Dan Tobacco Ascanian No. 2 Sweet & Gentle

Quality !!!! Lits well, one relight, no bite, burns dry till the end even if you are puffing fast like locomotive. Sweet taste from virginia, Chili pepper taste reminding that perique is there. Perfect all day smoke, bought another few tins for my cellar. Highly recommended !!!!

This is what I said about No. 1:

"A bright, airy, smooth and easy blend. A nice soft and pliable broken flake that packs and burns extremely well, and that adapts to puffing pace. Yes, it's quite a light blend, with fragrant hay-like character plus a moderate touch of Perique sourness. Not particularly sweet, not fat, not an ultra-fruity blend: as I said, light and easy, but not lacking complexity at all... just a little bit of oomph."

No. 2 is actually a bit different. The cut is a little more ribbonish rather than the soft broken flake of No. 1. And yes, it's spicier, with more marked sour/peppery overtones. Personally, I prefer the gentle balance of No. 1.

One of the best Virginia/Perique ever. Other Briar-Brothers have described its palette better than I can do. For me is an all day smoker that never let you down. I’m used to buy the large pack in order to save some quids and cellar it, too. It comes correctly dry (the right amount of humidity, I'd say) and very easy to use. It needs some relights and is rather forgiving unless you puff like a locomotive. The first third of bowl is a bit peppery (Mr. Perique plays a role) but never overwhelming. Second third is a nice and enticing mix of Va/Per. The last one is more 'round' and tends to be slightly stronger. At the end you crave for another bowl. Smoked in mid to large bowls it exudes its fragrance at best. Last but not least, a complicated baccy good for meditation. Not to be missed by far!

Bag note is citrus , fruity, sweet . Beautiful ready rubbed cut bright colors. I find it is quite similar to Dorchester but much stronger overall and in the perique. The top notes are citrus and sweet fruit not specifically apricot but similar. The smoke is just a bit lite in sweetness. Some woodiness on the retro hale. The Orientals and Turkish provide a bit of spice. I use and recommend a medium bowl and light puffing. This one gets harsh if puffed hard. If your candence is slow it will give you great flavors and is quite complex. Nic hit is a bit past the medium mark. Stays very consistent throughout the whole bowl. A bit strong for an all day smoke but a great after dinner change.

Note from the tin: The sweetness of the virginias combined with the dried figs from the perique. After lighting the pipe, first you notice are the medium sweet virginias. After you puff for a few seconds, the spiciness from the perique comes in. The orientals are kind of in a support role and you don't notice them much. It somewhat leaves a feeling of dryness in the mouth, so I recommend pairing it with a cool beverage. Otherwise it's a real delicious smoke. If I could liken it to a beverage, this would be a dry sparkling white wine.

I'll keep this review short and sweet. This is an absolute hidden gem. Dan Tobacco has blended an esquisite Va/Per, that also works as an all day smoke. I am a huge fan of Perique, but it's hard to find blends that do not fall out of the all day category while giving me that figgy-spicy goodness that I crave. You would be hard pressed to beat this gentle smoke with real Louisiana perique.

4/4 packing this in my pipe all day long, and loading up my cellar.