Tobaccos Peterson - Aran

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hillbilly08 (38)	2016-12-03		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I think other reviews here were not made by aro smokers, since their baseline comparison was to burley "cigarette" tobacco or to English style tobaccos. This is somewhat unfair as Aran is simply a light aromatic, uncomplicated but also flawless in execution. It clearly fills a gap in Peterson stable, and is a sensible commercial decision since many non-specialist shops simply order by brand name. To the tobacco: a light- to medium-tan ribbon, with good moisture level and good aroma. Light vanilla bouquet present throughout. Required several charring lights straight from the pack and might improve on some drying. Burns well, with Cavendish clearly the main tone, while Virginia provides a slight citrusy and grassy note. Not a complex blend, with flavours remaining constant through the bowl and somewhat flat but not in a bad way. Leaves powdery off-white ash in a fine dottle, without late bitterness. Definitely no bite. Can be an all-day smoke without any pretence to high class. Overall a good performer and should be considered by novice pipe smokers as a good introductory blend.

Pipe Used: Orlik Bulldog 9mm filter

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: "Fajka", a small pipe shop in Szczecin, Poland

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hunor (8)	2015-11-23		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

This is probably for real Virginia lovers. It's pure Virginia taste, with vanilla. And very flat, which can be seen as positive if you like the taste. This is not the kind of tobacco that will surprise you with different fruits and nutty aromas. It's not aromatic – but it is very sweet. Well, in case you manage to smoke it really slow, and that's not easy. It needs a little drying (not too much) before smoking. It tends to burn easy and a bit too fast, but without any bite. Only the sweetness dissapears if you let it burn as it wants.

The taste, and the overall smoke feels very mild, but I chose to mark 'mild to medium' here, because of the nicotine. The overall smoke is something I was looking for in good cigarettes, when I was smoking cigarettes. I will probably enjoy it on long working nights, when need this kind of thing. It keeps me going like the cigarettes, but it doesn't make me smarter if you know what I mean. When I have to write pages and pages before a deadline, some aromatics have this affect. I feel smarter and inspired, and I think it's not just the taste that has this effect, but something else. As in good red vine, it's not (only) the alcohol, or in turkish coffee, it's not the pure coffeine boost, when I need some extra for working. Aran is the alcohol and the coffeine. It's just a very nice and light way to get some vitamine N in.

It's nice and creamy vanilla taste is just perfect with coffee.

Maybe some aging in a tin would be interesting. Not sure though. Probably this is really something for pure Virginia lovers, and though I'm not one, or at least I love it in well mad mixtures, I found it very nice.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Virginia

Age When Smoked: new from pouch

Purchased From: Gallwitz tobacco shop, Budapest

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	usafvol1 (16)	2017-01-22		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I usually try to be somewhat respectable when I review tobaccos, but it has proven difficult with this one.

Comes in a pouch. Smells kind of like vanilla, a wee bit of spice. Feels good between the fingers. Moisture seemed just about right. Other than that, I can't tell you much more about it, other than the bite with this stuff is off the charts. Immediately bites, when lighting, and the whole time I tried to smoke it. The bite was a sharp, piercing bite, like sticking your tongue to a 9 volt battery. It stung my tongue, stung my lips, inside of my cheeks, everything. Then it left a burning/tingling film in my mouth that was similar to chloraseptic/phenol. Not sure what sub-standard casing Peterson used with this one, but be careful.

Pipe Used: Peterson system, Viking 301, Calabash meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 1 month.

Purchased From: P&C

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2016-02-18		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Peterson - Aran.

I can't say the aroma from the un-lit blend is particularly what I look for in a tobacco. It smells a touch odd, the best description that springs to mind is vanilla flavoured perfume: the floral addition is heavier than the vanilla making it seem perfumey. This was from a selection of loosely bagged samples so I'm in no position to cast judgement on the moisture amount from a fresh pouch.

The flavour from the smoke is nowhere near as floral as I thought it was going to be when I smelled the blend. It is indeed floral, but it doesn't taste as 'flowery' as I thought it would; it smells like cheap perfume yet tastes more like expensive Chanel No.5!

I find the vanilla pretty light in the flavour. It doesn't go un-noticed but it seems to work as more of a calming agent for the floral essences rather than gaining recognition on its taste alone.

