C&D Engine 99.....Dried Out And Revisited

It's a cool evening here in the big and I decided to have a smoke and a brew with the dogs on the patio. I rummaged through my cellar(a repurposed Igloo cooler) and found a ziplock baggy of Engine 99 that I had forgotten about. It must be at least 2 years old and was dry as toast. I remembered when I first got it that I wasn't that impressed with it being a newbie and all. That and I have found that I'm not a huge fan of perique. Anyway I decided to try it again. So I loaded a crunchy bowl in my estate Ben Wade Martinique Freehand(a gift from a friend. Not my favorite shape but man is it a good smoker). Maybe it was the age or the extreme dryness, but now I'm finding it to be a really nice smoke. A little spicy at first but it settles down, burns very cool and has no bite and becomes quite enjoyable. Especially with my ever present cold Hamm's beer. The room/patio note must be ok because I'm getting no complaints from the dogs. So, what are your thoughts on this blend and or my choice of pipe and accompanying beverage?

Auto correct strikes again. First sentence should read " It's a cool evening here in the bog".