In my attempt to try all of the OTC blends available in my little corner of Cornwall I was wary of buying this particular baccy simply because it was a Benson & Hedges product which brought back bad memories of very bland cigarettes. I needn't have worried though, there is nothing bland about MV.
Upon opening the pouch I scrunched up the mid brown shreds and sniffed the contents and was pleasantly surprised......vanilla was the prominent aroma for me with just a hint of citrus fruit and sherry sweetness.
Packing was a doddle as it is more of a ribbon cut than a ready rubbed though it was a tad overly moist for my liking which seems the way with most baccys I have bought. This is usually solved by air drying on an old copper pub tray for an hour or two.
Fired it up and tugged away until I got a decent burn in the bowl. The vanilla I smelled in the pouch was still there along with sherry/wine hints and mid bowl a nutty/woody taste became very apparent which was very pleasant.
A couple of relights were required to keep the party going though I have now got the drying time just to perfection that relights are not too frequent now I am familiar with the blend.
Some folks have compared this to St. Bruno and I suppose I can see that though MV is by far more fruity and overall a better smoke. I personally think that the name of this blend is somewhat misleading as my understanding of 'mellow' is something soft or gentle, not that this baccy is harsh or severe in anyway, it is in my view pretty much a full bodied and mature smoke.
It is now many months since I first tried MV and along with Condor (ready rubbed & long cut) and Erinmore flake it has become a permanent fixture in my box of baccy blends.
Don't be put off by the fact this is an OTC blend that the pipe snobs would suggest equates to being a dull smoke as dull it most certainly is not. Definitely a 7/10 ranking to me.
I don't know if this is available openly in the States though I am aware it does have a following there so go on be a devil and treat yourself, you know you want to :
:
Regards,
Jay.
Upon opening the pouch I scrunched up the mid brown shreds and sniffed the contents and was pleasantly surprised......vanilla was the prominent aroma for me with just a hint of citrus fruit and sherry sweetness.
Packing was a doddle as it is more of a ribbon cut than a ready rubbed though it was a tad overly moist for my liking which seems the way with most baccys I have bought. This is usually solved by air drying on an old copper pub tray for an hour or two.
Fired it up and tugged away until I got a decent burn in the bowl. The vanilla I smelled in the pouch was still there along with sherry/wine hints and mid bowl a nutty/woody taste became very apparent which was very pleasant.
A couple of relights were required to keep the party going though I have now got the drying time just to perfection that relights are not too frequent now I am familiar with the blend.
Some folks have compared this to St. Bruno and I suppose I can see that though MV is by far more fruity and overall a better smoke. I personally think that the name of this blend is somewhat misleading as my understanding of 'mellow' is something soft or gentle, not that this baccy is harsh or severe in anyway, it is in my view pretty much a full bodied and mature smoke.
It is now many months since I first tried MV and along with Condor (ready rubbed & long cut) and Erinmore flake it has become a permanent fixture in my box of baccy blends.
Don't be put off by the fact this is an OTC blend that the pipe snobs would suggest equates to being a dull smoke as dull it most certainly is not. Definitely a 7/10 ranking to me.
I don't know if this is available openly in the States though I am aware it does have a following there so go on be a devil and treat yourself, you know you want to :
:Regards,
Jay.
