugar-water splashed onto the tobacco once blended. It offers a naturally sweet smoke and makes for a welcome break when one tires of the smoke of Latakia and Oriental tobaccos.

Pipe Used: Peterson Aran 03

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Dunhill Tobacco of London Ltd.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain Casual (21)	2019-08-17		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Glen Piper is an easy to like, gentle aromatic blend. I get some slight grassy and citrus-y hints, presumably from the Virginia, but the blend is far more characterized by the Cavendish and the flavouring.

Those two components create a lovely flavour akin to chocolate pudding, with some hints of alcohol. Even more lovely is that they've managed this without the blend becoming overly sweet!

As you puff along and approach the second half of the bowl, you might find that things become a bit more spicy, which would be the Kentucky and (Apparently) Perique coming into play.

It burns cleanly and doesn't get too hot (Though if you DO smoke it too hot, i've found that this one will bite). In terms of moisture out of the tin, it comes just about ready to smoke, perhaps ever-so-slightly on the moist side of things.

Bit of a shame about the tin art, which was replaced by a solid green colour on the tin due to the obligatory "Smoking doesn't please politicians"-sticker, but then, i'm reviewing the tobacco, not the packaging.

Overall, i quite like this blend. Definitely one of the nicer Aromatics i've smoked.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Cigarworld.de

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dieubussy (7)	2010-06-19		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Ordered a tin from my dealer in Germany, very different from the one in the picture above: it seems like the McConnell brand has shifted to a more generic presentation. My disappointment towards the tin decoration was heavily compensated by the configuration of what was inside. This mixture has an impressive cut, some pieces still as large as the size of the original flake; beautiful color and texture if you gently feel the tobacco in the hand. The smell is also quite unique and puzzling.

I enjoy smoking the tobacco in its original cut although I recommend opening the tin for a little while and let some air go through those broken pieces before filling the pipe as it will save your taste buds from a little bit of the sourness or discomfort in the tongue – which, I believe, is almost inevitable in the first few puffs out of each bowl filled with this particular blend.

This has been mentioned as a starter's smoke - not so true as far as I can see. The aromas build slowly in the mouth and in a fashion more discretely than most newcomers would want to accept and I no doubt read a few comments on it that attest my claim. The chocolate flavoring makes the smoke velvety while there is definitely the taste of spirits as the bowl progresses. This blend is also just in the right proportion of perique for my taste: although I can clearly understand how the taste of liquor in conjunction with this particular tobacco in the blend might come as slightly nauseating to some. The whole flavour is finished with vague hints of fruit.

For full enjoyment, this tobacco begs for slow puffing, as slow as possible which not only makes it the more delicious – making its mild aroma come to life – but also a long lasting experience added that the peculiar cut takes a long time to burn. Smoke it indoors and nowhere else.

(http://thedailypuffer.tumblr.com/)

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2008-04-13		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I tried this as I was told McConnells are good quality and I saw alot of good reviews here for GP. It is good, very good, I am still looking for the right pipe for this one. Fruity flavours, plums and port, a good desert baccy with a glass of vintage port as long as you haven't eaten too much...it is rich in taste and flavour. It does burn well for a aromatic and does still have a 'natural taste' to it with earthy tones. Recommend if you like dark dried fruits but dislike, cherry or blackcurrent aromatics. It is wet in tin but dries quickly...not much bite also.

Edit: Down to 3 stars, finished two tins off, it is a great baccy just misses that special extra something, buy a tin you won't be disappointed, it is a top quality aromatic. I could see this one aging well for an aromatic, praise indeed.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2019-02-13		Medium	Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This is a grand blend and a real treat. It’s not often you find a top shelf aromatic and it’s even more rare for an aromatic to contain Kentucky and Perique, in fact, I don’t think one exists other than this here gem. The topping is a complex sauce of stewed fruits and other mysterious flavors I can’t put my finger on but it works tremendously well with the underlying tobacco’s. Ya get some woody flavors from the Kentucky and pepper from the Perique which is delightfully noticeable in the retrohale. This is not an everyday blend but more of a treat but every time I smoke it I’m mesmerized by the wonderful flavors, this is a work of art, really. The nicotine is stronger than a typical Aromatic, is put it in the medium range but again this is not a typical aromatic. The room note is just superb. Another Essential blend from Robert McConnell.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkie (129)	2011-12-12		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

