Bufflehead American Widgeon

I have wanted to correct the tin description of American Widgeon for some time with a review, as it is one of my favorite blends. This is a burley blend. It?s possible that there may be a bit of mature Virginia as a condiment, but this is mostly wonderful burley in a ribbon cut. David Windsor from The Bufflehead Shop had told me this was a burley blend, and made no mention of anything else. But then, he used only the most general terms, as any tobacconist would do.

Upon opening a tin, you cannot help but smell something I think is similar to molasses. But there may be a spirit. The spirit scent is fleeting and seems to disappear soon after opening. But it may contribute to the flavor. Chocolate. I have, after nearly three years of smoking this blend, detected a slight chocolate scent. Keep in mind this is a 2 year old tin. There may be something from the aging process that I detected. Moisture is near perfect, but not dry. Care should be taken when packing. It?s a mix of different brown colors, leading me to believe that it?s not just a pure white burley.

I have little trouble smoking it. It lights easily. I need to dump the ash occasionally, as many of my pipes are large bowls. Probably why I find this blend so satisfying. It has a lovely creamy, nutty flavor, with a rich sweetness that is just right. I don?t find any bitterness in a bowl. But that may just be my technique improving. There is a slight taste of a spice. When allowed to tickle the nose, the smoke enhances the experience a lot. I often get compliments from others on how nice this blend smells. It?s one of those blends that seem to bring back fond memories of family members who smoked a pipe.

What is it similar too? I have found that it has a lot in common with Wessex Burley Sliced, but slightly spicy in taste. So that makes me think that it?s possibly similar to the old Edgeworth Sliced, but I have no experience with it. Yes, I highly recommend it, but since it?s not available retail at the moment, you are going to have to get it from someone?s cellar.

Enjoy! Carlos

Burn properties, smoke volume, and aromas of American Widgeon are typically Virginia. In medium and smaller bowls I couldn't lose the gurgle and bitey aspects altogether, and, with better-behaved Virgina blends out there, I'm too lazy to fuss with one like this. But I'm not an "everyday" Virginia smoker so the pros would likely do better with AW. The real downside (to me) of American Widgeon is it is simply too, too mild, as in "Way too mild". Some Folks would probably be rightfully thrilled with it but I'm not one of 'em so, even considering its' nice aromas, I can find only one star for American Widgeon.