Two Friends Valle Crucis

Like anyone else who bought this, I wondered how well does Ginger fare in an Aromatic?

For being such a strong, sharp root which demands attention in any dish it worms into, Valle Crucis began without much tin opening flair... but, after a few bowls and getting the contents stirred up, the Ginger factory started pumping all sorts of wild odors into the air. It does have a Ginger thing going on, however the overall effect is a sour, dare I say, medical cleaning supply montage that is sickly and avoidable, yet drew me in for more each time (kind of like these "skunk" scented stickers I had as a kid).

The ribbons are thin and soft, burned well, and are apparently made from all cuts of leaf, which pulled together on my first bowl into a strong, almost cigar-esque experience (that caught me off guard - I was not a fan). Later attempts also gave off a heavy nicotine wallop (or at the very least, the Ginger added to this effect), so I felt it was stronger than most blends.

So, did I actually smoke something Ginger... well I guess so. Some kind of flavor definitely comes though in the tin, but the lit product isn't as intense (a case of a little goes a long way, so while it may not be heavily topped, the flavoring comes off as at least medium). It was certainly different, and worth a buy for any Aromatic fan.

Heck, I thought about ordering more, so let's call it a win (though English Chocolate is still a better purchase from this blend).

It's no secret that I am not a huge fan of English blends. Sour Oriental and charred Latakia tobaccos do not appeal to me unless they are used with a very light hand. I like flavor and aroma. That's why I smoke a pipe.

Well, doing my best to at least sample every type of blend, I picked up a tin of this at Castro's in Concord, NH while sniffing through. I admit my palate is not so discerning, and I can neither smell not taste the ginger in this, other than as a slightly spicy accent to the already spicy perique and Latakia (Ginger is NOT sweet. Those claiming to taste sweetness from the ginger are actually tasting the sugars of the Virginia. Eat a piece of ginger root and see if it doesn't near burn your tongue off). Both of those condiments are indeed lightly used, with a majority sweet, simple Virginia taking up the load and offering a decent smoke, with a smell that at least won't drive everyone from the building.

I can tolerate it on a cold morning with a strong cup of coffee, but it's definitely a "sometimes" blend for me.

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.

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.

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.

This is one of the best cross over english blends that i have tried. It smokes very cool and is very flavorful. The ginger flavor was present in the smoke but seemed to play a more background kind of role as a supporting flavor. This element of the smoke reminded me kind of the way mephisto is with the rum. I did not see the ginger as prominant as some of the other reviewers have commented about, however I did age this for a while and this may have had an affect on it. This is a good blend for me when I am in the mood for a quality english blend with a twist. This may not be a good blend for everyone but I highly recomend this.had a update 3-12-11. I have had several tins of this now and realise that the 1st tin I had was more subdued in the ginger flavoring. I have to downgrade this to somewhat recommended because this is a blend I now only go to occasionaly and recommend it that way.