As others have noted, there isn't a lot of flavor with this blend. The leaf is good and it is a well-behaved smoke but I don't taste any trace of the rum/cocoa/chocolate/fruit. It smells like fermented fruit in the tin but it is simply flat when it is in the pipe. It isn't a bad blend but it doesn't measure up to other aromatics.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2004-02-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Soft, elegant, with notes of raisins, figs and dried fruit, yet not goopy or sugary. The Black Cavendish is there alright, but it is so polite and discreet that it does not overwhelm the delicate composition of this singular blend. Definitely an aromatic, this is not a cased tobacco. The flavor?faintly sweet and bitter?has been applied (topping) with utmost discretion, so that you never lose sight of the fact you are smoking pipe tobacco. Creamy and mellow, it has a slow burning rate which makes it a delight when reading or listening to music. Dark and light browns, some in broken flake form, a bit moist in the tin, this is essentially a Virginia/Cavendish composition, thoroughly enjoyable, and never tiring. Nice and inviting room aroma, too. With Larsen?s Selected Blend No. 80, this is one of the few aromatic tobaccos I really enjoy.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Great Mungulor (8)	2021-03-28		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

A strange one. I did not detect much chocolate, as others have said, however you are presented with the smell of raisins or plums with a dash of spirit (brandy... rum?) out of the tin. It needs a little bit of drying time, but not a lot. The taste is very mellow I found, the tobaccos blend very well together, giving a mild grassy taste. The topping is certainly mild, and presents the taste of a fruit based pudding (or 'desert' for the American pipe smokers here!). It really isn't a bad blend at all, but it isn't anything particularly special. It burns evenly and easily, leaving a nice grey ash , and is very unlikely to bite you unless you puff like a steam train. I somewhat recommend this blend to aromatic smokers, but it may still appeal to us English blend smokers as well due to the mildness of the toppings here.

Pipe Used: MM Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: GQ

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2016-06-23		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a flavoured mixture. There is casing and there is top dressing and I’m sure there are natural ingredients but also artificial substances. Three essential flavoring: perique, fruit and chocolate. Without any doubt, PERIQUE is present and you can taste it but it is not leading. From the side of the taste, FRUIT is evanescent, really vanishing and after opening the tin you can taste it only in the first and second smoke (maybe even in the third, but not later). For this reason fruit flavoring is only a topping and not a casing element. On the other hand CHOCOLATE is a component of the casing. On smoking, it is difficult to taste it, but you can smell the scent very well and it is always present. I don’t know if this is a black cavendish result but chocolate is certainly a flavoring ingredient. Finally not a bad mixture and not a great mixture. So, in my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 7 and two stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2004-05-31		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I find it difficult to get enthusiastic about this Glen Piper. It has an odd tasting fruit topping that isn?t unpleasant, but I feel that it is used to hide the mediocre quality of the underlying Virginia leaf.

I found that I preferred to rub this out a bit further for a better burn, though it can just as easily be smoked as-is from the can. Moisture content was quite good as well. Rubbed out, it packed well into my narrow Va pipes with ease. It burns well and is easy to keep lit, a major plus for the newer pipester.

Initially, the fruit topping dominates. As you progress through the bowl, the topping seems to burn itself out, and the natural flavors of the tobacco begin to show through. The Cavendish blends well enough with the Va, but neither really has the gumption to take the lead. The Cavendish probably saves the day, as I really don?t believe that the Va could make it on its own. If not for the disappearance of the fruity topping, the smoke would be completely monochromatic.

