Nat Sherman 536 Empire English

The 50-gram tin didn't have a production date. But the excise stamp on it indicated 2008, so I was holding tobacco that was clearly over 10 years old. The tin was very tightly closed, and I had to make some effort to open it. The aroma from the open tin was calm and smooth, but very complex. Certainly, the main note was high quality latakia - but so softened by the oriental spicy musk scent and a slight woody note of cedar and sandalwood that I doubted its Cyprus origin. In Addition to this, there was a noticeable milky acidity, and to these notes there was a bit of breadiness from the ripe Virginia with a barely noticeable citrus tinge. All of this was smoothed out by a cautious wine note of cavendish. The smell of burley, though, was not even detectable. The full bouquet of tobacco, despite the significant difference in composition, resembled a smoother version of Robert McConnell's Boutique Blend flavor - and not a bit of chemistry.

The tobacco was coarsely cut and well-mixed, but the different varieties were easy to guess at, with colors ranging from light brown Virginia and slightly darker burley to almost black cavendish. Despite its age, the tobacco had perfect moisture, but it was slightly compressed. It needed a little kneading and was ready to be smoked.

The smoked mixture brought such a pleasant taste of latakia mixed with orientals and burley that I was willing to believe the description was wrong. It felt like an almost forgotten taste of latakia from Syria. Also present were white pepper, sun-dried fruit with a slight nutty flavor, and of course, the bread note of Virginia. Sour note disappeared immediately after lighting it, and I frankly enjoyed a luxurious English blend. It tasted a little different from the Boutique Blend, but could be called its "big sister" - denser, more substantial, and at the same time softer. As I smoked it, the softness increased, and the tobacco tasted very pleasant. The strength of tobacco was also slightly higher, it didn't change when you smoke, but you can get a nicotine kick if you inhale intensively. The tobacco is not hot and evenly smoked, it doesn't go out and has almost no moisture. The ash is fine, even gray in color, there is little of it.

The smoke from the tobacco repeats its smell, having smokiness latakia main, but a light note. It is not pleasant to everyone, but it does not hang in a carpet, but quickly disperses.

Bottom line: one word - "perfection". And it's amazing how different tobacco combinations can all result in a very similar flavor. I might call Nat Sherman #536 my personal benchmark among English blends, if it weren't for its complex composition and the fact that it is no longer in production. The latter particularly saddens me. But I have another closed tin, and I'll put this one in storage and smoke it on big holidays and as a kind of "tuning fork" for English blends.