Well, you're going to want to know about these two...and that's because both are real winners! First, the VR. You can go to the P&C website and check out the description...or cruise over to the review website and read what a few other guys have said (all positive)...or you can take my word for it.
The VR 'flake' (really one of those hard pressed cake things that P&C does) was a 4 oz. bag that came as 4 thick cut sections...which when cut for the pipe turned out to be very dry and pretty hard...which resulted in a stellar burn in my Bari Squash Canadian. I left a lot of it in pretty large cubes, for the bottom, and added smaller pieces on top, then finally some coarse dust as kindling. It took right off and burned well throughout the bowl. It burned a lot faster and more smokey than a regular flake...with a slightly sweet 'treacle-like' flavor...rich and full. FYI...treacle is the flavoring profile often applied to Stonehaven...raisin/molassas notes. I could find no fault with this blend. A very positive experience. For me...to find something that has a Stonehaven flavor profile and lights and burns like a champ...is a real find.
The Fortissimo? Oh my. The pouch aroma might be offputting to some, but the 'Juniper Berry & Clove' essences really didn't make it into the bowl that much. I lit this one up in a smallish basket pipe that I smoke generally weird Brit stuff in...and it did a workmanlike job. The weed was vacuum packed in plastic and thankfully didn't leak the unique aromas until opened. The profile here was not 'aromatic' but like a Lakeland ready rubbed it had a strong essence added that went away about 80% soon after lighting, leaving a lightly scented tobacco flavor, which while very different was very nice. A most effective presentation of something special. A note on the flavor...there are Lakeland blends that I like and some that I don't. They've been doing it for a long time and know what they're about. I'll leave the bubblegum and most of the flowered ones sit til they lose most of it (about a year is right) but there are others I really like such as Glengary, Dark Scented, etc. The Fortissimo uses essences that are unlike anything they add in the Lakeland District blendings...so it IS unique. I like it a great deal. It loades and lights easily and puffs up well. If you want to try something completely different...this one might just be it!
So there.
