Tsuge Premium Pipe Tobacco First Days of Spring
(2.90)
First Days of Spring intriguingly blends Virginia and burleys with a dash of perique to add a dark fruit note and some spice. Speaking of fruit, the blend is lightly topped off with a splash of berry flavor. The taste and room note will change the way you think about aromatics.
With plum blossom scent, this sudden sun emerges along a mountain trail. - Matsuo Basho (1644 – 1694)
Notes: "The Four Seasons" is a line of aromatic blends that are meant to capture the essence of the four distinct seasons in Japan. They were announced at 2014 IPCPR, and released in late 2014.
Details
| Brand | Tsuge Premium Pipe Tobacco |
| Series | The Four Seasons |
| Blended By | |
| Manufactured By | Drew Estate |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Fruit / Citrus |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.90 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 2015 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
First, a caveat. My preferred tobaccos these days are nicotine heavy: most of what I smoke is either Key Largo from Mr. Pease or Dunhill's lovely Royal Yacht. Nonetheless, I have been looking for a mixture to smoke that, if not crowd friendly, at least won't get me stoned by an outraged populace.
I selected this tobacco as an attempt at combining the best of both worlds. Needing a pleasant smelling smoke for a trip to visit my wife's family in Tokyo, I selected this mixture for both the obvious sentimental reasons and the fact that ume (japanese plum) is one of my favorite tastes.
Perhaps I was predisposed to like this blend, but it really performed admirably during the cherry blossom season. For two weeks, only my first and last bowls of the day were Royal Yacht. The rest were of First Days of Spring. I'm still smoking this blend almost exclusively upon our return. I'm currently on my third tin.
This mixture is simply pleasant. The smell out of the tin is as advertised...lovely plum. But lightly plummy. Ones fingers aren't goo encased after loading the pipe. The appearance is a stringy medium golden texture, with the occasional flake of cavendish.
I really can't comment on its loading propensities. my preferred method of packing this sort of mixture is simply to take a large pinch in the palm of my left hand and placing the bowl upside down over the tobacco, rotate the pipe across my Palm until the bowl is filled. Simple and foolproof.
Lighting is extraordinarily easy. One match, agressively used, a light tamp, and off one goes. Relights are rare.
Initial flavor is of light sweet plum and sweet Virginia tobacco. Neither seem to dominate, but meld together harmoniously. Flavor remains consistent until the bottom third, when the plum fades into the background and the overall taste becomes darker, but still pleasant.
This mixture remains consistent across the board of my chosen pipes. it was smoked in a falcon with a meerschaum bowl, a group 1 Dunhill shell briar, a pair of group three billiards and a large Tsuge Ikebana. There was little difference noted between the relative sizes.
Burns relatively cleanly and kept everyone about me happy. Not heavy on the nicotine at all. The best part is the remarkable aftertaste...pure sweet plum. No ashiness. If one happens to have a beer afterwards, you get ume-shiso, my absolute favorite japanese flavor.
This should be tried with an open mind. It frankly shocked me.
I selected this tobacco as an attempt at combining the best of both worlds. Needing a pleasant smelling smoke for a trip to visit my wife's family in Tokyo, I selected this mixture for both the obvious sentimental reasons and the fact that ume (japanese plum) is one of my favorite tastes.
Perhaps I was predisposed to like this blend, but it really performed admirably during the cherry blossom season. For two weeks, only my first and last bowls of the day were Royal Yacht. The rest were of First Days of Spring. I'm still smoking this blend almost exclusively upon our return. I'm currently on my third tin.
This mixture is simply pleasant. The smell out of the tin is as advertised...lovely plum. But lightly plummy. Ones fingers aren't goo encased after loading the pipe. The appearance is a stringy medium golden texture, with the occasional flake of cavendish.
I really can't comment on its loading propensities. my preferred method of packing this sort of mixture is simply to take a large pinch in the palm of my left hand and placing the bowl upside down over the tobacco, rotate the pipe across my Palm until the bowl is filled. Simple and foolproof.
Lighting is extraordinarily easy. One match, agressively used, a light tamp, and off one goes. Relights are rare.
Initial flavor is of light sweet plum and sweet Virginia tobacco. Neither seem to dominate, but meld together harmoniously. Flavor remains consistent until the bottom third, when the plum fades into the background and the overall taste becomes darker, but still pleasant.
This mixture remains consistent across the board of my chosen pipes. it was smoked in a falcon with a meerschaum bowl, a group 1 Dunhill shell briar, a pair of group three billiards and a large Tsuge Ikebana. There was little difference noted between the relative sizes.
Burns relatively cleanly and kept everyone about me happy. Not heavy on the nicotine at all. The best part is the remarkable aftertaste...pure sweet plum. No ashiness. If one happens to have a beer afterwards, you get ume-shiso, my absolute favorite japanese flavor.
This should be tried with an open mind. It frankly shocked me.
Pipe Used:
various group 1-4 pipes, falcon meerschaum.
Age When Smoked:
upon receipt
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 15, 2015 | Mild | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
This is one of the best aromatics on the market. It completely surprised me in both flavor, aroma, and smoking properties. Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with a very floral, nutty, fruity aroma. It wasn't sickeningly sweet smelling, but very pleasant. It was at the proper moisture right out of the tin, and the cut allowed it to be packed effortlessly. It lights well every time without a fuss.
The initial taste reminds me of cherry blossoms. It has a sweet but floral hit with a bit of spice in the background. The VA's are very prominent in this blend, adding a sweet grassy flavor that perfectly captures the essence of Spring here in the mountains. The fruit flavor does not identify itself as berries, which Tsuge suggests. Instead, they come around about mid-bowl and present themselves as fresh, bright fruits instead of dark ones. The presence of Perique probably aids with this quality. It burns all the way down to a fine white ash, and leaves no aftertaste. I will be buying more of this, and I hope the other Tsuge blends are as fulfilling as this one. I recommend this to any pipe smoker, even if they are not a fan of aromatics. Good job, Tsuge!
The initial taste reminds me of cherry blossoms. It has a sweet but floral hit with a bit of spice in the background. The VA's are very prominent in this blend, adding a sweet grassy flavor that perfectly captures the essence of Spring here in the mountains. The fruit flavor does not identify itself as berries, which Tsuge suggests. Instead, they come around about mid-bowl and present themselves as fresh, bright fruits instead of dark ones. The presence of Perique probably aids with this quality. It burns all the way down to a fine white ash, and leaves no aftertaste. I will be buying more of this, and I hope the other Tsuge blends are as fulfilling as this one. I recommend this to any pipe smoker, even if they are not a fan of aromatics. Good job, Tsuge!
Pipe Used:
Medico, Dr. Grabow, several commissioned pieces
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh to 2 months
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