Imported by Scandinavian Tobacco Group Lane Ltd. Tucker, Ga.
White pouch with gold trim, green lettering, and the inside is all shiny, gold lining.
Described on front as "A brilliant mixture of flue-cured Virginias, toasted white Burleys, and Sweet Black Cavendish spiked with aged Irish Whiskey. Refined and mellow with an inviting aroma."
It was that, indeed.
Long thin shreds of brown and gold leaf. Chose a Royal Duke to smoke it in (medium-sized bowl, straight-stemmed billiard--takes a filter but I didn't use one, so open draw). Filled it loose to the top, packed half down, filled the rest, pressed it medium light in. Turned out to be a good technique for it, draw-wise.
Char light and "HELLO!" Woke the tip of my tongue up RIGHT NOW. But that was it. I was wary, but it was immediately mellow with a sipping "breathing" technique.
Nice flavor. Slightly sweet and whiskey-rich. Not delicate, but not overpowering. A "Goldilocks" blend, for me.
Though the tobacco had seemed moist enough (pinching it would make it clump), it burned a bit fast, I think. And there was plenty of smoke even as I took it easy on it.
It started to sizzle. I held off, because I didn't want to reach "gurgle" with it. And it calmed back down for me. In fact, just a few moments later, after the sizzling stopped, I ran a pipe cleaner in to see what had developed. Hardly any color and the cleaner came out dry. I was smoking it well, it seems. Keeping pace with its burning characteristics. As I said, no bite at all after the alert my tongue got at the beginning. But a nice little tease, all the way to the bottom. Ash at tilt was medium coarse, and black. A little finer than pencil eraser tailings. After tilt and tamp, required a relight. Otherwise, held its ember well even smoking it on the edge of going out. Never had to nurse it back. It just hung in there with me.
A delicious blend. At the start, I had been going to compare it to Borkum Riff, but, huh uh, no: it's tastier and mellower to me. Borkum Riff, as I've noted elsewhere, I can tolerate fine, and will smoke if it's on hand and I want to stretch out the rest of my larder. But Erin Go Bragh Irish Whiskey I'd reach for for its own sake, passing up others. The sweet taste is not overpowering. It doesn't seem added, more as though the tobacco were grown that way, a natural flavor.
Damn, I like this taste. I think I'll have this pouch finished here in a few days and be ordering more.
Me gusta mucho!
