Today we're smoking a mild Virginia/Kentucky mixture.
Another blend from Peter Stokkebye. Their tobaccos are a great value for the money - as low as $2/ounce, sometimes. That's why I'm always trying different ones in the pursuit of new favorites.
Retailer's Description
Pipesandcigars.com says:
a spicy blend of excellent fire-cured Kentucky and full bodied, rich Virginia tobaccos. The influence of the Kentucky makes this a robust blend with a slightly smoky taste, with the underlying sweetness of the Virginias.
Smokingpipes.com says:
the perfect mix of sweet, citrusy Virginias and spicy dark-fired Kentucky. Presented in a fine ribbon cut for easy packing.
Always good to see that the descriptions of different providers are in alignment. Things get confusing when they're not!
Jar Aroma and Appearance
Very slight aroma. Fallen leaves and soil on a warm late autumn day. Grass or hay.
The leaf is all fairly light in color, mostly pale tan with a little medium brown.
Today's tobacco wallpaper.
Preparation
It's in a loose ribbon cut, and on the drier side. You'll want to pack it very firmly. Ideally, when you're drawing on a properly packed pipe, you should feel about the same level of resistance as sucking water through a straw.
With this tobacco, you've got to cram a lot into the bowl to achieve that level of compression.
Smoking
Pleasant, mild, not really sweet - I get flavors of hay with just the slightest hint of natural Virginia sugars. I can't detect any type of flavoring or top-casing used on this one.
Like the Luxury Flake I reviewed on Saturday, this blend is a bit one dimensional. In fact, it tastes just a little bit like cigarette tobacco - from which it isn't really too far off, in terms of composition.
I packed my first bowl too loosely (hence the warning above). This caused it to burn fast and hot, with a slightly bitter bite, and after smoking for just a short time I was able to compress it down to half the original volume. Lesson learned!
Getting it to the proper firmness improved the flavor immensely, allowing me to enjoy those light, grassy notes.
Room Aroma Report from @donnadavisart:
"It smells like a good quality burning cigarette - maybe a Dunhill. Or like burning peat and the smell of the forest floor."
One of the rare cases where the smell in the room matches the smell in the jar!
Summary and Score
While it's not going to be a favorite, this tobacco does have a simple, rustic charm. It's best in a medium sized bowl.
But for a short smoke break, it also does well in a small pipe - you don't really need a lot of it to get the full benefit of its simple composition.
If I was still working somewhere where going outside for a quick smoke was the done thing, this is the tobacco I'd keep on hand for short smoke breaks with co-workers.
(Did you know that smokers tend to rise through the ranks of businesses more quickly? It's all that networking while you huddle around with your smokes in the cold.)
A solid three out of five stars.
