I just purchased last month Astleys 44 & 109, and I just opened the tins today, and I was quite surprised at what I saw.
44 is listed on the tin front as a Dark Virginia Flake, the back of the tin says;
‘A powerful dark Virginia flake matured in the press for a longer period.’
109 is listed on the tin front as a Medium Flake, the back of the tin says;
‘Extraordinary flakes of dark Virginia’.
Ok, so, 109, calls it a Medium on the front and then dark on the back, after all, rhetorically speaking, what does Medium Flake really mean, it can be anything.
BUT...
Calling 109 Medium, and then 44 Dark, on the front of the tins, and saying 44 was maturing in a press longer, I would of certainly assumed that the flakes looked darker/richer with 44 and they’re not.
109 actually looks and smells like the dark flakes that have been in a press maturing longer.
Now I’m not the VA pro around here, but every VA I have smoked, calling itself Dark, looked Dark, not like a pretty normal Bright Brown VA tone.
Wessex Campaign Dark Flake, was the last tin of a dark flake I opened last month, and that is a very dark looking beef jerky colored dark like flake.
Have a look at these pics, did Astleys foulup here, and maybe placed the wrong batch in the wrong tin? Otherwise, how does long time pressed mature VA turn out looking so light, I’ve not seen it till now.
hmm
I’m drying out 109 as I type this, I’ve not smoked either yet, but when I do, I’ll report back here, to let you know, if 44 did turn out more powerful, as stated on the tin.
44 is listed on the tin front as a Dark Virginia Flake, the back of the tin says;
‘A powerful dark Virginia flake matured in the press for a longer period.’
109 is listed on the tin front as a Medium Flake, the back of the tin says;
‘Extraordinary flakes of dark Virginia’.
Ok, so, 109, calls it a Medium on the front and then dark on the back, after all, rhetorically speaking, what does Medium Flake really mean, it can be anything.
BUT...
Calling 109 Medium, and then 44 Dark, on the front of the tins, and saying 44 was maturing in a press longer, I would of certainly assumed that the flakes looked darker/richer with 44 and they’re not.
109 actually looks and smells like the dark flakes that have been in a press maturing longer.
Now I’m not the VA pro around here, but every VA I have smoked, calling itself Dark, looked Dark, not like a pretty normal Bright Brown VA tone.
Wessex Campaign Dark Flake, was the last tin of a dark flake I opened last month, and that is a very dark looking beef jerky colored dark like flake.
Have a look at these pics, did Astleys foulup here, and maybe placed the wrong batch in the wrong tin? Otherwise, how does long time pressed mature VA turn out looking so light, I’ve not seen it till now.
hmm
I’m drying out 109 as I type this, I’ve not smoked either yet, but when I do, I’ll report back here, to let you know, if 44 did turn out more powerful, as stated on the tin.
in the trash!
