Nat Sherman 205 Virginia/Perique

This gifted tin of 205 is initially about Perique, peppery, but not over-the-top. There is a little dried fruit (figs, raisins) that I associate with the Perique, and then a grassy, hay-like VA, and a bread crust or carmelized something that I don't where it originates (the casing?).

Moisture in this tin is just right. The burn is cool, dry, and clean leading me to think the casing is mild. I noticed it early on, but by mid bowl it is no longer evident. The last third of the bowl is VA that reminds me of Old Gowrie, but more complex. I am not overwhelmed by the nicotine. 205 is very well done. I highly recommend it.

A very nice and unusual blend from the "Natural" blending house of Nat Sherman. This tobacco carries some clout in a lot of different departments. The nicotine level is high, the Perique level is high and the added casing (whatever it is), is high.

The combination is unusual, delightful and satisfying. I rubbed out the broken flakes and let them sit for an hour before loading as the tobacco just seemed to be begging for an airing out. The tobacco smoked evenly and easily.

One of the more pleasant blends I've had in awhile but not one I would smoke more than once a day (it is an absolutely perfect 'change of pace' tobacco).

I bought this at the Nat Sherman shop in Manhattan. After sniffing the jars of many of Nat Sherman?s offerings I thought many of them were like MacBaren blends, that is, a little heavy on the flavorings. Not so with this one. This broken flake has rich, dark tones with just a hint of their more aromatically-flavored blends; fine tobacco is the dominant smell. The smoke is very flavorful and somehow sophisticated (what would you expect in Manhattan?): rich Virginia pecan pie (but not too sweet) is the base with Perique adding tangy, earthy, peppery top notes. The pipe fairly quickly yields that intense malty ambrosia that I associate with the finest Virginias, with the other notes adding interesting complexity. One DGT attempt was not very good (not as good as e.g., Hal O? the Wynd, but I don?t DGT often; this experiment needs to be repeated). In one sitting, the flavors build to a wonderful finish. There is a fair amount of nicotine in this blend. It goes well with coffee in the morning or whisky after dinner, or just by itself. I tip my hat to the blender who created this well-balanced blend.

Update: This blend looks a lot like McClelland 2015. It doesn't taste exactly like 2015, however. I stored it in a vacuum-sealed jar for a couple years and tried it again. It seems to go sour on me, imparting some slightly unpleasant aromatic flavor, or bitter. When the burn rate is just right, it is excellent, but it's easy to get off flavors when you puff outside a limited flow rate. I have just tried heating it 220 deg F for 2 hr with a little Speyside scotch to see if that makes it better.

I AM GIVING THIS BLEND FOUR STARS ON THE MERIT THAT I WAS SUPRISED HOW GOOD IT REALLY IS. I AM NOT A VA/PER HOWEVER, I DO ENJOY SOME ST. JAME PERIQUE WHEN USE PROPERLY IN A BLEND AS FOUND HERE. THE ORANGE & RED VIRGINIA IS SLIGHTLY SWEET BUT TANGY THE PERIQUE IS THERE IN THE RIGHT PERPORTIONS. WHICH SNEEKS IN AND OUT WITH A PEPPER SNAP ON YOUR TONGUE.GOOD SHOW OLD MAN NAT!!!!!!! TO A JOB DONE WELL. BLEND #205 BURNS VERY CLEAN LEAVES ONLY A WHITE ASH. II HAVE TO SAY A GOOD CHOICE. TO PACK THIS BLEND YOU NEED ONLY A GENTLE RUB AND I LET IT SIT OUT FOR A COUPLE HOURS ONLY TO KEEP THE BURN AT THE RIGHT LEVEL. REMINDS ME A BIT OF HOW MACBARENS USED TO BE BACK IN THE EARLY 1980'S AS FAR AS TEXTURE. #209 IS GOOD STUFF FOUND ONLY AT THE 5TH AVE STORE. AS FAR AS IT BEING AN AROMATIC.#209 SMELLS WONDERFUL IN THE JAR AND TO MOST PIPE DUDES. BUT WHEN LIT CLEAR THE HOUSE LADIES. A SIDE NOTE THE STAFF WAS WONDERFUL AT THE NEW SHOP. I WAS VERY PLEASED AFTER WALKING THROUGH A SNOW STORM TO GET THIER FOR MY STOGIES. WILL BE BACK FOR A POUND SOON OF #209. ENJOY I ALSO PICKed UP A Sample OF #649 AND NAT SHERMANS VIRGINIA FLAKE. I AM TRYING TO HAVE THIS SITE LIST THEM FOR A REVIEW

I gave this a 3 star but I am not usually into aromatics. I think what convinced me this was different than the usual dessert tobaccos that I have tried is the Perique. Not gooey as I have experienced with other flavoured blends. Very nice cut and burns well leaving a nice grey, light ash. Not one of my favorites but when I want a vanilla, will grab a tin. Much better than "down the street" tobacco shop brand of Barclay and Rex's. Still need to try the MacBaren's blend which I heard was one of the better vanilla blends.