jolly
Well-Known Member
I recently purchased 4 lbs of tobacco from WLT containing the following:
1 lb dark fire cured
1 lb light fire cured
1 lb latakia
1 lb bright leaf
I thought I'd review these as I smoke them and begin blending. My thought on ordering tobacco is to only buy what I can't currently produce myself. Since I'm sure the HOA would frown on fire curing, anything made with smoke I'll have to purchase for time being.
When the package arrived the smell was awesome ( unless you're my wife, who thought it reeked). I dove into the bag of light fired first. I'm pretty familiar with the other ingredients since I smoke a lot of English blends and Gawith and Hoggarth rope and plug tobaccos, but I wasn't sure what I'd do with light fire cured.
The leaf is dark brown and has a wonderful woodsy smokey smell. On unfolding, the leaves are huge! They have a nice leathery feel and oily sheen. I took one quarter of one leaf and rolled it into a cigar shape and made some big ribbon. I've had two bowls now (and probably have two bowls left).
Fired it up in a small clay cutty. The taste is fantastic. It has a nice smokey smell and taste, but also a very pleasant, slightly sweet natural tobacco flavor. It reminds me a lot of Samuel Gawith's brown rope #4 only a bit milder and not so nicotine heavy. The first bowl required lots or relights. Suspecting this was due to moisture, I aired the rest a bit. The second bowl burned better, but still some relights. I think further drying will help as well as experimenting with the cut. As far as blending, I want to add something that will help with the burn without muting the beautiful flavor of this stuff. Maybe some burley from lower stalk positions and a touch of the bright leaf. Anyway, it's fantastic on its own.
1 lb dark fire cured
1 lb light fire cured
1 lb latakia
1 lb bright leaf
I thought I'd review these as I smoke them and begin blending. My thought on ordering tobacco is to only buy what I can't currently produce myself. Since I'm sure the HOA would frown on fire curing, anything made with smoke I'll have to purchase for time being.
When the package arrived the smell was awesome ( unless you're my wife, who thought it reeked). I dove into the bag of light fired first. I'm pretty familiar with the other ingredients since I smoke a lot of English blends and Gawith and Hoggarth rope and plug tobaccos, but I wasn't sure what I'd do with light fire cured.
The leaf is dark brown and has a wonderful woodsy smokey smell. On unfolding, the leaves are huge! They have a nice leathery feel and oily sheen. I took one quarter of one leaf and rolled it into a cigar shape and made some big ribbon. I've had two bowls now (and probably have two bowls left).
Fired it up in a small clay cutty. The taste is fantastic. It has a nice smokey smell and taste, but also a very pleasant, slightly sweet natural tobacco flavor. It reminds me a lot of Samuel Gawith's brown rope #4 only a bit milder and not so nicotine heavy. The first bowl required lots or relights. Suspecting this was due to moisture, I aired the rest a bit. The second bowl burned better, but still some relights. I think further drying will help as well as experimenting with the cut. As far as blending, I want to add something that will help with the burn without muting the beautiful flavor of this stuff. Maybe some burley from lower stalk positions and a touch of the bright leaf. Anyway, it's fantastic on its own.
