Tobaccos Robert McConnell - Pure Latakia

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2015-02-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Wow, what a tobacco! This has got to be the sleeper tobacco of the century for those who enjoy Latakia. Due to the sweetness of the rich blue smoke, I've gotta believe this is the same Syrian leaf that McConnell's uses in the majority of their English blends. I smoked a couple of bowls of it straight and all that I can say is that the flavor and taste was HUGE. It was a little overwhelming. So, I've since been using it in lighter English blends that I want to put some muscle into. Just marvelous stuff!

Pipestud

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-10-10		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

This blending leaf from McConnell is superb indeed; essentially, the same as Lane's Syrian blending Latakia, which is no longer available, it will give an amateur an appreciation of modern Syrian complexion.

I use this both for occasional blending, but mostly to enjoy by itself in a long-stem clay. The burn is amazingly cool, smooth and even, while the flavour is sweet, spicy, slightly smokey and perfume-y.

This is the same leaf that K&K use in most of their English blends, so if you enjoy those, you will love this. It is also useful in giving any K&K blend an additional kick of Latakia, without meddling with it too much, as this will merge smoothly into the mixture.

Thankfully, this is not the leaf made using conifers, and probably uses a bit of Syrian oak with some other herbs, as it does not have an identical note as the old-guard leaf used in No. 759 or vintage Nightcap. Still, it is a very delicious treat, and if you are a Latakia lover, you cannot pass up the opportunity to enjoy it, either straight or in your own blends.

It is also good for adding dimension into C&D English mixtures, and if you liked 'Raven's Wing' it is possible to replicate it using C&D VAs, C&D Izmir, C&D Cyprian Latakia and this leaf.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Patryk Georgevitch (11)	2014-11-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I was very much apprehending opening the tin and going for a smoke since Pure Latakia somehow scared me by its name.

Upon opening, the fresh earthy Latakia scent off the tin hit my nostrils, but surprisingly it was sweet and did not kick in to my brain! It was just amazing to fill a noseful of smelling while enjoying the aromas.

The dryness was just enough on the loose cut (needles to say that the blackness of the leaves in the tin is just as amazing!).

Bowl filling is extremely easy as for any other loose cut tobacco.

First light is usually a charring light for me, yet, the first lighting went extremely well as the tobacco burnt evenly, calmly with sobriety and style.

It burns amazingly cool, knowing that I went for a strong not-slow-at-all smoke (the bowl lasted for a quick 40 minutes)!

The Latakia aromas tend to dry your palate, yet the way it does it is so smooth that you actually enjoy this mild dryness since it allows the smoker to even have a better taste of the subtleties of the aromas.

During the whole course of the bowl, I only had to re-light it once which tells how good and balanced the wetness of the tobacco is.

It tastes earthy, strong but gentle, reminding me of an iron hand with velvet gloves. Evolves well through the bowl, loosing a small bit of taste by the end of it. Ashes go really thin and with practically zero residue in the stem and chamber.

A definitive amazing smoke for me, delivering the great earthiness of Latakia leaves with enough density to keep on wanting to puff one more time!

Pipe Used: Brigham

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-01-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

A good friend of mine Petros offered me a bowl of this blend.at the beginning i hesitated about the bites and the nic level it might have and ruin my evening...thanks god i tried it!when you open it you get the typical strong latakia smell.comes very dry packs and lights easy.from the first puffs you realise that this blend is a miracle!i went easy on that and i advise you do the same!the sweetness in combination with the smokiness is magnificent!never bit me burned really cool and the taste was there from the beginning till the end.it left no moist an the end of the bowl.if you are a latakia fan make sure you try it out!if you are not make sure you try it out just once for the experience.the nic level is medium definitelly an all day blend to me,make sure not to try it with empty stomach!

Age When Smoked: When opened!

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-04-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

On it's own: Strong, but not too much so. A touch of sweetness and spice. Smoky, but not the smokiest I've had. The smoke reminds me of white oak, which I've used for smoking pork. Very smooth and creamy.

As a blender: I haven't done a lot with this yet, but I have hit on one very simple mix that I really love. 85% C&D's Yorktown with 15% MPL. Just a lovely smoke. Have also had nice results adding small amounts to various VaBurs. A little goes a long way.

Medium in body and flavor. Burns perfectly and cool.

Pipe Used: Various MM Cobs

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: 4noggins

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TEO (33)	2011-02-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is the most interesting Latakia I had pleasure to try, real Syrian latakia with nothing in common with a lot of other leaves out there.

