First Impression: Haddo's Delight

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jaytex1969

Lifer
Jun 6, 2017
9,517
50,591
Here
I scored some 3 year old GL Pease from a forum deal. It's my first time exploring any of this company's blends. The bar has been set pretty high by the lot of you raving on about them.
If Haddo's Delight is representative of the brand, your praises are well deserved. A VaPer with Green River unflavored black cavendish and white burley added, so harmoniously balanced that even a Luddite such as myself can taste and identify all of the constituents.
I packed the Hilson Vintage Panel De Foggymountain to the brim.
hilson-600x337.jpg

The triple jab of Virginia/cavendish/perique sweetness arrives first, with the characteristic plum tone. After the tongue adjusts to it, some nutty burley notes begin to break through.
Just as you get accustomed to the burley, you find a light white pepper tone has joined the party. This, in turn, helps highlight the lightly citrus nature of the Virginias. Apparently there's a light topping, which Jim identifies as a rum. With the tornado of sweet influences already swirling around, I can't separate out the topping, but I have no reason to doubt it's there.
The review lists it as a ribbon. My bag o' smoke is filled with a rough cut of light and dark brown pieces yielding a tangy, sweet nose. Easy to sniff out, even for me.
haddo-600x337.jpg

About 2/3 through the bowl, the pepper takes command and jacks up the retrohale and the sweeter notes drop back some. Counter-intuitively, the whole affair takes on a slightly creamy sensation while still "peppering" you with, um...pepper..
In my larger and bent Stanwell 185, the sweet cream effect was greater and the pepper lessened. Play around with your furnace selection to find different outcomes. Half way in, sniffing above the burning chamber presents an interesting "burning cedar" note, one I've also noticed in my much enjoyed SPC Potlatch.
In both pipes, I found that this weed can get a little hot, if you're not careful. I did the two loads back to back and, despite some heat, it never seemed to get "bitey". Perhaps some dry time might have been in order, but it felt perfect from the bag. No gurgle occurred but the smoke did feel a wee bit steamy. That said, the final pipe cleaner was relatively dry and clean.
Relights need not apply until the 4th quarter. Mild tamping alone gets you close to the bottom. At this stage, the pepper thins out and the tang swells, accented by a bit of burley bitter. Though many despise this note of the burley, it seems to belong here and, to me, does not detract. If you miss the pepper, though it has abandoned the tongue, it persists in the nostrils.
Haddo's Delight is, indeed, a delight. Well behaved from char to dottle and filled to the brim with interesting and tasty facets to uncover. Set aside some time alone with your first bowl of this so you can dig in for the full experience. Expect a middle of the road nic hit.
Unsweetened coffee with a drop of 1/2 & 1/2 made a perfect mate for this tobacco.
Thank you, Mr. Pease!
Verdict: GET SOME!
jay-roger.jpg


 
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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
That was a blend I sent sealed to a pipe friend, intended as the grand prize in the selection. Sounds good, so I hope he thinks so. This is an extra sharp soul, a blind composer who runs regularly and hikes in the mountains. He loves to cook and is a fine chef. I wouldn't do anything he does with my eye closed, but he's remarkable. He was a wrestler when he was in school, sighted opponents. He's always joking (I think?) about driving and taking up shooting. At a party once, he was admiring a piece of furniture in the host's apartment, I'd noticed but he examined and noticed closely. He uses echo location with mouth clicks. He's not like anyone.

 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
Jay, I sense a tobacco reviewer with skills emerging and on the scene. Well-written and done!

 

nukesimi

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 25, 2016
135
48
Though I don't doubt Haddo's is amazing with a few years of age, I think it tastes great right out of the tin. The aroma is intoxicating and the nicotine blast is more than satisfying. One of the best Pease blends out there.

 

npod

Lifer
Jun 11, 2017
2,942
1,024
Great colorful review Jay. Thanks for posting. I’m a big fan of Haddo’s and have it cellared very deeply.

 

bazungu

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 28, 2018
110
7
Might have to get this one, though I am a bit afraid of the nicotine content as I am a nicotine lightweight. Perhaps I can smoke it out of a tiny pipe as it sounds very tasty and promising. I have never experienced a peppery taste from perique but this one might just do that! Thanks for the wonderful review.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,831
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Very nice review!
Haddo's is consistently in my top five favorite blends. I like it fresh as well as aged, but prefer it aged as it smooths out with some years on it. Fresh Haddo's can be a little harsh on my throat, which is likely the burley. Aged, I don't experience any harshness. Haddo's does have a bit of booze as a topping. Might be rum, might be plum wine. The topping tends to dissipate a little if the tobacco is dried before packing. This is one of the few blends that I smoke at the moisture at which it is tinned as I like the presence of the topping.

 
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jaytex1969

Lifer
Jun 6, 2017
9,517
50,591
Here
I've never had it fresh. Guess I need to fix that.
bnichols, why would the National Youth Theatre need a food critic? :nana:
jay-roger.jpg


 
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