W.O. Larsen Signature Vintage Mixture

WO Larsen Signature is ostensibly the same blend as the earlier iteration listed in the TR archive, WO Larsen Signature Vintage Mixture, but the box shapes and the nomenclatures are not the same. I emailed an inquiry about this to Scandinavian Tobacco Group via their website, but they’ve not gotten back to me. So, I’ve listed this potentially-different tobacco under the original header, pending correction, apropos, from STG. WOLS comes in a sealed gold Mylar bag (not re-sealable…) inside a nice, dark blue metal box that has rounded square corners, as opposed to the coved corners of the older box depicted at TR. Short, chunky ribbons and bits range from golden tan to light red-brown, to medium-dark brown. There was a burst of scent that I did not care for when I opened the bag, since it had the dreaded “air freshener” quality to it, but that abated with some rest, and it was barely noticeable after some air time. I prefer it dried some, to soften the topping. It handles, loads, lights and burns down with no problems. Primary scent is “strawberry”, which I put in quotes because I’m not 100% convinced by it, and the caramel and vanilla are pretty well melded with the strawberry. The VA is meadow grassy, and the Burley is mild, toasted cashews and flowers. The Cav thickens the smoke and adds more sugar to the VA, also a slight sour note. Scant bitterness from the Burley may well go unnoticed by many. Strength is mild, along with the nicotine and the tastes. Room note is pleasant. Aftertaste is more tobacco than the smoke, at least in terms of proportions, relative to the topping.

Though I reckon there will be plenty of light aro smokers that will give WOLS 3 or 4 stars, my rating “system” makes it a 2 star blend. Specifically, it’s a quality blend, all right, and I can well understand that others will dig it, but it’s too mild for me to fully appreciate it in the first place, and I’m still not loving the strawberry.