I review Bourbon Blue

(The following are my impressions and opinions. I don't care if you agree or not.)
I smelled the hay.
I smelled something reminiscent of a vinegary BBQ sauce. (This was the Perique component)
I fell in love with the smell when I opened the half ounce sample pack and stuck my nose into it.
I broke off one corner and rubbed it out, looked at what I had, and decided it wasn’t enough to fill the bowl of the Missouri Meerschaum Shire cobbit I planned on trying it in. So I broke off some more, smelled it again, and something just compelled me to keep breaking it up and rubbing it out. (Sinful, I know but now the entire sample is ready to smoke).
Next step was to light it. Light it. Light it. Light it. For a tobacco that felt fairly dry the Bourbon Bleu just didn’t want to stay lit at first. After the fourth attempt it caught on and rewarded me with a steady cloud of smoke.
And I smelled the hay. It took me back to fresh cut hay fields and early fall hayrides.
Bourbon? I’ve read that it is supposed to have bourbon in it but tobaccoreviews.com says it has no flavoring. If there is it is so subtle that the only time I tasted bourbon was when I sipped the Knobb Creek that was in my glass. There was some sweetness but I attributed this more to the Virginia than anything else.
Anyway, I found it to be a slow burning, cool smoke. Every once in a while I would pick up a hint of pepper which I attributed to the small amount of Perique in the blend. Then when I got down to about a half of bowl, I started noticing less hay and more of that Perique aroma I remember from a tour of the L.A. Poche Perique in October. It was a rich, sweet fruity aroma that slowly gave way to the hay smell of the Virginia.
Other reviews I’ve read has the Bourbon Bleu as a mild-to-medium strength smoke. It may have been because I smoked it on an empty stomach, but I feel it’s more of medium-to-strong. As I got closer to the bottom of the bowl, I could feel the nicotine hit building. I recommend not smoking this on an empty stomach but after a good meal.
All this being said, my personal opinion is that this is a good Virginia based blend that I enjoyed but it probably won’t find its way into my daily rotation. I will buy a tin or two and tuck them away in my cellar though.

Cosmic, We are hoping for a show in 2017.

I got my Bourbon Bleu as a free sample from smokingpipes.com

I'm 63. In 15 years I will be 78 if I live that long. If I buy more and let it sit that long it would turn out to be a waste of my money and time. I understand what C&D is trying to accomplish by marketing it as something that won't reach full maturity for 15 years but by the same token, they don't really know what the blend will taste like in 15 years. They are just making an educated guess (unless they have some tobacco strong enough to transport the smoker into the future).

Dadgy, I agree on the mild flavor.

update:

Smoked Bourbon Bleu twice yesterday. The first time was after lunch in another cob and it pretty much duplicated my first experience except I didn't get the same nicotine hit. Flavor and aroma stayed about the same.
The second time I loaded the Bourbon Bleu in my Zac Hamric Snapping Turtle which has a smaller diameter bowl. It only took two wood matches to get it going this time and I didn't need any relights. I felt it was not as sweet as when smoked in the cob but I still got the hay interspersed with the light fruitiness from what I assumed was the Perique.
I'm still wondering why they named this Bourbon Bleu. It has no bourbon flavor, it doesn't smell like Bourbon Street and it don't taste like Bleu Cheese. They could have named this Hayseed Pepper and been more accurate.
The photo is of the Hamric Snapping Turtle. I always wear this hat when smoking it in honor of Zac.

Rigmedic - the pipe is a great smoker.