I got some Watch City Old Dominion recently, and tried it out today in my Big Ben Ranger.
I apparently forgot everything I knew about smoking flakes and just jammed a bunch of chunks into the bowl and went outside to fire it up. There was a nice burst of flavor at each light, but didn't stay lit worth a darn*, even after jabbing at it with my pick to improve the airflow. If only I had revisited Jim's review first!
"I recommend you fully rub the fat flakes out to aid in the burn rate of the tobacco."
"Needs a little dry time."
I didn't want to end the day in defeat, so once I had expended a couple dozen matches smoking through that first bowl, I dumped it, dried the pipe for a bit, then rubbed out a smaller chunk of OD pretty well before gently packing the second bowl. I gave it a few minutes to dry, and even at the charring light, I knew this was going to go much better. Sweet, tangy, a little spice, and some earthiness. I had to take a break to have some dinner and help put the kid to bed, then resumed the pipe. Man, this is really good, and it stayed lit for much longer at each stretch. That earthiness was a bit reminiscent of some Gawith Virginia flakes at times, maybe the aged Virginias in the mix?
* In the tobacco's defense, it's also super-humid outside tonight. I had extra trouble getting my matches to light, sometimes needing to start them with a lighter.