This one doesn't have the complexity of the SG offering. Sweetness is muted but it does have some depth thanks to the dark leaf. The bright VAs are to the forefront, and if you don't pay respect, they'll hurt you. This is the sharpness that other reviewers have noted and it can be a bit much. The way to tame it is to make sure that the tobacco is properly dry (it comes very moist), and of course, to smoke at a sensible pace. I am sure aging would help a lot too.

From the above it sounds like this blend ain't all that, but in fact it has quite a bit going for it. Once you have tamed the bite using the methods above it is actually pretty forgiving and easy to smoke. Unlike some straight VA blends it isn't really that fussy about pipe or preparation (moisture level excepted), it doesn't need a lot of relights and I don't find it lacking in flavour. Of course, being GH&Co, the quality of the leaf goes without question and N satisfaction comes easily.

In summary, the lack of complexity and rough edges mean that it isn't going to make the 4 star mark, but it is definitely a solid tobacco. It would very interesting to see how it responds to a couple of years in a jar - and since I can buy it at a new found tobacconist near my office, this is an experiment I am planning to conduct.

Edit: I'm currently smoking a bowl that had a tiny pinch (and I do mean tiny) of blending perique added before setting it out to dry. It's very nice - still rough and ready, but not the disaster it could have been. Splendid.

I tried mixing with a small amount of blending perique which gave good results but the Curly Cut was easily overpowered.

This blend has none of the floral aromas which are usually associated with lakeland tobaccos but it does have a subtle richness (is that an oxymoron?) and an underlying natural sweetness which makes for an enjoyable overall experience.

I'll give it a recommended because it is of such high quality and if your palette is light enough you may never want to smoke anything else. As for me, I'll probably buy it once in a while when I'm in the mood but I imagine I'll always be slight disappointed.

The quality of the leaf is apparent, and the bright Virginia burns with no problems. I never found Curly Cut to be a hot burning smoke, just a boring one.

Some people say that CC reminds them of the 'old' Three Nuns. Personally, I don't see it, except in terms of the cut. I think, though, that it might be interesting to add some Perique to it. Anyone who experimented with this suggestion might manage to create something close to 'old' Three Nuns, and this would be a very worthwhile outcome. (I see from an earlier review, though, that this has already been tried, with no great result. Maybe keep on experimenting with the proportions?)

Curly Cut packs and lights effortlessly, however the inconsistency of the cut (see below) can affect the burn. The smoke envelopes the tongue with body and flavor. It has a no-nonsense, natural tobacco flavor that is slightly sweet in the mid-range, but with enough depth to be satisfying. I may taste a slight tartness as well. The flavor remains consistent throughout the bowl. Based on the flavor and what I?ve read over the years, I would imagine the composition is dark-fired Virginias with possibly a little burley (which I believe I taste), and bright Virginias from South America. The nicotine level is full, but not overwhelming at all. It could be easily smoked before breakfast or after a meal late in the day. The room note is of a natural tobacco that would probably not be a party pleaser.

I don?t smoke Curly Cut everyday, but like Stonehaven, every time I smoke it I wonder why this isn?t my everyday tobacco. I have no explanation for my behavior; I just seem to migrate to a McClelland Virginias more often, perhaps due to McClelland?s high notes which are missing here. I do not mean to compare blends; I am just thinking aloud, so to speak, about my smoking habits.

Curly Cut is an outstanding blend that I recommend highly to lovers of natural tobaccos. My only complaint is the inconsistency of the cut. I wish all the ribbons were spun into discs. I don?t believe the loose ribbons are all unraveled discs; I believe some are added to keep costs down. All in all, this is a minor complaint.

Update 12/24/06: I just purchased a 500g bag of Curly Cut and all of the tobacco is in disc form. It appears that in my previous sample the discs had just come unraveled. Now I don't even have a small complaint about this wonderful tobacco. I sealed that 500g in a Mason jar for aging. I'll report back in about 5 years. I'm expecting great things!

I tried this in several pipes,and it tends to be better in a small bowl. Nicotene happy,stout,heady,natural with no sweetners. It's like a pretty woman thats swears like a sailor.

This doesn't have the richness and variation of 3N. The flavor is thinner, more brittle (appreciators might use the term "focused"). This blend doesn't do it for me, but I can tell it is a quality tobacco. So, while I will never smoke it again, I will give it a three stars for those who might.

Just a delight. I pack the disc's into an old favored Charatan and it is off to some quality "downtime". As with this type of tobacco, I rubbed out several for the final topping of the bowl to assist in the lighting and it did not need a re-light. The taste was smooth and consistent throughout the run of the bowl. A very satisfying, medium smoke.

This satisfies nicely, but the room note is... Well, very bad. Let me take you back in time...

Loomis, California, Summer, July 13th,1998, my mom's cat JENNA ate SOMETHING that she shouldn't have, and desperately relieved herself of the noxious, burning substance within her bowels, causing an unspeakable olfactory holocaust for the homo sapiens sharing the domicile. This incident roused the entire family, and the evidence of the incident permeated the whole house for an entire day. The room note, whilst not nearly as severe, reminded me of this occasion, and I do not exaggerate.

Just out of interest I added some blending Perique to a small amount but didn't leave it to meld or age at all. It was not an improvement. It might work better if aged a month or two. But it really doesn't need it at all. The tobaccos used are of first class quality.