Two Friends Redwood

I agree with the previous reviewer - this looks a bit like redwood tree bark in the tin. The mildest of tin aromas of a light vanilla (?) and perhaps white wine.

The smoke was decent but mostly uneventful. There was a very light natural VA sweetness with a touch of perique. But it didn't stop at being a light vaper. The addition of cavendish added some additional sweetness in the taste and a bit of pleasantness in the room note. That makes it sound like there's a fair bit of complexity and a lot going on but I just didn't find that to be so. I find the lack of recent reviews of this blend to be indicative of its lack of any real depth. I'd call this an interesting blend but little more than that. Three stars because it is recommended for folks that want to try a fairly mild and lightly sweet Vaper but there are much better Vapers out there, some of which were blended by these Two Friends separately. But for what I perceive is its intended audience, this one is worth trying.

This tobacco came wet in the tin and required some drying time. The tin note is of earth and chocolate, with a hint of dark fruit. The tobaccos used seem to be of high quality and mechanics are no problem. The flavor is dark, earthy and not as sweet as advertised or expected given the virginia content, and the flavor remained vigilant no matter my cadence. A great smoke, but not my prefered flavor spectrum, as i like more of a bakery, cinnamon roll sweetness like telegraph hill or escudo. The perique is on the heavy side, somewhere between telegraph hill and bayou morning. Nicotine content feels medium/high.

My supply of Redwood arrived rather dry and I didn't enjoy it very much. I moistened it with an aluminum water disk thingy and that helped a lot. Redwood's taste is predominantly that of Virginia tobacco, but not a sharp or "hot" one. This has a Virginia taste with the mellowness and mouth-feel of Burley.

From first light this blend abounds in subtleties and fine distinctions: spice on the tongue; an ephemeral floral suggestion in the nose and sinuses; a deep dark fruitiness on the palate; and more; but I'll spare you the minutiae. I am really sensitive to Perique's piquancy, and for me it is just a bit too assertive. Even so, in this blend "the pinch" is a mere distraction, and it fades as the smoke progresses. That makes it acceptable -- especially since Perique's flavor really supports this blend.

By mid-bowl that vague floral presence transforms into something hinting slightly of charred meat -- or a component thereof (that's not quite right, but it's the best I can do.) The spiciness smoothes out somewhat, and the fruity underpinnings start to develop earthier tones that persist to the very end.

This is a blend you can play games with: searching out different sensations by changing both the puffing cadence and the way you wreathe the smoke between mouth and nose. Try this in various pipes too.

By the end of the smoke the earthy base flavors offer occasional cigar-like impressions that are quite pleasant. The nicotine content is satisfying; and the lingering finish is oh so "tobacco-ey".

Mild and faintly sweet Va Per blend that provides a pleasant albeit different smoke. The Virginias provide an ready and slightly citrus/hay component while the Perique come in with a stewed fruit fermented taste. The cavendish does provide some sweetness to tone down the usual Va Per concept. All in all a fine smoke for me, as are all of the Two Friends Blends. All day smoke or occasional change of pace blend. Will reach for it on a regular basis!

Must reviews have gotten this one right if you are a vaper smoker this one is a must lights well smoke fantastic and it's affordable the only con in my opinion is that the perique whips your bud the last quarter of the pipe to the point that it might irritate your throat I don't inhale btw but it is the nature of the blend. Smokes better in small bowls in larger bowls the blend gets muddy, I don't know how is it that the red Virginia from C&D has nicotine and McClellands does not but in this blend you better respect lady nicotine or she might slap you across the face due to this I do it consider it an all day blend but more a late night treat. Would I purchased again...absolutely!

I bought 8(2 oz.)tins of Redwood,on a whim,off of ebay. I thought it would be a sure bet with the rep. of the two blenders involved with Two Friends;C&D and G.L. Pease. I was not disappointed.

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Upon opening the first can I approved of the smell,natural tobbaco and prunie. No smell or taste of ammonia.Being a mostly Virginia blend, Redwood burns comparativly cool.Its taste is consistent with its smell and on the mild side. This blend could have had four stars with a little more perique. The cavendish sweetens and mellows this blend.You could call this a daily smoker.I call it a race to the finish.

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The size of pipe used for Redwood can vary. I have smoked this in many sizes, from a large omm paul to a small "bings favorite",with tasty results.

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If you are looking for a nicotine fix,look elsewhere.Redwood must have nicotine in it but I am a bad judge due to the Pall Mall nonfilters I have yet to completely quit.

Appearance: the tin of tobacco was released in April 2022 and is slightly blown open with a slight click. The processing of the Virginias and their aging made the overall blend really similar in color to red wood. The blend is a neatly sliced ribbon with some flecks of slightly darker cavendish and even darker perique. Moisture is excellent, consistency is excellent, no glycerin felt on my fingers.

Flavor: medium-bodied, mild, individual notes well discernible. Fresh bread, bitter chocolate, white dry wine, raisins and prunes sound with almost equal strength, creating a pleasant bouquet. Weaker notes of herbs, fragrant pepper and cream, as well as woody notes - keep in the background. The slightly sour dry wine note, although bright, wears off rather quickly in the air.

Taste: my expectations of a very sweet tobacco were not met. The overall taste of the blend was much less sweet than I expected. The presence of cavendish and stoved virginia also makes this blend much milder and smoother on the palate than the classic virginia and perique blends I like. The bouquet is centered on the boiled fruits with slight sweetness, but almost immediately a woody note is also felt, as well as bread tones that intensify a bit as you smoke. The perique on the retrohale is barely perceptible, and there is not much of it in the main taste. The tobacco does not bite, has no harsh notes, burns slowly and evenly, but tends to overheat. The mildness of the taste is deceptive, as the strength of the blend is medium or even a little higher, in very large pipes nicotine hit is possible. The tobacco burns out into a smooth gray ash without lumps, leaving almost no moisture in the pipe. The aftertaste is sweet and woody, slightly astringent, but very unstable.

The smoke from the tobacco is light but relatively persistent, with a sweet woody odor.

What's the bottom line? The tobacco is quite comparable to Sutliff Crumble Kake Va. Perique in terms of composition and flavor. Unlike the Sutliff blend, there is clearly more strength here, with the same density of flavor and taste. I can also remember similar Robert McConnell Red Virginia, but in the European recipe there is a little more cavendish and much more glycerin, and its strength for me personally is clearly insufficient, and I consider its flavoring with chocolate unnecessary. This bouquet is good on its own. As for Redwood, it is very good. Although blends with brighter perique have always looked more favorable to me, this tobacco can be recommended for acquaintance with vapers, taking into account, of course, that it may be a bit strong for an unprepared pipe smoker.

Another good effort by Two Friends. This is a delightful smoke with a touch of spice but not overbearing. The aroma is fantastic for a non-aromatic blend and should not offend even the staunchest tobacco opposer (they know who they are!). Great taste and burns well.

Redwood is a beautiful blend to look at and very full flavored with a substantial jolt of nicotine. To me it's very similar to Haddo's Delight. There is something elusive about the flavor that keeps it interesting, however I would only reccomend this to true lovers of VA/Perique blends.