Tobaccos Holger Danske - Royal Navy Flake

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2014-04-13		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Very Pleasant

Holger Danske - Royal Navy Flake.

The unlit flakes give a wonderful hay like Virginia aroma. They are of an excellent thickness and have a great moisture content, making them absolutely splendid for preparation as no extra airing time is required. When it comes to lighting it up the moisture level makes it perfect, taking to the flame brilliantly on the first try! The smoke from this is simply amazing, it has a great nicotine level (about the same as Orlik Golden Sliced) and can be inhaled about as easily as a cigarette can be. I get a very delicate plum/berry taste in the background but if you just relax and don't overly concentrate it's a simple and sublime full Virginia flavor. The actual thickness of the smoke is very reminiscent of Sam Gawith Full Virginia Flake, as is the taste. With tongue bite I don't get any from the very cool smoke and the burn is incredibly even for the whole bowl. It's a brand I had not tried as it's not overly popular but I will get it again and hope more people try it .... brilliant!

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Davorin Denovic Morta

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2012-06-08		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is as lovely and honest a flake as you're going to find. On an aesthetic and technical level, this is a solid 4-star flake, second to none. It also has a flavor to match. Thus RNF belongs in the same elite company as FVF, Erinmore and a handful of others. And to my taste buds, this is the best of them all (that I've tried so far, that is).

The presentation of this flake is unparalleled. Opening the tasteful little tin and removing the descriptive paper insert (of quaintly questionable grammar) reveals a tobacco leaf sticker securing folds of golden foil embracing mottled brown slabs of compressed leaf. The aroma is subtle but distinctive, a dew-dappled meadow strewn with sour plums. Picking up one of those slabs reveals just how delicate they are as they separate into interlaced strips, like the tenderest corned beef (as I recall from my meat eating days of yore).

On a technical level, the moisture level is perfect, absolutely perfect. Once you put flame to the flake, it burns perfectly too: it lights easily; it stays lit without a problem; and it burns to a talcum-fine, platinum-gray ash with no dottle.

But though a well done presentation prepares your taste buds for the gustatory treat that follows, the proof is in the putting of the smoke into your mouth. It does not disappoint. It's a delightfully clean, pure tobacco flavor. This is not a buttery, sweet virginia. Instead it has a very dry, smooth, subtle tang that gently tickles the tastebuds with delicate hints of citrus, umeboshi, and hay. It may come across a bit mild, as some reviewers have noted, but it still has a richness and fullness within that mildness (like, say, quality minimalist music). This is a flake for those who prefer their sherry medium dry.

I find the reviews below accurate, all of them. It simply comes down to a matter of preference. That's why I think that any virginia flake lover looking for a good, pure, honest smoke owes it to themself to give this one a go, just on the chance that Holger Danske's RNF may be The One they're looking for -- one they may have otherwise missed because this sublime little flake flies under the radar.

(And I have no clue why it's called a Navy flake. I thought 'Navy' suggested rum or something. I've come to the conclusion that, as far as tobacco is concerned, it means nothing.)

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2010-02-27		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I simply loved this, nice dry flakes, almost like a cake tobacco, very lemony with a solid sweetness and VA grassiness...a very pleasant surprise for me, a lovely summer VA flake...top stuff. It's not a typical Navy Blend, just more of a straight VA flake. This is very well priced here in the EU. Will buy again for sure.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2004-03-25		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend isn't quite the "Navy Flake" I had in mind. Many of the reviewers have noted a "tangy" taste. But, I more readily identify with the "lemony" descriptive above. Not at all sweet, nor mellow, this flake rattles the tongue and will make you pucker.

I think our briar bretheren who don't have a sweet tooth and require some strength in their smoke will enjoy this Royal Navy Flake. And, for what it's worth, I found the tin art to be kind of neat.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Motoyoshi (68)	2013-12-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Edit: I'm putting this up to four stars. It's consistently enjoyable every time I smoke it.

