I've been giving some more heavily flavored aromatics a go lately, and Villiger Tropical Export was the one I chose to open this week. I purchased the pouch at SPC about eight months ago and promptly heat sealed the pouch in mylar to keep it fresh, as I always do. This one was thrown into my cart both as a curiosity and to hit the free shipping threshold. Could a tropical fruit candy aromatic be any good? Will it just be weird? For about $5, I decided to find out.
The pouch note of the blend is the typical vanilla chapstick scent of a heavy aro with a distinctly fruity scent which does smell like tropical fruit candy. The vanilla is somewhat dominant. Overall, the scent is sweet, but slightly musty. The medium ribbon is moist, but not excessively wet and goopy. I smoked it with no dry time in an Algerian briar billiard with a roomy chamber (about 20x40mm); my designated pipe for fruity aromatics.
The blend lights fairly easily with a cool and consistent burn. It didn't require too many relights. On the palate, the flavor alternates between creamy vanilla and somewhat funky tropical fruit, reminiscent of papaya or mango. Occasionally, some tart citrus from the tobacco, likely the Virginia, comes through, but the topping dominates the experience. The blend treated my tongue well and stayed cool throughout.
If the idea of a tropical candy aromatic sounds appealing to you, I'd say that this is worth a try. Personally, after three bowls of this blend, I'd say that the topping did not appeal to me much. I will probably finish the pouch, but doubt that I will repurchase this one. However, I liked how easy it was to smoke, and I'll probably be looking at the other pouch offerings from Villiger.
2.5 out of 4 stars
The pouch note of the blend is the typical vanilla chapstick scent of a heavy aro with a distinctly fruity scent which does smell like tropical fruit candy. The vanilla is somewhat dominant. Overall, the scent is sweet, but slightly musty. The medium ribbon is moist, but not excessively wet and goopy. I smoked it with no dry time in an Algerian briar billiard with a roomy chamber (about 20x40mm); my designated pipe for fruity aromatics.
The blend lights fairly easily with a cool and consistent burn. It didn't require too many relights. On the palate, the flavor alternates between creamy vanilla and somewhat funky tropical fruit, reminiscent of papaya or mango. Occasionally, some tart citrus from the tobacco, likely the Virginia, comes through, but the topping dominates the experience. The blend treated my tongue well and stayed cool throughout.
If the idea of a tropical candy aromatic sounds appealing to you, I'd say that this is worth a try. Personally, after three bowls of this blend, I'd say that the topping did not appeal to me much. I will probably finish the pouch, but doubt that I will repurchase this one. However, I liked how easy it was to smoke, and I'll probably be looking at the other pouch offerings from Villiger.
2.5 out of 4 stars
