For this Mystery Review, the tobacco was chosen through a rigorous process: whatever tobacco was the subject of the most recent customer review on our website, at the time. The process was, you see, rigorously quick. And in that same spirit, let's get on with it.

Andy

This month's Mystery Review... ah what'll it be? I've done quite a few of these blind reviews now, but that doesn't mean I've really gotten any better at it. But alas, I'll do my best.

The cut is somewhere in between ribbon and shag in its fineness, yet it's not a true ribbon cut. I suspect, given the length and straightness of each piece, that Eric is up to his old tricks. It looks a lot like a rubbed out Danish flake. The tin note is quite nice: sweet Virginias, a touch of vinegar-like tang, a hint of figgy spice, and just the subtlest notes of what seems like cocoa and anise (barely discernible).

On the initial light, you get a nice, sweet pure Virginia flavor, followed by a noticeable hay-like grassiness. It's not overly sweet, however, and those estimated top notes aren't really present in the smoke itself. On the retrohale, it's a little spicy, which might suggest a little perique in the mix as well. That same flavor profile is pretty constant throughout the bowl, but there is something very familiar about this blend that I haven't been able to put my finger on just yet. I'm also 90% sure I've smoked either this blend or a very close match, but the exact name escapes me... Overall, it's neither heavy nor light, but a rather satisfying smoke that I just could enjoy all day.

Points go to Andy for picking the right continent, and even the right country this smoke was blended in. Bonus points also for recognizing some slight trickery, on my part. He wasn't quite right though, in assuming this was originally a flake.

Daniel

I noticed that upon first glance at the bag's contents, the tobacco seemed fairly...moist. But not just moist, I suspect it's been handled, possibly to disguise the originally packaged form. Eric is a sneaky devil, so I put nothing past him. I think this is a flake that's been rubbed out.

It smells of dark Virginias, a little of vinegar, and a touch of sweetness, having me thinking it's Rattray's Marlin Flake.

It packed easily after a little drying time and took to the flame well after a charring light. The Virginias come through in the flavor, and maybe the lightest bit of citrus and hay that has me suspecting a VA flake like Orlik Golden Sliced. Perhaps the lightest hint of a bread-like note. Not sure, but I'm guessing Orlik.

Daniel gets points for listening to Andy, when Andy explained to him what sort of sleight of hand he might expect. No points are awarded however for making the same mistaken assumption as Andy, regarding the tobacco's original cut.

Josh

It's been a while since I've participated in one of the Mystery Reviews, so I picked up my sample bag feeling a little rusty. Thinking that it might be better to dip my toe into the water, I emptied the contents of the bag onto a legal pad and began sorting and sniffing to see what my eyes and nose could discern. In color, the tobacco ranges from brown to a deep red, with a few darker bits strewn here and there. The tobacco's aroma is fairly piquant with a light sweetness and a bit of earthiness. Before packing the bowl, I'm pretty sure I'm about to smoke a Virginia-Perique blend.

On the charring light, I get a nice Virginia sweetness, the sort I usually associate with European-produced Virginias. That sweetness again takes center stage on the true light. For the first quarter bowl or so, in fact, the tobacco reminds me of a cream cheese crescent roll--bready, sweet, and slightly piquant. By mid bowl, those flavors fade a bit, and are joined by woodsy, meatier notes that suggest the presence of some dark fired Kentucky. When pushed, the tobacco turns a bit sour. So a slower cadence is necessary to help keep an ideal balance of sweet and sour. In the second half of the bowl the sweetness is very mild indeed, and I notice it primarily on the retrohale. The flavors are darker, spicier, and stronger as I work my way through the second half of the bowl.

In general, I found this to be a terrific blend. It offers all the sweetness that I want in a Virginia blend, but really succeeds in providing some strength and complexity to boot. I'm always a little hesitant to make a guess at a specific blend, but I think this is most likely Rattray's Hal o' the Wynd.

Josh gets points for thoroughness of inspection and like Andy, guessing the right continent. He also almost (but not quite) receives extra points for at least having a more fitting word for the original cut somewhere in his review: roll.

The tobacco? Davidoff's Flake Medallions.

The winner? Shane.

Though he didn't actually participate in the review, Shane is the winner because Shane guessed not only the brand, but even the specific blend, just by seeing and sniffing the leaf after I had rubbed the Cavendish-cored medallions out for the participants to try. There's more than one reason why he's the one we put in front of a camera for regular tobacco reviews; it isn't all just his photogenic moustache.