Owl Shop Black Magic

The concoction I am reviewing here is *not* precisely the owl shops Black Magic blend. It is the street version of black magic sometimes known as Mystical Black Magic. That's a mouth full for basically two parts black magic and one part Mystique mixed together. Both blends have been in rotation at the owl shop since the 1930's. One look at the 1920's style Art Deco box these impeccable smokes come shipped in tells you that you've just stepped in to the twilight zone. You could see the undead still smoking the owl shop blends in the famous ball room scene from the shining.

The street concoction of Mystical Black Magic is for hardcore patrons of the owl shop who can't get enough of either smoke. This is easy enough to do if you live in New Haven, because all you have to do is ask them. But if you live far away from the Eli's this can get kinda expensive: two boxes in my rotation to mix is about give or take $160 every 3 months or so. But as my other review for mystique tried to emphasize, this is worth it. It is without a doubt the most nuanced expertly blended tobacco available anywhere in the US.

Why the mixing of the two famous blends one might ask? By so doing one picks up the nicotine in mystique because black magic has little if any nicotine effect. Black magic is a gentle smoke, it is a deep black, earthy cavendish with a hint of mild Virginia, which tames down the cavendish. The result on black magic smoked by itself is a relaxing dreamers smoke. Now in walks the mystique: mystique adds a hint of hazelnut to all that but (read my other review) something else as well. Nobody knows really what that something else is some say it's some kind of experimental fig, spice, tea or straw into the tobacco. Whatever it is, standing alone in mystique it can be a little bit too strong. Mixed with black magic, it takes the latter blend on a voyage, a real celebration of all the mystery pipe smoking can be.

These blends are to be enjoyed in the finest pipe you can afford. Would you drink chateaubriand in a paper cup? Of course not, you'd use a chalice. My choice is to go experimental in lighting up the owl shop blends. It is a renewal and reinvention of the art of pipe smoking to try these blends in an avant garde carved pipe sculpture

I hope this review will lead others to try Joe Lentine's amazing blends. He is one guy who truly deserves the title Master Tobacconist.

Bear in mind that I smoke a filtered pipe. That said, I found this aromatic blend to be very mild. No problem with tongue bite. I have also smoked The Owl Shop's Mystique which seems stronger and more to my liking

I preferred this over the lauded Mystique and even over the 2:1 mix of the two I heard others use. This was probably the best luscious smoke I've had so far. It was mellow and smooth, but their blend had nice body and presence. Wonderful smoke. Full commendations. My Tsuge Spider couldn't have had a better time. And absolutely no tongue bite, even from a somewhat aggressive puffer like myself.