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G. L. Pease - Sixpence 2oz
The dfk surprised me not harsh
I am the opposite of a dfk fan as used by C&D/glp's. Preferring rattrays or HU using it by far. Triple play being a great example of something that could have been better but the dfk steps all over it. In this case Sixpence I'm shocked! the dfk here is used like I've never smoked it before in an American blend, meaning it doesn't grab you right away and say "look at me look at me" in a hysterical harsh way, instead it seems to work with the dark virginias and the perique which by the way is not overly earthy here either. The result is a newer to me flavor. This is pretty good stuff. The perique and the Virginia impart sweetness and plummy-ness and the dfk raises it to another level with a sustaining platform of supportive darker flavors thus enhancing the darker Virginia. I would be surprised if there isn't some type of topping on here. If you don't like how c&d or glp's use dfk but feel like experimenting I'd start here. I might just have to buy another tin of this. It's Tasty. Mine was 1.5 yrs aged.

G. L. Pease - Triple Play 8oz
Giving it more time in the jar
The tobaccos I enjoy are due to the relative sophistication, complexity and flavors that the master blender delivers. One thing I have come to realize for my personal palette is I find dark fired Kentucky to often do more damage than help in a blend. You can create a lot of Harmony in a bowl and then add dfk and for me it hijacks the smoke. Here it detracts from the high notes that the other tobacco's in triple play can deliver. This one's going into the long long-term deep cellar along with glp's Navigator and sixpence. Hopefully I'll be around in 9 or 10 years and this stuff will soften up or I have a Eureka moment where dfk will make sense.

Rattray's - Old Gowrie 50g
Hmmmmm...
I didn't come here to step on anyone's Joy and it's very clear that the best part about pipe smoking is personal palette. I read all about this and was excited to try it. The aroma was confusing to me at first it didn't smell as good as it sounded but it wasn't bad it was more a notch above 'meh'. And it was not a bad smoke I smoked the whole tin but I won't buy another it just wasn't that impressive to me. The flavors are a bit muddled and as you get to the lower third of the bowl it just was acrid and not pleasant. Probably some of it has to do with my cadence which tends to run faster sometimes but I haven't had the issue with other rat trays blend including Sterling flake (which I love). There was a peppery component I guess it's the perique that just overshadowed and kind of stepped on the what would normally be more fragrant components in the bowl. YMMV. I would recommend instead Hal o the wind. More flavorful, a bit more refined than old gowrie, but not much. What compensates is the bolder and slightly wider complexity in HOW.

G. L. Pease - Horizons Flake 2oz
Different from all the rest
I'm not going to repeat the words of other reviewers they've said it better than I could. Bottom line This is a worthwhile and frankly an outstanding blend. The orientals used here are dryly tasty and the whole experience smacks of older days, high end with the imaginatory twist that GL p's excels at. For me this is not an all day smoke for me but it is a daily smoke. it's more of a gourmet experience for me., stretching the boundaries of what English Balkan blends can do. Prime to cellar

G. L. Pease - Haddo's Delight 8oz
Weird stuff
At first I really liked this blend. I acknowledged it was harsher than others but figured with some time that harshness would mellow out and it had a nice overall taste appeal. For some reason when I finish the first tin and went into the second I developed a real distaste for this blend. It's never happened to me with any other blend I mean yeah you figure out the lack of complexity or maybe the flavor isn't the same down the road but this one was instant. I find nothing redeeming in it for me whatsoever. For a guide line I pretty much like 80% of gl pease creations also preferring rattrays Sterling flake and solani vaper and the entire Drucquer and sons line. Go figure.

Drucquer & Sons - Casbah 100g
Laphroaig and Casbah - wow!
This is my second of the Drucquer line I've tried here the first one was blairgowrie which frankly is really good still smoking it consistently and it's in my top five. Here casbah has been outstanding. It pairs exceptionally well with the Laphroaig whiskey. I'll leave the description of the specific flavors to others but this is a cut above almost any other Balkan and definitely it's my favorite, a cut above. There's even a light sweetness there which was unexpected but very pleasant.

