| I must be crazy. The name of this blend is "Evening Standard," and the previous (and so far only) reviewer had already noted this as a Latakia bomb. So I should be smoking this in the evening.
I opened the tin in the early afternoon one day after running out of another English blend. The tin note is, of course, smoky, with a bit of sweetness and a steamy- meaty note on the side. The leaf is very dark brown to black with some bright yellow VA highlights. The ready-rubbed mentioned in the description on DanPipe's website must be rubbed very well indeed; I cannot find any in the mix--but the dark VA is definitely there.
The leaf is ready to light straight out of the tin--no excessive moisture--lights up easily and burns slowly. The taste starts out smoky and sweet (my favourite combination...), satisfyingly full, and deepens a little throughout the smoke. Evening Standard has been compared to Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend, and yes, it compares. Favourably. I find more depth and sweetness in ES, and much more meatiness.
I definitely like, and will honour the name in the future. This is a full after-dinner mixture that should go well with a peaty Islay or Orkney Single Malt.
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