Some thoughts on Semois
Jari T
Recently there was some talk about Semois tobacco on ASP and I got
curious. Luckily, a kind Belgian piperster was willing to trade some
(Thanks C.!). I have smoked Semois almost exclusively now for a month or
so (there's not much else in the pitiful cellar now...)
This particular brand of Semois is packed in a simple plastic bag with a
maroon paper label inside that says: "Semois" and "Grove snede - Grosse
coupe" The latter perhaps meaning a coarser cut.... There is a picture
of a gentleman with a pistol stuck in his belt standing on a ship deck
smoking a long clay. Arrrrr! Underneath him: "A.Windels", which must be
the blender or the tobbaconist. Or both.
The cut is thin ribbon, unifom in color, ranging from mid browns to semi
mid browns (Ok, I should have just said "this baccy is brown"...).
Pouch aroma is hard to pin down. Different. It's sweetish and mild, but
there's something extra, something herbal, not unlike chamomillle.
There could be slight topping, then again perhaps not... Could this be
the tonquin flavor?
Packing this cut is easy, but due to fine cut one must beware
overpacking. Lighting is a regular a two match job . From the first
puffs it produces a fair amount of thick white smoke. The taste is
cigarish and creamy yet mildly sweet. Quite different from anything else
I have smoked this far. The "herbal" component peeks in every now and
then. While Semois doesn't bite my tonque at all, a slower puffing
cadence is in order since it does bring out a decent range of underlying
notes. I'd like to think Semois as the oboe of tobaccos. The concerto
gets slightly dull and a bit bitter in the end though. DGT doesn't do
any good for this tobacco, but doesn't hurt it either, IMO.
Semois Windels makes a good after dinner smoke, not only because it is
somewhat potent in nicotine department, but for it's decent room note as
well. Or so I have been told. A Sturdy and satisfying smoke.
This is same time simple and intriguing tobacco. Did I say it was different?
--
Jari T in Helsinki
mike sloan
French caporal tobacco, usually used for cigarettes, most prominently
Gauloises (sp?). Are they similar at all, or am I way off base here?
mike
"Jari T" <tia...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d5rrjq$21u$1...@nyytiset.pp.htv.fi...
Jari T
> I've never tried any Semois, but from your description it sounds sorta like
> French caporal tobacco, usually used for cigarettes, most prominently
> Gauloises (sp?). Are they similar at all, or am I way off base here?
>
> mike
>
Hi Mike,
No, they are not really similar.
When compared to Gauloises or Gitane cigarette (haven't tried caporal
pipe tobacco) Semois is sweeter and the room note is much more pleasant.
I remember reading somwhere that caporal tobacco is roasted...
--
Jari T
Chalatso
pouch aroma rather cigarry.... kind of like the humidor room at a good
tobacconist. For me, at least, the strength is about medium, but the
flavor is very.... young(?)... It's fresh, and I find mostly straight
tobacco flavor.
I'm not finding the bitterness at the end of the smoke, not nearly as
much as in a straight VA or VA/Per. I'd been warned about the strength
in advance, so I've been smoking it in fairly small bowls. Cobs, mostly,
until I get a better feel for the characteristics of the tobacco.
It's very aromatic (I did NOT say it's AN "aromatic", though)
I get no tonka flavor at all. By the way, for an example of tonka, look
to SG 1792 flake.
I also received a pouch of "fine cut" semois.When they say fine, they
mean FINE. It's finer than GH Dark Birdseye, or Drum cigarette tobacco,
and thus requires careful attention in packing and smoking. The flavor
is not much like its ribbon-cut counterpart.
Maybe I'll smoke a pipeful tonight and post my findings.
Chuck
Corneel Vermeulen
>
> Recently there was some talk about Semois tobacco on ASP and I got
> curious. Luckily, a kind Belgian piperster was willing to trade some
> (Thanks C.!). I have smoked Semois almost exclusively now for a month or
> so (there's not much else in the pitiful cellar now...)
>
> This particular brand of Semois is packed in a simple plastic bag with a
> maroon paper label inside that says: "Semois" and "Grove snede - Grosse
> coupe" The latter perhaps meaning a coarser cut.... There is a picture of
> a gentleman with a pistol stuck in his belt standing on a ship deck
> smoking a long clay. Arrrrr! Underneath him: "A.Windels", which must be
> the blender or the tobbaconist. Or both.
