The woody, earthy, floral, spicy, sour, dry, sharp Turkish takes a little of the lead. The very nutty, slightly molasses and moderately cocoa sweet, earthy, woody burley offers a lot of support. The perique provides stewed raisins, figs and plums, and an obvious amount of spice that you will constantly notice more than its other attributes. That spice content almost equals the burley sweetness. The smoky, woody, earthy, musty, sweet Cyprian Latakia often rises above being the fourth star in the proceedings and is more than just a background player. Sometimes, it’s a side stream extra, and other times, a little more than that. The grassy, lightly woody and dark fruity, citrusy Virginia is noticeable in a condimental role. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a couple of steps short of that threshold. No chance of bite or harshness, but it does sport a light rough edge here and there as many blends in this genre will have. While not a true Balkan mixture, it is complex and nuanced as you will observe most of the subtleties in every puff. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a fairly consistent, rich, deep, sweet and spicy, mildly sour, savory flavor that also translates to the pleasant, mildly lingering, lightly tingly, camp fire after taste. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Not quite an all day smoke.
