As I have noted before, living in rural Canada, with our very restrictive tobacco laws, I live in a tobacco wasteland. There really is very little available in choice, and due to the high taxes/customs, I am loathe to spend money blindly in my hunt for the ultimate tobacco tastes.
Generally I get to taste 'different" tobaccos when I venture into the US, where if I waste my money on a tin I don't end up caring for it costs me $8, instead of in Canada where that tin might run $20 to $30 !
A recent trip had netted me my first VA/Per which was Kingfisher. What a disappointment that was, luckily I got a chance to trade it to someone who had been equally disappointed with MM 965.
So I had no idea whether I would care for this Acadian HH or not, but boy what a pleasant surprise. This had nothing in common with the Kingfisher that I could taste. This was a pleasant flavourful tobacco that lights easily and I could see as being an all day smoke. It is not my "favourite", nor my my most tasteful smoke, but I can see that I could smoke several pipes of this while working without it getting boring. In short I can see myself buying it for future smoking, even at Canadian prices.
There may well be better Va/Pers out there, but this one is the first I have had that I have had that makes me understand why others rave about this branch of the tobacco tree. By the by I did not detect any "vinegar/ketchup" aroma in this blend, but I have not noticed it in other MacBaren blends either, all of which have been acceptable to my palate, if not all exceptional.
Thanks Winslow,
Al (in Canada)