May the Schwarz be with You
Tin
Note:
The Tin Note is a bit unusual, in that before I opened the
carefully packaged tobacco inside the decorative black tin I caught the
distinctive aroma of Latakia. Neither
the Bright Virginia tobacco nor the Black Cavendish presented themselves until
the package was open and I was directly exposed to the tobaccos. The Latakia
and Burley seemed to take a back seat to the sweet nose of honey, plum, and raisin.
I think you can tell what is in this blend just from the Tin Note; however I
didn’t pick up on anything more than an imagined hint of Burley. I say imagined
because I had read the Tin Description prior to opening the package. And, I may
have discerned it only because I was searching the aromas for it. There seemed
to be a hint of Burley but I couldn’t swear to it.
Appearance:
It comes in a great looking tin. I’m sure I will find some
excuse to keep the tin and use it for something. As for the tobacco, it is
rough cut, basically a black tobacco interspersed with the Bright Virginia and
Burley. Upon a second closer look, the Latakia and the Black Cavendish are distinguishable
from each other, as is the Burley from the Virginia. In fact the Burley is
crudely cut and some pieces actually resemble cigar wrapper. This blend isn’t
overly moist, but does need some drying time. It dries quickly; so, 15 minutes should
be plenty of drying time.
Room
Note:
I will say the room note isn’t bad at all, to someone who enjoys
the smell of Latakia. The Cavendish may mitigate The War Department’s dislike
of the “stinky stuff”, but not entirely. One of my daughters says that: “It isn’t
bad.”
I received this tin of Sillem’s Schwarz (or Black) from a fellow
pipe smoker, and I’m grateful to him for exposing me to this English/Aromatic
blend. I don’t usually smoke English blends because the wife, as I mentioned
above, isn’t a fan of Latakia. It’s not that I don’t enjoy English or Balkan blends,
but I don’t have the opportunity to smoke them except on infrequent occasions. I
am however taking full advantage of smoking this “because I’m writing a review.”
I decided to smoke it in my Aldo Velani Bulldog for a couple of
reasons. The bowl is a bit larger than ¾” and just seemed to be suited to this particular
blend. The rough cut of Sillem’s Black seemed to be inappropriate to the
smallish bowl sizes of my churchwarden pipes and some others. It may also slightly
ghost my pipe; so, I opted for what seemed to be the best for my purposes. I
believe my choice of pipes to be a good one.
Sillem’s Schwarz is an English/Aromatic blend according to the
tin description. My first impression is that it resembles a Balkan blend more
than any English or an Aromatic blend I have smoked in the past. At first I
wasn’t sure what to expect. Prior to this I have had no experience with Sillem’s
tobacco blends.
The first bowl was packed directly from the tin. I decided no
drying was needed, the moisture content seemed ok using the pinch test. Upon
the char light I was struck with the strength of the Latakia. Upon the true,
the strength of the Latakia was just as prevalent. As for the Black Cavendish I
have yet to really discern it from the Latakia. I have picked up on the
Virginia a little, and I have noticed at an interesting hint attributable to
the Burley; but, Cavendish (?)… not yet. I am leaving the door open in that
regard because I have only smoked 5 bowls. I’m sure there are subtleties I have
yet to pick up on but not as of yet. On a couple of occasions, (not in every
bowl) I have tasted the unmistakably soapy aspect of Latakia, sometimes strong,
sometimes less so. It is not one of my favorite sensations, but the soapy
aspect isn’t unpleasant. At this point I must interject that I have yet to
taste that peppery aspect I would generally associate with Latakia. This may be
attributable to the Black Cavendish as described by Sillem in their
description. To continue; the blend is mildly sweet but not overly so, and does
have a mildly toasted aspect to the flavor profile as well. One further point;
I taste only the very slightest hint of raisins or plum in this medium strong
smoke, and one really has to search for that hint of honey.
The nicotine content is a bit stronger than adequate, it is not
overpowering, nor does it threaten the smoker with the spins during a long and
relaxing bowl.
My overall impression is this is quite a good Latakia blend…
nearly a “Lat Bomb” but not quite. I believe it will match well with a strong
early morning mug o’ Joe, and is entirely appropriate for that last quiet bowl
to close the day. This isn’t what I would call a “go-to” type blend for me. I
like it, in the realm of a Balkan blend and will smoke it on the occasion when
I’m in the mood for a heavy Latakia blend. So, for those of you “on the Dark
Side” “May the Schwarz be with you.” I
think you will enjoy this blend very much.
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