Review: C&D 969 Virginia Gentleman
From C&D
A unique combination of Virginias and Burleys, with a slight touch of Turkish for added sophistication, create a superb all day smoke for those who enjoy Virginia blends, but find them a touch bitey for all day enjoyment.
Contents: Burley, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
The cut and composition almost reminds me of Prince Albert's blonde brother...Prince Lucas ;) There are some pieces that are much bigger than the others but I usually just put them at the bottom of the bowl to support the rest of the packing (or I just break them up a little better to make it more uniform.
The first time I smoked this tobacco I thought it was just a Va Burley (I didn't read the description thoroughly on SP's website.) But from the start I could tell there was something different ( Remember I didn't know there was Turkish in this). I puffed about 1/4 of the way down and was getting sweet caramel notes and some nuts but something else... I stopped my car (because I was driving) and got down to the half way point. "VA, check, Burley, check....but there's something else" Took out my phone and looked up and realized there was also Turkish in this lovely mixture. At the end there was nothing left but about a half a centimeter of ash and it gave off the loveliest nutty flavor before it got to the end.
Easily an all day smoke and much more complex than your typical VaBur. The Vitamin N isn't really too strong in this one but if smoked too fast you may get a little bit of a Burley Kick. This is a great tobacco for getting work done, or used for those pensive smoking sessions where the flavors bring your thoughts to another level. It's also great for breaking in a pipe as it doesn't ghost and it burns rather cool.
The bright VAs give off a nice honey and slight citrus-like flavor while meddling with the Burleys that keep this blend smoking cool and support the flavor profiles (even absorbing some them as well) There is just enough Turkish to give it some distinction without being overbearing. The Turkish adds a slight sourness to the blend but it's done very well.
For the diehard C&D burley lovers this is a nice change of pace tobacco to take less a toll on your throat or tongue. For the people looking to try a C&D blend but worried about strength this is a great starting point. I've smoked about 10 oz of this stuff and always think I should have ordered more. This will absolutely be a mainstay in my cellar.
