Welcome, everyone, to another episode of Tasting Notes. Today, I'll be reviewing the most recent release from Drucquer & Sons, The Merry Monk. I was particularly interested in this blend, because it satisfies two of my preferred criteria for an English mixture: Firstly, it's a flake-cut blend, and secondly, there's a little dash of Perique as well — so, technically, you could consider this a Scottish blend. Although the Perique is very faint, it does add a ton of complexity, making this a little more of an all-day smoke for me in terms of keeping my attention. And overall, it's just really well balanced. So let's jump into it.

Components and Tin Note

In terms of components, The Merry Monk is a blend of Red and Bright Virginia grades, Cyprian Latakia, genuine St. James Parish Perique, a little bit of White Burley, and a little bit of unflavored, toasted Black Cavendish. So really, there's kind of a lot going on here. Given those components, and the fact that it's been pressed and sliced into flakes, I expected this to be a heavier bend — not necessarily in strength, but in overall flavor and body. And, I have to say, it does not disappoint in that regard. So.

The aroma in the tin is typical for this type of blend, I think. Now, this is likely to be somewhat controversial, but I think I've come to appreciate Cyprian Latakia perhaps even more than its older Syrian counterpart. Of course, there's something to be said for Syrian Latakia; there's a time and a place for everything. But personally, I'm such a big fan of the really deep, earthy, and woody notes that Cyprian Latakia provides, and that signature aroma is certainly present in both the tin note and the flavor here. In the tin, you're not going to get as much complexity as you do in the smoke. There are some bready notes, some woody notes, and some of that loamy, forest floor kind of thing. There's a hint of brown sugar sweetness and some dark fruits. The overall aroma reminds me of a glass of red wine by a campfire — two things that I appreciate in an English mixture, for sure.

Cut and Preparation

The flakes themselves are really beautiful: They're nice and thin, and quite dark. I'm assuming that some of that color is coming from the Latakia and Black Cavendish, as well as the pressing process. The flakes have been pressed for a long time, so they're well-aged and well-married together. They're pliable but quite dense; I actually found it somewhat difficult to rub them out. I did fluff this up and aerate it quite a bit before smoking. I don't necessarily recommend a ton of drying time here, however; I think five minutes or so is about all you want, but I do suggest fully rubbing out these flakes unless you're smoking outdoors, or maybe in a smaller pipe, and you want to slow the burn down. In my experience with this blend, the complexity really ramps up when I properly aerate it and rub it out fully.

Overall, The Merry Monk takes the flame really easily, and once you get it going, it burns with a nice spontaneity. I really appreciate that in a Latakia mixture. It smokes nice and cool and pretty slowly. I find that I'm able to push it a little bit harder with a more rapid cadence at points, and then slow down and really enjoy the experience, especially the retrohale. Even when puffed lightly, it produces large volumes of smoke. It's dense on the palate. It's heavy. It's got that creamy texture and body that Latakia contributes, but it's also quite woody and spicy, especially through the first third of the bowl.

A Complex Bouquet of Flavor

Additionally, there are some nice hints of sweetness. I think some of that is coming from the Virginias themselves, maybe a touch from the Perique. Overall, it translates to this brown sugar-like sweetness and bready character that really enhances those undertones of loamy forest floor and really intense woody notes. The spiciness is really like a mix of spices: There are notes really reminiscent of baking spices, but also a little bit of pepper on the retrohale. The Perique sort of sits in the background. It's certainly present — adding a little bit of complexity, and amplifying some of those fruity notes — but it's in no way overbearing.

Further down the bowl, there's a little bit of mesquite wood smoke, and these bourbon barrel kinds of notes: There's just a hint of a vanilla, and this sort of malty, oaky kind of a thing. As the bowl develops, particularly on the retrohale, the fruity notes start to pick up: There's a little bit more sweetness and the spice continues to amplify. Occasionally, I'll get this intense burst of sweetness, almost like a strawberry jam and toast sort of flavor combination. It's quite a complex blend, but everything is really complementary. There's a lot going on, sure, but there's a really nice balance throughout the bowl and it's incredibly dynamic.

It continues to change. Just when I think I've got it pinned down, new flavors emerge — new hints of different sorts of spices and different dark fruits. I'm hesitant to say wine-like, especially since we tend to associate those notes with Syrian Latakia, but overall, this does remind me of a bold, mulled red wine. It feels somewhat festive, and I can see myself smoking this in the winter months, especially around the holidays. It smokes well in a variety of chamber sizes and in a variety of settings, but there's something about this that's comforting and sort of wintery to me.

Close to the halfway point, I start to get hints of floral notes as well as a more pronounced toasted character, even a little nuttiness. Interestingly, no Turkish leaf is disclosed in the tin description, so I'm assuming that the White Burley and toasted Cavendish are pinch-hitting for what the Turkish leaf would normally do. And overall, it is a little less floral and a little less perfumey; it's more toasty, a little bit more earthy. The Perique becomes more noticeable around this point, too, especially in the retrohale, and there's a hint of tartness that juxtaposes nicely with the woodiness and breadiness of the other components.

Like I said, there's just a lot going on here, but it's all really well balanced. For me, this is an all-day English flake. It can fade effortlessly into the background if you need it to, but there's also so much to discover if you pay attention. If you really want to dig deep, I'd recommend experimenting with aeration, with how much you rub out the flakes, and trying this blend in a number of different chamber sizes. I think you'll find a wider array of flavors and a more holistic view of what this blend has to offer. The more that you pay attention, the more that you'll notice just how complex this blend actually is.

Closing Thoughts

Anyone who's a fan of other Drucquer & Sons blends, especially things like Blairgowrie, will no doubt enjoy The Merry Monk. If you're looking for something a little less traditional, but still in that Scottish or English vein, then this is one to try. If you enjoy blends like Sam Gawith's Squadron Leader, or Peterson's Nightcap or My Mixture 965, you'll be right at home here. Unsurprisingly, the Dark Lord Greg Pease has knocked it out of the park again with this one. Just when I think that I know everything there is to know about English mixtures, Pease comes out with something else that throws me for a loop. And I really appreciate that. When I reach for blends of this family, I want to be transported back to the very first time I smoked Latakia mixtures, when I was tasting something unlike anything else I had ever smoked or tasted before. The added complexity, the added body, and the interesting use of components here — namely the White Burley, the Cavendish, and the Perique — lend something very special to this blend.

Tobaccos in this family can sometimes feel all pretty similar, with each blend riffing on another with differences in strength and body. But The Merry Monk stands out to me, for sure. Particularly with the Burley, with the Perique, and with the foundation of these Red and Bright Virginias, it's also a blend with long legs. This is an example of an English or Latakia blend that will likely age beyond what we typically expect for these types of mixtures. If you are looking for an all-day English flake with exceptional complexity, if you're looking for something that can fit into your rotation of heavier Latakia mixtures with a little more nuance, or if you're looking for something that you cellar deeply for the future, I highly recommend The Merry Monk.