Milan Tobacconists House Blend Reviews

[cpmcdill]

Blend:Buttered Rum from Milan Tobacconists (review #5 of 5)
Pipe: Vintage Dr. Grabow Golden Duke rusticated straight pot with Adjustomatic Stem (no filter)
Packing method: Codger stuff
Appearance: Ribbon cut, a pretty even melange of medium brown and yellowish tobacco.
Pouch Note: A lovely smell. I guess this is sort of like a pipe version of a hot toddy. I once had a hot toddy during a week-long blizzard when all of the power had gone out and all that remained functional was the propane stove and the fireplace (well the water was still running and the pipes didn't freeze, so all good eh?), but only after finishing off the Bailey's so my recollection was kind of fuzzy.

Preamble. This is another blend my respected source says is probably a commercial bulk rather than a house blend. In this case Sutliff Buttered Rum (also one I have not personally tried), and I have to admit some of my early better experiences with Aromatics came from Sutliff blends, so I reckon I could be biased pro-Sutliff. We shall see.

Before smoking this, I needed to cleanse my palate from the previously reviewed Hazelnut blend. C&D Star of the East did the trick. Also had to rest and clean my poor abused Grabow pot. One of my oldest and trustiest smokers, I sometimes push it too hard. Some day I will give it a full Viking funeral.

Okay. Thank you Star of the East. My palate is now reconsecrated with your light and bliss. On to the last aromatic in my obligatory series of reviews. As a soundtrack to my smoking experience, I had some difficulty deciding between medieval lute music and dubstep. So I'll just alternate tracks in my media player. I don't have any rum, so this smoke will be accompanied by several fingers and a thumb of Old Crow.

Initial light gave me all the warning signs I need to keep a slow cadence. This is a potential tongue-biter. First impressions are of a vanilla-honey note with cavendish flavor. The pouch and probably the room note are not in the smoke. Feels pretty wet/steamy. I find it paradoxical that wet tobaccos like this often keep a light better than many drier, less cased blends.

Right around the bass drop of Matta's "Release the Freq" (1/3 into the bowl) I'm feeling a distinct tongue bite. Slowing down the cadence even further, surprised this stuff is still burning. Not a single relight yet. Getting some crackle and sizzle sounds in the bowl, so there's definitely some moisture accumulating.

The lute tune by Rolf Lislevand, "La Mascarade/Rondee" had such a mellow tempo that my cadence lowered enough to bring forth more flavors. Until the fire went out. At the 4th quarter I have to relight for the first time. I've managed to protect my tongue pretty will despite the dangers of this blend. Got it right down to a bit of ash and minimal dottle. I deserve a gold star.

At the end of my quest, I have still not found a new holy grail. I am not prejudiced against aromatics, and I am always open to trying new ones. For me, the best I have found always included some Latakia, like Frog Morton's Cellar, Moonshine Pipe Co XXX Blend, Two Friends English Chocolate, or GH Bob's Chocolate Flake. But it's just a matter of personal palates. I'm in the minority, and most pipers smoke aros so their wives will let them smoke indoors, or some such similar reason. These Milans were not bad, but I wish they'd also shared some of their non-aro and English blend to be reviewed.

[Haebar]

Milan Tobacconist Lucky Leaf

When I first lit this up, I thought "this tastes familiar". It was the consistently loved golden Cavendish, nothing else. This is an enjoyable smoke that is slightly sweet and has a pleasant taste with a slight vanilla fringe detected. Not much of a nicotine contribution, about light-medium. I've smoked it in a Captain Black billiard and a Sunrise Dublin and it is very good for an aromatic. Similar blends that came to mind were Captain Black Gold, 1Q.

[droy1958]

Website: Pure Pleasure (Aromatic) Pipe Tobacco
A unique combination of Virginia and Cavendish tobaccos gives this blend a sweet orange flavor with hints of vanilla.
---------------
Pipe was my aro nose warmer.
The website description is pretty much it. It had a light orange/tangerine taste and a faint sweet finish. It gave my tongue a citrusy tingle, but no bite. I let this one dry out for a few hours before packing it, and it burned down to 3/4 when I put it down. This one was ok, but not really my thing. Like the others, it burned very clean for an aromatic.....

[Tobias Lutz]

These Milans were not bad, but I wish they'd also shared some of their non-aro and English blend to be reviewed.

I totally understand not being of the aromatic persuasion, but your comment made me realize something needed to be clarified. Milan had nothing to do with this exercise, or I'm sure they would have offered up a different variety. I have always smoked their aromatics, and I purchased these bags from them without any mention of what they would be used for. I'm sorry if there had been an implication that they were somehow in on this as a promotional thing.

[cpmcdill]

I totally understand not being of the aromatic persuasion, but your comment made me realize something needed to be clarified. Milan had nothing to do with this exercise, or I'm sure they would have offered up a different variety. I have always smoked their aromatics, and I purchased these bags from them without any mention of what they would be used for. I'm sorry if there had been an implication that they were somehow in on this as a promotional thing.

Tobias, it appears I'm the one who owes an apology. I probably inferred that with very little basis in what you actually wrote. And with my own words I make myself seem ungrateful for this opportunity, which is really not the case. A big oops on my part, and sorry for the mix-up.

[Tobias Lutz]

Tobias, it appears I'm the one who owes an apology. I probably inferred that with very little basis in what you actually wrote. And with my own words I make myself seem ungrateful for this opportunity, which is really not the case. A big oops on my part, and sorry for the mix-up.

I certainly didn't take your comment as such. I just don't want you to think that the shop was somehow bias towards giving away samples of their aros and not other blends. I have only smoked a handful of their other house offerings, so I stuck with what I new. I really enjoyed your reviews, for the record

[Lostmason]

Tobacco: Neapolitan (Milan Tobacconists)

Pipe: DG Savoy and MM CG Cob

prep: none and prepacked cob for about 3 hrs

Pouch note: Damn Good! Aroma of cherry cupcakes
Fresh baked out of the oven.

Room Note:Sweet and fruity at first,turned to a chemicle
smell on the bottom third.

Light:Without any prep this blend can be difficult needed several
relights to get it going.Letting it rest I had no relights
after the charring light and smoked it to ashes.

Taste:Tender taste of cherry with an almost creamy carrier.
Light not over powering,very cool moist smoke but
no steam or bite.Good blend for the expieenced smoker
who doesn't want a heavey nic hitter.

[Branzig]

Cool bunch of reviews boys! Fun reads throughout!

[Cool Breeze]

Name: Milan Celebration

Age: New

Blend: Virginia, Burley, Milan proprietary tobacco

Smoked in: Kings Cross briar and MM cobs

Blended by Milan Tobacconists in Roanoke VA.
Is an aromatic blend flavored with vanilla, run and fruit.
The cut is a coarse cut but it packs easily and burns very well.

The flavor is very sweet at first as you would expect with an aromatic, but after a few minutes it dies down and you can actually taste the tobacco. The VA and burley tobaccos come through clearly and the aromatic flavor is in the background. You can clearly taste the vanilla and fruit.

I forgot to mention this in my video but it reminds me of Old Shenandoah Bootlegged. It tastes very similar.

The room note is awesome. My daughter compared it to cupcakes baking.

No vitamin N hit to speak of, didn't feel it at all.

Overall it is one of the better aromatic blends I have tried. It really shines after about five minutes or so when you really start tasting the tobacco.
I would definitely recommend it.

If you are into Youtube videos, here is my video review.

[Tobias Lutz]

If you are into Youtube videos, here is my video review.

I dig everything but the shirt...you have the wrong bird on that thing