Tobaccos J. F. Germain & Son - Germain's Special Latakia Flake

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2012-10-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The Virginias have a light grass and tart citrus along with some tangy ripe dark fruit, wood and earth. they form the base of the blend as secondary stars. The Cyprian Latakia is smokey, woody, earthy, musty, leathery sweet as a team player with the woody, earthy, fairly spicy, herbal, floral, vegetative, sweet and lightly sour Orientals taking a little of the lead. The strength and nic-hit are medium, and while the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. Won't bite or get harsh even if you're bad to it. it does have some rough edges. The flakes are easily broken apart for convenient packing. Well blended to the point that you'll notice every nuance in every puff, even though the Orientals and Latakia tend to dominate a little. Smokes cool, clean, and smooth with a minor creaminess and very consistent, mildly sweet and more savory, spicy campfire taste that translates t the pleasantly lingering after taste. Burns at a slow to moderate pace, and requires some relights, but not as many as some flakes do. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl. The camp fire room note won't be for everyone, but they'll leave you in peace to enjoy your smoke. It may not be an all day experience, but bears repeating more than once if this fits your flavor profile.

-JimInks

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2012-05-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Top notch stuff from Germain's here. That Latakia flavour just really punches good and early to set the stage for those mellower flavours afterwards. Easy packing too for a flake. Definitely four stars here.

Update 23/03/2013

I've decided to update my review as I finally took the plunge and bought a tin having reviewed a five gram sample above. I've been rather reticent about finally taking the plunge as I keep strange habits of smoking Latakia in the morning and flakes last thing at night so, somehow, the two didn't quite go together for me. However, I'm glad I finally decided to give it a go.

The small tin reminds me a little of HD's Royal Navy Flake even if it is a little bigger and a little more worn-looking. I was a little suprised to open up to find what appeared to be a formerly soggy now dried out mass of flake welded together inside a gloop of greaseproof paper, as if it had been rescued from some flood in Tewkesbury Cathedral.

My initial attempts to liberate said flake for democracy and my pipe proved fairly fruitless until I got stuck in with my reamer, it then came away pretty easily, if you scrape away at the edges and then the surface you should get an almost ribbon like mass forming - good stuff, worked for me, makes packing very easy. Lighting's not too shabby either. The Latakia isn't too strong in this one, even at the start but there is a bonus to this. The Virginia comes through very nicely with really nice hints of lemon and toffee, with the Latakia providing enough "pepper", if that's the right word, to keep it interesting. The room note too, is pretty good, following much the same line as the smoke.

On the whole then, an absolutely fantastic smoke with a really interesting and slightly complex flavour. It's not too strong on the Latakia, maybe why some people have thought it's not in there, but that is to it's credit. This is probably a good starter for both flakes and Latakias. And if you're a wierdo like me who likes to keep Latakias for the morning and flakes for the evening, well, this will do in place of both.

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Shell Briar (2)	2015-01-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The scarcity of Penzance and Krumble Kake have elevated this dense plug-flake to almost mythical status, but from what I have tasted of Penzance, this is quite a different tobacco.

A classic three part mixture of virginia, latakia and orientals present themselves here. The latakia shows itself on the char, but from then on, the virginia and orientals share the stage, with the latakia very much playing the supporting role. The virginia is very light, and not overly sweet. About half way through the bowl the deliciously specific aroma of JF Germain begins to come through. It can’t really be described, but anyone who is familiar with JF Germain tobaccos will know what I mean; it must be the type of oriental they use (I remember Glynn Quelch mentioning on one of his YouTube videos that JF Germain’s use a specific type of Basma, and they wouldn’t let him have any for his own blends!!). Aromatic, savoury, dusky, and almost like hazelnuts. Alongside this sits a very pure, unstoved virginia, much like the smell of a fresh golden virginia straight out of the tin. Once it gets going, the flavour remains very consistent right through to the end of the bowl.

