The Hype Behind Astley's No. 44

[matchstickman]

I have a few tins of this stuff stashed away from when it was pretty hard to find, and going through a drawer the other day I found an unopened tin of this stuff buried at the bottom and thought, "What the hell? I'll give it a shot and see if it is as good as everyone led me to believe it was."
After smoking a few bowls of this stuff in various cobs, I can honestly say that on the one hand, I get it. This stuff is a rock solid Virginia flake. Rubs out and dries very easily, and once packed firmly and lit, it is a nice solid honest Virginia, nice and sweet with those overtones of wheat and fresh baked bread. It's not very complex, at least not to my limited palette, but I burns very smooth and tastes pretty good. Smooth smoke and no bite or burn to be detected even with my eager puffing, and I found that it pairs very well with an unsweetened tea. The bitter edge to the tea helps to round out the sweetness and gives a nice counterpoint and the two flavors offset each other very well. Also goes great with lemonade too.
The one thing that this blend has going for it above all others is its ability to take a flame. One match and a light tamp and it was off to the races, which is very rare for me, and the ash is so clean that it's unreal. It also burns very dry and the bowl is a cinch to keep going.
So like I said, on the one hand, I get it, I really do. I would think that to long time Virginia lovers, this stuff could probably best be described as "comfort food", an old staple that is reliable and tasty. But given the fact that there are other Virginias that are more complex and taste better to me, not to mention the fact that they are WAY easier to find, I can't see myself actively hunting out anymore of this stuff, but I'm glad that I have it on hand for when the mood strikes me. The tin I cracked probably has about 5 years age on it and looked absolutely wonderful, with lots of crystals, a sign that this has aged very well. I also have not tried this in a briar, and I have the feeling that if smoked exclusively in a brand new pipe, if a pipe was seasoned with just this blend, then I have the feeling the experience might be superior. But for now, I'll continue to enjoy this while the weather's hot and the mood for Virgnias has struck me.

 

[boston]

I had the same experience expecting a revelation...and it was a bit less than that.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

There are quite a few of the hyped Virginias that I also am not sure why they get so much chatter. But, the +5 year old tins are much better than the newer version that came out a year or so ago, which has too much of the casing applied, making it taste very licorice-y. I have some of the 44 which is around five years old now, but last I checked it hadn't really changed dramatically. But, it is a nice sweet stoved Virginia to begin with. Not exactly mind blowing, but nice.

If one enjoys trying various renditions and takes on the Virginia, then it is worth trying, IMO. We have at least two people on the forum that really sing the praises of this one, but like every blend, what "wows" one person may just "ho-hum" others.

 

[sasquatch]

Yeah, same for me, I found 44... fine. But it didn't develop much through the bowl, it offered a flat, smooth generic "dark Va" taste to me, and not much else. Perfectly friendly and well mannered in the pipe, but I did not leave thinking "Wow I wish I had a cellar full of this stuff."

 

[thomasw]

I know it is one that Harris really loves, but from the same genre, I do prefer Wessex - Campaign Dark Flake (Brigade); however both are challenging to locate these days.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I havent had the older stuff, but i did recently pop a tin of newer production.
I'll concur with sasquatch about it.

 

[mrenglish]

I enjoy this one quite a bit. It does not get smoked often, but when it does, it's usually 5-7 bowls worth before going back on the shelf. Fortunately, I was able to stock up on this before Harris drove it to its popularity. :wink: It is a fine, solid smoke. Not complex, but sometimes that is perfect.

 

[sablebrush52]

Astley's 44 is simply a very fine dark Virginia flake and that's all it needs to be. I've heard bad things about the recent batches, which is unfortunate. I don't smoke it often, but it satisfies when I'm in the mood for that kind of Virginia flavor. It's not meant to be complex - it's a straight Virginia and a good example of the type. As for hype, I've yet to smoke a much hyped blend that lived up to the hype. None. Nada. Zero. There ain't no such thing. Hype is a four letter word for bullshit. No blend has revealed to me the meaning of life. I've just smoked some very fine and flavorful blends that have provided a momentary pleasure.

 

[npod]

Harris probably had a big part to play in its scarcity. And I mean that sincerely and respectfully.
I love it. I have enough to last me a lifetime and thus I no longer chase it. However, I consider it on par with Astley’s 109 and Wessex Campaign dark flake and I pretty much rotate all 3 equally and interchangeably. Those are the “hard to get” flakes mind you. Honestly, I would be just as happy to smoke Capstan Blue and the older I get the more that has become my go-to Virginia flake. It’s more complex imho. Also, Solani Silver is fantastic and easier to get.

 

[oldtoby]

Well said, Sable. Astley's 44? Meh...
Used my tins to blend a few decent mixtures that I was satisfied with. Again, YMMV.

 

[matchstickman]

Thanks to everyone for weighing in. Good to know that I wasn't the only one that felt this way. I mean, like I said, the stuff is good, and I can see where it would definitely satisfy a craving, but given how hard it is to find I just can't see myself actively hunting it anymore. If GL Pease and C&D ever become hard to find I might be screwed.

 

[npod]

If GL Pease and C&D ever become hard to find I might be screwed.

We would all be screwed if that ever occurred.

 

[virginialover]

I consider No.44 one of the better Virginias that I had from Germany, here's my review on tobaccoreviews.com:
"I agree with DK's review on this one. It's more a brown broken flake than a dark flake. The smell in the tin is sweet, spicy and tangy/citrus. What is great about it is that you find the same flavors when put to the match. Furthermore, you get a woody and slightly earthy flavor as well as the bowl advances.
Mellow and round, it never bites and burns nicely. The source for sweetness is hard to pinpoint, it could easily be an extremely mild sugar casing that is not over done and adds to the tobacco flavor profile. The nicotine level is full medium and I prefer to smoke it by midday or early evening."
It behaves better after some drying, the sweetness becomes even more subdued.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I found it to be very good. It/when it becomes available again, I'll be purchasing a fair number of tins.