John Cotton's Smyrna

This is good. But really just another medium English/Balkan blend. The original had a really unique under sweetness that was really amazing--whatever that was it seems missing here. It smokes to the bottom every time. I am going to let it age.

The Smyrna is the star here being very spicy , buttery sweet . Plenty of Latakia smokiness to boot . Virginia is sweet and a little bit overpowered by the Orientals . Still a very good blend and totally different from anything else i have tried . Did I mention it was SPICY?

Not a bad blend at all

A little too harsh for my taste.

A yummy English style blend. If you like those blends give this one a shot you will enjoy!!!

Smooth rich smoke. Five stars, but don’t try it, I would hate to have to not be able to find it due to popularity.

I have smoked cigars for years, then I tried the pipe recently. I was about to give up on it due to lack of taste bulk tobacco I was getting from a local shop, then I found Cottons Smyrna and it sold me on the pipe. I have tried many other similar blends but Smyrna is still one of my all time favorites.

Tasty, though a bit dry. Pleasing, woody note.

Nothing crazy, decent smoke. Was a little dry when received. Like right at the point of being too dry and perfect. Dried out in a mason jar over a week or 2. It is also comprised of a lot of crumbly bits. So expect a little flake or two in your mouth.

I find it a quality smoke but lacks the body and punch I prefer Still in search of a reliable replacement for Dunhill Early Morning

I have smoked better, but it is pretty good.

Pleasant enough smoke but not as I remember the original. Unfortunately the tin I received was way too dry, I resurrected it but by then had lost any subtleties it might have had. Not a repeat.

excellent

Great stuff. Buy it smoke it

Out of all the blends I have tried so far, John Cotton's Smyrna is by far the best. Love the smokiness and spice this blend has; perfectly balanced. So, if you're into blends that remind you of a campfire, this is it.

Losing the McClelland Grand Orientals blends was a blow. I’ve turned to several alternative sources of comfort. John Cotton’s Smyrna is a comfort-laden blend for any lover of oriental blends.

Loved it!!! Highly recommended!!!

Great Latakia! So far all of the J. Cotton's tins appeal to me but this Smyrna is excellent.

great mild smoke, I really like all of the John Cotton blends

Hard to pack and hard to smoke!!!

My previous everyday smoke was Frog Mortons on the Town, I can now confidently say that Smyrna has taken its place, this mix is smooth and has an outstanding smokey Latakia taste, if you love Latakia and you love your tobacco to have the leathery, smokey flavor and aroma ... this is it. As an added bonus the cut of this tobacco makes it great for rolling as well, so if you like to roll pipe tobacco this is a great choice as well. All I can say is try it, its not for everyone but those that like it will really like it.

Excellent English style tobacco

I love this tobacco, but I blend it with 10% Larrys blend! Jc symrna is a great light Turkish blend by itself, but with the Larry's in there it takes over the top in terms of fullness, and also adds an extra exotic spiciness to it. I call it Ernie's blend. If you like full balkans you can put more larrys to your taste. Still oriental/turkish forward in spice. If you like white knight then you'll like this, though not as hot as white knight. Don't stop making this one. I wish it came in bulk.

I love this smoke. Much different than my many other tins I have in three 5-gallon buckets. This habit is becoming quit a compulsive one. But I digress. While this isn't really a "tobacco term" I imagine, this smoke seems more "pure tobacco" with a fuller flavor, great light, consistent burn, and no bite that I get from some aromatics. It's a great, solid smoke and I would recommend it as a nice addition to your tobacco line-up. I find my "go-to" tobaccos to be ever changing and I always go back to Penzance but have to save what I have to last until the next batch becomes available. I smoke this one often as I head up into the hills with my dogs as I am drinking coffee and trying to wake up:)

In my opinion, Smyrna is a good, but not a great, Balkan. There is no fault in the selection and preparation of the constituent tobaccos, but an absence of strength and presence that are the hallmarks of a great Balkan. One may smoke a bowl of Smyrna and, after a sufficient interval, smoke one of Peter Stokkebye's Balkan Supreme or other five star Balkan to appreciate the difference. A good effort, nonetheless.

