I would like to express a massive thank you to Paul for allowing me to trade off some tobaccos for an unopened tin of this blend that he had. I popped the tin earlier tonight, and let it dry for a couple of hours before smoking it, and what a true taste treat it is! The smell upon opening the tin was multi-faceted, everything from the fruity, rasinish smell of Virginia to the smokiness of Latakia, and a strong casing of whiskey that gave the blend an almost oaky, wood cask kind of smell. I loaded it into a large bowled Irish Seconds bent billiard using the three step method, and I fired it up. The charring light produced a very strong flavor of whiskey, with a fine sweetness of Virginia and the Latakia adding a whisper of smokiness in the background. The second light saw the flavor of the various tobaccos come out a little more, and when mixed with the essence of the whiskey, the smoke had a very sweet and almost floral quality, somewhat different from the Gawith and Hoggarth and Samuel Gawith blends I have tried. The flavors all meld together well and provide a multi layered smoke, with the Latakia remaining in the background, and the nutty, earthy, and fruity flavors of the Burley and Virginia intertwining. About halfway through the bowl, the whiskey flavor mellows out, and the Latakia slips a little more to the forefront, providing a truly tasty and memorable smoke. Burns very nice and dry and leaves a very fine white ash, slow burning, and incredibly satisfying. A must try, in my opinion! Thanks again to Paul for allowing me to try this awesome blend!
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