My local B&M has a large number of of 'store blends' available. I haven't tried any of them previously, but when I stopped in the other day to pick up some cleaners and other necessaries, I grabbed a pouch of 497 (which is their street address). Why? It's an aromatic flavored with grape and scotch whiskey. Yeah, that's right, grapes and scotch. Curiosity got the better of me and I was thinking "how can this possibly be any good?"
Well, it ain't bad to be honest. It's a VA, burley, Cavendish based tobacco and when opening the pouch you can definitely smell the grape and also the scotch, though the scotch seemed somewhat subdued to me. There was VA grassiness in there too.
Initial light I got some nuttiness and sweetness. The sweet taste lasted throughout the smoke, the nuttiness seemed to come and go. I'm not sure if the sweet is from the toppings or the VA, but it's not overwhelming. Quite nice in fact. The scotch taste is there, but very subdued. Comes across as just a slight smokiness that might make you think there is some Latakia in the blend, which there is not. I didn't get any of the grape taste at all until near the end of the bowl, then it came in quite clearly.
I also noticed a sort of odd whiff of mustiness now and then. It wasn't unpleasant, but I've not noticed it in any other blends I've smoked so I'm not sure where it comes from.
Nicotine strength is very mild and the room note is quite pleasant. I was very surprised by the blend. I was expecting sweet goopy grape soda spike with scotch, but that isn't what this is at all.
All in all a decent smoke 3 out of 4 stars I'd say. It's the way I like my aromatics, tobacco flavor predominates and the added flavorings acting as an accent. Worth a shot; you can get it from the Watch City Cigar website.
Well, it ain't bad to be honest. It's a VA, burley, Cavendish based tobacco and when opening the pouch you can definitely smell the grape and also the scotch, though the scotch seemed somewhat subdued to me. There was VA grassiness in there too.
Initial light I got some nuttiness and sweetness. The sweet taste lasted throughout the smoke, the nuttiness seemed to come and go. I'm not sure if the sweet is from the toppings or the VA, but it's not overwhelming. Quite nice in fact. The scotch taste is there, but very subdued. Comes across as just a slight smokiness that might make you think there is some Latakia in the blend, which there is not. I didn't get any of the grape taste at all until near the end of the bowl, then it came in quite clearly.
I also noticed a sort of odd whiff of mustiness now and then. It wasn't unpleasant, but I've not noticed it in any other blends I've smoked so I'm not sure where it comes from.
Nicotine strength is very mild and the room note is quite pleasant. I was very surprised by the blend. I was expecting sweet goopy grape soda spike with scotch, but that isn't what this is at all.
All in all a decent smoke 3 out of 4 stars I'd say. It's the way I like my aromatics, tobacco flavor predominates and the added flavorings acting as an accent. Worth a shot; you can get it from the Watch City Cigar website.