The nicotine's low. It seems mild without the capability to creep any higher, even if I strain it.

This bites me none, so I can sit and just have the taste without the hurt.

I think this is a good floral blend; it's not too false, not bitey, or too strongly flavoured, sadly for Aran though, I don't like floral blends! Two stars.

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Altinok Lee Van Cleef

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ecce_ego (24)	2017-11-30		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Very mild aromatic, with the creamy vanilla flavor very subtly featured. A sprinkling of grassiness, and what you get is a fine smoke wherein the tobaccos are featured to good effect, with a light frosting of sweet aroma.

It can easily bite if you smoke quickly. But stays lit and burns steady if you take your time with it. A good smoke.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New pouch

Purchased From: Castro's Back Room, Concord, NH

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-06-18		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This blend was gifted to me by my friend Haris.once you break the seal a floral vanilla aroma comes out wich doesn't smell so natural.the blend moisture is ok.packs and lights ok.a few relights are needed.while smoking the flavours differ from the aroma.the vanilla flavour is tonned down and the floral flavour is more obvious.the flavours do not combine well each other and the tobacco flavours are really in the backround.i got some nut flavours and rarelly some citruses and dark fruits.the nicotine level is low .burns fast and hot.tongue bite is rare but present.the room note is not pleasant ,smells like chemical room aromatics.leaves a lot moisture and dumbness at the end of the bowl.can be an all day blend.if you like floral essenses i advise you to try S. HOLMES by peterson.not recommended.

Age When Smoked: When opened

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrNapoleon (10)	2020-09-20		Very Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

Very weird thing about that Aran ... I don't really like it, and I put it in my corn pipe very often ... Damn, I even ordered a second pack ... very strange ...

Tin note quite pleasant, not very expressive, feel sweet and actually a slightly floral breeze. Humidity, as for me, is suitable, although I guess that some would like to dry it up a bit.

It lit easily, and does not require too much attention while smoking, but you cannot put too much energy into this tobacco because it can bite. Does not leave condensate.

The taste is quite subtle and uncomplicated. It does not change during smoking. It's hard to detail some specific elements in it ... I think there is vanilla and honey, and something else, probably it's a slightly citrusy Virginia flavor. On the plus side, it seems very natural. Moderate sweetness.

Wife complains about room note, so I guess it's not very pleasant ... but she often complains;)

Overall, Peterson's Aran is hard for me to recommend, but when you buy it, sometimes you feel like it.

Pipe Used: MM pipe

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Home Town shop

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dode (14)	2019-06-05		Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I can’t understand why anyone would rate this tobacco as any good. It’s flat tasteless and bites from the first puff. All I get is a sweetness from the Virginia nothing else. I’ll keep this for blending as it’s a totally unsatisfactory smoke on its own. Shame on you Peterson

Pipe Used: Falcon, meer and briar

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: The Black Swan Tobacco Shoppe

Similar Blends: Silk Cut cigarettes.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2017-06-12		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Peterson Aran is a 40 gram pouch (not tinned) tobacco. It is a pleasant enough smoke, but its mildness will bother some smokers. The pouch says that it is an "aromatic vanilla blend." This is expanded by the words "a top flavor of vanilla and blossom notes are expertly combined to reveal a fresh, aromatic tobacco."

The pouch also offers a rating list: strength 2, aromatic taste 3, room note 3. The length of the bars make these numbers rate against a top possibility of a 6. Personally, I would rate this 2, 2, 2 on a 6 point scale.

Open the pouch and you discover a predominantly gold broken ribbon blend with some darker strands, Virginia forms the base, and the darker strands are cavendish, presumably cased with the aromatic essence. Sniff the contents and you get a mild vanilla smell with a tinge of what seems more fruity than the advertised "blossom notes."

The blend lights easily and burns without difficulty. I seldom found need for a relight. The taste is mild. The vanilla is mildly apparent and the "blossom notes" are very mild. Therein is the trouble. The taste is not at all unpleasant, but it is so mild that someone really expecting an aromatic smoke will puff harder trying to ramp it up. As a Virginia based mixture, a heavily puffed smoke will be a bitey smoke. A relaxed puffing cadence offers no bite problem aside from those who are very sensitive in that department.

