![user posted image](http://www.isok.ru/img/full/00533b85c8ce846dae7bc9a03c27f00b.jpg)
Докурил те 35-40 грамм, оставшиеся мне после реквизиции части табака второй половиной, - почему ещё раз акцентируюсь - факт немаловажный и показательный, т.к. ни одна из почти 110 куренных мной латакиевых смесей, а каждую из них супруга имела счастье/несчастье обонять, не вызвала такого буйного восторга и жажды обладания (отсыпала в кожанный кисетик, носит с собой). Возможно в обонятельном плане смесь действительно уникальная, как будет видно позже из приведённого мной экспертного отзыва с TR - в ней могут быть использованны до 9 разных Ориенталов.
Буквально с первых секунд по прикуриванию, погружаешься в невообразимый, неописуемый, именно дикий букет вкусоощущений. Что касаемо аромата при курении, который моментально оккупирует нос, и не уходит до самого конца, а то и преследуе очень долго после курения: Представьте себе благоухающий тёплым солнечным летним деньком сосновый бор, вы разожгли на поляне костерок из смолистых сосновых сучьев, повесили к нему сушиться вымокшую в болоте одежду, преимущественно кожанную, а по кругу подожгли ещё несколько разномастных индийских палочек-вонялочек.
Теперь что касаемо вкуса - чувствуется значительное количество пикантной Сирийской Латакии , очень приятный - дразнящий, чуть покусывающий нёбо, терпко-сладкий привкус, Кипрской много меньше, лишь где-то вдали чувствуешь её мрачноватую пряную дымность. Вирджинии очень немного, возможно, даже слишком немного, смесь из-за этого опять же получается черезчур лёгкой, летучей, курильщик не получает того уровня никотина, который он ждёт от английской смеси, соответсвенно возникает рефлекторна потребность увеличивать темп. Именно из-за этого эффекта лёгкости я совершил ошибку, и в первый день выкурил подряд три трубки Wilderness, табак оставляет чрезвычайно сильное послевкусие, в тот день я просто больше не смог курить вообще, хотя ощущение недополученного никотина осталось.
Выводы примерно следующие – смесь скорее всё-же Ориентальная, однозначно не повседневник, можно позволить пару раз в неделю либо как первую, либо как последнюю трубку, беспримерно богатая естественным ароматом, честно скажу, - такого я даже от смесей GLPease не ловил, поддержу одного рецензента
|
Wilderness was over the top. I'm thinking that Fred Hanna is my new favorite blender. I'd even bet if GLP tried this one he'd say, Wow! |
К огромному сожалению ничего не знаю о истории блендерства Фреда Ханы, кое-что раскроет последующий, скопированный с TR обзор
I was leery buying this one at first, as I normally don't care much for McClelland's latakia blends because they usually lack both the complexity and strength I like in English/Balkans. Wilderness, however, is the first latakia blend from this company I've fallen in love with, in large part because it remedies the most important of those two issues. This is one of the most complex things I've ever smoked, rivaled only by the new Magnum Opus blend from Hearth & Home and some batches of seriously aged Renaissance and Samarrah I lucked into. Every few seconds the flavor seems to shift, yet always retaining a subdued sweetness and the smoky spice of both types of latakia. It never fails to hold my attention throughout the smoke, as it never grows tiresome or bland. While some reviewers have stated they don't taste much latakia, I have to question whether they are simply accustomed to the sharp, smoky Cyprian variety. This is the closest thing to Syrian "lat bomb" I've ever smoked! But that also means the character is very different from Cyprian-based blends, which have a "smoky" or "campfire" flavor. The Syrian, on the other hand, is more reminiscent of red wine, incense, or even curry. Hannah has stated publicly that this contains nearly 35 percent Syrian latakia, which is a prodigious amount of that particular leaf (which is considerably stronger in flavor than its Cyprian counterpart). Fred Hanna, of course, is known as one of the world's premier experts on the legendary Balkan Sobranie mixtures, and it's interesting to note that the ingredients listed on the label are a dead ringer for the Sobranie "white" mixture of old. It's also worth noting that Hanna has not chosen to describe this as a recreation of that famous blend, although he has said publicly that his appreciation for the classic mixtures is what inspired him to take on this project.
I doubt that he could have recreated the Sobranie's flavor with the constituent tobaccos here (McC's virginias are too pungent and unique to ever sucessfully mimic those used in European blends) but this stuff is absolutely superb on its own terms. I've picked up flavors that I've never before encountered in a pipe tobacco, and I've gone through hundreds of blends over the past 20 years. Hanna has said this blend has 12 different tobaccos in it (Syrian, Cyprian, a mix of Vas and a whole slew of orientals) and boy does it show!
The burning characteristics here are pretty good if not spectacular, it's very cool in the pipe, and it doesn't have much potential for bite. If I have a criticism, it is one voiced already by several others. Wilderness has relatively little in the way of nicotine strength even though it is (to my palate) full flavored. I like powerful blends such as Old Joe Krantz, Billy Budd, Bosun Cut Plug, etc., and Wilderness falls far short of those. On the other hand, I've run into VERY few blends of this type that satisfy my cravings for Vitamin N, and Wilderness does at least have more nicotine than other McClelland mixtures (I estimate it to be about the same as Carter Hall). Anyhow, Wilderness has shot to the top of my English/Balkan rotation with a bullet. Primo stuff. If you go into it looking for nicotine or a large dose of Cyprian latakia, you will likely be disappointed. For the rest of us, four stars.
(с)DoctorThoss
![user posted image](http://www.pipecluboflebanon.org/Hanna2.jpg)
Fred J. Hanna
Fred was born in Toledo, Ohio (USA), and is Professor of Counseling and Director of the School of Applied Psychology and Counselor Education at the University of Northern Colorado. Fred's grandparents were born in Lebanon before they traveled to America at the beginning of the 20th century, so he proudly describes himself as having "100% Lebanese blood." The pleasure, enjoyment, and relaxation that come with pipesmoking are added to the hobby of collecting pipes but, as Fred says, "being involved in the worldwide community of pipe smokers and collectors" is really what pipesmoking is all about. A lover of English blends and Virginias, Fred is also heavily involved in sharing his passion with others: his numerous articles on the subject of pipes, pipe smoking, and pipe collecting can be found in Pipes & Tobaccos and in The Pipe Collector.