Bengal Slices Bengal Slices (re-release)
(3.33)
A unique Latakia based crumble cake made with yellow and black Virginias, some of the most delectable Orientals available and a touch of unflavored black cavendish.
Notes: A recreation of the original Bengal Slices.
Details
| Brand | Bengal Slices |
| Blended By | Russ Ouellette |
| Manufactured By | Sutliff Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Licorice |
| Cut | Krumble Kake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.33 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 61 - 70 of 72 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 2021 | Mild | Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
When you open the tin, it comes in a crumble cake and you notice the smokey latakia smell and the licorice topping is obvious. You get a sour and tangy fragrance from the orientals and virginias but it is secondary. It smells like this blend would be strong. Once you break up the crumble cake it packs and lights well. It's not a moist crumble cake, its on the drier side.
Once you start smoking it...you will notice that the licorice topping does not carry over as you think it would. Its there ever so slightly in the backround but I think for most people it would be unnoticeable. I think the topping tames the latakia a bit and gives the blend this cool smoke taste. The latakia is smokey and leathery and is at the fore front but this is by no means a lat bomb at all. The orientals are sweet , sour, full of flavor, and very detectable in exhale. The virginias are grassy, fruity, and give you a little bit of that vinegar taste in the backround. The unflavored black cavendish is undetectable to me but i believe that it absorbs the topping and takes all the rough edged out of the blend. It does not smoke as sweet as it would seem. Its more cool than sweet. I was suprised that with the latakia and the licorice topping combined that the blend was so balanced and all of the flavors were not masked. The flavor stays the same top to bottom and gets very hard to light as it gets down to the dottle no matter what pipe I use. The blend is actually suprisingly mild. I'v smoked it at all times of the day and it never gives me a good nic hit at all. The blend is a very tastey american/english and smokes very cool. After about a year of smoking it it has yet to ghost a pipe for me.
To me this blend is a masterpiece from Russ Oulette. It has a unique flavor that is different than many american/english blends. The tins are expensive at 16 bucks online. I think it is because Standard Tobacco Company of Pennsylvania uses very high quality tobacco in all of its blends. You'll notice it even when you smoke Bengal Slices. It has a Rich and Mild taste that i can only really describe as "Quality".
Once you start smoking it...you will notice that the licorice topping does not carry over as you think it would. Its there ever so slightly in the backround but I think for most people it would be unnoticeable. I think the topping tames the latakia a bit and gives the blend this cool smoke taste. The latakia is smokey and leathery and is at the fore front but this is by no means a lat bomb at all. The orientals are sweet , sour, full of flavor, and very detectable in exhale. The virginias are grassy, fruity, and give you a little bit of that vinegar taste in the backround. The unflavored black cavendish is undetectable to me but i believe that it absorbs the topping and takes all the rough edged out of the blend. It does not smoke as sweet as it would seem. Its more cool than sweet. I was suprised that with the latakia and the licorice topping combined that the blend was so balanced and all of the flavors were not masked. The flavor stays the same top to bottom and gets very hard to light as it gets down to the dottle no matter what pipe I use. The blend is actually suprisingly mild. I'v smoked it at all times of the day and it never gives me a good nic hit at all. The blend is a very tastey american/english and smokes very cool. After about a year of smoking it it has yet to ghost a pipe for me.
To me this blend is a masterpiece from Russ Oulette. It has a unique flavor that is different than many american/english blends. The tins are expensive at 16 bucks online. I think it is because Standard Tobacco Company of Pennsylvania uses very high quality tobacco in all of its blends. You'll notice it even when you smoke Bengal Slices. It has a Rich and Mild taste that i can only really describe as "Quality".
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2021 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Preparation & Burn: 4/10 Easy enough to break apart this kake. Best to gravity pack and slightly push down. Burns cool, no bite. Doesn't stay lit too well for me. Might have to dry a bit, but that loses the flavor.