For a long time I have wanted to try a straight VA and I was about to buy Gawith's Full Virginia Flake when my Tobacconist made the Suggestion of this. He said there was less of a bitter tangy taste and that there were only two left (In my area of Japan). So I bought it for a dollar more than the Gawith. Good salesman haha.

Opening the tin is a beautiful display of Flake that is at just the right moisture level for me. I didn't detect any casing and it broke up rather nicely. I had about a three hour drive home ahead of me and packed a bowl for the road.

From the get go the flavor was wonderful. Not too overpowering, but consistently engaging. It burned very cool, as I've heard that VAs don't usually, and had a nice even smoke. The middle portion of the bowl was exceptionally delicious and by the end it had burned into a nice even ash. I loved it so much I packed another bowl in my MM.

This probably won't do much for the Latakia lovers or the heavy tobacco flavor feinds, but for a person looking to get into VAs or even outside of Aromatics, this is a great starter. To me it's like the older more refined brother of Orlik Golden Sliced.

Give it a try.

Pipe Used: Alexander Briar Poker, MM Great Dane Egg

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Purchased From: Kawarada Tobacco

Similar Blends: Orlik Golden Sliced (But better).

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2012-05-12		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought this one to dip my toes into the realm of navy flakes, there seems to be a few out there with some modifier of this soubriquet and picked this out at random. Certainly, upon receipt of the tin within a larger internet order, I was immediately impressed. Such a cute little thing too, with it's shiny gold and child like compactness. Even after popping the cork on it, as it were, it gave me a certain warmth to see the blanket like gold foil and the leaf shaped sticker. After this veritable introduction that almost seemed like the first moves of a game of pass the parcel, I half expected to see frankincense and myrrh at the bottom, even the Baby Jesus wouldn't have been a total surprise. Okay, so none of that would have fitted, but I think I got the next best thing.

I have to say, initially, I struggled to place the smell, it almost had wafts of a sickly bolognese scent. Only after much inhalation did I discern it properly, good tangs of pineapple with hints of mango. I was also impressed by the neatness (not something that normally charms me) of the flakes as they lay oh so correctly in the tin. It seemed almost wrong to disturb them from their slumber. Nevertheless, faint heart ne'er won fair maiden and, feeling much like the prince that woke sleeping beauty, promptly rubbing some of it after gently waking it, I endeavoured to pack it into my pipe, never too easy with a flake, even if the lighting was a stroll through a very picturesque park. And ooh la la, that sweet, light taste with hints of lemon, just so relaxing and chilling. The room note slips into obscurity, but only a very minor downside, barely worthy of mention.

Sorry if I've made this sound like a fairy tale worthy of a Disney movie, but it seems like this tobacco has it all. So well packaged, so fantastically smelling, so delicately, so sweetly tasting. Perfectly cast as the four star leading lady if you ask me.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phil Bennett (7)	2016-09-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

A fantastic Virginia with a sweet fruity topping as opposed to rum or honey you find in other navy flakes. The topping enhances the grassy Virginia perfectly. The flakes are uniform in size and the moisture level in the tin was perfect just slightly on the dry. Smoke half a flake in a small bowl not too loosely for the best experience.

Pipe Used: Several

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: MySmokingShop

Similar Blends: MacBaren navy flake.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (149)	2006-02-03		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Good example of a VA flake as many I have tried recently. Smells sweetish in the tin (Excellent presentation by the way, I like the shiny gold paper and the leaf shaped sticker), medium dark flakes, cut quite thick.

Rubs out easily, moisture content is ideal. I rub this one out quite well, it helps it to stay lit, and it still burns cool as it is sliced so thickly. Outdoors on a windy day though, just roll a slice up and shove it in the pipe. Lights with ease provided you put some of the well rubbed "crumbs" on top.

Breath smoking provides a toasty, slightly tangy virginia sweetness, very pleasant. It does not overheat easily, and wont bite unless highly aggravated. Take it easy, sit back and relax, its a gentle walk compared to the thunderous cavalry charge of some of the famous Latakia blends.

