Riverboat Gambler by Cornell & Diehl and getting to know new blends

Blender's description:

In the tradition of the mysterious Mississippi riverboat gamblin' men, a flavorful blend of the South's tobaccos—Burleys, Virginias, and Perique—with the exotic taste of Turkish leaf. The odds are with you when you smoke this blend.

My "quick review" for RG as seen on SF:

This is a big-flavor blend. Burley, Virginia, and Perique with a healthy topping of Turkish. I taste very little, if any, sweetness. This one has the same sort of flavors you get in a spicey bowl of hot and sour soup.

Sound unappealing? I thought so too. I ordered some anyway. I grimaced my way through the first bowl, and hiccuped and stuttered through every one since, and I vowed I'd plop the contents of the rest of the tin in a mason jar, encase it in lead, and forget about it, but for some reason I keep finding myself reaching for more of it.

Its the oddest thing. I guess this means I like it, but every time I smoke it I can't figure out why. I guess its the BIG flavor, more-that-satisfying nicotine content, and the originality of it.

I often am not struck utterly enthusiastic with a new blend in the first few bowls and begin liking it more as I proceed through a couple ounces. This one it was like my senses were throwing me into fight or flight mode, but something keeps saying "go back for more." And I do. Never had an experience quite like this with a blend.

Good stuff? I gotta say heck yeah if you like fairly strong tobacco and you aren't afraid of Perique.