Cringle Flake 2021
- Thread starter DotAndBang’sPipes
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Had a bowl of it last night and I am really happy i picked some up. The retrohale is awesome and I'll smoke more of it tonight. I cant compare it to past years since this is the first time I get in on it. I didn't get the hard vinegar taste some people talked about. Tasty tobacco for sure.
For the last week or so I’ve been smoking through a tin of the 2020 Cringle. Tonight I opened a 2021 tin. As expected from the preview reviews it’s a very different animal than the 2020.
Last year was the low mids and bass notes in the Virginia spectrum. This year is the mids and lower high notes. Both are excellent, IMO.
Last year was the low mids and bass notes in the Virginia spectrum. This year is the mids and lower high notes. Both are excellent, IMO.
I am smoking a bowl of it right now.
This is lovely stuff and I look forward to aging my other tins.
We are truly living in a golden age of pipe tobaccos.
This is lovely stuff and I look forward to aging my other tins.
We are truly living in a golden age of pipe tobaccos.
This was the tobacco that changed my world. I'm a total rookie, having just dabbled in pipe smoking for a couple months. When I went to my B&M, he thought he'd try me on an Aro. (Yuck). We then moved to English which was better and finally a straight Virginia. I was thinking this was going to be a good once in a while hobby, until I went it and he convinced me to try this 'special' Cringle Cake. Being from Canada, I had to fork out $80 for it!!!! Grrrrrr. However, once I tried my first bowl, I was absolutely blown away. Reminds me of a really good Burgundy wine. Sour, plum and other ripe dark fruit. My salivary glands were on over-drive all the next day with the amazing flavour. I'm now hooked and smoking a few bowls a week.
Question for you guys, are all VaPers like this? How does this compare to say a Peter Sokkabeye's Bullseye Flake and other popular options???
Any thoughts would be very helpful.
Question for you guys, are all VaPers like this? How does this compare to say a Peter Sokkabeye's Bullseye Flake and other popular options???
Any thoughts would be very helpful.
Not all VaPers. Some have more of a "spice/pepper" while others have the "dark spiced fruit". Escoudo seems to be very popular along with Elizabethan Mixture. Others I have tried would be Orlik GS, Anniversary Kake, Dunbar and Dorchester.
Can anyone compare this year's batch to last year's?
I was gifted a tin of 2020 in the forum secret santa and was wondering if I should smoke it now or maybe forget it for at least a couple of years?
I was gifted a tin of 2020 in the forum secret santa and was wondering if I should smoke it now or maybe forget it for at least a couple of years?
JimInks did a nice job comparing last years version to the 2021. See the reviews section. Short version, 2020 is dark and rich, 2021 is brighter and spicier.
I’m finishing up a tin of the 2020 as I type. No need to wait, IMO. The components were already aged at the time of blending and are nicely melded today.
Aging further probably won’t make a dramatic difference.
I’m finishing up a tin of the 2020 as I type. No need to wait, IMO. The components were already aged at the time of blending and are nicely melded today.
Aging further probably won’t make a dramatic difference.
The 2020 was very reminiscent of a McClelland matured Red, nice funky savory strength to the Virginias with the aged Perique adding a bit of fruit to the blend. I"m saving mine for special occasions when I can just sit back and savor the flavors.
This years batch is a completely different animal. The Virginias are very smooth and have a floral quality that's not in the 2020 version. The tangy matured Red of the 2020 edition is not in evidence in the 2021 version.
Personally, I opened a tin of the 2020 a little after a year of ownership, and did notice a positive difference from "fresh".
The perique melded with the Virginias a tad more, and I felt that the complexity of perique tastes such as the earthy chocolaty fruit notes shined a tick better.
The water content within the blend on the whole seemed very consistent and dried to a more predictable consistency.
All of the aforementioned was slight, and not near as noticeable as your typical fresh vs. 1-year jarred Virginia blend based, most typically based on newer components.
I believe another year in the jar will make it "perfect", however, due to the age of the components, I wouldn't age it too long with the expectation that it will be "better."