Ken Byron Ventures Mycroft 2021

The tart and tangy, very floral Orientals provide herbs, vegetation, earth, wood, some spice, dry sourness, and light sweetness as they take the lead. The floral, sweet and sour Malawi Kentucky offers plenty of earth, wood, nuts, vegetation, and a little spice as a supporting player. The aspects of the fermented, floral, tea-like cigarish dark Virginia are tangy, sugary ripe dark fruit, earth, wood (with light cedar), bread, vegetation, along with a light tart citrus and a few blades of grass. It is a strong secondary player. The strength and nic-hit are in the center of medium to strong. The taste level is a notch past that center. No chance of bite or harshness, though it does have a few small rough edges (a little more than the earlier version does). Burns cool, clean, and a tad fast as shag tobacco will. The bold, deeply rich, mildly sweet, fairly sour, nutty, spicy, and savory, very floral flavor is exceptionally consistent from start to finish that extends to the lingering after taste, and pungent room note. Both latter attributes are a touch stronger in the 2021 Mycroft. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. It’s not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. This production is less sweet and spicy, and more dryly sour and floral than the earlier Mycroft manufacture.

-JimInks