Bufflehead Black Brant

I have long been searching for the "perfect" cherry aromatic (an oxymoron to many). You can more or less break down cherry aromatics down into 2 camps: those based on burleys and virginias and golden cav (e.g., McC. Three Cherry Blend, P. Stokkebye #3 Cherry) and those with a black cav base, which includes a lot of the drugstore blends. Bufflehead Black Brant, while by no means a drugstore blend, falls into the latter camp. .

Black Brant, as stated on the "tin" notes, is based on Bufflehead Black Duck, a pure black cav. BB, however, has some lighter burley strands as well. This burley has probably been cavendished too. The cut is in wide, short ribbons making it easy to pack. The tobacco seems rather moist and a tad bit sticky, though not nearly as much as some other black cav. aromatics. The pouch aroma is that of sweetened black cav. (to me this has a distinctive smell and taste) with a healthy dose of cherry.

The tobacco sizzles just a little as flame hits the bowl, and this is usually the prelude to a steamy and bitey smoke. Therefore, I was somewhat surprised to find that this actually burned fairly well and I did not get bitten, though I can imagine BB doing so if puffed too fast.

The cherry flavor is foremost in the initial taste- though not as strongly as in the pouch aroma- and stays there throughout the bowl. THis is a good thing IMO, since 1) a lot of heavily aromatic black cavs, quickly lose their aroma/flavor like chewing gum does, and 2) there is just not going to be much real tobacco flavor given the ingredients.

Considering the probabilities, this blend burns pretty well with minimal relights down to the end of the bowl, There was a little goopy dottle at the bottom of the meerschaum bowl which I knew better than to try to burn up. Instead, it hit the ash tray where it belonged.

This is actually one of the better cherry aromatics I have smoked, and it is worth the try, if you are not turned off by the info provided above. Oh, yes, the price is a pretty good deal as well.

This is not the prefect cherry aromatic, but I will smoke it occasionally, at least as long as my 4 oz lasts.

This aromatic is the nuts. This is Black Duck with an ever-so-refined cherry spin. This will make you a hero in your home. A necessary requesent in every man's tobacco kit. Try some, you won't regret it. Smooth burley, slight cherry no goop, no bite. David's a master blender.