ATTENTION: CB Pipe Tobacco Review Bombing Run Version 2.0

[Alligator Gar]

Date 17APR15
Name Alligator Gar (Jim)
Tobacco C Yellow G&H Dark Flake Unscented
Pipe MM Great Dane Spindle
Indoor / Outdoor Covered Porch

I was pretty excited about this tobacco. It is in what I believe is flake form and looks good enough to eat. It was vacuum packed in a tear and seal package. The vacuum unfortunately made three flakes as one, effectively welding them together into one SuperFlake. I thought this was the stinky one out of the four, but in retrospect it was Fuschia A that was the culprit. I'm still belching that scent a week later. I paired this with some 正山小種/立山小種 (Lapsang Souchong) and orange blossom honey. The smokey sweet tea is a perfect compliment to spicy tobaccos.

I'm smoking this in my Corn Cob Great Dane.
Attachment 1954
I love this pipe because it's big, it's a sitter and because Warren gave it to me.

I peeled some threads off the nominally dry SuperFlake and rubbed in a vigorous circular manner. The tobacco fluffs up incredibly well into piles of dark brown, brown and gold flat string.
Attachment 1953
I use the pack/tamp method and end up with a plugged draw. I dig it out and try again using a lighter hand. It seems to be easy to over compress this cut because I still have a bit of a restricted draw. It may benefit from the swirly palm pack method, and now I'm wishing I knew how to do that. I soldier on and take multiple swings at getting her lit. First thing I taste is toast and caramel. I associate caramel with tobacco rich in natural sugars in the cigar world, but in the case of this blend the slight sheen of the flake tells me nature might have had some help.

Moving a little deeper into the bowl yields a floral lilac taste with low notes of soap. I'm a little shocked by this and not sure whether I'm disgusted or intrigued. Let's just say distrigued for now. This taste has the odd effect of making me salivate, which is annoying to the extreme. While listing the things that pissed me off, let me add that I could not keep this pipe lit. If I wanted to take a thirty second break I would need to relight. I lit this bowl 20 times if I lit it once. Probably my fault. I wasn't proud of the packing job, as noted previously.

The second half of the bowl transitioned to red pepper, a jarring contrast to the original floral taste. The retrohale was dandy; nice and tingly. My throat started getting tight, if you know what I mean. I actually enjoyed the pepper more than the floral arrangement. Hot embers ricocheting off the back of my throat signaled the welcome demise of this entire experience. I really appreciate the opportunity to try different blends risk free. When the big reveal comes this exercise is really going to help define my tastes. Thanks!

2.5/5 Would smoke again if I was offered a taste--just to be polite.