Diamond Crown Black Honey

I'm not a huge aromatic fan. I find that most begin and end with the casing, having no true tobacco flavor. So I didn't expect much with Black Honey. Happily, I was nicely surprised. I smoked the sample well-dried. It it a generally dark tobacco (Cavendish)as the name implies. The tin aroma is mildly honey-like, but not in the usual cloying sense. The room aroma is light and sweet, pleasant without being identifiable as honey per se. This would be a crowd pleaser. The initial light is a bit harsh, probably due to the hot-burning topping, but it quickly mellows to a soft, sweet smoke wit5h some character. I picked up a faint McClelland-like vinegar/savoriness in the top range as the smoke reached half-bowl (a positive development). Moderately rich, smoky tones developed in the mid-range but no bass note was ever apparent. As an aromatic tobacco, this is in my top 10. Judged against ALL tobaccos, however, this rates as a "pleasant, summer smoke." Oh, one final word: contrary to the strength and taste notes, this is a very mild tobacco, one which did not reach my flavor threshold and would probably not meet yours.