Casing: Fruit + Citrus
Type: Air Cured + Ready Rubbed
Rich mature pure Virginia tobacco with sweet Cavendish. Dark Brown Honeydew and a small proportion of Perique. During the hot pressing process over several days natural fruit flavours are introduced to create a smooth, cool and slow burning mild tobacco.
"Ordered a tin from my dealer in Germany, very different from the one in the picture above: it seems like the McConnell brand has shifted to a more generic presentation. My disappointment towards the tin decoration was heavily compensated by the configuration of what was inside. This mixture has an impressive cut, some pieces still as large as the size of the original flake; beautiful color and texture if you gently feel the tobacco in the hand. The smell is also quite unique and puzzling.
I enjoy smoking the tobacco in its original cut although I recommend opening the tin for a little while and let some air go through those broken pieces before filling the pipe as it will save your taste buds from a little bit of the sourness or discomfort in the tongue – which, I believe, is almost inevitable in the first few puffs out of each bowl filled with this particular blend.
This has been mentioned as a starter's smoke - not so true as far as I can see. The aromas build slowly in the mouth and in a fashion more discretely than most newcomers would want to accept and I no doubt read a few comments on it that attest my claim. The chocolate flavoring makes the smoke velvety while there is definitely the taste of spirits as the bowl progresses. This blend is also just in the right proportion of perique for my taste: although I can clearly understand how the taste of liquor in conjunction with this particular tobacco in the blend might come as slightly nauseating to some. The whole flavour is finished with vague hints of fruit.
For full enjoyment, this tobacco begs for slow puffing, as slow as possible which not only makes it the more delicious – making its mild aroma come to life – but also a long lasting experience added that the peculiar cut takes a long time to burn. Smoke it indoors and nowhere else."
Bruno -TheDaillyPuffer
