Tinderbox special reserve 1928 –Nice burley nutty/chocolate smell, ready to go, no drying needed. Char light burst of sweetness, like a chocolate topping. The true light is Virginia sweetness, and slow burn for a ribbon cut. Half way you get a slight chocolate hint returns. This could almost be classified as an aromatic, but I don’t taste any topping, or heavy casing, with just the right blend of Virginia leaf keeping it cool and sweet. Last half the burly comes forward with a stronger presence and nuttiness. For a light tobacco this shows a good deal of complexity with very nice changes of flavor for the pallet and nose. Finish to a white ash. I would recommend this for those who like a lighter English, but ready to move up in a blend that’s going to change on you. It’s a shame you can only get this at the Tinderbox website even though it’s tinned by McClelland. They only carry house bulk brands, and this is their only tin, $13.50 with a $10.00 shipping charge. If it wasn’t so expensive or distributed I would have a tin of this around.
SG Skiff mixture – A ribbon cut, slight floral notes and good straight from tin. Char lite was burst of floral Latakia. It’s not a Lat bomb but it does cover up any real defining notes from either the Virginian or Turkish tobacco. I was getting a pepper taste in the middle and had to check to see if Perique was in this, none of the other flavor notes were there. Sure enough, no Perique. The Turkish spice picked up in the middle and delivered some nice unexpected pepper that toned down the Latakia. Nice even smoke, and I mean smoky. A couple relights, probably due to warning signs of bite, and a couple tamps. A smooth burn, but if you push this it would most defiantly bite. Especially at the end when the Virginia finally comes out. The pallet tastes the mild Virginia, but the nose is in Latakia land. Terms are so out there when it comes to what are English, Balkan and Danish blends. With the Turkish spice hit I’d call it a Balkan. There’s a good bit of Latakia in this, which for me is a no go, but if you like something under a lat bomb this will slide right in. This is a quality we come to expect from SG. Finishes with a nice gray ash.
Both these (actually all four) surprised me with how long of a smoke for ribbon cut. Probably due to the Latakia (?). Ribbon Vapor’s that burn fast and hot, but these treated well return a nice long burn. The wife also commented on how the room note was nice, being used to the heavier VA/Vapers
SG Skiff mixture – A ribbon cut, slight floral notes and good straight from tin. Char lite was burst of floral Latakia. It’s not a Lat bomb but it does cover up any real defining notes from either the Virginian or Turkish tobacco. I was getting a pepper taste in the middle and had to check to see if Perique was in this, none of the other flavor notes were there. Sure enough, no Perique. The Turkish spice picked up in the middle and delivered some nice unexpected pepper that toned down the Latakia. Nice even smoke, and I mean smoky. A couple relights, probably due to warning signs of bite, and a couple tamps. A smooth burn, but if you push this it would most defiantly bite. Especially at the end when the Virginia finally comes out. The pallet tastes the mild Virginia, but the nose is in Latakia land. Terms are so out there when it comes to what are English, Balkan and Danish blends. With the Turkish spice hit I’d call it a Balkan. There’s a good bit of Latakia in this, which for me is a no go, but if you like something under a lat bomb this will slide right in. This is a quality we come to expect from SG. Finishes with a nice gray ash.
Both these (actually all four) surprised me with how long of a smoke for ribbon cut. Probably due to the Latakia (?). Ribbon Vapor’s that burn fast and hot, but these treated well return a nice long burn. The wife also commented on how the room note was nice, being used to the heavier VA/Vapers
