Independence Day 2015
PappyJoe
Master
This review was 14 months in the making.
I bought 2 tins in June of 2015 and opened the first one on July 4th 2015. I didn’t so much get the aromatics in the tin note as the Virginias at first and attributed the sweetness to the blending of black Cavendish and burley with the Virginia. The more I smoked it though the more I began to identify a light Amaretto and citrus note. It was a decent smoke, fairly smooth with only an occasional bite.
I have been slowly smoking this blend but usually only a bowl or two each month when the mood hit me. It’s been probably two or three months since I last opened the tin. When I opened it today, I was frankly expecting it to have become crispy. It wasn’t. It wasn’t moist either but it hadn’t dried out as bad as I was expecting. I also noticed a nice almond cookie scent as opposed to Amaretto. I know some may say there isn’t a difference between the two, but the almond cookie has a more pronounce vanilla scent. It kind of reminded me of fresh baked almond cookies sat in an open window next to a fresh mowed field. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. Yours may vary.
It lit easy and smoked to the bottom of the Cobbit Shire I was using with no fuss, no tamping and no relighting. It’s was a sweet, creamy smoke with a creamy Amaretto flavor on my palate. The flavor profile was only enhanced by the black coffee I was smoking and I did occasionally ask myself if I was tasting cocoa. That being said, it’s not a punch you in the face aromatic after sitting for a year.
I have decided that I am glad I bought 2 tins and that I still have one unopened sitting in the bottom of my cellar. I will probably buy another tin or two if they are still available when I make my next tobacco purchase.
UPDATE: July 5, 2017
I was looking for something different to smoke over the 4th of July weekend and remembered I had a tin of Independence Day 2015 sitting in the bottom of my tobacco locker. That was two years well spent.
When I opened, the tin I was immediately greeted with the aroma of a milk chocolate cocoa mix. Sort of reminded me of Nestlé Cocoa that used to come in the tins instead of the little pouches they do now. Rich, sweet and with just a hint of coffee to my nose. Interestingly, I let it sit open for about 30 seconds and the cocoa aroma became more muted. To me it had a more nutty, buttery aroma that is still delicious smelling.
The moisture content was still good and it didn’t need any drying out before I loaded it into a MM Cobbit Shire. I followed that with a bowl smoked in a MM Legend. The original claims are that it was perfectly formulated for Missouri Meerschaum cobs and I would say that is accurate. I would also say, “Don’t hesitate to smoke this in a briar or meerschaum.” It smokes good in the ones I’ve smoked.
I’m find myself now wishing that it was still on the market.
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