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Wall Street sounds excellent. I'll be adding some to my cart next time I order from Milan.
The Great Best of the Best of the Best Aromatic Project
- Thread starter Blackhorse
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Help Support Brothers of Briar:
Oh my! Now don't take my word as truth...its just opinion. Like I tell everyone...find a couple of guys whose opinions match yours on the review site then track them. It works for me. Drums & Beer is one of my barometers. We like the same things.
Also...I got to thinking last night and decided to create a seperate thread eventually that would stay once 'this' one is gone. I'll cut just the specific blend descriptions and reactions into a series of posts for others to refer to if they want to. So each p poo st will be re a different blend.
Also...I got to thinking last night and decided to create a seperate thread eventually that would stay once 'this' one is gone. I'll cut just the specific blend descriptions and reactions into a series of posts for others to refer to if they want to. So each p poo st will be re a different blend.
RobJ
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Absolutely agree regarding reviews, there are a few Brothers here who's tastes track closely to mine so their impressions carry more weight with me. That said, sometimes you just gotta take a risk, but I usually hedge my bet by doing my research first.
Up today we have one I've been eager to try for some time...
Peretti Ebony...a blend of Burley Plug and Black VA.
Cogent Comments:
For me it's an all day smoke. It's full of flavor, producing a rich velvety smoke, almost like chocolate, but in the "maduro wrapper of a cigar" type chocolate, not aromatic or flavored tobacco. It burnes extremely well, never bites, and has an excellent aroma.
This tobacco has a delicious and sweet chocolaty flavor, but the flavor of the tobacco is also ALL there, and is the reason this aromatic excels where others don't. The Black Virginia in this blend adds a lot of natural sweetness that kicks in half way through the bowl and ends up making the second-half of the bowl equal or better than the first half. Which I cannot say for any other aromatic I have smoked. Ebony is a unique aromatic that has none of the drawbacks that most aromatics have. Burns dry and cool, and never bites.
For me this was a very different aromatic experience. Some Aros are like getting hit in the back of the head with a two by four...crazy strong casing. Danger Will Robinson! Others are very subtle and mild, their flavors barely noticeable. This is in the middle somewhere. Nice level. One of the many cocoa/caramel/vanilla things...nicely done. Room note is killer. What puts this one in a tier above others is it starts out with a velvety mouth feel...and the feel and aroma do not change all the way to the bottom of the bowl. No first half / second half thing re a giant profile shift. It screams quality with every puff. A very fine smoke.
Peretti Ebony...a blend of Burley Plug and Black VA.
Cogent Comments:
For me it's an all day smoke. It's full of flavor, producing a rich velvety smoke, almost like chocolate, but in the "maduro wrapper of a cigar" type chocolate, not aromatic or flavored tobacco. It burnes extremely well, never bites, and has an excellent aroma.
This tobacco has a delicious and sweet chocolaty flavor, but the flavor of the tobacco is also ALL there, and is the reason this aromatic excels where others don't. The Black Virginia in this blend adds a lot of natural sweetness that kicks in half way through the bowl and ends up making the second-half of the bowl equal or better than the first half. Which I cannot say for any other aromatic I have smoked. Ebony is a unique aromatic that has none of the drawbacks that most aromatics have. Burns dry and cool, and never bites.
For me this was a very different aromatic experience. Some Aros are like getting hit in the back of the head with a two by four...crazy strong casing. Danger Will Robinson! Others are very subtle and mild, their flavors barely noticeable. This is in the middle somewhere. Nice level. One of the many cocoa/caramel/vanilla things...nicely done. Room note is killer. What puts this one in a tier above others is it starts out with a velvety mouth feel...and the feel and aroma do not change all the way to the bottom of the bowl. No first half / second half thing re a giant profile shift. It screams quality with every puff. A very fine smoke.
