Renewed my acquaintance with this blend today as a result of this thread. It had been a good while since I burned a bowl, perhaps a year or more (probably more). So I figured it was time.
I had a jar that was from a tin I opened back in June '12. Think this might be from the OR but not completely sure.
I chose my "new" GBD Rockroot 9437 Pot Billiard Estate Pipe recently acquired from bro Mattia for its inaugural voyage. This turned out to be a match made in heaven!
The 'baccy was slightly on the dry side, which is how it came (and how I like it). It loaded easily, and I saw that the large size of the bowl would support a long smoke. I was right!
It took the match easily, and after the char light I was on my way.
I was initially impressed on how much body there was to this blend. Somehow I remembered it as being on the lighter end of the scale, yet this was most definitely med+.
The Perique presence made itself known right away. And it didn't quit all the way down the bowl. Black pepper and slightly sour notes as well as ripe plum were present on each and every puff. Whether this was due entirely to the Perique or the other elements of the blend is debatable. yet that's my take FWIW!
After at least a 1/2 hr with this wonderful experience, I had to put the pipe down to attend to other domestic issues. And so I came back to a DGT in a few hrs to find the same characteristics in the relight. All in all, a wonderful bowl and one worth repeating.
So if that passes for a proper review, then there it is. I don't normally wax poetic about a blend, but this one ran all the bases for me. Looks like I need to get some more of this in!
Cheers,
RR