This goes on sale November 28 around 10 a.m. EST.
The year 2019 flue cured bright Virginia produces plenty of tart and tangy, citrus, bread, grass, some sugar, floralness, spice, sour lemon, light vegetation, and a touch of acidity. It takes a very small lead most of the time. The tangy dark fruity, earthy, woody, mildly sugary, vegetative, lightly floral, spicy, slightly vinegary 2017 red Virginias almost play a full support role. The spicy, earthy, dried plummy, floral, figgy, mildly sour St. James perique offers plenty of support as it is a step behind the red Virginias. The smoky, earthy, woody, floral, herbal, vegetative, leathery, mildly sweet and spicy, lightly sour Turkish Latakia trades positions with the perique here and there. The creamy sweet, earthy, woody, slightly nutty burley black cavendish is just above the condiment line. The 2014 white burley provides light, sweet nuttiness, earth, wood, dry sharpness, and slight sourness is a condiment. The strength and nic-hit are half way between medium and the center of medium to full. The taste level is a notch short of that center. There’s no chance of bite or harshness. Has a few small rough edges. The broken flakes are mildly moist, and as is my custom, I did not dry them for this review, nor did I see a need for it. Complex and nuanced, it burns cool, clean and slow with a little inconsistency in the fruity, spicy, mildly sour, floral, smoky, herbal, slightly nutty, rather savory, rich flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is tolerable. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a few more than an average number of relights. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
©Jim Amash 2023.
The year 2019 flue cured bright Virginia produces plenty of tart and tangy, citrus, bread, grass, some sugar, floralness, spice, sour lemon, light vegetation, and a touch of acidity. It takes a very small lead most of the time. The tangy dark fruity, earthy, woody, mildly sugary, vegetative, lightly floral, spicy, slightly vinegary 2017 red Virginias almost play a full support role. The spicy, earthy, dried plummy, floral, figgy, mildly sour St. James perique offers plenty of support as it is a step behind the red Virginias. The smoky, earthy, woody, floral, herbal, vegetative, leathery, mildly sweet and spicy, lightly sour Turkish Latakia trades positions with the perique here and there. The creamy sweet, earthy, woody, slightly nutty burley black cavendish is just above the condiment line. The 2014 white burley provides light, sweet nuttiness, earth, wood, dry sharpness, and slight sourness is a condiment. The strength and nic-hit are half way between medium and the center of medium to full. The taste level is a notch short of that center. There’s no chance of bite or harshness. Has a few small rough edges. The broken flakes are mildly moist, and as is my custom, I did not dry them for this review, nor did I see a need for it. Complex and nuanced, it burns cool, clean and slow with a little inconsistency in the fruity, spicy, mildly sour, floral, smoky, herbal, slightly nutty, rather savory, rich flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is tolerable. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a few more than an average number of relights. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
©Jim Amash 2023.
