Erin Go Bragh - Irish Whiskey

Imported by Scandinavian Tobacco Group Lane Ltd. Tucker, Ga.
White pouch with gold trim, green lettering, and the inside is all shiny, gold lining.
Described on front as "A brilliant mixture of flue-cured Virginias, toasted white Burleys, and Sweet Black Cavendish spiked with aged Irish Whiskey. Refined and mellow with an inviting aroma."
It was that, indeed.
Long thin shreds of brown and gold leaf. Chose a Royal Duke to smoke it in (medium-sized bowl, straight-stemmed billiard--takes a filter but I didn't use one, so open draw). Filled it loose to the top, packed half down, filled the rest, pressed it medium light in. Turned out to be a good technique for it, draw-wise.
Char light and "HELLO!" Woke the tip of my tongue up RIGHT NOW. But that was it. I was wary, but it was immediately mellow with a sipping "breathing" technique.
Nice flavor. Slightly sweet and whiskey-rich. Not delicate, but not overpowering. A "Goldilocks" blend, for me.
Though the tobacco had seemed moist enough (pinching it would make it clump), it burned a bit fast, I think. And there was plenty of smoke even as I took it easy on it.
It started to sizzle. I held off, because I didn't want to reach "gurgle" with it. And it calmed back down for me. In fact, just a few moments later, after the sizzling stopped, I ran a pipe cleaner in to see what had developed. Hardly any color and the cleaner came out dry. I was smoking it well, it seems. Keeping pace with its burning characteristics. As I said, no bite at all after the alert my tongue got at the beginning. But a nice little tease, all the way to the bottom. Ash at tilt was medium coarse, and black. A little finer than pencil eraser tailings. After tilt and tamp, required a relight. Otherwise, held its ember well even smoking it on the edge of going out. Never had to nurse it back. It just hung in there with me.
A delicious blend. At the start, I had been going to compare it to Borkum Riff, but, huh uh, no: it's tastier and mellower to me. Borkum Riff, as I've noted elsewhere, I can tolerate fine, and will smoke if it's on hand and I want to stretch out the rest of my larder. But Erin Go Bragh Irish Whiskey I'd reach for for its own sake, passing up others. The sweet taste is not overpowering. It doesn't seem added, more as though the tobacco were grown that way, a natural flavor.
Damn, I like this taste. I think I'll have this pouch finished here in a few days and be ordering more.
Me gusta mucho!

Yes.
At lunch today I smoked Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey on the way home. I smoked Erin Go Bragh Irish Whiskey on the way back.
I don't think they're similar enough to compare at all. All I noted were huge differences. Back to back like that, here's what I noted:
1. Erin Go Bragh is soooooooooooo much mellower in your mouth. There just isn't going to be a "bite" at all. Smoking BR-BW, I'm trying to avoid the scorpion. Conscious of the fact that if I forget about it, it will soon remind me.
2. Erin Go Bragh *tastes good*. I *like* it in my mouth. I smoke *for* that taste. BR-BW, I tolerate it in my mouth. I smoke "around" it.
3. I was sad to pull up to work -- late -- and still not be done with my bowl of EGB. I took some "parting huffs," then knocked out quite a bit of unburnt tobacco. The same distance trip home, my BR-BW was done before I pulled in my driveway. Had there been any left, I would have shed no tears cleaning out the pipe and rushing inside to tend to my dogs.
4. All the way to work I was wondering, with the assortment I have in my "pipe tool box" behind me, mostly aromatics but one English blend, what would I rather be smoking right now than this? I have CA in there, Hunters Blend, lots of Captain Black, Cherry Cordial, Argosy, some Stanwell vanilla (never had that yet, unopened). I have three different blends of Borkum Riff. Some Half n Half. Some Prince Albert. ............... Do I want anything other than this?
Nope. And this is what I'm smoking on the way home, too. And when I get there. And probably tomorrow morning.
Recommend EGB? Yep. (But promise you *you'll* like it? -- Now, who could do that? I can only tell you *I* like it).
NOTE: Also noticed after BR-BW my clothes stunk like an ashtray. Almost as if I had been smoking cigarettes. EGB has a pleasant lingering smell. It's lighter, more delicate, and on my moustache, it "apologized" for the BR-BW, replacing it and letting me get to work unafraid of what my coworkers might smell on me.

brdavidson --
Dang. I was gonna say, well, hey -- I'll send you some from down here. But it looks as though they'd either snatch and detain it during shipment or send it to you (up to 1 kg? ... five units of 200 g each) or deliver it taxes due. And you'd still get wopped what we were trying to save you.
Sneaky little postal trolls!
Is there a way around it you know of? Could I slip you something from Minnesota? Or do I have to hand deliver it? (They haven't taken it out of my bags so far when I travel).