Aroma: none

Taste: strong, but in a different way than, i.e., full bodied EM or cuban leaves mixtures; rich in nicotine

Room note: surprisingly not strong

Burning: quite fast, smoke not heavy, not dense

Best briars: ... no briars, it gives its best in corn cobs (really!)or magnesium silicate meerschaum; it's useful to "clean" a pipe from unwanted aromas, one only bowl burns away every reminiscence better than napalm!

Recommended, but moderation is necessary, it's a good, "macho", tobacco, I could smoke not more than two bowls in a day, at the third it can be mouth inflammatory, at the fourth sometimes the room begins to turn around you: if this tobacco is not strong enough for you, you can only try TNT, for your LAST bowl...

A fully natural tobacco is nowadays something very rare, indeed... It is something reminding of old times... before all those fancy tobaccos were around people were smoking this and, I can tell you, they were really right.

It is a simple tobacco in the making... based on mixing italian tobaccos (mainly Kentucky), but it's not so simple in the tasting process as it is, despite its strength, very elusive: smokey with a hint of wood and pepper, I think, and reminding me, at low temperature and around half of the bowl, of nutmeg.

It has a full nicotine kick, so it is more adapt, I think, for late evening... could make a very nice last pipe of the day, but nothing to be afraid of if you smoke it with the due respect... even for your briar as it can burn very hot (cut is very thin and moisture very low).

The perfect tobacco for a bonfire at the seaside, I feel, or for being reflexive.

A last thing... Room note of this is quite strong and nothing your wife would gladly smell on her curtains.

4 Stars, and I subscribe!

Type: Natural strong ; Contents: Italian Kentucky, Beneventano, Nostrano del Brenta ; Cut: Very thin shag, ut to 1 mm ; Humidity: Dry but not dehydratated ; Lighting: After the starting explosion burn fast like the Hell! ; Pipe recommended: Bent or with long mouthpiece, small and thin bowl (for your own safety!).

I cut this short since I underwrite most of the esteemed Beer's review. There is nothing subtle in a plain/robust Kentucky like this. Just a strong, earthy, Toscano-ish, masculine smoke. Something of the likes of the French Scaferlati (I still have two small cubes of that), old time (or grandfather's) stuff.

I would add that the quality of the tobacco has improved so much from the times ago when Comune and Forte (and Nazionale...) were packed in those small 20grms paper packs, and I may fully understand those pipsters devoting themselves to an "organic" tobacco like this.

Regarding me, after 10grms smoked straight in pipes of various sizes, always with pleasure, I have immediately started experimenting mixing with some Virginias. Very good results are coming from mixing three parts of Forte with one of HOTW.

Recommended... to myself obviously.

Forte can be smoked even carelessly: you can stuff it in a corncob, and you only have to take care not to rush it. Being very finely cut (it can be used for RYO too) and dry, it can turn hot and quite bitter.

Anyway, a tobacco that has many decades of history on its shoulders: plain robust old stuff, with lots of taste, a pleasant nuttiness and cigar overtones.

Many old smokers in Italy (but also some young ones) swear by this tobacco, as it is cheap, completely natural and without frills.

I bet that blending with some Virginias and some more delicate Kentuckys can lead to interesting experiments. I know some people who also add it to EMs to "spice them up".