Well. Interesting and satisfying. I'm no connoisseur or tobacco reviewer (I'm the guy who once told an oenophilic buddy, who was singing the praises of a $300 bottle of wine, that it tasted "good and grapey.")
That said, my thoughts on my introductions to a couple of big deal tobaccos.
The Black House was pretty much what I was expecting, and all that it is cracked up to be. Sort of the uber-Oriental -- the true child of Balkan Sobranie. Very aromatic (in the sense of having many strong and complex aromas, not the sense that we mean a flavored tobacco). I would say this is the most perfume-y blend I've smoked -- not that it smells like perfume, but just that so much is going on with the nose of this stuff.
Nothing predominates -- it's spicy, it's earthy. the Latakia is there, but doesn't run the show. There's pepper and -- know this is weird -- the smell of when I cut well-cured lumber, but in a really nice way. (one of the most prodigious smoke makers ever, at least in my BC bulldog.)
This is a tobacco that is going to take many more tries to define.
The Escudo was my first foray into a Perique heavy blend and was not like anything I've ever smoked before. I SWEAR the tin note of this tobacco is, for me, strongly reminiscent of fresh apple cider. That's not the taste, at all, but that tin note sticks with me. Taste was lighter and spicier (nutmeg-y? clove-ish? cardamom-esque?) than I expected. The flavor was not fruity, but the sweetness was there at the start of every sip, then gave way to the spice.
I braced for a big nic kick but, while it was certainly above average for Vitamin N, it wasn't as overpowering as, say, Peterson Irish Oak.
I was struck by how very different this is from my usual English blends (FMOTT, Squadron Leader, Presbyterian,the Black House etc.) I don't see it replacing those, but it has already earned a place in the rotation. Also, a dedicated pipe -- an over-sized, rusticated Savinelli Trevi 320 -- as I suspect this blend will benefit from a pipe of its own.
This is one thing I love about this pastime -- always something new around the corner.
That said, my thoughts on my introductions to a couple of big deal tobaccos.
The Black House was pretty much what I was expecting, and all that it is cracked up to be. Sort of the uber-Oriental -- the true child of Balkan Sobranie. Very aromatic (in the sense of having many strong and complex aromas, not the sense that we mean a flavored tobacco). I would say this is the most perfume-y blend I've smoked -- not that it smells like perfume, but just that so much is going on with the nose of this stuff.
Nothing predominates -- it's spicy, it's earthy. the Latakia is there, but doesn't run the show. There's pepper and -- know this is weird -- the smell of when I cut well-cured lumber, but in a really nice way. (one of the most prodigious smoke makers ever, at least in my BC bulldog.)
This is a tobacco that is going to take many more tries to define.
The Escudo was my first foray into a Perique heavy blend and was not like anything I've ever smoked before. I SWEAR the tin note of this tobacco is, for me, strongly reminiscent of fresh apple cider. That's not the taste, at all, but that tin note sticks with me. Taste was lighter and spicier (nutmeg-y? clove-ish? cardamom-esque?) than I expected. The flavor was not fruity, but the sweetness was there at the start of every sip, then gave way to the spice.
I braced for a big nic kick but, while it was certainly above average for Vitamin N, it wasn't as overpowering as, say, Peterson Irish Oak.
I was struck by how very different this is from my usual English blends (FMOTT, Squadron Leader, Presbyterian,the Black House etc.) I don't see it replacing those, but it has already earned a place in the rotation. Also, a dedicated pipe -- an over-sized, rusticated Savinelli Trevi 320 -- as I suspect this blend will benefit from a pipe of its own.
This is one thing I love about this pastime -- always something new around the corner.
