A Newbie Reviews: Escudo Navy Deluxe

[hmhaines]

Quick review:
Mint without the cold. Something fruity. I'm reminded of burnt fall leaves.
Interesting tobacco.
Good.

 

[ashdigger]

Haiku

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I'm enjoying your commentary thus far. Keep it up!

 

[hmhaines]

Thanks Tom, I plan to!

 

[aldecaker]

I, too, have enjoyed reading your impressions of various blends. I look forward to seeing more. One point of clarification, though: please expound on the "mint" part. I am not overly familiar with Escudo, but I don't remember that part at all. ???

 

[hmhaines]

There's some flavor that reminds me of some kind of mint, but it doesn't have the chill that comes with mint. Slightly leafy, almost herbal. Not entirely sure what it is, one other tobacco had the same thing. Further smoking will reveal more, I assume.

 

[iamn8]

I've read your review many times and have given it a great deal of thought and consideration. Your review goes on for quite some time and feels unnecessarily wordy... and you failed to mention "coins", but otherwise a very thoughtful review. Congrats

 

[hmhaines]

Ah yes, the coins! Rubbed then out, smoked them in a cob.

 

[prairiedruid]

With some age (5 years) Escudo becomes a very tasty smooth smoke.

 

[aldecaker]

Two or three years ago, I purchased five or six tins. After going through two of them, I was still underwhelmed. I am counting on that five-year thing to really make Escudo turn the corner for me.

 

[mso489]

Glad it favors aging. I have an unopened tin, among many others, and about thirty blends open, so I keep slowly puffing. Someday.

 

[shutterbugg]

I smoked a lot of Escudo and didn't notice anything herbal or minty. Fruity, only in the tin note (Perique). I found the taste basically similar to straight VA flake except with an unpleasant-to-me peppery tongue sensation (again, Perique...too much for my liking). Went back to DNR which is sweeter, smoother and offers up more taste complexity with little to no peppery-ness on my tongue. Definitely NOT the same blend. If I could only smoke one blend it would be DNR.

 

[josephcross]

My first Escudo experience was a tin I bought at my local B&M(canadian prices*ouch) but was rewarded with a tin being 3 years old(at least according to some posts i found on how to date escudo tins). For some reason I get knocked out by the nic on this blend, yet I'm a glutton for punishment and keep on smoking it.

 

[newbroom]

Also, too: re-lights? fine white ash? billows? ::

cryptic is good from a newbie, since we've all been there in one way or another and thought our experiences were shared by all, or might be.

 

[hmhaines]

Reviewing the ash, smoke, etc... Above my pay grade. Flavor is key at the mo. As I learn more, I'll add more!

 

[newbroom]

I was being facetious, like N8. I want to be like N8, the good parts anyway. He can keep his back to himself.

 

[skraps]

I'm enjoying your sampling adventure. The reviews are great... simple, to the point and not trying to dig too deep off the bat.

 

[hmhaines]

Having a lot of fun with it, too. Writing the review makes me pay more attention, helps me remember the tobacco, and gives me something to read in case I forget it.
newbroom, how dare you? Facetious... Geez.

 

[krizzose]

I think I know the flavor you're thinking of with the "mint without the chill" description. I always thought of it as "fresh," kind of like lemon or even lime without the fruity and acidic high notes.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Maybe a lime a chili pepper-ish-ness, without the mojito-like qualities. Escudo is a favorite of mine, but I'm passionate about my perique.
At The Briary Pipe Event a few years ago, a guy gave me a sample of a blend he made. And, just as I was lighting it, he told me that he had mixed in some peppermint, and on the first puff, it tasted like an Altoid. I smiled and politely went to bathroom and dumped the bowl in the toilet. I didn't want to be rude, ha ha. But, I avoided him, or even making eye contact with him for the rest of the day. I didn't know what to think of a guy who would want to smoke a "curiously strong" peppermint. Ha ha.