Full disclosure: I had an advisory hand in the development of this blend, but it is Ernie’s creation. The very floral, fragrant, zesty Macedonian Prilep provides a lot of earth, wood, herbs, vegetation, tingly spices, mild sweetness, a fair amount of dry sourness, and light bitterness and smoke as the lead component. The mature, fermented red Virginias offer tangy ripe dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, sugar, lightly tart and tangy citrus, a few blades of grass, a pinch of spice and a small vinegar note. The stoved Virginia is almost as obvious as the red Va. Its aspects include tangy stewed dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, and sugar. These two Virginias are important supporting players. The bright Virginia possesses tart and tangy citrus, plenty of grass, mildly tart lemon, vegetation, sugar, floralness, toast, a couple drops of honey, and very light acidity. It is a couple of notches ahead of the condiment level. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels are a step past the medium mark. It won’t bite or get harsh, and has few rough edges. The spice content has a little potency, so I suggest a casual puffing cadence at best. I also recommend a wide bowl to fully capture all of the nuances and complexities. Burns clean, and fairly cool at a moderate pace with a very consistent, deeply rich, tart and tangy sweet and sour, floral, spicy, savory flavor that extends to pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is stronger. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Not an all day smoke, but it is a filling, repeatable experience during your smoking day. Four stars out of four.
