Cornell & Diehl Folklore

Huh. So this is what Mad Fiddler Flake would be without the top note. I must say, I find myself somewhat confused by this blend. I like it- quite a lot, in fact- but I'm not sure why it is one of the "Small Batch" series. It's basically one of their production blends minus its top note and sold in one-pound bricks. Anyway, the taste is also not what I expected; having plowed through pounds of MFF, I was expecting something more robust. Perhaps the proportions are different, or perhaps that mysterious top note is doing some odd things, but Folklore is surprisingly mellow. A solid medium, and conventional enough I can call it an "Exotic VaPer", as opposed to MFF's "I Dunno" classification. One can expect the earthy breadiness of brown Virginia to carry the day, with accents of stewed fruit/pepper from the perique, occasional nuts and savory spice from the Kentucky, and caramel tones from the Cavendish. The Kasturi seems quite sedate in this blend; one might get the occasional whiff of holiday spices, but it's far at the back. Burns clean and dry (once crumbled), and never offers to bite, even when abused. Room note is rather non-descript; my wife can identify Mad Fiddler in minute quantities, but this "Just smells like tobacco smoke". I am quite curious to see what happens to this blend given some time in a mason jar; given the (exclusively) large quantities it comes in, I should have enough to find out. A personal recommendation: unless C&D opts to offer this in two-ounce tins, I would advise against shelling out the money for a full pound. Alternately, get a group of friends to go in on a pound, then split it.