#400 Superior Navy Flake by Newminster

[Briar Lee]

Cost from $3 an ounce to $2.50 if bought by the pound.

Highly recommended.

This is pure, straight Virginia pressed into flakes., of medium strength. There’s the characteristic Virginia taste of hay and citrus, with the sweet sauce used to bind the flakes, and no bite, harshness or bitterness. It’s just excellent quality Virginia tobacco, nothing more or less.

Newminster #400 SNF is a classic smoke every pipe smoker ought to try a couple of ounces of before cellaring several pounds. I prefer a little Perique in my Virginia flake but another smoker may like his Virginia straight.

Tobacco doesn’t seem to get a cheaper year by year, and straight Virginia improves with age.

If you Ike this, better lay in several pounds to age before the same tobacco costs more.

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[Yadkin1765]

Second this sentiment. Delicious pure clean tobacco flavor. Nothing over the top, but a real baseline for what true pure tobacco tastes like and smells like in the barn. Good, bready, yummy. A favorite.

 

[coming to_falling too]

It's pretty good. I stashed away a pound of it a few years ago.

 

[bullet08]

Did they take the topping off? It was rather strong. Kinda like caramel. But the blend does taste good. Some remaining from last purchase is rather delicious with a lot of topping gone now. I would definitely purchase again.

 

[canucklehead]

It's a kind of plain but decent Virginia flake for about the cheapest price you can get a Virginia flake. The last few ounces I had I cube cut and mixed with Crooner, which turned out to be a pretty good thing.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Did they take the topping off? It was rather strong. Kinda like caramel. But the blend does taste good. Some remaining from last purchase is rather delicious with a lot of topping gone now. I would definitely purchase again.

Honey maybe… some kind if sugar with a cloying flavor, IMO. I had to let it completely dry out to shake that taste. It was ok, but with so many other blends with an easier tobacco flavor, I never ordered any more.

 

[bullet08]

Honey maybe… some kind if sugar with a cloying flavor, IMO. I had to let it completely dry out to shake that taste. It was ok, but with so many other blends with an easier tobacco flavor, I never ordered any more.

At first, the topping kinda put me off. I think I got it with PS Twist, Navy and Bullseye. I guess it's been over a year and half, close to two. I didn't think too much of PS blends, but at this point, Newminster isn't half bad. It's actually pretty yummy. Then again I also enjoy Back Down South.

 

[yanoJL]

...
Highly recommended.
...
Newminster #400 SNF is a classic smoke every pipe smoker ought to try a couple of ounces of before cellaring several pounds.
...

Completely agree. I absolutely love this blend.
On one of my more recent online shopping attempts, I was disappointed to find my usual PS bulk favorites LBF & LNF were sold out. So I took a chance on a few new-to-me Va and VaPer blends, Newminster 400 being one. And I am so glad I did.
I can't speak to its flavor once aged, as I do not (yet) have any of this blend cellared. But even fresh, this tobacco has quickly become one of my favorite Virginias.

 

[craig61a]

People were raving about it here a couple years ago, like it was manna…

It’s a decent quality Virginia flake tobacco, and I have some cellared and smoke it occasionally. It can be had at a bit of a discount. Probably because the brand isn’t as recognizable as some of the dozens of Virginia flakes available.

 

[Bullmoose]

The Stokkebye Luxury line is probably one of the best bulk options going for Virginia and VaPer lovers. I wouldn't say they are extraordinary tobaccos but definitely excellent everyday blends that "punch above their weight" for a bulk blend. Out of the bag, they're young and can have a few sharp edges. I just smoked some Twist Flake from 2019 yesterday, and like all Virginias, they play nicer with age. There is nothing complex about these tobaccos, even with age on them, in my opinion. They do what they do and do them exceptionally well.

The Luxury Twist Flake, to my taste, probably is the heaviest casing with its honey/caramel flavor, but even with it being the heaviest of the three, its still a very mild casing and quite pleasant. Nowhere near enough for me to consider it aromatic. I will always have LTF and LBF in my cellar. They're just too good not to have hanging out for years down the road.

 

[mortonbriar]

I love it, but smoke it 50:50 with turkish ribbon for a more eventful smoke.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

A fantastic smoke. I stoved a few ounces with fantastic results. Also have a jar of almost 4 year old I occasionally smoke on.
The rest of the pounds are aging. A classic and quality Flake for a bargain price, especially when on sale

 

[PipeIT]

A fantastic smoke. I stoved a few ounces with fantastic results. Also have a jar of almost 4 year old I occasionally smoke on.
The rest of the pounds are aging. A classic and quality Flake for a bargain price, especially when on sale

What was it like stoved?

 

[PipesAndPips]

Agree this is one of my favorites so far as I wade back into piping, especially at this price. To me it's like smoking a bowl of graham crackers.

 

[AJL67]

Always got a little honey sweetness from this, it's interesting to find different flakes that have different sweetnesses, sometimes a sugar, brown sugar, honey, etc.,

 

[Sobrbiker]

Smoked fresh I wasn’t thrilled with the flavor, but it deepened and filled out after stoving (well, sous-vide in a vac bag at 190* for an hour, then rest in bag for two weeks).
For my taste, Sutliff 507C was better, even at $.04/oz more.

 

[HeadMisfit]

I smoked some today. First time in a year and it actually stumped me on what I was smoking.

Smelled like it had burley in it. Tasted like it had burley in it. Various reviews agree on that smell and taste.
But the taste was interesting. Grassy until I had to tamper. Then it tasted very similar to nutty Irishman. And tongue bite once the topping kicked in.

Any chance villager will revive it?

 

[NookersTheCat]

I smoked some today. First time in a year and it actually stumped me on what I was smoking.

Smelled like it had burley in it. Tasted like it had burley in it. Various reviews agree on that smell and taste.
But the taste was interesting. Grassy until I had to tamper. Then it tasted very similar to nutty Irishman. And tongue bite once the topping kicked in.

Any chance villager will revive it?

Highly doubtful.. from what I understand the entire Newminster line was created solely for the US market back when Stokkebye wasn't being brought into the US/had a scuffle about brand rights for a bit a handful of years back.
PS400 *should* be a direct replacement...

 

[HeadMisfit]

Highly doubtful.. from what I understand the entire Newminster line was created solely for the US market back when Stokkebye wasn't being brought into the US/had a scuffle about brand rights for a bit a handful of years back.
PS400 *should* be a direct replacement...

I've tried the stokkebye, lacks sumthing.

 

[bootlegpipes]

I smoked some today. First time in a year and it actually stumped me on what I was smoking.

Smelled like it had burley in it. Tasted like it had burley in it. Various reviews agree on that smell and taste.
But the taste was interesting. Grassy until I had to tamper. Then it tasted very similar to nutty Irishman. And tongue bite once the topping kicked in.

Any chance villager will revive it?

MB was making it for Villager and I don’t think STG would do something benevolent like bringing back blends we love. They’re more of a spit-on-you-then-kick-you-in-the-nuts company.