What is it about Flakes and Coins and what's your favorite?

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brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
I love flakes and coins. Loading a pipe is cleaner, they smoke cooly, and taste great. It doesn't matter if it is a VaPer, VaBur, VaPer with cavendish, or straight Virginia.
I rotate Escudo, Peter Stokkebye Bulls Eye Flake, (thanks for introducing me CmdMcBragg), PS Luxury Navy Flake, SG LNF, SG Full Virginia Flake and even Wessex Burley.
I like plugs as well, eg., GLP Jacknife.
Why do you like flakes or plugs and what are your favorites? I'm building up my wish list.
Thanks.

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
Oh my God, where do I start!

I smoke a tone of flakes and coins, and I don't think I could really nail down a favorite in either category, so I'll just list a bunch!
Coins;
Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls (some say they are the same as Escudo, I disagree)

PS Lux. Bullseye, Davidoff Flake Medallions, Comoy's Cask No. 7 (these are so similar, I had to list them on the same line)
Mac Baren Roll Cake

Mac Baren Dark Twist

Mac Baren Latakia Blend (the Lat is pretty much undetectable)

Escudo Navy De Luxe
Flakes;
Mac Baren Navy Flake

Mac Baren Mixture Flake

Mac Baren Virginia Flake

Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake

Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired

Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake

Dan Tobacco Hamborger Veermaster

Brigham Klondike Gold

Sam Gawith Navy Flake

Sam Gawith Balkan Flake

Orlik Golden Sliced

PS Lux. Twist Flake

Sutliff's Edgeworth Ready Rubbed Match

Mac Baren Burley London (ready rubbed)

Mac Baren HH Highland (loose cut mixed with broken flake)

Capstan Blue Flake

Peterson University Flake

McClelland Christmas Cheer

McClelland 221b Honeydew

McClelland Navy Cavendish Flake

McClelland Blackwoods Flake

GL Pease Gaslight (plug)

Hearth & Home 10 To Midnight (cake)
I've also got several flakes and coins in the cellar that I've yet to try, but they all sound tasty too!

 

oldreddog

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 4, 2014
923
6
I have not yet smoked any coins Brass. But aside from their smoking characteristics to me their is something a little purer about flakes and plugs, and there connection to pipe smoking days gone by.It is down to the individual to get it right, I enjoy the little challenge of that also.
So if and when I do get prep and pack correct it really adds to the pleasure of the bowl.
I also enjoy the ritual of their preparation and don't mind the little extra time it takes.
Current favorite flakes are OGS,HU Flanagan and Old Ironsides, while not to everyone's taste Kendal Cream Flake is delicious.
Plugs, Mick McQuaid, St James Plug and Condor are superb.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
+1 for all mentioned. I've tried and enjoy most of those and don't enjoy two of em only because they're still on my wish list.

It seems that whole leaf Virginia is the most common ingredient and is tempered by melding it with some version of flu cured, dark fired, perique,burley and cavendish through compression and what not.

One more time, give Newminster Superior Slices a whirl. I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

 

brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
Personally, I don't find that flakes and coins take any more time to prep. I mostly just stuff them in a larger pipe. I sometimes rub them out but that doesn't take much time and leaves less a mess than gravity feeding ribbon cut blends. Plus, are another matter. I'm going to have to get myself a sharper knife before ordering more plugs or cakes.

 
May 3, 2010
6,423
1,461
Las Vegas, NV
Not too huge into flakes and coins. Typically smoke loose cut aromatics. I will say however that I really enjoyed Dunhill Flake, Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, and the new Mac Baren's Three Nuns (coin). I also love me some Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream Flake. I have a tin of Capstan Blue and Yellow from the Mac Baren reboot that have aged a year and I will be opening at the West Coast Pipe Show. Excited to try them.

 

escioe

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 31, 2013
702
4
I like flakes and plugs, but I do find they do take extra time to prep. That's fine by me. I like playing with my tobacco, and if I'm in such a hurry that I can't spare two minutes to rub a flake, I should probably re-evaluate my whole life anyway.
That said: I tend to fully rub flakes. I find they burn much more evenly, and if I take care in packing, they last as long or longer than people are saying their pipes of folded flakes are getting.
I think the magic of flake tobacco comes from being a flake for its whole life, and not from it still being intact as I kill it, one puff at a time.

 

dottiewarden

Lifer
Mar 25, 2014
3,053
57
Toronto
But aside from their smoking characteristics to me their is something a little purer about flakes and plugs, and there connection to pipe smoking days gone by.
+1
@petes03
You da man!
However for what it´s worth, I'll second the Comoy's Cask No. 7 and add Irish Flake, sometimes together as well.
Both are in my current rotation and I'm luvin' 'em!
Got some OGS in the cellar, but I hear it ages well, so there's no hurry.

 

wyfbane

Lifer
Apr 26, 2013
5,117
3,517
Tennessee
LOVE:
MacBaren Navy Flake. 5 year tin is up there in my top 5 smokes ever

4 Gen 1931.

Gaslight.

SPC Plum Pudding. I used to pick out the giant plug sections from my B&M
Luxury bull flakes are next up on my 'to smoke' list.

 

edwinbaz

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 26, 2014
243
1
Houston
I suppose there is a notable difference in how the tobaccos interact and develop together when they're forced through the pressure to form the flake. Other than being flavorful there's also portability. At least that's how I see it. You can just stuff the pipe, a tin and a lighter in your pocket and go for a walk.

