Who Wants To Review My Holy Grail?
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I assure you all that the contents are the same blend and all samples sent came from the same tin, freshly opened.
I just wanted to stop by to say I've not forgotten. The recent spate of bitter cold weather has curtailed my pipe smoking for the past few days. I anticipate smoking it this weekend, now the weather has warmed. It smells very nice in the bag, and I'm looking forward to trying it!
I enjoyed the smoke rate it 9 broken flake. Latakia and maybe some cigar leaf orientals very subtle perhaps someerique. Strange early over taste maybe the cigar only used one match
Tried to figure out undertone no luck it was not at all sweet. Thank you for opportunity
My wife says that it smelled like all my Latakia blends. Shel
Tried to figure out undertone no luck it was not at all sweet. Thank you for opportunity
My wife says that it smelled like all my Latakia blends. Shel
Curious. This was sweet to the point of seeming confectionary. If these samples were distributed from a bag I can see how some of the heavier bits might find their way to the bottom leading to a sample or two having a higher concentration of certain elements than others. Dunno.
Sorry for the delay guys. I've had everyone in my family get sick these last to weeks so I haven't lite a bowl in 15 days. I want to be able to give this the time and attention it deserves. So with all that said I will sit down tonight and put my palate to work.
Ok so tonight I sat down and gave this blend some time and thought. I took notes and pondered the flavor, smell and overall smoking experience. Let's Take a trip, shall we, through ClickKlick's Holy Grail pipe tobacco blend.
Tin note: English; right off the bat its got latakia. Its smoky however with further inhales there is a floral almost menthol quality to it. Not sharp like winter mint but more of a flower shop kind of nose to it. My first thoughts when really smelling it was that it was well balanced. Between the smoky latakia and the floral it was very pleasant.
Char Light: Latakia, OH LATKIA...Where are you. Unlike most English I smoked like 965, star of the east and even the first Frog I wasn't assaulted with campfire. Instead there is sweetness. The Smoke is there but is in no way overpowering this sweet raw tobacco flavor. Then comes a flavor very reminding of Frog Morton Cellar, Bourbon or Rum or Brandy.
First 1/3rd: Light; again this is very balanced nothing is kicking me in the teeth saying "LOOK AT ME, SEE WHAT I CAN DO". Cigar Leaf? After settling it to a cadence I'm getting a cigar quality. Smooth, light, creamy not harsh or acrid like some English can be.
Second 1/3rd: Well look who decided to show up. Hello Latakia, don't be shy. Oh she's going to be shy. It's sweet like you took a VaPer and added just enough latakia to make it sing. Not any perique that I can find. Perique can make my mouth tingle like vodka or grain whisky. I got some of the grassy, raw tobacco coming through. Always in the back of the room is that latakia just letting you remember its there. Round, its the only word I could think to write down to describe this.
Third 1/3rd: Tangy feeling in the back of my mouth like grapefruit juice after you swallow it. At this point I get a flavor like "Dinner rolls" its a soft yeast flavor. This is still at this point a very mellow smoke even now easy to retrohale. Surprisingly sweet still.
Doddle to ash: Buttery citrus sort of wang to it.
Notes:
Tin note: English; right off the bat its got latakia. Its smoky however with further inhales there is a floral almost menthol quality to it. Not sharp like winter mint but more of a flower shop kind of nose to it. My first thoughts when really smelling it was that it was well balanced. Between the smoky latakia and the floral it was very pleasant.
Char Light: Latakia, OH LATKIA...Where are you. Unlike most English I smoked like 965, star of the east and even the first Frog I wasn't assaulted with campfire. Instead there is sweetness. The Smoke is there but is in no way overpowering this sweet raw tobacco flavor. Then comes a flavor very reminding of Frog Morton Cellar, Bourbon or Rum or Brandy.
First 1/3rd: Light; again this is very balanced nothing is kicking me in the teeth saying "LOOK AT ME, SEE WHAT I CAN DO". Cigar Leaf? After settling it to a cadence I'm getting a cigar quality. Smooth, light, creamy not harsh or acrid like some English can be.
Second 1/3rd: Well look who decided to show up. Hello Latakia, don't be shy. Oh she's going to be shy. It's sweet like you took a VaPer and added just enough latakia to make it sing. Not any perique that I can find. Perique can make my mouth tingle like vodka or grain whisky. I got some of the grassy, raw tobacco coming through. Always in the back of the room is that latakia just letting you remember its there. Round, its the only word I could think to write down to describe this.
Third 1/3rd: Tangy feeling in the back of my mouth like grapefruit juice after you swallow it. At this point I get a flavor like "Dinner rolls" its a soft yeast flavor. This is still at this point a very mellow smoke even now easy to retrohale. Surprisingly sweet still.
