Tobaccos Two Friends - Redwood

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2014-12-31		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The earthy, woody, lightly bready red Virginias are tangy, dried fruit sweet with a little sugar, floralness, light tart and tangy citrus, and a pinch of spice. Though they don't drive the flavor profile, they are the lead component. The sugary stoved Virginias are a little less sweeter as they provide stewed dark fruit, earth, wood, and bread in a support role. The earthy, woody perique is a minor, yet ever noticeable component, and is figgy, raisiny, with a mild spice note. The unsweetened black cavendish adds a touch of sugar in the background. Sounds more complex and sweeter than it really is, there's a certain dryness to the taste that somewhat offsets the sweetness. The strength is in the center of mild to medium. The taste is a step past the mark. The nic-hit is a slot behind the strength level. Won't bite or get harsh, but it does sport a few small rough edges. Burns clean and cool at a reasonable pace with a consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a decent, if kind of plain, short lived after taste. The room note is a tad stronger. Produces lots of smoke in each puff. A pretty decent starter blend or an all day smoke if you please, but it may leave experienced VaPer smokers wanting more than this offers, despite the high quality of the tobaccos. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2020-08-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Two Friends - Redwood.

My blend didn't appear to contain hardly any black Cavendish, it comprises mostly browns; light, medium and darker shades. The aroma's slightly fruity, but not too suggestive of loads of Perique. Although the ribbons are quite uniform it includes one or two coarser pieces. The moisture from it suited me for imminent smoking; slightly damp but not wet.

The smoke? Brilliant, IMO!! Don't expect a spice bomb, a la Penny Farthing, St. James, etc., the smoke has an odiferous touch from the Perique, but not much more. The leading flavour, to me, comes from the fruity-sweet red Virginia. I wouldn't say I can differentiate between the stoved and un-stoved, to me it seems like a simple 'tangy' Va flavour! The black Cavendish, as I anticipated from the lack of black in the tin, is redundant from the smoke; again, IMO. The burn from Redwood couldn't be better, I hardly relight or tamp much. And the temperature's low.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: not bad.

Redwood? A great summer smoke, for me. Plenty of vibrant Virginias with a delicate touch of spice from the Perique. Four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Frederick Tranter Poker

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2008-12-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a Va/Per that earns high marks for being different. Redwood has a sweet flavor, an incredible room note and is easier on the tongue than other blends of its type(although I suggest you smoke it slowly). The nicotine can take you by surprise, but as I'm a recovering cigarette smoker I don't consider that to be much of a drawback. Although it seems as though the quality of the VA and perique is top-notch, the cavendish might be the key ingredient here: it seems to provide an extra measure of sweetness while curbing the tendency of a VA/PER to bite or even grow harsh.

Like other Two Friends products, this is a distinctly odd blend: it's almost an aromatic VA/PER, similar in concept to Haddo's Delight. I don't detect any topping, per se, but the cavendish definitely adds a bit of sweetness and my wife likes the room note more than any aromatic I've ever smoked around her (she even likes it more than Autumn Evening).

This might be a 4-star tobacco for some, but I don't smoke it often enough for me to call it a favorite. Va/Per purists might be turned off by the components, but that's their loss. YMMV.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-05-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Alert!!! Desert Island Smoke!!!! the Red Virginias are impecable. The perique is at such a balance that it keeps the figgy stewed fruit flavor, with a slight spice. The spice is off set by the cav- Its a perfect balance for a VaPer. It's funny, I dedicated a bent bulldog to Kajun Kake, and this seems to smoke best for me in my other one. I have some stocked and will continue to keep this in rotation. I'd have to throw Mr. Echo a beating if he was after my Redwood. Try it and you won't regret it.....

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-05-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Redwood is beautiful to look at, a pleasure to pack into a pipe, and easy to light. The bag aroma is Virginia and yes, something sweet - almost like chocolate, But forget all that - light up!

The smoke starts off with a burst of Va flavor that will make you want to order more, right now. Just as you start to settle in with the sweet Va flavor, the Cavendish kicks in with a backdrop of dry, spicy flavor. About halfway down the bowl, the Perique subtly joins in, but even between the two of them, they still don't outshine the Va at all.

