Cigrmasters List of Flakes

[pipebow88]

Well Harris I picked up a tin of the F&T cut virginia plug a couple months ago. Finally popped it tonight to try a Boswell Bing I traded for. Pipe is smoking great, and though I will take a few bowls to be sure, I'm quite positive this will be a staple in the cellar.

B

 

[thesmokindragon]

That list is "Tops" Harris!

 

[timpiper]

Thanks for the list Harris. This helps a lot.
Have you tried smoking the Red Virginia blends in a 9mm filter pipe with a charcoal filter?

I find that any blend that bites or is bitter works very well with the charcoal filter.

It really does take the edge off a harsh bitey or bitter smoke.

I find I can smoke further down the bowl with the filter as well.

Of course the filter doesn't work for every blend as it can absorb the taste of a mild subtle blend.
These are types blends these filters work best with -
Biting Virginia or vapers

Biting hot smoking aromatics

Any blend thats a bit moist or gurgles the pipe.
9mm charcoal Filters are no good for English blends or Light aromatics as they take too much taste away.
If you or anyone hasnt tried this then I would recommend you give it a shot.

These pipes don't have to use the filter and you can get a no filter adaptor.
Cheers
Tim

 

[peckinpahhombre]

No help needed here, Harris. I am completely under control. There are only a few blends I am cellaring now, so I am not really in competition with any of you (save for a few blends).

 

[cigrmaster]

B, glad to hear you are enjoying the CVP, that one ages incredibly well. Even after only a few years the difference is notable.
timpiper, thanks for the suggestion but my problem is not that I get a harsh smoke from the reds it is just my body alkalinity precludes me from smoking them because of the acid burn I get from them. Years ago I did try smoking the reds with my 9mm Winslow filtered pipe and it was the same thing, total acid burn. A filter will not cure my issue unfortunately only abstinence works with the reds for me.
thesmokindragon, glad I could be of help.
peck, denial is just not a river in Egypt. You will never stop buying tobacco, your disorder is uncontrollable and the faster you come to grips with it, the faster you will understand that it will never end. Just think of it like this, you are investing in a product that will continue to go up in value. This money you are spending now is a better investment than any college fund you can put your money in for your kids. Think of what a 8oz bag of Stonehaven will go for 15 years from now. The 35 you spend today will be 300.00 in 15 years, tell me what stock will give you that kind of return. Your BCDF will be going for over 100 a tin in 15 years and that only cost 9.50. Your cellar is going to be worth a ton of dough when it is time for your kids to go to school. Just think of the value of your Cooke pipes when he dies, the 850.00 you invested today will be worth 2000.00 the minute he kicks. If your wife ever gets the idea that she needs to see what you have spent, just explain the investment opportunity you have made for your children's well being.

 

[cigrmaster]

I am topping this for some of the newcomers who might not have seen it. I have not added any flakes to my list so it is still the same.
6 months later peck is still buying and from his list on tobaccocellar I think he is closing in on 600 pounds. At his current rate of smoking(4 pounds a year) he now has a 150 year supply. if peck buys one more tin, I am contacting his wife and having him admitted to the funny farm. In all seriousness though, in 20 years that stash will conservatively be worth 180,000 and possible even double that depending on what happens with the FDA and the tax man.

 

[hiplainsdrifter]

Thanks for the list! I was aware of most of these already, but there are a few I might want to try, like the Rotary Navy Cut. All this talk about Wessex Campaign has me really wanting to try that blend, it sounds great. However, all this talk about it will probably make it even harder to find! I guess the good thing is that fads change, I remember when I first started cellaring about 2 years ago, Gawith FVF was very hard to find, but it is now available everywhere. Likewise, I used to be able to buy St. James Flake whenever I wanted, but now it is typically sold out everywhere.

 

[settersbrace]

Having recently been gifted some samples of some well aged flakes I can say that the reward is definately worth the effort and the expense. My list is growing slowly but growing none the less. More on the samples in a posting down the road.

 

[dirtydex]

Great list. A lot on there that I haven't tried yet. I have a habit of sticking to old favourites and not branching out into some lesser known territory. I will make it a priority to try a few of these.
Of all the flakes on your list, which would you say tastes the best fresh to you?

 

[cortezattic]

in 20 yrs that stash will conservatively be worth 180,000 and possible even double that depending on what happens with the FDA and the tax man

An investment better than gold.

1. 1. It's no-load going in or coming out
   
   2. No brokerage fees on either end
   
   3. Guaranteed appreciation
   
   4. Insensitive to Wall St.
   
   5. No capital gains tax
   
   6. No income tax
   
   7. Relatively minor storage & security costs
   
   8. More liquidity
   
   9. You can consume it if all else fails

 

[elpfeife]

Not sure about #9. 600 lbs is a lot of puffing. Frankly I don't give Peck much of a chance of lasting another 150 years.

 

[saltedplug]

I spent $8500.00 on tobacco from 12/2012 - 05/2013. I have about 150 pounds. I go back and forth about having spent that much, but I am in a "forth" stage now where it is very comforting that I have enough to last until I kick and that I am beyond the reach of the tax man who is sure to cometh. It's taking a long time for the pols to figure the new regulations, but I foresee triple the taxes on tobacco. This is coming if for no other reason than the revenue. And when it does can you imagine what will happen to any industry connected with tobacco? There are going to be many measures whose impact will range from a pain in the ass to decided incivility and a very changed landscape of all things pipe. Unfortunately smaller blenders like Wessex or Dan Tobacco may well decide that they aren't willing to jump through all the regulatory loops while McClelland and SG will probably find a way to continue.
I'm less familiar with the cigar industry, but right now I'm finding satisfying smokes that retail for about $5.00 per. Triple that and that cigar will sell for $15.00. Though I love cigars, such an increase will be beyond my budget, which is certainly one of the measures the pols will take.

