Manufacturer Description:
Virginia from Zambia and Mysore with a nicotine content of originally about 3.5%, which was slowly degraded by long storage. In addition, two pinches of the best Oriental and 5% Perique are pressed for 2 days at 50 bar, then stored in the screw press for three months to maturity, cut and packaged.
Characterisation:
The Soft & Unique No. 1 comes as 50 g in a small can with a tear-open lid. It is not sure if the additional plastic lid is airtight and so for prolonged storage you should use an airtight container for the opened tobacco, which is also recommended for the economy pack. This preserves the pleasantly sweet scent of dried fruits and hay, as you know it from Virginia - the discreetly used Orient is not to be detected. The Soft & Unique No. 1 is a Mixture with mostly Ready Rubbed-portions, which appears to be rubbed out differently fine. The predominant color is a rich dark brown, interspersed with lighter proportions. The tobacco is not really wet between the fingers, but if you have doubts, you can let it dry briefly before plugging.
Plugging:
Since the Soft & Unique No. 1 is a Mixture with lots of Ready Rubbed-bits, you should be careful when plugging, not to bring the tobacco too tight into the pipe. But you should not plug the Soft & Unique No. 1 also not too loose, otherwise the puffing can be too easy - but with some practice you will soon have found the golden mean.
Light up:
The high proportion of Ready Rubbed also calls for attention during lighting, as the pressed tobacco-pieces rise clearly under the flame heat and first want to be gently pushed back with the tamper into the pipe. But after the second flame the Soft & Unique No. 1 burns quite easily.
Smoking properties:
The more elaborate preparations are rewarded by a very balanced taste. The Virginia provides very pleasant toasted bread notes, accompanied by the spicy and smoky Oriental, which joins a juicy basic tone, which is probably due to the Perique. While soft puffing the Soft & Unique No. 1 is remarkably cool, but you should be careful not to puff too hard on the pipe, because the tobacco - due to the high Virginia content - can burn on the tongue. You should also gently press in with the tamper in order to improve the puffing. If one lets this attention, then only bright fine ashes and hardly any condensate remains in the pipe.
Redolency:
The redolence of the Soft & Unique No. 1 is tobacco-genuine and due to the included Oriental not necessarily suitable for non-smoking society.
Conclusion:
The dark Mixture Soft & Unique No. 1 with plenty of Ready Rubbed-shares reveals little of the contained Oriental in its sweet smell of hay and dried fruit. Despite its medium strength, it does not appeal to beginners, as both preparation and smoking requires attention. Cool smoking unfolds the pleasant toasted bread notes of Virginia, the juicy Perique and a smoky-strong Orient. These aromas work very harmoniously with each other, so that the Soft & Unique No. 1 is suitable for anyone looking for a balanced English Mixture.
Copyright © 2013 by TECON GmbH
with friendly support of Dennis Hübel
