Key Largo vs Maltese Falcon

[sweetandsour]

Placing this in the TR forum, where I intended to post it in the first place. A further word of caution, don't smoke KL too fast or it will lay you on the floor, as it did to me a couple nights ago.

Why compare these two in the first place? The short story is that I had smoked a few bowls of both several years ago; samples from a box pass (~2008 or 2009). They were both good smokes, but one had some very nice nuances that I particularly enjoyed. But which?

They are similarly described. Red Virginias, Cyprian Latakia, orientals and "bright flu-cured leaf (MF), or cigar wrapper leaf (KL). The Maltese Falcon lists an additional "discreet and mysterious spice". They have very similar tin notes. Of course, the Falcon is ribbon cut and KL is broken flake.

I purchased a tin of each. Both are dated 2017, a few months apart. I've smoked each in a pipe similarly-ghosted with Latakia, swapping out back and forth. The MF was very moist, and remains so even with multiple openings and at least 1/4 of the tin gone now. But it doesn't seem so while smoking, curiously. It stays lit, and burns to a light ash in the bowl. Not a complex smoke at all; a good smoke.

The KL, however, is the one I remembered and was looking for. It's not as moist but requires a re-light or two, fairly typical of flakes perhaps. It's more stout than MF to say the least. Smoke it slowly to capture the subtle cigar taste, which lingers after you set the pipe down. Smoke it too fast and I'll find myself laying on the couch from the effects of vitamin N. Not as severe as with, say, Lancers Slices, but enough. Towards the bottom of the bowl is when I get the exotic flavors, clove being the strongest, like the flavors you can get when approaching the end of a good Macanudo Prince Philip Cafe, for example. It could very possibly compete with McC's Dark Star for pronounced "bottom-of-the-bowl" flavors.

MF is good. But KL is the one.

[JohnnyMcPiperson]

Placing this in the TR forum, where I intended to post it in the first place. A further word of caution, don't smoke KL too fast or it will lay you on the floor, as it did to me a couple nights ago.

Why compare these two in the first place? The short story is that I had smoked a few bowls of both several years ago; samples from a box pass (~2008 or 2009). They were both good smokes, but one had some very nice nuances that I particularly enjoyed. But which?

They are similarly described. Red Virginias, Cyprian Latakia, orientals and "bright flu-cured leaf (MF), or cigar wrapper leaf (KL). The Maltese Falcon lists an additional "discreet and mysterious spice". They have very similar tin notes. Of course, the Falcon is ribbon cut and KL is broken flake.

I purchased a tin of each. Both are dated 2017, a few months apart. I've smoked each in a pipe similarly-ghosted with Latakia, swapping out back and forth. The MF was very moist, and remains so even with multiple openings and at least 1/4 of the tin gone now. But it doesn't seem so while smoking, curiously. It stays lit, and burns to a light ash in the bowl. Not a complex smoke at all; a good smoke.

The KL, however, is the one I remembered and was looking for. It's not as moist but requires a re-light or two, fairly typical of flakes perhaps. It's more stout than MF to say the least. Smoke it slowly to capture the subtle cigar taste, which lingers after you set the pipe down. Smoke it too fast and I'll find myself laying on the couch from the effects of vitamin N. Not as severe as with, say, Lancers Slices, but enough. Towards the bottom of the bowl is when I get the exotic flavors, clove being the strongest, like the flavors you can get when approaching the end of a good Macanudo Prince Philip Cafe, for example. It could very possibly compete with McC's Dark Star for pronounced "bottom-of-the-bowl" flavors.

MF is good. But KL is the one.

I love Key Largo, I have smoked through multiple tins of it, there aren’t too many blends I’ve popped multiple tins of.


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[Bloodhound]

I have never tried KL...better grab a tin and give it a try...sounds like a good one