The Picayune will singe your nose hairs the first time you try it. Take it easy! I like it when I really need a wake up call and nic hit.
The Ryback smelled like bacon to me when I first opened it. It's got a nice, chewy dark fired thing going on. Good, no nonsense with morning coffee smoke. I'm referring to the Ryback Regular, not the Gold, which has additional Virginia. Not tried that one yet.
I've not tried the third one.
All will seem excessively dry and uncased. It's not an error. That's how he does his tobacco. You'll need to slow your roll until you establish a modified cadence to appreciate them. Some folks will re-hydrate, but they are fine as they come, if you adapt.
Try packing a bit tighter than usual, if they seem to be burning up quickly. Expect 50-60% of the burn time you're accustomed to when you smoke it. Again, once you've recalibrated your cadence, you might get closer to 75% of the expected burn time, YMMV.
I like his stuff quite a bit, from the 3 or 4 I've tried. The Ramback Balkan is a blend of a couple of orientals and some Virginia. It's a nice, neutral "any time" smoke for me. If you're looking for the nuanced, layered taste experience, you'll be disappointed. If you just want to puff some simple "baccy", you'll love it.
I did sit all 3 bags of mine open on the front porch during a rain storm one day. After having them open for a while, I though a bit of moisture would be welcome. Honestly, I saw little difference.
Some will point out that there's gonna be up to an ounce of powdery "shake" near the bottom of the bag. I've not gotten there yet, but for $1.10 per ounce, I don't really care. I hope you enjoy it!
