Dan Tobacco Old Ironsides

The sun begins it's slow assent, rising over the endless parade of shifting sand and blowing wind. This could be the image, in the North African desert, or perhaps in your den as the first match applies fire to the recently packed bowl of Old Ironsides. A Latakia lovers dream, perhaps, but the smokey reminder that long ago the camel dung fires, along with pine and anything else would dry out the now known Syrian Latakia leaves. Yes it is smokey, and creamy, and visions of old leather chairs, and thick air supplant the taste. I ran across this while in pursuit of some Bengal slices, and I did not get dissapointed. The broken flakes are very dark, with tinges of light color, perhaps Virginian, and although moist, it is not cloying. This tobacco is menacing in it's appearance, but don't be thawarted, it is just a visual image. Charring may take two matches, but that should be it, and then you can stretch out and sour above the remnants of lost civilizations and only imagine if they were able to partake. This is a full tobacco, not in the nicotine sense, or a Balkan takoff, but just a full flavor. Chocolate mousse comes to mind, light and airy, but filling. Burns leaving a dull grey ash, and very little dottle, a pleasure, to be sure. The Bengal slices were never found, but I may have stumbled on a replacement.