It's the 1930s and you're visiting your grandparents in their Victorian house. You walk into your grandpa's study to greet him, and the smell of the room gives your nostrils a blessing; leather and oak. You grab a book by Dickens, sit yourself in the leather chair aside your grandpa, and enjoy the rest of the evening as fine gentleman. That, my friends, is the smell of Old Paris.
I love it. So far everything from Fribourg & Treyer has been great. Earthy fine and dry. Reminds me of High Dry Tea with some floral notes.
Fribourg & Treyer just continue to impress with their offerings. Old Paris is tied for Best in Show with the Santo Domingo. Both of these snuffs transport me back in time to the eighteenth century. The Santo Domingo -- Saint-Domingue being the Pearl of the Antilles -- brings to mind the rich, dark, fertile soil of the West Indies after a rainfall. The Old Paris, on the other hand, evokes the sophistication of the salon in the Age of Enlightenment. It's lighter and has a finer grind than the Santo Domingo while offering complex notes of leather-bound books, sea salt, hints of fine perfume, the sweetness of a Sauternes, and an umami-rich meaty finish. The Old Paris is an absolute must for lovers of tobacco-forward, non-mentholated snuffs.
In the heart of Dandyism, at 53 Jermyn Street in London (to be exact) you will find an exquisite bronze statue of George Bryan Brummel by Irena Sedlecka. A 7-minute walk down Jermyn Street will bring you to 34 Haymarket, the former home of Friboug & Treyer, which are the makers of this snuff. F&T was located here from 1720 until 1981. Clients included Mr. Brummel himself, as well as the future King George IV. Old Paris was “Beau” Brummel’s favourite snuff. This tin of rusty-red fluff greets you with a very slight burn. Feverish, its flavours are a subtle combination of leather, wet leaves, saddle soap, dates and rendered lamb fat. It tastes like the library at the East India Club. I was so deeply enamoured with it on the night we first met, that I immediately ordered the large box for fear of finding myself, at some point, without.
Simply excellent. A rich base tobacco, full of leathery tones. The light, slightly sweet scent of date wine, rather than the anise flavored Arak of the Middle East. Perhaps a touch of floral. Yes, the slightly sweet and musty scent of old libraries and antique shops. I never expected to like it so much, a serious rival to HDT, and easier to take.
Mike Kingsbury,
Palm Springs