When C&D released the 2025 The Beast, I knew it was time to pop one of my 23 tins. In typical fashion, my first smoke of that was perplexing. The flavors started slow and took time to develop. In fact it took a while for it to be enjoyable. I was sort of disappointed.
Then, I jarred it, and let it sit for a couple of weeks. Now, it's every third bowl. Good, strong, weird, and lots of flavors. While I tried this, I did my usual manic deep dive into the blend and it's inspirations, causing me to link it up with G.L. Pease's Haddo's Delight.
So I asked my local tobacconist if they were getting any Haddo's Delight in. His answer was yes, it was on the last order and should be in the shop in a day or two. I picked up a tin and popped it and smoked a bowl with a cold one, then and there. Same effect, slow flavors, kind of meh. I got home and jarred it and pretty much left it, going back to the Beast and alternating between that and a few other standards.
Saturday night I was deciding what to smoke and decided to try Haddo's again. It's funny, this blend is apparently and love or hate blend for folks, with some not being able to get over the manure smell from the tin. I didn't really notice that strong of a musk in the freshly popped tin or in the jar a few weeks later.
What I did notice was a really really complex and delicious smoke. I didn't get much from the charring light, but a quick tamp and a true light really set it off. The next 45 minutes or so was filled with cocoa and spice and billows of delicious white-gray smoke. Maybe 2-3 quick relights. It was a really really yummy blend that was strong in flavor and kick, and mellow and smooth on the tongue. I didn't take notes of everything I was getting but it was good enough that I wanted to post something here about it.
This weekend I plan on going back to back with the Beast and Haddo's to do a true taste test. I will probably use two Briarwork's Princes for this comparison. The wide bowls really allow nuance flavor to develop and with two of the same shape the pipe bias should be null.
Then, I jarred it, and let it sit for a couple of weeks. Now, it's every third bowl. Good, strong, weird, and lots of flavors. While I tried this, I did my usual manic deep dive into the blend and it's inspirations, causing me to link it up with G.L. Pease's Haddo's Delight.
So I asked my local tobacconist if they were getting any Haddo's Delight in. His answer was yes, it was on the last order and should be in the shop in a day or two. I picked up a tin and popped it and smoked a bowl with a cold one, then and there. Same effect, slow flavors, kind of meh. I got home and jarred it and pretty much left it, going back to the Beast and alternating between that and a few other standards.
Saturday night I was deciding what to smoke and decided to try Haddo's again. It's funny, this blend is apparently and love or hate blend for folks, with some not being able to get over the manure smell from the tin. I didn't really notice that strong of a musk in the freshly popped tin or in the jar a few weeks later.
What I did notice was a really really complex and delicious smoke. I didn't get much from the charring light, but a quick tamp and a true light really set it off. The next 45 minutes or so was filled with cocoa and spice and billows of delicious white-gray smoke. Maybe 2-3 quick relights. It was a really really yummy blend that was strong in flavor and kick, and mellow and smooth on the tongue. I didn't take notes of everything I was getting but it was good enough that I wanted to post something here about it.
This weekend I plan on going back to back with the Beast and Haddo's to do a true taste test. I will probably use two Briarwork's Princes for this comparison. The wide bowls really allow nuance flavor to develop and with two of the same shape the pipe bias should be null.
