Two Friends Valle Crucis
(2.73)
A blend of fine stoved Virginia and Oriental tobaccos, rich Cyprian Latakia, black toasted cavendish and just a pinch of perique. The mixture is finished with a delicate top note of ginger, perfectly complimenting the complex flavors and wonderful aroma of the natural tobaccos. A subtle sweetness and gentle spice is present from first light to last puff, and a clean, dry ash demonstrates the tobaccos' purity.
Details
| Brand | Two Friends |
| Blended By | Craig Tarler & Gregory Pease |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Ginger |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin, 8 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild to Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.73 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 01, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Two Friends' Valle Crucis is, at least technically, an aromatic. It is most probably named for Valle Crucis, NC, 32 miles north of the tobacconists in Morganton, NC . (Whether the town is, in turn, named for the famous riuns of a Welsh abbey is another matter.) In any event, Valle Crucis, the tobacco, is not soaked with polysyllabic organic compounds from a chemist's flask to simulate, when burned, an aroma acceptable to non-smokers. Rather, it is flavored, so we are told, by ginger; and it compliments this blend very well. I therefore recommend it even to those smokers who avoid, de rigueur, blends that contain non-tobacco ingredients. There are no "drug store aromatic" properties or problems.
This is a spicy sweet, rich tasting tobacco with a balanced mosaic of mid-tone, musty, and dark tobacco flavors. It might be considered a light bodied Scottish blend, though the Cavendish and/or ginger might rule out that classification. By the tin description at least five component tobaccos and the ginger top-note all seem to work in perfect harmony throughout the smoke. In my experience this is one of the few blends that use Latakia and Perique as flavor adjustments rather than featured components; and they work in that role very well.
I can scarcely comprehend how much insight, discernment and skill was involved in selecting and balancing so many ingredients to achieve the resultant effect. Whether by genius or serendipity, this is a masterful blending accomplishment. Tarler and Pease are to be commended.
This blend's apparent lack of popularity, at least as judged by the small number of contributions to these reviews, is a real puzzlement. It may not be an all day smoke, or even an every day smoke; but it is sure to please most palates, and should be handy for occasional refreshment.
This is a spicy sweet, rich tasting tobacco with a balanced mosaic of mid-tone, musty, and dark tobacco flavors. It might be considered a light bodied Scottish blend, though the Cavendish and/or ginger might rule out that classification. By the tin description at least five component tobaccos and the ginger top-note all seem to work in perfect harmony throughout the smoke. In my experience this is one of the few blends that use Latakia and Perique as flavor adjustments rather than featured components; and they work in that role very well.
I can scarcely comprehend how much insight, discernment and skill was involved in selecting and balancing so many ingredients to achieve the resultant effect. Whether by genius or serendipity, this is a masterful blending accomplishment. Tarler and Pease are to be commended.
This blend's apparent lack of popularity, at least as judged by the small number of contributions to these reviews, is a real puzzlement. It may not be an all day smoke, or even an every day smoke; but it is sure to please most palates, and should be handy for occasional refreshment.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 31, 2015 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I have had an 8 oz tin of this for a couple of years, purchased on sale, and go in and out of smoking it, keeping it humidified with a metal pouch button.
The tin aroma is an intriguing mix of sweet, smoky and a hint of tart fruit. The appearance is an even mix of bright, brown, and dark evenly cut pieces. Packs nicely, especially in a medium large Aldo Velani.
Lights easily and stays lit, producing a fluffy gray ash Smokes cool with a room aroma that has a little earthy funk to it, I suppose owing to the orientals and ginger, which compliment each other well. The ginger is not obvious, and maybe that's in part owing to the age of this tin. The Latakia is also not obtrusive, more a condiment. The flavor is rich and sweet with no bite if not pushed, becoming a bit simpler halfway down the bowl where the Cavendish and Perique take hold. Plumes of rich smoke.
I would classify this as an updated Scottish. A good all day blend and killer with a big cup of French roast coffee
The tin aroma is an intriguing mix of sweet, smoky and a hint of tart fruit. The appearance is an even mix of bright, brown, and dark evenly cut pieces. Packs nicely, especially in a medium large Aldo Velani.
Lights easily and stays lit, producing a fluffy gray ash Smokes cool with a room aroma that has a little earthy funk to it, I suppose owing to the orientals and ginger, which compliment each other well. The ginger is not obvious, and maybe that's in part owing to the age of this tin. The Latakia is also not obtrusive, more a condiment. The flavor is rich and sweet with no bite if not pushed, becoming a bit simpler halfway down the bowl where the Cavendish and Perique take hold. Plumes of rich smoke.
I would classify this as an updated Scottish. A good all day blend and killer with a big cup of French roast coffee
Pipe Used:
Aldo Velani, rusticated chimney, bent
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes and cigars
Age When Smoked:
2 years?
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 30, 2020 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
t’s a nice English blend with not a lot of latakia. The ginger topping is light and only adds a bit of sweetness. It is not chemical tasting topping and makes for a delightful smoke. If you smoke it slow flavors of ginger and occasional coffee and chocolate emerge. If you don't like heavy aromatics but want to try something with a topping, I suggest you give this a try.
Pipe Used:
Briars
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 05, 2006 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
My sample was a single ounce in bulk. It had aged at least 6 months sealed in a jar. I found this to taste simply like a mild english, with little discernable ginger flavouring or perique. Tastes a bit like a crossover blend with some evidence of sweetness coming through. I've tried this in a few pipes, yet it still eludes me. Might be worth a try for you, but nothing very memorable for me.
Update 08-05 Having given this a few more rounds, I am upgrading this to *** as I have discovered some of the complexities and subtleties that take a gentle draw to discern. Not an everyday smoke, but certainly one to turn to when you don't want your usual english, aromatic or VA, but have a propensity to enjoy them regularly. The leaf is high quality, but the blend only melds to a unified taste at the 2nd third.
Update 08-05 Having given this a few more rounds, I am upgrading this to *** as I have discovered some of the complexities and subtleties that take a gentle draw to discern. Not an everyday smoke, but certainly one to turn to when you don't want your usual english, aromatic or VA, but have a propensity to enjoy them regularly. The leaf is high quality, but the blend only melds to a unified taste at the 2nd third.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 04, 2009 | Mild | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 04, 2006 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 14, 2006 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This is a very good Aromatic/English.The English components that make up the blend are cased with a Chinese ginger liquer.It is really tangy and luscious.This is very much like "And So To Bed" in it's flavor qualities. The difference being ginger instead of anise as the top dressing. Excellent stuff! It is funny though, the room note is just that of smoke. Go figure? 3 stars for the Aromatic/English afficianados such as myself. Although,I still prefer Dr. Bradley or St. Ives.
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