Allow me to start off by saying I am just a hobbyist and you shouldn't pay my opinion too much attention beyond the ramblings of a tobacco obsessed man. I also haven't written any reviews before this, so please bear with me.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's get into the meat of this thing. Virginias and Dark Fired Kentucky to me are a marriage made in heaven, right up there with Virginias and Orientals. The malty, spicy, and floral flavors are some of the most satisfying that can be found in the world of pipe tobacco.
I've been smoking Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky (DSK) and PH Dark Strong Flake (DSF) back to back for months comparing them to one another and appreciating the nuances that each provides in their own way. Although, if I'm honest, my mind was made up a week into it and didn't change. Is one better than the other? I think that decision is left to you.
Orlik DSK - Virginia/Kentucky with a topping of Licorice and Molasses. It comes in a nice, uniform flake with a strip of Virginias right down the center flanked by Kentucky on both sides. This one comes a little moist. My favorite way to prepare it is to rub out two flakes and let them dry for 5 minutes. I live in a dry climate, so take that into account. Depending on how you pack this one, you will get differently behaving and tasting bowls. My preference is to meld as much of the flavors as I can.
NOTE - Brown sugar, licorice, a little hay, and bbq tang.
NIC HIT - Mild-Med
TASTE - I get a strong taste of the licorice topping initially, which then fades gently over the course of a minute or so. The bready Virginias really make themselves known, and this is where the brown sugar notes really start coming through. The molasses stays throughout the bowl as the Kentucky makes itself known with an earthy, loamy, and floral array of flavors. As the bowl smokes on, the bright Virginias make themselves known here and there in short bursts of citrus-like zestiness. The licorice makes a return briefly towards the last third of the bowl but is much less pronounced than at first light. The licorice is never overpowering, and the topping, in general, plays well with the tobaccos.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE - DSK really needs to be enjoyed slowly. It can have a tendency to bite when mindlessly puffing, or if it isn't prepared correctly. The majority of my time with it has been smooth and bite-free, with a little harshness here and there at the start and end of the bowl.
PETER HEINRICH DARK STRONG FLAKE - Virginia/Kentucky with a topping of "Misc.". It comes in a broken flake. To my eyes, these flakes are almost identical to the Orlik DSK. I say "almost" because I can see more bright Virginias in the DSF than I do in the Orlik. I also think this is backed up by the smoke. These come pretty wet, so ample drying time is needed. I prepare these the same way as the Orlik with a longer dry time of 20 minutes.
NOTE - Licorice, with just a hint of the dark fired.
NIC HIT - Mild-Med
TASTE - Licorice from the get-go, this one doesn't really start fading until half-way through the bowl, and even then stays till the end. It's not overpowering, however, as it blends rather well with the natural tastes of the tobaccos. Lots of malty bready Virginias and floral Kentucky. I get clove notes throughout the smoke, with bright explosions of zesty, citrusy Virginias coming through often. This smoke is sweet, spicy, tangy, floral, earthy, and bready. It really has it all for me. It stays complex as you smoke it down and is never boring.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE - Best when enjoyed at a gentle pace, but never bit me once. Smooth, full-bodied, and flavorful. This one was easy to enjoy once I got it going. No rough edges.
OVERALL - I don't know what Peter Heinrich does to his flake, as I'm convinced it's either the same or nearly identical to the Orlik DSK, but it is to my tastes, not just different, but the clear favorite. It stays complex throughout the bowl and frequently distracts me from my work when I smoke it. It behaves perfectly for my cadence and always delivers on the flavors that I enjoy. It's easily in my top 5.
That being said, if PH DSF ceased to exist for whatever reason, I would be happy with Orlik DSK. It's not the same, but it's close enough of an experience.
Thank you for reading!
Now that we got that out of the way, let's get into the meat of this thing. Virginias and Dark Fired Kentucky to me are a marriage made in heaven, right up there with Virginias and Orientals. The malty, spicy, and floral flavors are some of the most satisfying that can be found in the world of pipe tobacco.
I've been smoking Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky (DSK) and PH Dark Strong Flake (DSF) back to back for months comparing them to one another and appreciating the nuances that each provides in their own way. Although, if I'm honest, my mind was made up a week into it and didn't change. Is one better than the other? I think that decision is left to you.
Orlik DSK - Virginia/Kentucky with a topping of Licorice and Molasses. It comes in a nice, uniform flake with a strip of Virginias right down the center flanked by Kentucky on both sides. This one comes a little moist. My favorite way to prepare it is to rub out two flakes and let them dry for 5 minutes. I live in a dry climate, so take that into account. Depending on how you pack this one, you will get differently behaving and tasting bowls. My preference is to meld as much of the flavors as I can.
NOTE - Brown sugar, licorice, a little hay, and bbq tang.
NIC HIT - Mild-Med
TASTE - I get a strong taste of the licorice topping initially, which then fades gently over the course of a minute or so. The bready Virginias really make themselves known, and this is where the brown sugar notes really start coming through. The molasses stays throughout the bowl as the Kentucky makes itself known with an earthy, loamy, and floral array of flavors. As the bowl smokes on, the bright Virginias make themselves known here and there in short bursts of citrus-like zestiness. The licorice makes a return briefly towards the last third of the bowl but is much less pronounced than at first light. The licorice is never overpowering, and the topping, in general, plays well with the tobaccos.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE - DSK really needs to be enjoyed slowly. It can have a tendency to bite when mindlessly puffing, or if it isn't prepared correctly. The majority of my time with it has been smooth and bite-free, with a little harshness here and there at the start and end of the bowl.
PETER HEINRICH DARK STRONG FLAKE - Virginia/Kentucky with a topping of "Misc.". It comes in a broken flake. To my eyes, these flakes are almost identical to the Orlik DSK. I say "almost" because I can see more bright Virginias in the DSF than I do in the Orlik. I also think this is backed up by the smoke. These come pretty wet, so ample drying time is needed. I prepare these the same way as the Orlik with a longer dry time of 20 minutes.
NOTE - Licorice, with just a hint of the dark fired.
NIC HIT - Mild-Med
TASTE - Licorice from the get-go, this one doesn't really start fading until half-way through the bowl, and even then stays till the end. It's not overpowering, however, as it blends rather well with the natural tastes of the tobaccos. Lots of malty bready Virginias and floral Kentucky. I get clove notes throughout the smoke, with bright explosions of zesty, citrusy Virginias coming through often. This smoke is sweet, spicy, tangy, floral, earthy, and bready. It really has it all for me. It stays complex as you smoke it down and is never boring.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE - Best when enjoyed at a gentle pace, but never bit me once. Smooth, full-bodied, and flavorful. This one was easy to enjoy once I got it going. No rough edges.
OVERALL - I don't know what Peter Heinrich does to his flake, as I'm convinced it's either the same or nearly identical to the Orlik DSK, but it is to my tastes, not just different, but the clear favorite. It stays complex throughout the bowl and frequently distracts me from my work when I smoke it. It behaves perfectly for my cadence and always delivers on the flavors that I enjoy. It's easily in my top 5.
That being said, if PH DSF ceased to exist for whatever reason, I would be happy with Orlik DSK. It's not the same, but it's close enough of an experience.
Thank you for reading!
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