Dan Tobacco Independence

Ready rubbed cut of various browns with a slight touch of black. Strong licorice tin aroma with a backdrop of dark fruit and a little booze, with perhaps just a smidge of florals. Not really a positive smell but I got something similar recently from McConnells Glen Piper which I enjoyed. So off I went. As an aside, the flat tin was rather tall but still the usual 50 grams. Not sure why it required a taller tin. The tobacco came dry-ish in the tin, furthering my theory that flat tins tend to leak in a small amount of air over time. But if you prefer your tobacco dry, no problem. If you want your 20 year old tobacco to be of the same moisture content as it was fresh, stick with McClellands/Pease-type tins. At least that's what I've been discovering with my aged stash.

The flavoring wasn't nearly as strong in the bowl but it was noticeable with every puff. Same licorice/dark fruit that I noticed in the bouquet. Not as sweet of a taste as I expected - really more spicy and just the barest suggestion of smoke from the latakia, which may constitute as little as 5%. Most noticeable in the snork. Drying out the tobacco causes the flavoring to subside and the high quality Virginias to shine, and of course this smoked best for me very dry. Still got the Cavendish casing taste but the blend became less aromatic. Yes, this is definitely an aromatic but it's one for those who prefer a little flavoring and a lot of tobacco taste rather than over-saucing the soul from the leaf. All in all, I enjoyed this tobacco but it's not a rotation maker. Great for a sometime treat, though.

This broad ready rubbed mixture is what I like to call a hybrid tobacco. On the one hand it's an aromatic with a distict fruity flavoring, but on the other hand it contains a detectable amount of Latakia, which might make it interesting for those who prefer English tobaccos.

The Independence 50 g tin is bigger than usual, big enough for 100 g in other blends. The tin note reminds me of the way the malthouse of a whisky distillery smells. Kind of warm and sweet.

The pipe should not be filled too tightly, otherwise it'll burn too hot. This tobacco needs a little space. However, if you don't draw too eagerly, you'll have a cool and smooth smoke leaving just some powdery ash. The elusive fruity aroma (lemmon, banana, red berries?) mixes nicely with the natural sugary sweetness of the Virginias and the distinct tangy, peaty notes from the Latakia.

The room note is quite pleasant, because it's dominated by the top flavors. What others smell is an aromatic, but what you taste is Latakia.

To review this blend, one has to know and like Highlands style flavoring. No one else will even begin to like it so they might not even waste their time trying to and leave a fair review of it.

This is a great mix of VA, oriental, and little black cavendish. The pouch note is a little gram cracker like in aroma and has somewhat of a musty note as well. It's mostly a brown RR flake with a few darker leaves mixed in but it packed quite nicely in my pipe. Upon lighting, it is a full creamy smoke with the under notes of a tangy and spicy mouthwatering flavor, One does really not notice the added flavor of the perfume is there, until you are well along in your pipe But it does add an interesting and unique flavor and room note that lovers of the Highlands like. It burned all the way down the bowl needing few relites and leaves a fine gray dottle and ash at bottom of the bowl. I enjoy this tobacco on occasion a lot, but then I love Condor and St Brunos but can't get them over here. This is a truly classic old fashioned tobacco and if you enjoy a tobacco of this type you will love it.

Tin description: A blend of the finest grades of Virginias

Dan's not very long in the tooth about this blend, is he? This is one of four reintroductions of CAO blends and the first in the series I have tried. I have not tasted the the original so I cannot offer any comparison.

Blend presents in light tans in a mostly rubbed out flake with a few slightly chunkier pieces intermixed. My tin staged for 3 months and the moisture level upon opening was surprisingly perfect on the dry side. Surprising because of the aroma, I expected a much heavier moisture level. The scent is captivating aromatic. I am not a fan of American style aromatic blends; but I like this scent a lot. It is a mixture of dried black cherries, cranberries, pomegranates, and anise. As odd as that combination sounds, it's most enjoyable to sniff. Each scent is present and distinct without a melding or competing, I find that very interesting.

The moisture level from the tin being a little drier than most and the cut made this a very easy blend to pack and light. I have had no problems with re-lights or over packing / tamping. Quality leaf burns completely to the bottom of the bowl with no near end of the bowl acidity and no or very minimal dottle. The nicotine level is low, very low. I have smoked this through various sized bowls and packed my largest billiard without any nicotine effects, which I like. However, other pipers might be put off at the mildness of the blend. The leaf burns a little hot so thinner walled pipes do heat up a bit, because the smoke is mild and the flavors subtle I did sometimes puff to excess which contributed to the chamber heating up.

Blowing smoke through the nose for taste is best and shorter sips better than long draws. The black cherry and cranberry is just subtly noticeable. Unfortunately, the anise not detected at all. Blend performs best in moderate to large billiards. Oddly, it does not do well in a cob or poker. And it also doesn't perform well in the smoke rings column.

