Robert McConnell Ready Rubbed

The Virginias provide a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, vegetative grass, bread, mild sugar, earth, wood, tangy darker fruit, floralness, mild acidity, and a pinch of spice as the lead components. The Orientals offers some very dry sourness, earth, wood, floralness, spice, vegetation, herbs, smoke, and slight sweetness as supporting players. The citrus topping is very mild. The strength and nic-hit are medium. The taste is a step past that mark. No chance of bite or harshness. Sports a few rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a very consistent sweet, floral, mildly sour, spicy, smoky, savory, acidic flavor. The lightly lingering after taste has a few small distracting bitter, sour acidic notes. The room note is tolerable. Leaves a little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Can be an all day smoke for the veteran piper. This clone of the Dunhill version is less sweet, more sour, bitter, floral, and acidic. Has more bright Va., too. The Orientals much more obvious in this production, and the strength and taste levels are higher as well. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks