joequo
Well-known member
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- Jun 7, 2009
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Hey folks, just got in 2oz of the new blend by Russ Ouellette called Fusilier's Ration. Many of you have likely heard of this blend by now, but the basic rundown is that it is supposed to be Russ's attempt at recreating the popular but sadly discontinued Bengal Slices. I have never had Bengal Slices before, but this tobacco intrigued me, so I figure I'd give it a try.
Before I start, let me say that 1) I do not have a large tobacco tasting vocabulary, but I'll do my best to describe my experience with this tobacco. 2) I am a Latakia maniac, so people who don't like Latakia that much or who enjoy light, sweet tasting tobaccos should take my opinions with a grain of salt.
Now for the review:
I took the tin and opened it, finding some interesting shapes therein--not quite slices, not quite a plug. I guess it was a plug, but it was in a few thick slices rather than one block. Not that this matters, I just thought it was interesting. The semi-sliced nature of it was actually kind of convenient as I didn't really need to whip out my pocked knife to chop it up--I simply pinched off chucks with my fingers, rubbed it out, and filled up my pipe, an Adrian James sandblasted dublin.
The first thing I noticed aside from the appearance of this tobacco was the aroma. I wasn't sure what to expect, as a couple reviewers of this tobacco seemed to dislike the smell quite a bit. My first thought after poking my nose into the tin and inhaling was "Hmmm...this smells...interesting." That is really the best description I can give because I have no idea what this stuff is topped with, but it's interesting. For those of you who have tried 1792 Flake, you know there is a distinct smell that radiates off that stuff that immediately gives away what it is. While Fusilier's Ration does not smell at all like 1792 Flake, it does have a distinct aroma that I find neither inviting nor offensive, but simply unique. I think the smell may grow on me in time.
My first few puffs of this tobacco were actually pretty similar to my first few sniffs--the tobacco tasted like it smelled...interesting. However, as the bowl progressed, the tobacco began to feed my mouth more and more flavors. Latakia-check, Orientals-check, Virginias-check, interesting mystery topping in the background-check.
The longer I smoked Fusilier's Ration, the more I liked it. I am generally put off by tobaccos with strong toppings, which is why my first reaction to this tobacco was "I'm not sure I like this stuff they put on here." That thought eventually transformed into "Hey, there's quite a bit going on here, and I really like it!"
I haven't had a bowl of tobacco with so much character in a long time. To those of you who are curious and love to try new tobaccos and to those of you who enjoy a nice smokey dose of Latakia with other tobaccos thrown in to spice things up--Fusilier's Ration gets my full endorsement!
Before I start, let me say that 1) I do not have a large tobacco tasting vocabulary, but I'll do my best to describe my experience with this tobacco. 2) I am a Latakia maniac, so people who don't like Latakia that much or who enjoy light, sweet tasting tobaccos should take my opinions with a grain of salt.
Now for the review:
I took the tin and opened it, finding some interesting shapes therein--not quite slices, not quite a plug. I guess it was a plug, but it was in a few thick slices rather than one block. Not that this matters, I just thought it was interesting. The semi-sliced nature of it was actually kind of convenient as I didn't really need to whip out my pocked knife to chop it up--I simply pinched off chucks with my fingers, rubbed it out, and filled up my pipe, an Adrian James sandblasted dublin.
The first thing I noticed aside from the appearance of this tobacco was the aroma. I wasn't sure what to expect, as a couple reviewers of this tobacco seemed to dislike the smell quite a bit. My first thought after poking my nose into the tin and inhaling was "Hmmm...this smells...interesting." That is really the best description I can give because I have no idea what this stuff is topped with, but it's interesting. For those of you who have tried 1792 Flake, you know there is a distinct smell that radiates off that stuff that immediately gives away what it is. While Fusilier's Ration does not smell at all like 1792 Flake, it does have a distinct aroma that I find neither inviting nor offensive, but simply unique. I think the smell may grow on me in time.
My first few puffs of this tobacco were actually pretty similar to my first few sniffs--the tobacco tasted like it smelled...interesting. However, as the bowl progressed, the tobacco began to feed my mouth more and more flavors. Latakia-check, Orientals-check, Virginias-check, interesting mystery topping in the background-check.
The longer I smoked Fusilier's Ration, the more I liked it. I am generally put off by tobaccos with strong toppings, which is why my first reaction to this tobacco was "I'm not sure I like this stuff they put on here." That thought eventually transformed into "Hey, there's quite a bit going on here, and I really like it!"
I haven't had a bowl of tobacco with so much character in a long time. To those of you who are curious and love to try new tobaccos and to those of you who enjoy a nice smokey dose of Latakia with other tobaccos thrown in to spice things up--Fusilier's Ration gets my full endorsement!
