Bufflehead Wood Duck

A very unique presentation of leaf in crumble cake form. It is not really unusual for most blends but for a Scottish blend, it sure was. I'm not sure how the cut enhanced the overall presentation but it did. Just a marvelous stroke of genius by the blender. The light Virginia leaf had just the right burst of flavor from top to bottom of each bowl. I only purchased one tin and smoked it several years ago. And, one more thing I put in my notes was that this blend, for some reason, had a bit of a bite.

Pipestud

Update: Bufflehead tobacco's are no longer available at any price so my personal recommend rating must go down 2 stars because even if you found a tin, the price you would pay would be too great.

I have waited for my bulk bag to arrive for review. Large yellow and orange flakes. I loved the sample so much i ordered enough to age in a couple of ball jars. This blend tastes like orange/honey barbeque with that tangy aroma in the bag. Just like King Eider it has a nice leather like feel. Ever so enjoyable. I'll always have this on hand.

* Update - Today is 3/27/05 Easter Sunday and i opened one of my Ball Jars that was dated 1/2004. The tobacco has some sugar crystals on the flakes and has lost all of its bite. I smoked two bowls this morning without fatigue. Age certainly makes a wonderful virginia even better. I will order more tommorow so i have for next easter. ~Great stuff this Wood Duck

This is another one of those great Virginias from David Windsor. It comes as a partially rubbed out flake that has a sour-sweet aroma similar to apple cider vinegar. Lighting takes a bit of effort, due to the cut and the moisture content of the tobacco. Rubbing out a small amount more fully at the top of the bowl helps. Once lit, it takes an average amount of relights and responds well to slow smoking. The flavor starts out with a very nice tangy sweetness reminiscent of high quality Virginia tobaccos. This continues through the first third of the bowl, then the sweetness gradually fades into the background without ever completely leaving. A complex tartness remains, never completely settling into one note, but constantly changing as the bowl burns to the bottom. This is a wonderful tobacco which has now become my gold standard in Virginias. Wood Duck is definitely a good all day smoke, neither too high in nicotine or overbearing in flavor. I'm glad to hear Dave's tobaccos will soon be available again, Wood Duck being one of the first blends put into distribution. The only thing that could be improved would be to again make it available in bulk. If it ever is again, rest assured I will lay back a few pounds.

This was my first experience with Bufflehead Tobaccos, and as others have experienced, this is one fine purveyor of tobaccos. Great service and communications.

As to the tobacco, Bufflehead has McClellands perform their magic in actually blending the tobacco (so I am told). That said, I could not detect the classic McClelland vinigar smell. The tobacco was a bit moist for my liking, but after a few hours exposed to the elements of my kitchen, the tobacco was ready to smoke.

Upon first light, I was immediately taken in by the citrus overtones. This continued most of the way through the bowl, but was at times put into the background by a smooth, creamy flavor. Toward the bottom of my 4oz bag, I did find myself wanting a bit more strength from this tobacco. However, overall, I thought this was a very good all-day Virginia blend. I would expect that with some aging, this would be a wonderful blend. Also, the price point makes this a real bargain.

Wood Duck is yet another beautifully made Virginia cake that smokes well without captivating me. It has great depth of taste, ranging from a very light sweetness to a pronounced smokiness, almost like a stoved Virginia, but with no intensity of flavor and not enough development to keep me interested after smoking a couple of ounces. It can burn hot and is the devil's own business to get lit.

On the other hand, this blend is billed as an "all-day Virginia" and what I view as flaws probably work to its advantage as an habitual smoke.

Wood Duck is also a fine hot-weather smoke but it won't find room among my store of favored Virginias.

In the realm of bulk VA tobaccos, this is one worthy of consideration. Wood Duck is just what the description states; a quality light bodied tobak for nearly any occasion. This is a visually appealing tobacco consisting of mostly chocolate colored flakes w/lighter browns and blonds mixed in. Pouch aroma is fermented VA sweetness which translates to the flavor nicely. Rubs out well enough and packs and lights suitably. Moisture level was acceptable but some air time wouldn't hurt. Keep it loose @ the bottom especially in deeper bowls which is what I've been smoking this in. The typical VA tongue tingle is present straightaway, but after about 1/3 of the bowl it mellows into a softer smoke. I enjoy the sweet/tart/tangy flavor that one gets when smoking this, and I like the fact that it isn't too sharp @ any point in the smoke. There is a bit of a citrusy note present w/sort of a lemon/orange character to it. Not much trouble w/gurgling, just a one cleaner swab about 1/2way down. Gets a wee bit harsh/bitter @ the bottom but not overly unpleasant. Smoking cool, smooth, dry, slow, naturally sweet and zesty, this is a satisfying VA that could, most definitely, be smoked all day. Practically no bite and, getting richer after the 1/2way mark, smokes down to a gray ash leaving the pipe relatively dry. I like this tobak, however, I feel that being a McC. manufactured blend it isn't much different than 1 or 2 other McC. bulk blends. IMHO, FWIW, I find that it's akin to perhaps #2010. Maybe it is #2010, I can't say. The price for this (4oz. @ $6.50) is most easy to accept and David is a most hospitable shoppe keeper. Surely worth trying. Works for me.

Man was I lucky to stumble across this stuff! I received a sample of this from a kind ASPer. I didn't know what to think of this blend at first, because it has a strong lemon tin aroma that could easily put someone off at first whiff. Further, I was indifferent after smoking the first bowl. However, this blend has really grown on me and quickly become one of my favorites. It's comprised mostly of lighter colored tobacco in krumble kake form. The sample I received was pretty dry, so I'm not sure of the moisture content straight from the tin. It packs easily, lights easily and burns well to a light fluffy ash. LSW made positive comments on the room note, which is most unusual. I still can't tell if this blend is topped or not, because while it smells like an aromatic in the tin, and mildly like an aromatic while burning, it does not taste like one. Therefore I erred on the side of caution on the flavoring rating. The taste is great, light, citrusy and very refreshing. Like the description says, this is definitely a good all day smoke. It has some complexity, but is not overly so. It doesn't require my full attention, especially since it doesn't bite me at all, which is also unusual for a Virginia. I think this is a nice straightforward smoke. It also DGTs quite nicely and does not haunt the bowl. I promptly called David at Bufflehead and ordered a couple of tins, which now come in 8oz. containers. I look forward to seeing how this blend ages. A real winner! (12/01)