Tordenskjold Extra Light

I don't know if this is made anymore, but it's worth seeking out by lovers of light, Danish-style aromatics. I bought this tin entirely by accident. I was rummaging through a cabinet in a Beijing tobacco shop and thought I'd found a tin of Tordenskjold Slices—a nice, light Virginia. The tin looks the same. It wasn't until I got back to my hotel that I realized I'd bought something called Tordenskjold “Extra Delight.” How I missed that, I have no idea. It turns out that the “Extra Delight” part of the label was an add-on, a sticker placed over the original words. I peeled back the sticker to reveal “Extra Light.” No doubt some law was passed forbidding the tobacco companies to label their horrific, death-dealing products “Light.” Hence, “Extra Delight.”

As for the tobacco, it's a roughly equal mix of golden and beige Burley with just a little Black Cavendish thrown in. The cut is more coarse than ribbon and the aroma is genuinely pleasant. Vanilla is certainly dominant, but beneath that is a delightful fruitiness—some sort of stone fruit like mirabelle or peach or apricot. Subtle, but very nice.

This was just a pleasant little smoke, especially nice for a hot day. I'm pretty sure that I'll never smoke it again, but it was nice while it lasted.