 

[misterlowercase]

It's taking a long time for the pols to figure the new regulations, but I foresee triple the taxes on tobacco. This is coming if for no other reason than the revenue. And when it does can you imagine what will happen to any industry connected with tobacco? There are going to be many measures whose impact will range from a pain in the ass to decided incivility and a very changed landscape of all things pipe.

I think you're right about the grim news.
We've been in the clear, but that ain't gonna last.
One reason why I picked up the pipe is because RYO taxes suddenly tripled --- I was totally clueless about why it happened and wasn't paying any attention at all to the impending doom, I was completely unaware until I went to get the usual can of Bali Shag for $11 and it had jumped to $30...
...I think that was the PACT act impact hitting there, and I think the same shit affected snuff sales where it was illegal for the USPS to deliver it. Prepare for the worst.
The only bright side to all of this is when the tax increase hits I won't feel so bad for spending $20 on 50g of Warrior Plug.

(That is, unless "trafficking" laws are implemented too, which would be a total disaster)

 

[andystewart]

What a superb thread - thanks Harris for the OP and bump. I love flakes but my range is relatively limited, so this was educational for me. It was also fun and the mind boggles at 600 pounds of tobacco, never mind 1,000! The explanation about tobacco as an investment is one I've made to the wife, but never so well laid out. I know that I'm unlikely to sustain a regular programme of cellar purchases, so I think I might have to follow Mike's model and edicate one commission cheque to getting a lot in one go. And this list and the others here gives me targets to go for. I'm desperately looking for the Campaign Brigade Dark Flake but just can't find it anywhere. It will come I suppose, eventually.
Andy

 

[hiplainsdrifter]

Ha! Persistence pays. One phone call just scored me 6 tins of Wessex Campaign at a small tobacconist! Apparently, he has had one tin on the shelf for 5 years! SWEET!

 

[conlejm]

Excellent list Harris, thanks for sharing. I notice you don't have any of Stokkebye's Flakes on the list. Any reason why? Is it the Red Virginia issue?

 

[andystewart]

OMG drifter - result!
Harris - please would you post/send the list in time-of-day order?
Andy

 

[cigrmaster]

dirtydex, a few of my favorite ones fresh that are obtainable are F&T CVP, Rotary Navy Cut, Brigham Klondike Gold.

Wessex Brigade Campaign is also great fresh but tough to find. The flake I find most resembles the BCDF in flavor is Astleys 109. Both are made by KK and the 109 is just milder and less full bodied but very similar in the molasses like sweetness.
Sam, I cannot smoke any flakes from McClelland or Rattray due to the red virginia in them, wish I could because they have some tasty stuff. My list is especially helpful to people like myself who get burned by the reds.
conlejm, yes, same thing with the Stokkebeye flakes, too much red, again sucks for me as they make some tasty stuff for maybe the best price on flakes on the market. I have smoked all three and found the Navy and Luxury twist to be my favorite of the 3. The Bullseye with the Cavendish center did nothing for me.
Andy, my time of day goes something like this.
First of the day smokes.

Dunhill Flake

Wessex Gold Virginia

Capstan Blue

F&T CVP

Astleys 109

Rotary Navy Cut

Brigham Klondike Gold

Hamborger Veermaster.... this ones needs years of aging, used to be way better fresh.
Second of the day.
Wessex BCDF, Brown Flake Gold Brick

Astleys no 44

SG Best Brown

JA Luxury Flake

F&T Special Brown and Vintage

Solani SS
Third of the day
Anyone of my Vapers and most of the Vaburs.
Last of the day

Peterson Irish Flake... full stomach only

SG FVF
I do switch up the 3rd and 4th great deal except the Peterson Irish that one is last all the time.

 

[matchstickman]

I got lucky on smokingpipes and 4noggins this past winter and managed to obtain a shitload of Wessex BCDF. I won't say exactly how many tins I'm sitting on, but at the rate I smoke, it'd be enough to last me a few years at least. I damn near went broke when I managed to find the stuff but it was a pretty sound investment, at least to me, because on the off chance that I don't like it I know that I'll have no problem selling it or trading it off. As much as you guys wax poetic about it though, I'm sure it'll be a smash hit.

 

[cigrmaster]

PN, you knew damn well if you didn't like it you could trade it for anything on the planet including Stonehaven. lol
Glad to hear you love it though as the more age it gets the better it gets. I was amazed that only 2 years could make it even tastier than it already is. When I first tried it in July of 2012, I was shocked at how good it was and amazed that no one was talking about it. People were chasing all the Sg flakes back then and BCDF was available everywhere. I began stocking up back then but it was not long after I posted the first few flake lists of mine before it became a bitch to get. If Wessex was a smart company, they would put all their efforts into producing as much as they could while the getting is good. When the shit hits the fan, tax wise and FDA wise, I predict it is small companies like Wessex and Esoterica and the like who will be the first to go out of business.
Only the big guys are going to survive and I think people will be amazed at how many companies and popular blends shit the bed.