If you smoke Aran for what it is, a very mild aromatic, and do not try to get it to taste like a full aromatic through vigorous puffing, you will have a satisfactory smoke. The nicotine comes in a tad higher than the mild taste would suggest--about medium. The room note is pleasant, although again it is not a full aroma, but a mild one.

I smoke it in my pipes reserved for aromatics, although a very occasional smoke in another pipe category will not leave a ghost taste. Repeated smokes in the same pipe will.

This review has repeatedly used the word "mild." Hold that in mind before you buy Aran. The laid back nature of Aran makes it most suitable as a change of pace smoke.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skibbereen (19)	2015-10-08		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This comes in a pouch. Upon opening the pouch I was greeted with the old fashioned aroma of good old fashioned tobacco. Smelled like my grandfathers Half & Half I used sneak sniffs of from his pouch when I was a whipper snapper. The cut is a combination of ribbon and flakes. And the moisture level was just right. Not to damp...not to dry. I think if it was any drier it would burn hot and taste harsh. Packed well and only needed the charring light and it stayed lit. It is burning very well. I am enjoying a bowl as I write this. It has a nice medium to full bodied taste. It gives a bit of a tang to the tongue but it doesn't bite or burn. As I mentioned previously, I think it might if it gets to dried out. If you inhale it is smooth on the throat. Nice spicy tingle to the nostrils when released through the nose. Although it does not state that there is any spice in the blend...it tastes like there is. I taste a tiny hint of vanilla. Nothing flowery but something I can't quite put my finger on. Perhaps a hint of orange. It is faint...but just noticeable enough to add a plus to the taste. Nice taste on the tongue. And it has a respectable amount of vitamin N. All that said...I think it is quite good. I think it would make a wonderful morning starter with the old cup of java and a good before dinner or prior to bedtime smoke. I myself would not consider it an all day smoke for myself but I believe a lot of guys and gals out there would. I think Peterson should tin it. I am very wary of "pouched" tobaccos but this one is a winner.

Pipe Used: Peterson Patent System Oom Paul Antique B Reissue

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the B&M

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: I would say a touch milder and a tad sweeter version of: , Peterson - Peterson's Perfect Plug, Peterson - Irish Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2021-04-02		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I don't historically associate pouches with quality, though there have been a few exceptions (Amphora for one), so finding a Peterson one had me intrigued with what was-to-be.

The advertised Floral/Vanilla topping was what drew me in, the bag opening however, lead my nose astray. There was a tangy Floral note complimenting the Virginia, but the Cavendish and Vanilla were swallowed up. Ultimately it reminded me more of a funky Virginia with a light topping splash, than the Aromatic I had come for. The roughly cut ribbons were nicely chunky without excess moisture, and made packing a pleasure.

The product burned well, but I wasn't sold on the taste. It was sharp, somewhat chemical leaning, and without any flavor I was yearning (certainly not any marque Vanilla).

My guess is their intent was to craft a subtle Aromatic, but the execution was off and felt cheap.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AtlanticPiper (13)	2020-11-01		Extremely Mild	Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

Classic light vanilla Black Cavendish aromatic. Similar to 100 others like it. I bought this for my dad (who smokes aromatics) on a whim. I don't smoke aromatics often, but on that one day a year I do, its usally a vanilla or custard. It was ok. Pretty standard stuff. As a guy who loves latakia, I am the inverse room-note reviewer. I get sick at the smell of stuff like C&D's Autumn Evening (which is straight maple) or even worse... cherry. But vanilla I find very pleasant, and this at least has that going for it.

Pipe Used: My aromatic bucket pipe

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BDB (1)	2018-12-01		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Hints of toasted pecan on a base of Sumatran coffee and pomelo spritz -- just joking!

Honestly, I cannot taste all the things other smokers taste. For me the taste of pipe tobacco is fairly binary: it's good, or it's not. This is good -- mild and good.

For me the most pleasing part of smoking a pipe is the smell of my exhaled smoke. (I don't mean a retrohale; that is too overpowering for me.) Aran is very nice -- not super strong, but very pleasing.