G. L. Pease - Lagonda 2oz
That was definitive
Lagonda smells different from any English I smoked before. It's super intriguing because the flavor upon lighting up the first time was just okay, not my thing, savory, but simultaneously it blew me away and I can't not smoke it. Sour, musty and incense-y. This is really good. But I can't understand why. So I'll keep going back to it. By the third Puff it became clear that this will be an excellent smoke in the cold dead heart of Winter, outside in the forest.

Rattray's - Rannoch Smooth Contrast (202) (9mm)
Expected better but the jury is not out yet
I expected a lot from this particular pipe as I absolutely love the styling and the brand is the purveyor of many of my favorite tobaccos. The pipe itself is beautiful although the stem and stummel don't abutt cleanly which is strange since it's just a sanding job but they do not. This has been a tricky pipe to break in as it overheated very quickly. The cake building process is still in progress. I have to say this is the least amount of fun I've had breaking in a pipe as it really does not handle heat well and in fact I switched from VAPers over to burley's because I needed something cooler smoking to settle the pipe in. It is a very good clencher with a rubber bit on. And I like the 9mm filter.

Solani - Aged Burley Flake - 656 50g
Really tasty
This is an excellent blend. Really tasty and an excellent quality tobacco. It says on the can that there is an anise and chocolate flavor added but they are so non apparent that I believe they're seamlessly blended into enhancing the flavor without having an independent character of their own. In the end it tastes just like tasty tobacco.

Orlik - Golden Sliced 50g
Deserves all the accolades
For some reason I avoided this blend for a good 9 years I don't know I guess people made it sound like it was some kind of grassy hay like Virginia and I wasn't in the market for that. Finally pulled the trigger and bought a tin and wow. It started off like hot air for the first quarter of the bowl I just couldn't dial into flavor but then it opened up and it was simply Delicious bowl after bowl. Someone below commented that it performs well in pipes that don't seem to perform well and I've been wrestling with a Rattrays Rannoch which seems to overheat with every smoke. OGS smoked absolutely superb in that pipe. I can't believe this is such a low price point for such an outstanding blend. The flavor is so approachable and satisfying that I can think of it at least 10 other blends in the vaper category that I've tried that I never would have had I found this earlier. Because this one is a destination blend.

HU - Dark Moor 100g
Wasn't impressed until a good 18 months of aging
First Review:Tin note was light-ish yet muddled. These African VAs I find are too plain/soft for my liking. Wish they offered a smaller tin so I wouldn't have to guilt-keep it around hoping it will acquire flavour with aging. To be more specific I kept searching for the tobacco flavour. Reminded me a lot of certain GH blends which some people seem to really like but I find too airy and lacking in flavour. This is same. The quality of tobacco is good. hoping the other HU blends will do better. I will say I love the tin art. UPDATE: after letting it sit for 18 months it has melded some good character. Enough for me to upgrade the rating from a 3.0 to a 4.0. and I would say it definitely did improve and I've had a couple of tasty bowls. The more bland Virginia eventually took on more character. Would I buy it again? Probably not. Am I enjoying it now? Yes.

Rattray's - Hal O' The Wynd 50g
Tasty Rattrays blend. Like much more than Old Gowrie
Right away I prefer this to Old Gowrie. It is indeed darker but it has more flavour across it's component spectrum. I read extensive reviews of both blends before buying. First pulled the trigger on Old Gowrie but was confused as the reviews were glowing but the tobacco is OK. Nothing special but a good blend and good tobaccos. HOTW is what I was originally looking for but the reviews labelled it as harsher, stronger, etc...--unappetizing. This stuff is downright tasty, yummy and very well crafted. The DFK isnt muting the other flavors as it seems to in OG--well to my taste anyways. This is excellent.

G. L. Pease - Chelsea Morning 2oz
I don't get it
This has fantastic ratings. Clearly there is something here that people respond to. I thought it was fairly mediocre flavor profile that can be found elsewhere upgraded. Latakia is not a bomb but it does dominate the flavors and although dialed back a bit the aftertaste still reflects this. I did not experience any of the complexities that are written about in the reviews and found them to be much more interesting in the other glps blends. I wouldn't call this overrated instead I'd say that this must have some flavor profile that reaches most people but not me. There's much better all day English out there. And if you're looking for an all day Superior smoke I would recommend another glp's blend Drucquer and Sons Blairgowrie. This amps up the orientals but the combination is so fine and relatively light...

