Loch Ness

Loch Ness is a blend built by Gregory Pease in the Scottish tradition after the Drucquer & Sons name was revived. Light lemon-yellow and aged red Virginia leaves are joined by small-leaf oriental tobaccos, Cyprus latakia and Louisiana perique; the mixture is pressed, rested as cake, and cut as plug. The smoker packs it by rubbing out or slicing the plug; this structure slows the burn and lets the flavors open in layers.

Its character rests on tension between Virginia's tart sweetness and perique's peppery spice; latakia's soot sits in the middle, while the orientals give sour, herbal notes from the edges. Because it's medium in nicotine, it also suits daytime smoking. It's prepared for smokers seeking the structure of traditional Scottish and English mixtures who aren't put off by working with pressed tobaccos.