TOM November: Christmas Cheer '07

[IHT]

put your reviews of the Tobacco of the Month November here.

[kheffelf]

Thanks for doing the thread, I forgot all about it, guess I need to start another poll here soon too.

[Secret Pipe Santa]

[SIZE="4"]*tisk-tisk-tisk*
No reviews of my blend?[/SIZE]

[rehbas21]

Ive had a few bowls but Ive learned from the few Ive had, for starters I need to let it dry out more next time, hopefully I will have a review up in the next week or so. If anyone needs a few bowls worth give me a pm and I'll help you out.

[Bruce]

2007?
It's too young to smoke now.
LOL!

[IHT]

Originally Posted by Bruce

2007?
It's too young to smoke now.
LOL!

i know, but that's what was voted on...
i've got a tin from '94...

Originally Posted by rehbas21

If anyone needs a few bowls worth give me a pm and I'll help you out.

very cool offer, ryan.

i 2nd that: if anyone needs a couple bowls to try, let me know.
i just cracked my tin and spent the next half hour rubbing it out into a bowl and putting it back in the tin.

[Nutiket_32]

Ive only had a couple bowls so far but haven't been overly impressed. Its also my first straight Virginia though, so I don't have anyway to really compare it.

[Sancho]

Thanks to IHT I got a chance to try some of this tonight, this was a interesting tasting tobacco which to me tasted like a stronger version of Peterson's Sherlock holmes. The taste wasn't bad but I suppose I perhaps had hyped it up after trying some of the 2001 series that Evan sent me. It burned very nicely and the smoke was quite cool, with a nice pine tree like aftertaste. Not sure if its smething I would buy to cellar away, but it was a nice change of pace from the latakia heavy blends I've been smoking lately. I'll have to be more comprehensive when I light up the next bowl. Thanks again Greg!

[IHT]

y'know i've had 1 bowl so far... it was too moist, and may have muted the flavors a bit. at least that's what i was nervously telling myself.
i'll crack that tin of '94 this weekend and see if there's a difference.

so far, i wasn't impressed, but i could tell there could be good things from it if it aged and then was dried a bit.

[EvanS]

Originally Posted by IHT

y'know i've had 1 bowl so far... it was too moist, and may have muted the flavors a bit. at least that's what i was nervously telling myself.
i'll crack that tin of '94 this weekend and see if there's a difference.

so far, i wasn't impressed, but i could tell there could be good things from it if it aged and then was dried a bit.

I am only on my 2nd bowl so far...a sample I got from TimB. I dried mine pretty good because I have trouble with Xmas Cheer in general. So far the 1st bowl (smoked straight thru) and the 1st half of the 2nd bowl (gonna DGT 2nd half) have been summarily uninteresting. There is a hint of the tang that I remember from the 2001 - 2004 Cheer that I've had in the past, but that's it. Just a hint. Aside from the lack of tartness there also does not seem to be any stand out flavor.

So far, give me a can of McCranie's Red Ribbon any day.

[EvanS]

OK, after about a 3 hour rest I went for the 2nd half of the 2nd bowl. Not too much difference. The flavor was a little bit smoother, but the question could be posed "smoother than what?" as there was really not much flavor there to begin with.

Overall I'd say the flavor is somewhat cigarette-ish with a slightly citrus aftertaste. Matter of fact the aftertaste my well be the best part of this smoke. My sample is sealed up so it has not dried itself out and it still has that unique McC VA fermentation smell. I have what looks to be about 5 or 6 more bowls to try and I will reserve final judgement until after they are gone, but for now I see nothing very cheerful about this years Cheer. Mind you it does not taste bad to me, it just has too little flavor to be considered interesting.

[EvanS]

gone thru 9 bowls now over the course of 3 days. Tried various levels of moisture, various levels of rub, speeded up and slowed down puffing....but still Snooze City. To me this is not only NOT a special VA blend, it's not even a noteworthy common VA.

I guess time will tell what age wlll do, but I'll be relying on someone else to tell me about it.

[Buster]

got a tin from '92 that is smoking very nice. havent had the '07 yet..

[hova45]

I just popped my 05 tin I have to let some dry to be able to enjoy it. I tried it wet ohhhhhooo big mistake...lol but i really like it and the smell of catsup is yummy

[paperairplane]

There are a lot of reviews out there - this is going to focus on my impession. I think something called holiday cheer would be a tobacco to smoke once the bird has been carved, the pumpkin pie eaten, the plates cleared - and all that remains is to pour a glass of cognac and settle in by the fire, ponder the holiday season, and cheer for whoever is (hopefully) beating the Cowboys.

I think it there is some 'fun' to be had in laying some up - down the road you can show off your xmas 07, 08, 09, etc... but on the merit of the smoke alone - this is a fine daily tobacco. It's good, and if unhurried has nice flavors and some complexity... I smoked 4 bowls today and could smoke this all day...

But to be honest, if this was named "Va blend #2545" we wouldn't even be discussing it. Some of us would try it, think it's okay and move on to the next thing. Without the seasonal, limited edition nature of the tin, there are probably better things to burn. I guess I am just looking for something that stands out more in a special blend.

For all that, I am likely to buy a tin to throw in the cellar for a year or so...