Virginia /Perique Tobacco » James J. Fox Dorisco Mixture Tobacco Reviews

Dorisco: A fine Latakia blend -- not the VaPer I was led to expect

When I see a tin of tobacco on the shelf, or in an ad, a vague feeling of angst comes over me as I confront the unknown. I always have the feeling I’m looking at another $10 black box. There could be anything in there, and I often wish I had a reasonable description of what to expect. This blend proves that one can’t always rely solely on the tin description; and I’m writing this review in the spirit of being informative rather than to provide a critique or to relate a gustatory experience.
 
I opened a 2 yr. old tin of Dorisco Mixture and found a beautifully compressed tangle of brown and black ribbons cut to about a 2mm width. Its bouquet is sweet and smoky and redolent of camphor. This is not what I expected from the tin description. Obviously this blend contains a generous portion of Latakia, and is not the VaPer I was led to expect. I would call this a full English blend, as it doubtless has some Oriental seasoning in the mix.

Well, I smoked one bowlful, which confirmed what my nose had diagnosed. I don’t feel qualified to critique Latakia blends as I have rigorously avoided them for years; but I can state that it is a very high quality, sophisticated blend based on a sweet and silky mix of Virginias. For me, the Latakia was a distraction, and I really couldn’t focus on the Perique; but the blend was smooth, “plumy” tasting, and moderately strong. It is easy to pack and light, and it generates a great volume of smoke with a luscious mouth feel and, unfortunately for me, a lasting finish of sweet campfire smokiness. There is no inclination to bite, and it smokes sweetly, coolly and dryly down to a fine grey ash.

If you’re a devotee of sophisticated English blends, I think you will enjoy this immensely. Sometimes I wish I could smoke Latakia blends, because this one is capable of delivering a lot of nuanced flavor if one is willing to spend some quality time with it. This is not something to smoke if you are distracted by other tasks.