Ken Byron Ventures Red Forest Phenomenon (2019)

The smoky, woody, earthy, very spicy, lightly nutty, lightly floral, tangy, very fermented stewed dark, raisiny, plumy, figgy fruits from the Acadian Black takes a light lead. The Acadian Black is dark fired Kentucky processed in the perique style by Mark Ryan. The tangy ripe dark fruity, earthy, woody, sugary, bready, lightly floral red Virginia barely edges out the sugary, stewed tangy dark fruity, earthy, woody, bready stoved Virginia. The tart and tangy, citrusy, dark fruity, woody, grassy, earthy bright and dark Virginias aren’t far behind either. The Malawi Kentucky chips in with some nuttiness, wood, earth, and a light dark molasses note. The mildly applied, rich vanilla topping works with and very mildly sublimates the tobaccos. The strength and taste levels are medium, chiefly due to the high level of sugar and sweetness. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. No chance of bite or harshness. Sports no rough edges. Well balanced and complex, you’ll notice most of the intrinsic aspects of the blend in every puff. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a very consistent, deep and rich, fermented sweet, spicy, smooth, lightly creamy flavor that also translates to the very pleasantly lingering after taste, and room note. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Despite its strength, it can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks