Astley's No.88 Matured Dark Virginia

This is a difficult tobacco to review in a way. I have been smoking pipes for about three years now, and I have not smoked anything else quite like it. I have to admit, the first time I smoked this tobacco I thought I had wasted my time and money. This is not what I would call a "well behaved" tobacco. In fact, it's almost as if you have to "learn" how to smoke this particular tobacco. The first two times I smoked this I did not care for it at all. It was difficult to keep lit and quickly caused gurgle in each pipe I smoked it in. A couple of days later I wanted to smoke a pipe but did not want to dig through my cellar to pick something out. So, I packed a bowl of this out of convenience. But, this time I packed it somewhat loosely in a huge briar bowl. I sat out on my deck and took my time with it while watching my dogs play around in the backyard. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some very unique notes came through. I cannot really describe the flavors except for abstract descriptions such as "peaty" or "coffee-like". This tobacco is spicy, similar to perique. It also vaguely reminds me of Kentucky fire-cured tobacco. In summary, if you are willing to work with this tobacco (and in my opinion it does require work) then you will have an enjoyable and unique experience with it. I would not describe this blend as "complex", but I would describe this blend as "sophisticated" due to its unique, interesting, and pleasing notes.