If you love Virginias with a dash of Perique, you owe it to yourself to try this one. If you aren't a fan of Va/P, you just might change your mind.

A cool, smooth, and very flavorful smoke that I highly recommend.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-02-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I agree with the previous reviewer - this looks a bit like redwood tree bark in the tin. The mildest of tin aromas of a light vanilla (?) and perhaps white wine.

The smoke was decent but mostly uneventful. There was a very light natural VA sweetness with a touch of perique. But it didn't stop at being a light vaper. The addition of cavendish added some additional sweetness in the taste and a bit of pleasantness in the room note. That makes it sound like there's a fair bit of complexity and a lot going on but I just didn't find that to be so. I find the lack of recent reviews of this blend to be indicative of its lack of any real depth. I'd call this an interesting blend but little more than that. Three stars because it is recommended for folks that want to try a fairly mild and lightly sweet Vaper but there are much better Vapers out there, some of which were blended by these Two Friends separately. But for what I perceive is its intended audience, this one is worth trying.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2018-07-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

A dry tasting and clean smoking blend that seems almost entirely comprised of thin ribbon cut red Virginia. The tin note is promising with its sweet and somewhat tangy aroma. When lit, the Virginias come through as mild and earthy and have a light grassy quality but lack depth in flavor. I say this because there’s very little sweetness to balance here, or at least much less than I prefer. So what could potentially be a fuller more rounded out smoke, winds up tasting thinner than it should. The Cavendish definitely isn’t there for sweetness, so I would assume that its sole purpose is to help to tone down the rugged quality of the Virginias, which in my humble opinion are not very refined or well-aged and smoke a bit harsh as a result. The perique saves the day and helps to lift Redwood out of the doldrums by adding a delicate pepperiness to the finish. Unfortunately this is the only complexity I could find in a bowl of this average tasting mixture.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2016-06-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This blend did not do it for me as much as I had hoped it would. It is a well done vaper, but I find that it is not as sweet as I would have preferred in this type of blend. I find the Virginia combination to be more earthy than sugary. This actually surprised me as I expected big sweetness in the combination of red Virginia and stoved Virginia. Don't get me wrong, there was sweetness, it was just wasn't to my particular liking.

I found the perique content to be heavier than average, but well below heavy. The blend does have a good amount of spice and is pretty biteless. It is also a pretty moist blend and despite a good amount of time in the tin (greater than a year), it retained this moisture til the last scraps were burned up. Overall, it performs well and is a quality leaf. The two stars represent my own desire for more sweetness and an abundance of vapers on the market that deliver said sweetness.

If you like an earthier, spicy vaper however, you may really like this and rate it much higher than I have. I won't be purchasing more of this one.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LoneRider (24)	2013-10-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've got mixed feelings on this blend. For the record, the blend is fine in terms of moisture content. I had no problems with it being too dry as some of the other blends produced by C&D. The first few puffs were very sweet, but not overly so. The flavor became more complex as I went into the second third of the bowl; sweet, but not as sweet as when I started. As I smoked it sown, it became mort bitter and had a rather sour taste to it. If I was to judge this on the first 2/3 of the bowl, this would be a highly recommended blend, but I'm one who likes to smoke it down the bottom, so hence the 2 star review.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ash Ryan (7)	2018-03-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This tobacco came wet in the tin and required some drying time. The tin note is of earth and chocolate, with a hint of dark fruit. The tobaccos used seem to be of high quality and mechanics are no problem. The flavor is dark, earthy and not as sweet as advertised or expected given the virginia content, and the flavor remained vigilant no matter my cadence. A great smoke, but not my prefered flavor spectrum, as i like more of a bakery, cinnamon roll sweetness like telegraph hill or escudo. The perique is on the heavy side, somewhere between telegraph hill and bayou morning. Nicotine content feels medium/high.

Pipe Used: Stanwell authentic shape 11

Age When Smoked: Fresh with some dryng time

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Blackwoods flake with perique.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-10-05		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought this blend because it was in the bargain bin at my tobacconist for something like $14 for 8 oz. It just kept staring at me every time I went in to get a tin of GLP, so I figured, "What the heck!" What a deal - this blend is great!