I had a teacher in high school by the name of Glen Piper who had quite an influence on me, and I have fond memories of him. Too bad I can?t say the same for this Glen Piper. Maybe as a ?stepping stone? from aromatics to Va?s ? but even then, I think it would become tiresome fairly quickly. I can?t see this blend holding anybody?s interest through the whole 100g can ? 50g would be pushing it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (306)	2003-08-19		Very Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The German blender K&K has done a another nice job with this blend. The rubbed out mix of light VAs and black cavendish have a delightful, sweet tin aroma that it also present in the taste, aftertaste and receives rave reviews with respect to room aroma. It smokes cool without any hint of bite. However, I found that any VA tobacco taste was overshadowed by the casing. Since I normally don't choose strong aromatics for this reason, I really can't criticize the blend since it is clearly marked as an aromatic on the tin. If you prefer these types of blends, give it a try. Although one of the better of the limited number of aromatics that I've tried, I'll probably only revisit this blend for situations where the room aroma is more important than my ultimate, personal pleasure.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2022-05-24		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Glen Piper is a fine aromatic tobacco with a pleasant top note and a little bit of natural tobacco taste.. Pretty light in the strength department.. and although it burns slow enough it had a tendency to bite a bit. The cocoa/booze or whatever it is seems to be the main attraction and it is applied tastefully enough.. the toasty cavendish somewhat overwhelms the virginia.. while the Kentucky and perique though barely detectable do leave a trace in the retrohale.. the first part of each bowl was pretty pleasant for me.. almost evoking a rum raisin effect and something old fashioned in a pleasant way.. as the bowl continues, it loses my interest to an extent.. and doesn't agree very well with the tongue even when sipped.. the flavors are pleasant but subdued.. but if you like a light smoke with pleasant flavor, and you don't mind cavendish taking the drivers seat I would recommend trying this.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	taki (12)	2022-03-02		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's not a beautiful blend... I got two tin to give a try, believing the reviews read here, but, after a smoke or two, I have been sorry to give money for this. On the other way, I learned for the nth time in my smoking life, that if you don't prove by yourself a tobacco, you cannot tell if you really like it or not.

Anyway, openning tin it was a sniff mainly of vanilla and chocolate, coming out, overwhelming any other odour, synthetic aromas that go away after three or four puffs and rests some indefinite smell going along the half ball. Going down on the second half, one can detect some pepery taste --maybe Perique?-- that makes it less boring.

The nic-hit is mild, but --beware!-- it's prone to severely burn tongue, if puffing enough hard. (Gave a nip to me, though I use to smoke slowly...)

The blend is no dump right out of tin; it can be packed immediately, without tamping too much, easy lighting and fairly fast to the end, without gooping the heel of the pipe, nor leaving dumpish dottle, thus burns hot.

Conclusion: IMHO, the blend is overpowered by synthetic aromas, burns fast and hot, somehow boring before peppery taste comes out, to break down routine, nic-hit is light, but virginias can give a tongue nip, if not careful to puff. I can't tell if it's leaf is of great quality, but lacks satisfaction on smoking it. I got three full pipes, but now, before getting rid of it, I'm re-mixing it with another blend ("Italia", a popular product, made blending 4 tobaccoes, all growing in Italy - not a very good one, but not aromatic) on 50-50 proportion, hoping to lessen these hating aromas...

Reccomended to none, exept some newbies, though have to be very careful to tongue-nip!

Pipe Used: "D"briars, Mastro, Sir Jacopo

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Esterval's DE

Similar Blends: Many aromatics.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	raybrown55 (46)	2021-01-18		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I stayed away from this for a long time, maybe because of the green tin color, that reminds me of mint, which I like as a beverage or as a cuisine ingredient, but not in my pipe. Well, I was wrong, no mint in this blend, but first class tobaccos with a wonderful topping of chocolate and something other (they say rum), a dark and creamy taste, perfect to me for the cold season; the cut is something mid way between the declared ready rubbed and the ribbon, anyway easy to fill the pipe and easy burning. For me a happy discover and from now on one of my favorites among aromatics

Purchased From: Tabaccheria Guzzi, Gorgonzola

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	loukas22 (1)	2019-05-26		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

New Smoker here. It has been 2 months since i started and i have tried quite a few different blends and brands. This one is weird for me. It burn fine and its easy to pack ( no drying needed) but it leaves a weird somewhat bitter after taste. The aroma is quite pleasant. Overall its just an OK smoke for me

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2015-10-28		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Unnoticeable

I got this one from my local b&m, thinking for some bizarre reason, that it was a plug. Darn it, I was disappointed when I opened the tin. Never mind, I don't think I need to have worried.

Upon opening the tin, I was amazed at how comfortably the tobacco fitted into the tin. Most offerings are either crammed into near oblivion while others leave enough space to conduct large scale nuclear warfare. This stuff, though, just nicely fills out the tin, without leaving any space and yet without looking cramped either. I think it's noticing stuff like this that kept me out of the really good jobs. The largely dark rubbings, with only the merest dash of occasional gold, smelled lovely too, very fruity. The tin note carries on in milder fashion into the smoke, continuing all the way down to the bottom. It does nicely step off the gas on odd occasions and allows the dark, earthy flavour of the tobacco underneath to rear it's head above the parapet. It does sometimes get a little rough but it's no real biggy.

