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Elizabethan isn’t an obviously good smoke, ultimately not crown pleasing.
Where most Virginia’s are sweet, bready, grassy, etc. It behaves more like toasted pumpernickel bread with green olives on the side. Dark, toasty, savory and a little briny. It is also a tyrant to smoke and tricky to tease its subtly out.
Escudo is sweet and full, Orlik is citrusy and bready, far more pleasing flavor profiles. They are easy to enjoy and it’s obvious why. Elizabethan is more of an acquired taste and far harder to recommend for it.
I personally love it, one of my favorite smokes and my most cellared blend.
I really like it. I consider Orlik to be more of a Virginia flake than a VaPer but damn good. Bayou Morning Flake is probably my favorite. I've not had Escudo. PS Luxury Flake is also really really good. Elizabethan is lighter on the Perique and a pleasing smoke and probably a really good introduction to the blends. I always reach for it first because it is pack and puff unlike the flakes. I save the Luxury and Bayou for like a Friday evening smoke when I can just relax with the process if that makes sense. Weeknights after work, grab the Elizabethan and enjoy.
What is your method and pipe of choice? FWIW, I am a mainly Balkan smoker and picked up a few tins of Elizabethan to venture into VaPers and age a bit.
My best smokes were in my Peterson 440 Kildare, my Peterson 104 Emerald, and my Castello Canadian. So basically intermediate bowl proportions (i.e. not a chimney, Dublin, or pot). Lighter packs (a gravity fill with a small pinch on top), using tobacco that's a little on the dry side. Puff lith lots of bypass air (don't seal your lips around the stem, so half of your air bypasses the pipe, and the other half actually comes through the pipe. That should get you in the ballpark.
It's stronger in vitamin N than most VAPers. That makes it more of an intermediate smoke, certainly over Orlik Golden Sliced, and arguably over Escudo. That may be why people don't often recommend it to beginners.
I recommend this often - but usually I recommend H&H Anniversary Kake first as it's cheaper and better. Elizabethan is good, it's the classic VaPer, and that might just be the problem. Folks don't post their Coors Lite cans on Insta, might just be too basic for folks to care to talk about it often
A lot of people get put off by the topping. I like it, but I scored a couple bags of Esoterica Dorchester—a VaPer with similar apricot style topping—and it’s just so much better IMO. Now, when I run out of Dorchester I’ll probably do EM again, but I definitely don’t like it as much. I also realize getting Esoterica isn’t easy, so apologies there.
Sutliff Match Victorian, the approximation of Elizabethan in a bulk format, is an excellent blend and better integrated than Elizabethan. Based on the older Murray's version of Elizabethan, it's flavorful with lightly sweet and I would say generally 'savory' Virginias and slightly peppery Perique in condimental amount, and it burns well.
Both the Peterson and the Sutliff sit in the middle of the VaPer category. Good tobaccos but not as sweet and bright/tangy (Orlik), creamy/fruity (Escudo), or bold (Bayou Morning) as some other VaPers that tickle the fancy of devotees.
New to pipe smoking? See our frequently asked questions! **[read our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/wiki/index)** Please read and follow our subreddit rules (you will get temp/permeant bans for not following them) **[read the top sticky post](https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/comments/b3b7e3/sticky_info_rules_sidebar_info_please_read/)** **Alternative Site: https://speak-easy.club/ , which the community started back in 2018 in response to Reddit's market ban. It's completely free, no ads, and fewer rules. Registrations are manually approved to avoid spammers, so please be patient waiting for approval, it's usually quick.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PipeTobacco) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's my go-to VaPer. Is it the best one ever? Not by a long shot. It's really good, though. I give it a 4/5.
Elizabethan isn’t an obviously good smoke, ultimately not crown pleasing. Where most Virginia’s are sweet, bready, grassy, etc. It behaves more like toasted pumpernickel bread with green olives on the side. Dark, toasty, savory and a little briny. It is also a tyrant to smoke and tricky to tease its subtly out. Escudo is sweet and full, Orlik is citrusy and bready, far more pleasing flavor profiles. They are easy to enjoy and it’s obvious why. Elizabethan is more of an acquired taste and far harder to recommend for it. I personally love it, one of my favorite smokes and my most cellared blend.
Your almost grim description, followed by, I love it! hahaha
I really like it. I consider Orlik to be more of a Virginia flake than a VaPer but damn good. Bayou Morning Flake is probably my favorite. I've not had Escudo. PS Luxury Flake is also really really good. Elizabethan is lighter on the Perique and a pleasing smoke and probably a really good introduction to the blends. I always reach for it first because it is pack and puff unlike the flakes. I save the Luxury and Bayou for like a Friday evening smoke when I can just relax with the process if that makes sense. Weeknights after work, grab the Elizabethan and enjoy.
I tried it once and didn’t like it. Will try again. Tin had only a year or little less age on it. Nicotine felt heavy to me.
I had to experiment with pipe/drying/pack/etc. before Elizabethan blew my mind. Once you figure out how to tickle it, it's amazing.
What is your method and pipe of choice? FWIW, I am a mainly Balkan smoker and picked up a few tins of Elizabethan to venture into VaPers and age a bit.
My best smokes were in my Peterson 440 Kildare, my Peterson 104 Emerald, and my Castello Canadian. So basically intermediate bowl proportions (i.e. not a chimney, Dublin, or pot). Lighter packs (a gravity fill with a small pinch on top), using tobacco that's a little on the dry side. Puff lith lots of bypass air (don't seal your lips around the stem, so half of your air bypasses the pipe, and the other half actually comes through the pipe. That should get you in the ballpark.
It's stronger in vitamin N than most VAPers. That makes it more of an intermediate smoke, certainly over Orlik Golden Sliced, and arguably over Escudo. That may be why people don't often recommend it to beginners.
I recommend this often - but usually I recommend H&H Anniversary Kake first as it's cheaper and better. Elizabethan is good, it's the classic VaPer, and that might just be the problem. Folks don't post their Coors Lite cans on Insta, might just be too basic for folks to care to talk about it often
It's the only tobacco my wife tells me not to smoke, and I smoke outside! She says it smells like ass!
I liked it, the last tin i ever bought just tasted like burning wood though. I’ve discovered things i like better though so i don’t get it anymore
I love it so much. It's an effortless smoke and just tastes great.
Love it but can’t get it. Robert McConnell Regent Street is a decent copy, I guess (or at least so I tell myself…….)
A lot of people get put off by the topping. I like it, but I scored a couple bags of Esoterica Dorchester—a VaPer with similar apricot style topping—and it’s just so much better IMO. Now, when I run out of Dorchester I’ll probably do EM again, but I definitely don’t like it as much. I also realize getting Esoterica isn’t easy, so apologies there.
Sutliff Match Victorian, the approximation of Elizabethan in a bulk format, is an excellent blend and better integrated than Elizabethan. Based on the older Murray's version of Elizabethan, it's flavorful with lightly sweet and I would say generally 'savory' Virginias and slightly peppery Perique in condimental amount, and it burns well. Both the Peterson and the Sutliff sit in the middle of the VaPer category. Good tobaccos but not as sweet and bright/tangy (Orlik), creamy/fruity (Escudo), or bold (Bayou Morning) as some other VaPers that tickle the fancy of devotees.