F&T Cut Virginia Plug:
The dark flue cured Virginia provides some some tangy dark fruit sweetness, earth, wood, bread, and vegetation along with a minor sugary stewed fruitiness, and small spice and floral notes as the lead component. The flue cured gold Virginia offers some tart and tangy citrus, bread, sugar, vegetative grass, mild floralness, light sour lemon, and a pinch of spice as a supporting player. The vanilla topping is very mild, mostly underscoring the blend with a creamy sweet texture. The mild fruit topping is apricot which has a nice richness that doesn’t drown out the tobaccos. The nic-hit is a shade below medium. The strength and taste levels are a step below the medium mark. The flakes are not overly wet, and I saw no need to dry them. They break apart very easily to suit your preference. Burns slow, cool, and clean with a very consistent sweet, earthy, woody flavor as the toppings do not lose strength. It’s fairly smooth with a little creaminess, and a very slight rough edge from the dark Virginia that well compliments the quality of the experience. No dull or harsh spots to be found, even if you’re a fast puffer. Won't bite. It requires some relights, but fewer than I normally expect from a flake with a little moisture. Burns to ash with little problem, and leaves just a little dampness in the bowl. Has a lightly lingering very pleasant after taste and room note. Can easily be an all day smoke for both experienced and novice smokers. Four stars.
UPDATE: 7-6-2022. There has been a few changes. There’s a little more flue cured pressed dark, bright Virginia in the composition of the blend now. The dark red Virginia is now a dark orange Virginia and offers secondary, not full support. Before, it was the lead component. The mild apricot topping is a tad stronger now, and a noticeable, sweet honey has replaced the very light vanilla as they currently reduce the effect of the tobacco. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels are about a notch and half lower now as a result of the change of varietals and toppings. The flavors that stand out now are tart and tangy citrus, sour lemon, a little more floralness, bread, sugar, with light acidity and a syrup note. The tangy dark fruit, earth and wood are a rung ahead of the condiment line. The cream note in the previous version is slightly evident. The after taste lasts just a little longer, and the room note is a touch stronger than before. All the other aspects still apply. I deduct a star because of the heightened sour and acidic qualities which causes me to give this production three stars instead of four. My TR rating reflects the current version. Should age well.
F&T Special Brown Flake:
The dark stoved flue cured red Virginia offers earth, tangy dark fruit, wood, bread with minor spice and a few sugar notes as the lead component. The mildly tart and tangy, citrusy, grassy, bready, slightly floral and sugary bright Virginia is a supporting player. The fruity rum topping mildly sublimates the tobacco. The strength is in the center of mild to medium. The taste level is a slot past that level. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the mild mark. Won't bite or get harsh even if you're a fast puffer. Has a few very small rough edges. The flakes are a little moist, but I never saw a need to dry them. Well balanced for a blend with little complexity, it burns slow with a cool, clean, smoothly consistent flavor from start to finish. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl, and can burn to ash. Requires some relights. The room note is pleasant, and though the after taste is short lived, it's pleasant, too. An all day smoke that should age well. Three and a half stars.
UPDATE: 7–6-2022. There are a few changes in this blend. There wasn’t much rum before, and it’s lightly more detectable now. This has more tart and tangy citrus and grass now, and less dark fruit, earth and wood. Replacing the dark stoved red Virginia is dark stoved orange Virginia as the lead component is the reason for it. The floral quality is a little stronger and the spice is as well. It has more bread, and is mildly more sugary, and acidic, too. The strength and nic-hit are a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The taste level is medium. It is a step rougher. All other aspects are the same. Three stars for this production as I updated them at TR.
The dark flue cured Virginia provides some some tangy dark fruit sweetness, earth, wood, bread, and vegetation along with a minor sugary stewed fruitiness, and small spice and floral notes as the lead component. The flue cured gold Virginia offers some tart and tangy citrus, bread, sugar, vegetative grass, mild floralness, light sour lemon, and a pinch of spice as a supporting player. The vanilla topping is very mild, mostly underscoring the blend with a creamy sweet texture. The mild fruit topping is apricot which has a nice richness that doesn’t drown out the tobaccos. The nic-hit is a shade below medium. The strength and taste levels are a step below the medium mark. The flakes are not overly wet, and I saw no need to dry them. They break apart very easily to suit your preference. Burns slow, cool, and clean with a very consistent sweet, earthy, woody flavor as the toppings do not lose strength. It’s fairly smooth with a little creaminess, and a very slight rough edge from the dark Virginia that well compliments the quality of the experience. No dull or harsh spots to be found, even if you’re a fast puffer. Won't bite. It requires some relights, but fewer than I normally expect from a flake with a little moisture. Burns to ash with little problem, and leaves just a little dampness in the bowl. Has a lightly lingering very pleasant after taste and room note. Can easily be an all day smoke for both experienced and novice smokers. Four stars.
UPDATE: 7-6-2022. There has been a few changes. There’s a little more flue cured pressed dark, bright Virginia in the composition of the blend now. The dark red Virginia is now a dark orange Virginia and offers secondary, not full support. Before, it was the lead component. The mild apricot topping is a tad stronger now, and a noticeable, sweet honey has replaced the very light vanilla as they currently reduce the effect of the tobacco. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels are about a notch and half lower now as a result of the change of varietals and toppings. The flavors that stand out now are tart and tangy citrus, sour lemon, a little more floralness, bread, sugar, with light acidity and a syrup note. The tangy dark fruit, earth and wood are a rung ahead of the condiment line. The cream note in the previous version is slightly evident. The after taste lasts just a little longer, and the room note is a touch stronger than before. All the other aspects still apply. I deduct a star because of the heightened sour and acidic qualities which causes me to give this production three stars instead of four. My TR rating reflects the current version. Should age well.
F&T Special Brown Flake:
The dark stoved flue cured red Virginia offers earth, tangy dark fruit, wood, bread with minor spice and a few sugar notes as the lead component. The mildly tart and tangy, citrusy, grassy, bready, slightly floral and sugary bright Virginia is a supporting player. The fruity rum topping mildly sublimates the tobacco. The strength is in the center of mild to medium. The taste level is a slot past that level. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the mild mark. Won't bite or get harsh even if you're a fast puffer. Has a few very small rough edges. The flakes are a little moist, but I never saw a need to dry them. Well balanced for a blend with little complexity, it burns slow with a cool, clean, smoothly consistent flavor from start to finish. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl, and can burn to ash. Requires some relights. The room note is pleasant, and though the after taste is short lived, it's pleasant, too. An all day smoke that should age well. Three and a half stars.
UPDATE: 7–6-2022. There are a few changes in this blend. There wasn’t much rum before, and it’s lightly more detectable now. This has more tart and tangy citrus and grass now, and less dark fruit, earth and wood. Replacing the dark stoved red Virginia is dark stoved orange Virginia as the lead component is the reason for it. The floral quality is a little stronger and the spice is as well. It has more bread, and is mildly more sugary, and acidic, too. The strength and nic-hit are a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The taste level is medium. It is a step rougher. All other aspects are the same. Three stars for this production as I updated them at TR.
