Malty Virginia Recommendations and Chenet’s Cake Opinions

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karam

Lifer
Feb 2, 2019
2,581
9,861
Basel, Switzerland
First time posting a thread after a long time.

I’m looking for recommendations on malty Virginias, the specific thing I’m chasing is what I’ve observed while smoking in deeper bowls, the heel of the bowl gets very malty, likely due to quick stoving going on while smoking. Is there a blend in the community’s collective wisdom that bottles that flavour from the get go?

Also have been hovering over Chenet’s Cake for years but never bought as other than Bayou Morning Flake (and Byzantium) I hadn’t had a good experience with C&D blends. I have had Kajun Kake but didn’t do much for me. Should I try Chenet’s Cake?

@jpmcwjr I posted in the wrong section, apologies
 
Last edited:

BingBong

Lifer
Apr 26, 2024
1,324
5,753
London UK
I working through a tin of Charatan Black Flake and I think malty would describe a major component of the flavour. It's a VaPer but the perique is fairly condimental. Fine quality stuff with a price tag to match, I nailed a couple more tins on its merits. Some say Peterson's Deluxe Navy Rolls are in the same ballpark, I'd say that is less dark and malty.
 

Pip'n'Piper

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 4, 2022
290
4,462
First time posting a thread after a long time.

I’m looking for recommendations on malty Virginias, the specific thing I’m chasing is what I’ve observed while smoking in deeper bowls, the heel of the bowl gets very malty, likely due to quick stoving going on while smoking. Is there a blend in the community’s collective wisdom that bottles that flavour from the get go?

Also have been hovering over Chenet’s Cake for years but never bought as other than Bayou Morning Flake (and Byzantium) I hadn’t had a good experience with C&D blends. I have had Kajun Kake but didn’t do much for me. Should I try Chenet’s Cake?

@jpmcwjr I posted in the wrong section, apologies
For malty that I've tried and can think of: Capstan, CRF, Edisto, Prairie Wind, it's been a while but I recall Marlin Flake being quite malty, and sometimes I find LBF can fit the bill.

As for Chenet's Cake, I find it to be very good, but rather similiar to Kajun Kake. It's not as deep or as pungent, a bit more virginia forward, but they're in the same league, and they play for the same team.
 

karam

Lifer
Feb 2, 2019
2,581
9,861
Basel, Switzerland
For malty that I've tried and can think of: Capstan, CRF, Edisto, Prairie Wind, it's been a while but I recall Marlin Flake being quite malty, and sometimes I find LBF can fit the bill.

As for Chenet's Cake, I find it to be very good, but rather similiar to Kajun Kake. It's not as deep or as pungent, a bit more virginia forward, but they're in the same league, and they play for the same team.
Marlin Flake gets there at the heel :)

Capstan… I find boring, sadly. I stoved it in the oven (there’s a relevant thread here) which made it smell incredible but remain tasteless for me.
 
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karam

Lifer
Feb 2, 2019
2,581
9,861
Basel, Switzerland
Thank you all!

I might have a tin of F&T Special Brown Flake in my drawers, somewhere in the back probably ;)

Never tried Astley's No 44 or Best Brown No 2, tried a flake of McConnel Black Flake from a friend but it didn't do something for me.

Funnily enough, I've had a tin of Marlin Flake for more than a year, the flakes are still semi moist even though the tin's cap doesn't seal well at all. It's gone a lot darker than when bought and has given me a streak of very good smokes, the more recent one just tonight. It does get that quality, in fact, which is how I remembered about it. Maybe the answer's Marlin Flake with a bit of age on it.
 

AndyNJ

Lurker
Jun 20, 2023
43
552
NJ USA
Love Chenet's, it is not that dissimilar from Bayou Morning but also string and even stronger, complex, heavy on Nic and definitely benefits from age. GLP Telegraph Hill is in that area of heavy handed perique blends which I really love. I think perique will not get you that malty taste. I would try to find GLP Union square, my most recent VA flake obsession, sooo good. A pretty smooth straight VA with a malty taste is Stokkebye Lux Twist flake, although it has a bit of a Coconut topping that I tend to like, try it, it's cheap.