Any fans here of Wessex? I found the Dark Flake to be a very good smoke with or without age. Not much discussion on this brand. So which ones do ya like and are they cellar-worthy?
Any Love For Wessex Blends?
- Thread starter badbriar
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Campaign dark flake and Burley Slice are money. Gold Brick ain’t bad either.
Yes, very much so. Campaign Brigade DF of course. I really like the Gold Slice, Gold Virginia Flake and Red Virginia Flake as well. The Classic Virginia and Gold Brick are worthy of trying. I have cellared quite deep on the first 3, some on 4.
They are all terrible and no one should buy them. Ever. Especially Campaign Dark Flake and Brigade Classic VA
My recently opened tin of Campaign Dark Flake was a big let down(I'm not kidding). It seems like the recipe changed, it once looked something like marlin flake apparently, but now what you get are just some generic, uniform standard rectangular cut K+K brown VA flakes with a molasses topping. Their Brown Virginia I would happily buy again, and I'll continue to explore Wessex from that alone.
I was going to inquire this other day as I saw an online retailer offering three new unreviewed blends.
The comments above seem a tad polarizing...
The comments above seem a tad polarizing...
I think the only one I've had is the Burley Slice which is plenty good, but below the Solani and MacBaren Burley flakes to my tastes.
Completely agree with your assessment of ABF over Burley Slice. That said, the price point of the Wessex blend gives it the nod in my cellar. Haven't tried the MacB offering yet.
I finished an open tin of Brown VA Flake last night, and have Gold Slice and Gold Brick both open. I'm almost convinced the Gold Slice is Brick but sliced. Guess that kinda makes sense, given the names ?
That said, like subsalac says above, the basic backbone of these Wessex flakes are very similar. I daresay there's only a subtle refinement over a basic flake like Comoy's #4.
Another Wessex sleeper and longtime favorite of mine is the curly cut Sovereign.
That said, like subsalac says above, the basic backbone of these Wessex flakes are very similar. I daresay there's only a subtle refinement over a basic flake like Comoy's #4.
Another Wessex sleeper and longtime favorite of mine is the curly cut Sovereign.
I have a tin each of the Burley Slices, Gold Slice, Brown Virginia Flake and the Campaign in my cellar.
I'm looking forward to trying them at some point, especially the Campaign.
I'm looking forward to trying them at some point, especially the Campaign.
Give the MB HH Burley Flake a try. You'll probably like it. I think it's a bit sweeter than the Wessex or Solani, but still in the same ballpark. It's also priced more like Wessex than Solani
The Solani is more flavorful (and preferably) over Mac Baren. But if cost is the main factor, C&D Burley Flake #3 is equally flavorful in my opinion and reasonably priced.
Wessex has enjoyed enthusiastic support here in years past, and there was a wimpering panic here during a shortage of Campaign dark flake in 2014. I have cellared a bunch of Campaign from that time and like it immensely. I haven't tried much else of the Wessex line up, as I've explored other realms of the tobacco world instead. But e'en then, Campaign was separate flakes, not a long ribbon. So I've no idea when, or even if, there was such a change.
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