CONTENDERS:
Velvet; Carter Hall; Sir Walter Raleigh
Wanted to share with beginners, as I am one. I smoked ½ bowls of each back to back to back in about 90 minutes.
Smoke #1: Velvet
This has, in the past, been difficult to keep lit. Not today. But apart from the act of smoking, I got nothing. No flavor, just smoke. I suppose someone who has never smoked could learn about packing and pace from Velvet, because it had THOSE positive qualities about it. But otherwise I am not sure what to do with the rest of my stash – because I certainly don’t care to smoke it when there are SO many other tobaccos out there.
Smoke #2: Carter Hall (CH)
This was all the positive things that Velvet had PLUS the taste of tobacco. Now I understand why this is the baseline smoke for newcomers. I really could taste the tobacco once I snorked, and despite a rapid pace there was little burn (the fact that there was any is my fault entirely). However, there is something that was lacking. Someone compared CH to vanilla ice cream – its ice cream, it tastes good, and it satisfies. The same goes for CH – its tobacco, it tastes good, and it satisfies.
Smoke #3: Sir Walter Raleigh (SWR)
This was all the positive things about Carter Hall PLUS something extra … and I really struggled to identify what it was. The key here is snorking – without it there is no difference to me between CH and SWR. But the snork gave a little tingle in my nose, like spicy food does. But there was no “heat” that spicy food gives – just that little nose tingle. I found that the SWR tingle made me slow down my pace, so as to enjoy that tingle. Eating spicy food is the same way – I do not wolf down spicy food because I like letting the spiciness linger on my tongue and palate. There is more tongue bite than CH if puffing fast, but then you miss out on enjoying that little nose tingle.
VERDICT:
Velvet never had a chance - easy relegation to 3rd place. The real battle was CH and SWR, which I expected going in (based on reviews of others). For me, the snorking “spiciness” of SWR gives it the edge. 1st place goes to Sir Walter Raleigh.
Velvet; Carter Hall; Sir Walter Raleigh
Wanted to share with beginners, as I am one. I smoked ½ bowls of each back to back to back in about 90 minutes.
Smoke #1: Velvet
This has, in the past, been difficult to keep lit. Not today. But apart from the act of smoking, I got nothing. No flavor, just smoke. I suppose someone who has never smoked could learn about packing and pace from Velvet, because it had THOSE positive qualities about it. But otherwise I am not sure what to do with the rest of my stash – because I certainly don’t care to smoke it when there are SO many other tobaccos out there.
Smoke #2: Carter Hall (CH)
This was all the positive things that Velvet had PLUS the taste of tobacco. Now I understand why this is the baseline smoke for newcomers. I really could taste the tobacco once I snorked, and despite a rapid pace there was little burn (the fact that there was any is my fault entirely). However, there is something that was lacking. Someone compared CH to vanilla ice cream – its ice cream, it tastes good, and it satisfies. The same goes for CH – its tobacco, it tastes good, and it satisfies.
Smoke #3: Sir Walter Raleigh (SWR)
This was all the positive things about Carter Hall PLUS something extra … and I really struggled to identify what it was. The key here is snorking – without it there is no difference to me between CH and SWR. But the snork gave a little tingle in my nose, like spicy food does. But there was no “heat” that spicy food gives – just that little nose tingle. I found that the SWR tingle made me slow down my pace, so as to enjoy that tingle. Eating spicy food is the same way – I do not wolf down spicy food because I like letting the spiciness linger on my tongue and palate. There is more tongue bite than CH if puffing fast, but then you miss out on enjoying that little nose tingle.
VERDICT:
Velvet never had a chance - easy relegation to 3rd place. The real battle was CH and SWR, which I expected going in (based on reviews of others). For me, the snorking “spiciness” of SWR gives it the edge. 1st place goes to Sir Walter Raleigh.
