Wessex Dark Cavendish

I purchased this tobacco on a whim along with other blends from Pipes and Cigars. I'm not a big fan of aromatics and, from the website description, convinced myself that it'd be cased, but not as heavily as most aromatics. I am also fond of perique blends. Since the blend wasn't reviewed here I went for it.

Popping the tin seal I was greeted by a very familiar aroma. Searching around my cellar I found my dust-covered jar of Captain Black White Label, sniffed it and then sniffed the WDC. The aroma was heavier in the Captain Black but very much the same. The WDC had more dark cavendish than the Captain Black but each had about the same moisture content.

Packing a Kaywoodie Flame Grain brandy with the WDC, I fired it up. The taste was very similar to Captain Black White and the room note was similar as well. The smoke was plentiful and the mouth feel was, once again, very much like Captain Black.

I have experienced no bite. Moisture gathers in the heel of every pipe I use, but not overly so. Other than that it performs as well as any aromatic that is not overly goopy in each pipe I've used. Nicotine content is about average for any aromatic.

If there is perique in this mixture I have missed it each and every time I smoke it. There is no hint of pepper; there is no tingle. I have been tempted to add more to see if the taste changes but, honestly, the mixture is more aromatic than I expected, and I don't care to waste the perique. Maybe one of these days....

I have never tried Captain Black Dark (online pictures look the same) so I can't compare this to it. The WDC tin label says it is made in the US and, given WDC's flavor similarity to Captain Black White Label, I can't help but wonder if Lane has a hand in this blend.

For aromatic smokers this may be a mixture to try although I can't say it has anything over Captain Black. There is nothing overwhelmingly wrong with it but I won't be buying any more. I'll cellar it along side my modest Captain Black holdings for those times I'm in the mood for such.

Wessex - Dark Cavendish.

I opened this yesterday as I fancied a really ''lazy'' smoke. The name implied that's exactly what this is, but there's more to this than an expected gloopy vanilla Cavendish flavour. Yes, there's some weight, but that isn't all.

The aroma from the rugged, black and dark brown mixture is the first thing to imply there's more than just a sticky flavour on the way. Yes, there's sweet vanilla, but a more-than notable touch of sharp Perique. The blend loads easily, none is over-the-top where coarseness is concerned.

Straight off, the smoke is different to what I anticipated. The slightly dry tasting Cavendish is complimented by, IMO, a lot more than a ''touch'' of Perique. I get plenty of zing, zest, tanginess from the Perique but not so much spice or pepper. The vanilla isn't too obvious. There's a creaminess, stickiness, but not much notable vanilla flavour; IMO. Because, partly, of the coarse cut the smoke's cool, and as it wasn't too damp it burns well.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: not bad, not great.

Dark Cavendish? A surprisingly different smoke. Three stars:

Recommended.