Notes: Deep Elem was our very first blend. Sadly, Deep Elem was discontinued due to the closing of McClelland and the loss of their #805 Cavendish which was a unique and integral ingredient.
Terrapin Station pays homage to Deep Elem. While we could not match the fine cut of McClelland 805 nor the subtle sweet top note, by combining various grades and colors of cavendish we have come very close. Of course the proportions and the condimentals remain the same. Terrapin Station is a worthy homage to "Deep Elem", and an outstanding mild English blend in its own right. A bed of natural and lightly sweet cavendish is spiced generously with Latakia and just a bit of bright Virginia for a cool, mild flavorful and slightly sweet English blend...with a nod to Grateful Dead fans!
The smoky, woody, earthy, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia is mostly a team player, though it takes a light lead over the other components. The very nutty, earthy, woody, lightly toasty, molasses sweet burley takes the second spot. The various cavendish cut tobaccos offer a touch of honey and some dark fruit, earth, and sugar in the third position. The tart and tangy citrusy, grassy Virginias just rise above being a condiment. I’m not certain about the toppings outside of it being sugary and vanilla-ish, but they do sublimate the tobaccos a mite. The strength is a couple of steps past the mild mark, while the taste level is in the center of mild to medium. The nic-hit is a rung past the mild threshold. No chance of bite or harshness, and barely has any hints of a rough edge during the experience. An exceptionally well balanced smooth, creamy sweet, lightly savory aromatic American English, you’ll notice virtually every aspect offered in nearly every puff. Burns cool and clean and slightly slow with a very consistent flavor from top to bottom. It does need a few relights as it is a slow burner chiefly due to being a tad moist, though I saw no reason to dry it. Leaves just a little dampness at the bottom. Has a very pleasant aftertaste. Can easily be an all day smoke. Three and a half stars.
Bag note smells of a sweet English. Not an aromatic English but just a sweet Latakia smell. Musty, herbaceous, with a tad sweet aroma. A bit moist but with no dry time it packed and light just fine.
The taste is a mild to medium bodied English blend. I forgot I was smoking something new. Like an old pair of well worn in shoes it felt at home in my pipe. The Latakia is the main flavor I first detected in a meerschaum however in a briar I tend to get the burley more. Either way the It’s a mild, semi dry, very slightly sweet, herbal musty smoky, nutty blend. The burley is woody, nutty, molasses. Everything else blends well together with some vegetative, woody, bread, and sour notes. Underlining creaminess too. The cavendish does not add a whole lot of sweetness or flavoring pushing this into the aromatic category. I suspect it helps make this mild and not as dry tasting as some unsweet English blends may be. They say this is topped or flavored however it’s very mild and this blend feels more of a mild bodied English than an American aromatic type blend. Unobtrusive on the pallet with my morning brew.
A tasty, smoky sweet blend. Imagine eating a sweet Hawaiian roll with butter and honey, while catching a whiff from a Weber grill. Well behaved with no bite. If you like crossovers, this is a must try. Burns well with a bit of dry time and leaves a little moisture In the heel.
Package note of sweet smoky and sour vegetation. Tobacco is a mix cut of black, dark brown, brown and a little light brown. Moisture content is 0k, most pipe smokers will want to dry it a bit. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. Flavoring is listed as Sweet/Sugar, but I couldn't detect a topping. Taste is mild to medium and consistent, with notes of floral, tangy smoke, mild fermented sour, spices, orange zest, wood, peaty vegetation, sugar, herbal incense, toast, tart citrus, savory, mildly spicy, mildly sweet, a nutty lemon grassy background note, and a peppery retro. Cavendish is leading with Latakia, Virginia and Burley supporting. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.
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