Barling Tradition

Mostly mahogany brown to black, this has a cut that's by turns ribbon, wide chunks and those infernal stems. Hard to judge a cut overall by the stems in one tin, but that's what I have. Tin nose of latakia - a lot of latakia. Both kinds. A deep if not a rich aroma.

The flavor of this leans heavily toward the English side, with the lack of orientals and the subservient Virginia. The latakia ruled the show here - a ton of latakia flavor. The Virginia added a very modest sweetness (I could have used more) and the Kentucky a bit of earthy spice (could have used more of that, too) as well as a bit of nicotine but this was all about the latakia. Both did what they were supposed to with the tried and true "campfire smoke, wood and incense". The problem I had with the flavor was that it was monodimensional. This blend did not develop down the bowl and I kept hoping that the dusty taste would subside and some sweetness would come about. It was a dry smoking tobacco, and tasted very dry as well. Whereas I suppose I would call this a lat bomb blend, it wasn't as overwhelming to me as most others of that species. Another issue was that this kept plugging the draft holes of my pipes as I smoked. I went through pipe cleaners like crazy, and not because it smoked wet. I'm not sure if that was the result of the cut or if I was just unlucky but I didn't note the other reviewers having this issue. Overall, I think this one is worth a try if you enjoy latakia heavy blends but my experience with such (unless, apparently, they are blended by Greg Pease) is generally less than favorable. If they are more to your palate, this one should be on your list. For me, 2.5 stars.