Not extremely dark, as it should be, very smokey and flavorful. Nonetheless it's sweet and round on the tongue.

Mild in strength and surprisingly steady burning, it can be used in larger amounts to spice up one's mixture or ready to smoke blends.

I even tried the lunatic experience to smoke it pure, of course ending up with a very dry mouth and experiencing burning issues in the leaves. Anyway just a very little amount of Kentucky and Orientals may solve this to enjoy something very rich and tasteful and not that common on the market.

Excellent blending pure leaf. Recommended.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lazarus77 (91)	2017-06-10		Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

This is good, quality stuff. Perfect for mixing, to add strong smoky notes to yours custom mixture or add extra kick to English blends. Not to smoke plain. Overall highly recommended mixing tobacco for matured tobacco smoker.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pfeifendepot.de

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2082)	2016-06-30		Medium	None Detected	Extra Full	Tolerable to Strong

Robert McConnell - Pure Latakia.

Like any previous Latakia's I've smoked neat before, there's not much pleasure in a pipe-full unblended. But, it's of a decent quality.

The first feature that appeals to me about this is the size of the ribbons. You see, they're quite slight, so if a blend requires only a pinch of 'Lat-Zing', you can easily add just a tiny amount: I'd class it as being a fairly fine shag.

I suppose the rest of the details about the smoke would depend on what you've blended it with, so I'll just mark the basics: the flavour from the smoke's strong, but it's more like a VERY STRONG cedar, as opposed to the standard smoky taste. I was unsure how the nicotine's strength would be, but about medium seems a fair description. Due to the fine cut, when it's smoked alone it burns quite steady, but it does so too quickly. The room-note doesn't suit me: I find it tolerable at best.

For quality, this easily scores four. For blending, again it would score four. For smoking straight..... minus ten! But as it's made to be blended I'll go with my results for the quality and blending:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Big Ben Bora

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Telling it how it is. (73)	2015-10-29		Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Tolerable

Tin note is that of Latakia, very randy if you are into the dark side. And strong too. The contents are on the dry side but i never got a moist pure Latakia ever so thats ok and it does not alter the experience.

Packing is easy, almost like cube cut. Just let it drizzle in and just very gently even out the top surface. After "packing" it it takes on the light very easy and burns readily down to the end of the bowl.

Taste is that of Latakia: spicy, smoky, sweet and very, very full, it is mad easy to get overwhelmed by it. And you certainly can not make out the full range of flavour this tobacco offers unless you dilute it down with something else. yes, it can overburden your sense of taste that much. Also when i light up the bowl the first three puffs or so it feels like smoking menthol because my lips and mouth feel cooled down and numb. Its maybe a little bit like a tongue bite but without any bite or pain involved. In any case it is not discomforting but just really really weird.

The room note is that of Latakia, so it clearly is very pleasant. Aftertaste is that of Latakia, very strong and very long lasting.

So do i recommend this tobacco? Yup, there is no doubt about that! The quality is impeccable, the taste nothing less than excellent and its very satisfying. Whats not to like?

A note on the side: I have some problems with reviewing this tobacco since it is not meant to be smoked as is but is meant as a blending tobacco. And in the case of any Latakia it would be used very, very sparsely as well. So smoking it on its own and an entire bowl full works perfectly fine if you are a Latakia LOVER, yet it is something one is not supposed to do. This tobacco is not at all built for that task. So please keep that in mind should you ponder to get yourself a tin of this tobacco. If you are not positively loving Latakia or you are not on a quest to taste every single tobacco there is in pure form then better leave this one in the shelves.

I have this blend in stock for some very specific reasons. As a night cap, to find out how other blends will taste with it, when i had too much over the counter stuff and just want back to the roots for a moment or two and finally when i know i cannot smoke for a long time that day. In any case i only smoke it in very small bowls and preferably also in clay pipes.

Pipe Used: It went trough rotation but usually Clay Pipes

Age When Smoked: They don't print production dates on it.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-07-24		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

This certainly has an ample tin and room note. What else can be expected from Latakia? It was not born to behave itself and it does not need to stand up to be noticed! I have never smoked Latakia straight until now and I can see how this Syrian is different-no brooding here.My Savinelli Baronet Breuyre 315 EX Prince was up to it much more than I was, but such is exploration- all in the name of 'science'?

