So I was looking for something without any flavoring or excessive toppings, just straight tobacco, and I found the C&D Burley Flake #3, which contains a blend of Burley, Kentucky, Virginia, and Perique. After reading some reviews, I ordered a tin. The reviews vary, but they use such terms as "raisin, plum, fruity, nutty, cocoa, wood, citrus, sourdough, etc." They also talk about the higher nicotine levels and so on. For me, though, I am not sophisticated enough, with respect to my palate, I suppose, to make these kinds of associations and can only compare tobacco with tobacco.
That said, tin note is a cross between a fresh pouch of Red Man chewing tobacco (which they have rebranded as America's Best) and the initial scent of a walk-in humidor, not that I am complaining. It is very nice. Maybe a hint of spiciness.
The flakes crumble easily in preparation for smoking, and it is not too moist or too dry right out of the tin. I took out enough for a pipe full and put the rest of the tin in a Mason jar.
I decided to try it in a corncob that I've smoked a few times. I got the pipe prepared. I had to make a decision--indoors or out. I got it going inside by the back door and then went outside. There was a slight breeze, so I stepped back in a for a few minutes. Not a bad room note at all provided that you like cigars. Some of the reviews say tolerable, but I'd say pleasant. It burned well from the start, and I never had to do a relight, just an occasional, gentle tamping about every five minutes or so. It does burn rather quickly, and it is very easy to smoke. I never got any bite from it, either. As for taste--this is what I really liked--a really good cigar, what kind, I do not know exactly, something on the milder side, but it has that good cigar taste you get on your tongue about a third to half way in, that sort of tingling tanginess of tobacco leaf taste that is so wonderful. Maybe that is the Perique element.
When it goes out, that is it. There was nothing left in the bowl with which to do a relight. There didn't seem to be any moisture in the bottom of the bowl as is the case with flavored and topped pipe tobaccos, just ash and a bit of dottle. Just to be sure I liked it, after the first, I let the same corncob pipe cool off and smoked another bowl. It was just as good. I never felt much of a noticeable nicotine hit despite what other reviews said and despite smoking two in a row, really kind of aggressively since I was enjoying it so much; it was just general pleasantry. I'm thinking about trying it today in a straight billiard.
That said, tin note is a cross between a fresh pouch of Red Man chewing tobacco (which they have rebranded as America's Best) and the initial scent of a walk-in humidor, not that I am complaining. It is very nice. Maybe a hint of spiciness.
The flakes crumble easily in preparation for smoking, and it is not too moist or too dry right out of the tin. I took out enough for a pipe full and put the rest of the tin in a Mason jar.
I decided to try it in a corncob that I've smoked a few times. I got the pipe prepared. I had to make a decision--indoors or out. I got it going inside by the back door and then went outside. There was a slight breeze, so I stepped back in a for a few minutes. Not a bad room note at all provided that you like cigars. Some of the reviews say tolerable, but I'd say pleasant. It burned well from the start, and I never had to do a relight, just an occasional, gentle tamping about every five minutes or so. It does burn rather quickly, and it is very easy to smoke. I never got any bite from it, either. As for taste--this is what I really liked--a really good cigar, what kind, I do not know exactly, something on the milder side, but it has that good cigar taste you get on your tongue about a third to half way in, that sort of tingling tanginess of tobacco leaf taste that is so wonderful. Maybe that is the Perique element.
When it goes out, that is it. There was nothing left in the bowl with which to do a relight. There didn't seem to be any moisture in the bottom of the bowl as is the case with flavored and topped pipe tobaccos, just ash and a bit of dottle. Just to be sure I liked it, after the first, I let the same corncob pipe cool off and smoked another bowl. It was just as good. I never felt much of a noticeable nicotine hit despite what other reviews said and despite smoking two in a row, really kind of aggressively since I was enjoying it so much; it was just general pleasantry. I'm thinking about trying it today in a straight billiard.
