Chacom #3

I picked up a tin of Chacom #3 at my local shop about 3 months ago. It was a little moist out of the tin, and the first bowl, which I smoked at the shop when I purchased it, was difficult to keep lit. The initial flavor did not appeal to me. Three months later, it is at the perfect moisture level, and burns great. It is a little sweet but not too sweet for me, with black cavendish being dominant up front, followed by burley. The bourbon flavor is not really obvious to me, instead I'm tasting more of a maple flavor that I'm really enjoying. It's a cool smoke, no bite, no goop. I like it.

Un incontournable tabac vanillé, tout en finesse et subtilité, doux et sans morsure de langue. La vanille bourbon reste longtemps en bouche, sans jamais masquer le caractère du tabac. Une belle réussite pour Chacom.

After opening the tin, the first smell is a rich, buttery maple/vanilla, in addition to the nice tobacco smell. It's a beautiful looking blend too - the whole tobacco rainbow, deep dark Black Cavendish. chestnut brown Burley, dark red, and golden Virginias.

First puffs... buttery and creamy vanilla, slightly nutty Burley, and the rich, toasted flavor of darker Red Virginias. The golden Virginias add some floral sweetness and lighten the blend a bit. As the bowl progresses, I kept expecting to taste bourbon, but I'm only getting hints of alcohol. Still, it's a smooth, rich smoke. Also, the sweet maple and vanilla toppings enhance the tobacco flavors. They're somewhat mild aromatic flavors compared to typical heavy American aromatics - they never overwhelm the tobacco flavors. This is a great autumn or winter blend. It's a natural tasting blend, not overly artificial. Just like Chacom #2, this is nicely complex for an aro... the flavors all blend together really perfectly.

Bottom line: This is a nicely flavored aromatic with a really rich, buttery smoke. One of the more balanced aromatics I've had. I love these Chacom # blends.

Three Star Tobacco. The components are solid. The tin note is bourbon vanilla. The taste is topping forward, but you do get solid notes from the tobaccos themselves. This is not a sweep up from the factory floor drenched and drowned in a topping. K&K does a very solid job. *Now ... I'm not a big fan of aromatics, but I do enjoy them every now and again. For me, this is a decent substitute for Virginia Cream from Mr. Pease (although I do miss the DFK). It is an aromatic for people who don't like aromatics ..