Hi - here is my take on the following blends from Jack:
Sterling Double Eagle - I really like this blend and can only compare it to an after dinner cordial. My reasoning is due to the extremely cool smoke this mild aromatic gives upon smoking. The taste is nothing like I have ever experienced in 20 years of pipe collecting and smoking. It is something - completely different - in taste. And different isn't necessarly a bad thing as is the case of "Double Eagle."
The pouch smell is a vanilla. While the taste has the following notes: Vanilla, pine, forest, and maple. A nuttiness (probably from the cubed burly) makes an appearance towards the end of the bowl - about 3/4 the way down. You can definitely taste the burly tobacco - so this blend lives up to its description of 'light aromatic.'
The coolness of the taste is a perfect tobacco to smoke after a heavy meal or if you have eaten spicy foods. Although I have smoked this blend on an empty stomach with satisfying results too.
In addition, there is no pipe funk left in the bowl or tongue bite while smoking which makes one want to pack his or her pipe again - that is - when the siren calls for this kind of smoke.
Sterling My Buddy - What can I say - I love this blend. It reminds me a lot of Bald Headed Teacher by Rich Gottlieb of 4 Noggins - only a little more aromatic.
While retaining an English Blend complexity - the subtlety of the Latakia is wonderful. Plus you get a crossover taste with a casing that defies description. There is also a tiny bit of cigar leaf in it for a hint of spice.
I enjoy this tobacco when I want an undemanding and soothing blend to end a day of hard work at the office.
Don't get me wrong - there is nothing 'simple' about this blend - it is complex, tasty and has many nuances which reveal themselves as one makes his way through the bowl.
Like many of Jack Peterson's blends the taste is so unique that it often defies description - other than - it tastes absolutely frickin great!
Smokes well in any pipe. Leaves no pipe funk or ugly Godzilla like halitosis in the mouth and burns to a fine white ash.
My Buddy is a friend indeed. Highly recommended.
Sterling Sweet Briar - This is a blend that I find to be very enjoyable. A mild aromatic that has a warm nut, vanilla and spice flavoring. It reminds me of the cordial - Frangelico. In fact, when I first opened the pouch - I thought this blend might be flavored with that liquor - however, since no flavorings are mentioned in the description - your guess is as good as mine.
It smokes smooth and creamy . There is absolutely no tongue bite - although if you puffed it to quickly - you might get a slight tongue and palate burn. It reminds me of an older brother of "Otter Creek" a superb aromatic blend - from 4 Noggins (blended by Richard Gottlieb.
This is the kind of tobacco I want to smoke on a overcast or rainy day - when I want that comforting kind of smoke to go with a rich and dark roasted cup of coffee.
Like all the blends I have tried from Sterling and 1776 Tobacco Co. - the tobbacco burns to a white ash which leaves very little gunk left in the pipe making the pipe easy to clean.
Hope these thoughts help - but I have to say that Jack makes some of the best boutique blends on the market. They are all complex and delicious.