After the disappointment of finding out it wasn't a plug, I have to say this stuff has redeemed itself reasonably well. It doesn't excite or thrill but it does soothe and calm relatively well. It isn't a classic by any means, but I would rank it amongst one of the better aromatics. I'm sure I'll treat myself to a tin sometime when I fancy a break from the norm.

Pipe Used: Finlays Laureate Knobby

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

Purchased From: Cuban Cigar Club

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-01-12		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This is one of my all time favorite aromatics. Its not heavily cased (i.e. a peterson aromatics), but just enough to let you know you are smoking an aromatic. do not let it stay in an opened tin for over a month because it dries out very quickly

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-09-05		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

The cavendish addition in this blend is somewhat high for my taste. Strength of it is just not enough for me. Packs and lights easily, and offers a light and sweet smoke. The aromatic lovers can smoke this all day. The VA lovers like me would look elsewhere for a true tobacco taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-08-17		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nutty, no tongue bite, mild in taste and nic... Room note is not overwhelming. Although the packaging (tin with a tight flexible plastic lid i/o the rectangular tin pictured above) seems odd against the traditional all aluminium tin with a seal, it does the trick. I tend to break it down into smaller pieces and let it air for 10 minutes. Gets smoked in a smaller-volume pipe, great for an easy but tasty shorter smoke.

I do wonder if I will still like this in years to come, I understand it is being marketed as a starter-tobacco, and I am only a starter (10 months as I write this review)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-01-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

My first McConnell mixture, and what an excellent one! I'm not sure how I would describe the room note, but the aroma reminds me at times of dried figs (or possibly dates), and, at other times, it reminds me of how my mother's house always smells at Christmas. I suppose that "holiday-cooking-and-baking-with-an-underlying-hint-of-holiday-greenery" is a bit awkward for a description, but that's about as accurate as I can be.

What makes this a truly exceptional tobacco is that, underneath the aroma and subtle flavour associated with the topping, I detect a quality tobacco which doesn't scorch my tongue.

If you like lightly scented tobaccos, give this a try!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2006-09-23		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

WOW!! This is great smoking tobacco! I have a cellar cabinet full of jarred and tinned tobacco. It seems I always grab this first. I smoke this with a glass of sangria on the back porch. Even my Jack Russels love the smell out of the tin. I have to keep it from them or they will eat it. Smoke is smooth with the taste of tobacco still there and a nice, not over bearing aroma. Quickly becoming one of my favorites.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2004-06-23		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

Glen Piper is one of the Robert McConnell lines that is supposed to represent high quality aromatics. Other blends in this group include Cherry Blossom, Black Honey and Kentucky Nougat. These blends rate as quite good, pretty good and good (respectively). So, I was expecting something better than the usual bland aromatic. This is a little better than your run-of-the-mill bulk aromatic, but not enough to make me buy more of it. Pretty generic, no tobacco flavor. Disappointing.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steden (100)	2021-12-28		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

My experience with this one mirrors that of Arkie: it’s a strange kind of Aromatic, the tin smell seems that of raisins soacked in Brandy rather than Rum. The smoke is smooth and biteless but the taste is really elusive: Rum, Perique, chocolate, fruits.... Totally missed! What I’ve got is an indistinct taste of Va/Cav where, unusually, the Cavendish attenuates the sweetness instead of increasing it. I detected just a hint of Kentucky here and there, but maybe just a suggestion. The room note is slightly boozy, not heavy but not so pleasant either.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: local tobacconist

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2020-06-07		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I recently had the pleasure of trying McConnell's Code Relax and was impressed enough to seek out more of their Aromatic mixtures. Glen Piper apparently delivers both chocolate and rum, so I was eager to open up the tin... only to find the sour raisen, earthy hay, smell I associate with most Virginias. So this was going to be a natural affair, and not what I would consider an Aromatic.

This rubbed out flake had chunky tendrils that felt great and smoldered in the bowl for a good duration. While I can't say what makes a Virginia "dark", either that or the Cavendish/Perique elevated things into what I'll call a 'thicker' smoke. It wasn't exactly richer in depth, but was certainly a notch meatier than your average nutty all Virginia blend, which was interesting as it's strength wasn't all that powerful. Alas, there was no chocolate or rum for me, so I'm calling false advertising on this one.

