Bufflehead Wood Duck

This is another one of those great Virginias from David Windsor. It comes as a partially rubbed out flake that has a sour-sweet aroma similar to apple cider vinegar. Lighting takes a bit of effort, due to the cut and the moisture content of the tobacco. Rubbing out a small amount more fully at the top of the bowl helps. Once lit, it takes an average amount of relights and responds well to slow smoking. The flavor starts out with a very nice tangy sweetness reminiscent of high quality Virginia tobaccos. This continues through the first third of the bowl, then the sweetness gradually fades into the background without ever completely leaving. A complex tartness remains, never completely settling into one note, but constantly changing as the bowl burns to the bottom. This is a wonderful tobacco which has now become my gold standard in Virginias. Wood Duck is definitely a good all day smoke, neither too high in nicotine or overbearing in flavor. I'm glad to hear Dave's tobaccos will soon be available again, Wood Duck being one of the first blends put into distribution. The only thing that could be improved would be to again make it available in bulk. If it ever is again, rest assured I will lay back a few pounds.

Man was I lucky to stumble across this stuff! I received a sample of this from a kind ASPer. I didn't know what to think of this blend at first, because it has a strong lemon tin aroma that could easily put someone off at first whiff. Further, I was indifferent after smoking the first bowl. However, this blend has really grown on me and quickly become one of my favorites. It's comprised mostly of lighter colored tobacco in krumble kake form. The sample I received was pretty dry, so I'm not sure of the moisture content straight from the tin. It packs easily, lights easily and burns well to a light fluffy ash. LSW made positive comments on the room note, which is most unusual. I still can't tell if this blend is topped or not, because while it smells like an aromatic in the tin, and mildly like an aromatic while burning, it does not taste like one. Therefore I erred on the side of caution on the flavoring rating. The taste is great, light, citrusy and very refreshing. Like the description says, this is definitely a good all day smoke. It has some complexity, but is not overly so. It doesn't require my full attention, especially since it doesn't bite me at all, which is also unusual for a Virginia. I think this is a nice straightforward smoke. It also DGTs quite nicely and does not haunt the bowl. I promptly called David at Bufflehead and ordered a couple of tins, which now come in 8oz. containers. I look forward to seeing how this blend ages. A real winner! (12/01)