[Cross-posted at Tobacco Reviews dot com, here: http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ID=2919&TID=2919 scroll down.]
Composition (from the tin notes): Cyprian Latakia, matured red Virginia, Oriental, bright Virginia. An all-day English style mixture.
The appearance is beautiful, composed of even fragments of brown and black, which harmonize rather than contrast. The cut seems different than Greg's usual blending leaves.
It fills and lights easily. The initial taste is the familiar balance of a medium to medium full English. But then you notice it - there is something else. An addition that tastes spiky in the mouth. It has a nose-tingle that is reminiscent of something... something... something... an old-fashioned odour, but not one you are immediately familiar with. It mutes the resinous quality of the Turkish and tempers the leathery whuft of Latakia, resulting in a smoke that seems spare and monastic. The bowl leaves no tongue-burn, the nose is not overloaded.
It is very satisfying (refreshing, even), but needs to grow on the smoker a bit. Burns dry and clean and leaves the pipe-smelling more exotic than usual. The tin aroma of the tobacco is quite pleasant.
He's done something. I do not know what it is. I've smelled it before, but I cannot remember where or when.
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4 comments:
I've smelled it before, but I cannot remember where or when.
Raven's Wing? That's at least what he tried to redo, he says. (I've never smoke it myself, though, and haven't got the new one yet either.)
How does it compare to the Westminster?
It isn't very much like Raven's Wing - it's a more stable, better blend, that heads in slightly different direction. He's using better Virginias. Strengthwise it is probably in the same ballpark as Westminster, but the Virginias are not as rounded, the Turkish (Smyrna) plays a lesser role, and the combination is more austere.
It actually reminds me of the John Cotton's blends.
If Westminster was old-fashioned, this is positively antique. Almost an intellectual excercise in tobacco.
Barb, you never met me.
I would appreciate your not trolling my site.
And, in all honesty, if you are flying today, I hope your plane goes down in thick fog.
Read the book, saw the movie. Now to smoke the carpet..... um, I mean the tobacco.
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