"Do you like my orange roadster?" I ask.

"It's very sporty, dear," she replies, "although I didn't think you liked high- impact colors like orange."

"I've changed. You've changed me. I feel....so alive!"

Other reviewers have extolled the wonderful tin aroma of figs and grass; the room note is nothing to write home about; but the taste, while a little strong for a Sunday afternoon picnic in June, is delightfully spicy with a full mouth of tobacco flavor and is highly recommended.

"More wine, my dear?"

I light this stuff up and it blows me away. The Golden Virginia is sweet and tangy, lemon grass and hot cereal. With just enough Perique, and the Turkish tobacco’s sweet, salt-air flavor, It’s different, it’s delicious. Complex and just darn tasty.

Definitely one of my new favorites. If I could give it 5-Stars I would.

After just a few weeks the tin note smelled more of figs and a subtle smell of prunes. I would open the tin at times just to inhale the aroma. As a I smoked this 2 week old tin it had become more complex with a longer finish. Virginia tobaccos were in the forefront, the Turkish blended into the back for the finish with a touch of pepper from the Perique. It tasted of fruit, maybe fig or prunes and a subtle sweetness that wasn't there before.

A month later, It had changed again. I know, just a month. I couldn't place the tin aroma but then it struck me. It smelled like bread with a hint of dried fig. The smoke was now even more complex, smoother than before, and rich with flavors of leather, dried grass, wood, mild pepper, and a mildly sweet grassy long finish. Room note had not changed. If you like Va's this is worth a try.

I should say that this was my first experience with the newer C&D flakes (the much older Bayou Morning Flake was an early, favorite smoke), and they do it differently, which I like. The thick flakes look beautiful lined up in the protective sleeve, their squarish shape perfectly sized to the C&D two ounce tin. It's a very light press, and they fall apart easily upon handling, reminiscent of Penzance. I can't say whether C&D flakes will get firmer over time, but it's a welcome change, and it's nice to see something other than a ribbon or a compressed ribbon crumble cake. My only complaint would be the paper insert, which embeds little white shards in the tobacco, and can be a pain to fish out of the flakes. I noticed that the newer Samuel Gawith tins also have this problem, and it's annoying.

This blend has some strength to it, though not quite overpowering, certain to give you a nic jolt in a larger bowl. It's rather sweet, though not so much as McClelland's Tudor Castle, another blend that does the Virginia/Turkish/Perique combo very well (and the first to get me on this mix). I've found the Perique there more for power than taste, and having missed its inclusion while reading the tin description, had a bit of an "ahah!" moment while scouring the reviews. The components are enough to vary the flavor through the smoke, beginning with familiar hay-like notes, and deepening as the sugars caramelize into a toasty, slow burning explosion of complimentary flavors, the Turkish leaf contributing a bit of spiciness, but mostly restrained.

Now, with my Sunday Picnic finished, I'm off to Union Square, and I suspect there will be more stops down the line.

Five of Five.

As I normally smoke C&D Bayou Morning as a first smoke of the day I was expecting a VaPer experience - classic Va and Perique with some Turkish notes. What I got at first light was a blend in which all three components seemed in equally weighed roles. I did not expect that as that is what I assessed sibling blend Red Carpet to be a VAPer with the Izmir in condiment quantity.

If a pipe blend could be considered food, Sunday Picnic would be gourmet fare. It is aptly named as both elegant and worthy of leisurely Sunday afternoon enjoyment. While Red Carpet with its Red VAs is sweet, Sunday Picnic with its Golden VAs is a robust VAPer with the initial taste reminding me of blend containing a Thracian rather than something from Smyrna. But what do I know? I got a taste of well-cured Kalamata olives (which I love).

This is a wonderful offering obviously blended by someone who loves his art. I can only handle this a once or twice a week however. Not that it is bad, it is great. But it for me at least requires the respect of full attention and unrushed enjoyment. I will be buying more if that helps this stumbling review.

A Great smelling, tasting,smoking flake which has now his own place in my cellar.

This cool burning blend will pack some punch without jackhammering the palate. It also has a nice sweet, "herbal" type undertone.

A true bell ringer in my book!

Here's what I thought was good about it: it demonstrates why every other blend of izmir and virginia has latakia. While it's interesting and flavorful at the top it lacks depth and dimension at the bottom to harmonize the stuff. It felt... stretched. It is like wearing a silk suit, silk tie and fine leather shoes without shirt and socks. According to the many 4-star ratings I am one of the few not hoping for more versions of this novel combination.