I have discovered I enjoy pipe smoking best with a tobacco I don't have think much about. I want a clear, distict, flavor I enjoy as I smoke at a pace natural to me - which isn't all the slow, or fast. It's taken time, but I've come to find a select few blends that work for me. As such I dont buy too many new blends in write reviews often because I don't usually think about the smoke too much. But the baseline flavor of this blend inspired me to take some time with a bowl in earnest. I wondered why. And I think part of it is due to the fact that I've been leaning towards aros overall, and am intrigued by how toppings are carried and how they affect the tobacco taste. Sutliff Orchard Mist is one that started me on this journey. The peach is very well done to me, and how it is carried by the burley is phenomenal. Though, the flavor of peach is easily discernable. You don't have to pick it out. With St. Patricks Day, which is topped with blackberry, mango, and rum, the overall flavor it produces made understanding how each works together more elusive. And for some reason I cared to try and figure it out.
First, the tin note is exceptional. It's amazing how good it smells. Its strong, enticing, and fruity. The tobacco itself is beautiful. Confetti-like with a visually pleasing distribution. It presents itself as top shelf.
The moisture level I found ideal to pack right away. I only have 1 tin so I'm not sure if that is common. But this tin is ready load and smoke immediately, with no rub out needed.
Disclaimer, the bowl of the pipe I'm smoking out of is a bit large for me so I only smoke half a bowl usually. You'll learn I suspect this is causing me to miss something I'm looking for. Upon lighting I immediately get a rush of thick fruity cream, but surprisingly only for an instant, and that flavor never returned for me no matter my cadence. The blackberry is easy to pick out and it remains through the entire bowl, except perhaps until the very end. The blackberry morphs depending on cadence. For me, faster puffs produced tatrt blackberry, at times lemonade, a bit slower cadence a more natural blackberry. Either eay, blackberry dominates as the no thought needed part of the flavor and is very enjoyable. It's fruit, but made rich by the tobacco, and as such I dont think it takes away from the burley much. And I wonder if the tart taste that comes from faster puffing is the Virginia's shining through, not sure. The mango is the larger mystery of the two. The only time I was able to detect it directly was through a very slow cadence. Very. And even still I am unsure if I found it. But, what I think I found was a sweet earth flavor on slower puffing that was quite delicious. And I believe that sweetness is imparted by the mango, and perhaps the rum. Additionally, near the very end of the bowl, I feel that sweet earth came through more prominently and this is where I think my half bowl decieved me. I suspect on a full bowl the sweet earth - the earth sweetened by mango and rum - may develop more fully and the blackberry go to the background. I intend to find out.
Overall, I do think I could smoke this without thinking much. And i would smoke it again, and maybe grab a other tin, but maybe not 2 or 3 more. The flavor produced by all elements is enjoyable, and a varied cadence produces a varied, but enjoyable, experience. I'd recommend it if you haven't tried it.
First, the tin note is exceptional. It's amazing how good it smells. Its strong, enticing, and fruity. The tobacco itself is beautiful. Confetti-like with a visually pleasing distribution. It presents itself as top shelf.
The moisture level I found ideal to pack right away. I only have 1 tin so I'm not sure if that is common. But this tin is ready load and smoke immediately, with no rub out needed.
Disclaimer, the bowl of the pipe I'm smoking out of is a bit large for me so I only smoke half a bowl usually. You'll learn I suspect this is causing me to miss something I'm looking for. Upon lighting I immediately get a rush of thick fruity cream, but surprisingly only for an instant, and that flavor never returned for me no matter my cadence. The blackberry is easy to pick out and it remains through the entire bowl, except perhaps until the very end. The blackberry morphs depending on cadence. For me, faster puffs produced tatrt blackberry, at times lemonade, a bit slower cadence a more natural blackberry. Either eay, blackberry dominates as the no thought needed part of the flavor and is very enjoyable. It's fruit, but made rich by the tobacco, and as such I dont think it takes away from the burley much. And I wonder if the tart taste that comes from faster puffing is the Virginia's shining through, not sure. The mango is the larger mystery of the two. The only time I was able to detect it directly was through a very slow cadence. Very. And even still I am unsure if I found it. But, what I think I found was a sweet earth flavor on slower puffing that was quite delicious. And I believe that sweetness is imparted by the mango, and perhaps the rum. Additionally, near the very end of the bowl, I feel that sweet earth came through more prominently and this is where I think my half bowl decieved me. I suspect on a full bowl the sweet earth - the earth sweetened by mango and rum - may develop more fully and the blackberry go to the background. I intend to find out.
Overall, I do think I could smoke this without thinking much. And i would smoke it again, and maybe grab a other tin, but maybe not 2 or 3 more. The flavor produced by all elements is enjoyable, and a varied cadence produces a varied, but enjoyable, experience. I'd recommend it if you haven't tried it.