Just got my second, expanded box from Peretti. They are certainly an interesting company, producing really interesting blends. There are a number of B&M based blender's out there...walk into ,90% of 'em and you'll find Lane and McClelland and Cornell & Diehl retagged. Nothing wrong with that really, good products pretty much across the board. But there are a few places...Park Lane...Pipeworks & Wilke...Boswell...Milan...to name a few, that blend using the talent and vision of one person. I don't know about Peretti's. I mean, if it's one guy or several. But what they have there (and some of the recipes go WAY back...the Peretti Co. in Boston has been operating for 145 years!) now, for want of a better term, are SERIOUS blends. What Peretti doesn't know about Burley could fit on the head of a pin. The guys are masters of their craft. And while the aromatics are really noteworthy, for me it's their American blends that blow me away. American? You know...Edgeworth. Burley and VA with condimental additions of this-n-that. Deep, usually strong, rich, kick *** blends. Rightly I should exclude these from this thing, but they are so exceptional that I'm tossing the ones I have in here, with a notation as to the difference. Just a warning.
Peretti 333 Burley
This is Peretti's most reviewed blend. Pure cube cut Burley. Straight as an arrow. Some claim hints of this n that but I can't detect anything other than the classic flavors Burley is treated with during standard processing... molasses, cocoa, vanilla...very background. Not a topping...same flavor all the way to the end. To me, this is the quintessential American Burley blend. Gravity feed it to your favorite, a light tamp and it burns slowly and fairly cool...no bite. You have to like Burley to like this. I do, and I do. Liken it to a really good version of Carter Hall. The quality is very high as with all Peretti blends. As far as straight cubed Burley goes, others might be as good as, but never any better. Edgeworth is this ones poor cousin.
What do other guys think:
Jimlnks: The nice thing about this cube cut burley is that the cubes don't pop out of the bowl and burn holes in your shirt, carpet, or dog. It burns slow, cool, and very well with no harshness or bite. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Nutty with a molasses taste that very much reminds me of Carter Hall without the PG. There's a cocoa note or two along the way as well. There is a hint of floral, spice and vanilla which leads me to believe there's a very small amount of deer tongue present. If you enjoy good burley blends, you'll find it to be a good all day smoke.
Briar Law: This is a wonderful Burley from another era. I mean dancing the swing, war bonds, radio shows, etc. True Americana. Dark brown, lightly moist smallish cubes with a fair amount of even smaller granulated tobacco. Naturally sweet almost fermented pouch aroma. Really great. Just scoop it in the bowl, barely tamp, and give it a light. I can almost hear The Glen Miller Band in the background. Plain good old fashioned Burley in the finest tradition. No bitterness at all. Burns clean and very dry all the way down the bowl. A top flight tobacco from a time long ago . . . when going to the drugstore meant having a chocolate malted at the counter. Do try it if you are a Burley fan or just want to take a trip in a time capsule.
This is Peretti's most reviewed blend. Pure cube cut Burley. Straight as an arrow. Some claim hints of this n that but I can't detect anything other than the classic flavors Burley is treated with during standard processing... molasses, cocoa, vanilla...very background. Not a topping...same flavor all the way to the end. To me, this is the quintessential American Burley blend. Gravity feed it to your favorite, a light tamp and it burns slowly and fairly cool...no bite. You have to like Burley to like this. I do, and I do. Liken it to a really good version of Carter Hall. The quality is very high as with all Peretti blends. As far as straight cubed Burley goes, others might be as good as, but never any better. Edgeworth is this ones poor cousin.
What do other guys think:
Jimlnks: The nice thing about this cube cut burley is that the cubes don't pop out of the bowl and burn holes in your shirt, carpet, or dog. It burns slow, cool, and very well with no harshness or bite. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Nutty with a molasses taste that very much reminds me of Carter Hall without the PG. There's a cocoa note or two along the way as well. There is a hint of floral, spice and vanilla which leads me to believe there's a very small amount of deer tongue present. If you enjoy good burley blends, you'll find it to be a good all day smoke.
Briar Law: This is a wonderful Burley from another era. I mean dancing the swing, war bonds, radio shows, etc. True Americana. Dark brown, lightly moist smallish cubes with a fair amount of even smaller granulated tobacco. Naturally sweet almost fermented pouch aroma. Really great. Just scoop it in the bowl, barely tamp, and give it a light. I can almost hear The Glen Miller Band in the background. Plain good old fashioned Burley in the finest tradition. No bitterness at all. Burns clean and very dry all the way down the bowl. A top flight tobacco from a time long ago . . . when going to the drugstore meant having a chocolate malted at the counter. Do try it if you are a Burley fan or just want to take a trip in a time capsule.
