Ken Byron Ventures Mr. Christian’s Black Friday

The double toasted burley and white burley provide a lot of nuts, earth, wood, some sharp sourness, a little spice, and very light sweetness as the lead components. The bright Virginia produces plenty of tart and tangy citrus, grass, bread, some sour lemon, sugar, vegetation, floralness, spice, and very light acidity as a strong supporting player. Not far behind the bright Va. is the sugary, dark fruity, earthy, woody, bready, stoved Virginia. The vanilla, marshmallow, light milk chocolate, caramel, baking spice and fruit toppings mildly tone down the varietals. The strength and nic-hit just reach the medium threshold. The taste is a step past that mark. It won’t bite or get harsh, but I recommend a moderate puffing cadence due to the spice content. Has a few small rough notes. Well balanced with some nuance and character, it burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a very consistent sweet, spicy, fruity, nutty, mildly floral, zesty, rugged flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a notch stronger. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Can be an all day smoke for the experienced piper, and repeatable under any circumstance. Four stars.

-JimInks