AKA: Getting your butt kicked and liking it.
Normally, I finish the bowl before I write the impression. I suspect, however, that my wife will come home to find me unconscious and drooling on the floor before I wrap up this load.
I got a 500 gram package of this from the buroak sale. Today, I finally processed it, cramming 5-6 jar height lengths of rope into each of 4 half pint mason "jelly" jars. The remaining bits, sliced into roughly 1-2 mm thick "coins" mostly filled a 5th jar and is my working stock.
Having read a number of the reviews online, I kept getting references to barbecued meat. I had trouble envisioning this as a tobacco flavor, to be honest. No longer is that a problem!
Another review mentioned the taste concept of umami. I think this is a more accurate description.
Tobaccoreviews lists the constituents as Virginia and burley. There is also a vague mention of "dark air cured Indian leaf". Not sure what that even is.
There's a mild, fun background sweetness, a majorly toned down version of the normal VA experience likely because of the stoving process. The low notes of the burly are also tamed by the stoving, leaving a dense, strong taste experience without the various sharp edges these two leaves can otherwise provide.
So, I dumped about half a dozen coins onto my prep plate and carefully unwound each until I had a nice pile of oversized ribbons. I gave it my usual two minutes of inadequate drying time and loaded up a large bowl, against all online review advice.
At first, the retrohale gave a strong sting which went away after a minute or two. Other than that, there have been NO unpleasantries to this smoke. A two dimensional flavor, especially after my recent gig with the quite busy Irish Oak.
Satisfying is the best descriptor I can assign. Keep your fire handy, as numerous relights will be required. Ash so dense that it won't dump without some picking assistance.
Lightly sweet, deep, rich flavor, almost unchanging throughout the entire load. I'm very impressed.
As I get into the third trimester, the coals are finally stable and I can release the lighter. The sweetness has picked up a VA tanginess, finally and the burly is passive, but perceptible.
Despite only having a banana an hour ago, I'm not nauseous but the nic haze surrounding my dome is likely visible to the casual observer at this point.
The pipe has not even considered getting hot and the tobacco handles heavy puffing with grace.
I'm just short of cross-eyed and drooling. I think I'm in love......
Normally, I finish the bowl before I write the impression. I suspect, however, that my wife will come home to find me unconscious and drooling on the floor before I wrap up this load.
I got a 500 gram package of this from the buroak sale. Today, I finally processed it, cramming 5-6 jar height lengths of rope into each of 4 half pint mason "jelly" jars. The remaining bits, sliced into roughly 1-2 mm thick "coins" mostly filled a 5th jar and is my working stock.
Having read a number of the reviews online, I kept getting references to barbecued meat. I had trouble envisioning this as a tobacco flavor, to be honest. No longer is that a problem!
Another review mentioned the taste concept of umami. I think this is a more accurate description.
Tobaccoreviews lists the constituents as Virginia and burley. There is also a vague mention of "dark air cured Indian leaf". Not sure what that even is.
There's a mild, fun background sweetness, a majorly toned down version of the normal VA experience likely because of the stoving process. The low notes of the burly are also tamed by the stoving, leaving a dense, strong taste experience without the various sharp edges these two leaves can otherwise provide.
So, I dumped about half a dozen coins onto my prep plate and carefully unwound each until I had a nice pile of oversized ribbons. I gave it my usual two minutes of inadequate drying time and loaded up a large bowl, against all online review advice.
At first, the retrohale gave a strong sting which went away after a minute or two. Other than that, there have been NO unpleasantries to this smoke. A two dimensional flavor, especially after my recent gig with the quite busy Irish Oak.
Satisfying is the best descriptor I can assign. Keep your fire handy, as numerous relights will be required. Ash so dense that it won't dump without some picking assistance.
Lightly sweet, deep, rich flavor, almost unchanging throughout the entire load. I'm very impressed.
As I get into the third trimester, the coals are finally stable and I can release the lighter. The sweetness has picked up a VA tanginess, finally and the burly is passive, but perceptible.
Despite only having a banana an hour ago, I'm not nauseous but the nic haze surrounding my dome is likely visible to the casual observer at this point.
The pipe has not even considered getting hot and the tobacco handles heavy puffing with grace.
I'm just short of cross-eyed and drooling. I think I'm in love......