Overall very pleasant, I'm sure it will mature well. But none of the raisiny sweetness I love in some VA blends- Light Flake used to have this, I've been searching for something as good since the quality declined recently. But this is a fine, natural tobacco and I look forward to smoking it again.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JClark (26)	2003-06-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin says "Elegant", and I have to agree. This is a bright and lively pure virginia flake. Despite what one may have heard, or even read, there is nothing that even resembles a casing on these flakes. The aroma in the tin is sweet and slightly fermented natural virginia, not any so called "rum puch" concoction. The presentation upon first opening the tin is second to none, absolutely magnificent. This is one of my favorite summer (virginia) smokes. The taste does lean more towards the tangy end of the virginia spectrum, but not overly so, meaning there is still a good amount of virginia sweetness here. The smoke is silky smooth and dry. I personally have never been bitten by this, though I get the impression that it could nip the tongue if not respected. I feel that this is an often overlooked and underated virginia flake, and I recommend it whole heartedly.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2018-11-08		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I consider my self a virginia flake lover so this blend was on my list.once the tin opens a sweet grassy smell comes out.the bright/brown flakes are in perfect shape and moisture so rubbing and packing are easy without drying time needed.lights up easy and a few relights are needed.while smoking the flavours are pleasant and natural.virginias are mainly grassy,citrusy,hey with some peppery notes.the light topping adds some sweet and plumy notes without being overwelmed° making the experience very pleasant.generally the flavours are natural and very balanced.burns normal and medium hot to perfect ash with a lot moisture left at the filter.nicotine level is almost medium and the aftertaste is sweet and grassy.no chance of tongue bite.the room note is a typical tolerable virginia smell.this is a pleasant all day blend simple and natural that will satisfy you for sure.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (128)	2010-07-10		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I could only get a little taste out of this by using very small pipes and concentrating very hard, which for me, is not what pipe smoking is about.

Presentation and quality are fine, burns to a nice whte ash, no bite or taste for that matter.

Glad I was able to try it, but I won't be buying more.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2004-01-08		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Capstan Mild?.Orlick?s Golden Sliced?.Fribourg & Treyer?s Golden Mixture?.Mac Baren?s Virginia Flake?.give or take a bit of Burley, a bit of topping, they are all of a similar weight and profile. Good enough, but not entirely justifiable. Unrubbed, it will smoke cooler: just about the only reason to put this kind of thing in flake form; complex, it isn?t. Pleasant, refreshing, lemony? Yes. Too lightweight and inconsequential for me. Even in Summer. (When one can glory in Reiner?s heavenly Long Golden Flake!) Nice packaging.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	H Gillman (39)	2014-05-20		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought a tin after my tobacconist gave me a few flakes to try. I blew through the 6 he gave me and immediately bought one. The tin note is beautiful. Dried fruit, fresh hay. As noted by another reviewer, the presentation is great. Neat little can with two perfectly cut stacks of nicely pressed flakes that fit into the can without a hair of space. This flake works best for me folded then rubbed into the palm of my hand. This method produces fine ribbons and grains that when gravity fed into a bowl lights easily and stays lit. The smoke is smooth, with a nice minute hint of sweetness. The ash is fine and grey/white. I found this flake to be smokable immediately without pre-seasoning. Another flake to keep on hand.

Pipe Used: Peterson's and others

Age When Smoked: 2 years sealed

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SopwithCamel (255)	2005-04-18		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I received a tin of this for Christmas. I had never tried flake Virginia before. It is beautiful in the tin. It smells as though it has some brown sugar in it, but it is probably just the smell of the tobacco. I had no trouble rubbing it out, and it packed beautifully. When I lit it, I was surprised by the taste. It is a grassy and tangy flavor, not at all like it smelled. It smoked very cool and dry despite its apparent moisture level. It had a pleasant, natural aroma. This is a well crafted product, and a nice change of pace from the Burley I usually smoke. Highly recommended.

