The taste of this was strong to the point where it seemed somewhat character-less. It made me think of drinking a dark roast black coffee. If you like that taste, this might be your 'baccy. But if you prefer something less overpowering with a few delicate notes amidst the darkness, look elsewhere. This is like smoking a double maduro Honduran cigar as opposed to, say, a full flavored but fairly mild colorado Dominican. Very full taste, and the fullness of it is wearing. The taste buds are so busy dealing with the forest that they can't study the leaves. This is not to say it's a bad smoke but I had better success with it in a small-bowled pipe rather than the oversized ones I favor. As a 20-30 minute smoke, it was very nice. I just prefer a little more "color" if you will. But if you love virginia tobacco, I highly recommend that you at least try this. Email me - I can send you a sample. Please! :)

I hate to give this a bad review, because it seems that my tin was sub-par. I do not notice any or at least not many reviews here that note problems keeping this stuff lit. But I had a hell of a time with burning this stuff. I cut it into very thin coins, rubbed out and dried extensively, and I could never keep it lit for more than 30 seconds or so. I loaned some out to another smoker who had the same problem. But again, if others don't mention this problem, it was probably my tin (or, less likely, me). So take this with a grain of salt.

Also, the flavor was not to my liking. It tasted and smelled just like burning peat moss. Interesting but not pleasant.

Two stars for interest, and that's probably generous. But again, it was just one tin and this is just one review. Try it and see for yourself.

UPDATE....GOD GIVES PLEASURES IN MANY WAYS...AND THIS IS ONE OF HIS GIFTS TO MAN.

It lacks the edge to give it 4 stars but i think it could deserve three. Black XX is a great change of pace smoke.

Start by finding one end of the,,,,er...rope (?) and slicing off a couple of dimes worth. I use a fish filet knife for this step. Next, pick your favorite mild tobacco and pack half a pipe and then drop in a couple of the dimes worth of Black XX and pack as per normal with your mild stuff. Lite and puff and wait for the explosion. Wait for a day or two, repeat.

Over time,ease off on the mild stuff and now your ready! Unless you chew heavy duty tobacco and snort snuff I suggest that you do not try Black XX straight out of the bag, it might be a bit much.

NOTE: 11/18/08 I just received a new half pound from Smokingpipes and it's labeled "Black XX Finest". (?) Is this an improvement? I don't have any of the old stuff around to compare it to (I haven't attempted to cellar and age this tobacco) but it appears to be just as ugly and repulsive as regular old Black XX. If I use my imagination it might be a tad milder. But maybe I'm just toughening up to it.

Slice a few thin flakes, rub them out, fill the pipe, sit back and enjoy.

I am not very fond of this particular scent, so I used my supply to enliven otherwise weak and dull mixtures. As a spice tobacco it has been useful.

Samuel Gawith has very good tobacco blends. This one is not; money just gone with the wind?

smell: used car oil

Taste: dead bird, I couldnt find any tobacco taste.

If you like this kind of taste and smell this "tobacco" would please you

5/31/08 UPDATE.....As stated above this weed has moved up to a solid * * *

I cut it in thins coins, and cut the coins in half an rub it. I let it dry for 15 mins ( the tobacco layers were tighly packed, as if they were melted).

The smoke is smooth, creamy, with a dry fig, newly cut willow wood and Virginia smell, developing into a subtle homemade custardly smell ( custard made with milk, cornflour, sugar and vanilla pods, not the industrial custard ;o). It is a very nice smell and taste. By the last third of the bowl, I can feel the nicotine tingling in the back of my neck. It is a very nice, dry and smooth smoke. I love it .

I rate it with three stars because of the pre-work required ( you need some time to devote for preparing it) so it will not be one of my "default" tobaccos, but I will always keep it at hand.

I don't give any rating on room note ( I never do). Enjoy it.

Now the time came...a couple of nights ago I was at the Tinder Box in ATL and they were having a big fire sale (got the last tin of Murry's blended Royal Yacht they had for $6!) and as I walked around looking I spied this tin that said Black XX on it. Now you know what they say about curiosity. So for $6.00 I figured that if I didn't like it I could give it away or toss it.

After I got home I could not wait to open it up and see what I had invested in. Dog poop...but not just any dog poop. This dog poop was covered, and I mean COVERED in white crystels! Only recently have I learned what this means so I was even more excited!

So, this morning I took it out and cut off a couple of pieces of it and chopped them up with a butcher knife the same way I would celery, onions or whatever, diced them up real fine and then rubbed them out. Took about 30 seconds. Then I stuffed my Vintage Peterson 307 full and sat down with trash can nearby just in case...

Now mind you I was smoking on a FULL stomach. But here is my review, I know, FINALLY! LOL!

The first third of the bowl was very "full in taste". In otherwords it tasted totally like tobacco and very thick and heavy but there was no evidence of the nicotene. About a third of the way down the bowl my tongue started tingling and it got what I would call "spicy". It was about now that I got a tad light headed and could tell the nic was taking effect. Not overpowering by any means. Rather a nice simple buzz. Finally the last third of the bowl was a big surprise. It was almost as if someone had stuffed a piece of candy in my mouth. Kind of hard to describe really but it was absolutly plesant. It was simply sweet tasting to the end from this point and left a taste in my mouth that was sweet for about 2 hours after.

My roommate commented that he really liked the room note and that it smelled like one of those cheap cigars, swisher sweets or some such thing...the room note was very nice! And if you like big white billows of smoke this is definatly for you...I mean BIG SMOKE!

Now, I smoke U Flake pretty often and can tell you this, I get more buzzed off UF than I did today off of XX. That being said, perhaps it was because of the age of the XX that made it so good. I can tell you this. I am going to buy more and let it sit! I like it. Also it was fun to have a friend of mine over and see that he had the same experiance smoking it that I did. Very Plesant. Will write more about this after a couple of more smokes...

Joey