Its a bite-free Virgina, at JUST the right moisture level IMHO. No drying needed - smoke straight from the bag. It looks a little like Redwood bark - the name is well-chosen. Its a sweet and spicy VA (seems like there is just a touch of Perique) and it has the slightest HINT of being a aromatic but without any outright sugary-ness. Although it does not taste like it, the balance of VA and spice and Cavandish reminds me of another favorite of mine - Peterson's Irish Oak.

Contrary to most reviews here I did not find the nicotine overwhelming at all - and I am a someone who thinks that Dunhill Nightcap and 1792 are overwhelming. Strong and stout but no worse than the hit expected with a good cigar.

Worth a try!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-04-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tried Redwood when my tobacconist was out of Dorcester. The nicest thing about this blend was the note in the bag...like dates with a little port casing. A medium cut ribbon, mostly reddish brown and feeling slightly drier than "just right". The pack was a little springy...generally not a good sign in my book. On lighting, the first flavor discernible was cavendish and dates. The nicotine level in this blend is dizzying. I was unable to finish the 8 oz bag I'd purchased...next time I'll hold out for Dorcester or my new favorite, St. James Woods. The room note tried very hard to be pleasant...is that Myrrh? I know there are some who will love Redwood but I just couldn't find the music.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	½ bowl (103)	2008-12-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My supply of Redwood arrived rather dry and I didn't enjoy it very much. I moistened it with an aluminum water disk thingy and that helped a lot. Redwood's taste is predominantly that of Virginia tobacco, but not a sharp or "hot" one. This has a Virginia taste with the mellowness and mouth-feel of Burley.

From first light this blend abounds in subtleties and fine distinctions: spice on the tongue; an ephemeral floral suggestion in the nose and sinuses; a deep dark fruitiness on the palate; and more; but I'll spare you the minutiae. I am really sensitive to Perique's piquancy, and for me it is just a bit too assertive. Even so, in this blend "the pinch" is a mere distraction, and it fades as the smoke progresses. That makes it acceptable -- especially since Perique's flavor really supports this blend.

By mid-bowl that vague floral presence transforms into something hinting slightly of charred meat -- or a component thereof (that's not quite right, but it's the best I can do.) The spiciness smoothes out somewhat, and the fruity underpinnings start to develop earthier tones that persist to the very end.

This is a blend you can play games with: searching out different sensations by changing both the puffing cadence and the way you wreathe the smoke between mouth and nose. Try this in various pipes too.

By the end of the smoke the earthy base flavors offer occasional cigar-like impressions that are quite pleasant. The nicotine content is satisfying; and the lingering finish is oh so "tobacco-ey".

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-01-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The ?dream team? of Craig Tarler and Greg Pease combined efforts for the ?Two Friends? label. Of these Redwood in my favorite Redwood reminds me of that deep temperate rain forest experience, rich and peaty with a very satisfying room note.

Appearance: A very attractive presentation of a rough ribbon cut in multiple hues yellows, tans, reds, browns and black.

Aroma: An amazing and complex aroma of rich hay, stewed fruits and cocoa and spice. Initially, it reminds me of stirring up last years pile of leaves which have broken down slightly over the long winter, but there is so much more here. There are deep forest notes of freshly cut hardwoods, a rich almost mossy or peaty smell, and finally beneath the chocolate there is carob. Next to Haddo's Delight, this may be one of the most complex mixtures I've ever smelled. I detect no flavoring of any kind, other than is naturally imparted by the stoving of VA's and allowing these wonderful selections to marry over time.

If anything, this tobacco arrives dry, although when flame is applied it rapidly re-hydrates to a perfect moisture content. I often employ the ?Frank method? or the ?palm method? of packing this one. It seems to benefit from a tight crown, and progressively looser pack toward the heal of the bowl. This allows a more even burn and slight compression from tamping over the course of the bowl.

