I bought some new tobacco today; Symphony by Mac Baren.

According to the package:

A very harmonious Ready rubbed tobacco dominated by the selected Burley tobaccos and with a minor part of virginia and the original Mac Baren Cavendish. In this blend the tobaccos are adjusted to bring out the slight natural sweetness and with the tender note of chocolate – which is found in all excellent burley tobaccos

I’m not up on my tobacco terminology, so I don’t know what “Ready rubbed” means, but I do know that it it does not mean that the tobacco is ready for smoking right out of the container. It does, in fact, need to be rubbed out, in order to loosen up the flakes. I smoked my first pipeful just after buying it at the Corner News in Keene. I found it mild-tasting, cool-smoking, and mildly aromatic, with a pleasant, slightly-sweet taste.

I was a bit wary about purchasing it, because it only came in a 3.5 oz container, which is twice the size I normally buy. I was worried that if I didn’t like it, it would be a lot of waste. I needn’t have worried though. This tobacco and thoroughly enjoyable.