This flake is definitely under rated. It is mild, so if your tastes don't lean that way, don't smoke it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2002-11-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A nicely packaged navy flake; small rectanglur tin with the tobacco all layed nice & neat. ...Handy little tins.

Tin aroma: Pure tobacco. That's as good as one wants!

Room aroma: No negative comments from anyone.

Taste: First 1/2 or better; one receives a spicey tang; almost peppery. Can be strong to a novice. A good pure Virginia tobacco.

Last 1/4: Spicey tang subsides; ....but alas, I'll load again and start all over.

A Keeper!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2002-09-30		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

These perfectly prepared slices ~ 2.5 x 1.5 x 1/16" thick are an example of outstanding workmanship and comprised of mostly darker VAs with some golden intermixed. I don't sense any 'navy' topping in the tin aroma or taste, just good quality tobaccos. Easy to pack, lite and keep lit, it smokes without bite @ a reasonable pace. The taste is uniform in different pipes and also within the same smoke. It's a bit too tangy and lacking sweetness for my all-day use, but is still a good change of pace on occasion. Although I prefer and find MacBaren's Navy Flake, even though Burley based, more complex and interesting, this blend also results in an enjoyable smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2002-08-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Royal Navy Flake is a beautifully cut and packaged mottled Virginia flake lightly topped with what seems to be some sort of rum punch. RVF gave me no problems with heat or tongue bite, but over time I did have problems with the rather shrill tanginess that is the primary taste experience here.

RVF doesn't really develop, and it smokes pretty much the same in different pipes, so if you don't like Tang with your Virginias, you won't like this.

I like this as a summer smoke, and as it is reasonably forgiving it may be good for those new to Virginia flakes.

On the whole, an interesting tobacco, but one I doubt I'll buy for the cellar.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Davedmn (17)	2020-10-10		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The pouch note is a sweet Virginia flake smell. All dried fruits and a little hay. I cannot identify what the topping is but it seems to be fruity. The flakes are thin and neat. They rub out nicely(my preferred method of preparation)

I find it needs a little drying time - for me about 30 minutes. It takes the flame well and left no dottle.

This is a very good medium Virginia flake. I find it similar to capstan blue. But maybe a little milder.

But if you like the capstan I think you will like this. Give it a try.

Pipe Used: MM cob and others

Age When Smoked: Just bought and now 4 months old

Purchased From: On line GQ tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	John_B (33)	2020-06-25		Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

I am a real sucker for good Straight Virginias, and even more so in a Navy Flake. Combine the two like this blend has done and I am potentially in Tobacco Heaven. It has been on my list of must try blends for a while, and it did not disappoint. In the UK we are sadly devoid of many of the classic flakes like Capstan and Orlik and it is a real treat to find something that can be found without the considerable ball ache of an international order. The only minor inconvenience is that it comes in a 40g pouch instead of the classic 50g tin found elsewhere. The flakes are a very well pressed meaty offering about 5" long and I cut them in half making 10 neat standard flakes to jar. The pouch note is nothing short of divine and it smells rich and boozy like a fruit cake mix with a hint of sherry and rum, although there is allegedly only a fruit topping. Moisture is nigh perfect but I always like to allow some drying time. I rubbed mine out and filled a favorite pipe of mine. Blakemar Briars "Sir Douglas" which is reserved for Virginias. Lighting is very easy and it is even possible to dispense with the charring light as it is that user friendly. Right from the get go, you are met with wave after wave of rich sweet bready Virginia goodness. Like a Tea Loaf or Cinnamon Bread with raisins. There is some citrus, but it is more like orange peel or dark Seville Marmalade than lemon. It is very much like Capstan Blue and Sam Gawith BBF got together and had a love child. This is the result, and a very good one it is too. Burns down all the way with no bitterness to a fine white ash. No bite, no dottle to speak of and no unwanted moisture. This has become my new benchmark blend and is in my opinion, the finest Navy Flake anywhere. An easy 4 stars.

