This goes on sale August 13 at 6 p.m. EST.
The tart and tangy, rugged year 2014 Basma and year 2013 Turkish Izmir produce plenty of earth, wood, floralness, herbs, vegetation, bread, some dry, bitter sourness, spice, light buttery sweetness, and smoke in a small lead position. The year 2019 Canadian bright Virginias provide a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, bread, vegetative grass, sugar, some sour lemon, mild floralness, spice, and acidity. They almost compete with the Orientals for attention. The year 2017 red Virginia offers some tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, mild tart citrus, sugar, light floralness, spice, and a bare hint of vinegar here and there. It’s a couple of notches above the condiment line. The most obvious topping is the moderately applied sweet, fruity, mildly floral Maryland honey. The condimental toppings are the lightly fruity, earthy silver tequila, and tartly sweet elderflower. The aspects of the latter are light grape, berries, herbs, floralness, and light acidity. The strength and taste are a step past the medium threshold. The nic-hit is almost medium. It won’t bite or get harsh. Has a few small rough edges. The easily broken apart and mildly moist flakes require no dry time. Well balanced with nuanced complexity, it burns cool, clean and a little slow with a mostly consistent sweet, fruity, floral, mildly sour, spicy, creamy flavor that extends to the pleasantly lasting after taste. The room note is pleasant to tolerable. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires some relights. Even though it has a light punchiness, it may be an all day smoke for the veteran aro smoker, and easily repeatable under any circumstance. It’s very close to the earlier Black Locust production although the Orientals seem a tad stronger this time. Four stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2024.
The tart and tangy, rugged year 2014 Basma and year 2013 Turkish Izmir produce plenty of earth, wood, floralness, herbs, vegetation, bread, some dry, bitter sourness, spice, light buttery sweetness, and smoke in a small lead position. The year 2019 Canadian bright Virginias provide a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, bread, vegetative grass, sugar, some sour lemon, mild floralness, spice, and acidity. They almost compete with the Orientals for attention. The year 2017 red Virginia offers some tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, mild tart citrus, sugar, light floralness, spice, and a bare hint of vinegar here and there. It’s a couple of notches above the condiment line. The most obvious topping is the moderately applied sweet, fruity, mildly floral Maryland honey. The condimental toppings are the lightly fruity, earthy silver tequila, and tartly sweet elderflower. The aspects of the latter are light grape, berries, herbs, floralness, and light acidity. The strength and taste are a step past the medium threshold. The nic-hit is almost medium. It won’t bite or get harsh. Has a few small rough edges. The easily broken apart and mildly moist flakes require no dry time. Well balanced with nuanced complexity, it burns cool, clean and a little slow with a mostly consistent sweet, fruity, floral, mildly sour, spicy, creamy flavor that extends to the pleasantly lasting after taste. The room note is pleasant to tolerable. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires some relights. Even though it has a light punchiness, it may be an all day smoke for the veteran aro smoker, and easily repeatable under any circumstance. It’s very close to the earlier Black Locust production although the Orientals seem a tad stronger this time. Four stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2024.
Sells out fast unfortunately, and to me worth the hype, but there’s lots of good smoke out there.