Dan Tobacco Sweet Vanilla Honeydew

I love aromatics and test them all. Then I came back to SWH, and smoke a full tin in a few days. This blend is very well balanced without exceeding with vanilla, and fall into mac barens and other brand's sickness. Honey is dominant over vanilla here, and the room note reminds of candies. Not like with danish blends, but quite almost. I am very sorry for those that cannot enjoy a tin of Sweet vanilla Honeydew, because they are missing an experience. Just like the Da Vinci from Dan, the Blue Note, the Autumn Evening, the W.O. Larsen Vintage, and all the rest of first class aromatics, this blend is top quality. Expensive, unfortunately. Not too mild in strength.

I traded with a friend for a sample of SVH, and boy am I glad I did! It now ranks at the top of the few aromatics that I enjoy smoking!

SVH uses Virginias rather than burleys as its main constituent. Which means that it tastes like tobacco, which is more than I can say for some other aromatics (Captain Black comes to mind). The virginia has it's own natural sweetness that comes through despite the casing. The honey/vanilla flavor and aroma is phenomenal. It's sweet, but not too sweet.

Packing and lighting is a breeze. I had no issue with tongue bite even when smoking at a "medium" pace. It smokes dry, and doesn't leave any dottle behind, which is great since it's an aromatic.

I will definitely purchase more of this in the future, and will probably age a couple tins for 1 year and 5 years respectively to see how the blend reacts. The virginias will hopefully only get better!

This is without a doubt the best vanilla blend on the market. Your wife will beg you to smoke it in the house. Heck, your kids may even try to eat it so keep it in a safe place. Please do not mistake this for a blend soley for perfume puffers. Everyone who enjoys fine tobacco IMHO will love this. Nuff said.

Dan tobacco has only enhanced my love for this hobby. Their tobacco is some of the best money can buy(and smoke!)

For Vanilla Honeydew, it is the same story. I love it. Great Virginia topped with delicious flavoring. I would recommend ANY Dan Tobacco. Neither English,Virginia, or aromatic has disappointed me. I tend to hate many English blends but Dan Tobacco does not disappoint!! 5/4 stars.

1/3 bowl is pure,sweet flavor of Vanilla and maybe a caramel undertone.

2/3 is a little flavor and alot of Fire cured Virginia reminiscent of McClelland style Virginia's.

The last part of the bowl is very sweet and very cool to the tongue.

I revisited this tobacco after cellaring it for five years. I know that goes against conventional wisdom regarding aromatics, but it is now nowhere near as cloying as when initially opened, and has mellowed out significantly. The Virginia's smoked considerably cooler and sweeter, and the vanilla case-note was fantastic.

(In my experience, cased aromatics age significantly better than topped aromatics. Toppings seem to "fester", but casings seem to infuse themselves without destroying the leaf and mellow naturally, especially with Va's.)

When I read the reviews on Blue Note, I tried to put my hands on the tobacco, but could not find it in Israel. The Importer of Dan Tobacco in Israel did not import it because Dan Tobacco did not export it in 50 Gr. packs but only in tins. Since the demand in Israel for Drugstore tobacco in tins is negligible, he refrained from importing it. So I was introduced to Sweet Vanilla Honeydew which became my main regular smoke. Even though it might become a bit harsh under a fast smoke, I find it very pleasant to smoke and very ?politically correct? with non-smoking friends and family. Now that the Importer in Israel has started to import Blue Note in 50 Gr. Packs, I share my smoking between the 2 blends.

Normally I stay clear from Aromatic but this was a gift from a friend that does not smoke aromatics so of course I had to give it a try . The Bag note is sweet Vanilla and some lite cooking spice smells. My sample was quite dry and already rubbed out. Packed very easily in a large diameter shallow bowl. This is a very good aromatic for those of us that don't smoke aromatics. The flavor of vanilla is very lite with no chemical taste at all and you can still taste the tobacco. Starts out with a bit of harshness but smooths out after a few puffs. My sample was a bit old so I will need to obtain a fresh tin to determine the difference. The Virginia burns a bit warm but not too hot if you are not freight training it. The Nic hit is very lite and the tobacco is lite as well. Needs a few relights but burns very even. If you are normally a non aromatic smoker this is a nice change that is not overly doused with flavorings. I will buy this again and keep a few tins on hand. 4 Stars.

Updated review new fresh tin . The vanilla is much more prominent in the fresh tin along with a caramel smell. The tobacco is a bit more course like a ready rubbed flake and just a bit on the moist side but needs no drying time . The harshness in the beginning of the bowl I experienced in the older sample I was given is not there in the fresh tin. It does require a few relights but stays smooth and consistent. I can say without a doubt this is a much better smoke fresh. Burnes cooler as well. The older version I had lost quite a bit of the flavors that are present in the new version, as the smell from the tin translates well into the smoke itself. If you are looking for a mild aromatic this is a very good one to try.

It's not often that you see an aromatic straight Virginia broken flake, so that's all the more reason to at least be interested in this one, especially for someone who loves aromatics.

The tin note is very pungent and smelling like nice, delicious vanilla with some hints of berries. The smell is actually so powerful that I can barely detect any pure tobacco smell. Just a hint of that Virginia hay.

The broken flake is pretty rough, so further rubbing is definitely required. Once that's done, then there are not issues mechanically. It packs well, lights well, smokes pretty dry and cool, maybe with some slight gurgles here and there, but not enough to become distracting.

Once lit, the keyword is "patience". You have to wait a while until the vanilla topping comes through in full force. But once that happens, it's a real delight. The vanilla is very sweet and creamy and I also get hints of a juicy fruit (possibly honeydew) and every once in a while something that kinda reminds me of brandy. But the most important thing is that the topping does not taste artificial, which is pretty unusual for a heavily cased aromatic.

The Virginias are there to give some grassiness, citrusy, fruity taste, but also a bit of a darker note, which makes a good counterpoint and avoids making the blend too sweet. The taste is also consistent throughout the bowl.

In the end, it's not easy to make a good straight Virginia aromatic, but Dan Tobacco succeeded. It's sweet, creamy, delicious; it's a delight. In a world that's oversaturated with vanilla aromatics, this is definitely a major player and among the better ones that I've smoked. Probably won't become a staple of my collection, but whenever I'm in the mood for a high quality Vanilla aromatic, I will most certainly see this as an option.

You will never feel alone with this one, you could whatch the most beautifull girl in the world without paying attention. If you have a wife, wait she's not home to smoke this one she could be jalous, and open the window before she comes back she may think an other girl was there and be jalous also 🙂

"Happy puffin"