Living across the country from my family and my closest friends has made my holiday season a bit lonely. Happily, I have made some truly great friends in SoCal with whom I can appreciate good tobacco. To commemorate my first holiday in my new home and as a thank you for being invited into the home of a friend for the weekend, I decided to smoke some of my Pulevski Sweet Lula Tobac. A rare Macedonian hookah tobacco that I have very little of and will likely never stumble upon again.
I sat on the balcony of my friend’s house, on a clear and cool night after a beautiful meal, discussing the nature of the universe and drinking a saison that I brewed in honor of my now passed friend, Hajo Flettner. I asked my new friend to share the smoke with me and raise a glass to Hajo, the great man who introduced me to the truly amazing world of traditional hookah tobacco and without whom I would not have been able to acquire the Pulevski Lula Sweet Tobac that we were smoking at the time.
Enjoying the finely textured smoke and sipping the beer made for a wonderful flavor experience. Amber, charred cedar, fresh linden, sweet woods, molasses, earth and spices from the moassel interacting with the grassy hay and spice notes of the Belgian yeast as well as the slight hint of juniper from the berries I threw into the boil. I thought about new friendships, new experiences and a new life and how I was able to make this such a special moment thanks to a friend who was so recently lost but will always be remembered.
Then the fireworks started. I am not a religious man and I don’t apply extra meaning to random chance but I found myself amazed at the perfection of the moment.
I wish Hajo had been able to share such moments with me.
Happy holidays to you all and may you spend these days and every other with true friends.
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That is very nice of you Paul. Happy holidays to both of you.