Taste: 16/20 This is a tasty and subtle smoke. Well balanced. There is a mild sweetness that perfectly compliments the lat.
Mildness: 8/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Not much nicotine!
Total: 28/40
Taste: 16/20 This is a tasty and subtle smoke. Well balanced. There is a mild sweetness that perfectly compliments the lat.
Mildness: 8/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Not much nicotine!
Total: 28/40
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2020 | Medium to Strong | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Blend: Bengal Slices Black Blend Type: Balkan/ Oriental Forward English Cut: Crumble Cake Topping: licorice/anise Taste: Medium Strength: Medium/Strong
I don't know how true this is, but I have read somewhere that this blend in its earliest iteration was an attempt at making a match for an older version of Balkan Sobranie. Be that as it may I am reviewing this blend for its own merits.
This comes in a 50 gram tin, and when you open it you will notice several slices of crumble cake. The cake itself is fairly easy to break up though in my opinion not as easy as C&D's cakes. It loads well, and I tend to give it a little more space than I would if this was a shag cut. It came a bit wet so I dried mine out and then jarred it up. Overall it is easy to light, and I find an average amount of relights will do.
The tin note of this blend is very anise forward, but I can smell a fair bit of the Latakia and Orientals which gives me hope.
Upon lighting I find a delightfully creamy, white smoke. Cudos to the blender, the Licorice/Anise topping melds significantly well with the Latakia in this blend. I find some flowery incense like notes from the Orientals, but I think the topping has slightly sublimated to Virginia's, but not in a disagreeable way. Odd enough for me, the licorice topping is what stopped me from liking Orlik's Dark Strong Kentuky, but it works here, and as I already said I think a large part of that is the interplay with the Latakia.
I hate saying anything about a room note because it is so subjective, but I will say if any of your friends aren't biased against tobacco smoke, they may find this blend smells quite pleasant. I think this has a stongly medium bodied taste, and Lady N is coming on medium/strong.
I don't think this is the kind of blend I would want to smoke all day, but it is repeatable during a good day. You may find that this blend does better in a smaller bowl, and you may want to use a dedicated pipe for this, because it does have a tendency to ghost your next smoke a little.
I don't know how true this is, but I have read somewhere that this blend in its earliest iteration was an attempt at making a match for an older version of Balkan Sobranie. Be that as it may I am reviewing this blend for its own merits.
This comes in a 50 gram tin, and when you open it you will notice several slices of crumble cake. The cake itself is fairly easy to break up though in my opinion not as easy as C&D's cakes. It loads well, and I tend to give it a little more space than I would if this was a shag cut. It came a bit wet so I dried mine out and then jarred it up. Overall it is easy to light, and I find an average amount of relights will do.
The tin note of this blend is very anise forward, but I can smell a fair bit of the Latakia and Orientals which gives me hope.
Upon lighting I find a delightfully creamy, white smoke. Cudos to the blender, the Licorice/Anise topping melds significantly well with the Latakia in this blend. I find some flowery incense like notes from the Orientals, but I think the topping has slightly sublimated to Virginia's, but not in a disagreeable way. Odd enough for me, the licorice topping is what stopped me from liking Orlik's Dark Strong Kentuky, but it works here, and as I already said I think a large part of that is the interplay with the Latakia.
I hate saying anything about a room note because it is so subjective, but I will say if any of your friends aren't biased against tobacco smoke, they may find this blend smells quite pleasant. I think this has a stongly medium bodied taste, and Lady N is coming on medium/strong.
I don't think this is the kind of blend I would want to smoke all day, but it is repeatable during a good day. You may find that this blend does better in a smaller bowl, and you may want to use a dedicated pipe for this, because it does have a tendency to ghost your next smoke a little.