My intro to flakes was Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake and Orlik Golden Sliced. I've really enjoyed them. I have some Capstan Blue, Bulls Eye Flake and Escudo on the way. I'm looking forward to them.

 

brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
Regarding portability, edwinbaz, I agree. I stuff the pipe with the flake or coin, and stick the loaded pipe in my pocket. Don't worry about spills.
I forgot about Orlik Golden Sliced. I've probably re-ordered more Golden Slice than any other blend. For me, GS tastes and smokes as good as almost any other blend and I love the price. Haven't tried any other Orlik blends.
I had no idea that there were so many flake, coins and plugs when I started this thread. I think I have my wish list for all of next year listed here.

 

edwinbaz

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 26, 2014
243
1
Houston
I have a tobacco wish-list that I also break down into which ones I'm gonna purchase on the next two or three orders. It's threads like this followed by the reviews I read that make me scramble the list so much. Haha. But hey, that's part of the fun!

It's great when people mention tobaccos you hadn't even considered. Such is the usefulness of these forums. Many favorites are possibly discovered that way.

 

cmdrmcbragg

Lifer
Jul 29, 2013
1,739
3
Damn, what DIDN'T @pete mention?
I'll second PS LBF, Escudo, Klondike Gold (not talked about enough), OGS, Mac Baren ODF, WBCDF and Astleys No.44.

Those are all good blends. Only flakes I've been disappointed by were Peterson 3Ps and Three Nuns (really nothing special to me). Flakes are newer to me and my tobacco purchases have slowed as I've done more cellaring than anything else.

 

teufelhund

Lifer
Mar 5, 2013
1,497
3
St. Louis, MO
I enjoy LBF and escudo on the coin side; flakes are a bit more assorted but my go tos are university and capstan blue. The reason I enjoy smoking them is they have a bit of prep that you have to do and if you're in the right mind set can relax you and get you ready to enjoy a smoke. If ever I feel like it's too tedious I'm probably just wasting my time and won't enjoy myself.

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
@cmdrmcbragg.

Lol! There were actually several I didn't mention.

The main one being Bell's Three Nuns... I just don't care that much for it.
I also didn't mention the ones I have in the cellar that I've yet to try, because well, I don't know what they taste like. Lol!

But I guess I could at least list them. That way I might get some responses on what to expect about some of the lesser known ones.
So here goes.
In The Cellar, Yet To Try;
Wessex BC Dark Flake

Wessex BC Sovereign (coins)

Sam Gawith Full Virginia Flake

Sam Gawith St. James Flake

Capstan Yellow Flake

Peterson 3 P's

Cup O Joe's Yeti Flake

Cup O Joe's Bigfoot Flake

Solani Black & White.

Mac Baren Va. No. 1 (ready rubbed)

Mac Baren Golden Extra (ready rubbed)
Edit; I left out a couple.
Dan Tobacco Mellow Mallard (ready rubbed)

Dan Tobacco Treasures Of Ireland; Shamrock (contains loose cut and ready rubbed)

 

ruscho

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 8, 2014
134
0
I believe flakes marry flavors and age better than loose tobacco.
I would've loved it to have had the option to buy my favorite VAs in plug form, alas nearly impossible to find any plugs in the US these days. I don't know what happened, even Mars doesn't have them any more, the few they used to carry from S&G.

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
On a side note, I cracked a jar of Sam Gawith Balkan Flake today that's been sitting for almost a year. Beautiful dark flakes with some streaks of plume on them!

I love SG Balkan Flake fresh, but let it age a little, and damn!

Loaded it up in a Danish made Stanwell "40" Zebrano, and had one of the tastiest smokes I've had in a good long while!

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
G&H Best brown #2, Brown flake unscented, Bright CR flake (probably my favorite)
McClellend's Old word Cake, Christmas Cheer, St. James woods, Blackwoods flake
MacBaren's ODF
Coins-Ps LBF, Bells 3 nuns (current version)
In the cellar yet to try and aging

SG FVF

Erinmore Flake

Cup O joes Yeti flake

McC's Darkstar

Escudo

Orlik OGS

I love flakes because they seem to age well, you have the preparation involved and choice of rubbing out, fold and stuff, or cube cut.

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
Hey Stalin, let us know what you think about that Yeti Flake when you try it. I'd like to know your opinion.

Mine may be in the cellar for a long while before I get around to it.

 

jmatt

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 25, 2014
770
74
I don't have a huge breadth of experience, but I too love coins and flakes. To me it adds to the overall experience. Even if it's not true, there something about a flake that seems more old school and less mass-produced than ribbon. And I assume - but don't know = that flake form ages better due to the compact form and how the flakes are smashed together over time.
Currently I've got:
Dunhill Flake

SG FVF

SG St James Flake

Escudo Navy Deluxe

Orlik Golden Sliced

MacBaren HH ODF

Peterson's Irish Flake
It's hard to pick a favorite among these. I'm smoking a bowl of Dunhill Flake right now. SG FVF is awesome. I understand why so many people have this cellared. I didn't originally see why everyone crows so much about Escudo, but the more I smoke it the more I like it. It disappears from my inventory the fastest of all. Dunhill Flake probably disappears the second most from what I have.

 
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