BriarWorks International Back Down South

(2.68)
Travel down south with BriarWorks' Back Down South, a hearty Virginia-Perique Flake that's perfect for front-porch sittin'. With flavors of figs, dark chocolate, and a slight peppery spice, this one is sure to satisfy any lover of Virginia/Perique blends.

Details

Brand BriarWorks International
Blended By  
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type Virginia/Perique
Contents Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Flake
Packaging 2 ounce jar
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

2.68 / 4
5

5

7

2

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 11 of 19 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 22, 2020 Medium to Strong Medium Medium to Full Tolerable
As other reviews have said the packaging in a reusable mason jar isa very good selling point! I found the jar note was a definite bourbon note to it and slightly fruity. The flakes were slightly moist so I let it dry roughly 30 minutes or so! It’s definitely a “sipping smoke” and in my opinion the perique side, as I definitely felt the strong tingling in the throat! I do say however if you are going to smoke a decent size bowl make sure you ate something because the nicotine seemed pretty good and can give you some light headedness!
Pipe Used: Cobs
PurchasedFrom: Smoking pipes
Age When Smoked: 6 months
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 27, 2017 Mild to Medium Very Mild Mild Tolerable
Was excited for this blend. Presentation is nice and no need for drying. Jar note smells like a nutrigrain bar. Flavors are Really dull, and muddled.. kinda get a alcohol note some kind of corn liquor, moonshine maybe. I dunno, it has a decent spicy element to it when you get deeper in but it's not something I'd ever buy again it's too dull and kind of nauseating after a while, like moonshine infused gummy bears on the bus to Carolina cup. Tobacco almost seems of lesser quality. I gifted my buddy the cigar blend I'm still interested in that one.
Pipe Used: Mm country gent, barontini 505
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 18, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
Another small sample from Pete. Darker broken flakes that rub out easily and a rich, muscular aroma of a heady VaPer. Enticing!

In the pipe, this reminded me a bit of GLP's Telegraph Hill and other VaPers that are on the boisterous side. Almost chewy, this one is full of hearty flavor from the perique and a whisker of sweetness from the Virginia (could have used more of that). Not terribly complex but a top-to-bottom seamless quality of smoke where the flavor never altered much. It did get a bit stronger in the bottom 1/4 bowl or so but never got fussy or bitter, even when puffed a bit briskly. But for best results this should be sipped to keep its cool. 3.5 stars. If C&D Virginias could be processed to retain more of their natural sweetness, this might become a 4 star blend.
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 26, 2020 Medium Very Mild Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
The earthy, woody, very spicy perique also offers a lot of fermented plums, figs, light raisins and dates as the most obvious component. The Virginias provide a lot of tart and tangy citrus, grass, bread, floralness, some tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, sugar, mild acidity, light spice, and a hint of vinegar. They are supporting players. The dry bourbon topping has a bit of depth, and an exotic lightly sweet and rather sour, acidic fruit, possibly mango, is obviously present. The toppings mildly sublimate the tobaccos as they help create a harmonious, very consistent tartly sweet and rather sour, spicy, savory flavor that extends to the lingering after taste. The strength and nic-hit levels are medium. The taste is a step past that mark. It won’t bite or get harsh, but it does sport a few rough edges. Burns cool, clean, and a tad slow as broken flakes will. The moisture content of the tobacco is moderate. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights. The room note is pleasant to tolerable. Two and a half stars rounded down to two because of the level of sourness.

-JimInks
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 13, 2019 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Tolerable
Upon opening the jar (an exciting idea) I could smell something similar to the note of erinmore. I don’t think it’s a topping per say, but more the tobaccos together and whatever is used to saturate them in the press. That’s where the positives end, unfortunately. Lighting I get very little flavor, lots of heat, and almost an acrid note. Dang near burnt my mouth and just didn’t have any type of flavor or qualities I could enjoy. Dumped out the rest of the bowl ... I will revisit after it’s been in the jar longer but I’m not expecting much. Tobacco seems lesser quality than most others, and has a rubbery characteristic. I don’t smoke to save money or make excuses for a product so this one isn’t for me. I guess I need to figure out if something is a C&D product before I buy because I haven’t found a single one I can tolerate.
Pipe Used: One that was nearly ruined.
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: Direct from jar
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 12, 2019 Medium Very Mild Medium to Full Very Pleasant
This is an initial review based on my very first bowl. I primarily smoke Va or VaPer blends. Usually I wouldn't write a review based on a single experience, however, I was very impressed with this blend.

The packaging is unusual and worth mentioning up front - a reuseable Kerr jelly jar. Fantatstic.

This tobacco definetly has a top dressing - to me it smells like a bourbon infused with mango or pasion fruit. Those aromas imposed on the natural hay smell of the Virginia and woodsy smell of perique is quite wonderful. It is a flake tobacco (actually broken flake by the time it arrived, but fine nonetheless).

It is a little to wet right out of the jar, so as I usually do with Flakes - I rubbed it out to a ribbon and let it dry for about an hour. It packed well in the pipe and took the charring light easily. By the time a third of the bowl was smoked the jar note completely disappeared and it smelled and tasted more like a traditional VaPer blend. About halfway into the bowl and the perique popped out giving it a really smooth, woodsy, mushroomy kind of smell and a nutty, chocolatey taste - really nice.