It is to me somewhat strange that it is sold in ziplock bags. Well, that is
not entirely true, the 50g pouches are pouches, but the 100g and 250g
pouches often are ziplocks (depends on the brand, but I won't get into that
here).
The paper label is indeed quite nice. The picture varies from the type of
cut you get. As to the words, well, what is there to say? "Semois" means
Semois. "Grove Snede - Grosse coupe" means coarse cut in both languages here
(Dutch and French).
As to Windels ... Windels is a shop in Mechelen, which has been there for a
long time. It's one of those family businesses that carries on a nice
tradition. It's quite nice to have something like that around. As far as the
tobacco is concerned, they have it made for them, packed, labeled and
everything. They used to pack it themselves, some of you may have had the
flatter 50g pouches, the old ones. Somewhere at the end of last year they
changed that. The tobacco was still the same, though.
They don't blend it themselves. Actually Semois is supposed to be a straight
tobacco, not a blend. I have my doubts about it, so have people in my
immediate surroundings. Dad used to smoke Semois in triangular paper bags
(Achilles Welle), and he claims that all the others are not straight semois.
I don't know. I do know that in some brands on the Belgian market one can
find some wervikse(*) added. I don't think it's in Windels'.
> The cut is thin ribbon, unifom in color, ranging from mid browns to semi
> mid browns (Ok, I should have just said "this baccy is brown"...).
Yeah, it's brown alright.
> Pouch aroma is hard to pin down. Different. It's sweetish and mild, but
> there's something extra, something herbal, not unlike chamomillle. There
> could be slight topping, then again perhaps not... Could this be the
> tonquin flavor?
Hard to tell what it is, really. I just assume it is the tonquin, but not
solely. I can't pin it down either.
> Packing this cut is easy, but due to fine cut one must beware overpacking.
It is very easy. You had the Grove Snede (which, as I stated above, means
coarse cut), which is the largest cut available. There is also Half-Grove
(half-coarse, or medium) and Fijne Snede (fine cut). Grove Snede is IMHO the
easiest to pack. Very hard to get that wrong, really.
> Lighting is a regular a two match job .
It still is the best burning tobacco I know. Uses up a minimum of matches,
and burns (or should burn) nice and dry all the way down to the bottom. It
is the only tobacco that I can smoke without having to relight often.
> From the first puffs it produces a fair amount of thick white smoke. The
> taste is cigarish and creamy yet mildly sweet. Quite different from
> anything else I have smoked this far. The "herbal" component peeks in
> every now and then.
Cigarish and mildly sweet. That sums it up, I guess. one needs to smoke it
to have an idea. The proof of the pudding ...
> While Semois doesn't bite my tonque at all, a slower puffing cadence is in
> order since it does bring out a decent range of underlying notes.
Smoking slow is something all tobaccos benefit from. As far as Semois is
concerned, indeed, it will be hard to let it bite you.
Maybe if you do your best really hard?
[snip]
> This is same time simple and intriguing tobacco. Did I say it was
> different?
It's different in that I haven't found anything like it. Thanks for your
review, it's much appreciated.
Cheers!
Corneel
(*) Wervikse: Another Belgian grown tobacco. In some ways similar to Semois,
but much more harsh, lacking taste and even higher in the nicotine
departement.
--
Corneel Vermeulen
email: corneel....@gmail.com
URL: http://corneel.patat.org/
Corneel Vermeulen
Gee ... That C. bastid gets me mine too all the time.
> [...] For me, at least, the strength is about medium, [...]
You think the strength is medium? I'm not the right person to judge tobacco
strength, as I'm most likely too used to Semois to take notice of nicotine
in other blends, but I'm quite sure it is not medium.
Maybe you can take a fair bit as well?
> I'm not finding the bitterness at the end of the smoke, not nearly as
> much as in a straight VA or VA/Per.
Any bitterness might come from smoking wet, or puffing too hard or too hot.
The end result is the same anyway: a less enjoyable smoke, where it could be
much better. That actually goes for all blends, IMHO.
[...]
> Cobs, mostly, until I get a better feel for the characteristics of the
> tobacco.
Cobs are a good choice. I'd even dare to say that Semois truely shines in
them. If you decide to try some in a briar, go ahead, I'm pretty confident
you'll come to the same conclusion.
