For the first few puffs of the London Mixture, I thought I'd bought something far too mild for my taste. However, it did develop in a pleasant manner. Some people report a nicotine kick from this blend, and from burleys in general, but I didn't notice anything in particular. However, coming from the world of cigars, I imagine that a half-bowl of pipe tobacco, however strong, is not going to compete very often with a Churchill in terms of nicotine delivery.
In hindsight, I should have opened this on Monday morning when I was unwinding from the long weekend. I have now been turned onto the pleasures of burley in a cob, and as of this moment, London Mixture is my official relaxation blend.
On to my current smoke. I opened my tin of McClelland Orient 996 Vintage 2007 and loaded it into the very first pipe I ever purchased, a straight Dr. Grabow Golden Duke. Mass-produced as it may be, I quite enjoy its chestnut-colored, sandblast finish.
Some reviews I read of Orient 996 mentioned the tomato-like smell. I sincerely hoped they were wrong, but oh boy! There it was when I opened the tin. It was like opening a can of tomato soup--no mistaking it for anything else. I'm really glad this wasn't the first pipe tobacco I ever experienced, or I would never have come into this hobby.
Subtlety seems to be the theme today, because once again, the smoke proved to be surprisingly mild. In fact, for a while I couldn't tell that it was any different from the burley I smoked earlier! On the second light after the charring light, though, I noticed a very pleasant and unusual umami flavor. Aha! This is the same umami taste that tomatoes have. There was the barest hint of tomato in the smoke. I could never have imagined how this would be pleasurable, but the actual experience of it was indeed very nice!
All in all, both blends started in a way that made me feel skeptical, but both delivered in the end.
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