When I opened the pouch, the scent reminded me of MacBaren Mixture Scottish Blend, which disappointed me a little because I bought it as an alternative vanilla to MacBaren Classic Loose Cut. But when I open the Scottish Blend tin to compare, there was indeed a lot more vanilla in the Aran. Likewise, when you smoke it, the vanilla comes through stronger than the fruit. There is also a spiced rum scent to it.

It smokes very consistently right down to the dottle--none of the ashy-ness I get with some blends towards the end of the bowl.

If you are looking for a mild vanilla with a bit more to it than vanilla, this is worth a try.

Pipe Used: Full bent pear wood

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (139)	2022-05-04		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Pleasant

The pouch was labeled "May 2021," so I got my hands on some pretty fresh tobacco. Appearance: a mixture of fairly neat ribbon-cut light Virginia (I discerned lemon and orange), a little of red virginia, plus some dark cavendish. The moisture content of the blend in the sachet is perfect, which is not surprising given its freshness.

Flavor: A rather bright vanilla note mixed with a note reminiscent of rum-soaked prunes. If you sniff the mixture a little longer, in the background there is a slight flavor of hay, but the feeling is that the manufacturer has done everything so that the natural tobacco notes in the flavor disappeared.

Taste: initially harsh, can bite your tongue when provoked. This is more than likely, as the strength of the tobacco is almost minimal. Nevertheless, if you smoke it slowly, it smokes quite cool and quite dry. As for the taste, the vanilla not only overpowers the herbal and bread notes of Virginia, but also overpowers the flavored Cavendish, the wine-plum notes of which only play to support the flavor, making it even more pronounced. As I smoked, the tobacco became a bit softer, and the vanilla weathered a little - but just a little. Its flavor remained fairly persistent until the very end, and the pipe after tobacco left in the air smelled like vanilla for several days. The tobacco burned into a fairly nearly white ash with significant flecks of dark gray, indicating the heterogeneity of the blend.

A sweetish, almost weightless, vanilla smoke with a slight hint of smoldering grass is all that is left of the tobacco in the room. Unlike the smell in the pipe, it dissipates easily.

What's the bottom line? "A classic light vanilla flavor from Virginia with dark cavendish" - it's hard to add anything to this definition, but I can say that in terms of softness, lightness and balance of flavor towards vanilla, the blend loses to the same Mac Baren Vanilla Flake. However, taking into account the fact that it is half the price, Peterson Aran plays in a completely different league, although even here it has enough competitors from the budget series of the same Scandinavian Tobacco Group - Borkum Riff and Alsbo, and from Mac Baren side the 7 Seas and Amphora are pushing. And one more question that occurred to me: why did I have to work so hard on this mix mixing several nice Virginia varieties with Cavendish to later pour a lot of flavoring on it? A couple of varieties of Virginia, chopped up with a knife would have been enough. Some people do that...

Pipe Used: Peterson B11, 69, 106

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2022-01-28		Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I guess it was only a matter of time before I was truly let down by a Peterson Aromatic. With Aran, that time has arrived. I found this blend to be too light for my tastes. And by light I mean light on all fronts: body, nicotine and even the topping is too light.

I would say it is this lightness that leads to the severe biting that some reviewers experienced with this. Blends this light tend to cause me to overpuff when I am not paying much attention to my cadence, and this will certainly tear the tongue up if this goes on too long.

I usually love Peterson aros, but all the others I have tried have a decent amount of burley and perhaps stronger virginias as a base for the topping. These stronger leaves help temper my cadence by giving me a fuller smoke. It is against that kind of backdrop that a lightly applied topping really shines. Aran, by contrast, consists of a light Virginia paired with a cavendish (likely made from a light Virginia) that has had the life sucked out of it, what's left is a nearly insipid base. the light topping just leaves it flat and boring to my tastes.

With the other Peterson aros I have tried I have liked them even if the particular toppings were not to my liking. Aran is advertised as a vanilla/floral type topping. You can definitely tell there is vanilla in it, but the floral topping (which is far from overpowering) kind of takes Vanilla in a direction that it should not go IMO. Fortunately, it is so lightly applied you barely notice the topping at all. lol

I can't imagine that someone who enjoys a lighter virginia or aromatic could actually prefer this to the many other offerings out there that could scratch that itch. To me, this is a failure. I would never recommend this blend.