For this review, I?ve chosen an older Jobey Stromboli Canadian (probably from the late 1960's) which is quite faithful in presenting complex Virginia tobacco mixtures. I've pre-smoked several bowls over the course of a week of Redwood in this pipe in preparation for this review. This bowl employed the ?palm method? of cupping tobacco loosely in the palm with the pipe inverted over the tobacco. Slowly turned in a circle, the tobacco slowly ?corkscrews? into the bowl.

A one match light is brings billows of rich white smoke, followed with a brief visit of the tamper. The deep stoved VA is immediately there and while a bit tangy at first becomes a nice compliment to the fine quality leaf underneath. Flavors of cocoa and Red Virginia are dominant throughout, Perique chimes in with rich fig like and cigarish notes the Black Cavendish rounding out the edges and corners so to speak.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to building layer upon layer of complexity. The tones of forest deepen steadily as this mixture gains strength. There is a slow building of fruitiness as well, almost as in mincemeat pies or very thick fruitcake. The Red Virginias build in depth and character there is also a very subtle sweetness just in the back ground. There seems to be a high sugar content to this blend, but it does not come off candy sweet as so many others do. The Black Cavendish seems to play a role in keeping this mixture tame in heat Slowly building a rich cigar like quality also builds steadily and I find myself relaxing ever more deeply into my stuffed chair, smiles widening across my face.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I find that it becomes more intense though never overpoweringly so. The palate is very complex, very rich, strong and satisfying. The tangy symphony of Red and Stoved VA's, Perique and Black Cavendish with cocoa and cigar like notes seem to keep expanding until suddenly tamping and repeated application of flame no longer yield any more. I am consistently surprised to find that I'm done! If rushed, the delicate balance can be disturbed, bringing on a bitterness and nearly unmanageable doses of nicotine. If smoked with patience and proper technique (nothing unusual for a Virginia mixture) the reward is rich and heady. The deep primal rain forest experience awaits you.

Supplemental Notes: This is a regular part of my rotation as something reached for when mature adult pleasures are craved. It is NOT however a blend for a novice smoker ** 4 full stars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-10-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Redwood is my every day smoke and the one that gets my vote as the ultimate American blend. The intoxicating pouch aroma of cocoa, nuts and carob is unique in my experience and serves notice that there is true artistry behind this blend. The consistency of the blend from batch to batch also indicates a high quality set of ingredients. The smoker?s touch must be light, from packing to puffing, as it must be with any Virginia blend. The first third of the bowl is dominated by spiciness that settles quickly on the back of the tongue and throat, and tasty Virginias with moderate smoke output. Into the second third of the bowl, just when the spiciness could become a bit much, a fruitiness sets in and the spiciness on the back of the palate is now just a component in both the flavor of the smoke and the sensation of smoking. The fruitiness builds and then diminishes through the second third of the bowl and a nutty character slowly becomes more dominant until by the final third of the bowl the fruity quality has taken on a subtle sourness and a nuttiness similar in character, not flavor, to chocolate fills the mouth and the smoke is more dense and satisfying. The spicy element of this blend is the real star. Briefly dominant, it fills the natural role of a spice and wonderfully enhances each ingredient and remains present, able to cut through strong tea or brandy without being obnoxious, but this blend?s character is perfected by a dense, smoky red wine.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-11-22		Mild to Medium	Medium	Full	Pleasant

A great smoke. opened up today, after sitting from last Christmas, I was really pleased, Im on my second bowl today, Great Smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	caddad (53)	2006-03-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The thing I remember most about this blend, the texture of the leaf. I have had Virginia blends that I have had to rub out and flakes of all sorts. This is red and light and fluffy if I can use that term. It packs very well and burns great. It has a wonderful flavor and burns nicely. I smoked eight ounces of this and re-ordered it when I ran out. It?s a great summertime blend , I remember smoking countless bowls of this on my boat at the lake. Highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-02-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

