This goes on sale tomorrow at 6 p.m. EST.
The musty Cyprian Latakia offers an abundance of earth, wood, smoke, vegetation, herbs, and floralness, along with mild spice, sourness, sweetness and light leather. The Latakia takes a small lead. The very floral dark fired Kentucky kicks in with an abundance of earth, wood, smoke, vegetation, spice, herbs, some sour sharpness, peat, barbecue, and moderate nuttiness. It’s almost a co-lead here and there. The stoved Katerini Orientals provides plenty of earth, wood, herbs, floralness, vegetation, stewed creamy sweet and sour, tart and tangy citrus, spice, some smoke, mild darker fruit and incense. They are close behind the DFK most of the time. The fermented Katerini perique imparts a little more than a moderate amount of sugary stewed fruits (plums, raisins, figs, tangy dark fruit), spice, earth, wood, vegetation, and a fair amount of herbal floralness with small incense and smoke notes. The aspects of the bright, red and stoved Virginias are a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, vegetative grass/hay, bread, floralness, sugar, sour lemon, spice, mild stewed dark fruits, earth, wood, and light vinegar. They are a couple of steps above the condiment line. The strength, nic-hit, and taste levels are very filling. No chance of bite or harshness. Has a few small rough edges. The easily broken apart crumble cake slices are mildly moist although I did not dry them for this review. Your mileage may vary on this point. It’s well balanced, zesty, savory, and endlessly rich. The overall flavor is a tad inconsistent, which is a typical characteristic of complex crumble cakes. Burns cool, clean and slow with a smoky, spicy, floral, sweet and mildly bitter sour, herbal, nutty, barbecue quality that extends to the pleasantly long lasting after taste. The room note is very pungent. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires some relights. Not an all day smoke. I recommend a wide bowl, e..g. pot, egg, or author for this blend. Three and half stars rounded up to four.
©Jim Amash 2024.
The musty Cyprian Latakia offers an abundance of earth, wood, smoke, vegetation, herbs, and floralness, along with mild spice, sourness, sweetness and light leather. The Latakia takes a small lead. The very floral dark fired Kentucky kicks in with an abundance of earth, wood, smoke, vegetation, spice, herbs, some sour sharpness, peat, barbecue, and moderate nuttiness. It’s almost a co-lead here and there. The stoved Katerini Orientals provides plenty of earth, wood, herbs, floralness, vegetation, stewed creamy sweet and sour, tart and tangy citrus, spice, some smoke, mild darker fruit and incense. They are close behind the DFK most of the time. The fermented Katerini perique imparts a little more than a moderate amount of sugary stewed fruits (plums, raisins, figs, tangy dark fruit), spice, earth, wood, vegetation, and a fair amount of herbal floralness with small incense and smoke notes. The aspects of the bright, red and stoved Virginias are a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, vegetative grass/hay, bread, floralness, sugar, sour lemon, spice, mild stewed dark fruits, earth, wood, and light vinegar. They are a couple of steps above the condiment line. The strength, nic-hit, and taste levels are very filling. No chance of bite or harshness. Has a few small rough edges. The easily broken apart crumble cake slices are mildly moist although I did not dry them for this review. Your mileage may vary on this point. It’s well balanced, zesty, savory, and endlessly rich. The overall flavor is a tad inconsistent, which is a typical characteristic of complex crumble cakes. Burns cool, clean and slow with a smoky, spicy, floral, sweet and mildly bitter sour, herbal, nutty, barbecue quality that extends to the pleasantly long lasting after taste. The room note is very pungent. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires some relights. Not an all day smoke. I recommend a wide bowl, e..g. pot, egg, or author for this blend. Three and half stars rounded up to four.
©Jim Amash 2024.
