Kadath Visited...

[WNCLEE28466]

Hello. I just received C&D's Dreams of Kadath. It has an interesting aroma and taste, and I'm trying to work through this "kitchen sink" blend. There is something I truly like about it, and I DO want to like it. Who out there has smoked this blend, and what do you think of it. Please describe your experience with this one. Thanks

 

[wolflarsen]

Your journey to Kadath will not be an easy one. Before you descend the steps into the Dreamlands, prepare yourself with this fragrant blend of dark-fired Kentucky, Katerini, Perique, Virginia, Burley, and Black Cavendish...

Kadath is an ancient city in HP Lovecraft's novels that houses the dream gods and whose precise location in the universe is uncertain. There is even confusion over whether it exists in the dream-world or the awake-world. To my taste, the tobacco blend is just as odd as the fictional city itself. Crumble cakes are always fun to play with but the musty red wine flavor really threw me for a loop. It's definitely way outside the box of my usual smokes. I suspect that the Katerini leaf may be responsible for the decayed fruit flavor, and may in fact be the intended main point of the blend, however, I left the experience feeling like I somehow just didn't get it. That's all good with me though, because I do appreciate both Lovecraft's work and the kick ass song titled Kadath, presented here and now for you listening pleasure....

 

[Singularis]

It’s a hard nut to crack as far as I’m concerned. I enjoy the tin note, and love the room note, but the smoke flavor is definitely complex (or confounding). The main thing that I’m left with is the strength: it’s given me the sweats and left me somewhat nauseated. I still have maybe half a cake left in a jar to age further, though it was already 2 years old when I cracked the tin back in the spring. I’m not close minded to it, but it’s not something I readily reach for. Maybe I should try mixing in some blending Latakia next time?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Nice blend with a lot going on. I have about a dozen tins of away that are at least two years old now. Need to pop one and refamiliarize myself. Kind of reminded me of Penzance without the latakia. The Virginia and orientals were the dominant players to me with the Kentucky complimenting nicely with some body and oomph.

 

[solideogloria86]

I enjoyed the smoke, though it's been a while. I remember apple cider. However, it is the one and only blend my wife has ever said stinks. I've smoked pirate cake sitting right next to her on the couch, and she never even blinked. She's never complained about anything I've smoked except Dreams of Kadath. I don't remember much about the smoke, but I do remember it not being good enough for me to want to stink up the house.

 

[trudger]

The tin note was very unpleasant to me.

 

[virginialover]

I got one tin from a member of the pipe club in Bucarest, Romania. It came not as a cake but coarse cut leaves with a smell of plum aquavit that was very present in the tin. I still have half a tin with less aquavit smell and I use a grinder to make it smokable. Even though I' not a huge fan of C&D I really like this mixture along with Pirate Kake and Billy Budd.

 

[mso489]

I enjoyed the sample I was sent, a lot of quiet subtle complexity. I kept thinking it would dawn on me as a must-reorder blend, but it just kept being interesting and elusive.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Grape, it smells like grapes, as in grape bubble gum, grape Nehi soda. I pop the tin and let it air out for a few days, so that the first half of the bowl doesn't taste like Captain Black Grape.

 

[SBC]

I like the tobacco more than I like either Lovecraft or Grindcore. But I don't love the tobacco. I don't hate it, either.

Some of the notes suggested here resonate with my experience of it:
Plum, grape, rum, musty red wine, rotting fruit.
All of these are getting at it.

I think that what's confusing is this:
Typically, when flavors don't harmonize, they clash.
If we don't like what a set flavors do together, we DISlike what they do together.

But Kadath brings together a number flavors that neither harmonize nor clash, and it leaves our brains straining to process and categorize what we're experiencing.

I intend to keep going back to my plug, every once in a while, for a change of pace. Maybe it will come together for me one of these times. I guess it's interesting and likeable enough that I still want to do that.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I hope I didn't sound like it was a negative. I love Dreams of Kadath. I just finished a tin the other day, and I only have a few left. It is definitely a unique blend, but I really like unique. I mean, I don't like Captain Black Grape, but it does have that smell, but if you decant or air it out (as I do most blends), it's not a straight up grape flavor in the smoke.