CATEGORY: English
BLEND: Burley, Latakia, Perique, Virginia
FLAVORING: none
BLENDER: The Country Squire
MANUFACTURER: The Country Squire
CUT: Ribbon
PIPE: Old German Clay no. 3 (black)
INTENSITY: Medium-full
NOTES:
Chocolate (spiced) | Sweet hay | Roasted nuttiness
"There is nothing new under the sun. It has all been done before." - Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet.
"Business in the front, party in the back." Joe Dirt.
If you lived in my head, the above two quotes would be a more than sufficient review. Seeing as you don't, I'll go on. Holmes was right in his echoing of Ecclesiastes. But to be sure, if not new, it is quite different a thing to essentially offer-up an all-in-one course of English & Va/Per blending of blends. Although to pick nits, with the addition of Burley, it's more of an American English. Nevertheless, the brilliance here is the sheer avoidance of cacophony and achievement of full-on dense harmony.
So much going on and here's where Mr. Dirt comes home to roost. In the front, it's mainly English (Latakia) and in the back is all Va/Per (Perique). Virginias definitely and sweetly-softly form the stage all play on... or a mulleted scalp, in our analogous interests. Burley adds a roasted nuttiness which serves to structure well. Notes are quite mexi-spiced chocolate-y and also exhibit rich sweet hay and a clean lingering lemon. A bit of black pepper, particularly through the nose. Calmly and reassuringly complex.
Fresh out of the pouch, this blend's burn is fantastic. From char-light to heel, it's the smoothest of sailings. A surprising thing is a lovely aroma, given its Latakia involvement. The room-note settles into a ::: very ::: savory leatheriness that sidles up alongside already stated sweetness-forward tastes. An all-day smoke for some, an evening smoke for lighter palates, and an excellent bridge from cigars to pipes, to boot. I'm over the moon on this one, gentlepersons. Something-something is 'afoot,' and it's far from 'elementary.'
TASTE: A+
AROMA: A-
BURN: A+
FINAL GRADE: A
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79
PLEASE NOTE: Well, it's finally happened. For the first time, I typo'd on the Final Grade. Then, I did it again while attempting to correct my mistake. It is now, as you read this, accurately fixed. Apologies. - Kap (4/26)
::: very :::