Virginia Flakes with Flavor Added

To my mind a VA flake with added flavor is different because the flavor is added to enhance the flavor of the tobacco where as Aromatics are flavored so heavily as cover the most of the tobacco flavor and only taste like what the casing or topping is.

Can the veterans please clarify what makes a flavor-added flake different from an aromatic?

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Here's my take on that:
If the flavoring is added in enough quantity to dominate the smoke, it's an aromatic.
Here's an example ... Erinmore Flake. A nice quality flake but the flavoring is right up front in smell and taste

and would be considered an aromatic.
Then, there's something like Virginia #1 (broken flake). While there is a slight sweetness, most likely a little honey, the

overall flavor is pure Virginia tobacco and thus would fall under non-aromatic.

I believe all of my flakes in my cellar have some type of flavoring added, even the ones that are allegedly straight Virginia Flakes such as Capstan Blue Flake, Dunhill Flake, John Aylesbury Luxury Flake, Wessex Campaign Brigade Dark Flake, Astleys no 109 and no 44, Fribourg & Tryer Cut Virginia Plug, SG Best Brown and FVF and others.
Now flakes I smoke such as Peterson University flake which has plum listed as the topping are also very flavorful and I consider it to be an aromatic flake. The only true allegedly straight Virginia flake I have tried is GL Pease Union Sq and I did not really care for it as to my tastes it was not sweet enough for me. If memory serves I once read that it is very rare to get a straight virginia blend as straight virginia just does not have that much flavor on it's own which is why flavoring is added to almost all of them.

Casings versus toppings applies here, I think. Almost all processed tobacco has some kind of casing, albeit just enough to lend a little sweetness when it comes to Virginia. There have been plenty of posts regarding the differences between casings and toppings.

I cannot detect the plum topping on University Flake, but I think Marlin Flake tastes like toasted marshmallows.

rigmedic1, I think your explanation about toppings versus casings is what I had read and was referring to. All tobacco has some type of casing and then others like the UF have toppings. I luckily can taste the plum on the UF. I remember having a discussion a couple of years ago about if anyone can taste the coffee topping on Wessex Gold Brick. I can taste it here and that is when I am really concentrating and looking for it, while others say they cannot taste any hints at all.

interesting thread. this is very good information for the OP. yeah, i pretty much have come to the conclusion that all VA's have a little something extra added to them. it is a nuance of flavor which distinguishes them, one from another. as long as the VA's age nicely and progress, i guess i'm ok with what the blenders do.

Yeah, but the downside is one size does not fit all. Just like I cannot taste the plum on UF, I am unimpressed by Sam Gawith Full Virginia Flake. The taste is very plain to me. Yet I truly love Marlin Flake, Wessex Brigade Campaign, and Capstan Flake in the blue tin. And I have plenty of Orlick Red in my cellar as well. They are all subtly different, and all delicious.

Almost all processed tobacco has some kind of casing

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This is very true, and I wish it wasn't. I found it very difficult to get a straight answer on this topic when I first started out, so I set out to see for myself if it was possible to grow and process tobacco without the use of casings.
Well, I can tell you from experience, that it is possible to get enjoyable tobacco with no addition of casings, other than water in the form of steam (to mimic the fermentation process). Now, possible yes, plausible no. I lost close to 95% of my yield to mould and natural events, such as hail, throughout the 3 year long journey of growing and processing.

If memory serves I once read that it is very rare to get a straight virginia blend as straight virginia just does not have that much flavor on it's own which is why flavoring is added to almost all of them

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I think this hold true as well. But I have often wondered if it would be possible, similar to Christmas Cheer, to create a one time mixture consisting of the best single crop tobacco's from specific locations around the globe, for an annual limited production run? The combination of leaf grown in different locations might create enough flavor to eliminate the need for casings and top flavor.

I think this hold true as well. But I have often wondered if it would be possible, similar to Christmas Cheer, to create a one time mixture consisting of the best single crop tobacco's from specific locations around the globe, for an annual limited production run? The combination of leaf grown in different locations might create enough flavor to eliminate the need for casings and top flavor.

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I would bet that even CC has a bit of casing............though McC would never admit it......

Well I read once that all tobacco needs a flavouring (casing/topping) of some sort because it tastes discusting in its raw state.
Macbarens toppings are the best IMO on virginias,