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Jeremy O.
Reviews
Peterson - Nightcap 50g
Echoes of holy places...
Nightcap is like a personal incense censor. Aromas of cedar and incense call one to a ancient holy places. It is a praying man's tobacco. The flavor is evocative, but not overwhelming. It is balanced and well blended. I like it in the morning and at night.
Samuel Gawith - Squadron Leader 50g
Cedar, Spice, and Fresh Leather
Straight to the point English. It's like smoking a cedar cabinet that once held spices, but now you store your leather working in it. Latakia is present throughout. It doesn't change much as you smoke. You get some nice Spice from the oriental and the Virginia brings it all together. It's a little rough, but I like the bite. (And I don't mean tongue bite.) This is like the traditional doppio espresso of English blends. Established, but not overwhelming. Get one tin and see if you like it before buying another. I this is a once ever 3-4 weeks for me, but I like having it as an option. I can see this being a great introduction into English blends if you're coming from Virginia blends or cigarettes maybe. I love VaPers and this is a great one to smoke if you don't like flavored tobacco. When I was first getting into tobacco many years ago, I went to a spot that sold bulk pipe tobacco and remember grabbing a little bit of something they called leathery. My palate was not refined and I hated it. I imagine that's what most people will think when they smoke this especially if they're coming from aromatics. Steer clear if this is your first English. Grab some Nightcap instead.
Cornell & Diehl - Midnight Orchard 2oz
Orange marmalade and dark toast
This is basically a Virginia blend with some secret sauce. Definitely tobacco forward and not all aromatic smokers are going to like it. But I do think most of Virginia lovers absolutely will. It starts with a wonderful spiced orange and floral note and deepens throughout the smoke into some nice stewed fruit. This would be great for seasonal change up from Orlik Golden Sliced as it is just as floral, but has some deeper richness. Definitely more complex than your typical VaPer. The orange stays throughout in the retrohale and if smoked slowly. I typically switch between VaPers (PS and De Luxe Navy Rolls) and English blends (Pirate Kake and Nightcap), but got my start with aromatics and cigarettes. I've been looking for more crossovers to better please the family. I don't think this one will please the family, but aromatic smokers looking to get into more tobacco forward blends would really enjoy this. In fact I don't know many people who wouldn't enjoy this though it may not be in everyone's rotation. It's very well crafted and I love the layers. Reeves accomplished the task of casing in such a way that it plays well with the underlying leaf. As a coffee roaster a new trend is to ferment coffee with fruits and other things, which often leads to a very pungent and unbalanced coffee, but there are a few people out there who are doing it subtly enough and with enough polish that it tastes really good. That's what this reminds me of. Most people are going to go back to something more traditional, but every once in awhile it's nice to have something truly special. As far as sessionability, I would give it a four out of five. It could be an all day smoke but tomorrow you're going to want to pick something else up and then return to it a day or two later. I can see this aging really well. I think it's an excellent blend, but definitely belongs in the small batch category. It could grab a cult following, but I would prefer C&D to focus on other small batch releases than to revisit this one, not because it isn't good, but because I want to see what they do next. The proof of concept in adding aromatics to tobacco forward small batch blends definitely exists in this blend. Keep doing it. This is amazing.
G. L. Pease - Caravan 2oz
Pineapple & Spice w/ a backbone
I'm new to pipe tobacco, not to flavor, so I'm probably not calibrated to common flavor descriptors, and certainly have a lot to learn about leaf types, but here are my first impressions. Tin note is a strong yet balanced barbecue/leather fragrance. When smoking, I get a tangy note that reminds me of pineapple. As you smoke the spice sets in and the Latakia weaves its way in and out, but not dominant--just enough to remind you that it would be nice to be in a room full of books. It provides a nice smooth backbone to the smoke. Even less present, but nice when it surfaces of the macadamia/hazelnut. If you like VaPers but want to Branch out to something a little different, this one will not disappoint. It's a very cohesive and balanced mix. It did not WOW me and it may be a little intense for some as an all day smoke, but I would return when the craving for a cigarette hits and be satisfied.