Astley's No.2 Virginia Mixture

Given its four star rating, I felt I needed to give this tobacco one more chance. So I waited until after dinner and approached it with a clean palate. The aroma in the tin reminds me of slivovitz, plum brandy, with faint musty cocoa notes of Perique, apricot preserves and fruit cake. The blend appears to be a rubbed out pressed tobacco rather than a flake, shortened strands of every brown ranging from tan to walnut with an overall attractive, medium honey color. It also seems to be of exceptionally high quality, no stems, chunks or crude bits, just soft, pliable, tempting tobacco. It is moist to the point where I thought it had been thoroughly laced with liquor, but the alcohol was not there, merely the scent. It packs easily and lights quickly. Lots of smoke, thick and substantial, the kind you can roll around in your mouth. The Virginia is there in the hint of a bite and a tingle in the nose. The Perique is there in the hint of a tang. Flavor is there in the hint of sweetness. It's all there but its not there. It's like licking a lolly made of diluted white corn syrup. I do not taste the Virginia or the Perique. The effect is there, but not the real thing. Maybe this tobacco is just too refined for my palate. All I get is a sweetness, a tingle and a tang. At the very bottom of the bowl the Virginia appeared for a brief puff or two and then it was gone. It may take some time, but I will be able to finish the tin. After all, there is nothing offensive about the blend. But I will not be buying another. I like Virginia and Perique blends that provide the flavor of Virginia and Perique. Paddy.