Pipe Used:
Kaywoodie Birkshire Large Panel
PurchasedFrom:
Pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Bengal Slices 2oz tins come with a couple of slabs of dry crumble cake. It breaks apart nicely and packs easy. The blend is topped with a nice licorice/vanilla/incense-like note. The scent is wonderful and the overall smoke is creamy. It's pretty close to a lat-bomb as Latakia is mostly all I taste here aside from the candy-like top note. Everything else is almost too subtle or doing something in the background. The problem I have with the blend is that it gets way too hot on me no matter what pace I smoke it at. I seriously could not get this to cool down at all, which is a shame because I really enjoyed the unique flavor of this blend. Probably won't get this again because as great as it tastes, I don't enjoy waiting for my mouth and tongue to recover before I can get back to smokin'. Could be my technique or the pipe or the alignments of the planets. Your mileage may vary.
Pipe Used:
Roma Pastor, MM Cobs
PurchasedFrom:
P&C
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 07, 2020 | Very Mild | Medium to Strong | Mild | Tolerable |
IF YOU DON'T LIKE BLACK LICORICE PASS. This was not one of my favorite blends but it being a reintroduced blend i said what the hell why not. After smelling the tin note i thought to myself well this is not going to be for me and i was correct not a fan but you might be. The tobacco behaved well and burned perfect after 10-15 minuets of dry time. I hope this information helps.
Pipe Used:
Dunhill Bulldog
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
1 year
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2019 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
As has been said in many other reviews, the latakia is prominent, a very pleasant woody smell and taste. It is perhaps too strong for those not fond of latakia. The cavendish compliments nicely, adding to the base in a soft way. Overall this is smooth without a overly dense smoke. It may require some drying/relights depending on how it is prepared/packed.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli 915KS
PurchasedFrom:
P&C
Age When Smoked:
Freshly opened/purchased
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 13, 2023 | Mild | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
https://youtu.be/zh_k4vAEEOw?feature=shared
Though it is often mentioned that this is a remaster of the original, this blend most definitely stands alone. The flavor profile for this blend is unique and although I personally would have appreciated it to be a little more Oriental forward, it still tastes sublime.
Though it is often mentioned that this is a remaster of the original, this blend most definitely stands alone. The flavor profile for this blend is unique and although I personally would have appreciated it to be a little more Oriental forward, it still tastes sublime.
Pipe Used:
Master craft and Peterson systems
PurchasedFrom:
The Country Squire
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 11, 2023 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
First tin whiff is leather and shoe polish. Crumbles easy enough. a few relights. Latakia is the main flavor up front, although not alone. sweet and citrus Virginia comes through with smokey and spice from the orientals. The faint taste of my childhood candy of sweet snaps came to mind. Flavoring of licorice is clearly in the taste profile. I assume the black cavendish keeps everything in check. I like the Snaps and Latakia mixing together with no surprises. Mild to medium strength with a full flavor and nice after taste. I would buy again in a "snap", when on sale.
Pipe Used:
Briars
PurchasedFrom:
P&C
Age When Smoked:
new
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 21, 2023 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I really enjoyed this blend and would definitely pick up a tin or two to have for my daytime English/latakia smoke. This is a nice full bodied blend I could smoke all day. I love flake and this smoky chunky flake did not disappoint. The only totally subjective flaw I found was that it seemed to be missing that one note that would bump this up to 4 stars for me. An excellent blend I'll smoke again! Enjoy!
Pipe Used:
Molina, Kaywoodie, Peterson
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked:
3 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 10, 2023 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Bengal Slices (the re-release version) really surprised me as the flavor and aroma of the smoke is very similar to Dunhill's "The Aperitif" which is no longer in production. I really loved that mixture and I have strong positive feelings about this blend as well.
I am of the opinion that, as pipe tobacco smokers, we are living in a golden era. The existence and easy availability of this product is only further evidence of this opinion. Top Notch- Highly recommended.
I am of the opinion that, as pipe tobacco smokers, we are living in a golden era. The existence and easy availability of this product is only further evidence of this opinion. Top Notch- Highly recommended.
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