Newminster No. 6 Vanilla Delight

The flue cured Virginias are grassy with some citrus and forms the base of the blend. The toasted cavendish has a mild honey hit. The burley is a little nutty while the black cavendish has some vanilla, and both are background players. The vanilla topping has a little depth of flavor, and tones down the tobaccos. Has little nicotine and won’t bite. Burns at a moderate pace with a very smooth, consistent taste that doesn’t weaken or get harsh. No dull spots. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl. Needs an average number of relights. The after taste is very pleasant and the room note will entrance your friends. Can be an all day smoke, and a mixer.

-JimInks

Newminster - No. 6 Vanilla Delight.

Quite a coarse ribbon, but this means there's a few twiggy pieces as well as bigger leafy ribbons. The blend has a smell where identification of the vanilla isn't hard, and the moisture of my pouch was good.

It's a little lighter than most vanilla aromatics, it isn't gloopy black Cavendish, and nothing else, through and through. Of the tobaccos the Virginia gives the most taste, with the Cavendish and Burley sharing the support role. The vanilla topping gives flavour, without lots of stickiness. I find the temperature cool, and it gives a burn that's medium in pace. Although the smoke's cool, it can bite if not sipped.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: nice.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good blend, but in a market swamped with vanilla aromatics it lacks the X factor to keep it from becoming mundane. Somewhat recommended:

Two stars.

This tobacco has a light vanilla casing that is quite similar to the vanilla used in Mac Baren's vanilla flake/ vanilla cream etc... maybe because it's produced by Mac Baren. However I find the application of casing/topping to this tobacco much lighter than in most of the Mac Baren blends. It also lacks the fruity character found in MB Vanilla Flake which I believe is a difference in the cavendish. It has a great jar note of vanilla mixed with nice leaf and comes as a mixed wild cut with a thick chunky appearance and some shag mixed in. There are some twigs here but running the tobacco through your fingertips makes them apparent and easy to sort. It feels very dry compared to most bulk or tinned blends but I haven't found this to be a problem when smoking... besides that it seems to like to be packed very tightly due to the cut and moisture level. Upon lighting you get the most vanilla of the bowl followed by a nice flavored moderately spicy smoke. The tobacco flavors come through mainly and the vanilla is only secondarily detectible. Room note is fairly light and pleasant, though can't compare with tobaccos like Vanilla Flake. Burns easily to the bottom of the bowl with only occasional burn issues due to the nature of the cut that may require a crushing tamp. Leaves no moisture and burns to a clean grey ash. I can finish the bowl and keep sucking air only to realize the bowl is all gone... I guess that means there are no harsh spots or change in flavor. Overall very pleased with this tobacco and reminds me of a vanilla cased "Kramer's Extra Smooth" but maybe a bit more uniform cut. What keeps this from being a 4 star blend for me is the moisture level (seems almost dry), the inconsistent cut, and the large twigs.