Cornell & Diehl - Kajun Kake 2oz
Dark, sweet, deep plummy flavor.
Regardless if you are a VaPer fiend or a tourist this blend is like a portal. It's a doorway to the rich deep prune-like flavors so often promised but this takes it to a depth heretofore rarely visited. The first third of the bowl is a bit airy but then it gets going and it develops into a jammy bath of plum or even prune like flavor in fact I think prune is a better word than plum it's got that concentrated flavour with a darkness. It is in no way sugary or cloying it is even keeled and masterfully crafted. This tobacco really deserves a more visible profile. It's rather wet but crumbles and flakes easily. it does fine in any pipe. Sipping is just as satisfying as deep drags.There's a spiciness that comes in that's not overbearing it's just right and it comes in on the top and back end of the smoke. The whole experience morphs from hot air to ripe, smoky orchard to premium cigar with a jammy twist. Update: if feels like this is gonna be a really interesting deep cellar. I've tried cellaring everything deeply and been bitterly disappointed with certain blends that just don't run the distance like St James flake, Royal yacht, all disappointing. Each one relied on the flavored casing or just mediocre tobacco and failed over 7 or more years. Other blends have aged legendary like Peter stokkeby luxury Navy flake, Geometrie, and pretty much anything from McClelland. This, Kajun Kake feels like it's going to do very well. Thanks to whoever blended this.

Drucquer & Sons - Blairgowrie 100g
Best go-to English/Scottish style
Top 5 immediately. Very well balanced with the Latakia elegantly intertwined with the Virginias and soft Orientals. Sumptuous orientals. Did I mention it was very well balanced? You can balance and muddle the flavors or you can balance and artistically retain the high delicate ends of the blend components and Mr Pease has certainly done that here. Smoked sublimely in a Peterson Sherlock Holmes Calabash. Like they were meant for each other and only each other. Generous volumes of smoke btw. Yet fairly cool burning. This is a different blend from the glp line many of those English Balkan Scottish blends are pungent sometimes with a texture of Peatty Earth and spiced. This is a different affair altogether. Yes, it isnt complex, but it is tasy consistently. Highly recommend.

G. L. Pease - Géométrie 2oz
A High Level VaOr
VaOr's are some of my favorite tobaccos and this one is very tasty. Kind of on another level. My first time at bat I cube cut it and loaded into a Virginia-specific Savinelli Ginger's Favorite. After the top portion of the bowl was smoked these amazing perfume-y slightly sweet flavors kept coming. You can smoke this any cadence but sipping it really teases out a sumptuousness. A reviewer down below called it elegant and that is pretty accurate. Very much a value play of pressing this into a plug and aging it. I've not come across any other Virginia Oriental with this flavor profile. It is in a word a really good smoke with a medium nicotine kick that satisfies. Once you reach the bottom quarter of the bowl the perfuminess is replaced by a denser, darker flavor. The description above says this is great for aging or superb out of the tin and I wholeheartedly agree. The Zeitgeist series is more complex and rewards the smoker that spends real time with it. There's so much to uncover. If all of the sudden all tobacco blends disappeared other than glp's I'd have no problem with that.

Peterson - Flake 50g
Fantastic when young does not age well
This review is for the Dunhill version. But so many reviewers have quote about it's the same with Peterson so some advice. This is sumptuous and delicious within it a year or so of opening. I saved my last Dunhill tin in a jar for 8 years and frankly it sucks. It's lost all of the sweetness and darkness and is just like cardboard. If indeed Peterson did not change the process then save yourself some trouble and smoke it fresh.

McConnell - Scottish Flake 50g
So good.
there really isn't a lot to say other than it's a damn fine smoke. It's not a classic vaper, the addition of the Burley gives it a light tanginess and creates a unique flavor I don't find anywhere else. If you're looking for something extra in a vaper that's not too dark this one definitely pops. It's so good in fact I'm dedicated a pipe to it. And it smokes wonderfully in a Peterson Sherlock Holmes Calabash.

