The Malthouse Founders Reserve

I'm coming back around after letting the tin lay dormant for several years.

Aged, and dried a bit, the whiskey note does seem to gain some ground against the tobacco aromas in the tin. I'm not going to claim to be able to tell just what kind of whiskey had been applied, but I guarantee you it was something cheap. NO ONE in their right might will take a high quality single malt and do something other than drink it. The whiskey on this reminds me more of a blended Irish.

Those fruity notes you get from Irish whiskey are what work in a harmonious fashion with the Virginia tobaccos in this blend. There is a TINY wisp of campfire in the tin, but not that Latakia stank, more of an indirect fire cure and super toasty note. It helps balance the sweet and sugary Va leaf and the malty sugars you get from the splash of hooch.

Now that the tin has age and is much drier than new, it lights very easily, doesn't need a bunch of fussing and tending, and if you are well versed in the art of sipping Va tobacco at the lowest of smolders, you will be rewarded with a pleasant, dry, tasty smoke. Not something I want to have cleanched in my jaw all day, but more of a treat to sample a few times a week.....like whiskey!

Nice, uncomplicated smoke. I'm a big Virginia fan, not a big Scotch fan, but this doesn't overwhelm at all with the topping. Easy to light and keep lit, puff slowly and no bite at all. Not one I currently smoke often, but a good change of pace!

I must say I generally don't care for blenders tinkering with good virginia! I must say I have had the pleasure of having many superb blended and single malt whiskies and never any bad ones ;but I am not a scotch snob and think there are no truly bad scotches or whiskeys' only O.K to awesome! This tobbaco has done a real good job of mixing the two! I have tried many whisky/scotch blends and so far this one suits me best!I really get after it being a reformed cigarette fiend so I have to temper my vigor or the tounge will singe! I put it in a big bowl thick walled old hard castle from pappa d and try to take it slow! I haven't aged any yet' this can only get better ! Get some VINCENZO1

Tin aged for 6 months, aired well before smoking. Had a little trouble rubbing this out correctly for loading, but was well worth the effort. I don't smoke aromatics but I always try them hoping to find one that tastes good and also pleases the crowd. I believe this one fits the description quite adequately. I could swear there is a slight pinch of Latakia in there too, but I guess that this is just a personal perception of the rendering of flavors. In any case, apart from VA smokers like me, it could be a blend worth trying by English smokers too. I think they could find a nice change of pace there.

Rubs out and packs easy, takes a few lights to get going but well worth the effort. Tasty, super smooth, mellow and of tangy red virginia. Wont goop the pipe and burns cool and even with no bite if sipped slowly.

A very nice Red Virginia,dark,and flavoured with just a wee bit of single malt Scotch Whisky. Rubs out well,packs easy but will take a couple matches before lift off. The taste is M E L L O W red virginia tangy. The single malt plays in and out of the and slip stream smoke,and is heavenly. I think that single malt whisky and red virginia just may the perfect marriage in tobacco. It's good,it's really good and not to sweet,but just right.

Keep your stick on the ice.

Cut & Color: Red Ribbon Virginia, about 1.5" flakes Hand: Good mositure, not damp, rubs out easily Tin Aroma: Wonderful tangy smell of aged, pressed VA mixed with Scotch Pack: Easily rubbed out, fills nicely, springy. Holds a dense pack well, which I like for VAs.

Char: Like a lot of flakes, takes its time getting charred. I start it, tamp, and let it set for five minutes. First impression is sweet, with a tangy taste kind of like the lemon filling on a meringue pie. Sweet, tart, smoky, and, yes, a little peaty.

Main event: Relights and it is smooth, mouth-filling rich sweetness. It is pleasantly pungent throught the first third, but not overbearingly. The topping was applied with a judicious hand. The VAs are obviously high quality, and smoke like well-aged McClellands to me.

2/3: Flavors are still compelling, and getting richer and deeper as the tobacco stoves. Caramelization enriches this stuff a lot. Very high sugar content.

Bottom 1/3: Still going strong. A delightful smoke, with seriously rich flavor at the bottom. No ashy taste. Easy to control the temperature. No bite, and I'm sure the dryness and preparation contribute to this. The room note reminds me of gingerbread, spicy, sweet, a little tang to it. This is an excellent smoke.

This is a high quality broken flake VA from Dan Pipe doused with Scotch whiskey. I believe the tobacco here would be too mild without the addition of the Scotch. Howver, the whiskey makes all the difference. I can't characterize this a true aromatic because the sweetness comes from the natural flavor of the VA but it and the aroma are only amplified by the Scotch. While you can taste the tang of the whiskey, it is low-key and doesn't overwhelm the tobacco. It burns well but is moist in the tin and doesn't seem to bite. I give it a grade of "B".

I find I like a lot of the same weed as the Pipestud, so when I came across his review, I said hell what's another 20 bucks on the ol Visa bill anyway? Here we have one of those semi-rare instances where the name on the label actually corresponds with the smell in the tin AND the taste of the smoke--that is, this weed provides a nice, sweet whiskey flavor that complements the already sweet virginias but which doesn't have anything of the sprayed-on-goo dimension that I find unpleasant in most aromatic tobaccos. The moisture level out of the tin was perfect and packing was no problem as is. I smoked this in a deep Savinelli Extra lovat-looking thing that I keep for sweeties, and considering my enthusiastic puffing style, it smoked clean and quite cool. A good change of pace that smoked well at any time of the day--(except at night when I'm looking for something less perky). I loaded this when my tastebuds were stale and looking for a lift and it did the trick. Reach for this when your nicotine level is all squared away, as at first this did not deliver the fix fast enough for me and my tongue was not amused!