Lane Limited Medal of Valor

First thing that i notice is that there is a particular taste/sensation that comes from this blend which can be attributed to orientals perhaps, something that strikes as a fresh sensation in the mouth with a dry perfumed sweetness that is not associated with the virginia amidst the Latakia flavour, something a little spicy that is not the perique also. This is for me at least, the very centre of this blend and its particularity as well. It is present during the whole experience.

As for the rest, you can find a good portion of Latakia as pivotal centre where moderate presence of virginia as an oblique sour sweet flavour plays, very subtle though, and burley as a dry and neutral appointment without the nuttyness associated, this lets the aforementioned characteristics circumvent the latakia, making it a rather dry smoke a little creamy with a perceptible touch of muskyness, in the tongue burley dominates and perique is barely perceived.

I would say it is a consistent English blend with emphasis on burley and delicate subnotes of orientals, as said before not creamy, rather dry, not sweet rather perfumed. Good for the price and must be judged accordingly.

In my mind, this is a Balkan related blend with a fair amount of oriental in it the smokiness is a little forced, which probably will improve with aging. I have enjoyed this and look forward to trying when it is some what older.

This is one of the finest English blends I've smoked (and I've smoked a lot) which was a huge surprise since I've never really thought much of Lane Limited tobaccos. I've not tried Medal of Honor but this one just tickles my fancy. It's a very well balanced blend with a subtle, sweetness and some sour (incense) notes. The Oriental tobaccos in it are some of the best I've tasted, which is a huge surprise, I actually prefer this to true English Latakia blends and given that this contains Burley, most people would not classify this as a "true" "English" blend, regardless of what genre this falls under, it's simply amazing. I've only had this one in bulk but it comes with a perfect moisture level and is ready to smoke from the get go. I can't really explain what makes this blend stand out from the sea of English/Balkan blends out there but there is something different about this one. My only complaint is I wish it had a little more nicotine but I'm a freak and I require a ridiculous amount the stuff but this one will suit most people's nicotine needs. This is one to buy by the pound! Absolutely essential!

Edit* 12-16-21 Unfortunately I believe this is no longer available in bulk or tin. Another great blend has gone away. RIP Medal of Valor.

I received a pretty good sample of this blend at the last Chicago show and enjoyed it. This hits my tastebuds as a pretty standard (English) lat blend, so I was actually pretty surprised to see the amount of ingredients used. In particular, the addition of Burley and Perique in the mixture.

The burley did not surprise me as much as I was getting hints of nuttiness that I had assumed to be an oriental grade. I really did not detect Perique at all. I found the blend to be light in Latakia and felt a strong presence from both the Virginia and Orientals as there was a sweet/sour thing that seem to go on through each bowl.

To my personal tastes this is a two star blend as it is not my favorite flavor profile in a lat blend, but it is also well done and smokes great and very well could be a four star blend to someone who is looking for this type of flavor profile. Contrasting this with crown achievement, which I absolutely love, this blend is very tame despite having a similar tobacco composition. MOV is much simpler and will provide an enjoying smoke; Whereas, CA is dark, mysterious and will take you places.

After the enormous letdown of Crown Achievement, here is MOV with much the same makeup and heavy latakia presence. But somehow the combination works much better with this one. The orientals make more of an impact with their characteristic smooth, spiced sweetness. I can just barely pick out the perique, bringing dark, sweet bass notes, and it seems to ebb and flow throughout the smoke. Latakia is heavy and always up front. But I find I don't mind that so much because it works in great harmony with the other constituents. Now how is it Lane can bomb so hard with CA and turn around and make an enjoyable Lat-bomb from virtually the same components out of MOV?

It's well done, so I'm giving it 3 stars. It's just not enough of a mind-blower for me personally, but I think the quality and enjoyment are above a 2 on the rating scale. In truth, I'd probably never give a Lat-bomb a 4 star rating, because, for me, latakia will always remain a seasoning ingredient rather than a base tobacco. I recommend MOV. It's an interestingly heavier incarnation of an American english. And Lane proves they are still capable of creating a memorable oriental blend. After CA I had strong doubts! UPDATE: I have to raise this one a star. A little time has really worked on the blend, smoothing the rough edges and melding the component flavors together. I now plan to stock up on some of this. Well done Lane!

One of the best all day Latakia blends I've come across. It's a medium strength blend with just enough of all the components to work very well together. Lights easily and burns cool, with not even a hint of bite.

Tightly packed, it burns easily and smokes with a fair density. The burley/Latakia dimension comes across intensely, pushed a bit by the perique touch. The orientals are very much in the background, as if overrun by the burley's flavor and the latakia's enthusiasm. I enjoy more oriental-forward blends but I'm not diasappointed with how MoV delivers on its promises. If you're a burley fan looking to mix it up with a side hustle, MoV's your fix.

Bulk. Packs easily and lights well. Bag aromas of Latakia and some Orientals are noticeable. Latakia flavors up front. The Orientals are very noticeable and smooth. I get a bit of the burley here and there but it is a minor player. I do not get much of the perique but occasionally notice some figs. Creamy body, mild smoke. Can be an all day smoke on those cool fall says. Mild nic hit, won't bite.

Any reviewer who calls this an "American English"...is right on the mark. That, it is; and wonderfully so! Goodness, it took me back, literally, decades. I haven't tasted anything like this in far too long.

That being said, about the only tobaccos you can taste all the way through are Latakia and Burley. But that, more or less, is what American Englishes were all about. There is an honor roll of blends one could rattle off, but they are all gone, and most readers of this website wouldn't remember them, anyway.

I suppose the Virginias and Orientals and the Perique contribute their parts. Who knows? Back when blends like this were prevalent, the only thing that mattered was whether or not you liked it. And this one...I do!

I bought the tin iteration, and the first puff was perfect. As the bowl progresses, though, things get muddled until the half-way point. There is a slight casing here, a sweetener, and for a while it seems to get confused. But at about the half-way point, it gives up the ghost, and the herbal qualities of the Orientals, and the peppery notes of the Perique come to the fore. Believe me, you won't get bored. But, perhaps a little boredom would help. Some fire-cured Virginia, perhaps, or some air-cured Maryland? The taste and body could use some thinning.

If you remember old store blends from the 1960s and 1970s, youll recognize this blend. This has revived my taste for Latakia.