Comoy's of London Cask #2 Portwood

Cask No. 2 is the second aromatic from Comoy’s that I have tried. This one is slightly more cased than Cask No. 9. I enjoy No. 9 a bit more because of the ease in which the tobacco flavor comes through in unison with the casing. But, I find Cask No. 2 very interesting. I have only tasted one or two tobaccos flavored with wine, and the only I recall is one of the Wessex blends. But my brief experience wasn’t a good one and that is being polite. Cask No. 2 gets it right. The Vanilla and Chocolate are there, but the splash of wine adds almost a blackcurrant flavor to the blend. It also seems to add a little depth. Considering that we are only talking about a small splash here, it accomplishes quite a bit. I have been impressed with both of the Comoy’s aromatic offerings I have tried thus far. If you want a little more tobacco flavor, No. 9 is the way to go, however, Cask No. 2 is far from the heaviest aromatic I have tried.

What a pleasant surprise this aromatic was. I usually smoke english blends, and reserve aromatics for company. When I smoke an aromatic, I want to know that I am smoking one...so heavy on the casing. This one delivers very well. For me, the vanilla played a leading role, with the port more in the background. My wife really enjoyed the room note. This packs, lights, and smokes well with no tongue bite (I smoke like a chimney). If you enjoy aromatics that taste more like the casing, this one will do you right.

Comoy's - Cask #2 Portwood.

A coarse cut blend, with a higher amount of medium and light brown pieces than black. I ordered this from bulk rather than in a sealed in the hope of avoiding 'sealed tin dampness', and my decision paid off nicely. The label from Smokingpipes.com doesn't say Portwood, just Cask No. 2, so being unsure whether or not this was an aromatic I did a 'blind smoke', before checking here: flavoured blend.

The first added flavouring to come through was vanilla. The chocolate requires a little more detection. At first I thought these were the only two additions, until I got a way in. Around now another ingredient came to light, albeit, quite tricky to pinpoint at first; slightly sharp, somewhat sweet, with some red-fruitiness: the port! Once this has landed the flavour steadies itself! The tobaccos give a relatively smooth taste, without too much vigour or causticity. I get a good burn, giving a cool smoke, with no tongue bite.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: pleasant.

Three stars for Cask #2:

Recommended.

Comoy's of London Cask No. 2: Portwood, the only aromatic in the trio I was able to taste thanks to a friend in my pipe club who works for my tobacconist and gave all of us samples of three of the new Cask Series, is one that, judging from the packet blurb, would be ghastly even to die-hard aromatic fans, among whom I counted myself until I was liberated and enlightened. Cask 2 fuses Virginias, Burleys and a mild Black Cavendish with "a unique combination of chocolate and vanilla with a hint of port" (hence the name). Yikes! But not so. This seeming Stygian Stew creates a wonderfully surprising light aromatic that almost everyone who tried it Friday night, including the harshest of the Latakia and Perique ogres, enjoyed. And I may be one of them now. All of these examples of the Cask Series, even No. 2, smoke long and well.

Unsmoked aroma is mostly chocolate and wine, with a litlle vanilla. Room note is similar, though I might add that this tasted more like wine the more I smoked through the bowl, and less like chocolate and vanilla, which impacted the room note similarly for me. The Virginia leaf adds a natural sweetness that is nonetheless kept from tasting too light by the Burley. Detectable tobacco taste is there but mild. I will also go on to state that I kept on getting a taste like Oak wood. I am quite sure this has to do with either added flavoring or the cure of the tobacco, possibly both. This is a very enjoyable aromatic that is something a little different and may not appeal to all aromatic lovers but will probably appeal to most of them.

When I first opened the tin, the smell of port was fairly strong to me, along with the possibility of a little vanilla and chocolate in the background. The port really didn't translate much to the smoke though, it stayed in the background for the most part. It's a nice smooth, rich and sweet smoke with a taste of vanilla and cocoa. You can tell this is made with some quality leaf. I think this will benefit from a little blending latakia added to give it some smokiness and then stashed away for a few months.

This one when I sampled it had a much lighter flavor and was much more delicate.. I can only assume this was because it was as dry as tinder. The bulk was much more moist and as such needed a little more care for the flavor to come through and not to bite. However it has a great flavor both of tobacco and the mild(er) casing. The room note is OK but more tobacco than casing in my opinion and I know this is one my wife wouldn't let me smoke in the house.

Gourmet chocolate tin note upon opening the tin with a candied fig smell in the background. Think old fashioned sweets shop. Dark decadent melted milk chocolate with sweet fruity swirls of port wine and exotic vanilla entices the palate with an enticing taste sensation of confectioners candy. A mild strength desert tobacco that is perfect for relaxing after dinner or as an all day smoke. Moisture content is near perfect and little to no drying time is needed for a perfect smoke. The aroma of this blend is sure to win hearts and minds as well. Cheers