Monday, December 11, 2006
More from My Inner Essentialist
... or is that OTOH, my outer Epicurean?
I recently got a new tobacco to try, Compton's of Galashiel's London SW1. It's a Canadian's recreation of a Borderer's realization of a Scotsman's idea of a Londoner's impression of what they might, or at least ought to, smoke in the Levant. By its ingredient list, I was expecting something along the lines of C&D's Bridge Mixture, except maybe more British. Indeed, I got it to assuage the Anglophilic tendancies of my Inner Essentialist.
But it came a little dry, and even when I moistened it, it was at first very peppery, especially on the match. But its room note was always nice (kinda nutty, reminded me of Amontillado, I guess appropriately enough) and the pouch note was very promising with vanilla, cavendish, leathery, chocolaty, caroby and especially nutmeg notes. Well, finally, the mixture has fully integrated the moisture and mellowed out (after not a long time at all, in the grand scheme of things) -- either that or my palate's adjusted to the mixture -- and it's living up to the promise of its pouch and room notes. My Inner Essentialist says its a perfect companion to a sherry cocktail and Handel in the evening (pretend you're sitting in the Reform Club or some such place) or a wee dram o' something and Ned Rorem at midnight.
BTW ... is it just me or is, musically at least, Ned Rorem a gay, Quaker version of Messiaen? Or is Messiaen a straight, Catholic version of Ned Rorem?
I recently got a new tobacco to try, Compton's of Galashiel's London SW1. It's a Canadian's recreation of a Borderer's realization of a Scotsman's idea of a Londoner's impression of what they might, or at least ought to, smoke in the Levant. By its ingredient list, I was expecting something along the lines of C&D's Bridge Mixture, except maybe more British. Indeed, I got it to assuage the Anglophilic tendancies of my Inner Essentialist.
But it came a little dry, and even when I moistened it, it was at first very peppery, especially on the match. But its room note was always nice (kinda nutty, reminded me of Amontillado, I guess appropriately enough) and the pouch note was very promising with vanilla, cavendish, leathery, chocolaty, caroby and especially nutmeg notes. Well, finally, the mixture has fully integrated the moisture and mellowed out (after not a long time at all, in the grand scheme of things) -- either that or my palate's adjusted to the mixture -- and it's living up to the promise of its pouch and room notes. My Inner Essentialist says its a perfect companion to a sherry cocktail and Handel in the evening (pretend you're sitting in the Reform Club or some such place) or a wee dram o' something and Ned Rorem at midnight.
BTW ... is it just me or is, musically at least, Ned Rorem a gay, Quaker version of Messiaen? Or is Messiaen a straight, Catholic version of Ned Rorem?
# posted by alberich @ 1:28 PM 
