This broken flake dark Virginia has a lot of tangy dark fruit, some tart and tangy citrus, earth, wood, some grass, a fair amount of bread, mild floralness, and a pinch or two of spice. Has a very light citrus topping. Not very complex. Fresh out of a tin, it may bite or get a little harsh if you puff like a locomotive, so I recommend a moderate pace. Does have a rough edge much of the time. Like most Virginias, it improves with age and I find the aged version to be smoother with less chance of tongue bite. It's not really a "biter" tobacco, so don't dwell on it like I just did. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The moisture level of the tobacco is about where you would want it to be, and doesn’t need dry time. Burns clean at a reasonable rate with a very consistent flavor. Leaves virtually no wetness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste and the room note is a notch stronger. Can be an all day smoke. Four stars out of four.
UPDATE 6-4-2022: I have heard this blend has been changed in the last couple of years, and I wanted to find out for myself if that was true. It is. The cut is now stacked flakes that are not as dark as they were previously. The very consistent flavor aspects are a lot of tart and more tangy citrus, grass, sugar, bread/graham crackers, very mild floralness, darker fruit, earth, wood, and a bare hint of spice. Outside of the citrus being dominant now, this manufacture is more sugary and sweeter. The graham cracker taste was not present before. The red Virginia was mostly replaced by orange Virginia which accounts for changes in addition a lightly deeper sugary citrus topping. The strength is a step and a half below the medium mark. The nic-hit is a tad less than that. The taste level is a notch below the medium threshold. Won’t bite or get harsh, and barely has a rough edge. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate as the flakes are mildly moist and not thick. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a few more than an average number of relights. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke. This gets three stars by the skin of the stalks that the tobacco was stripped from. My ratings reflect this update, and not the original review, which I leave up for historical purposes.
UPDATE 6-4-2022: I have heard this blend has been changed in the last couple of years, and I wanted to find out for myself if that was true. It is. The cut is now stacked flakes that are not as dark as they were previously. The very consistent flavor aspects are a lot of tart and more tangy citrus, grass, sugar, bread/graham crackers, very mild floralness, darker fruit, earth, wood, and a bare hint of spice. Outside of the citrus being dominant now, this manufacture is more sugary and sweeter. The graham cracker taste was not present before. The red Virginia was mostly replaced by orange Virginia which accounts for changes in addition a lightly deeper sugary citrus topping. The strength is a step and a half below the medium mark. The nic-hit is a tad less than that. The taste level is a notch below the medium threshold. Won’t bite or get harsh, and barely has a rough edge. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate as the flakes are mildly moist and not thick. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a few more than an average number of relights. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke. This gets three stars by the skin of the stalks that the tobacco was stripped from. My ratings reflect this update, and not the original review, which I leave up for historical purposes.
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