In the end it was a good quality product for the Virginia enthusiast wanting something with a tad more heft.

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-07-02		Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Disclaimer: this is the first 'aromatic' I have tried. Please note my inexperience with this type of blend.

Upon opening, the tin exudes the most wonderful aroma of dried apricots, raisins, figs and prunes. The casing has a natural quality to it, with no harsh or artificial notes. The cut is thick and chunky: entirely consistent with the 'broken flake' description given above. Some large pieces of flake appear in the tin intact, but for the most part this tobacco does not require rubbing out.

I had some difficulty keeping it lit, never quite managing to smoke a full bowl without relighting several times. Also, the thick cut made it difficult to tamp and caused it to burn rather unevenly. Perhaps my technique was at fault here!

The flavour is rather unidimensional and too mild for my taste. The contrast between light VA and black cavendish is obvious in the tin, but hardly detectable in the smoke. Same goes for the delightfully fruity casing. This may sound churlish, but I enjoyed sniffing this tobacco more than I enjoyed smoking it! It did not 'taint' my pipes, but it did leave a pleasant smell of apricots in the bowl for a while after smoking.

This blend makes me wish that tobaccoreviews.com used a five-point scale for recommendations. It does not claim to be anything more than a 'mild aromatic', so I feel bad giving it two stars. I do not, however, feel that it deserves three.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-08-06		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Found old tin and looks like the one pictured above.

A pleasant blend of good quality but wouldn't go out of my way to buy another tin.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-05-08		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

a great aromatic tobacco with the aroma of chocolate, fruits an maybe a liquor of some kind... this is my desert tobacco when i tired of latakia blends (but not the only one). great aromatic taste is even better with every new bowl.. highly recommended!!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-03-24		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

An agreeable light aromatic, which is certainly entertaining for those of us that do not regularly venture into this style of pipe weed. I rarely got the hint of chocolate and plums, as described by the manufacturer...strangely though...after reading imago's review below...I too tasted an underlying hint of holiday greenery. I believe that the combination of the peppery Perique, together with the topping/casing, provided for this. The Perique flavor is readily evident and its addition in this blend is confirmed on the K&K web site.

Recommended for a complete change of pace.

A companion infusion... Plum Sake or Japanese Umeshu...neat or on the rocks.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-09-06		Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

My first pass with this blend was right out of a fresh tin and was not plesant for me. The flavour was on the sour side and was unacceptable. After allowing it to dry out for a few hours my next attempt was much more plesant. This is a decent blend, however it lacks the strength and depth of flavour that I like. The room note is quite acceptable to others.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-03-31		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I thought I had found the best easy going aromatic in Alsbo Black but this is much better. I find some aromatics tend to be too sweet and sickly and I need to balance them out by alternately smoking virginias. With Glen Piper you don't need to do this. Even though it is an aromatic it is very lightly flavoured and therefore very easy going. It is the excellent midway point between a virginia tobacco and an aromatic. Furthermore no matter how hard I puff on it it will not bite my tongue.

I really am thinking about tearing up my list of "to try" tobaccos, both aromatic and virginia and just sticking with this one it is that good. It can be smoked all day at any time of the day.

The tobacco has a sweet dried fruit smell in the tin and is a bit sticky.

Ex-cigarette smokers beware, this tobacco is that mellow it is dead easy to inhale!

A big thumbs up to Robert McConnell from me.

UPDATE - I'm dropping this to three stars having replaced it as my regular smoke with MacBaren Mixture. Whilst Glen Piper is still an excellent mild aromatic smoke it is, to coin a cliche, "one dimensional" ie a bit boring after a while.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2006-08-28		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This isn't a bad tobacco. I can't taste the perique, (EDIT: OOPS! Because there IS no perique!) but the casing and the virginia work well together. This is something a Virginia lover can smoke around his wife, or the public, and not get any brow beatings. The virginia is nice and sweet, and the flavoring adds a tiny bit of bouquet, but the nice fruitiness is supplied by the virginias. It's fairly consistent through the entire bowl, though it can smoke hot if you don't take your time with it.

It's a classy smoke, but very, very mild. Somewhat rich, fairly satisfying. I'm not quite sure it's worth every penny they ask for it, but I'm surprised it's only got a few reviews. This should be a popular pipe tobacco.

If you've got good taste buds, you can taste the subtleties in this tobacco, and you'll enjoy them. If you're looking for a full-bodied smoke, I don't think this is the one pour vous.