Whee! Just got two packets in. One a donation...more on that tomorrow. The other a box from The Country Squire. Boy Howdy! I'll bet their shop smells good. Three arrived, Cherokee (Virginias and Steamed Cavendish), Parson's Blend (Fruit and Burley) and Rivendell (Nutty, Woodsy, Cocoa). The Person's smells like nothing I've ever tried before...very bright and fruity...really succulent and inviting. The other two smell like other more standard concoctions but with something extra or different taking them a step or perhaps a leap beyond. I'm hoping to try a couple of these tomorrow. I'm the most curious about the Parson and the Cherokee. Stay tuned.
This morning's offering...
The Country Squire's "The Parson's Blend" in my MM General cob with the 5" forever stem/bit/thing. Whatever.
First - great aroma. Cocoa-nilla fruity something W the fruity thing WAY in the back. It packs, lights burns very easily taking off with one good touch from my Pearl Eddie.
After lighting and settling a bit I am getting the best flavors of any aromatic I've ever smoked. Smooth and creamy light cocoa mocha vanilla with a subtle enhancement of something slightly fruity lurking. Totally free of any chemical taint of metallic tinge. The smoke through the bit is delicious. The smoke off the bowl is delicious.
Hmmm. I just remembered...I'm pairing this with a tall cup of fine Kenya, black. That might be where the Mocha thing came in.
Anyway, very cool...no bite. Steady puffing doesn't seem to bother it.
All in all, long story short...a real winner. Gold medal trial on this one. If this is any indication of the quality of The Country Squire house blends...they just found a new customer for life!
So what else is written on the review site -
The two best qualities associated with Parson's blend, excluding it's fruity taste, is its delightful aroma and the voluminous amount of smoke this blend produces. As the description notes, this blend was created to be smoked in the house at the approval of the wife or girlfriend. If your significant other is hesitant about your pipe smoking, then this may just be the blend to win them over. A soft but flavorful fruitiness makes this blend a great after dinner smoke. While fruit and spices are the main attractions of Parson's Blend, it's flavoring does not detract from the natural tobacco taste. I no point felt I was smoking a "syrupy" aromatic.
The Country Squire's "The Parson's Blend" in my MM General cob with the 5" forever stem/bit/thing. Whatever.
First - great aroma. Cocoa-nilla fruity something W the fruity thing WAY in the back. It packs, lights burns very easily taking off with one good touch from my Pearl Eddie.
After lighting and settling a bit I am getting the best flavors of any aromatic I've ever smoked. Smooth and creamy light cocoa mocha vanilla with a subtle enhancement of something slightly fruity lurking. Totally free of any chemical taint of metallic tinge. The smoke through the bit is delicious. The smoke off the bowl is delicious.
Hmmm. I just remembered...I'm pairing this with a tall cup of fine Kenya, black. That might be where the Mocha thing came in.
Anyway, very cool...no bite. Steady puffing doesn't seem to bother it.
All in all, long story short...a real winner. Gold medal trial on this one. If this is any indication of the quality of The Country Squire house blends...they just found a new customer for life!
So what else is written on the review site -
The two best qualities associated with Parson's blend, excluding it's fruity taste, is its delightful aroma and the voluminous amount of smoke this blend produces. As the description notes, this blend was created to be smoked in the house at the approval of the wife or girlfriend. If your significant other is hesitant about your pipe smoking, then this may just be the blend to win them over. A soft but flavorful fruitiness makes this blend a great after dinner smoke. While fruit and spices are the main attractions of Parson's Blend, it's flavoring does not detract from the natural tobacco taste. I no point felt I was smoking a "syrupy" aromatic.
An after- lunch bowl -
The Country Squire "Cherokee" in my full bent Alpha Freehand Briar.
