Full of contrast but harmonic, this blend consist of honey colored Virginias and black cavendish with the gentle aroma of chocolate and smoky Scotch whiskey. Full-bodied pleasure for relaxing moments. Blended by hand in Germany.
Notes: Planta's Tobacco of the Year for 2010. Still available in bulk from a number of online tobacco sellers.
My first experience with Planta was an exhilarating orange attack from their California Dream, yet each follow up blend of theirs has been a disappointment, so how will their Aromatic with such a common flavor (chocolate) fare?
The bag certainly smelled intriguing of cocoa powder dusted with something spicy (I'm guessing the Whiskey portion) that reminded me of those fancy chocolate bars infused with chilis. The mix wasn't sticky, nor wet, and the topping didn't have an artificial chemical note. The cut on the other hand was not a broken flake. It was an average ribbon cut with some annoying sticks tossed in. No matter, the performance is what we care about. The smoke was mild and not terribly sweet nor interesting. In fact, each advancing puff tasted more generic than the last.
The bowl burned quickly into a pile of white ash with the whole experience feeling cheap. It reminded me of one of those 1lb bags of cigarette tobacco you can buy for your 'pipe' (minus the shag cut).
The honey colored Virginias offer a bit of citrus and grass with a little earth and dark fruit as well as a touch of the floral and spice. The sugary black cavendish adds a smoothness as a supporting player. The smoky scotch whisky has some death and a slightly distracting bitter alcohol note, and is more obvious than the gentle chocolate topping, which underscores the experience. Both sublimate the tobaccos to a fair degree. There is a fruitiness that seems more prominent than the tobaccos should be providing, and I’m wondering if a drop or two of fruit topping is also in the mix. A peppery, clove-like spice of some kind was added, too. The strength and taste are just past the center of mild to medium. The nic-hit falls just short of the center. Won’t bite or get harsh. The burn rate is moderate, and the sweet and sour flavors hold on to the finish in a consistent manner, and translate into the lingering after taste. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and needs an average number of relights. That bitter note reduces this to two stars.
Although the 'broken flake' includes one or two coarse-ish pieces most of it's just ribbons. On the negative side it also contains twigs. The pouch smells like peaty whiskey, but this isn't how the smoke tastes. The moisture's too little.
Unlike the pouch' aroma the whisky tastes bitter, sour, and sharp in the smoke. I get none of the depth that the unlit aroma suggested I'd get, I only get a vacuous taste of alcohol. The chocolate: there's chocolate? Well, it misses me, or, if it's present the whisky's not letting it have any of the limelight! It bites hard, burns hot, and does so quickly.
Nicotine: medium, a little higher at a push. Room-note: strong.
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