This isn't quite my kind of thing, but I'd choose this any day of the week over a typical drug store blend.

DJM

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2006-08-26		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I am relatively new to pipe smoking and like many started with Aromatics. From there and after reading various reviews myself, I ventured into the world of trying many different blends from many different companies. Glen Piper was never in my choices because some of the reviews didn?t give it much praise. However, I had heard of it before I took to the pipe and knowing it is relatively popular, I decided to give it a go. Now. speaking from a novice point of view, and one where I was trying hard to find something I could smoke all day, I was seeking something I could rely on it if you know what I mean, something that would not send others away holding their nose, and something I would look forward to. Knowing little about blends, I did not know if this was an English, straight VA, or whatever. I had tried Scottish Cake by the same people and like that very much so I thought I would give it a go.

I was more than pleasantly surprised and I have to say that this is now my firm favorite. I don?t know if my taste buds just gel with Glen Piper, or if is because I am still a novice with many blends to try, or what? All I know is that I have just ordered several more tins and everything else I try will be judged by this. It is smooth and mild, consistent, smells very good, and I am now happy to say that this is my regular blend.

I have to give it 4 stars because of the comments I mad above.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2006-06-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

05/18/2006 As an aromatic smoker, I really wanted to like Glen Piper. It is a good blend, but I found nothing spectacular about it. It seemed to be at the proper moisture level when I packed it in my pipe, but it took 4 matches to get it burning. Smoked slowly to avoid the tongue bite that seemed to be lurking there, it was not a bad smoke, but not a great one either. I can see where many smoker's would enjoy this blend. It just doesn't seem to be what I was hoping for. I will finish this tin, but probably won't buy more, although I would prefer this over drug store aromatic blends. ======================================================= ========================================================

06102006 My taste for aromatics changed when I tried some of the Peterson tobaccos. I now smoke Peterson's Irish Oak, Sherlock Holmes and Old Dublin. I also smoke a medium English blend of my own creation. This is the only aromatic that interests me now, though I only smoke it on a rare occasion. Still much, much better than the vanilla and cherry yuck that I used to smoke.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-04-04		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I picked up a ten year aged tin of this at the bargin basement price of five bucks at the NYPS last month.The fella selling it to me thought that the seal was broken,but it was'nt.Glen Piper is a nice aromatic vaguely similar in character to Dan's Blue Note without the articficial flavor that most pure tobacco lover's dislike.It will work REALLY well for those who need a decent tasting crowd pleaser.You're really NOT aware of the VA's here.The cavendish comes through the strongest and was extra extra sweet due to the aging I'd presume.I've let a few friends sample my tin and all claimed to enjoy it... Highly recommended to the aromatic lovers out there! prep 4/4/05

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-01-24		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

It is a pleasant surprise. I prefer English/Balkan blends and I found Glen Piper to be a nice change of pace. It is 'aromatic' but not a sloppy heavily cased variety ie. GP smokes cool,smooth and dry! I have smoked McBarren's plumcake - but I prefer Glen Piper because it doesn't bite and has a bit more aromatic flavor. The aroma is natural, but for me I cannot say it is the aroma of 'dried fruit'. I can taste the 'fruity' flavor , but for me it is a darker flavor. I have no idea why it was named Glen Piper. The scent reminds me of a spicy almost orange-Christmas-like-floral-cedar flavor ie. a kind of sweetness that is carried well by the virginias... The room note is very good and if you've ever walked into a tobacco shop and smelled an overall pleasant scent...this tobacco carries the same generalized pleasant note... I think it is a bit funny how pipe tobacco blends get 'named'. Glen Piper could easily be renamed 'Christmas Cheer' or 'Tropical Island' or 'Mayberry Fruitstand'(for the C&D fans) Oh, well it's a nice change of pace. The aroma is nice - but a bit one dimensional for an all-day everyday sort of smoke...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2002-04-25		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I am fairly new to smoking quality pipe tobacco so this might be of interest to someone in the same catagory. Not being hip to all of the special terms just let me say that Glen Piper has a great taste, leaves a nice sweet, fruity aftertaste. My wife enjoys the smell so she doesn't freak out when I fire this stuff up in the livingroom. I smoke this at least twice a day and more if time permits. I will ensure that I have lots in the "war chest" saved up should this blend all of a sudden dissappear.

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