This was not a blend that I enjoyed right off the bat. It was a little harsh in taste, mouth feel, and aroma from the very very start of the bowl. I even contemplated tossing it out. But I stuck in there with it and was rewarded with a very unique, and heady smoke. The dark fired VA's bring a smokiness to the experience that is tasty and very bold. The second half of the bowl settles down in harshness but not in flavor. The smoke that I got from this was full and thick. I did not retrohale this, frankly I was afraid of the bite that I might get from doing so. I will most probably do so in future bowls. The blend is what I imagine an old school, hard hitting, grease under you fingernails, and lead in your belly blend to taste like. The Vit. N is fairly strong in this. I would say that I got more nicotine in this bowl than I do in a typical bowl of Night Cap. All in all not bad, but it will be a very occasional smoke for me.