I have both of these open at the moment, each recent production. Has anyone else noticed that they are essentially the exact same blend, except that the Dark has a slightly higher proportion of dark fired leaf than the Scotch Dark, or am I imagining things?
While I much preferred this line when it was made at the since shuttered SG factory, I am fine with the current GH production as that is infinitely better than not having it at all, but it seems to me that it used to be the case that separate Viking blends were not so close in their qualities as these two are at present.
Addition: of the two, I much prefer the Dark to the Dark Scotch.
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I have not had the Viking Scotch Dark so can’t possibly comment fairly other than to say that your imagination could be in play as you suggest. My memory might be faulty but I recall a decade or so ago there was a debate here on Sharrow’s Tom Buck and Queens with some posters claiming subtle differences between the two, both in both grind and flavour – such was the suggestiveness of different names. However, apart from the names the two were identical snuffs as James Hanson MD at Sharrow confirmed.
Thanks for the opinion on the Viking Scotch, which I’ve not tried. Viking Dark is amazing and I use it daily. I just love the smoke/peat/barnyard scent. I do have 100g of Viking Thor’s Hammer en route, so we’ll see what that has to offer shortly.
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I too love the Viking Dark, and it is a regular for me. Not a huge fan personally of the Thor’s Hammer in comparison to that one and the Scotch, however (it would be my third in line of the three for me); but, of course, as always your mileage may vary. All three are of very similar strength (a medium high on my scale) in the vitamin N department.
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Scotch Dark is similar to the old Black Rappee, but not as good tbh. I have a 100 gram tub of it, and keep it hydrated, so it’s getting better with age actually. You should try it.
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Does the current viking dark have a similar smoky note like the gawith made? I just got a wilsons made thors hammer and no smoky note. To my nose, they used black rappee instead of Viking dark.
Indeed it does, although the Viking Brown is a bit richer in that department to my nose.