Only one review so far on TR. This morning at the B&M I sampled a half bowl in one of my Trypis panels, which I use only for English blends, so not an ideal experiment. The light was very hot and bitey, but then it settled down. Not very sweet at all, but it had a nice plum flavor in the backround. The reviewer on TR thought it was a burley blend rather than a Virginia, which I can understand. Anyone have more experience with this one?
Any Thoughts On Castello Fiamatta Flake ?
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All I know is that C&D is blending for them and usually do a good job. This may be one of those blends that will benefit from cellaring for a while.
tro - came back from catching several nice wild browns on BWO cripples and ants - two even jumped! So didn't see your query till now, so I was inspired to pull out the Fiammata I scored in Richmond. Visually it looks a lot like Brindle Flake, though it is lighter and contains Perique - which neither the Ashton version nor the reissue do. It actually looks real similar to US, which also is Per-free. My tin, batch 080613, contains tan and speckled lamina, a little lighter than may older US (061109), and if you told me these 1'8" wide broken flakes were US with a touch of Per, I'd believe you. The broken flakes are in the American style, unlike the more finely grained Europeans, like DH, MacB, F&T, Former, Rotary, etc. I'll give it a puff today and report.
hp
les
hp
les
I look forward to it Les. I think pipeguy has the right idea, maybe a few years in the cellar till it comes around. And congrats on the browns, voracious buggers that they are. I caught a nice 18" brown on the Colorado and he had a 6" rainbow in his gullet. Big brookies get pretty vicious too.
I bought 21 and threw 20 in the cellar. Have smoked a few flakes from the one I left out. It is good, but definitely needs a lot of age. While it is good, I don't think it is good enough (and I don't think it will be good enough, even with age) to surpass my other beloved VA/PERs, so I doubt I will cellar it in any quantity.
I kind of dissed this blend in my post above, but I just tried it again tonight in a different pipe and it was fantastic. One of the best smokes I've had in the last couple weeks. I want to try a few more bowls, but maybe it's better than I thought. Or at least that's what the smoke I just had is telling me.
peck - I would guess that your Fiammata just needed a few days of airing out. I find a lot of blends develop better flavor a few days after popping the tin.
tro - I DGTed my first bowl of Fiammata, which has been aired out for about a week. I also puffed some Union Square, since it looked so similar. Neither is especially grassy/haylike to me, nor are there strong citrus notes. Both are meatier than bright VAs like MacBaren VA Flake, Dunhill Flake and GH CR Bright Flake, but nowhere near the depth of FVF or Astley 44. The perique provides a slight pepperiness, rather than plummy tones, which is a good thing for me, since I OD easily on Per. I suppose if you told me that Fiammata was US or Ashton/McClelland Brindle Flake (minus the ketchup but with a distinct breadiness), I would believe you.
hp
les
tro - I DGTed my first bowl of Fiammata, which has been aired out for about a week. I also puffed some Union Square, since it looked so similar. Neither is especially grassy/haylike to me, nor are there strong citrus notes. Both are meatier than bright VAs like MacBaren VA Flake, Dunhill Flake and GH CR Bright Flake, but nowhere near the depth of FVF or Astley 44. The perique provides a slight pepperiness, rather than plummy tones, which is a good thing for me, since I OD easily on Per. I suppose if you told me that Fiammata was US or Ashton/McClelland Brindle Flake (minus the ketchup but with a distinct breadiness), I would believe you.
hp
les
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