I have popped a tin of Ashton's consummate gentleman for the first time in a year and a half, and let me say this is a breath of fresh air. After smoking a long series of latakia heavy English blends, I finally remembered this little fellow and suddenly remembered that a latakia light version of an English exists. It also seems very burley forward, with a significant sweet side. I am not sure what this Maryland tobacco might be, in fact I think this is the only blend I have smoked containing this, but I am blaming it for quite a unique note. Overall, I stick to my guns - this blend is very very underappreciated and unique in its own sense for an English. In fact, I have experimented so deep down the English latakia path that I got to the point where I could only distinguish the various blends in accord to the latakia content, hardly focusing on anything else. Or in other words, I have valued English blends in relation to the latakia content and how that affected the whole story as a main character. This is a totally different ball game, and it offered me huge satisfaction tonight upon smoking. Taking the latakia out of an English, or better yet - toning it down, opens the door to an entirely new level of complexity. Still an English, but a particular type of English that brings forward the burley and virginia that is so often strangled by the rich latakia flavor.
