Devil's Holiday- Impression

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docpierce

Can't Leave
Feb 17, 2020
479
1,379
EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9) - Bob

When I cut open the 250 gr foil bag of Dan Devil's Holiday- the plan was to sample it and stuff the remainder into a quart bell jar. That part of the plan when well. It fit perfectly- the 250 grams fills a quart jar right to the top.
The blackberry-vanilla aroma quickly filled the tiny smoke room.
The moisture level was not too sticky or wet. So after 20 minutes or so, I filled the bowl of a recently cleaned Rossi 320.
For my tastes, it was a bit over the top in the flavor department.

I prefer unflavored tobacco in general. However, I am open to the idea of aromatics. The few that I have sampled have ended up on the cellar list as keepers. They tend to grow on me after a few bowls of getting used to. At least that is what happened when I smoked a 2 oz sample of Peretti's No Name and again with Dan's Honeydew Vanilla. Both quality products IMHO. The latter ended up being consumed in about ten day's time. I ended up really enjoying it. This opened up the idea that maybe the Germans know a bit about blending aros and that i should seek out other Dan products.

Devil's Holiday in a different story. Although the base tobacco is a high quality Virginia, I only really enjoy it when I mix it at most at 50% with another tobacco. I did some testing ( relative to my current taste standards) 25%, 50% and 75% mix with Sutliff Virginia Slices. 25% is about right for me. Pure and undiluted it's berry flavor is just too much. I don't find it chemical, goopy or artificial- just too much berry.
Burn rate was fine. No re-lights were necessary. And the flavor really holds up right down through the dottle.

So, If you like an quality aro with a tremendous amount of wild berry flavor- this one might just be worth a try.
 
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brooklynpiper

Part of the Furniture Now
May 8, 2018
643
1,377
I love when embers shows off his dedicated pipes. Always impresses me.
I often pigeonhole him as a 904 weirdo. ;)

I've had devil's holiday on my list for some time now.
Anyone with a new tin? Do they have warning label on? It's a very cheeky devil on the tin that's very old world folklore.
 

wolflarsen

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 29, 2018
844
2,369
The berry blast in Devil's Holiday is no joke. I've had it permanently ghost a cob after running about a half tin through it. Blue Note, with it's darker fruit and vanilla flavor, is much more my style when I'm in the mood for something from that genre.
 

Jaylotw

Lifer
Mar 13, 2020
1,062
4,063
NE Ohio
I had a tin of this early on in my pipe smoking days. I remember liking it well enough, but the berry blast was pretty powerful.

My palate was quite as refined as it is now (which is to say, I have the palate of a refined goat), but I definitely remember repeatedly sticking my nose in the tin, as the tin note was fantastic...but, just like you, I found the flavoring to be just a little too much when smoked.
 

kschatey

Lifer
Oct 16, 2019
1,118
2,272
Ohio
I started in the pipe smoking hobby about seven months ago with general aromatics that were more tobacco forward and quickly gravitated to English/Balkan blends. After really hitting those during the Fall and Winter, I decided to get some new stuff for the warmer weather. The selections brought me back to aromatics, including Devil's Holiday because I had seen it recommended so much in these forums. "I don't smoke aromatics, but I really like Devil's Holiday" seemed to be the phrase I kept seeing from non-aromatic smokers...

I smoked Devil's Holiday for the first time tonight. TL;DR: Yes, it's a great tobacco blend! Aromatics are interesting and remind me so much of beer. I don't mind added flavors, but it has to taste REAL. Devil's Holiday delivers on that and doesn't disappoint. The aroma of the tobacco is pungent berries and perhaps a bit over the top, but the flavor is a bit less intense. It starts out with ripe raspberry and vanilla with a creamy smoke characteristic. Caramel - not sugary sweetness, but more of a caramelized richness - develops about halfway through to compliment the floral notes. The raspberry fruitiness lasts up until about two thirds of the way through and then in goes more floral, then quickly the finish drops off. The tobacco paired very well with my homebrewed porter. I feel that many non-aromatic blends really open up in the last third, but the reverse seems to be true of aromatics as the flavor is initially burned. Overall, the tobacco flavor actually reminded me of Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock and would pair nicely with porter, stout, or something malty like bock or doppelbock beer.

Devil's Holiday is definitely a keeper. It's a bit of surprise to me as I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy berry tobacco. I have added berry to my list specifically-flavored tobaccos that I enjoy, including vanilla, chocolate/cocoa, maple, and citrus. Something that's not on that list is cherry which is ironic because I LOVE cherries, but really don't like cherry tobacco (of the one or two that I have tried so far). I hope to add another tin of this for my long-term cellar.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,439
109,345
I started in the pipe smoking hobby about seven months ago with general aromatics that were more tobacco forward and quickly gravitated to English/Balkan blends. After really hitting those during the Fall and Winter, I decided to get some new stuff for the warmer weather. The selections brought me back to aromatics, including Devil's Holiday because I had seen it recommended so much in these forums. "I don't smoke aromatics, but I really like Devil's Holiday" seemed to be the phrase I kept seeing from non-aromatic smokers...