With this blend I have a love hate relationship. The taste is wonderful and complex and unique to most virginia perique blends i've tried. The biggest downfall of this blend is that it usualy wallops me pretty hard with nicotine. I say this in light of the fact that I am a regular smoker of haddos delight and cairo. I dont know if it is just me or the batch I recieved but this stuff made my friend who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day in addition to his pipes nearly naucious from the nicotine content. Everyone who has had a bowl of this from the batch I recieved comments on this as well. Therefore I smoke what I have every once in a while but will probably not purchase more when this runs out. If any one I know buys some of this I will try it again to compare it to the batch that I have. I will still recomend this to those who love virginias and love a good punch of nicotine. This blend has realy grown on me! I must re rate and give it 4 stars! It is now in my regular rotation and have several tins of it. The original batch that I tried must have been unique in the nicotine dept.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-06-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearence and aroma: This is a mixture of anywhere from light to dark tobaccos averaging out to a lightish brown. The smell when you crack the seal is not particularly powerful, but a pleasant tobacco aroma.

Packing, lighting: This packs and lights easily

Smoke: The flavor is rich but not overpowering. Solid gently sweet Virginia flavor with just a touch of pepperiness. It's fairly consistent throughout the bowl, getting just a little harsher towards the bottom of the bowl. The best word to describe the experience is mellow and round. Flavorful but not to the point that you have to devote all your attention to it but interesting enough when you do want to pay close attention.

Any Virginia smoker should find this a good weed, unless he or she demands only the most aged and fermented Virginias.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2002-10-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was really impressed with this blend. Natural, contrasting in colours, fresh but not moist, it has a very peculiar presence and gusto. There is nothing artificial or cloying about Redwood, though it does lack that edge of refinement one would expect from an essentially Virginian tobacco. Short ribbon, almost crimp cut, it is a delight to pack in virtually any pipe, though I prefer to smoke it in a medium size freehand Stanwell. It lights easily and behaves like a perfect gentleman throughout the bowl, with virtually no need to relight. It smokes remarkably cool and dry, and leaves the pipe clean.

The initial flavour is that of matured, red Virginias, with a slight sweetness vaguely reminiscent of Stokkebye?s Curly Cut and, to a lesser extent, of McClelland?s Bulk 5100. Redwood, however, is not as smokey and sugary, and burns drier. After the 1/3 mark, the Perique comes alive, insinuating its piquancy and tanginess, but not as strongly as in other Va/Perique blends (e.g., Solani 633). It rather lends a subtle undertone immediately countered by the spicy and unsweetened Black Cavendish. Again, the harshness of this toasted leaf, which is not at all moist or syrupy, is balanced by the supple Virginian flavour, adding up to an excellent equilibrium.

Seldom have I smoked such a well integrated blend, its components all acting out their particular roles without overshadowing each other (Pease?s hand?). Peppery, zesty and at times tangy, Redwood epitomises the best of the American leaves that go into it. It never becomes dull or monotonous, and it delivers an exquisite and lively taste. A joy.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (184)	2022-06-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Mild and faintly sweet Va Per blend that provides a pleasant albeit different smoke. The Virginias provide an ready and slightly citrus/hay component while the Perique come in with a stewed fruit fermented taste. The cavendish does provide some sweetness to tone down the usual Va Per concept. All in all a fine smoke for me, as are all of the Two Friends Blends. All day smoke or occasional change of pace blend. Will reach for it on a regular basis!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2021-04-26		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is not a typical va / per.

A couple of weeks before I opened the Redwood tin, I was smoking Warped: The Red Hunt (Cornell & Diehl), which surprised me by its originality in aromas and taste, comparing it to my previous experience with other tobaccos. Well, when two weeks later I opened the Redwood tin and brought my nose close to the tobacco, I was curious by the chance that both gave off a very unique aroma, similar to that which can be perceived after opening a box of chocolates, although more soft in the case of Redwood and also with some nuances reminiscent of some type of cookie.

In the tin that I had, the cut is a thin ribbon and the degree of humidity is perfect, making its handling very pleasant and that after lighting it burns perfectly well. In the pipe it appears as a high quality tobacco, requiring very few re-ignitions, remaining totally free of bites and with very tolerable nicotine levels. In this sense, it can be smoked nonchalantly and I think it makes it very accessible for those who are starting to smoke a pipe because it does not require great care while smoking in order to produce a smooth and tasty tobacco. Those notes of chocolate and biscuit that were captured when smelling the tobacco in its tin, are reproduced later in the flavor, making this mixture seem different to any other va / per that I have tried to date, except for the one already mentioned The Red Hunt.