There is so much bluish smoke,an instant gratification of density and weighty nicotine.There is also little to no sweetness here,instead my mid-palate is bombarded with spice. There too, the smoke gravitates with a lot of traction. In small way, it is enjoyable and it is a stark counterpoint to the mouth filling richness and persistent finish. Perhaps it is to remind me that I am not supposed to be doing this?

A bowl full of Robert McConnell's Pure Latakia is a very real and humbling(?)experience for me.In the future, I may wander down this path again but I believe this has already created an indelible memory.Albeit stern,this is a first rate tobacco and I do recommend keeping some around 'for perspective'.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-02-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Now that's a true Latakia kick, it is not as sweet and oliy as Stanislaw Pure Latakia, but it is a very nice tobacco. I'll most probably use it for blending. Although, I smoked this in a bar (In my country we can smoke in 99% of the Bars,Pubs and Restaurants, how cool is that :))) ), but I almost kicked out the cigarette smokers with the smell of my pipe, the waiter opened a window fully and everyone seemed to count the minutes till I'd finish the pipe. So most probably I'll wait for spring and smoke it only outside. Tolerable? for the Latakia maniacs maybe for the rest of the world, how can I put this: "Yearning for some loneliness?smoke McConnell Pure Latakia?"

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2008-03-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Reading the New Annotated Sherlock Holmes I came across a note that stated that cigarettes were introduced to the west by Russian soldiers smoking cigarettes filled with Latakia. (For the scholarly, it is note 15 on page 1108 of The New Sherlock Holmes, edited with notes by Leslie S. Klinger, Norton, 2006.)

Having opened a tin of Pure Latakia to add spine to a weak blend, I borrowed a friend`s roll-your-own apparatus, and made myself a pure latakia cigarette. Well, It is an experience worth having once. The taste was resinous burnt cork, but the aroma was heavenly! The family has, over the years, come to love the scent of Latakia, so there were no brickbats but - if you will forgive the horrible pun - only bouquets.

It is worth experimenting with Syrian and Cyprian Latakia in pure form, just to appreciate the difference.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2019-05-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

I purchased two 50 gram tins of McConnell's, Pure Latakia Pipe Tobacco a few months back for blending purposes/experiments. The tin features all three grades of the Cyprian leaf. It is a ribbon cut & comprised mostly of Cyprus Fine Scrap Tobacco, some fairly decent strands of regular Cyprus Scrap Tobacco (the middle grade) and a "minute" portion of the most sought after & most valuable Cyprian tobacco in very small leaf form. The color is mostly black with a minor amount of dark brown pieces. Smoked straight from the tin it had a slight sweet taste with mild to medium strength combined with the smoky, leather flavor, isn't harsh & doesn't cause chemical burn. I didn't like this straight out of the tin & it may have caused a mild headache... this, to me, is strictly for blending purposes. It's much milder but sweeter than the Syrian variety. Why smoke this straight when it can be used sparingly or even abundantly, if desired, as a condiment to create something better?

I've recently started blending Balkan varieties & have only mixed a few small batches of Balkan thus far using this Cyprian along with... aged McClelland's Blending Oriental, McConnell's aged Red VA, C & D's Small Batch Carolina Red, Wilke's Turkish Yenidje, Sam Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, Wilke's Unsweetened Black Cavendish or P & C's Green River Black Cavendish, Burley or DF Kentucky, a small amount of St. James Perique, a smidgeon of Lane 1Q, & of course, varying amounts here & there, as it were. I also plan on using some well aged Wellauer's Syrian Latakia & trying one or the other or both Latakia varieties to see how things turn out. I understand G. L. Pease's Bohemian Scandal used both Latakia varieties & of course, I feel compelled to try that option.

Obviously, McConnell's Cyprian Latakia, judging from taste, aroma & strength & from what little I know, is probably about as good or better than any other brand that can be obtained in this time period. These blending experiments are becoming a lot of fun especially when your very own "homeboy" blend turns out better than most pre-mixed Balkans available. FWIW, it is fun but very time consuming & notes must be taken on percentages of each type of varietal used in every sample. You know what's strange? I didn't even like the taste or smell of Latakia until I tried some aged (2002) Gallaher's version of the Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture. Now, I find myself trying to capture lightning in a bottle. Patience is a virtue & good things come to those who... "waste?"

Pipe Used: Cavicchi (CCC) Canted Dublin

Age When Smoked: A few months to a year.

