The woody, earthy, leathery, rather floral, sweet and sour, mildly spicy, nutty Oriental/Turkish take a little of the lead over the other components without dominating. The smoky, woody, musty sweet Cyprian latakia takes a secondary lead over the fermented dark fruity, tangy citrusy, earthy, lightly grassy Virginias. They also sport a slight stewed fruitiness. The Virginias are obviously made by McClelland, and the “vinegar” notes, as small as they are, last to the finish. The strength is just short of being medium while the taste level is medium. The nic-hit is in the center of mild to medium. No chance of bite or harshness. Burns cool, clean and a little slow as flakes tend to do, with a mostly consistent, fairly rich, complex and nuanced sweet and savory flavor from start to finish. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and needs some relights. Has a pleasantly lingering after taste. Can be an all day smoke for the veteran.