G. L. Pease - Ellipsis Flake 2oz
Excellent, unexpected
I'd recommend opening the tin and then jarring it for a month cuz --wow. Others will do better on the description. I just came here to say this is a top-notch g l P's blend. the complexity and the richness is so satisfying. Did very well in a mini Church Warden. I needed this. Update: I would like to try this blend without the black Cavendish. I've watched enough Jeremy Reeves videos to understand why and how black Cavendish is used but I find if it's in any discernible quantity it takes a blend in the direction I don't care for. Like a smoothness I didn't ask for, or somehow binding the flavors across their palate but reducing their fragrant Beauty and replacing it with something akin to bland. I still stand by my rating it's an excellent smoke which really benefits from a couple of years of aging.

Peter Stokkebye - PS403 Luxury Bullseye Flake
With aging--gathers merit--real merit
Fresh its a 'whatever". I threw mine into the back of the closet and forgot about it--dang years later--not as amazing as PS400 (which imho equals or tops escudo of same age--yes indeed) but a great smoke nonetheless. Ive yet to see any round slice with cavendish in the middle live up to its expectation--ex, Davidoff Medallions (seriously overrated)--but with aging--its a great smoke.

Cornell & Diehl - Burley Flake #2 2oz
Meh and strong
Update: a year after I bought I thought I'd update the review with a warning not to waste your money here. Unless you're the kind of person that likes for example smoking g&h Irish twist you will find this one a waste of your time and money. The tin note is tasty. It doesn't really translate to the smoke enough. smokes a bit rough. I had it several weeks in a jar and I don't think that took the edge off. Surprisingly large amount of smoke which is kind of fun. I think this is the most billowy blend ive smoked. Interestingly it smoked just okay in my favorite VABur pipe the Clark's favorite. But tasted better in an unfiltered Peterson 124. I guess the narrow conical bowl did better in concentrating flavor. it's definitely strong in nicotine. In terms of flavor I find that to be so personal I read the other reviews here and honestly I think we were smoking two different blends. there are much, much, much better VABUR dfk blends out there. Watch a review by Beans and I think he reviewed a 10 or 11 year old tin and it didn't seem to matter. Still a no-go. I'm pretty stubborn with blends and I'm willing to cellar them up to 10 years just to see if there's some merit to the $14 I spent on the tin... This is the first one that I'm tempted to just throw in the garbage.

Rattray's - Stirling Flake 50g
Highly Recommended
This was my introduction into Burley and I was very surprised as I did not expect to like it this much. the flakes smell wonderful - a tangy rich flavor. It's so good in fact I've dedicated to pipe to it. This and McConnell Scottish flake. I could use adjectives like barbecue or whatever but this is just really good -- try it.

Cornell & Diehl - Sunday Picnic 2oz
Really Good
Haven't smoked many C and D blends and what I have tried has been not bad. I don't know why I pulled the trigger on this blend I think it was the reviews. I'm so glad I listened. This is a delicious blend. It's definitely sweet, savory and chill all together. And it's delivered in a medium or light medium flavor profile that without being cloying is just tasty. And for the fellow reviewer below who spoke of piney mushrooms... It does! this is rich and complex so there are other flavor layers too.

G. L. Pease - Regents Flake 2oz
Unexpectedly robust but smooth VaPerOr
VaOrs or VaPerOrs run a rather wide gamut. Flavors really vary. More often than not the results are okay. Trending towards cigaretty depending on perique level. This one is really one of the tastiest entries in this category. Doesn't matter what pipe I put it in it smokes smooth and full of rich flavor though it seems to do best in a Dublin or Zulu with a number three or four bowl size. It's medium in body although you don't expect it, from the first hit of the palate it then unfolds on the back end to a really tasty sweet but dry tobacco. a few months later after jarring it I'm buying cellaring tins. jarring it improves. As with many blends manufactured by C&D they seem to improve a lot with a couple of months on them. Update: after a year of smoking Regent's Flake it is in my top 5 VA (Per or OR) blends. its smooth and tasty.