I liked it and will try to get some more tin for the future.

Age When Smoked: Young

Similar Blends: Warped: The Red Hunt (Cornell & Diehl), but this one is stronger in flavor and I don't think it's for every day, but for every now and then..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2015-11-05		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Butter smell, slightly sweet... in the pipe it's a decent more virginia forward tobacco and only has little perique. It is quite unidimensional but pleasant nonetheless. I would not recommend this if you love stronger VA/Pers

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LV9 (85)	2015-09-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Must reviews have gotten this one right if you are a vaper smoker this one is a must lights well smoke fantastic and it's affordable the only con in my opinion is that the perique whips your bud the last quarter of the pipe to the point that it might irritate your throat I don't inhale btw but it is the nature of the blend. Smokes better in small bowls in larger bowls the blend gets muddy, I don't know how is it that the red Virginia from C&D has nicotine and McClellands does not but in this blend you better respect lady nicotine or she might slap you across the face due to this I do it consider it an all day blend but more a late night treat. Would I purchased again...absolutely!

Age When Smoked: 8 years

Purchased From: From C&D THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-04-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

I am a Virginia lover but this blend is not for me. I don't like writing negative reviews, but this blend just rubs me wrong. This is, to me at least, Haddo's with less perique and no burley. Like Haddo's this is a fine blend, except that the Virginias are harsh and bitter. This absolutely overpowers any other flavor to be tasted.

I don't think it's a matter of age, I aged my tin a year before opening and it has aged another since. (Yeah, I know, aging pretty much stops once the tin is open, yada yada) I think this is a chemistry problem between myself and the specific tobaccos used in the mix. I had the same problem with Odessa from C&D which I thought was an ok blend, it just hit me harshly.

This was my first try from Two Friends and my second from GLP. Since C&D has many a fine tobacco, I think I'll mosey my way on down to the other end of the Pease spectrum. Probably Charing Cross.

Never give up!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sir Walter Smiley (24)	2007-09-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I bought 8(2 oz.)tins of Redwood,on a whim,off of ebay. I thought it would be a sure bet with the rep. of the two blenders involved with Two Friends;C&D and G.L. Pease. I was not disappointed. Upon opening the first can I approved of the smell,natural tobbaco and prunie. No smell or taste of ammonia.Being a mostly Virginia blend, Redwood burns comparativly cool.Its taste is consistent with its smell and on the mild side. This blend could have had four stars with a little more perique. The cavendish sweetens and mellows this blend.You could call this a daily smoker.I call it a race to the finish. The size of pipe used for Redwood can vary. I have smoked this in many sizes, from a large omm paul to a small "bings favorite",with tasty results. If you are looking for a nicotine fix,look elsewhere.Redwood must have nicotine in it but I am a bad judge due to the Pall Mall nonfilters I have yet to completely quit.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dualkarnain (75)	2006-09-24		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is a sweet VA/Per that doesn't stand out in a crowd. It's more Pease than CD but otherwise.

Images evoked include a private first class undead soldier doing rounds in the Evil Dead army with three companies of bone-soldiers.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-01-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Redwood is a solid Virginia/Perique with full flavor and a substantial nicotine hit. It stands in the "strong VA/P" category with Ashton Black Parrot, GLP Haddo's Delight, Escudo and Three Nuns. There are two reasons why it didn't get a higher rating. First, it isn't as good as the other four blends just mentioned, which, to be fair, are very good. If I was looking for this style of tobacco, I would smoke one of those blends. Second, there is an elusive element of this blend that is somehow, er, nauseating. I'm not talking about the nicotine, and it isn't just a flavor that I dislike. It could be a purely personal reaction, but it is a consistent one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rick5iron (20)	2022-09-07		Medium	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

a bland smoke , probably wouldn’t buy again, taste not very strong, seems something is missing in this smoke . it seemed a little dry out of tin but smoked good