> It's very aromatic (I did NOT say it's AN "aromatic", though) I get no
> tonka flavor at all. By the way, for an example of tonka, look to SG 1792
> flake.
Smoke a little more, you'll pick it up. It's there for sure.
> I also received a pouch of "fine cut" semois.When they say fine, they
> mean FINE. It's finer than GH Dark Birdseye, or Drum cigarette tobacco,
> and thus requires careful attention in packing and smoking. The flavor
> is not much like its ribbon-cut counterpart.
Fine cut ;-) That ought to give you a bit of a nicotine boost. It is indeed
quite fine, and therefore its burning characteristics are excellent. It's
the type of thing you can pack in your pipe, strike 1 match, light it and
smoke all the way down to the bottom.
Not too bad, but I personally prefer the coarse cut (Grove Snede).
> Maybe I'll smoke a pipeful tonight and post my findings.
That'd be much appreciated, I'm sure. By the way, it's now also listed on --
guess what -- tobacco reviews:
http://tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=H&TID=2336
Quite cool ;-)
Cheers!
culot_fume...@yahoo.com.au
I really like Semois La Brumeuse, Langue de Chien and I also have a
Bouchon de Semois to try. I have not dared to do so as yet...
Culot
Corneel Vermeulen
> I really like Semois La Brumeuse, Langue de Chien and I also have a
> Bouchon de Semois to try. I have not dared to do so as yet...
Langue de Chien is indeed pretty good. IMHO the best of all still is
Windels'. But there is something for everybody ;-)
About that Bouchon, I assume you're talking about these:
http://fumeursdepipe.net/artbouchons.htm ?
If so, that is a nice gimmick, and not too bad a smoke, but more similar to
a cigar than to a pipe. I'm sure you know how it works ... Stuff it in your
bowl, and light it -- just like a cigar, really.
Can't say I know much more about it, I've tried it once. It was OK, but not
something I'd repeat anytime soon. It is an experience all on its own,
though.
Enjoy!
Ben R.
trace of flavoring in it.
I enjoy a mixture of this Semois with Perique from the Percy Martin
farm. I've blended the two 2:1 Semois:Perique and 50/50. I enjoy both.
Buddy Springman
"Ben R." <mr_lo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1115814515....@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>I prefer the grove snede from Windels. I have never noticed even a
> trace of flavoring in it.
I didn't pick-up any tonquin when I was smoking it, but now, when I don't
have any open, I can "almost remember" a subtle tonquin-like taste. Have to
keep this in mind when I open my next package of semois.
Buddy
culot_fume...@yahoo.com.au
Yeah, thats the bouchon allright!!! Well I have never heard about
Windel. Could you give some specific recommendations? And are they
available anywhere in Belgium? The reason I ask is I have found only
one online supplier located in La Louviere, a pretty good one at
that!!!
Culot_fumeur_de_pipe
poupehan
Corneel Vermeulen schreef:
if that is windels ijzerenleen mechelen then I'll try to pop in this
weekend.
How does windels compare to more popular brands as carte d'or and
florina?
Corneel Vermeulen
>
> Yeah, thats the bouchon allright!!! Well I have never heard about
> Windel.
Windels is a shop in Mechelen. The semois they have available is in brown
pouches of 50g, called H.G. Semois. The 100 and 250 g pouches are basically
ziplocks.
> Could you give some specific recommendations? And are they
> available anywhere in Belgium? The reason I ask is I have found only
> one online supplier located in La Louviere, a pretty good one at
> that!!!
I've seen Windels' H.G. Semois in several shops (Mechelen (obviously), Lier,
Leuven, St Niklaas, and a bunch of others). So it is available in more than
one place.
I've not been to Jean-Pierre Petyt's shop (it has to be that one you are
refering to) often enough to know whether he has it or not, but I wouldn't
know why not ...
HTH,
Corneel Vermeulen
> if that is windels ijzerenleen mechelen then I'll try to pop in this
> weekend.
That's the one alright.
> How does windels compare to more popular brands as carte d'or and
> florina?
Very similar, but less harsh, IMHO. Consider it to be Florina with more
depth. I suspect a lot of brands to blend Semois with Wervikse (see
elsewhere in this thread) and a few others. My guess it that Windels' is the
most pure of all.
Semois is Semois, I guess, but my guess is that Windels takes more care of
their end product. It shows.
