Peterson Irish Flake

[flyguy]

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I stopped by the local B&M this afternoon and bought a tin of Irish Flake and a MM cob to smoke it in. I have heard Irish Flake mentioned in the same breath with SG 1792. Since 1792 left a hideous ghost in one of my best briars, I decided to chance I.F. with a cob. I purchased a new "Forever P-lip Stem" from Walker Briar Works and was anxious to try a P-lip for the first time.

When I opened the tin and gave it a sniff, I was reminded somewhat of MacBaren HH Old Dark Fired, one of my favs. With newfound courage, I scissored one flake into nice cubes and loaded my cob. No dry-time was necessary.

After the charring light, I found that the tobacco burned pleasantly. As fellow forum buddy Spartan would say, "I became one with the smoke!"

Comparing I.F. with ODF, I would say ODF has a bit more flavor initially. In defense of I.F. I would say its taste was more consistent to the bottom of the bowl than ODF. I.F. is a bit stronger and is a satisfying smoke. It's strength is nothing to be trifled with. I recommend you smoke this one slowly or you will see the varmint.

Comparing I.F. with 1792, I would say there is no comparison with regard to taste. I.F. won hands down. I think the problem with 1792 is that tonquin doesn't agree with me. I prefer an uncased or unflavored flake, if there is such a thing. I.F. and 1792 are comparable strength-wise. In defense of 1792, I am probably comparing apples with oranges.

I am not great at describing the nuances of taste in a tobacco. I do know I like this one and will keep a tin handy. Especially if I get an overwhelming urge to see the varmint!

Note: This is my first real experience with a MM cob. I think I will keep a few around. They are good pipes for the price. However, I think I will stick to fishtail bits...

 

[sparroa]

flyguy, thanks for the review.
I like the taste of 1792 but it is a terrible pain to smoke.
I have been wanting to try ODF but it is very difficult to find.
Anyway, this one sounds like a good compromise in the meantime.
I have been worried about its strength but I'm thinking I could handle it for an occasional smoke.
I'd be grateful if other people gave their specific thoughts in describing Irish Flake. You might just win me over...

 

[strugglingthinker]

I adore Irish Flake. If I was allowed only one tobacco, it would be this. Nice taste, stout, very little fuss, and NO bite.

 

[flyguy]

Aha! My review was incomplete. You are right strugglingthinker...No bite!

 

[flyguy]

University Flake may be a good choice ILO IF. I love both and stock each in the cellar.

Roth, is University Flake similar to SG Firedance? Don't like Firedance much. Firedance's flavoring clashes with the Virginias IMO.

 

[sparroa]

I have heard a few people mention Erinmore Flake and University Flake in the same sentence.
For that reason, and due to the supposed plum or blueberry or whatever kind of fruity casing is on there, I am going to have to pass...
Irish Flake on the other hand sounds more appealing than ever. I may just give this a shot.
Roth, so you say there is a bit of perceptible sweetness? Is there any perceptible casing or is Irish Flake pretty much au naturale? That's the impression I get from most reviews.

 

[sparroa]

I am, to some degree, but I can smoke small bowls of 1792 and large bowls of Jackknife Plug sparingly...
I presume that Irish Flake isn't much more than either of these. (JKP being the mildest of the lot)
On the whole, though, I prefer blends that are more moderate.
I tend to avoid any side effects if I limit my consumption.
The same goes for caffeine - I can have A strong cup with few problems once every couple days, but any more than that is asking it.

 

[brian64]

I do believe Irish Flake is the strongest nic-wise of any blend I've tried thus far. Definitely more vit-N than University Flake, imo.

 

[sparroa]

Have either of you had JKP? Contrasting IF's strength with JKP would be the best comparison for me at the moment because that is what I am most familiar with lately.

 

[brian64]

Have either of you had JKP? Contrasting IF's strength with JKP would be the best comparison for me at the moment because that is what I am most familiar with lately.

I have, and, IMO, IF has noticeably more nic than JKP.

 

[rcstan]

simenon, having mastered to get 1792 to smoke properly ( too many variables in that equation, but I find stretching the flakes and shredding them with my fingers, loading them in a smallish pipe with a fairly shallow bowl and letting it dry some, but not too much ..... and with the moon in the right quadrant ) and smoking IF with no hiccups straight out of the tin fold-ruffle-stuff method, I must say they both have the same Vitamin N content to my sensors, however IF has a much fuller taste than 1792

 

[sparroa]

Thanks Brian. I'm going to think about it for awhile. It sounds promising but I'm a little bit wary.

 

[strugglingthinker]

I agree with Brian64 that IF has more nic than JKP, although not drastically more. Further, in my opinion, IF has less than 1792.

 

[undermidnight]

Thanks for the review! My pipe smoking buddy just bought a tin of this. I will have to try it myself.
Jason

 

[morton]

Not a fan (at all) of 1792 but love that Irish Flake. I find that if I sip on lightly sweetened OJ while smoking it, it doesn't give me the room whirlies. 1792 is very powerful as well but I just don't like the taste. Which is unfortunate because I've got nearly 8 oz of the stuff cellared.

 

[jbbaldwin]

Have either of you had JKP? Contrasting IF's strength with JKP would be the best comparison for me at the moment because that is what I am most familiar with lately.

I agree with the others who have said IF has more nicotine than JKP, but not a whale-of-a-lot more. The flakes are thicker than what I usually cut from a plug, so I'm careful to use a smaller pipe and not to over-fill, but I think if you smoke JKP you would probably enjoy IF.

 

[judcole]

I find IF to be higher in nic than Uni Flake. As a confessed nic wuss I can't smoke either one, although I enjoy the taste of both.

Uni Flake is a Virginia/burley blend, IIRC, and IF is pure Virginia. That's gonna make a difference in the flavor. Toppings are quite light, if present at all.

 

[bogglor]

To me, a non nicotine sensitive person, I'd rate an Ashton VSG cigar at a 10 out of 10 as a control , then something like 1792 flake an 8, Irish Flake at a 7, and JKP at a 6.
For flavor though, I would definitely call IF an 8, JKP a 7, and 1792 a 4.

 

[sparroa]

rcstan,
Thanks for the great tips and heads up about its full flavour.

 

[mustanggt]

Irish Flake is an outstanding smoke. I get no nic kick detectable by me but is very tasty. Give it a try.