First impressions were a bit intimidating, the perique burnt my nose and I could not get past the tongue bite. So I tried again and again until I figured out the correct dryness and level of rubbing the stuff out. After that this smoke showed its true colors.

Great va/per that sets a good standards for all others to be judged against. Will buy again.

soli Deo gloria!

Four stars.

As where Duhill's Rolls are light to medium brown, Escudo is medium dark brown. As where Duhill smells of grassy VA with a hint of sweeteness, Escudo smells of plums, dates, and matured VAs.

As where Dunhill is definitively on the sweet side, and burns sowewhat properly, Escudo is more on the spicy side and burns well and evenly.

As where you search for any plum or peppery taste and strength from the Perique in Duhill, Escudo will unveil it. Far from as present as Haddo's Delight or Fillmore, this is Perique in small dose, just the way I like it.

As where in Duhill, the VA dominate all the way with its sweet side, Escudo tastes of well matured VAs, dates, tobacco and plum.

Recommended.

I am primarily an English/Balkan fan, and so it's somewhat odd that my first review should be of a VaPer. However, just having finished a bowl, it seemed like a good time to start. I smoked this in an oversized Sevket Gezer meerschaum and I have to say it was wonderful. I didn't rub out the flakes, they had already fallen apart somewhat in the mason jar that I am using for storage. Instead I wadded up a large plug (probably two coils worth) and stuffed it upside down into the bowl. I followed through with two more plugs totaling about another coils worth. After two charring lights it burned down without further relights. That's unusual for me.

At the start it was mellow and sweet with plenty of thick white smoke. I couldn't really detect much perique at first, but the virginias were sweet and subtle with no bite or tanginess that can sometimes plague my sensitive tongue. As the bowl progressed I could detect an increasing spiciness from the perique and a slight tingle that was quite pleasant. By about the last third of the bowl the nicotine made itself known (I'm sensitive to that too), but it was easily controlled by slowing down my puffing. The spiciness built to the end but never dominated.

This blend makes me want to explore more flakes in large bowls. Giving it a 4 star rating means I will almost certainly be buying more. There are so many great blends available that there seems little point smoking anything less than 4 stars.

A very refined tobacco that benefits from some attention being paid to get the most out of it. Highly recommended.

Lord Ebsworth

what surprised me the most about my first bowl was that it was much more subtle than i expected, after reading all the posts i thought i was going to get knocked over the head and wake up in tobacco heaven. what i got was elegance, balance, and amazing smokeability. yes, a VaPer with elegance. this is quality tobacco and the people who make this know exactly the way to blend the right leaf and extract from them the flavours they want. the perique is snappy and peppery but never overbearing while the sweetness of the Va comes through for support lest the perique feels like it wants to take over. all the components of this blend are in synch.

pack your pipe with these beautifully cut coins and enjoy. no bite, not even a nibble. a bit of a nic hit, but i can live with that.

Fold and stuff. (Remember if you rub it too much, you’re playing with it.) Lights well, burns like a champ. Minimal relights get you to a fine ash finish.

Burning the Virginia gives us yeasty, grain sweetness of baked tasties, and grassy flavors with those dusty hay loft notes. The Perique holds it’s own, peppery, earthy, sour tastes balance the sweet Virginia. Since we “taste” Perique mostly with our nose rather than our tongue, Try “heading” the smoke like a fine cigar. (Without inhaling, fill the mouth with smoke, then push it up through the sinuses and slowly out the nose.) This showcases the quality of this delicious Perique, by pushing it to the foreground. This is a definite favorite, the best VaPer I‘ve had so far.

With respect to the flavor, I, unlike some others, do not find this to be particularly sweet. The virginias do give it some sweetness, but nothing unusual or more than average. The perique is well balanced, and this does not seem to be super spicy. I would describe it as smooth, medium bodied smoke with a little spice and sweetness to be found in rich tobacco flavor. It is richer and more flavorful than Dunhill Navy Rolls, for example. The perique is noticeable in the room note, but not in a harsh way, and overall my impression is one of harmony.

With respect to the burn characteristics, what is really notable is that you can accomplish relights without increasing the level of bite, something that is often not the case. Of course, it burns so easily, and cooly, that I was surprised when I reached the bottom of the bowl.

This is an example of one of those rare blends which does everything right. It is not going to overwhelm you with flavor or nicotine, but everything is in balance, like the finest cigars (but not the taste, lest you be misled), and you do not have to fight it during your smoking session. This is an extraordinarily satisfying smoke, and should be considered an essential non-latakia blend to have in your arsenal. It really is that good.

The flavors are what you would expect to find in a vaper. Coffee, toast, bread baking, sweet spices, sweet grassiness, fruity, lightly pepperery, and very complex when sipped slowly. The virginias here are top quality and reveal the true magic that lies in those leaves when blended properly.

The strength is a solid medium, and can drift to the strong borderline if your cadence gets a bit rushed. No tongue bite. NONE. Smooth and flavorful from first light to the bottom of the bowl. Moisture is just a bit more than I like from the tin, but easily remedied with a few moments of air time. DGT works well with this one and you get a bit of the toasted marshmellow flavor after the relight.

Fantastic blend in all repects. Four solid stars. Cheers.

After several bowls of Escudo end to end, I found the next tobacco in my daily rotation, now lost some of its delicate flavors, a price I’m not willing to pay, because of too much Perique (spice) in my last smoke. I guess it’s just me, but preique has a flavor deadening effect on my taste buds, and a little goes a looong way. So for that reason, I prefer others. Bottom line, I forked out ten bucks plus S/H for a Virginia flake, not a tobascco flake, am I asking to much for at least a dominant Virginia, I don’t find that in Escudo. Guess I'll try some aging and see what happens. For what it is, 2.5 stars. My personal rating, 2/5

Addendum… This tobacco 50/50 with PS Luxury twist, addresses my complaint nicely.