If you're interested, you may also try the Semois cigars. Enjoy your stay
;-)
Cheers!
poupehan
Corneel Vermeulen schreef:
Thanks Corneel!
Looking forward to taste windels. FLorina yellow pouch is my favorite
for the moment.
btw I live in Zemst :-) .
Happy puffin'
rhodog
>> How does windels compare to more popular brands as carte d'or and
>> florina?
>
> Very similar, but less harsh, IMHO. Consider it to be Florina with more
> depth. I suspect a lot of brands to blend Semois with Wervikse (see
> elsewhere in this thread) and a few others. My guess it that Windels' is
> the most pure of all.
Actually, as far as I know, there is not a single pure semois out there. And
I know for a fact that the Windels blend does contain quite some Werviq. The
Windels tobacco isn't even blended in the Semois region, but in an artisanal
family business in Flanders.
By the way, the Butz-Choquin Semois is the same blend as the Windels one,
but without addition of tonquin.
Best,
Erwin
Corneel Vermeulen
>>> How does windels compare to more popular brands as carte d'or and
>>> florina?
>>
>> Very similar, but less harsh, IMHO. Consider it to be Florina with more
>> depth. I suspect a lot of brands to blend Semois with Wervikse (see
>> elsewhere in this thread) and a few others. My guess it that Windels' is
>> the most pure of all.
>
> Actually, as far as I know, there is not a single pure semois out there.
> And I know for a fact that the Windels blend does contain quite some
> Werviq. The Windels tobacco isn't even blended in the Semois region, but
> in an artisanal family business in Flanders.
Ok, I didn't know that. So far my most trusted werviq-detector has been dad
(headaches and upset stumach), and he didn't seem to take notice of that
with Windels' Semois.
> By the way, the Butz-Choquin Semois is the same blend as the Windels one,
> but without addition of tonquin.
Very interesting. Thanks for the update, I may have to try BC's Semois then
too ...
Nevertheless, Windels' still is quite a good smoke.
A last question for you now Erwin: I've heard Appelterre is quite a good
smoke too, is that one still made? And if so, where to find it <g>
Jari T
<snip>
> Actually, as far as I know, there is not a single pure semois out there. And
> I know for a fact that the Windels blend does contain quite some Werviq. The
> Windels tobacco isn't even blended in the Semois region, but in an artisanal
> family business in Flanders.
>
> By the way, the Butz-Choquin Semois is the same blend as the Windels one,
> but without addition of tonquin.
>
A-ha!
I may have been right, with by suspicions Windels Semois containing
tonquin, after all. I admit I was only guessing, since I haven't
knowingly smoked any tonquin/tonka-aided blends before.
Cheers,
Jari T in Helsinki, Semois in a newly acquired Karl Erik
poupehan
Corneel Vermeulen schreef:
concerning appelterre, this site should be of intrest:
http://www.torrekenstabak.be/
rhodog
> A last question for you now Erwin: I've heard Appelterre is quite a good
> smoke too, is that one still made? And if so, where to find it <g>
The only Appelterre I ever tasted, was some home grown stuff from my car
dealer who grows all kinds of pipe tobaccos. I didn't like the stuff at all
: very rustic and onedimensional.
Best,
Erwin
rhodog
>
> I may have been right, with by suspicions Windels Semois containing
> tonquin, after all. I admit I was only guessing, since I haven't
> knowingly smoked any tonquin/tonka-aided blends before.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jari T in Helsinki, Semois in a newly acquired Karl Erik
Hi Jari,
Actually, I didn't correct what was written in this thread about the use of
tonka in the Windels blend. As a matter of fact, the blender doesn't use
tonka but the very rare deer tongue leaf. This herb is very expensive and
the use of it is very labour intensive, since the blender has to separate by
hand the good stuff from all the other weeds contained in the boxes.
Sometimes the blender can't get any of the deer tongue and then the Windels
blend is issued without the typical deer tongue taste. But recently there
was no real problem with supply of the herb.
Best,
Erwin
Jari T
Hi Erwin,
I see now that I misunderstood the context. Thanks for pointing that
out. Also thanks for the deer's tongue info!
Cheers,
Jari T
culot_fume...@yahoo.com.au
from Windels. You Know JPP, if he does not have it he will get it for
me that's for sure.
Happy smoking.