This tobacco should be sipped slowly as it has an excellent burning quality so frequent draws or long, deep draws may give you a little tongue bite and a heavy nic hit and "burn" the tobacco. From about mid-bowl to the bottom Perique is the dominant smell and tatse. It burned to a white ash all the way to the bottom of the bowl with very little dottle and quite dry.

Nic hit is mild for the first two thirds then builds up substantially in the last third - keep a drink close by. Nicotine is water soluble, so a glass of water in addition to whtever else you may be drinking will help if the nicotine starts to bother you.

I think this blend would pair really well with some fresh ground Ethiopian coffee that has been skightly cooled or possibly with Crown Royal. Not so well with beer, wine or tea.

Also, the best pipe to use for this type of blend, as with all Va or VaPer blends, is a deep bowl with a small bowl diameter.

This is a quality tobacco and will only improve with cellaring. I'll finish up this jar because I like it so much and cellar the other 4 jars.

This is a rich, creamy, mellow and somewhat complex tobacco and I don't think it would serve me as an all day smoke - best enjoyed in the late afternoon while contemplating or with a book, newspaper, listening to music or other "non active" activities.

Grab a jar and a pipe and drift away to that special place. Enjoy!!!
Pipe Used: Hardcastle Poker with deep and narrow bowl
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: 2 months
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 27, 2016 Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Pleasant
The Mason jar is a great idea. BDS seemed less aromatic to me so I bought a tin to sample. The tin note is definitely topping or casing with some fruity aroma: grape, cherry,..etc. Broken flakes are easy to pack with just right amount of moisture. The topping diminishes a little during smoking, but it's there all the way down. It's not annoying but can mask the natural Vaper flavor somehow. Two star to me and the jar is a plus.
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 30, 2017 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
BriarWorks International - Back Down South.

I posted a review on B' Works Pete's Beard's Blend a short while back and wasn't amused when I opened it to find a problem with the moisture. It looked quite dry, alas, I felt perturbed by the jar this company packages in, but BDS has reinstalled my faith in the jar's seal: the hydration's top notch. The flakes are semi broken and quite a dark brown. Tin-note/jar-notes sprightly and sharp: lemony Perique. Because the flakes are semi broken just folding/stuffing them into the bowl provides a perfect consistency to smoke.

Unlike a few of my fellow reviewers I can't say I identify an added flavour, the taste to me is a heavy Perique one. The Virginia's way behind it, the flavour's mainly composed of full, zesty, spicy, Perique, with a delicate sweetness lent by the Virginia. I get more of the Virginia to begin with but it quickly becomes smothered by the Perique. The smoke from it's cool and bite free.

Nicotine: medium to strong. Room-note: tolerable.

Back Down South? Four stars:

Highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Freehand
PurchasedFrom: 4noggins
Age When Smoked: Two months
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 12, 2016 Medium to Strong Very Mild Medium to Full Pleasant
I bought this bc the shop had it new in stock, I had been curios about it, and it was my best choice available.

The jar is a nice touch, as I use them mostly anyway to store my smoke. The tin note is sweet and fruity with a hint of citrus and (I get at least) vanilla bean. The flakes are standard for the c&d offerings. Loose, and they rub out easily to ribbons or fold effortlessly. I've tried it both ways now, the latter being stronger in flavor and the former being easier smoking a bit.

It is a tasty blend, I still can't lose that vanilla taste I get from it though. I thought it was just me, but I swear it is in there. It's a good adddition if it is actually in there, it sweetens it up a bit. Otherwise it is a straightforward va/per that could be an all day smoke. Early in the day it gave me a slight head spin once, reminding of haddos delight. It's a bold flake for what is it is, and builds it strength and flavor as it progresses through the smoke.

If you like a good flake of this variety, it's worth trying. C&D does a good job making user friendly flakes. It would be a good one for a flake novice for sure. I may get more of this, but I'll probably try the other offerings in the line first. 3 1/2 stars
Pipe Used: IMP meer, Peterson 408
PurchasedFrom: Whitfield tobacco, guilford ct
Age When Smoked: Fresh jar
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 25, 2016 Medium Extremely Mild Medium to Full Tolerable
Out of the jar there is the typical dried dark fruit and some pepper. This tobacco has a brilliant note of pepper and some muted sweetness from the Virginias. The pepper is there through the bowl, but not overwhelming at all. The combination becomes quite savory. I don't think it's overly complex, but it's a great easy tobacco to enjoy.
Pipe Used: Briarworks(of course) Classic Bent Billiard
PurchasedFrom: Local B&M
Age When Smoked: Fresh as a daisy
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 11, 2022 Medium Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Preparation: Moisture level is near perfect. The blend is mostly in broken flake form.

Notes: The base of the blend is a solid mixture of red/bright Virginias, bring lemon, hay, fruity notes. The Perique is pruny and fairly consistent through the smoke, The topping/flavoring however changes the blend for me. I dont know if it is liquor topping (some say bourbon) or simply a citrus additive, but it doesnt suit my tastes. Unique and satisfactory? Yes. But there's a plethora of other Va/Pers I'd choose first. 6.5/10

https://youtu.be/w2N6Vrkkg8g
2 people found this review helpful.
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