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."
