Ken Byron Ventures Goblin Mixture 2020

The year 2000 East Carolina red Virginia and 2009 Brazilian red Virginias offer a lot of tangy ripe fermented dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, some sugar, mild tart and tangy citrus, light floralness and spice. They are the lead components by a small margin. The very floral, earthy, woody, herbal, vegetative, spicy, mostly sour, lightly buttery sweet year 1997 Izmir and Samsun are competitive supporting players. The mildly musty sweet, rugged “tempered” fragrant Cyprian Latakia provides smoke, earth, wood, herbs, vegetation, spice, floralness, some sourness, and a touch of incense. Even though it is a condiment, the special treatment of the Latakia ups its effect in the product a tad. The strength and nic-hit are a step short of the center of medium to full. The taste is in that center, chiefly due to its floral quality. There’s no chance of bite or harshness, but there are some rough edges, which is common for this type of mixture. Well balanced with some complexity, it burns clean and cool at a moderate pace with very consistent, deeply rich, mildly sweet and rather savory, sour, spicy, vigorous floral campfire flavor from top to bottom. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasantly lingering, potent after taste, and room note. Not an all day smoke. Three and a half stars out of four.

-JimInks