After BaronSamedi's flu cleared up, he was able to taste-test the tobaccos and quite liked them; Murphy's Law, of course, meant that it was past deadline. To complete the panel, I'll include his reviews here.
First, his take on Jack's Shanty:
Romeo Wood’s mystery blends
English
Pouch note: The leather smell of Latakia dominates with a subtle sweetness that I might guess is Virginia. All of the aroma is very mild. I would almost think there is some Burley involved here. Not spicy, not too sweet. It actually seemed kind of plain in the pouch.
Appearance: A mixture of ribbon and coarse cuts, ranging in dark chocolate brown to a bright gold. It is dry, but not crunchy. It Just feels “ready to smoke” to me.
I smoked this blend in the late morning in my meerschaum, with a side of mild coffee.
Charring Light: A noticeable woody character comes through. I thought of it as “Oaky”
True Light: The Oak is backed up strongly by the leathery Latakia and not much else
This tobacco would best be described as a light English. I compared it mentally to Dunhill’s Early Morning Pipe as I smoked it. I would have considered it a one-note blend, at first. The campfire aroma and extremely mild taste were its most noticeable factors during the beginning of the bowl. I was reminded of English blends that contain Burley, but the smoothness made me think Turkish once I really started to smoke it. Towards the middle, the sweet/tangy taste came through and I got more botanicals from what I suspect to be the Virginias. Still very mild and smooth, it was now also floral and sweet, which was a nice affirmation. Those that expect complexity will simply have to wait until the body of the bowl to hit their stride, but those who want a smooth, simple, affirming English with their coffee will be satisfied. As I mentioned before, I was reminded of Early Morning Pipe and fans of that blend, along with folks who want to try and English without being bombed mercilessly with Latakia will find a familiar, satisfying smoke. It pairs better with my morning coffee that EMP, I believe, due to the same mildness that those looking for a stronger blend, flavor-wise may complain about. I got a healthy nicotine bump, but that could be due to the fact that it is my first smoke in over a week. Flavor-wise, it got more spicy toward the bottom of the bowl, but not overly so. It is probably one of the more consistent English blends that I’ve tasted in that it remains mellow and smooth all the way through. It is a pleasurable smoke and I might indeed try it over EMP when I’m looking for light English with a bit of vitamin N to start my day.