Pipe Used: corn cob

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-02-17		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Another good effort by Two Friends. This is a delightful smoke with a touch of spice but not overbearing. The aroma is fantastic for a non-aromatic blend and should not offend even the staunchest tobacco opposer (they know who they are!). Great taste and burns well.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-05-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Redwood is a beautiful blend to look at and very full flavored with a substantial jolt of nicotine. To me it's very similar to Haddo's Delight. There is something elusive about the flavor that keeps it interesting, however I would only reccomend this to true lovers of VA/Perique blends.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-11-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Two Friends Redwood clearly has the hands of two well-known blenders at work. Redwood has similar contents (though in different propostions) as GLP's Haddo's Delight, with its addition of unflavored Cavendish to the Va/P blend. The blend also has the texture and cut- short fat ribbons- and the dryness typical of Cornell & Diehl blends. In fact, the color and appearance of this blend is remarkably similar to leaf litter as it appeared coming out of my lawn mower this last weekend. Fall colors of dried leaves... Quite attractive.

Two things distinguish this blend from Va/Ps in my mind. First, dryness makes this smoke a bit faster than other Va/Ps (though not bitey mind you). Second, it seems like the perique was added in as an afterthought. How much perique is enough is a matter of personal taste. I prefer it in your face from the start, and Redwood seems to introduce its perique only in the second half of the bowl.

I agree with a previous reviewer's comment that this in a way resembles P. Stokkebye's Curly Cut on first light. The downside of this tobacco in my book is that it gets a bit harsh and hot just when the perique starts to kick in. I believe that this is becuase the tabak is just a bit too dry and not due to the perique. I have noticed this in both briars and meerschaums. I have found that <i/slightly moistening a film cannister of Redwood helps the bowl finish a bit more smoothly.

All in all a good Va experiece, and an OK perique one.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-07-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This was my first venture into more or less "straight" VA blends (I am considering this a VA blend augmented by other tobaccos) as well as the Two Friends line. So far I can say thumbs up on both counts.

This leaf is lovely to look at and to pack, though packing too densely leads to some wet harshness at the end. The fine, light red, brown and gold ribbons are attractive and smell succulent in the bag.

Upon lighting just a hint of that sweetness comes through, especially in the first third of the bowl. On the subsequent portions of the pipe more of the Perique and Cavendish creep in, but not in an overwhelming or unsettling way. The predominant taste is a smokey nuttiness.

I tend to be very sensitive to Perique (it has the "hot pepper" effect on mouth and throat) and Redwood was not at all upsetting until the very end of the bowl. But there it does become a bit tricky if you puff without consideration. I experienced very little bite from this blend, a marvel considering the toothy nature of the few other predominantly VA blends I've tried. Except for the tangy spice, it is a very mellow smoke.

The quality of the tobacco is high, and the blending is masterful. The various tastes and aromas meld and work together instead of fighting one another for attention. I've smoked this in large full bowls and in smaller portions, with equal success and enjoyment. Keeping it lit has been little trouble.

If you want something spicey, smokey and just a tiny bit sweet, try Redwood.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2001-08-06		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant

In appearance, this has a wide range of light brown to dark brown flakes with some occasional black pieces. The pouch aroma is definitely Virginia. Although no toppings are mentioned in the description, there is a chocolate aroma to the pouch. This is a very zippy, zangy, tangy flavorful blend. It is sweet and lively. This falls into the type of tobacco that I label fun as I do with C&D's Pennington Gap. This is a wake up blend. It will not only wake up the smoker, but a pinch of it will wake up any other blend that would benefit from its addition. It benefits from the finesse of GLP as the taste dances between the Virginias and the Perique. It reflects the C&D qualities in its decent nicotine content, excellent burning character, and its blow it out the nose tingle. It also has the C&D two minute warning as the nicotine gathers in strength near the end of the bowl. I agree with a previous reviewer that this does remind one of Amphora. However, Amphora is tame compared to Redwood. I am a heavy puffer, and I am quite surprised at the lack of bite in this Virginia, Perique blend. Concerned that it may flavor a briar, I have only smoked this in my meerschaum pipes. The bottom of the bowl is nothing but a dark gray ash. I enjoy the Two Friends blends as each reveals both GLP and C&D qualities. I've been smoking a lot of this. It's fun. It's enjoyable.

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