John Cotton John Cotton's Double Pressed Kentucky

The brother to the double pressed Virginia , this might be the same blend with Kenrucky added in . I'm not sure on that but it would seem logical . Darker than the Double Pressed Virginia , the same crumble cake format is used . This gives the smoker to prepare it as a cube cut or sort of a broken flake . The result is an excellent smoke with a fine tin note and a really deep , rich taste . The Kentucky is clearly the major player. I see more Kentucky being used in blends than ever before . This one is not as good , in my opinion ,as Soloni Silver Edition but pretty much better than any other I have tried . The double pressing makes for a smoother and more mellow smoke . The Kentucky zing is with you the entire smoke though the Virginia makes it's presence known . This is the best new tobacco that I have seen in 2019 . Real good on a summer evening , after a nice supper , and with a late cup of coffee .

The pressed block came very moist and dark. You can smell the power this holds when opening the tin. What I like about this is the rough edges are gone as compared to alot of other Kentuckys/ Dark fired blends I've smoked. This is nothing short of stout and should be approached in that manner. I have a tin in the cellar and I think some age will mellow it even further. Overall a great smoke and highly recommended. Smoke in Peace- Lager

This is our next installment of the John Cotton' Double Pressed series. So far the double pressing has made these smokes a mellower, and smoother experience. To me they actually come close to the HH line I just vinished reviewing a few weeks ago. I like the untopped nature of these blends and their straight-forward taste.

When you open the tin of DP Kentucky you are met with a well pressed cake. It's very dark from the Kentucky. When I smell the tin note, I pick up some Virginia Breadiness, vinegary BBQ, and some light nuttiness. Being that it's a pressed flake like the others it does take a little more than average effort to rub out, but you get nice sized pieces rather than the dust some crumble cakes give you. Lighting is easier after some dry time, but it is smokeable out of the tin. Your mileage may vary.

Because Kentucky tends to have a high oil content, you will get thick white plumes of smoke on your first light. Now to taste. The first thing hitting my palate is the Kentucky. It is smooth, sour, floral, and has that characteristic BBQ spice. The Virginias are behind adding body in the form of dark fruit and hay. I'm guessing but the Virginia used in this blend is probably a matured red.

If you take your time with this one it can last quite a long time. It has a tendency to burn down to white ash. The overall taste and mouth-feel on this is a medium. Just like with the Burley I think this would have been a fuller smoke before it was double pressed, but I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I do. What makes it good is the mellowing from that process. The strength here is a solid medium, Lady N is here to take you out, but it's sort of a casual thing. Overall I give this a solid four stars. It's a great blend, and I will definitely buy it again.

I bought tins of John Cotton's Double Pressed Virginia and Double Pressed Kentucky out of curiosity, more than anything else. I felt okay about the Virginia blend and will review it next. The Kentucky blend was another matter entirely and I knew I had grabbed a hold of something, at one and the same time, both special and serious. Its special because of the scarcity of double pressed Kentucky blends on the market; serious because of it's ultra robust nature. This blend is not for the feint of heart, so, be advised. Double Pressed Kentucky makes an interesting comparison to the last Burley blend that I reviewed (see Scotty's Butternut Burley at King Weed 2019-06-13). Butternut is like driving a quality family sedan; it looks good, runs good and does a good job. Doubled Pressed reminds me of a 1962 Corvette that I once had the opportunity to operate (not drive). Solid black(no white fender inset), red leather interior, Mickey Thompson over sized tires and a Jeg's blueprinted 350 under the hood. John Cotton's Double Pressed Kentucky has all the same beauty and the same muscle as the Vette and I enjoyed putting both through their paces. Strong, dark, robust with all the characteristics of a quality Burley one has come to expect today; this blend can be so satisfying and, yet, become unruly if not handled properly. After a strong tin aroma, one enters into a strong and robust smoking experience. Yes, it can be made to nip, and you will want to pace yourself accordingly. Otherwise, both it and the '62 Vette will leave black marks on the road. This is four star material all the way.

Wow! What a smoke. Opening the tin, I was taken by surprise with the intense dry fig/fruit cake aroma. Gorgeous presentation, the "Double Pressed" is easily broken in amicable little pieces. It doesn't take much to get it going, but I little effort will be necessary. The fruit cake aroma is also what you taste in this quite monocromatic smoke. It is focused, ever pressing forward onto the same direction, but with a ever slight increase in strength and overall taste profile. It is an elegant smoke, because although we have all tasted similar tobaccos blends, this one, is simply done better. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Wow! What a smoke.

John Cotton’s Double Pressed Kentucky- A sweet BBQ tang that is smooth and easy to smoke . The Virginias are sweet and fruity and come through in the smoke almost as much as the Kentucky. The Kentucky is bold and smokey and spicy and floral . A little nutty also . I am flying through this tin . It falls somewhere in between Old Dark Fired and Solani Silver Flake . Well blended and rounded . 4

I agree completely with everything jminks wrote in his review, above. This blend is a real winner no matter what style of tobacco you prefer. Very high recommendation.

When I smoke a mix where the Kentucky stands out I inevitably tend to compare it to my favourite, Jacknife Plug by G.L. Pease. So far all the tobaccos I've smoked from this group have lost out in that comparison, but DPK is pretty close in terms of quality.

I think the best way to describe it is to say that it is similar to such well-known tobaccos as Mac Baren's Old Dark Fired, SG's 1792 Flake (this one with the addition of tonka bean), or the aforementioned Jacknife Plug by G.L. Pease. I would say that John Cotton's is softer than all the others.

I wonder why no one has this tobacco among their favorites. I also wonder why I didn't buy more of this when I could.

I have no sophisticated palate to give this an exhaustive accounting. But I LIKE this. I am a fan of smoky tobaccos. This is smoky with a difference. Fermentation pulled off the edges, but it didn't stifle the nicely complex flavors. It was a newly opened tin so I might let the next bowl dry out a bit. Had to relight often. But it isn't obstinate in avoiding the burn, just a little higher maintenance. It has been worth a little extra work. I agree with others. This could be an all day pleasure.