Bengal Slices Bengal Slices (re-release)

Bengal Slices was a bit of a let down.

The tin aroma is Play-Doh. The presentation in the tin was messy, with thick, irregular chunks on a bed of powdered tobacco, which was too dry. It turns to dust when crumbled, and I can't help but wonder if this is the shake and powder from the bottom of the blending pile, pressed and sliced. The smoke was decent but nothing extraordinary, like it's relying too much on the top flavor.

Perhaps I set my expectations too high. I was expecting something like Penzance, not in flavor, but in presentation; more refined.

Not being a devoted Latakia fan I was anxious to try this offering. Love the crumble cake presentation. The cakes are hard to the touch but crumble very readily. The tin note is of a sweet Latakia and not strong at that. Loading and lighting are very easy to accomplish and the mix stays lit after the ritual two lights, burning clean and dry to the heel. The taste is that of a sweetened Latakia and not at all strong as some Lat blends are. The predominant taste throughout the smoke was that of Latakia with a slight hint of perhaps a mild vanilla-like sweetness or brown sugar sweetness. Don't know if vanilla is what is being used, but it was very pleasant and in no way cloying. I can agree with the comparisons made to Sillem's Black, but I prefer the subtlety of Bengal Slices over the Black. The room note is simply fantastic! Coming back into the room after smoking this is very, very nice. I doubt this would offend anyone at all. Although I've never smoked the original, kudos to STC of Pa and Russ Ouellette for recreating this blend. A new favorite for sure, and that's saying a lot for someone who usually smokes Lat blends on infrequent occasions.

I've never had the original Bengal. Not sure what flavoring is used here, but the tin note of this as well as the initial flavor to me is anise. Not as strong as Count Pulaski in the use of anise, but subtle. The word that comes to mind when describing this blend overall is subdued. All the components are well married, yet none really stand out for this smoker. They seem to meld more than interplay, like an aged tin.

Periodically there is just a little Oriental sourness that pokes through. Black Cav is also a good additive to blends. For me, it adds a roundness and slight richness to blends and its effect is discernible here. The strong shoulders of the blend really seem to be a strong marriage of VA and Lat plus the aforementioned flavoring. it seems neither ever take a strong lead, but make this full bodied and add a slight musty quality not easy to describe, as it has a nice meaty mouth feel. The flavor profile overall does not change much for this smoker during the progression of the bowl. Sometimes that is what I'm looking for, sometimes it isn't.

Easy to crumble, pack and light. Impeccable burning qualities. In summary, this seems to be an extremely good, but not overly complicated tobacco. It is a solid performer and one I intend to cellar. It's one I'd recommend and share, but can't see it immediately replacing other Lat blends currently in the rotation. It's a solid 3 stars.

My reviews are never lengthy and for those who like lengthy reviews, I apologize. I am a man of few words. This blend is very similar to SPC Plum Pudding. However, this is a bit better in my opinion. Smoky, slightly sweet and just genuinely good tasting. Russ outdid himself this time. This stuff is amazing. Burns slow and cool to a fine white ash. Probably the best tobacco I've ever smoked. Also, zero tongue bite. I mean NONE. I just wish it were available in 8 ounce cans.

This is my favorite tobacco hands down, it's absolutely perfect. It's perfectly balanced, lightly smoky, slightly sweet, nutty, creamy, and a little incense like from the orientals. The latakia stays in the background and never masks the other tobacco flavors. It smokes cool with no bite whatsoever and has a wonderful aftertaste. I always try to rub this out very gently, because it's somewhat dry and is easy to over-rub it into powder. However it burns nicely all the way to the bottom of the bowl. I usually smoke this in a pipe with a filter, because there will inevitably be some bits to get up through the stem for the first part of the bowl. Sometimes after finishing a bowl, I am so happy with it and find it so tasty, that I will reload another pipe and enjoy it all over again.

This was my first time with a crumble cake, and what an odd experience. I have rubbed out plugs and slices before and they always retain some "ribbon cut" element, but these Bengal Slices just crumble as the name suggests. It performs very much like feta cheese or densely packed marijuana.

The initial aroma was not overpowering and kinda reminded me of a musky cologne with a bit of sweetness. For a latakia, it didn't try to overwhelm your nose by being knee-deep in fireplace charcoal. Upon firing up, I was surprised at how easy it was to draw air through the pipe, since I figured the crumbles would've pressed into a dense airtight wad. The cherry also stayed constant and smoldered without relights.

The taste was right up my alley, reminding me of McClelland Frog Morton. It was spicy and interesting all the way to the bottom. Bourbon and caramel notes perhaps? I honestly can't nail down one flavor, but that's what makes it robust and fun to smoke.

I am very stingy with giving a review 4 stars, but this one earned it! My only small gripes were the mess to pack a bowl and the fact that due to being tightly compressed, you use more tobacco to fill the bowl, so the tin runs out a bit quicker.

This krumble kake is addicting! Russ Oulette's reformulation is deliciously sweet and smoky, unlike any other English blend. It is similar in color to Penzance, but arrives in thicker slices that easily break apart into small chunks that pack and burn beautifully.

I wouldn't consider this an English aromatic, but there is a noticeable anise topping that persists throughout the bowl. Combined with the sweet VA and smoky Latakia, it delivers a delicious and interesting smoke. If I were a cat, this would be my catnip!

Nicotine is fairly low, and I typically smoke a second bowl.

Cracking open the tin, you are greeted by a very nice smell of incense with a hint of sweetness reminding me a bit of vanilla, but ''drier''. On the charring light, you notice that the taste is very similar to the tin note, with high notes of exotic woods, spice, and a pleasant sweetness. The sweetness mostly comes from a topping, some may not like it, but i find it to blend very well with the smoky Latakia in this blend. It is a ''powdery'' sweetness, not heavy or cloying, very ''oriental'' in nature, so much that when it combines with the Latakia it simply gives the impression of a sweeter incense taste and smell. Bengal slices is mostly about high notes, it made me go ''wow !'' instantly, it may be a bit too much for an everyday smoke. But it is not heavy, it is light, creamy, powdery and lively, the ''base'' notes do not really shine but provide a backdrop for the most obvious top notes. Burn quality is excellent if packed rather loosely, i never got it to bite or get harsh, as you progress down the bowl the taste subdues a bit, and unlike some other tobaccos, it does not seem to gain depth or complexity, rather it seems to fade slowly and become more ''tame''. I like the presentation, 3 thick slices, almost black, with lots of smaller broken pieces to use as tinder. Overall: an aromatic, ''thinner'' version of BlackHouse. Highly recommended !

Now I’ve got vanilla ghosts in one of my English blend pipes.

The Bengal Slices I remember had a nice floral essence and some smooth, actual Latakia, Turkish, and Virginia flavor. The Bengal Slices I just bought new smells, on opening, like I’m standing next to the bowl of fennel at my favorite curry shop. These are very different animals.

On light, it starts with an overwhelming vanilla and chocolate flavor. The anise is evident exhaling through the nose. Occasionally some Virginia (like it needed more sweetness?) comes through. The Latakia is fighting a losing battle against the toppings. It’s been sauced into submission.

The Dutch Pipe Smoker mentioned that this reminded him of HU ChocoLat, but I thought he was talking about the Lat part. It was the Choco part. The topping here is overwhelming. Massive. I can’t imagine that I’m smoking the same thing that earlier reviewers are smoking - this is a vanilla and chocolate aromatic.

I have no idea why they called this Bengal Slices, it bears no resemblance at all.