Doddle to ash: Buttery citrus sort of wang to it.
Notes:
- No Mouth coating; I don't feel like I need to go scrape my mouth out to feel normal again[/*]
- One light to smoke to ash[/*]
- Couldn't make it smoke hot ( I tried )[/*]
- I want more, this is to me a muli bowl a day English[/*]
First, thank you, clickklick for sending me this sample! I finally had an opportunity to try out this blend. Don't have time to do my write up now. Will post this evening.
First, a big thank-you to Clickklick for the opportunity to try this blend! This is the type of thing that makes this community the great place it is...
In the bag, I'm presented with a medium to coarse ribbon cut. No broken flake in my sample, at least. Black and dark brown strands interspersed, with a classic "Balkan" aroma. I load the blend into a Savinelli "Bing's Favorite" reserved for Latakia mixtures.
From the charring light, I was presented with a very creamy, cool smoke with an oily mouth feel. There is certainly a healthy amount of oriental leaf in this mixture, as I detect a distinct floral note that reminds me of a good Earl Grey tea. To my taste, the oriental was a close second to the latakia, and supported the blend well. This blend seems to fall somewhere in the flavor spectrum between P&C Black House and WhiteKnight - not quite as dark and smooth as Black House, but not as astringent and bright as WhiteKnight.
Into the second third, the floral tea note remains, but the flavor has rounded a bit. The smoke is very silky, buttery and smooth - it's a true pleasure to let the smoke roll around the tongue. The smoke remains cool and very dry, and the smoothness of the smoke lends a malty sweetness to the smoke - very much like a good scotch. In fact, I'm specifically reminded of Bowmore 12 year. However, I would not classify the blend as "sweet".
In the last third, the flavors round out even more. By now I can place this blend a little above medium strength - just about perfect for the evening, but maybe just a little heavy for an all day blend. The creamy mouth feel persists, and the tea note has greatly dissipated, leaving behind a very tasty, smooth, rounded classic Balkan flavor. I smoke a little faster to see what happens. My bowl becomes hot, but the smoke remains cool. The flavors muddy a bit at the end, but the blend is still very good - just not as interesting as it was before. There is a musty sweetness to the room note that doesn't come through much in the smoke. I imagine this smells about as pleasant as a Balkan blend can to the uninitiated.
I dump out the ash to find the heel of my pipe bone dry - an excellent smoking experience throughout.
I'd rate this as 8 out of 10. One of the better Balkan blends I've smoked, and seated in the sweet spot between the darker BS 759 style blends and their more musty, astringent cousins (where my current preferences lie).
In the bag, I'm presented with a medium to coarse ribbon cut. No broken flake in my sample, at least. Black and dark brown strands interspersed, with a classic "Balkan" aroma. I load the blend into a Savinelli "Bing's Favorite" reserved for Latakia mixtures.
From the charring light, I was presented with a very creamy, cool smoke with an oily mouth feel. There is certainly a healthy amount of oriental leaf in this mixture, as I detect a distinct floral note that reminds me of a good Earl Grey tea. To my taste, the oriental was a close second to the latakia, and supported the blend well. This blend seems to fall somewhere in the flavor spectrum between P&C Black House and WhiteKnight - not quite as dark and smooth as Black House, but not as astringent and bright as WhiteKnight.
Into the second third, the floral tea note remains, but the flavor has rounded a bit. The smoke is very silky, buttery and smooth - it's a true pleasure to let the smoke roll around the tongue. The smoke remains cool and very dry, and the smoothness of the smoke lends a malty sweetness to the smoke - very much like a good scotch. In fact, I'm specifically reminded of Bowmore 12 year. However, I would not classify the blend as "sweet".
In the last third, the flavors round out even more. By now I can place this blend a little above medium strength - just about perfect for the evening, but maybe just a little heavy for an all day blend. The creamy mouth feel persists, and the tea note has greatly dissipated, leaving behind a very tasty, smooth, rounded classic Balkan flavor. I smoke a little faster to see what happens. My bowl becomes hot, but the smoke remains cool. The flavors muddy a bit at the end, but the blend is still very good - just not as interesting as it was before. There is a musty sweetness to the room note that doesn't come through much in the smoke. I imagine this smells about as pleasant as a Balkan blend can to the uninitiated.
I dump out the ash to find the heel of my pipe bone dry - an excellent smoking experience throughout.
I'd rate this as 8 out of 10. One of the better Balkan blends I've smoked, and seated in the sweet spot between the darker BS 759 style blends and their more musty, astringent cousins (where my current preferences lie).
Clickklick, once again thank you for the sample.
