Manufacturer Description:
Similar to the no. 1, but with a higher proportion of Orient and some Latakia. Spicy and yet soft, with natural sweetness. Again, slow burn and cool smoke without heaviness.
Characterisation:
The No. 4 English Mixture is packaged in a large round tin. If you open the paper rosette, a light brown, sodden cover sheet appears underneath. It feels a little clammy but has merely absorbed the tobacco's excess moisture. The underlying No. 4 English Mixture is actually rather dry, the cut partly short, partly longer, frizzy and narrow. The tobacco consists of golden, medium-brown and black-brown tobaccos. A dark brown and light brown fine Ready Rubbed mixes with the fibers, too. The intense scent that rises as soon as you open it is sweetish-smoky, juicy and hearty and also slightly reminiscent of roasted coffee. Due to the moderate moisture content, it is possible to use the No. 4 English Mixture to be able to plug immediately.
Plugging:
The predominantly fine and narrow cut of the No. 4 English Mixture makes plugging easy. A good filling is loose at the bottom and only slightly firmer towards the top.
Light up:
The low humidity of the No. 4 English Mixture has the advantage that two flames are enough to ignite the tobacco evenly. However, you should smooth the surface a bit with the tamper before the second flame.
Smoking properties:
The No. 4 English Mixture is a classic English mixture without the heaviness often associated with it. Also in terms of taste, the tobacco is mild and balanced. The Latakia has a smoky aroma while the Orientals bring a grassy spiciness. The Virginias balance this out with a subtle natural sweetness, making the smoke light. The Latakia also makes the smoke remarkably cool. Overall, this results in an almost creamy note. This restrained character remains pleasantly constant over the course of the smoke, until at the end only some light gray ash, a few unburned crumbs and little condensate remain. Cleaning is just as easy as smoking.
Redolency:
The No. 4 English Mixture mainly shows the contained Virginia in the room note, but the oriental tobaccos are clear enough to make it advisable to consider non-smoking company.
Conclusion:
The No. 4 English Mixture is an English blend of all shades of brown that will appeal to those who have previously shied away from this tobacco variety. While Latakia and Oriental convey the usual smoky and grassy-spicy aroma and keep the smoke cool, the sweet Virginia rounds off the taste profile. Since the tobacco is easy to prepare and smoke, as well as its mildness, the No. 4 English Mixture is suitable to be smoked all day long. These characteristics also suit those who want to try an English tobacco without being overwhelmed by Latakia and nicotine.
Copyright © 2013 by TECON GmbH
with friendly support of Dennis Hübel