Update:

Currently on my second pouch and enjoying it very much. This pouch needs some drying time and feels a bit sticky but my guess is that it is fresher. Word is that MacBaren took over the Planta portfolio, including the Holger Dansk brands, so time will tell how good it continues to be. MacBaren do make a good flake, so lets hope they don't mess around with the recipe. Now if only they could sell it in 50gm tins ? Please....

Pipe Used: Blakemar Sir Douglas

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

Similar Blends: MacBaren Navy Flake, Capstan Blue, Peterson Signature Flake..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Christrom (34)	2015-07-15		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Flakes are the perfect level of moisture and they light perfectly. Stays lit too. I definitely got the tang of the lemon and it stays at the forefront until half bowl. For me the taste is very reminiscent of a Montecristo cigar, with a very citrusy taste and slight pepper quality. I did find a creeping bite which is there to warn you not to rush. I dunno though... Would I recommend it? Yes! Would I have it often? Nope... Just a little over the top for my taste

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Maccas (6)	2012-12-10		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

My first foray into navy flakes,the tin and tobacco presentation is really lovely especially in this age of austerity. On opening greeted with a gold leaf surprise - a nice touch. The raw tinned flakes smell good with definite quality virginia, discreet aroma - hard to place but definately not un-pleasant. The flakes rubbed down well (youtube guidance),lit and burned well, I am breaking in a new Parker pipe and decided to give this pipe over to this full tin - smoking slowly over time. The room note is ok but "she who must be obeyed" said it is not as nice as the aromatics I have been smoking. I would like the Parker to be fully broken in for a good deep bowl full but so far so good. I would smoke this again. This could be my everyday smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluenoser (34)	2011-05-22		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I tend to stay away from mild tobaccos as I find myself inhaling the smoke way way too much trying to get at that nicoteen hit for which the cavity of the mouth won't do on light smokes. However, this light flake is the exception. Although mild in strength it is exceedingly pleasant on my taste buds negating the necessity to draw the smoke any further into my body. RNF is similar to Virginia No.1 and thankfully it does not bite me as in the MacBaren offering. All-in-all, a delightful blend with great taste, burn and workability. I will purchase this blend again without hesitation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2010-07-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Strong

Nice looking flakes, on the gold/light brown side.

Not very tasty and the room note was horrible -sour, acrid, yucky.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2010-06-23		Very Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Nice tin presentation. Virginia flake with fruit casing. Hay and citrus taste, a traditional Danish flake ideal for an all day smoke or for a beginner with Virginia flake tobacco. The tobacco taste is somewhat inconsistent.

Update: After the tobacco has dried for some time, the casing is lighter, the flavor got much better and the taste is now more consistent. It is a bit harsh on the throat if puffed fast.

Virginia lover

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2010-05-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

These lemon Virginias are sweet and subtle, citric and hayey. I love the small tin and the nice bright flakes, they come with the perfect moisture level to pack in the pipe with no need of airing out. The taste is milder than most navy flakes, due mostly to the lack of burley and flavoring. A pure Virginia blend, highly recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2010-01-17		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought this looking for MB Navy Flake, and figured it might be worth a try. Well, it's not a bad tobacco, well made flake, and quality leaf, but if I had to equate taste it falls short IMO. Definately a strong VA presence, and can be a little bitey if not careful. It has a straw/hay like quality to it with a hint of lemmon on the after taste. I light it up when I have a hankering for a change of pace, and close it back up as quickly when I'm done. To each their own, thou shall not criticize another's blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-07-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This a virginia tobacco with a palatable scent (pre smoking that is) in light brown coloured flakes.

Regrettably there is a an intense sourness emitted during smoking which blocks the tobacco's sweetness and makes things less pleasant than expected from a virginia flake. As noted by others the blend also suffers from too much of a dried grass taste (a common issue with virginias).