The tobacco presents itself as a mixture of mostly dark leaf with some golden and red leaf in a shag cut. The scent in the bag was maddeningly familiar, but I could not find a match amongst the various English/Balkan blends that I have open or jarred. The closest was Crown Achievement, and that was not particularly close. The scent of the baggie itself might have been a factor.
There being a generous sample, more than enough for a large bowl, I decided to split it into two medium sized bowls. Each smoke lasted about an hour.
The tobacco packs easily and lights easily, producing clouds of creamy white smoke. It burns well and evenly.
First third:
This is a well balanced harmonious blend. By that I mean that no one component dominates. I experienced a pleasant smoky sweetness on the tongue. The orientals, in which I thought that I detected yenidje, play well with the latakia. This is not a lat bomb, and I also wonder if some of the smokiness is due to the presence dark fired Kentucky. In any event, the smokiness doesn't dominate, but plays in harmony with the other components.
Second third:
The smokey sweetness gives way a bit and gradually disappears entirely by the end of the bowl. This was true with both loads, which were smoked in different pipes. The smokiness continues in a gentle way and there is a little peppery spiciness that comes more to the fore. But overall the flavor seems to flatten out a bit for me. I didn't experience any sort of "build" in flavor in either of the bowls during the second third, nor the final portion.
Final third:
The pleasant delicately smoky harmony remains throughout. But for me it becomes a little bland. This is a skillfully balanced blend, make no mistake, and I can appreciate the artistry. But everything is so balanced that nothing came to the foreground for me. It continued to smoke easily down to the bottom of the bowl and produced a fine ash of mixed grays.
I can well understand why this could become a favorite. It is skillfully balanced and is of gentle strength. It also packs a significant nicotine wallop. I was a bit lightheaded by the end of the bowl. For those more accustomed to nicotine than I, this could be a very pleasant all day smoke. I like blends that may or many not be as harmonious as this one, but which present a more decided of a point of view.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a solid 7.
The tobacco presents itself as a mixture of mostly dark leaf with some golden and red leaf in a shag cut. The scent in the bag was maddeningly familiar, but I could not find a match amongst the various English/Balkan blends that I have open or jarred. The closest was Crown Achievement, and that was not particularly close. The scent of the baggie itself might have been a factor.
There being a generous sample, more than enough for a large bowl, I decided to split it into two medium sized bowls. Each smoke lasted about an hour.
The tobacco packs easily and lights easily, producing clouds of creamy white smoke. It burns well and evenly.
First third:
This is a well balanced harmonious blend. By that I mean that no one component dominates. I experienced a pleasant smoky sweetness on the tongue. The orientals, in which I thought that I detected yenidje, play well with the latakia. This is not a lat bomb, and I also wonder if some of the smokiness is due to the presence dark fired Kentucky. In any event, the smokiness doesn't dominate, but plays in harmony with the other components.
Second third:
The smokey sweetness gives way a bit and gradually disappears entirely by the end of the bowl. This was true with both loads, which were smoked in different pipes. The smokiness continues in a gentle way and there is a little peppery spiciness that comes more to the fore. But overall the flavor seems to flatten out a bit for me. I didn't experience any sort of "build" in flavor in either of the bowls during the second third, nor the final portion.
Final third:
The pleasant delicately smoky harmony remains throughout. But for me it becomes a little bland. This is a skillfully balanced blend, make no mistake, and I can appreciate the artistry. But everything is so balanced that nothing came to the foreground for me. It continued to smoke easily down to the bottom of the bowl and produced a fine ash of mixed grays.
I can well understand why this could become a favorite. It is skillfully balanced and is of gentle strength. It also packs a significant nicotine wallop. I was a bit lightheaded by the end of the bowl. For those more accustomed to nicotine than I, this could be a very pleasant all day smoke. I like blends that may or many not be as harmonious as this one, but which present a more decided of a point of view.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a solid 7.
Looks like we're waiting on papipeguy, bulldogbriar, and Spencer.
Spencer has an excuse since his package came back for not enough postage. I have not gotten confirmation of package received from papipeguy or bulldogbriar.
Spencer has an excuse since his package came back for not enough postage. I have not gotten confirmation of package received from papipeguy or bulldogbriar.
I will add this, I very much like this and if this is a tinned tobacco I will be buying some, I'm not a Latakia bomb fan but really found I wanted more of this. Great part is you sent me enough to have another bowl. I wait on seat edge and baited breath to find out how much more of my money P&C.com is going to be getting.. LOL
The better wordsmiths among us detail the experience better than I for sure and I agree with them, especially Jesse. I REALLY want to know what blend this is(I know its forthcoming).
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