Two Friends Celtic Mist

I just finished a pouch of Two Friends Celtic Mist. I must admit it took me almost 6 months to do so, however, it gave me a good look at the tobacco in different stages of "pouch aging" and humidity levels. Pouch Aroma: I must agree with Sceny. It smells like Irish Cream coffee creamer already mixed with coffee! Not overly sweet. Nice.

Visual: One of the most attractive tobaccos I've ever seen. A beautiful contrasting ribbon/cube cut with dark browns and blacks and an almost equal portion of light yellow.

Texture: As with all C&D blends, was just a touch on the dry side when I received it from Craig. I let it get even dryer, and enjoyed it more and more even with the rising temperture. Still smokes a little wet.

Pack/Pipe: Gravity fed with just a little tamp into two pipes from my aromatic rotation. This blend was smoked in a small Comoy Rockroot Pot and a large Israeli Alpha Galaxy Virgin Finish full bent.

Lighting/Burn: One match to char well, one to light. That's it all the way to the bottom! Even smoking wet, this blend continued to burn well, leaving a dark ash with a few bits of charred tobacco.

1st 3rd: When new, experienced some tang at beginning of smoke which subsided mid way. Was more pronounced in smaller pipe. This tang subsided as the blend dryed and aged. Can definitely taste the topping at this point. Burley is the dominant lead off tobacco.

2nd 3rd: More of the same. Did I mention this tobacco burns fast? Really fast! Smoked through an inch of tobacco in about 15-20 minutes.

Final 3rd: Burn rate has slowed now, and Irish Mist is recognizable but not powerful. Burleys are still holding their own with the VA's. No relights needed to get to bottom, however, did need to use 3 pipe cleaners on average.

Notes: I like this tobacco for a quality aromatic that was blended with some thought. Aroma does not seem to stick with pipe at all, and builds a decent cake. If it didn't burn so hot, I would like it more.

Stogie rating of: 7 Heavenly Hoyos

As a rule I'm not an aromatic smoker. Going back to the thinking that if it smells nice . ..it'll burn your tongue. So, for me to give this a try was done so with a raised eyebrow. And I enjoyed it. I honestly couldn't smoke this as a daily but to change things up a bit and give myself variety, I would buy another tin. Be advised that IMHO, it's a tad rich and labors to a fruity note. But again, to change things up now and again, this tin is close by. Relights will be needed but if you're a pipe smoker, you're a re- lighter. All pipe tobacco, is merit of relights. Enjoy!

I don't know why this tobacco gets such a bad knock-- it's a decent aromatic and a nice change of pace from the usual vanilla aromatics. I'm almost certain that there is no propyline glycol in this mixture and I don't think either Tarler or Pease would adulterate any blend they had a hand in. In fact, my batch came on the dry side and had to be hydrated not long after it was opened.

There is a fruitiness present. Apricot would indeed be the closest comparison, but it's not overbearing and just a little sweet. I think the sweetness is coming from the Virginia, not from the casing, if there is any-- and the burley is very much in the background here. The Irish Mist is apparently applied as a topping and doesn't come out in the smoke.

The large pieces of tobacco, which I would call more of a shag than a ribbon, smoke cool. I normally have to re-light it a few times. No stems, and little tobacco "dust" tell me this is quality leaf, handled well.

