Seattle Pipe Club Christmas Spirit 2022

The Cyprian Latakia provides a lot of smoke, earth, wood, floralness, herbs, vegetation, and light spice as the lead component. The sun cured Orientals offer plenty of earth, wood, floralness, spice, vegetation, buttery sweetness and dry sourness as important supporting players. The stoved and red Virginias produce a fair amount of fermented tangy ripe dark and stewed fruits, grass, earth, wood, bread, tart and tangy citrus, sugar, mild floralness with light barbecue and salt. They are close to equaling the effect of the Orientals. The earthy, woody, spicy, plummy, raisiny, figgy perique is a couple of steps behind the Virginias, above the condiment level. The sugary black cavendish is a position below the perique. The VSOP Cognac moderately tones down the tobaccos as they compliment them. The strength and taste are medium. The nic-hit is close behind them. No chance of bite or harshness, and has a few small rough notes. This mildly moist plug easily breaks apart, and as per my usually custom, I did not dry it. Well balanced and complex, it burns cool, clean and slow with a very consistent tangy sweet, fruity, creamy, smoky, spicy, mildly sour, rather rich flavor that extends to the moderately lingering, pleasant after taste. The room note is a notch stronger. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights. Can be an all day smoke depending upon your experience. Four stars.

-JimInks

Tin 477 of 1200, dated 10/21/22, has tin notes of smoky fermentation, alcohol, and sweet fruit. The black and dark brown firm crumble plug is somewhat moist but breaks apart and rubs out with a little effort. Burns slow with a few extra relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild to medium. Flavoring is mild sweet alcohol and dissipates rather quickly. Taste is medium and consistent, with complex notes of smoky wood, dry earth, sour herbs, spicy, floral vegetation, stewed spice fruits, sweet grass, bread, mild tart sugar plum, a lemon peel background note, and a spicy retro. Latakia and Orientals are leading with Virginias Cavendish and Perique supporting when needed. Flavoring (VSOP) starts off a supporter but fades to the background quickly and then disappears. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.