G. L. Pease - Navigator 2oz
2 yrs later - still wondering why this exists
What a muddled mess. I got to figure out what pipes the other reviewers are smoking Navigator with because the ones I've used seem to consistently return the same murky no- flavored dark taste. The navigator I'm smoking is two years old. Have tried it in a variety of pipes And I get just airy mud. I'll throw it back in the bin for another year, maybe pre-soak the jar with rum since there is a complete absence of it, I guess I'll see if anything improves but if the tobacco needs this my question is why buy it? Having said that the beauty of our hobby is everyone's flavor palate is different. in any case I hope your smoke goes better than mine.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Glengarry Flake
Very good quality tobacco but not for me
It is a very good quality tobacco smoke for sure. I just don't get the flavor profile. Or absence of one. I find this to be the case with other GH blend such as brown aromatic, bosun plug. The flavor is nuanced and soft. I prefer blends with more richness where I don't have to figure out where the flavor is hidden. I can imagine this would be meaningful for the summertime if you just wanted to satisfy without overwhelming yourself in the heat. This is like an Ennerdale light so if you kind of like Lakeland essences but don't want too much of it and you enjoy light brown VAs I could see this being a reason for the smoke.

G. L. Pease - Bankside 2oz
Woah
I've never tasted anything like this... From the first sip it's obvious that this is a high quality blend. The flavors are so measured but singularly there. The next thought was this must be an English because the Latakia you can taste. But then it's confusing because the Virginia takes over and then there's some dark fired Kentucky, then some cedar, then sweetness and so forth. And then it's like you taste a few of those at once and then it changes slightly again. All of this in a good way. I am not a flavor specialist other reviews will do a better job. But I can attest to the character of this smoke and it is really something different. Definitely on a higher level but it's going to require a few tins to get to the bottom of this. Bless GLPease I don't know of a better blender to satisfy the yens for a thinking man's smoke. Update: after now two years in the jar it's maintained its moisture level which is fairly wet but it's like there's something deep happening in that jar. It's almost like I imagine tilling the soil and how it would smell - ancient and peaty. Still the virginias share an equal space with the latakia but this thing needs another 3 years or so in the jar. It's going to be incredible! This isn't something I would smoke everyday but when I really want to get involved with a smoke this is definitely tops.

G. L. Pease - Cairo 2oz
Delicious Orientals but needed a lot of aging
smoked this in the spring of 2022. Was a fresh tin. Tried it in a wide bowl Savinelli 316ks, in a tall poker and a clay. Was disappointed as the experience across the board was very cigaretty. Cellared it for 2 years reopened it wondering if anything would have changed and boy did it. This is such a fun hobby because you can never really tell due to the complexity of tobacco's how aging will affect a blend. But I have been reading that C and D doesn't really age their tobacco prior to canning it. Consequently it makes sense if true. That the orientals would require some time. After 2 years as fantastic as it is I'm unlikely to want to wait another 2 years for another tin to bloom.

G. L. Pease - Barbary Coast 2oz
Yummm
Update: a couple of months after I posted my initial review. I should have known better with glp's. I humbly change my score from 2.5 to 4.5. I got it. I pulled it out after a couple of months in the jar and try to a few different pipes and something just clicked. I think it was my inexperience with Burley forward blends. At first taste I hated it, But now I can't get enough of this. it's delicious. The Brandy works well with the Burley. I've smoked half the can in 2 days. This is a medium strong blend you feel the nicotine but it doesn't overdo it. Now it's in my top five and cellaring. Update2: Going strong as top 5 smoke. consistent and tasty.

G. L. Pease - Penny Farthing 2oz
Surprise surprise
I never thought the name Penny Farthing evoked strength, glamor or any kind of grandeur but this tobacco in a brilliant way punches above its expected name-weight. Super easy to pack, fast to light and stay lit, decent nic hit. Very consistent with good access to perique but measured. With that combo you throw in the synergy of an interesting flavor profile. Master Pease crafting in a very subtle package. If I ever happen to have the distinct pleasure of meeting Mr Pease I would like to ask him why he does not offer this nor Horizons nor any of the Zeitgeist series in anything larger than a 2 oz tin. Aside from that - a personal thank you to a man I will probably never meet. Was smoked out of a long stemmed clay with a smallish bowl. Pairs surprisingly well with Irish Whiskey. In fact I feel like it did the whiskey a favor. Update: only a week later and I had to come back and reaffirm my initial thoughts. This is just fantastic. The name I think is silly because IMHO this, when smoked in a narrow tall bowl, is a cut above Escudo and deserves something more. Because it is a shag cut the flavors are immediately accessible And give you access to that magical intersection between Virginia and perique. wonder why there's only like three or four quality blends available in shag. Update 2: several months after buying and smoking this stuff is so tasty. I know it sounds crazy to compare this to Escudo and say it's better but I lit up a 8-year-old couple of discs of Escudo recently and sorry to say for ease of smoke and taste I prefer this.

