My thoughts on Mystery Blend No. 1:

As I posted before, I’m quite sure the cut and particulars of both Mystery Blends puts them between three possibilities. The most noticeable visual difference between the blends is the shade of the leaf surrounding the dark core, No. 1 being lighter.

I’ve been switching between rubbing the coins out and folding them in. Folding in leaves the Black Cavendish bullseyes localized in the pack—even when rubbing out, the center can easily stay intact unless a point is made to break down and disperse it. For this recent smoke, I did a mix of the two. One of my more capacious bowls—my Nuttens Heritage Bing—I folded one coin into the heel and packed the rest in a ready-rubbed state.

First thing I notice with each smoke of No. 1 is the dark, stone fruit sweetness and baking bread. It has that toasty sweet aroma that Virginias often have, especially soon after lighting up (or maybe I just notice it less as my smell acclimates). Grass and citrus accent vibrantly, which I notice a bit less in smaller chambers. The sweetness has a honey quality, sometimes leaning more caramelized, molasses-y, which could be the Cavendish coming in and out of focus. There is a very nice spice throughout that is never very imposing, not as heavy in the sinus as Perique sometimes is. It brings more life to the mixture, but may leave those with an enthusiasm for bolder VaPers wanting.

I think the three options here are Davidoff Flake Medallions, Charatan Rolls, and PS 403. I have an idea of which, but I’ll share that when I post on Mystery Blend No. 2.