Robert McConnell Glen Piper

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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