Peter Heinrichs Chateau Henri No. 8

The Virginias have some mildly tangy dark fruit and citrus, earth, a few blades of grass, and a touch of spice. One of the varietals - probably the red Va. - includes a few fermented sweet notes. They form the base of the blend. The red Kentucky has a little earth and nuts in a much lesser position. The smoky, woody, buttery sweet Turkish also has a small sour hit in a condimental role, though at times, it does peek out a little more than that. You’ll always notice it to one extent or another in every puff. The smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia has some richness, and mostly lurks in the background to provide a light complexity to the product. I detect an extremely mild sweet topping that seems like sugary fruit, and makes this a border line aromatic-English. I experienced no bite, but freight train puffing may get you a light harsh note toward the finish. Burns a little faster than a moderate pace. Has a fairly clean taste. Doesn’t need many relights, and leaves very little moisture in the bowl. An all day smoke. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks

This is a Virginia forward blend with just a sprinkling of Latakia, Turkish, and Kentucky. The Virginias have a light aromatic quality from a casing. The Lat and Turkish are barely noted. The Kentucky is practically absent until the end when it peeks out just a bit. It has a slight sharpness on the retrohale and can get slightly bitter toward the end of the bowl. Having said all that, it's not a terrible blend and some pleasure can be derived from it. 2 stars.

Mild in body. Mild to medium in taste. Burns well.