So a while back I decided to dabble a little in the dark arts and start trying/comparing various flakes and I have a few thoughts I thought I'd post here.
GH&C Dark Flake Unscented vs GH&C Brown Flake Unscented:
Nicotine: Most reviews say the nic-hit is stronger in the Dark over the Brown. While this may be true, I had a bowl of the Brown the other night on a not full stomach and it nearly knocked me down and made me nauseous. I didn't get sick but came close. So it seems for people who are not regular smokers we need to be aware that both of these are potent.
Tin Note: The Dark smell like Copenhagen but with a sweetness to me. The Brown overall smells nicer but had some quality that I can't place and while I didn't care for this component it didn't put me off smoking it.
Flavor: I'm not experienced enough to pick up all of the flavors mentioned in the reviews but the Dark is definitely more cigar-ish and, to me, sweeter. I really like the Dark. The Brown's flavor, just like the tin note, had something I'm not sure about. Both have a lot going on but the dark fruit and sweetness in the Dark were more noticeable won me over.
Temperature: The dark seemed to be definitely a cooler smoke. When I smoke the Brown at a slow enough pace to get a cooler, better tasting smoke, I have trouble keeping it lit even after a day of drying.
Harshness: The Dark, while noticeably strong, was also fairly smooth. I can't imagine what this stuff will be like with a few years on it. The Brown was either too spicy for my liking or just plain harsh. Maybe time with smooth it out and soften it.
Burn: I played with various packing methods but for me both were easier to smoke at a slower pace and keep lit when fully rubbed out and slightly dried before packing. It did seem rubbing them out was more important than the drying. I like to use a Frank type method where I keep sprinkling tobacco into the bowl and tapping the side of the pipe to settle it in. Once the bowl is full to the top this way, I grab a nice pinch of tobacco and stuff it in on top. This usually gives me a good easy light up. I do have to be ready with a tamper though as once I start to burn through that pinch (usually after 30 min or so) it will go out pretty fast with out tamping it down. The fold and stuff method doesn't work for me on these tobaccos. I noticed I started to turn green by the time I got a good light with this method which didn't make for the most enjoyable of experiences.
So all of the above being said, am I a just Dark flake kind of person or just this particular one? Are there others that I should be trying as well? What say you?
GH&C Dark Flake Unscented vs GH&C Brown Flake Unscented:
Nicotine: Most reviews say the nic-hit is stronger in the Dark over the Brown. While this may be true, I had a bowl of the Brown the other night on a not full stomach and it nearly knocked me down and made me nauseous. I didn't get sick but came close. So it seems for people who are not regular smokers we need to be aware that both of these are potent.
Tin Note: The Dark smell like Copenhagen but with a sweetness to me. The Brown overall smells nicer but had some quality that I can't place and while I didn't care for this component it didn't put me off smoking it.
Flavor: I'm not experienced enough to pick up all of the flavors mentioned in the reviews but the Dark is definitely more cigar-ish and, to me, sweeter. I really like the Dark. The Brown's flavor, just like the tin note, had something I'm not sure about. Both have a lot going on but the dark fruit and sweetness in the Dark were more noticeable won me over.
Temperature: The dark seemed to be definitely a cooler smoke. When I smoke the Brown at a slow enough pace to get a cooler, better tasting smoke, I have trouble keeping it lit even after a day of drying.
Harshness: The Dark, while noticeably strong, was also fairly smooth. I can't imagine what this stuff will be like with a few years on it. The Brown was either too spicy for my liking or just plain harsh. Maybe time with smooth it out and soften it.
Burn: I played with various packing methods but for me both were easier to smoke at a slower pace and keep lit when fully rubbed out and slightly dried before packing. It did seem rubbing them out was more important than the drying. I like to use a Frank type method where I keep sprinkling tobacco into the bowl and tapping the side of the pipe to settle it in. Once the bowl is full to the top this way, I grab a nice pinch of tobacco and stuff it in on top. This usually gives me a good easy light up. I do have to be ready with a tamper though as once I start to burn through that pinch (usually after 30 min or so) it will go out pretty fast with out tamping it down. The fold and stuff method doesn't work for me on these tobaccos. I noticed I started to turn green by the time I got a good light with this method which didn't make for the most enjoyable of experiences.
So all of the above being said, am I a just Dark flake kind of person or just this particular one? Are there others that I should be trying as well? What say you?
