Vauen No. 22 English Blend

VAUEN: No. 22 English Blend: A tobacconist in Germany recommended this to me & I fancy it. The blenders @ Vauen have courage to offer us something unique in an English Aromatic... the spicy Latakia & Black Cavendish present in a very well behaved & balanced creamy smoking experience. The Burley is a foundational part & the Virginia comes in with subtle hay & citrus. There is a liquor & vanilla topping apparently... it is enjoyable but allows the tobacco to shine. It is tinned @ perfect humidity & has no “bite”. It all comes in a ribbon cut. This is an easy & enjoyable light English aromatic - something that was new for me. It needs few re-lights; smokes to a proper white ash. It is a sumptuous smoke; evocking very positive comments from those abouts. I expect it will moderately ghost a briar. I recommend it to you if you want to explore the English family “lite” & enjoy a smooth smoke.

Vauen tobaccos flew under my radar far too long. When I discovered their top shelf tobaccos I began with Vauen English Blend No.22 and it's been a favorite ever since. It's a Latakia forward Burley/VA blend that has some Black Cavendish added for sweetness and a flavoring component of Vanilla and Bourbon. The main difference with this English-Aromatic crossover is how well this seemingly impossible task (or some would say "questionable act") is executed. This blend is well balanced in every way. It not only still tastes like an English blend but has a rather unique flavor that combines with and compliments the Latakia well rather than ruining it's smooth smokeiness. I'd really like to know what Bourbon they use. Hell, maybe they're fire-curing the Latakia with whiskey barrels! If you're going to make a crossover that pleases English fans, you can't mess with the English taste. Crossovers are sometimes a hard sell, I know, but if you're open to the possibility that good can come from such ideas, this is a fine, fine example. It has lasting taste throughout a bowl, smokes smooth and creamy, lacks any tongue bite or sharpness. The tin I received was a tad moist, so I kept it in the tin a while and gave each bowl a half-hour drying time the first few days. By then the tin was perfect and ready to cellar. Though, it doesn't last long enough in my case to bother. I wanted to review this blend both because I enjoy it but also to alert readers of it's sweeter nature. With a name like "English Blend" some might not be expecting a crossover like this. Naming aside, this is a tasty treat that deserves to be tried and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.