Autumn Evening

[gord]

I've been moving away from aromatics lately, since I've been gaining appreciation of Orientals and more subtle Englishes that have an oriental component.

As a couple of aromatics I smoked before are dwindling in my little hoard, and as I was neither here nor there about them, I decided to buy a new one a few weeks ago. Our Ontario Cigar Chiefs outlet had a sale of C&D back then, and I sprung for two tins of Autumn Evening because everybody seemed to be raving about it.

Ho hum. Uhhhhhh ........ it's okay, but now I have enough to last me the rest of my life. Very one dimensional, and it relies on a sweetness that doesn't hold out throughout the smoke, and it's a bit bitter when it reaches the dottle stage. I'll use it when I have guests and offer them a bowl or two, and won't be replacing it when it goes. Can't figure out what all of the fuss is about. A Pirate Kake or Mad Fiddler it ain't.

** out of *****

 

[Sir Yak]

It’s apparently very popular, but I tried it twice and didn’t care for it. Something about it seemed to disagree with me on a chemical level. Maybe everyone but you and me loves it.

 

[gord]

It’s apparently very popular, but I tried it twice and didn’t care for it. Something about it seemed to disagree with me on a chemical level. Maybe everyone but you and me loves it.

I've heard some other negative vibes . . . . lol

 

[AroEnglish]

I tried it on two separate occasions and didn't like it but that was when I didn't like Virginias (i.e. I didn't know how to smoke slowly). I want to give it another shot to see if I find it more enjoyable now.

 

[jackattack]

My girlfriend's sense of smell is the ultimate critic...so I keep it around for when she gives me the stink-eye about latakia.

It gets a little bitter around the bottom of the bowl but the flavor is nice over all.

 

[gord]

OKAY FOLKS. An Update. I was informed by a reader who read my thread and commented to me in a PM, that if I took the tobacco, dried it out to pretty much a drygulch consistency, it would improve Autumn Evening significantly.

I took a double pipeful and put it in an unopened jar about 18" away from an infra-red space heater, and gave it a sunbath for a couple of hours. Yup, it was dried almost to a crispy critter stage (this is a great and controllable way to dry your tobacco, by the way - the infrared heats the jar, and the tobacco inside gets drier the longer the exposure - make sure to mix it up from time to time). And the smoke was significantly better.

Verdict? Knowing this, I now have to reassess my original rating:

***1/2 out of ***** if you do the dryout.

One other thing I noticed as well by the way, is that AE still got a touch bitter at the dottle stage, and I think the reason why is that any tobacco that has a leaf in it that has been soaked and cured in molasses, maple sugar, or the like, will burn bitter at the dottle stage because, if you remember making fudge with your mom as a youngster, like burned fudge, the whole batch is ruined if you don't keep stirring, and you had to pitch it and start over. And mom chastized you for wasting money.

I think of a couple of my favoured Navy Blends that often feature cube cut burley soaked in molasses or some other sugar or cordial type of cure that carbonizes if burnt, they too will taste bitter when that dottle starts to burn, usually with a relight. Verdict? Stop smoking at that stage.

Felt this update was necessary because there was a cure for the nits I picked. Cheers.