Two Friends Valle Crucis

I think it's pretty neat that the boys at Two Friends thought outside the box with Valle Crucis. It is a ginger blend and one whiff of the tin will make that well known. I am with “Big Bad Jon” below as I am of the same opinion that this blend would have been great on its own, without the ginger flavor. Upon smoking, the ginger isn't as strong in the smoke as it is in the tin and to maximize the ginger flavor, sipping this will bring out the most of the flavoring. VC isn't as sweet as many of today's aromatics. Even though I am a fan of ginger, in the end this blend just isn't for me. IMHO, it will likely appeal to a small number of ginger lovers and even a smaller number that seek ginger in their tobacco. (Who seeks that when they get up in the morning??). The component tobaccos are very well done so for that reason it's somewhat recommended.

My review may be slightly unfair to this blend or maybe to other users because my sample is a one pound pressed block ,vacuum sealed since 2000. It required cutting and rubbing out for preperation. The block was very dark and the ginger aroma was noticable maybe even predominant. Upon lighting the latakia note was noticeable along with the ginger. The ginger stayed in the taste and mingled with the other tobaccos throughout the smoke. An everyday smoke ??? Probally not , comparable to new?? Probally not, Smooth?? Yes. A definite change of pace smoke and like most tobaccos from this maker, quality for sure.

This is a must-try for those seeking a crossover of an English blend with fine aromatic embellishment.

The pouch aroma is just fantastic to me and actually translates to the palate when the blend burns in a briar. At no time does Valle Crucis lose true tobacco flavor, nor the Cantonese Ginger Liqueur allegedly topping it.

My 4 oz. plastic package was at least three years old prior to breaking the heat seal. The blend was a bit on the dry side and was not as obviously vacuum pressed as other TF plastic packages I own and see on tobacconist shelves.

If you like copious Latakia, you might like this a lot, because this is mostly about Latakia, a touch of Turkish sweetened by flue-cured and Cavendish tobak. Perique comes into play about midway through a bowl and gets fairly bold by the end. I also think the ginger liqueur adds a touch of sweetness to the taste and aroma. This might also please someone who likes light Balkans (though there is not enough Turkish to make VC a Balkan per se in my estimate).

VC can nip the tongue a bit if puffed hard. There is so much flavor here that sipping is all one needs to get volumes of smoke and taste.

VC can nip the tongue a bit if puffed hard. There is so much flavor here that sipping is all one needs to get volumes of smoke and taste. A worthy choice, but my heart still rests with Pipeworks and Wilke's aromatic English blends. P&W blends are more interesting and much cooler.

When I first lit VC, the first thing I tasted was a grassy Virginnia flavor, fresh and citrusy. This didn't last long and on second light a more uniform, rounded taste took over, the combined ingredients. The ginger casing is subtle -- though you can taste it -- but it's hard to identify. Without having read what it was I wouldn't be able to say. It is a very light aromatic. It builds flavor strength as it is smoked and it is pleasant. The ginger becomes more noticeable on relights than retreats in the mix. It smokes dryly and leaves a clean grey ash. Final asessment: Nice, mild aromatic, probably for the guy who winces at the thought of cherry blends. For the aromatic smoker I would say keep looking. For me it's a little too subtle, though obviously good.

VC is a light, mild English blend with a sweet, ginger flavor. As some others have noted, I found it an OK smoke for a change of pace but found the ginger flavor grating, i.e., it does grow tiresome. If you like tobacco with a ginger flavor, try this and Shandygaff.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 5.5 out of 10.

The pouch aroma is a bit too strong due to the flavoring, but the smoke isn't. Very mild, with a sweet/spicy aroma that can grow boring on the long run but it is not bad if you like ginger. It reminds a bit of And so to bed, with its flavoring, but milder. I actually can't stand the taste of ginger very much, and especially the flavor it leaves in the bowl, so I won't buy this blend again.

I really love ginger and that combined with the high ratings given to this so far meant I had to give it a try.

Upon opening the package I was met with the highly distinctive sharp sour smell of Chinese liquor. I've been to China, where I drank a significant amount of chinese liquor, and so I'm extremely familiar with this smell and flavor thats so rare here in the US. This stuff absolutely SCREAMS "CHINESE LIQUOR!" to me, and even though I think the taste of Chinese liquor is interesting, in chinese liquor, the smell still sort of turns my stomach.

After packing a bowl and lighting up it tasted like, well, Chinese liquor. I may be a neophyte but I knew that I couldn't give this stuff a fair try without letting it dry out a bit. So I loaded up a tobacco pouch and let it sit for 4 days in that. The nasty sour chinese liquor flavor faded from overwhelming to just a tiny hint in the background. Now this stuff tastes like a fairly mild english blend with a significant amount of ginger in it, which I suppose is more like what it was intended to taste like.

This stuff is a good tobacco, especially if you are looking for a milder english blend with a little something extra, but it's a bit too mild for me and I don't think it's going to be one of my regulars.

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TIN NOTE

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Gentle English with Virginias leading the way. The Latakia is very light. The perique is barely noticeable. The Oriental Leaf is pretty much hidden under the ginger topping.
It is not a bad-smelling tobacco.. but it is not my style.

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SMOKING NOTES

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The good news is that the ginger topping almost goes away after the third of the bowl. Once the topping is weak, we do get to experience the underlying tobaccos. The sweet tartness of the Virginias. The molasses of the black cavendish. Smokey campfire of the Latakia. Little stewed fruit and pepper of the perique. And yes ... even tiny amounts of the spicy floral notes from the oriental. But the topping is always there... and it is not that pleasant.

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MECHANICS

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Some drying time was needed. Took to flame well. Hard to keep lit once down to the last third. It did not bite or go acrid even when pushed.

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SUMMARY

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It is a decent all-day aromatic that will appeal to people who want to dabble with Latakia. I really dislike the ginger topping.
In my opinion, it is not as good as Crosseyed Cricket or Eastfarthing.

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[T][W][O] [S][T][A][R][S]

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This tobacco would have been four stars if not for the ginger casing. The balance of VA, Oriental, Latakia, and Perique was perfect. The subtlety of the Perique adds just the right amount of body and balances the VA perfectly. The latakia is first rate smoky and woody. The blend does get a bit of woodiness from the ginger for the first half of the bowl, the problem is that by the bottom of the bowl the ginger is too strong and masks the perfectly balanced flavors of the NATURAL tobacco. I can say that I am glad I was able to experience this blend, but I am not going to get it again.