| These days, Dan Tobacco's VA blends have a bit of a mixed history with me; DT use VAs a lot, and their uncased VAs are certainly top quality leaf. Yet they seem to specialise in the mild/very mild VAs, at least with their blends I had the chance to try out so far.
Imagine my surprise with this one, then. Opening the tin, I got a waft of VA grassiness with a lot of sweetness and a touch of spice. The leaf is a very bright ready-rubbed with little colour variation, perfect to smoke straight from the fresh tin.
On lighting, the VA is present from the beginning, the Orientals and KY join it a little later on in both taste and aroma. The taste is beautifully sweet and satisfying; the strength builds up throughout the bowl towards a rather gentle crescendo at the bottom, leaving behind a salt-and-pepper ash and no dottle.
Not a blend to wow me with its strength, it's a perfect morning tobacco for me: straight tobacco, satisfying taste and room note, gentle and cool burn, no leftovers. Beautiful.
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