I love a good spun-cut tobacco. A "spun-cut" is the blending of tobaccos rolled up into a big giant "cigar" then sliced into this discs. For several years my favorite spun-cut blend was Escudo. A couple of years ago, Peter Stokkebye released a new spun-cut of their own called "Luxury Bullseye Flake". Many smokers touted this new blend as "the New Escudo" while others felt that it was inferior to the ancient incumbent. Let's compare the two blends here and then see what the Straight Grain readers have to say.
The escudo was the currency of Portugal prior to the introduction of the euro. Escudo is Portuguese and Spanish for "shield". Escudo is a Virginia and Perique blend with brown and gold strands of leaf visible in the discs. The size of the disc is that of a U.S. half-dollar coin. Upon opening a tin of Escudo, one smells the scent of a fruity wine. The flavor is subtly sweet with a good deal of spiciness from the Perique. Popular opinions of Escudo is that the nicotine content is quite high.
Luxury Bullseye Flake is a coin of similar size with strands of bright and brown Virginias and dark Perique. One noticeable difference in appearance from Escudo is a large black center of cavendish. The flavor of this blend tends to be more on the sweeter side with less spice. Popular opinion is that the nicotine content in this blend is not nearly as high as Escudo.
So there you have it, both blends are up for comments. Which is sweetest? Which is spicier? Is there more of a "nick-kick" in Escudo or Bullseye? Let's hear from you!
I'm not exactly a "super taster" but am a fan of Vapers and especially Escudo. I got my first Bullseye a few weeks ago and am extremely impressed. Most of my Escudo is aged from three to five years while this Bullseye is fresh from the seller. Price, of course, much better and yet the Bullseye can play on the same field as the Escudo. Can it win? Probably not, but just to be competing with the Escudo is an accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteI like both blends and currently I have a tin of Escudo and a pouch of Bullseye Flake open. The latter is sweeter, slightly topped with a fruit (citric) flavor, milder and with lot less Perique.
ReplyDeleteLike I've said, I like them both, but they are far from similar. Escudo is a superior smoke in my book. I will smoke Bullseye from time to time, but Escudo is a must in my rotation.
I too am a fan of VaPers, especially Escudo. My local B&M carries Stokkebye Luxury Navy as well as Bullseye Flake. I like the Bullseye Flake, but IMHO Escudo is a step up.
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