Wednesday, February 23, 2011

DOMINICAN GLORY MADURO - GOOD FOR THE MIDDLE OF WINTER

The more of it I have, the more it grows on me!
No, this is not about athletes foot, or similar fungoid experiences. We shall not describe such things on this blog. That would be unpleasant, and you, dear reader, are probably eating lunch right now as you read this.
No toe-mold for you. At least not now.

I am flattered that I am one of your daily reads, but also somewhat disturbed that I am competing for your attention with the meatballs in that toasted roll.
Did you at least add hot sauce?

My subject today is a broken flake with a leaping whale on the label.


DOMINICAN GLORY MADURO
McClelland Tobacco Company

Tin blurb:Rich, dark maduro cigar leaf blended with matured red and stoved Virginia tobaccos. Pressed in cakes and aged to develop character and marry the flavors, then cut in flakes to be rubbed out to the smoker’s preference.

Initially I wasn’t impressed. The freshly opened tin smelled like almost all other offerings by McClelland, and most of their flakes show a significant family resemblance.
A slightly sour reek from the vegetable matter before being lit, a tanginess to the smoke after.

But this is rather good stuff. Not an exceptionally broad flavor spectrum, but still quite satisfying, more so a few bowls in.
Like all well-balanced blends containing cigar leaf, the cheroot-like edge it must have had when first compounded has been subdued by the other tobaccos, and is now a pleasant hint. Present, but very diplomatic. This is not a tobacco that bashes you over the cranium.
Given that I normally prefer reeky English blends, I would not include this in my regular rotation. But a smoker of flakes and vapers would be well-advised to acquire a few tins. It’s an enjoyable change of pace, and a very well made product.
I have no idea what the room note is like, as I’ve been smoking this outside.
After every bowlful I’ve come back to work a happy man.


The other tobacco I’ve been indulging in recently is Bracken Flake by Samuel Gawith, which is a dark dark dark fermentation that smells tarry, sweetish, and rotten.
Strong, but satisfying. Catches the throat a bit, but like all Gawith products, it is quite excellent .

Do NOT smoke it while teetering on a ladder.










TOBACCO INDEX


==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:

LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================

No comments:

Search This Blog

THE ROUTE ACROSS THE HILLS

It irritates me to see very large white people in Chinatown. This is probably because I am bigoted against humongous Midwestern heffalumps. ...