This is a very interesting tobacco; I don't believe I've seen anything quite like it. Since Two Friends is a cooperative effort between two of my favorite blenders, GL Pease and C&D, I ordered it hoping to find the best of both. The first major difference is that it comes in a partially clear heavy plastic pouch. This is sealed very well, the strong vacuum making the lump of tobacco inside as firm as a brick. Through the plastic, I notice a visually attractive mix of blacks, browns and yellows, all in roughly equal amounts and well mixed. When I open the bag, I am struck immediately by the very strong aroma of Irish Mist; I can tell at once that this is a C&D blend! What surprises me is how close the casing aroma is to Irish Cream Dairy Creamers - I almost want to flavor my coffee with this stuff. The tobacco is on the dry side, but not near as dry as most C&D blends; about on a par with the GLP blends I've tried. A mixture of medium cut with a few long strands, it packs nicely, and lights quickly, puffing up on the charring light. In the first third of the bowl, the casing is fairly strong, especially at the very beginning. On first light, and at each relight thereafter, I get a "sharp" flavor, almost a sweet and sour taste. And while I can smell the Irish Mist, I certainly don't taste it in the smoke. I quickly notice the tobacco base of this blend, a mild smoothness with a bit of a sharper, dryer flavor as well. There is a spiciness here, too, but it's difficult at this stage to determine how much flavor is from the tobacco and how much from the casing. In the second third, the "sweet-and-sour" effect diminishes somewhat, and the sharp Virginias and Burley mingle with the mild Cavendish base. Thus far, there has been no hint of tongue bite or moisture. There is a bit of sweetness as well, I believe from the Virginias as it seems different than the initial casing flavor. I am still getting bursts of the casing, however, and it does not detract from the taste of the tobacco. Onto the last part of the bowl, and interesting things are happening. I'm noticing a bit of a punch from the nicotine; though I would not term this a strong tobacco, it is noticeable. There is a spiciness and additional complexity here, reminiscent of other GLP tobaccos. I don't taste much of the casing any more, and there is a bit of moisture at the bottom. It is not severe, however, and there is still no bite that I can sense. The tobacco burns cleanly to the bottom, with only a little left when I empty my pipe. Overall, this was an enjoyable smoke. The room odor was very pleasant, and the casing did not overwhelm what is a very good tobacco base (except at the very beginning). This is a nice, clean-smoking aromatic with good complexity and a bit of a nicotine kick; I believe I will be smoking more of this in the future.

The aroma is reminescient of coconut, and that does not bode well for this blend and I. You see, coconut is one of my least favorite flavors ever. Ah well, let us not be put off by aroma alone. I approached sampling this tobacco with a bit of trepidation, given the coconut aroma, and the fact that aromatic blends are not my forte. I decided to play it safe and first try this out in a corncob. During packing I had to remove a twig or two, but no real problems. The light was easy, and the first puff a great suprise. There was not even a hint of coconut taste! Instead, I was treated to a very mild 'Southern' flavor of Burley and Cavendish, though leaning towards the Cavendish side more than the Burley. The first half of the bowl proceeded without incident, with me savoring the burley and cavendish flavors as they danced around. Presently, the Virginias began to peek their heads out, and heralded the beginning of the second half of the bowl. Now, the combination of Burley and sweet, sugary Virginias is a sure recipe for tongue-bite for the unwary, so I slowed down and 'breathe-smoked' the second half of the bowl, and it was delightful. The only rea lissue I have with this blend is that the transition from the Burley/Cavendish flavor to the Virginia flavor is a nbit mpre abrupt and pronounced than I would have liked.

(Update 6/29/06) Perhaps my taste is changing. This is still a fine aromatic, but not much tobacco flavor. It's a bit too sweet for my (more refined?) tastes. I'm about half way through an 8oz bag of this stuff and will probably give the rest away. It's just not for me. I've sampled all but one of the Two Friends line and like them all. Celtic Mist is a very pleasant smoke with lots of flavor and excellent room note. I highly recommend this blend.

very aromatic. but one can still taste the tobacco under the casing wich i like in the blend. i recomend this baccy for those who normally like aromatics but are looking for more power.

I purchased a pouch of this tobacco and the first thing I noticed upon opening the vacuum-sealed pouch was the unique aroma. I thought the tobacconist had sold me bubble gum instead of tobacco! After breaking off a couple of pinches from the vacuum-packed ribbon and filling my first bowl, I was definitely curious as to what this stuff would taste like. After lighting, I was pleasantly greeted with the taste of irish cream mingled with the Virginia. After a few puffs, I thought "uh-oh, here's comes some pretty gruesome bite", but the tobacco settled down and became much smoother. The burn was even, and after some initial gurgling, the bowl burned even and slow until I neared the bottom of the bowl, where several re-lights were required to finish. About three-quarters down the bowl, I could definitely begin to taste the burley in this blend, and the sweetness of the Virginias mingled with the burley was quite pleasant. I was reminded of sipping on an irish coffee late night in the coffee shop. This tobacco is sweet, but not overwhelmingly so (despite my initial reservations regarding the bubble gum smell!) and the "irish mist" is definitely pleasing.

I definitely recommend it for those looking for a pleasant aromatic blend as a change of pace.