Age When Smoked: 5 yrs 10 mths

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jason99014 (19)	2020-02-28		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

very classic blend with Black Cavendish and Virginia reveals sweet smoke and little Vanilla flavoring. nice quality with good price. another daily tobacco from peterson. recommend.

Purchased From: tobacco shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2019-09-09		Very Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I truly believe that this blend is under appreciated, but then again ... I am an odd ball when it comes to Aromatics. The nose of this blend out of the pouch is sweet vanilla, although it is a bit misleading. Once you spark it, the main flavor is floral. Sort of like rose water, but not with rose petals, but rather some spring flowers. The vanilla is there, it's subtle at first, but its taste gets a bit more pronounced after the second half of the bowl. Sweetness, sure, all the way, but one feels the the hint hay-ish Virginia as well - so this is not entirely a candy aromatic. The pipe smoked cool all the way, no relights, no tongue bite what so ever. pretty good tobacco in my book.

Pipe Used: danmore corevette w 9mm filter

Age When Smoked: less than six months

Purchased From: tuburisiaparate.ro

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Viscfab (36)	2019-06-12		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This Peterson Mixture is extremely similar for me to Special Dublin Original Mixture. The scent in the pack is almost equal, Virginia hues with black cavendish in ribbon cut is similar and taste / aroma when smoked is pretty much similar. Which one I prefer? Well, I think Special Dublin wins by a finger... The smell out of the pouch for me has nothing to do with Vanilla. It smells a bit sweet and fruity, more on the dried fruit side. It burns well from charring light and burns a bit quick to a fine gray ash without goop. The taste and flavour is of a mild to medium Virginia based blend and the topping gives a good retrohale experience. A fairly decent blend for me.

Pipe Used: Vauen, Stanwell, Savinelli, Brebbia, Peterson

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Local Tobacconist in Argentina

Similar Blends: Special Dublin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Daniel W. (23)	2017-09-02		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The aromas from the pouch are very intense of vanilla. When you lit it stays burn in a very good temperature. The flavors are very vanilla and a hint of spicy like white powder pepper. It has low to medium body and intensity. The bitterness is low and the sweetness is medium. At the end the vanilla flavours remaing. A good tobacco, not wonderful, recommend for begginers.

Pipe Used: MM Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tabaqueria Inglesa (Buenos Aires)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lindsberg (2)	2023-01-14		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Now of this, I can give you nothing but an honest opinion of its flawlessness for a newcomer like me. After my first tobacco, from which I couldn't taste anything, a true surprise was when I got to taste this one. Although looking back I can not say it's aromatic, but overall pleasant taste. Perhaps because it's made ofit'srginia, purely. Friends of mine informed me that it's a nice smell, almost scent-like.

Now, I tried a few aromatics by that point, but I got to taste some English and I almost surely know that I will move in the latter's direction, but I'm gonna get some more of this Aran if I ever need a break between some English. Not saying it should be on everybody's palette, but I do and I will always strongly recommend it to anybody asking about it.

It may have a little 'flat' taste compared to other aromatics or heavier stuff, but I think it is because it is intended to be a little less strong. As far as I can tell, it's not your Morning day starter tobacco, nor is it for to smoke it on your terrace on a rainy day, but rather what I'd smoke on a warm summer evening, within the circle of my friends around a campfire, after a day of walking.

Pipe Used: Hungarian brand "Szabó" pipes

Age When Smoked: Haven't aged it (raw)

Purchased From: 'Pipatórium', a small boutique in Budapest

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (453)	2022-12-12		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Package note of vanilla, hay and brown sugar. Tobacco is tan ribbons with a little black mixed in, moisture level is ok, needs no prep. Burns moderately with few relights. The strength is mild and nic is mild. Flavoring is mild, with notes of vanilla, which fades quickly. Taste is mild and somewhat consistent, with notes of lemon peel, very woody, earth, mild spices, mildly floral, mildly spicy, a grassy background note, and a moderately peppery retro. Virginia leads most of the time with cavendish supporting. The flavoring is hit and miss. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is good.

Pipe Used: 2015 XXX Ashton Brindle Author

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Nobody has rated this review yet.