Just enjoyed another bowl of the new 4th Generation Limited Edition 2025, in a Peterson Aran Rusticated 999. This was my 10th bowl of the blend. After smoking it over the last few days in several different pipes, different weather conditions and states of mind, I think I can give a more informed opinion about it. TL;DR it's good. If you're even a little curious about it, I'd recommend picking up a tin.
After receiving my 2nd tin in the mail today, I had another chance to closely inspect the contents before jarring it up to age. It comes in an unsealed cellophane bag, of course in the beautiful commemorative tin. From the bag is a subtle aroma of vanilla and honey, with the natural smell of some nicely aged Virginia evident. The moisture level is perfect in my opinion, dry to the point that I wouldn't want to keep this tobacco outside of a sealed jar any longer than I had to, but still moist and pliable.
The blend itself is made of several different varietals, prepared in several different ways. Big, ready rubbed chunks of dark Virginia flake are prominent. Cube cut Virginia and Burley abound, alongside ribbons of bright and red Virginia. There's more to it I'm sure, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to identify it all on sight. It's the sort of chunky, motley mixture found in a lot of HU blends, which I happen to love.
The flavor can vary a bit based on what pipe you smoke from, since each pinch out of the jar is going to contain a microcosm of the several different tobaccos present. Bread, honey, tart fruit and nuttiness are the constants, along with the vanilla casing which is always present, subtle and never overwhelming. The presence and strength of the various flavors changes throughout the bowl. Slowly sipping and savoring the smoke rewards you with something like taking a bite of a chocolate croissant, or a raspberry rugelach, fresh from the oven, while sipping on a vanilla latte. In the background, peeking out from behind the tartness of the red Virginia, is a citrus note with the sweet tang and pleasant, subtly bitter flavor of fresh squeezed orange juice.
The room note -- I always smoked outdoors -- is exceptionally pleasant. The delicious, tart aftertaste lingers for quite a while and it leaves a potent scent of vanilla cookies in your clothes and beard. I'd say the nicotine level is just a bit under medium. I smoked anywhere from a hurried, greedy pace to just holding the pipe in my mouth and zoning out for an hour and haven't yet found any harshness, roughness or tongue bite.
It's clear to me that a lot of thought and love went into this blend. Everything about it is balanced, maybe even perfect, and I really don't like aromatics save for Peterson's Connoisseur's Choice. 4 out of 4, 10 out of 10. One of my favorite blends of all time.