I know it sounds very gay doesn't it! I was sent a sample of this stuff by a chum of mine. I have always been intrigued to try the stuff because (a) the attractive tin art work (b) according to the tin you can chew the stuff as well as smoke it (c) it is not made anymore. Upon receiving the sample I noticed that the tobacco was a very finely cut burly that you would usually associate with RYO tobacco. The tobacco was topped with something that sort of reminded me of the smell of an old peoples home or a geriatric ward. It was certainly not a chewing tobacco I would recognize and was more akin to a dip with a slightly spicy flavor. I did not find it a very appealing dip as the small fragments of tobacco got into the gaps in my teeth and had a crispy texture which I found quite unpleasant. In view of the dryness of this sample I used a clay pipe to smoke the sample in as I was concerned that it might burn too hot for an elderly meerschaum. The tobacco took flame very easily, in fact way to easily for my taste. The topping reminded me of Three Castles but it had to be smoked very carefully to avoid tongue burn or second degree mouth burns. With hindsight I should have added some water to the packet to rehydrate the stuff although I was assured it came out of the sealed can pretty dry. Even with a densely packed clay this stuff burnt down way to quickly for my liking and turned into white ash with very little in the way of dottle in the bottom of the bowl. Did I like it? Not really as I am a Lakeland/Rose Geranium type of guy and I just couldn't find the flavor in this blend however hard I tried. Apparently it was a very popular tobacco with a pedigree that goes back to the 1920s and was still being made up to the 1970s and maybe beyond. Age when smoked: Approximately 40 years. Pipe used: John Pollock 6" clay cutty pipe.