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: This is straight Cyprian Latakia.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stinkypipe (155)	2017-01-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Sadly due to many issues Syria has suffered for many years now. To that end due to the civil strife and over production of the special hardwoods used to smoke this wonderful tobacco the supply is quickly shirking and will eventually no longer be available, at least for the near future. This blend is primarily for mixing (I put a dose in every tin of my Frog Morton blend) but can be smoked straight. Now some folks will not like it straight but others, like myself can enjoy that baked bread/sweet wood smoke/purfume/barbecue taste. If you like me can't get enough of Syrian Latakia you may want to stock up.

This is a follow up. I looked on the back of my new tins and there is a small sticker saying Cypress Latakia. I guess they just don't have any Syrian left. To Smoking Pipes credit they do say Cypress Latakia but McConnell still says Syrian pure Latakia. Once I smoked a new tin straight I knew it could not be Syrian as I did not get that strong sweet wood smoke/baked bread flavor I always get with Syrian Latakia. Oh well. Life is not always fair.

Pipe Used: Briar,meerschaum,cob

Age When Smoked: From fresh to years old tins

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-11-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Being an EM fan, I try sometimes to make some homemade blends, using straight Virginias, Perique, Oriental and Latakia or adding Latakia to some mild/poor mixtures. I'm using Robert McConnell, Torben Dansk and Wellauer Latakia. McConnell's is very good indeed although a little bit flatter than my favourite Wellauer's. 4,5/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Hobby Fumo, Milano (Italy)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	aksamolsa (20)	2016-01-26		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

This is the pure joy for Latakia lover. Packaging says it is a quality Syrian Latakia for blending purposes and can be enjoyed straight if desired. Well I must say it should be smoked straight! It is not that kind of heavy, and even much more lighter than I ever expected, has a delicious taste, burns very cool. I couldn't find any reason not to smoke it straight. I feel like I have to keep one tin in my stock for all times.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thomasanswered (11)	2012-10-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

According to the tin, this is the "best Syrian tobacco for blending." I will go further by saying that this is the best Syrian for smoking without qualification, without addition. The pure, intense, salty wonderful that only Syrian Latakia can supply, which Robert McConnell is providing unadulterated. Certainly will improve any English blend, but one will likely crave it for itself.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Seasoned Puffer (6)	2015-11-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is one really superior pure Latakia! I had been looking for a blending Latakia that was truly pure to spice up my personal blends. I am looking no further. The smoky aroma and sweet leathery flavor really adds to a good mix of toasted burley, red virginia and a pinch of black cavendish. Not overpowering, this Latakia enhances the flavor blend and takes the whole combination up a notch. Smokes very cool and is quite OK when enjoyed alone in a long-stem. I have even added it to so-called "drugstore" tobaccos or weak Orientals like London Mixture and enjoyed the enhanced boost it adds. Truly a very very good blender. Give it a try. If you are a Latakia lover, you will NOT be disappointed.

Pipe Used: Alpha briar Calabash

Age When Smoked: Right out of the tin

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AlexFullin (6)	2015-10-30		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

I dont understand the "dont smoke 100% Latakia, its only for real men and battle hardened pipe smokers" Well I started pipe smoking 3 month ago, I bought this Latakia to blend, and I smoke it straight. Its beautiful tobacco, its powerfull , yes , but not invasive or overwhelming, its flavoursome, elegant and interesting.

My 2 cents: Dont be afraid, you are missing the good stuff.

Pipe Used: Orlik ANTIQUE

Age When Smoked: straight from pouch

Purchased From: Corner shop Quilmes Argentina

Similar Blends: Any strong Latakia mix.... Commonwealth from Gawith.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AlexL (26)	2013-02-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

It's really different from Cyprian, which I prefer. The taste is a bit sour, no sweetness.

Meanwhile, I'm adding it to otherwise dull mixes. Been here, done this, will not buy more. Too much discomfort. It's much easier not to buy dull mixes :)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OleFattGuy (27)	2006-04-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

This tobacco is not intended as a stand-alone smoke. Even so, curiosity drove me to smoke it on its own. I feared that it would be EXTREMELY strong but it was definitely not. It has a very distinctive, spicy taste unmistakably 'Latakia' - that elusive taste in English mixes which sometimes is overwhelming sometimes just noticeable.

But it is not very strong in nicotine or any other way. In fact I got bored after half the pipe, and did not even bother to finish it because of the monotony of the thing.