I like this blend as a change-up smoke. It is mild and tasty. However, this is not going to be for everyone. There is nothing reminiscent of any of the traditional VA flavors of "mown hay," or "acrid tomato" or the traditional "dried fig / dates," or "zesty brights," or "floral."

This blend might be a good choice to those that want to try a VA coming away from the American aromatic line. Or to those that enjoy a slightly aromatic and very mild smoke.

This is a rubbed out flake with a somewhat strong soapy smell, an odour that reminds everyone of Sutliff's Mixture 79. Never having smoked mixture 79, I couldn't say, but it actually reminds me of an undertone in Dobie's Foursquare Blue from many years ago. Plus plum, lavender, jasmine, and tea-shops frequented by little old ladies. Cold rainy summer afternoons.

I really wish I knew what the heck that smell is. It is a very recognizable aroma, but impossible to name. The tobacco itself is not remarkable. Other than the soapy reek, it is an unassuming little flake. Not much there, and what is there seems whipped into quivering silence by the smell.

The major pleasure I derive from it, however, is distinctly decadent. I love the echo of that fragrance which colours the next two or three smokes in a pipe. There is zest in sparking a memory-feeling that I cannot identify with traces of a perfume that I cannot recognize, much like enjoying the presence of a beautiful girl who has a vulgar accent, or an old woman with a youthful and springlike eau de toilette. Even an innocent downy teenager, with scarlet lipstick of a particularly knowing and depraved hue. Intensely delicious, in a degenerate sort of way.

Just starting back onto a pipe a couple months back, my tobacco diet has been predominantly Aromatics to start out. This has been a short lived enjoyment though, as I have found a lack of flavor and body in most of the aromatics at my local smoke shop.

The beauty of our local smoke shop (not sure how it works elsewhere) is that you can try a bowl of any tobacco that they have, blends that they make, anything that is in bulk offering and sometimes tins.

This tin was sitting on the counter, and my pal that works the counter said go ahead, give it a shot and she would just turn it into a sampler tin.

If this is an example of good virginia tobacco, then I might just become a virginia lover. I found that I enjoyed this quite a bit. It was a touch moist in the tin, however, the yellow faded price tag on the top would tell me it has been sitting there for awhile, so probably could use some drying out.

I didnt notice an extreme casing on this, it seems to have a light sweet smell in the tin. Could not see a speck of black cav like the description says, and couldnt discern any latakia, although I would say my palate may not be quite in tune to that yet. Packed well, burned well.

Overall, I enjoyed this. I found a natural sweetness came out, with a pleasant mild undertone of natural tobacco coming through. Cannot comment on the depth here, as I only smoked a half bowl, but I will return to this tobacco no doubt.

I just finished my first tin of this that had aged in my cellar for around 5 and a half years and I was pleased with it. It is a bit odd in that it is a German produced tobacco presumably named as an homage of sorts to American independence seeing that the tin art is the founding fathers signing the declaration of independence. I guess that is not so odd, but the first few puffs of this delivers a burst of floral essence that is certainly evocative of the British Lakeland blends. Maybe they wanted a British presence in the blend. Who knows what was going through the creators mind while putting this one together; all I know is that it did not distract from my enjoyment of this aromatic in anyway.

The blend has a substantial amount of backbone from the underlying leaf; however, it is not heavy in nicotine. Maybe this is the heft of the latakia even though I really don't perceive that leaf directly under the topping. The topping is pretty strong, but the floral essence I was hit with in the beginning quickly receded to a fruity type of aroma that continues through to the end of the bowl.

While the topping does dominate the blend, this is not a hot air type of blend that has you puffing hard and decimated your tongue in the process; the base tobaccos, regardless of their imperceptibility do the trick to make this one easy to keep in the zone and enjoy.

I think this is a great tasting aromatic and I would buy this one again if I were still buying tobacco.

One of the more interesting tobaccos I have tried. In the can it smells just like Worcestershire sauce. Honest! When smoking it it develops a perfume that is very different. I have had a number of Virginias develop a perfumeness, but never to this extent. It strikes me as very English. The presence of Latakia makes it's self known and actually is fairly strong. I kind of like the perfume smell, but may keep this one put away when the Neanderthals are around as I know they will be making some remark about "fag" tobacco or something else really stupid like that. It isn't at all, and while I won't smoke it every day, suspect I will enjoy it from time to time. Hey guys, this is one way to smoke latakia with your better half around and she won't gripe like she does any other time you smoke latakia.

Lights easily, and burns well leaving a greyish ash.

This one is a good outdoor smoke as then the perfume disapates. If my comment about "fag tobacco" offends, I am sorry in advance, but will lay odds that that is what some idiots will say.