I'm sure that many folks on this site have tried this blend and it has more than likely been reviewed before. However, I have come to enjoy it so much that I feel compelled to give my own quick review of it.
I purchase this blend in bulk. In the pouch, it has a sweet aroma and I can pick out the scent of semi-sweet chocolate and a little smokiness from the Latakia. In bulk, it is a broken flake and has a nice moisture content. I smoke my tobaccos a bit drier than normal and let it air out for about 5 minutes before packing it in a nice wide bowl. It lights easily and the first flavor to hit the front of my tongue is the sweetness of the Virginias in this blend. I stop puffing for a moment to check out the room note and find that it possesses a very sweet floral scent, not unlike many of G&H's other offerings. I find the aroma very pleasant. After only a couple of minutes the flavor becomes savory. It reminds me of a good cup of coffee. It is semi-sweet with the intermingling of the Virginias and the toppings. I seem to be tasting a bit of the floral note as well which makes it more pleasant. Supposedly, this blend possesses very little Burley, but I distinctly taste the flavor of Burley, to me it tastes of almonds and cedar. The flavor is consistent throughout the bowl and it becomes more enjoyable to me as I sip the smoke out of my pipe. My palate does not seem to pick out the small amount of Latakia in the mixture. The tobacco burns very well, although I prefer to smoke slowly and relight more often than most smokers. After a little over an hour I stir the grey ash in my pipe bowl and find that there is no tobacco left to be smoked.
I highly recommend this blend because I haven't found any blend that is like it. It has a nice, deep complexity and is more savory than sweet. I also love the fact that it has a wonderful aroma which is just as enjoyable to the smoker as it is to his company. I particularly enjoy this with a cup of good coffee. For those that do not like Latakia, I would not let the small presence of that leaf in this blend deter you.
I purchase this blend in bulk. In the pouch, it has a sweet aroma and I can pick out the scent of semi-sweet chocolate and a little smokiness from the Latakia. In bulk, it is a broken flake and has a nice moisture content. I smoke my tobaccos a bit drier than normal and let it air out for about 5 minutes before packing it in a nice wide bowl. It lights easily and the first flavor to hit the front of my tongue is the sweetness of the Virginias in this blend. I stop puffing for a moment to check out the room note and find that it possesses a very sweet floral scent, not unlike many of G&H's other offerings. I find the aroma very pleasant. After only a couple of minutes the flavor becomes savory. It reminds me of a good cup of coffee. It is semi-sweet with the intermingling of the Virginias and the toppings. I seem to be tasting a bit of the floral note as well which makes it more pleasant. Supposedly, this blend possesses very little Burley, but I distinctly taste the flavor of Burley, to me it tastes of almonds and cedar. The flavor is consistent throughout the bowl and it becomes more enjoyable to me as I sip the smoke out of my pipe. My palate does not seem to pick out the small amount of Latakia in the mixture. The tobacco burns very well, although I prefer to smoke slowly and relight more often than most smokers. After a little over an hour I stir the grey ash in my pipe bowl and find that there is no tobacco left to be smoked.
I highly recommend this blend because I haven't found any blend that is like it. It has a nice, deep complexity and is more savory than sweet. I also love the fact that it has a wonderful aroma which is just as enjoyable to the smoker as it is to his company. I particularly enjoy this with a cup of good coffee. For those that do not like Latakia, I would not let the small presence of that leaf in this blend deter you.