In sum, no dread but also nothing to look forward.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-08-24		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

Man!

As much as this was most probably the most beautiful flake I've seen, the smoking was disappointing - too much hay tasting- and the room aroma was strangely strong, bitter, sour and, I must say, it stank.

Despite my most valuable efforts, I could not finish my pipeful...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-04-22		Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Nice smell in the tin; a little fruity and light. Well, that's how I would explain the smoke. I think novices to smoking virginias would get a great start with this tobacco since the flavor is certainly not overpowering and it takes alot to get it to bite. For me, it was a little too mild. However, it is nice to smoke without thinking too much, e.g., outside in the yard. I won't be buying more tins but the quality is good.

aj

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2005-12-15		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a very nice tobacco. The flavoring is very mild and just slightly noticeable. It's not something I'm going to keep around or buy again but that's not because it wasn't good. It just didn't have enough character of its own to stand out as a keeper for me. But it is worth trying if you like navy flakes. It has a nice sweet Virginia flavor. I could see this one becoming someone's favorite tobacco. Just not mine.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2003-02-08		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

A very nice flake,comprised of Virginia tobaccos with a very light sweetner.When I first opened the tin the smell of the leaf was heavenly.The moistness level was on the higher side of just right. The first few bowls right out of the tin were mostly fair in tatse,but after I let the tin dry out for twenty four hours the flavour went full stroke,and I was very pleased. The flakes remind me of Orlick Golden Sliced,but in colour like dark chocolate. A very pleasing and enjoyable smoke.Tounge bite will occur if you go hard on it.Enjoy this fine and luxury flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2003-01-30		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tangy is indeed the word that best describes this blend and is infact one of the reasons that it's one of my regulars. It offers tang without bite and since most of my favorite tobaccos are naturally sweet virginias, this blend makes for a nice change.

The tin contains two nicely cut stacks of high quality flakes that are at just the right moisture level. It burns clean and dry and although too tangy to be an all-day smoke of mine, it is one that I smoke a pipefull of almost every day.

If you love virginia flakes and want to try something different, give this blend a try.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2002-08-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Let me say up-front that I am a Virginia smoker. The label on the tin says "elegant pipe tobacco" and I would have to agree with the maker. The moisture level is such that the flake is very easy to rub out without completely disintegrating. Packed in two or three lifts, with moderate pressure, this tobacco is a one or two match smoke.

It smells like unadulterated tobacco in the tin and that impression continues in the taste. Oh man,this is what I came out for!

A word of caution: if you really Hoover it, Royal Navy Flake will bite. The solution is simple - slow down and enjoy your pipe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnH (24)	2019-04-30		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I picked up a couple of tins of this from a B&M in Tokyo recently. I hadn't heard of it much before, but was aware of this tobacco. Turns out the tins I got were already well aged, I can't put a specific date on them, but another tin I picked up with them was at least ten years old as the brand stopped production in 2009.

I'll have to try some of this fresh to give a definitive review, but based on what I got I couldn't be much happier. I love Virginia and this is a must for any virginia lover. Don't be put off by the talk of toppings, if I hadn't know I'd be pushed to notice them, very subtle. And whilst this is aged, I can't believe this fresh is anything other than a great virginia.

I'm actually really surprised this isn't rated higher, seems a solid 4 for me, and if you like this style of tobacco it's really hard to beat. Sure it's similar to others such as Capstan, HH pure virginia, and maybe Comoys Cask #4, but this is unique, and I don't just put that down to the topping.

It burns beautifully out of the tin giving everything you'd want from a straight virginia, but has a little more depth (probably the topping) and above all despite not being particularly strong, is really satisfying, a great smoke for any time of the day.

Simply a beautiful smoke. Not to be missed for the virginia lovers, and certainly, in my opinion more deserving than it's present rating of 3.1

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Not sure, more than likely considerably aged

Purchased From: Local B&M

Similar Blends: Capstan, HH Pure Virginia, Comoys Cask #4 etc.

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