However, this is JUST the thing that you need for blending your own mixes, or add that extra sting to otherwise bland mixes. As such, it is a five-star baccy!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Carolus (29)	2022-08-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I remember when buying this, that the man behind the counter smiled and said that this tobacco was not to be smoked by itself. Surprised I told him that I actually enjoyed it. It is blend, yes, in the sense that it is very consistent. It is a cold smoke, easily puffed, it does not require a relight and leaves a lot a majestic smoke that reminds of the incense of mass. Certainly more of an occasional smoke than somehting else, it is a nice one.

Age When Smoked: A couple of years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (89)	2021-11-13		Mild	None Detected	Full	Strong

This is what a latakia lover needs! A full taste latakia of high quality that can be smoked straight at your morning coffee or your evening scotch.

Tin note is peaty, leathery, fermented tobacco and... Lagavulin 16 yo.

Tobacco is perfectly cut, but came a bit dry. Might take a few matches to light up, but once it’s lit, it will go on easily.

Not lets talk about taste. When I first opened the tin and smoked the first bowl, it was shy with a mild taste, but as I progressed smoking the bowl it turned into a better version, a mild to medium taste. Initially it tasted like you ate some barbeque with some bbq sauce and sipped some Lagavulin 16. Not great, not terrible.

After the first bowl, I’ve put the content in a hermetically sealed jar and I’ve since been collecting from it. Like most tobaccos, after you put them in the jar they start to bloom, their aromas start to intensify and the same happened here. With each new bowl, it was getting better and better.

What I have now is a full taste of smokiness, with some leather and a bit of spice. Tasty, tast, tasty! It does have some sweetness to it as well, just decent enough not to disturb the smoky experience that we’re looking for in latakia.

Unfortunately the aftertaste doesn’t last.

I could smoke this straight every day, and i think i will.

Nicotine is very mild, but the room note is strong. I personally love the room note, but others will run in horror.

Top tobacco. 4 stars!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Juan José Pascual Lobo (6)	2021-10-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This review is bassed on thins made in october 2014 (K&K Code A/P/J/N), so the content is pure Syrian Latakia. I purchased a thin jus to try and make some experiments. I was so fascinated with the thin aroma and the delicious flavour, that I purchased some more thins to secure my personal stock for a long time. The smoky flavour is not overwelming when smoked straight, and it´s more subtle and elegant with the years. For blending it´s noticed from just a small pinch per bowl, so a silk hand is needed to blend, or this noble leaf will impose it´s law and will erase the flavour of the rest of tobaccos in a blend.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 623, 9121

Age When Smoked: 0-7 years

Purchased From: Estanco calle Prior. Salamanca, Spain.

Similar Blends: Wellawer´s Latakia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael W (2)	2019-12-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

A post-syrian tin, obviously cypriotic Latakia. Being a Balkan Sobranie fan 30 years ago, I always search for »the experience« I had, then. Some more or less pure Latakia smell quite unpleasant. This one smells great, somehow decent. Nevertheless, smelling a tobacco and smoking the tobacco are two different things. Lighting the tobacco is easy, there is this full »blue« smoke of Latakia. The taste is great: tasty, but mellow, slow and cool, rich and with this quality of francincense. Some pure Latakia tastes »soapy«, not this one! Lovely, the sweetness and richness of Balkan Sobranie memories, far too good to mix it with anything else!

Pipe Used: Chacom Elysses (~Dublin)

Age When Smoked: kept in Humidor

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crazy owl (74)	2015-04-11		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a gift of Manitu to the pipe smoker.I´d keeping my old tin of Wellauer for breaking every new pipe and now from the heaven return the happiness.I love too the wonderful charred leaf from Cyprus but this is absolutely different.Plants are different and more,the wood used in curing too,continental oak vs.mediterranean coniffers.Its smoothiness make to add in larger quantity than cyprus to the mixtures.I hope war in martyrized Syria don´t finish with it.

Pipe Used: dunhill cumberland

Age When Smoked: just open

Purchased From: local tobacconist

Similar Blends: wellauer latakia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2015-04-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Great blender for that Syrian Latakia amp up . Like to add it to McC's "Yenidje Highlander" and Solani " White and Black". Very monotone when smoked by itself. 2 stars smoked by itself, 4 stars as a blender.

