McConnell’s Latakia Flake and Sillem’s Commodore Flake are essentially the same blend. They are my favorite tobacco. The are truly wonderful with a few years of age. The blend is best sipped at a glacial pace (very very very slowly) and preferably indoors. There is a wonderful floral incense note that meanders in-and-out as the bowl progresses. Once I tracked on to the nuances of the blend I was hooked.
A very special friend gifted me an unopened tin of MCConnell's Latakia Flake from 2009. Let me tell you, the smell is intoxicating. For those who enjoy this blend, you will know what I mean, it is very pungent and earthy. Definitely not sweet. Very dark. The smell is almost impossible to describe but you know it when it hits you.
I have had the pleasure of smoking many tins of well-aged Latakia/Commodore and I know from experience that this blend builds crystals readily. When I was new to the blend I mistook these crystals for mold. But now I know better and I chase the old stuff! Here is and example of what 11 years in the cellar does for cyrstal formation. Notice the thousands of crystals coating the tobacco flakes. I put it under the macro lens to capture the beauty in high definition, close up. Many people would think these white spots are mold, but there are many identifying factors that prove they are crystals, even without a magnifying lens. For example, crystals heap up in clusters, and they tend to form in a straight line or row versus mold which is more scattered and haphazard and fuzzy. Also crystals reflect light and have specular highlights, whereas mold absorbs light and appears flat under light. With that said, I can assure you that this 11-year-old blend is Smoking beautifully. I had a nirvana smoke in a clay pipe ???. This is why I chase Vintage Tobacco.
A very special friend gifted me an unopened tin of MCConnell's Latakia Flake from 2009. Let me tell you, the smell is intoxicating. For those who enjoy this blend, you will know what I mean, it is very pungent and earthy. Definitely not sweet. Very dark. The smell is almost impossible to describe but you know it when it hits you.
I have had the pleasure of smoking many tins of well-aged Latakia/Commodore and I know from experience that this blend builds crystals readily. When I was new to the blend I mistook these crystals for mold. But now I know better and I chase the old stuff! Here is and example of what 11 years in the cellar does for cyrstal formation. Notice the thousands of crystals coating the tobacco flakes. I put it under the macro lens to capture the beauty in high definition, close up. Many people would think these white spots are mold, but there are many identifying factors that prove they are crystals, even without a magnifying lens. For example, crystals heap up in clusters, and they tend to form in a straight line or row versus mold which is more scattered and haphazard and fuzzy. Also crystals reflect light and have specular highlights, whereas mold absorbs light and appears flat under light. With that said, I can assure you that this 11-year-old blend is Smoking beautifully. I had a nirvana smoke in a clay pipe ???. This is why I chase Vintage Tobacco.