| Though I agree with the review below, I would like to add the following.
If your hands are dry and you practice, you can rub this out successfully.
This tobacco is quite rich and tasty. The sweetness and tang remind me of a sultry summer night near the ocean. It even tastes slightly salty to me.
Quite good, one of my favorites.
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| "St. Johns" is Fader's in-house label for McClelland #2035 Dark Navy Flake. This is a dark, pressed, and stoved tobacco made from bright Virginia leaf. It provides a long, cool smoke and is great for the outdoors as it won't burn too hot in the wind.
Packaged in bulk, this is a very dense broken flake. It arrives rather moist, and will probably require some drying time before smoking. The flake is a bit difficult to rub out - breaking down not so much into ribbon as smaller chunks of broken flake. The result of this is that it can be difficult to get and keep lit, but has the advantage of slow, cool burning. A medium sized bowl of this tobacco will last you at least an hour. Be careful not to overpack.
Once properly lit, St. John's burns fairly cool. The flavor is rich and dark, with a nice balance of sweetness and fruity tartness. The smoke can be a bit thin, though, due to the dense flake. Avoid overpuffing to get thicker mouthfuls of smoke - push this too hard, and the sugary stoved Virginia leaf will bite you good. Take your time, and this is a very rewarding leaf.
Aroma is typical of straight Virginia - not offensive (except to the diehard anti-) but nothing that's going to earn compliments, either. It's a clean smell that doesn't linger.
If you like McClelland Dark Star or other deep-stoved Virginias, this will be satisfying tobacco for a good price.
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