First impressions....
Less VaPerish tasting than Haddo's. Less burley-ish than Barbary Coast. Those were the two blends I saw mentioned.. Maybe not as comparisons but as blends who have fans that would like this... I would agree that this would appeal to the same people who like those blends, I think. But this is definitely not exactly like anything else I've had from GLP. The Virginias and Burleys seem to be in a real nice balance, without one element dominating the other. Considering the components and the fact it was tinned on 1/27, I expected a bit of possible harshness, but it was actually quite smooth, aside from a bit of welcome spice towards the end, which I figured was from the perique. It kept reminding me of baked goods, like Oatmeal cookies (without raisins). The topping works really nicely, and it seemed less boozy than Haddo's or Sextant. In terms of strength, I'd say it is similar to Haddo's. Enough to notice it, but less than Jackknife or Triple Play. I liked it quite a bit. I'll have a better idea after I smoke more of it.
I think you nailed it.
My first bowl impression is that I really like it. The first 1/4 of the bowl was just a bit harsh (something I often get with C&D burley), but smoothed out nicely. By midbowl the chocolate note was prevalent and didn’t let up. Like Danimalia said, the rum is not at all boozy (like I think Barbary Coast’s brandy topping can be). The dark rum sweetness and touch of spice is there throughout, and IMO is in the perfect amount - it complements every other component without drowning anything out. The Virginia is also done very well, sweet, breast, and tangy. I haven’t seen anything in the Pease description that mentions DFK, but I kept tasting a nice woodsy sourness that made me think there might be some in there. That being said, I think he would’ve mentioned DFK if it was in there, so who knows? The perique is always noticeable, and I got a good tingle in the top of my sinuses, though I didn’t taste any perique spice, just dark fruitiness. The burley is rich, smooth (as soon I got past the first 1/4 bowl), nutty, with plenty of cocoa. In reference to some of the comparisons to Barbary Coast (which I love), this isn’t nearly as strong. My guess is that the Virginia is much more prevalent than the burley, unlike BC. Even for a bowl from a brand new tin, it’s really smooth without losing any of the strength of the burley and perique. There’s a lot going on in that tin, but none of it gets lost. Great blending.
It burned cool and slow, with no bite at all. I didn’t rub it out at all, just made a loose plug from the soft flake and stuffed it.
I left some out for about an hour before smoking, and that seemed plenty dry.
I give it 2 thumbs, 2 big toes, and 16 other digits up.
