Two Friends Celtic Mist

[RevSmoke]

Looking through some stuff on disk and I found this old review. Considering when I smoked it, I thought it was a great review to post as most people are dealing with a bit of the white stuff on the ground.

Celtic Mist - purchased 10/01 - opened Jan. 12, 2005

Well, got this out of the cellar about a week ago and finally cracked the seal on the 8oz bag. WHOAAAA!!! Almost got a buzz doing it. I wasn't really thinking aromatic, but I guess I should have known better. The “little essence" of Irish Mist (an Irish Cream?) that is suggested on the advertisement for this blend is, as you might guess, the first thing that catches you when you open this up.

I like what I see and touch. It is aesthetically pleasing to the eye with stark contrasts between the black and bright yellow tobaccos used to make up this blend. It is fairly dry, compared to most aromatics. Another thing that struck me on opening the sealed bag was that it could have been pulled out as a brick, the seal was that tight.

The only unfortunate drawback is that the Irish Mist is so strong that I have no clue whatsoever as to the smells of the tobaccos. On the other hand, I think I am getting a light buzz as my nose is buried in the jar I have put it in trying to catch the faintest whisper of the nature of the tobacco itself and not the liqueur.

This is definitely not a “goopy” aromatic - if indeed that is what this is considered. It is described on Cornel & Diehl’s website as follows: "A base of the highest grades of Cavendish, with just a bit of Burley, is enhanced with wonderfully sweet Virginia tobaccos. A delightful tobacco flavor sets the stage, enhanced, not overwhelmed, by the addition of a little essence of Irish Mist. The room aroma is equally enchanting to those fortunate enough to be in the presence of the smoker"

It was snowing earlier ever so lightly, and I just love to walk after everything is fresh and clean - covered in the pristine crystalline whiteness.

So, I packed my Stanwell Golden Danish 217 with CM and headed outside. The snow had stopped and the temp was hovering around 34 - warm and clean - no need for gloves, perfect smoking weather.

It packed easily, not to dry, but definitely much drier than a normal aromatic. It took easily to match after an initial charring light. It burned cool and dry throughout, producing a firm white ash - a credit to the pure high grade of tobaccos obviously used in the blend.

First, the Irish Mist (tasted and smelled like Irish Cream) dominated. This wasn't a bad thing, just unusual from the Latakia blends I have been smoking recently. It seemed to mellow a bit and then earthy tones of nut and butter developed - while the Irish Cream flavor hovered always in the background.

As I walked, the trees glistening under their weighty burdens, were giving their silent nod of approval to the aroma drifting their way, gently prodded as they were by light breezes. Or where they too getting a slight buzz from the Irish Mist?

The finish of this tobacco was surprising, as this is where the flavor of the Irish Mist was lacking. You could taste the nutty undertones of the burley and the slight sweetness of the Virginias, but it was refreshingly light and pleasant.

While I have been drifting away from aromatics in favor of the clean flavors of unadulterated tobaccos, this was a nice excursion back into the aromatic realm.

A nice deep, dark espresso would have gone well with this. Of course, I could envision this being a blend to savor after an nice trip through the pines on X-country skis. Coming inside, propping up my feet on the coffee table (as long as my wife wasn't around) in front of a roaring fire while sipping a cup of hot chocolate laced with (what else) Irish Cream.

Todd