Others comments:
The smoke is mellow without being tasteless. There is no tongue bite to be experienced and this tobacco is a good break if you find tongue bite has developed from other tobaccos. It does not smoke hot and so, if your pipe can survive it, can be smoked throughout the day. The mix of Virginia and cavendish seems, rather than giving the hint of vanilla, to impart a nutty note to the tobacco. This is the highlight in a taste that is otherwise a straight tobacco taste.
When I was younger...much younger I would regularly stop by your old downtown shop and purchase a pound of Cherokee for my father. I loved the smell of it then and finally a few years ago I tried it after I found an old deerskin pouch of my fathers"s. Immediately I liked it. This is a natural tasting tobacco with a faint hint of a nuttiness. The tobaccos seemed to mix into a natural sweetness that provides a slight vanilla overtone and absolutely no bite. From start to finish this is a mellow tobacco that quickly became my favorite. With a room note like this it is wonderfully unforgettable. I have been buying it for years and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. It is my "special" everyday tobacco.
My comments:
Per the above, I like a blend that others have named as their favorite down through generations. To me that says a lot. I don't get any flavors here. Other guys mentioned vanilla and a nutty character. OK. But not me. I get a very mild straightforward tobacco flavor, mostly VA blend. Someone looking for that would really like this. Again, a very friendly, easy to work with blend. I don't see this as an aromatic as there are no noticeable cased aromas. It's steamed Cavendish and VA. The Cavendish might be sweetened, but maybe not. But there's nothing at all wrong with a mild, smooth VA blend. Forgiving. But hey, these are one bowl reactions. A more in depth view might bring more subtleties to light. That, and every blend should be at least tried in a cob. Good stuff for sure..
Edit: You know, on toward the halfway point and into the end game I kept getting different flavor notes... Red...light cocoa cream...bready...and yes, nutty...really moving around, off the bowl. I'm thinking there might be significant depth and subtleties here my Briar just is barely picking up. More work on this one is needed for sure.
The Country Squire "Cherokee" in my full bent Alpha Freehand Briar.
Others comments:
The smoke is mellow without being tasteless. There is no tongue bite to be experienced and this tobacco is a good break if you find tongue bite has developed from other tobaccos. It does not smoke hot and so, if your pipe can survive it, can be smoked throughout the day. The mix of Virginia and cavendish seems, rather than giving the hint of vanilla, to impart a nutty note to the tobacco. This is the highlight in a taste that is otherwise a straight tobacco taste.
When I was younger...much younger I would regularly stop by your old downtown shop and purchase a pound of Cherokee for my father. I loved the smell of it then and finally a few years ago I tried it after I found an old deerskin pouch of my fathers"s. Immediately I liked it. This is a natural tasting tobacco with a faint hint of a nuttiness. The tobaccos seemed to mix into a natural sweetness that provides a slight vanilla overtone and absolutely no bite. From start to finish this is a mellow tobacco that quickly became my favorite. With a room note like this it is wonderfully unforgettable. I have been buying it for years and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. It is my "special" everyday tobacco.
My comments:
Per the above, I like a blend that others have named as their favorite down through generations. To me that says a lot. I don't get any flavors here. Other guys mentioned vanilla and a nutty character. OK. But not me. I get a very mild straightforward tobacco flavor, mostly VA blend. Someone looking for that would really like this. Again, a very friendly, easy to work with blend. I don't see this as an aromatic as there are no noticeable cased aromas. It's steamed Cavendish and VA. The Cavendish might be sweetened, but maybe not. But there's nothing at all wrong with a mild, smooth VA blend. Forgiving. But hey, these are one bowl reactions. A more in depth view might bring more subtleties to light. That, and every blend should be at least tried in a cob. Good stuff for sure..
Edit: You know, on toward the halfway point and into the end game I kept getting different flavor notes... Red...light cocoa cream...bready...and yes, nutty...really moving around, off the bowl. I'm thinking there might be significant depth and subtleties here my Briar just is barely picking up. More work on this one is needed for sure.
DrumsAndBeer
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Parson's Blend. I'll have to put that one on the list.
The Old Toby looks pretty good too. Sweetened VaPerBur..
The Old Toby looks pretty good too. Sweetened VaPerBur..
