All my favorite English, Balkan, and Oriental blends (Black House, Presbyterian etc) are in in ribbon form are there any English, Balkan, Oriental blends that are worth smoking in the other cuts? Such as flake, cake, coin, plug, ready rubbed etc.
English/Balkan/Oriental Flake etc?
- Thread starter tzinc
- Start date
I do really like quite a few latakia blends and Balkans, but I have yet to find one in flake form that I enjoy smoking. I can't put my finger on what it is that I don't enjoy about them though. YMMV
Last edited:
Get one of these and press your favorite blends into cakes.
So, after posting here, I popped a tin of SG Balkan Flake, and I think I know what it is. When latakia gets pressed into a flake, it makes the whole thing monochromatic. Something about the various cuts of tobaccos in the latakia blends gives it a more complexity, ever shifting in flavor appeal. Once it is pressed, it seems to stay consistent in flavor throughout, making it kind of... boring.
Piratekake, Tastykake, Spark Plug, Star of the East Flake
* I have not tried many flakes with Latakia so I’m hoping I don’t have the same experience as Cosmic.
* I have not tried many flakes with Latakia so I’m hoping I don’t have the same experience as Cosmic.
One of my favorites, 10 Russians, comes in a Krumble Kake form.
Star of the East Flake, which in my experience is more of a broken flake would be one. Along the same lines would be Quiet Nights.
I enjoy Lancer Slices. But latakia leaf tends to be fragile and they often end up as powder in the bottom of the container when made into flakes and cakes. So I prefer less processed latakia blends.
SPC PP SR is an excellent choice.
I enjoy Mac Baren HH Latakia flake, and Samuel Gawith Navy Flake. Both are actually similar in profile. Sweet, savory, and Smokey.
My favourite Latakia flake is Old Ironsides, it has a fair bit of DFK in it too.
HH Latakia Flake is nice, but no more than that. SG Balkan Flake I really like, but the Latakia is somehow very subdued in how I perceive the blends.
HH Latakia Flake is nice, but no more than that. SG Balkan Flake I really like, but the Latakia is somehow very subdued in how I perceive the blends.
I was going to suggest the MM HH Latakia Flake as well. Haven’t tried SG Navy but I really like their Balkan Flake.
I had not thought about this before, but I think I had the same reaction to Balkan flake...however I will say that the lack of excitement about the flavour led me to jar the tin up after a couple of smokes, and I came back to it this year after ignoring it for almost a decade and found it to be very enjoyable. I don't think the time took the 'boring' away, but maybe the lat mellowed? Anyway, it was num nums.
Spark Plug for the win.
Others I like:
Quiet Nights
Lancer Slices
Gaslight
Others I like:
Quiet Nights
Lancer Slices
Gaslight
Regents Flake doesn't have Latakia but it's a great oriental flake. Come to think of it, the only two pressed Latakia blends I've tried are Quiet Nights and Gaslight, both of which I really enjoy.
I’m stilled smoking the same batch of Balkan flake from the mid 2000s. Maybe ‘08? Great stuff. I really love the quality of the Latakia.
