It's been a while since I penned any Tobacco Review. There have just been so many excellent tobaccos to choose from. Recently Roy, a friend & pipemaker, recommended I try Altadis Black Spice. Now I am not a big fan of Altadis tobaccos - but what the heck? I thought I would give this one a try - and I was very pleasantly surprised.
The blend sample arrived in a matter of a few days - courtesy of pipesandcigars.com. The color was (duh!) ALL BLACK and the pouch aroma had a wonderful fermented spicy smell we tend to associate with Holiday Foods, beverages, etc.
Lighting up this blend - initial charring light gave hints of cinnamon and nutmeg (which are listed in the tobacco description) but there was also a delightful "something else" that was elusive.
The smoke itself is pure velvet, Absolutely Bone Dry (no Aro goopiness) and the taste ranges from a light to medium flavor. This could easily be an all day smoke for Aromatic Lovers. For me it was a godsend as I had burned my tongue trying to smoke a very small pipe. Also we were experiencing in Northern California weather an usual heat spike - so smoking any latakia or heavier blends was out of the question. After a cool shower, a glass of Red Vino, this tobacco was pure heaven as I sat out on my deck one very hot night enjoying a great smoke.
For many - this blend might seem a little monochromatic - but stick with it folks and you are rewarded with a lovely complexity that manifests itself in the last 3rd of the smoke. I experienced this and was transported - amazed that the flavors seem to diverge from a nutmeg/cinnamon/elusive fermented something melange to separate notes that were flavorful ...and quite frankly delicious. "How can this be?" I queried. "I only paid...$...and that's sooo cheap!"
Uh...Did I mention this blend is incredibly value priced/read Cheap?! I paid around $15+ (not including shipping) for 8 ounces making this an absolute steal.
Now if you order some - which I recommend - Don't expect a Magnum Opus - rather - expect a very comfortable, old timey friend that you hope will stay for a long time.
With the Fall & Holidays coming up this blend has turned out to be a beautiful compliment to the season. I highly recommend it. This is a "NICE" tobacco that doesn't reinvent the wheel but doesn't disappoint either.
