Aged JA Luxury Flake vs Astley 44

[biodarwin]

My morning rotation got me really thinking about these blends. Sometimes you smoke to smoke or enjoy and relax. This morning I tried really hard to focus on the tobacco and I found some similar flavor profiles

John Aylesbury Luxury Flake, with 9 years of age
Astley 44, with a date of 2 years ago.

There is a similar note connecting these tobaccos, with the Luxury flake being a lot sweeter, full of stewed fruit, and very rich. If you haven't smoked aged VAs, it's hard to describe the "richness" that you get, and this one is entering its prime and I am on my last aged tin

As I smoked quite a few aged VAs this summer, the other blend that came to mind was a tin of Peterson Flake. Technically the tin was Dunhill, but based on my notes, we were very comparable at a similar age.

The Astley 44 produces a more subtle sweetness but has more depth and a fuller body, but lower levels of the fermented plummy flavors with a light citrus exhale. The rumor is the recipe changed for this blend in the last few years, and I do not believe I smoked the original. I really like this blend and I will keep a few tins on hand at all times. I picked up some similar to Dunhill Dark flake aged tin a smoked last summer. I've recently been exploring similar tobaccos like McConnell Mature and one of my favorites: The C&D House Reserve stoved and unstoved VAs.

 

[sablebrush52]

It’s not entirely surprising that you find similarities between the two as they’re both made by the same blender. It’s likely that they share some components.
Astley’s has changed several times in recent years, but, like all of the German and Danish made copies of British blends, is not the same as the original.
If you find a blend you like, stock up on it, as you never know when it will get changed again.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

"More depth and a fuller body" were my thoughts when I read the thread title. Nice comparative review.

 

[vosBghos]

I love me some Peterson Flake and have several aged tins of the the OG Dunhill and Dark Flake waiting till taste comes back to crack. I posted a while back about comparable baccys and 44 was mentioned I'm also interested in Wessex Campaign Dark Flake and how there all compare , have you tried that one?

 

[biodarwin]

I love me some Peterson Flake and have several aged tins of the the OG Dunhill and Dark Flake waiting till taste comes back to crack. I posted a while back about comparable baccys and 44 was mentioned I'm also interested in Wessex Campaign Dark Flake and how there all compare , have you tried that one?

It has been a few months since I smoked some, I loaded a bowl to enjoy on my way to dinner. I will report back.

 

[biodarwin]

I love me some Peterson Flake and have several aged tins of the the OG Dunhill and Dark Flake waiting till taste comes back to crack. I posted a while back about comparable baccys and 44 was mentioned I'm also interested in Wessex Campaign Dark Flake and how there all compare , have you tried that one?

This tin of Wessex Campaign Dark Flake is 2 years old and has been jarred for 3 months.

From an overall flavor profile, Campaign Dark is a close replacement for Dunhill Dark Flake. The flavor profile changes dramatically as I proceed through the bowl. It is sweeter and more complex than Astley 44 but not quite as full-bodied. Wessex CDF is a little tangy on the exhale, maybe even a faint, muted lemon flavor, whereas 44's citrus exhale is sweeter, like an orange. The CDF tobacco itself is interesting and reminds me of Best Brown Flake. Although it doesn't start with the green tea flavor I usually get from BBF, the stoved flavors seem familiar, like the 1/2 way point of a bowl, where these stewed plumy flavors start to develop, but in a unique way.

Many people do not like the newer version of Wessex Dark Flake, but for me, it has filled the void from smoking my last tin of Dunhill Dark Flake the previous year.

I have seen some comparisons to Marlin Flake, so I will smoke a bowl of it next.

 

[vosBghos]

This tin of Wessex Campaign Dark Flake is 2 years old and has been jarred for 3 months.

From an overall flavor profile, Campaign Dark is a close replacement for Dunhill Dark Flake. The flavor profile changes dramatically as I proceed through the bowl. It is sweeter and more complex than Astley 44 but not quite as full-bodied. Wessex CDF is a little tangy on the exhale, maybe even a faint, muted lemon flavor, whereas 44's citrus exhale is sweeter, like an orange. The CDF tobacco itself is interesting and reminds me of Best Brown Flake. Although it doesn't start with the green tea flavor I usually get from BBF, the stoved flavors seem familiar, like the 1/2 way point of a bowl, where these stewed plumy flavors start to develop, but in a unique way.

Many people do not like the newer version of Wessex Dark Flake, but for me, it has filled the void from smoking my last tin of Dunhill Dark Flake the previous year.

I have seen some comparisons to Marlin Flake, so I will smoke a bowl of it next.

Thanks for the great review and comparrison.