Bufflehead Merganser Decoy

I just hate it when I try a (new to me), blend that I know is no longer being produced. I'm afraid I'll like it and cry when the tin's empty. With Merganser Decoy... yep, I cried.

The now extinct Bufflehead Shop put together some dandy blends in its all to short lifetime and this is certainly one of them. If you like a dark, sweet Virginia with little tang and mostly strength then hunt down this duck. I know the years of age on my tin helped "tame the beast," but this one didn't really need any domesticating. Man, I need to find more!

My tins say "Tidewater Virginia Merganser Decoy." This is a perfect companion to Bufflehead's Virginia Ruddy Decoy which is to say it is extraordinarily good. This is a McClelland style Virginia of very high quality, and to all you smokers who like the McC flavor but cannot abide the bite, here you go. It is primarily red Virginia with a substantial amount of stoved Virginia which deepens the Virginia flavor and adds a different element of sweetness. And I detect just a smidgen of orange Virginia as well. There are no flavoring additives. The smoke is mellow, round and naturally sweet in the mouth. In the nose it is spicy at the start and on relights but rapidly becomes naturally fragrant. Although this has added layers of flavor compared to, say, #5100, it is not a complex smoke. If you are looking for the natural taste of Virginia ala McC, you will probably love this tobacco. After I order much more of this, I will be smoking it regularly. Very highly recommended. Paddy.