Peterson University Flake Revisited

sjfine · Jun 2, 2015

My first tine seemed harsh to me, so halfway through I jarred it and put it away for several months. During that time, I seemed to have migrated (matured?) away from aromatics completely, and have been smoking burleys, virginias, VaBurs, and VaPers.
So, I decided to revisit Peterson UF and found that I really like this quite a bit. I have added UF to my list of favorites: Erinmore, Escudo, Best Brown Flake, Orlik Golden Flake, and Solani 656.
Many of the reviews of the blends in my list of favorites say that they are, well, lightweights. Given the variable that many seasoned smokers may tend to seek strength in their tobaccos, I am wondering if my favorites are really "beginner, post aromatic" blends.
AS a long-time cigar smoker, I gravitated to the Cubans (Ramon Allones, Partagas, etc.) and Padrons, while many of my buddies preferred triple ligeros and the like. I am happy to be "stigmatized" as a lightweight; I am just curious about the general consensus.
(I am going to revisit C&D's Opening Night next. I put that away for the same reason that I put away UF.)

brass · Jun 2, 2015

Sometimes you want a Riesling, sometimes you need a hearty burgundy. While the blend you mention aren't heavy in flavor like, say, S&G Irish Black rope, I don't know anyone who would say Escudo or any others listed, are light weight. Don't worry about other opinions. It is all a matter of taste. There is nothing at all wrong with a good aromatic.Smoke what you like, like what you smoke

leadtungstate · Jun 2, 2015

I had read some negative reviews about University Flake, but at least for my taste I can say that I like it a lot. I am smoking it these days actually and I think it is excellent. This and McBarren's Navy Flake I like a lot. Both these flakes I have noticed two things:

- If I open the tin and leave them in a jar for few weeks they taste better (the same as the first post wrote). The difference is really significant.

- there is a lot of effect in those flakes with the humidity. If you smoke it with too much moisture then it doesn't taste very well, if you smoke it dry seems like it has weak taste. This effect I have found much more important in flakes with respect to usual ribbon cut tobbacos.
What I do about the moisture is to make sure that the flake in the jar has enough moisture (if needed I add a humidifier). Then I get out the flake and I rub it out. I wait for about 20 minutes and then I pack. I check the tobacco by taking with my fingers a pinch, I release it and then I see whether how it unravels. If it unravels without clustering together moisture is ok.

cigrmaster · Jun 2, 2015

UF is hardly a light weight smoke. It has enough burley to make it definitely medium strength. I smoke it on a regular basis and never first thing in the morning.
Never listen to what others say about the blends you like, if you enjoy them, that is all that matters. Escudo is definitely not a light weight blend.

seadogontheland · Jun 2, 2015

Ahh, poor lost to time University Flake...you're original recipe left us too soon.

mrenglish · Jun 3, 2015

What is strong for one person is medium to another. Only use other opinions as a loose guide until you smoke it yourself.
Initially, I found ODF underwhelming but a few weeks later it was spot on. I don't find this that heavy and smoke it after I get up. However, it just does not seem to DGT well.
It is better with some age on it and you really cannot beat the bulk pricing. I prefer the flake but picked up some of the ready rubbed and it tasted exactly the same as the flake.

mrenglish · Jun 3, 2015

Ahh, poor lost to time University Flake...you're original recipe left us too soon.

Truth seadog. University Flake is nowhere it used to be in terms of flavor or strength. The crumble cake of old was even better than Penzance.

andystewart · Jun 3, 2015

+1 Harris. I really enjoy University Flake - it is the only blend for which I occasionally get a craving. Bizarre.
Andy

buckaroo · Jun 4, 2015

I'm in the same boat but my UF has been jared for 6+ years. I'm looking forward to trying it again as I completely forgot about it. Opening Night is great but needs a bit of aging. I have a lot of it in my cellar.

sjfine · Jun 5, 2015

(I am going to revisit C&D's Opening Night next. I put that away for the same reason that I put away UF.)

Well, that didn't go well. Way too strong for me to be able to taste anything at all.
Oh well.

mso489 · Jun 5, 2015

I like some of your choices and not others, which makes us both pipe smokers of course. I'm drawn to some of the brawnier non-aro burleys, but OGF though a mild Va., I find lovely and complex in its quiet way. Erinmore doesn't burn evenly or well for me and doesn't deliver much flavor. A current milder flake I enjoy a lot is Mac Baren's HH Latakia Flake, a fine milder Latakia blend with a lot of personality. PS Luxury Navy Flake is another fine tasty Virginia. You might like some of the milder flake with dark fired in the blend. I do like a full strength blend, flake or loose, like ODF or Billy Budd. And I dote on Semois, the Belgium burley variant.

docspipe · Jun 9, 2015

When I first tried UF several years ago I didn't much care for it - too harsh a smoke, even with aging. However, I have found the more recent incarnation much better. A very flavorful Burley/Virginia which still shines through; despite the topping which is quite pleasant. I don't smoke it daily, but turn to it for a change of pace at least 2-3 times a week, usually at night while watching a movie on Netflix!

cigrmaster · Jun 9, 2015

When did the change in UF happen? I am only smoking the 2012 version and don't know any other so to me it tastes as it should and I enjoy it.

JimInks · Jun 9, 2015

I've never tried UF, but you guys have thinking that I should. Harris, since you like it and also like Wallace Flake, how similar are they? I hear they are the same thing.

cigrmaster · Jun 9, 2015

jim, I find that Wallace flake is very different than UF. I find the WF to be sweeter and to have much less nicotine. I find the Burley to be much more pronounced in the UF than the WF. I am surprised to hear that people claim it is the same blend as for me they are very different. Just looking at the flakes you can see a big difference. The UF is a much darker and denser flake than WF. The UF has the thickness and shape as Maac Baren ODF. The tin notes are also very different.

JimInks · Jun 9, 2015

Thanks for the info, Harris.

andystewart · Jun 10, 2015

Again, + 1 Harris. I found that the sweetness made Wallace Flake very morish and - because of the lower nic - easy to smoke bowl after bowl. I ran through a tin in very short order. One thing I did notice was that UF flakes appear to keep their flavour in the tin longer than WF, which was becoming more bland as I went down the tin.
Andy

cigrmaster · Jun 10, 2015

jim, you are welcome.
andy, I find that I can smoke the WF first pipe of the day where as UF is too strong and I have to have some food in my stomach before smoking it. I am almost down to the the end of my first tin of WF and have not noticed it becoming more bland, interesting take.

docspipe · Jun 13, 2015

As with Irish Flake, University Flake is no longer produced by K-K. Still a great tasting/smelling flake. What I do notice is whatever harshness I experienced with this in its original incarnation is now non existent. Kudos to the new blender, whoever you are. Haven't had the Wallace Flake (K-K blend name under the Rattray banner)which is purported to be the same as University Flake.

Peterson University Flake Revisited

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Lurker

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Might Stick Around

Lifer

Sultan of Smoke

Lifer

Sultan of Smoke

Lifer

Lifer

Might Stick Around