Here are my latest GQ reviews:

Chocolate & Vanilla:
The very smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is a team player serving as the main tobacco base for the deeply rich, creamy smooth chocolate and vanilla toppings. I notice the chocolate just a little more than the vanilla. The black cavendish is also sweetly smooth in a minor role with a vanilla hit, while the citrusy, grassy, lightly earthy Virginias well support the other components. The strength is mild to medium while the taste is medium, though its inherent richness may make you think it’s stronger than it is. Burns at a moderate pace with few relights, and a consistent flavor that never weakens. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl, which is rare for aromatics. No bite. The nic-hit is fairly mild. The after taste pleasantly lingers without cloying, and the room note will make a few friends for you if you’re out and about. A superior experience that won’t wear thin no matter how many times you smoke it during the day.

Christmas Blend 2015:
You don’t experience that much tobacco taste, though you will have just a little grass and citrus from the Virginia, and a slight nuttiness from the burley. What you do get is a complex multiplicity of flavors from the toppings and casings, some more obvious than others. The spices are always in fair force: cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, and especially the fragrant, spicy clove that plays with your taste buds from beginning to end without overwhelming the other ingredients. The sweet rum is ever-present in a supporting role. The anise is very mild. The apple is mild, but more noticeable than the hint of orange, which doesn’t always stand up for attention. I also get the feeling there’s another fruit-like topping present, but it’s hard to tell. The sweet creamy vanilla black cavendish is sublimated. Picking out what and when you are tasting the toppings adds a little fun to the experience. Doesn’t have much nicotine to speak of, and there’s no chance of bite. Burns at a moderate rate with no weakening of the spicy smooth flavors. It may require a few relights, but not that many. Leaves just a little moisture in the bottom of the bowl, but can be burned to ash without much trouble. The strength is mild to medium while the taste level is just past medium. Leaves a pleasantly lingering after taste and an attractive holiday room note.

Latakia Layer Kake:
Made like a sandwich, the middle layer is smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia, which comprises 40% of the easy to break apart springy cake, so it dominates the taste of the product. The “bread” sides of the cake is dark and bright, citrus and fruit sweet, rather floral Virginias, and very woody sweet and spicy Turkish varietals. The Virginias are really more the supporting players than the Turkish, but provide an important function in the balance of the blend. The latakia doesn’t totally overwhelm the other components, unless you design it that way when you rub out the tobacco. In that case, you may have bowls where the Virginias and Turkish will take the lead, unless you add latakia on your own or mix it all up when you fully rub it out, though that would take away a little of the fun of smoking a cake. I suggest cutting the cake vertically as you would a sandwich and packing the bowl in layers because I prefer the proportions as conceived by blender Glynn Quelch. Burns at a moderate rate with few relights. It has a smooth, rich and mildly creamy flavor with no topping. Has no weak or harsh spots, and leaves no moisture in the bowl. The nic-hit is mild to medium. No bite. The blend strength is medium while the taste level is just shy of being full. Has a nice after taste.

No. 2 Dutch Halfzware:
The Virginias have some citrus, a bit of hay and a little grass along with some floral earth. While evident in every puff, they also act as a base for the lightly nutty Kentucky (a minor player), and the more noticeable woody, creamy earthy sweet Turkish. The Turkish has a very light sour hit here and there, and a mild boldness more in taste than strength, but it has some of that as well. The nic-hit is a little past medium as it builds a little during the experience. Not quite an all day smoke though it was designed to be a lighter smoke compared to some of Glynn Quelch’s other products. I rate the strength and taste at medium, though the taste is just past that. There is a certain delicateness to the experience which I attribute to the kind of Turkish employed in the mixture, which makes for repeat performance during your smoking day. I detect no topping. Burns as a moderate, easy pace with few relights, a very consistent flavor, no bite, and no dull or harsh spots. Leaves no moisture in the bowl. The after taste is pleasant as is the room note.

GQ Rum & Honey:
The rum soaked G&H Brown Twist is the major tobacco component, and is earthy, dark fruit sweet, slightly grassy, and rather floral. The floralness mostly comes from the tobacco and perhaps it absorbed a touch of Lakeland while sitting in the factory, but I doubt it. The earthy, nutty burley is a minor component. In supporting roles are sweet gold and black cavendish, both of which help smooth out the blend with a bit of creaminess and a touch of vanilla from the latter tobacco. More sweet rum is added to the mix while the honey playfully joins in as the lesser of the two toppings. I detect a little spice, including cinnamon, and nutmeg, and there’s a little fruitiness that may come from another topping as well as from the rum. Well blended, you will notice most every flavor nuance from first puff to last without any weakening of strength and taste, the former being medium while the latter is just above being medium. It’s fairly close to being an all day smoke, depending on your desire for aromatics with a little strength. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl, though it may need a slight dry time, though I found it works well as it is. The nic-hit is mild to medium. No bite. The after taste and room note are pleasant.

GQ Soft Scotch:
The very smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is the star tobacco component, though it, like the other varietals, is sublimated by the toppings. The Virginia is citrus sweet with a hint of grass and earth in a minor role. The black cavendish has a creamy smooth vanilla taste that helps round out the blend. The vanilla topping is also creamy smooth, and well compliments the more noticeably applied deeply rich quality whisky. Well blended, you’ll notice most of the ingredients in virtually every puff, though the Virginia is the least obvious player. The nicotine level is a shade more than mild, and seems to gain a little strength after the half way point, but it’s not enough to sit you down in your chair. The strength is just past being mild while the taste barely touches the medium level. It may need a slight dry time, but I found it works best as it is. Leaves just a little moisture in the bowl, but the product can be burned to ash without much effort. The flavor remains consistent from start to finish without any weakening, dull or harsh spots. Won’t bite even when pushed, which is not always true of aromatics. The after taste lingers a bit, and the room note is fairly pleasant. As this is a fairly filling blend for your taste buds, it’s not quite an all day smoke, but it’s mild enough to bear repeats.