Star of the East Flake is one of the most unusual English-type blends I've ever smoked. It's taken me more than half a tin to even begin to get a handle on it. But hopefully the following notes will help others who are interested in exploring what is a unique smoke.
SOTEF arrives as a very broken flake, so it only requires minimal rubbing out to prepare it for the bowl. On the first light, it is immediately evident that this is a Red Virginia-forward blend, with Izmir playing a supporting role and latakia -- despite the tin claims that it makes up 50% of the blend -- only appearing condimentally.
At the start, the stoved, sweetened Red Virginias dominate with a level that borders on overly rough and harsh. (If you don't enjoy -- or can't tolerate -- Red Virginia, you will not enjoy this tobacco.) For the first third of the bowl, there is very little but Red Virginia in the smoke. And after that point, things get very strange for what is ostensibly an English blend. It gets sweet. Very sweet. And that's also the point where the Izmir begins to make itself known, combining with the Virginia to make for an enjoyable and rich smoke. Izmir is one of my favorite orientals, and it works quite well here, supporting the sweetness of the Virginias and helping to smooth out the Red's rough edges with its own gentle tang.
Once you pass the midway point, the sweetness begins to dissipate, but it never disappears altogether. And it's also at this point that you can occasionally pick out the latakia in the blend. The leaf all seems to really gel at this point. For the rest of the bowl, it comes together for a rich, softly incense-scented smoke.
I think what confounded me with this blend is that intense sweetness, which is something I am definitely not used to finding in a so-called English blend. But, then, this never really smokes much like a typical English. The Red Virginias set it apart from most other English blends. And the latakia is so much in the background that it never provides the kind of "campfire" experience most English lovers expect. And then there's that sweetness. I'm not entirely sold on its presence in an English blend. (Certain of the Frog Mortons are sweet, but not to this level. And in those blends, the Virginias are smoother, rounder, not as sharp and rough-around-the-edges as Red Virginia tends to be.)
All of which to say that this blend is probably not for everyone. It is a bit unbalanced for at least 1/3 of the bowl. And if you love latakia, you'll feel that it's too understated here. But if you're in the mood for a change-of-pace from the standard Virginia/Oriental/Latakia mixtures, this might just be your cup of tea.
Bob
SOTEF arrives as a very broken flake, so it only requires minimal rubbing out to prepare it for the bowl. On the first light, it is immediately evident that this is a Red Virginia-forward blend, with Izmir playing a supporting role and latakia -- despite the tin claims that it makes up 50% of the blend -- only appearing condimentally.
At the start, the stoved, sweetened Red Virginias dominate with a level that borders on overly rough and harsh. (If you don't enjoy -- or can't tolerate -- Red Virginia, you will not enjoy this tobacco.) For the first third of the bowl, there is very little but Red Virginia in the smoke. And after that point, things get very strange for what is ostensibly an English blend. It gets sweet. Very sweet. And that's also the point where the Izmir begins to make itself known, combining with the Virginia to make for an enjoyable and rich smoke. Izmir is one of my favorite orientals, and it works quite well here, supporting the sweetness of the Virginias and helping to smooth out the Red's rough edges with its own gentle tang.
Once you pass the midway point, the sweetness begins to dissipate, but it never disappears altogether. And it's also at this point that you can occasionally pick out the latakia in the blend. The leaf all seems to really gel at this point. For the rest of the bowl, it comes together for a rich, softly incense-scented smoke.
I think what confounded me with this blend is that intense sweetness, which is something I am definitely not used to finding in a so-called English blend. But, then, this never really smokes much like a typical English. The Red Virginias set it apart from most other English blends. And the latakia is so much in the background that it never provides the kind of "campfire" experience most English lovers expect. And then there's that sweetness. I'm not entirely sold on its presence in an English blend. (Certain of the Frog Mortons are sweet, but not to this level. And in those blends, the Virginias are smoother, rounder, not as sharp and rough-around-the-edges as Red Virginia tends to be.)
All of which to say that this blend is probably not for everyone. It is a bit unbalanced for at least 1/3 of the bowl. And if you love latakia, you'll feel that it's too understated here. But if you're in the mood for a change-of-pace from the standard Virginia/Oriental/Latakia mixtures, this might just be your cup of tea.
Bob
