C&D Haunted Bookshop - First Impressions and a Question

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Bowie

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 24, 2019
980
4,352
Minnesota
I've been gravitating to burley blends lately, and I got some HB today from SPC after reading lots of good comments about it here and on TobaccoReviews.

Overall, a good smoke that I hope will grow on me. Question: Do burleys like this change much over time while cellaring?

The tin note is odd. Musty, but not in an old-book-musty way (which to me is a wonderful smell). More like a back room that had been closed up awhile.

I loaded up a MM Legend. The first few minutes of this smoke were not a a pleasant experience. I took care to not light it too hot. But I almost put this down. It was acrid and bitter. No tongue bite, but just a terrible taste. I have no idea what happened. Maybe user error.

I slowly smoked through the experience like a stubborn old goat, and was surprised that it soon settled down. I got the nuttiness I expected and some small hints of spice, with an occasional sweetness. I didn't get the chocolate that others have found. Maybe next time.

I was expecting a noticeable nicotine hit based on TR ratings, but it was far less than C&D's Dreams of Kadath, which has a slightly lower nictonice strength on TR but hit me harder. "Your Mileage May Vary," indeed. HB was a bit harsher on my throat than other burleys, though.

It turned out to be a satisfying smoke overall, 3 out of 5 stars if you take out the initial few minutes. I'm not ready to order more or add this to my SPC "Favorites" list. I'll have to come back to this to reevaluate. I'll try it in a briar, too. As the article on SPC states: "Try Everything Twice."
 

blackpowderpiper

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 19, 2018
811
3,787
Middle Tennessee
A few years ago I smoked through a tin of HB and liked it so much I ordered an 8 oz can. While I still enjoy it occasionally, it kind of lost a little bit of its luster for me. All in all, it's a fine smoke and had enough nicotine to be satisfying for me but never gave me an overload. I agree that there is a certain mustiness there. I also agree with Jiminks when he states "You'd better like nutty, earthy, dry, woody, unflavored bold burley with a few rough edges and hint of spice, or you won't like this even a little bit." I basically taste bold burley with a little bit of sweetness and a decent bit of spice from the perique. This is definitely a smoke with some rough edges but when I'm in the mood for it, it really hits the spot. If this was all I could get, I think I'd be okay. Thanks for the review.
 

lightmybriar

Lifer
Mar 11, 2014
1,315
1,838
Your experience mimics mine exactly. I’m glad it isn’t just me who thinks it stinks pre-light haha! Also, I think when you get hit with the bad bitter taste, you may just be smoking it a little too hot. It’s easy to do as this comes kind of dry. Smoked slowly, though, this is a total pleasant surprise. Nothing like the tin note and very good flavor. Definitely give it another try!
 

seanv

Lifer
Mar 22, 2018
2,958
10,405
Canada
Haunted bookshop is one my top 5 favorites. The jar time will smooth the rough edges a bit but they will always be there. That part is what makes this blend great.
For the lighting, go slow and never touch the flame to the tobacco. Smoke it slower than most blends as well. It may take some time but this one can grow on you. My favorite setting for this blend is outside on a cool night.
 

Bowie

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 24, 2019
980
4,352
Minnesota
Over the first few months, yes. C&D, in particular, sells some pretty"green" stuff in my experience. I got some bulk HB that was initially unsmokable, but tasted great after about 4 months in the jar. Now I just buy their burleys a few months before I'm going to smoke them.
That’s good to know, thanks. I‘ll definitely let some of this sit for awhile.
 

renfield

Lifer
Oct 16, 2011
4,231
31,389
Kansas
I also found it to have a lot of rough edges, but that seems to be my perception of many C&D Burley blends, especially when perique is present. Time may help and your preferences will likely evolve over time. Give it a few more chances and jar it for later if it still isn’t clicking to your satisfaction.

You could also try mixing it with something else you have and see if that helps.
 
I recently tried three C&D Burley based tobacco. Burley is like comfort food to me, not a lot of flavors, but still very enjoyable. The three that I tried are OJK, Haunted Bookshop and Bayou Night (I still consider it Burley based, even if it is 75% Perique)

While all are good smokes, I found Haunted Bookshop least exciting. I will smoke two ounces of each before reaching my final conclusion, but as of now I find Haunted Bookshop is risking getting dropped from my cellar.
 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,146
3,762
Kansas
Wasn't all that keen on HB. My favorite C&D burley blend with perique is Odessa which is pretty smooth for a burley blend. You have to like latakia though as it's essentially an "American" Balkan.
 
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