cpmcdill review: Elephant & Castle Deerstalker
[copying this review from 04-12-2014 over from Puff, as I feel it's worth preserving]
I was privileged to be sent a sample of Elephant & Castle's Deerstalker by @NeverBend , which he told me was tinned in 1985. This is the oldest tobacco I have ever tried, and it was with some excitement and anticipation that I waited for just the right opportunity to light some up, with no distractions or interruptions, so I could focus all my attention on the experience.
This rare tobacco is a rubbed Virginia flake, and it had a nice moist consistency in the bag. The aroma was sweet in that way that Virginias are. I used Fred Hanna's "air pocket" method of packing in a Peterson System 314. Did the standard charring light/tamp/relight, and as I often do when trying something new, I kept my hand on the bowl, paying attention that it never overheated. As for my smoking cadence, I would take a few puffs, lean my head back a little, and retrohale (approx one retrohale to every half dozen regular puffs).
At the beginning, there was a noticeable caramelized flavor to the smoke, a little like toasted raisin bread, but very smooth and mild. The smoke rolled across my tongue like cool milk, and offered no bite whatsoever. The retrohale aroma was caramel, and the room note like toasted bread with a slight hint of campfire.
In the second third of the experience, a bit of citrus tartness crept in. I found myself starting to salivate, which was interesting since some tobaccos dry my mouth. The bowl was still cool to the touch, despite my steady sipping of the smoke.
In the final third, the raisiny note returned, but with a hint of sourdough. Bowl warmed up toward the bottom, and as the last of the tobacco was burning, a brief return of the lemon, but this time with a nuance of sugar cookies.
The entire portion burned slightly over a half hour, with no relights, and left a dark gray ash peppered with dottle. The lingering aftertaste had a muted citrus character.
My overall impression with this has been very positive. It was a unique opportunity to try a rare vintage tobacco, and the focus I gave to it provided me a good education in what quality Virginia flake can be like with age.
Here's a link I found explaining the history of the Deerstalker by Elephant & Castle:
http://www.serjacopo.com/e%26c/E%26C_003.html
