My First Impressions on Some Flake Tobaccos

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theboz

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2013
355
0
United States
I ordered several 1oz portions of different flakes, and wanted to post my thoughts as someone relatively new to flakes. New ones will be added as I try them.
The first one is Newminster 400 Superior Navy Flake: This was fairly moist out of the jar and was stubborn to light, some drying time might help. The taste I am getting is a mildly sweet and earthy, none of the hay notes of yellow virginias but a touch of tartness. I will probably buy more to stow away.

 
I love their Superior Navy Flakes. They have a honey taste to me on the initial top half of the bowl, sweeter than Virginia #1 Broken Flakes. I dry them out completely and smoke slow to get that full range of flavor. If you try that, just don't smoke too fast, or else you'll just burn hot without any flavor. I just pack up a few flakes in a leather folding pouch and keep my pipe stoked with them when I am out in the field. Good stuff. :puffy:

 
K

klause

Guest
Ah! A really gorgeous flake - absolutely gorgeous.
I agree with Cosmic - I smoke it sloooooooow, and keep the ember barely lit. Wonderful flavour. A flake that just needs, almost begs, you to slow down and relax, so you can truly experience all it has to offer.

 

theboz

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2013
355
0
United States
Yeah I could see the honey flavor, I enjoy Va no.1 as well, this seems mellower with better flavor for me and a tad bit better behaved than Va no.1. The last half of the bowl definitely gets a deeper flavor and more body while keeping a hint of sweetness.

 

ithelouniverse

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 30, 2013
513
0
West Texas
I just started with flakes as flakes myself. Meaning: I've always rubbed them out. Recently got a tin of ODF. Fold and stuff works well but I keep coming back the cube cut. Either way, I'm noticing flakes smoke slower than rubbed tobaccos. Definitely a plus in my book...

 

theboz

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2013
355
0
United States
McClelland no.2015 Va/per: Not sure how to describe the flavor, but this is what I would call medium in sweetness, I get no citrus or hay. There is just a touch of spiciness.

 

theboz

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2013
355
0
United States
Well I'm about halfway through the bowl, the sweetness has intensified, and I'm getting the plum flavor I always hear described for some va/per blends. This is turning out to be a very nice smoke.

 
Funny, I always get a bunch of spicy bread-like flavors out of 2015, like a bakery while they cook the cinnamon buns. But, I had to smoke it quite a few times to get to where I could pull those flavors out. It definitively wasn't love at first light, but it grew on me. I haven't had any in over a year. I think I was looking for those rasin-y, hay notes, and my expectations were off on this one. But, by the end of the first couple of oz's I was really enjoying it.

I need to go check my jars and pull one out to see how a little age has changed it.

 

theboz

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2013
355
0
United States
I didn't get a lot of spice, it was a background note that became stronger in the last 1/4 of the bowl. I think trying new blends is gonna be dangerous. I'm just hoping to get some bulk blends that I enjoy enough so that I can start stocking up in a more budget friendly way.

 
Try the Newminster Superior Round Slices also. I stocked way up on those and the Navy Flakes, because they were cheap, but those slices are very delicious and make a nice later in the day smoke after smoking those sweet Navy Flakes all day. They are just a stronger blend, with some of those same sweet notes as the flakes.

These are very new blends, so I expect that they won't stay as cheap as they are for very much longer.

 

grouchydog

Can't Leave
Oct 16, 2013
413
1
@Cosmic - when you say "dry them out completely", how dry is "completely"? What's the texture or crispiness level that works for you? I think one of my main failings with flakes is that I'm smoking them too wet. But I don't want to dry them to dust, so I'm not really sure...

 
I enjoy them in the dry-to-the-touch to crispy range, but not too many people share my love of crispy dry tobaccos. So, YMMV. I don't like all flakes crispy dry, just some of the sweeter bitey flakes and a few stronger flakes. ODF is one that I absolutely love crispy dry. And, if a flake has any bite at all, drying it to crispy makes it burn much smoother for me. Just the dryer it is, the slower it absolutely must be smoked.
I'm a clencher, so I never puff on a dry flake, just let it trickle onto your tongue as you breath naturally. I tend to just forget the pipe is in my mouth and just enjoy the taste. But, this is just one of the styles of smoking that I enjoy, especially with flakes.

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
There are not that many flakes in my rotation of 28 that I have to dry at all. For my tastes a flake that is too dry looses a ton of flavor and burns too hot. I cube cut probably 90 percent of the time and only do a fold and stuff when I am smoking outside.
Here is my list of flakes and the TR next to the name means no extra drying time for me.
Virginia Flakes:

Fribourg&Treyer Cut Virginia Plug TR

Fribourg and Treyer VintageTR

Fribourg & Treyer Special Brown FlakeTR

Wessex Campaign Brigade Dark FlakeTR

Wessex Brown Virginia Flake TR

Wessex Gold Virginia Flake TR

Wessex Gold Brick

Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake

Samuel Gawith full Virginia Flake

Hamborger VeermasterTR

Dunhill Flake TR

Astley’s no. 44 Dark Flake TR

Astleys 109TR

John Aylesbury Luxury Flake TR

Rotary Navy CutTR

Capstan Blue FlakeTR

Brigham Klondike Gold TR
Virginia/Perique Flakes

EscudoTR

Solani 633 TR

Samuel Gawith St James Flake

Dunhill Deluxe Navy RollsTR
Virginia/Burley/Kentucky Flakes

Solani Silver Flake TR

Peterson Perfect Plug

GL Pease NavigatorTR

Petersons Irish Flake

Peterson University Flake

Esoterica Stonehaven

Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired

 

theboz

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2013
355
0
United States
I have some of the Comoys Cask no.7 which is a bullseye coin if I recall correctly and I have one or two more flake blends to try out of my first sampling.

 

theboz

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2013
355
0
United States
Comoys Cask no.7 : This remind me of OGS but with more body and complexity, I get mostly hay/citrus notes with a decent amount of spiciness, I assume that this is pretty similar to PS LBF which I have not tasted but they look the same.

 

theboz

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2013
355
0
United States
The last one until I make another purchase SG Full Virginia Flake: this was a medium body and strength smoke for me. The flavor was earthy with a mild sweetness. A great smoke to go with coffee but it was stubborn, I will need to give it even more drying time.

 

derfargin

Lifer
Mar 3, 2014
2,028
28
Kennesaw, GA
I'm a clencher, so I never puff on a dry flake, just let it trickle onto your tongue as you breath naturally. I tend to just forget the pipe is in my mouth and just enjoy the taste. But, this is just one of the styles of smoking that I enjoy, especially with flakes.
I never thought of doing that Cosmic, I'm going to try that next time I fire up a flake.

 

theboz

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2013
355
0
United States
C&D After Hours Flake: The tin note of this blend was a little unpleasant at first, however as it breathed it started to smell better. At first, the flavor I get is of pure Virginia flake. The topping peeks in every now and then to remind you that it is still there. I enjoyed this blend more and more as the bowl progressed.

 
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