G. L. Pease - Windjammer 2oz
Blending Mastery
It's so good Im at a loss for words. consistent fruity rummy goodness. plummy and rich but cool. when I first tried it I was sure there was latakia in it and kept rereading the reviews. somehow the combo elevates it from coming across as an aro and has something darker, more mature and rounded in flavor. perplexing. was smoking it out of a vaper-dedicated pipe. but found I prefer it in an English-dedicated pipes using a 9 mm filter. I wouldn't say this is a daily smoker but it could be. I like this every three or four days to keep the novelty so it's always in my rotation. Only one question: why isnt this sold in 8 oz and 16 oz options? making me buy all these 2 oz tins...

Samuel Gawith - Grousemoor 50g
Unique and Delicious
I was looking for a summer time blend and was pointed in the direction of this particular tobacco. I was warned that it would ghost my pipes something fierce. So I've mainly smoked it out of the clay pipe. It's delicious. It's unlike any other topping. It's refreshing and definitely beats the heat. It's almost like a diet 7Up with a lemongrass hint. I like it I like the Lakeland hint of essence as well. This is good enough to have a pipe semi-dedicated to it. Does bite a little I found its better in a longer curved-stem allowing some moisture to be stripped out.

Cornell & Diehl - Shandygaff
Simply not for me
Packed a bowl of this in a clay. From the first Puff it bit. the other reviews said that it was salty and this is true. For me personally I didn't find the saltiness to be an advantage like I thought it would be because i didnt find any interplay that took advantage of that. Never had a blend that bit so quick. Like an angry rattlesnake. maybe was puffing harder than normal because i was looking for flavour. if you are a burley fan you may enjoy this more. i dont mind burley's but dont have much experience with them. Update:

G. L. Pease - Stratford 2oz
Yummy
I bought this in a batch along with Bayou morning and Fillmore. Honestly didn't think it would be as impressive as the other two seeing so many reviews on them. Very pleasantly surprised. This is my favorite of the three that I ordered. The nicotine is a low medium. Others have commented on the flavor profile I would just add that I found this to be an excellent blend to initiate new pipes with. Definitely a winner. Update: 6 months jarring. I hit it up in a Peterson St Patrick's Day XL 11 and it's the bomb. You could really taste the perique where it was kind of hidden in the beginning. it's a solid respectable Vaper with a brighter flavor. And it will likely appeal to a broad spectrum of tastes just cellar for at least 3 months. Though much richer after 2 years.

Davidoff - Flake Medallions 50g
I just don't get it.
I cellerad two tins back in 2017 and just cracked one of them. For the record I love VAPERS. Big fan of escudo, stratford, Fillmore, BNF and more. I really tried to like this stuff after reading these stellar reviews. I find it lacking in character. The taste muddled. The moisture content is fine the flakes great texture but the flavor just does not appeal to me. it must be the Cavendish that I find offensive, there seems to be too much of it or it just dominates. I thought it would improve after 7 years but it has not. Update: something clicked in the last year. Either my palate, the tobacco, or both. Still not something I would buy ever again but after 8 years in the jar some of the flavors finally came out. And frankly it's delicious but it took 8 years to get here. Your mileage may vary. So I changed it from a 2 to a 3 rating

G. L. Pease - Meridian 8oz
Goldilocks
A medium strength high quality Balkan style blend. After letting it sit for a couple of years it has Continued to mature its flavor profile into uniqueness. I have found this to be a thinking person's smoke. Lots to unpack. Still in the orbit of Goldilocks status. stratified layers of singular flavors wrapped in a fragrant balkan-y package. I used to love the McClelland 😢Balkans like Balkan Beauty or Balkan Blue and have been searching for replacements over the years. Meridian has slightly more Latakia but still contains it behind the orientals so is not to spoil but enhance and direct how the orientals bloom. if GL Pease were ever to visit my house he would see a picture of him on the wall next to the Pope 😁

A&C Petersen - Escudo Navy Deluxe 50g
a benchmark vaper blend
This one is complicated-a bit tricky as it seems to smoke differently under different times and conditions. sometimes hard to tame, other times superb. either way the flavor is a winner: the tones have been described in detail by other reviewers--in the rotation and will remain there.