I smoked Devil's Holiday for the first time tonight. TL;DR: Yes, it's a great tobacco blend! Aromatics are interesting and remind me so much of beer. I don't mind added flavors, but it has to taste REAL. Devil's Holiday delivers on that and doesn't disappoint. The aroma of the tobacco is pungent berries and perhaps a bit over the top, but the flavor is a bit less intense. It starts out with ripe raspberry and vanilla with a creamy smoke characteristic. Caramel - not sugary sweetness, but more of a caramelized richness - develops about halfway through to compliment the floral notes. The raspberry fruitiness lasts up until about two thirds of the way through and then in goes more floral, then quickly the finish drops off. The tobacco paired very well with my homebrewed porter. I feel that many non-aromatic blends really open up in the last third, but the reverse seems to be true of aromatics as the flavor is initially burned. Overall, the tobacco flavor actually reminded me of Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock and would pair nicely with porter, stout, or something malty like bock or doppelbock beer.

Devil's Holiday is definitely a keeper. It's a bit of surprise to me as I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy berry tobacco. I have added berry to my list specifically-flavored tobaccos that I enjoy, including vanilla, chocolate/cocoa, maple, and citrus. Something that's not on that list is cherry which is ironic because I LOVE cherries, but really don't like cherry tobacco (of the one or two that I have tried so far). I hope to add another tin of this for my long-term cellar.
You might like Newminster Blackberry Brandy.
 

kschatey

Lifer
Oct 16, 2019
1,118
2,272
Ohio
I forgot to mention that later in the smoke I got a bit of plastic-y or "Baid-Aid" flavor that seemed to come and go at times. In beer terms, that would be "phenolic." This is the first time I have experienced this off-flavor in a tobacco, but my guess is that my palette is picking it up from the flavorings added to the tobacco.

A couple other notes... It seems that this tobacco can be "pushed" a bit without it burning too hot or biting at all. Also, I only let it dry about 20-30 minutes and it smoked wonferfully.
 
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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,439
109,345
Thanks, I will definitely add that to my "wish list" for a possible future purchase. Right now I feel like I have enough aromatics, but more importantly, I don't plan to buy any thing else for quite awhile. That could change though. :)
Yeah, I'm mostly set for the rest of my life but sometimes something special catches my eye.
 

kschatey

Lifer
Oct 16, 2019
1,118
2,272
Ohio
Yeah, I'm mostly set for the rest of my life but sometimes something special catches my eye.
Ha! I've seen the various pictures of parts of your cellar. I feel like I'm set for life at 5+ pounds, but still had the itch to place the last order with these various "whacky" aromatics for the Summer. Good call as I'm enjoying them, but it's so easy to find more to try. This hobby has so many parallels to my beer hobby!
 
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docpierce

Can't Leave
Feb 17, 2020
479
1,379
I started in the pipe smoking hobby about seven months ago with general aromatics that were more tobacco forward and quickly gravitated to English/Balkan blends. After really hitting those during the Fall and Winter, I decided to get some new stuff for the warmer weather. The selections brought me back to aromatics, including Devil's Holiday because I had seen it recommended so much in these forums. "I don't smoke aromatics, but I really like Devil's Holiday" seemed to be the phrase I kept seeing from non-aromatic smokers...

I smoked Devil's Holiday for the first time tonight. TL;DR: Yes, it's a great tobacco blend! Aromatics are interesting and remind me so much of beer. I don't mind added flavors, but it has to taste REAL. Devil's Holiday delivers on that and doesn't disappoint. The aroma of the tobacco is pungent berries and perhaps a bit over the top, but the flavor is a bit less intense. It starts out with ripe raspberry and vanilla with a creamy smoke characteristic. Caramel - not sugary sweetness, but more of a caramelized richness - develops about halfway through to compliment the floral notes. The raspberry fruitiness lasts up until about two thirds of the way through and then in goes more floral, then quickly the finish drops off. The tobacco paired very well with my homebrewed porter. I feel that many non-aromatic blends really open up in the last third, but the reverse seems to be true of aromatics as the flavor is initially burned. Overall, the tobacco flavor actually reminded me of Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock and would pair nicely with porter, stout, or something malty like bock or doppelbock beer.

Devil's Holiday is definitely a keeper. It's a bit of surprise to me as I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy berry tobacco. I have added berry to my list specifically-flavored tobaccos that I enjoy, including vanilla, chocolate/cocoa, maple, and citrus. Something that's not on that list is cherry which is ironic because I LOVE cherries, but really don't like cherry tobacco (of the one or two that I have tried so far). I hope to add another tin of this for my long-term cellar.
A excellent review. I enjoyed that. btw,
you might want to keep an eye out for two from Dan Tobacco Sweet Vanilla Honeydew and Bluenote. Both are winners, imho.
 
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