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Oh my how the worm has turned! Once a mere unwitting participant in Eric's devious machinations, fate has thrust me behind the wheel, and now it is I who controls the power of choosing which blend to unleash on my own reluctant subjects.
Never fear though, for having myself once been forced to smoke the heaviest Balkan blend Eric could muster during the mid-August heat, I've chosen to take the high road. Well, either that or, being that the blend in question happens to be one of my favourites, I've revised my own history to make it seem like I've taken the road less traveled — much like the traveler in Frost's similarly road themed poem. Nah, it's definitely the former.
Daniel Bumgardner:
Though ultimately a Mystery Review novice, I feel like I had a leg up on those surly gents, having enjoyed this blend quite a bit. On second thought, I like a lot of things, so it probably would have helped more if I had not liked it. Anyway, the tin (bag) note was slightly musty, pungent even. In retrospect I probably should have thought "Turkish", though for some reason, those bells didn't ring immediately. Instead, I noticed the Perique, and my train of thought continued through to the charring light. Virginias dominated the bowl at the offset, balanced a bit by the slightly peppery note of the dark Perique, and maybe about halfway through I noticed something of a tea-like note. Though it's something I have yet to try (read: I'm probably wrong), my best guess would probably be Orion's Arrow, though I think Andy may have this one pegged a little better than I.
Andrew Wike:
First off, I'd like to thank Adam for not slipping us a heavy Latakia blend right here at the end of the dog days of summer — and for reminding me just how much fun these Mystery Reviews can be. Now, on to the tobacco!
Opening the small baggie, the tin note is mild: a little vinegar, a little mustiness (in a good way), some figgy spice, along with a subtle breadiness. The cut is fairly mixed. There looks to be some fine ribbon in there, as well as chunkier bits of rubbed out flake. Component wise, I'm noticing some dark flecks of what appear to be Perique, along with a whole lot of bright Virginias, and maybe a touch of Orientals. On to the smoke!
The charring light is sweet, with a hint of citrus at the offset, setting the stage for that aforementioned breadiness to really shine. As you progress through the bowl, that breadiness remains, but there's also some spice to it — particularly a mild, peppery spice on the retrohale. Definitely Perique, but not an overwhelming or even substantial amount. I'm 98% sure there's at least a small amount of Orientals at play as well, though the main act is certainly the bright Virginias — those fine ribbons and chunkier bits of flake really acting as the main course for the entire bowl, with the Perique and Orientals serving as condiments to enhance and complement their sweet breadiness.
All in all, there's something quite familiar about this one. I'm sure I've smoked it before. Based on the cut, and the overall flavor profile, I'd guess this is a C&D blend. Just a stab in the dark, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say it's Oriental Silk.
Eric Squires:
A visual inspection of this tobacco revealed what appeared to be a lot of light Virginia in short, thin ribbons, mixed in with the occasional molecule of what I guessed was Perique, and chunky, broader ribbons I took for Burley. I stuck one of the tiny black motes on the end of my pocket knife and set it on fire, but the scent proved to be cigar-like, not Perique-like. Having had my fun with that, I went about the more serious work of packing a bowl. Occasionally coming across an especially stiff stretch of the Burley-like substance (which appeared to have been pressed before being cut — and often still remained pressed) and not wanting to leave it sticking out of my pipe like a haphazard flagstaff, I would draw it from the rest of the leaf, crush it into a ball, and stick it back in the bowl. Concentrating all of whatever that leaf is in one spot may come back to bite me, but then most things do and we must all carry on regardless.
Charring light: pleasant, marshmallowy, toasty sweetness as far as taste goes, and a slight hint of wood smoke aroma.
The proper light took a few tries, but I'm out of practice with much beyond shags and Semois, so probably my fault there. First third was defined by a bit sharper, less toasty sweetness compared to the charring light, with what I can only describe as cooler sweetness on the retrohale. And frankly, that's about how things continued from there on out. Pushed a little it could start to bite, but that's expected from anything dominated by light Virginias. I have no guess as to what specific blend this may be, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was something that a lot of people call an "all day" blend: something simple with Virginias for sweetness and Burley for nuttiness/toastiness, and whatever those little specks of black leaf were for decoration I hazard.
Well, with two guesses and an abstained vote, it looks like Andy was the only one to nail it. Yep, that's right our mystery blend this month was Cornell & Diehl's Oriental Silk, a personal favourite of mine (which also happens to be on sale until the end of this month). Props to Daniel for being on the right track though; let's see if he can refine his nose for next month's challenge.
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Comments
That is amazing how you guys can guess a blend whose name is hidden from you. Now I just read that the FDA has ruled that all of this mystery blend must be sent to my home for inspection.
@Bryan Webber Exposure and access help ;)