Peter Stokkebye Amsterdam Shag No. 93

The Virginias are grassy with a little earth, wood, some citrus, and a very light fruitiness. They form the base of this blend. The dark fired Kentucky is mildly sweet, fairly smokey and floral, woody, earthy, and very nutty with a fair amount of spice, and is very obvious in every puff. Obvious enough that it often takes attention away from the Virginias. The strength, taste and nic-hit are medium. A thin ribbon cut that needs hydration to bring out more flavor and reduce the burn rate. A moderate puffing cadence to avoid a cigarette note or two is recommended. Burns well even with added moisture. Has a very consistent flavor, though can tingle your tongue. May bite if puffed hard. Requires very few relights as it easily burns to ash. Leaves no moisture in the bowl. Has a spicy, lightly lingering after taste, though the room note might not please everybody. Some may use this for RYO, but it works well in a pipe as an occasional during the day smoke. I do suggest having a drink handy when you smoke it as it can dry your throat a little, especially if you use a pipe with a big bowl.

-JimInks

Summary: a delicious warm-tasting shag with lots of spice.

As a fan of the ribbon cut version of this blend, I was pleased to see few changes here: the standard mixture of dark fired Kentucky Burley and brown Virginias maintains its proportions and strength, but is a little drier, in this shag-cut version. A piquant flavor results from the mixture of the spicy, smoking leaf and the lush sweet Virginias, making this a simple smoke with a great deal of internal depth. There is a slight floral topping that periodically wafts and wends its way through the flavor, but it complements the traditional Dutch tobacco and adds to the experience.