These two new products were blended by C&D's Jeremy Reeves for Twins Smoke Shop in New Hampshire. I understand that an English blend is in the works.
7-20-4 Boston Tea Party (Briary Blends)
The Basma and sharp Izmir offer a wealth of earth, wood, floralness, vegetation, herbs, spice, dry, sharp sourness, some buttery sweetness, and smoke as the lead components. The white and dark burleys provide plenty of earth, wood, nuts, mild molasses, and dry, sour sharpness as supporting players. The white burley is the more obvious of the two. The red and gold Virginias form the base of the blend with the gold in the lead. They are a couple of rungs above the condiment line. They produce a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, grass/hay/vegetation, bread, sugar, some floralness, tangy dried dark fruit, earth, wood, mild sour lemon, light sweet orange, and a couple pinches of spice. The strength and taste levels start out as a notch past the medium mark, and gathers a step and half of potency after the first quarter of the experience. The nic-hit is a slot behind the overall strength. No chance of bite or harshness, and has a few rough edges. Well balanced with some complexity, it burns clean, cool, and slightly fast with a mostly consistent, deeply rich, sweet and sour, floral, spicy, nutty, smoky, savory, rugged flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a tad stronger. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl, and hardly requires a relight. It’s not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Four stars.
7-20-4 Queen City (Briary Blends)
The matured dark red Virginia cavendish provides plenty of earth, wood, some fermented, tangy dried dark fruit, bread, mild tart and tangy citrus, sugar, vegetative grass, floralness, a minute smoky vinegar note, and a pinch or two of spice. The latter aspect is buried by the very tingly, spicy St. James perique which offers a lot of earth, wood, dried plums, some raisins and figs. There is a bountiful amount of it present as it shares the lead with the Virginias, and occasionally surpasses it. The strength and nic-hit start out just above medium, but by the first third of the bowl they elevate to the center of medium to strong. The taste is almost full. There’s no chance of bite or harshness. It does have a very light rough edge as there is no topping. Burns cool, clean, and a tad fast with a zesty rich, spicy, moderately fruity, lightly floral flavor that extends to the pleasantly long lingering after taste. The room note is tolerable. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl, and requires very few relights. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Four stars.
7-20-4 Boston Tea Party (Briary Blends)
The Basma and sharp Izmir offer a wealth of earth, wood, floralness, vegetation, herbs, spice, dry, sharp sourness, some buttery sweetness, and smoke as the lead components. The white and dark burleys provide plenty of earth, wood, nuts, mild molasses, and dry, sour sharpness as supporting players. The white burley is the more obvious of the two. The red and gold Virginias form the base of the blend with the gold in the lead. They are a couple of rungs above the condiment line. They produce a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, grass/hay/vegetation, bread, sugar, some floralness, tangy dried dark fruit, earth, wood, mild sour lemon, light sweet orange, and a couple pinches of spice. The strength and taste levels start out as a notch past the medium mark, and gathers a step and half of potency after the first quarter of the experience. The nic-hit is a slot behind the overall strength. No chance of bite or harshness, and has a few rough edges. Well balanced with some complexity, it burns clean, cool, and slightly fast with a mostly consistent, deeply rich, sweet and sour, floral, spicy, nutty, smoky, savory, rugged flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a tad stronger. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl, and hardly requires a relight. It’s not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Four stars.
7-20-4 Queen City (Briary Blends)
The matured dark red Virginia cavendish provides plenty of earth, wood, some fermented, tangy dried dark fruit, bread, mild tart and tangy citrus, sugar, vegetative grass, floralness, a minute smoky vinegar note, and a pinch or two of spice. The latter aspect is buried by the very tingly, spicy St. James perique which offers a lot of earth, wood, dried plums, some raisins and figs. There is a bountiful amount of it present as it shares the lead with the Virginias, and occasionally surpasses it. The strength and nic-hit start out just above medium, but by the first third of the bowl they elevate to the center of medium to strong. The taste is almost full. There’s no chance of bite or harshness. It does have a very light rough edge as there is no topping. Burns cool, clean, and a tad fast with a zesty rich, spicy, moderately fruity, lightly floral flavor that extends to the pleasantly long lingering after taste. The room note is tolerable. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl, and requires very few relights. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Four stars.