Pipe Used: all

Age When Smoked: 2 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2015-03-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

Excellent, superb Latakia, probably one of the best pure Latakia you can find in the market. Of course it is a blending tobacco and you have not to smoke it straight. But if you are an English mixtures' lovers and you like to prepare mixtures by your own, this is certainly for you. In my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 10 and four stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-01-30		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I am a "Latakia lunatic" and hence smoke this one as is. Nice way to introduce some change in a smoking spectrum dominated by Latakia blends anyway (Dunhill SM, MM965 and NC - Ashton Artisan's Blend etc).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-11-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

This is indeed best Latakia from Syria. Strangely, as I'm a Latakia lover, I bought it for smoking it pure. Its taste is full, smoky and creamy and surprisingly it's not as strong as you may expect. It's jet-black in the tin and it lights just beautifully and produces almost no moisture as you proceed. This is really pure tobacco. It has a certain, nice level of nuances, but smoking it purely is, in my opinion, not as fine as smoking pure Virginia, which I love. Recommended only for Latakia lunatics, for this is really something special. Be careful if you want to use this tobacco in it's original purpose, blending! Too much of it might ruin everything. The manufacturers of great blends know what they do...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-04-08		Mild	Strong	Full	Unnoticeable

Just one word : handsome !!!

But ... You really have to love latakia. Otherwise this tobacco can be boring.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2009-10-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Latakia. I am not a Latakia fanatic; for all I know there are better ones out there. I have had my tin for a while and dip into it once in a while for blending.

11-1-2022 Wish I had a tin now. Syrian Latakia...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-06-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This stuff is great. Add a small amount to any blend=will bump it up. 4 stars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2008-06-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Excellent for blending. You can try this straight, but it makes for a rather boring smoke.

I prefer Cyprian Latakia for blending, but this is a great tobacco nevertheless.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stacey (40)	2008-05-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Yes sir, just as advertised. Just sprinkle some in to add 1-2 stars to any decent blend. I especially liked this in otherwise weak Oriental blends like Dunhill's London Mixture. I must be a disciple because I actually liked this smoked straight as well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2008-04-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Quality latakia, used mainly to improve purchased tins I don't like. RMcC's Latk accomplishes its mission well and then some. Creamy, smooth and the quality expected from K+K.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2006-09-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

This was the first latakia I tried, and I was advised at the time by the tobacconist to use it only to spice up my dullest tobbacos, but to never smoke it all by itself, not only because it was too strong, but because it gets tiresome and monotone after a while. He was so right! Now I love the funky smell I get when opening the tin, and I love the distinctive smoky flavour it gives to my tobaccos. A great way to become accustomed to Latakias. Now, I couldn't keep smoking only latakia mixes, since I adore aromatics. But for a change of pace or when you need something stronger, I recommend this even to hardcore aromatic smokers as a way to approach more complex tobaccos.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2004-06-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This is Latakia. What more is there to say? Works well as a blending tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Artisan-Hobbit (4)	2023-01-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

I had a sample tasting before applying to a blend. As it's own, it's kinda overwhelming but definitely interesting!

It has more of that smoky aroma in a tin than smoke and I would rather say it's more spicy than smokey when smoked. The palette of the taste changed as bowl progressed, but I couldn't pinpoint what exactly changed in it. It burned very dry and had a numbing impact in my mouth. No tongue-bite!

I had some trouble getting it light up, more than likely because it was zero prepared before smoking. Gave a lot of smoke when I got it burning properly! Left only a little amount of light grey ash and none of moisture.

Will try blending little amounts at first since it definitely had a lot of character that could be too much in a blend!

Pipe Used: 1945 finnish applewood pipe

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: Gerd Jansen's Pfeifendepot & Werkstatt

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (569)	2022-11-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Package note of campfire, earth and a tart wine background note. The soft and dry ribbon cut is dark brown and black and needs no prep. Burns slow with a normal amount of relights. The strength is medium at most and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and consistent, with notes smoky wood, leather, floral, slight sweet, and mildly spicy retro. This one leaf show apparently can do it all. Room note is strong, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: Castello Sea Rock Briar SC 31

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Grigio 64 (1)	2021-12-31		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

ottimo tabacco da blending: io unisco la tin a una busta di Scaferlati Caporal e nasce una MEM (paraguay) che non mi fa rimpiangere Commowealth, Skiff e Bothy F. di SG e costa la metà!...In rotazione lo fumo anche da solo: gusto pieno e forza media. Non può mancare nella mia cantina: voto 4 stelle piene.

Pipe Used: pipa in ulivo

Age When Smoked: nuovo

Purchased From: noli milano

Nobody has rated this review yet.