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Now, as anyone who has spent more than a few hours on this forum knows, Cosmic has been growing his own tobacco for several years now, experimenting with different strains and curing processes. I had no idea what was in this twist, or how it was processed, but I knew goodness when I saw it. It has a sweet aroma, floral yet earthy, as only a purely natural thing can have. And although it was nice to look at, the proof was in the pudding. I put a fresh blade in my scalpel, and proceeded to slice off several coins. The twist was very densely packed and took a bit of time to rub out. I packed it loosely into a Stanwell Deluxe 62 and applied moderate heat. Almost immediately, the floral essence blossomed, followed by a deeper, richer note. There was almost an Oriental note to it, well counterbalanced by darker flavors in the low midrange. There was sweetness, but not in a cloying way. Well integrated. Th floral range softened as the smoke progressed, the flavor deepened, but never took a sudden or profound change. The bowl was entirely bite-free. If this was the only tobacco that I had for the rest of my life, I would be a happy man.
Around the same time that I finished the bowl, I got a text from a friend asking if I was going to show up at the Christopher Morley Pipe Club (in Philadelphia) that night. Sensing an opportunity to finally do something nice for my fellow pipe smokers, I tossed the twist in my pipe bag and headed downtown. PipesMagazine was well-represented, with five of us in attendance. I hope they will chime in here with their impressions of Cosmic's Twist of Fate.