Solani - Virginia Flake - 633 100g
Wow
Casca below captures my sentiment well. This is a winner. the smoke is deep, rich yet silky smooth. Perique comes thru well but balanced. Couldnt ask for better in a Va-Per. much more consistent in flavor and less finicky than St James flake which used to be my favorite but which I have found doesn't age too well after a few years as the Lakeland essence starts to fade. Bought 400 gms of the Solani 633 for cellaring and would buy more but this stuff is hard to find.

Samuel Gawith - St. James Flake 50g
Deep and Rich
Ordered it because i heard so much about it. outstanding rich and deep tones in the smoke. doesnt come on right away either. i tend to puff away and this one shouldnt be rushed--but savored. it will reward you for that. fruity in a deep way--raisiny slightly. liked it so much immediately bought the 250gm. Update: Cellared for 7 years. Upon reopening it had lost some of its savoriness and I had to work harder to find that sweet spot of perfect flavor. At the same time I had cellared PS400 which upon comparing the two I was surprised but that ps400 blew away the St. James flake. Consumptuousness and a cedar-like complexity. Whereas with the St James flake it had melded more after such a long aging and that result lost some of its pecontinence that made it initially incredible. The more blends I try and the older I get the less interested I am in working so hard to get that sweet spot that St James flake gave me at the beginning. Still a great blend that needs to be tried when you can find it.

Peter Stokkebye - PS400 Luxury Navy Flake
5 stars
This. this was good right out of the gate. Consistent and flavorful but in the medium or light medium kind of way. Will reorder. nothing more needs to be said. it delivers on its reputation. Update: 7 years later...i like this better than Escudo. it ages really really really well. Just stocked up on another half pound.

Newminster - No. 400 Superior Navy Flake
Cigaretty-ish
Guess I dont have the same tastes as the other reviewers. Bought it on the high recommendations. had just smoked Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake. No comparison. At first pass, this one here smokes more like a cigarette aftertaste than I care for. I wanted to like it--but couldnt get past the ashtray aftertaste. smoked it out of a Virgina/VA/Per dedicated Zulu shape briar. for my taste. Will cellar and see...

Planta - Full English
Surprised.
bought it based on the review below. was not disappointed. Update: 8 years later still smokes Just as smooth if not smoother. Consistent and easy to smoke all day.

McClelland - 2035 - Dark Navy Flake
agreed
The reviews on smokingpipes.com seem more accurate than what i see on other sites. should have read these. thankfully only have an ounce to deal with. will cellar and recheck. but frankly found it boring and wet and just not my cup of tea. if it works for you and you dont mind all the effort it seems to take to enjoy it, great. there are too many good tobaccos out there... UPDATE: its probably been only about 6 weeks but with frequent jar openings and some drying, it has opened up in flavour. smoking out of a cob for now, but more interesting than the first experience.and mellowed a little bit in sourness. like that it has its own unique "wetter" smokier flavour. curious as to how it will taste in a few months.

McClelland - 2050 - Oriental Cavendish
meh
dont get it. not a huge cavendish fan evidently-this was my first one. love orientals though. the flavors dont seem to marry well on my pallette as latakia would in its stead. Wet. Wet. will let it sit and see in a few months. another reviewer mentioned he didnt like the first bowl. so maybe it will improve. but wont be a repeat buy. Update: 7 years and 1 McClelland closure later. this stuff is really good. raise it to a 4.0. really too bad not available anymore.

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Blog's Commented on

A Closer Look At Macedonian Tobacco
  • ► Great article. Enjoyed learning about the background to the industry and the perspective. Would love to see this on other varietals and regions
In Appreciation of the New 2025 Savinelli Pipes
  • ► It's a pity to see the available quantity of stock diminish on existing lines such as Dolomiti, etc... cannot find 316, 320 and other interesting designs in the older lines. Newish lines like Paloma and Camouflage and Alligator seem style-deaf. Of This 2025 release only Whiskey and maybe Dune look interesting. But we don't know their price points yet.