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I'm so glad you found the Parson's Blend to be to your liking, Blackhorse. I'm very timid about recommending tobacco blends to you guys who've had WAY more experience with quality tobacco than I have.
SMan - Parson's is precisely what I was hoping to find in doing this.
Dan Tobacco's Milonga.
Best aro out there, period. High quality VA's with just the right amount of Vanilla & Caramel. Monbla Approved! 8)
I'm currently out, but if you PM me your addy - i'll order a tin and have it sent to you, Commander.
Best aro out there, period. High quality VA's with just the right amount of Vanilla & Caramel. Monbla Approved! 8)
I'm currently out, but if you PM me your addy - i'll order a tin and have it sent to you, Commander.
Generally, it has moderate rather than super reviews...and monbla's approval means little to me. But if YOU recommend it, I'll give it a try.
You know how reviews go, and I put little faith in general review sites these days.Blackhorse":8c1r4yqg said:
It really is an excellent VA blend, and should score well.
Ironically, Kaiser is the one who turned me on to it. And it's been a pretty-regular order every since.
I agree re review sites...if one takes everyone's word there they will be misled. After all, some guys rate blends highly and others don't like it. I find a half dozen guys with similar tastes to mine and look for their comments. Kaiser is a good man.
That, and there isn't any scoring here. Just an impression..a glance if you will. And I often cut and paste some other reviews that interest me re the blend. There's no way I could do an even slightly comprehensive review of all the things listed here.
The intention is more to introduce a broad number of blends that are among the most appreciated in order to expand my own experience and open doors for other members to try...if they are so inclined.
That, and there isn't any scoring here. Just an impression..a glance if you will. And I often cut and paste some other reviews that interest me re the blend. There's no way I could do an even slightly comprehensive review of all the things listed here.
The intention is more to introduce a broad number of blends that are among the most appreciated in order to expand my own experience and open doors for other members to try...if they are so inclined.
Today's first bowl: Rivendell. One of The Country Squire's Middle Earth Series.
In a cob.
Blender notes: Rivendell is woodsy and earthy. Mildly sweet with a hint of walnut.
Reviews:
Nutty, Woodsy, Cocoa... this is a very accurate description by the blender.
I'm a big fan of all of the Squire's Tolkien blends, but Rivendell is by far my favorite. It's nutty taste provides a great, cool smoke. No tongue bite or rough smokes from this blend, even if you tend to puff deep and quickly like I do. A great blend to accompany you when you're outdoors camping, or just when you need to "get away" from the monotony of the daily grind. This natural, earthy blend is a great way to escape.
My take? Like the above I get pronounced nutty, woodsy notes in this easy to pack, light and manage blend. The tobacco flavors come through well and yes, there are wisps of Walnut in there. Very enjoyable.
On a different tack...Jon, at The Country Squire contacted me and wanted to donate two blends to this humble affair...Choctaw and Blue Ribbon. On behalf of my follow tasters here I accepted with all our thanks. Nice folks there!
In a cob.
Blender notes: Rivendell is woodsy and earthy. Mildly sweet with a hint of walnut.
Reviews:
Nutty, Woodsy, Cocoa... this is a very accurate description by the blender.
I'm a big fan of all of the Squire's Tolkien blends, but Rivendell is by far my favorite. It's nutty taste provides a great, cool smoke. No tongue bite or rough smokes from this blend, even if you tend to puff deep and quickly like I do. A great blend to accompany you when you're outdoors camping, or just when you need to "get away" from the monotony of the daily grind. This natural, earthy blend is a great way to escape.
My take? Like the above I get pronounced nutty, woodsy notes in this easy to pack, light and manage blend. The tobacco flavors come through well and yes, there are wisps of Walnut in there. Very enjoyable.
On a different tack...Jon, at The Country Squire contacted me and wanted to donate two blends to this humble affair...Choctaw and Blue Ribbon. On behalf of my follow tasters here I accepted with all our thanks. Nice folks there!
Ozark Wizard
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That sounds yummy!
DrumsAndBeer
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Sounds like another Country Squire winner and another for the "to try list."