I love this tobacco. It is not as overpowering as some other styles yet it is powerful enough. If you like Frog Morton or Gaslight types you will love this and this won't knock you out; but, it will send you on a great ride.

Love this tobacco. Rich, deep, smokey and complex.

The perfect amount of smoke flavor and complex always keep a tin on hand.

I smoked a lot of this a long, long time ago and was sad when it became unavailable. I was not confident when I ordered that this would be close to the original. After lighting up, I am completely on-board. Although it doesn't seem to have the same nose in the tin; when smoked I'm taken back to the 70's to my first few bowls as a newbie pipe smoker. Now I'm sold and will be stocking multiple tins in case John Cotton's disappears again. Thanks for the effort guys, I had no idea this tobacco meant so much to so many!

This is a nice English blend, it seemed to have all the necessary elements in place, but I did not enjoy it as much as, say McClelland Arcadia, Frog Morton or the recent "Russ's Experimental Blend No. 61". It lacked bearing in the middle of the smoke (about 10-12 minutes in) and seemed to run out of flavor sooner than most of my go-to English mixtures. The contents of my tin also arrived a bit dry, surprising since it is a new re-introduction; I would have thought freshness was not an issue. Good, not great, maybe I should try one of the other John Cotton revivals.

the latakia is tasty but is a lot milder than im used to would be great in the morning

The John Cotton's Smyrna is the reason for my decision to start smoking a pipe again. It has a flavor that is a smidge of boldness but never over baring. The latika in this is evident upon expelling the smoke from my mouth , ( Very Pleasant and relaxing ). Even though I prefer to smoke a stronger tobacco I will always have a tin of John Cottons Smyrna in my smoking room .

An excellent blend. A must-try. It is smooth, smoky, slow burning. It is a great English blend.

This is what I remember a quality blend should be. The marriage between the turkish and Latakia was made in heaven !! Let me know when I can buy this in bulk.

Since I bought the Smyrna for cellaring, not a lot to report. A fine blend, had some at the West Coast PS. And plan on opening in a year, though I may do an intermediate tin or two.

a good smoke a little stringy like a birds nest but still good .

It is good, but really didn't "do it" for me. Just didn't find it had much flavor, although it was smooth it seemed a little flat. Maybe I was having a bad smoke day.

John Cotton's Smyrna is an oriental blend comprised of mostly longer thin ribbon cut tobacco. The components are visually some light tan, mostly brown and some short black ribbon. The moisture level is perfect out of the tin and ready to smoke. This blend is medium in flavor and is smooth and fairly creamy. The dominant flavor is toasty like a heavily roasted nut with a moderate musty pungence. There is a constant interplay between a sour note and the sweetness of the virginias. The sour note is usually present with the sweetness sometimes coming forward and replacing it. There is a sustained constant level of sweetness to the smoke. There is often a spicy and floral flavor that punches forward, but usually stays in the background. There is a slight smokiness that fills out the foundation of the flavor profile and comes with a slightly woody taste. Towards the end of the bowl the flavor mellows out and becomes a bit more smokey. Overall I found this to be a pretty complex blend and very enjoyable. I would highly recommend this blend since it is flavorful and interesting without any harshness or overbearance.

John Cotton's Smyrna is an oriental blend comprised of mostly longer thin ribbon cut tobacco. The components are visually some light tan, mostly brown and some short black ribbon. The moisture level is perfect out of the tin and ready to smoke. This blend is medium in flavor and is smooth and fairly creamy. The dominant flavor is toasty like a heavily roasted nut with a moderate musty pungence. There is a constant interplay between a sour note and the sweetness of the virginias. The sour note is usually present with the sweetness sometimes coming forward and replacing it. There is a sustained constant level of sweetness to the smoke. There is often a spicy and floral flavor that punches forward, but usually stays in the background. There is a slight smokiness that fills out the foundation of the flavor profile and comes with a slightly woody taste. Towards the end of the bowl the flavor mellows out and becomes a bit more smokey. Overall I found this to be a pretty complex blend and very enjoyable. I would highly recommend this blend since it is flavorful and interesting without any harshness or overbearance.

Absolutely delicious and well-balanced tobacco. The Latakia supports the Virginias and Turkish tobaccos, adding complexity. Very smooth and well-integrated tobacco. I'll definitely get more.