Simply put, this tobacco is exquisite. It is not a powerhouse. It is a delicate, perfectly balanced mixture, focusing on light virginias and the delicate, unique orientals. Latakia firmly in the supporting role. I adore tobaccos such as Skiff mixture and Red Rapparee, and this fits right into this selection of tobaccos. For me the truly sublime tobaccos are the most delicate. I do like a full blow of latakia and not infrequently, but these subtle tobaccos are where the true magic lie.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

Similar Blends: Nothing really, but those who like 1820, Skiff or Red Rapparee should enjoy this..

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2011-04-20		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

WOW!

This stuff has been sitting in the cellar for a couple years, and for some reason I kept fondling the tin but never opened it. So glad I waited! The paper was stained a beautiful golden brown, with some sugar starting to precipitate. It's a crumble cake, and rubs out very easily. In fact, you just can't keep a flake intact.

This stuff really is fantastic. I think I like it better than Penzance. It's smoother, more refined, richer, a bit sweeter. The smokiness is a rich warm smokiness, not the oily kind common to some European Latakia blends. It is absolutely delicious all the way to the bottom of the bowl, burned beautifully and I burned through the tin very quickly.

Very highly recommended if you can find it!

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-06-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

2 year old tin. The paper appeared to have soaked up most of the extraneous moisture but this was not too dry. I actually dried it out a bit further. The tin nose was overwhelmingly of latakia and the color was bizarre... striped flakes? A single flake contained many top-to-bottom black strips and a few blonde colored ones as well, along with some darker brown. Truly unusual appearance.

Odd in the pipe as well. I could not fold-n-stuff this in flake form as the flakes stuck together like glue. However, it was very easy to simply peel off sections for loading as a fully rubbed out mixture. I got the most success when I made sure to use a full flake or two, depending on pipe size, rather than take a chunk off one flake and a chunk off another. As mentioned, it's like they laid a strip of latakia next to a strip of virginia next to a strip of oriental rather than blending the three together and pressing. To get the flavor the blender was likely going for required some care in loading.

At its best it was a salty, smoky and barely sweet blend with a fair amount of depth. At its worst it was a bitter conglomeration with no "vision". The trouble was that I never knew which I was getting until I lit up. One tin just wasn't enough to figure this one out. The latakia was never overpowering and I couldn't get this blend to bite no matter how I intentionally provoked it. The orientals and virginia did a little bob and weave routine and were often MIA. But sometimes this mix just turned on me. Reminded me of GLP's Cumberland in that respect, another blend I have yet to figure out. This is for the most part a worthy blend, although nothing special as its name would indicate. I find this one good but ordinary - nothing to see here.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2014-01-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

J. F. Germain & Son - Special Latakia Flake.

Unlike the description of flake mine arrived semi-broken. The colour's half and half jet black to brown. There are a few full flake pieces but the majority's broken.

Although the Latakia's been added with a heavy hand the Orientals prevent it from monopolizing the smoke. There's a buttery note from these which makes the smoke smoother. The Virginia, in comparison to these two, is responsible for very little flavour. Because of the large amount of Lat' it burns cool. Also, it gives me no bite.

Nicotine: above medium. Room-note: quite heavy.

A great smoke. Four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula #03

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-10-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This gorgeous VA and Latakia blend is not so much of a flake, as described, but a hybrid between flake, plug and shag, Thus, no-matter what consistency you desire, or what bowl size or type of pipe you select for it, it will always have a perfect burn, (unlike McConnell's Latakia flake) and maintains its flavour without becoming overly ashy on the tongue.

Like my tin of Medium Flake, I found several of these in my cellar with between five and ten year on them. I had opened one of these to find spectacular plume (sugar crystals) developing across the veins of Latakia! Normally, one sees this on the VAs, but to see silvery lines of it on the charcoal-black Latakia strands told me I was in for a rare delight.

Even a green tin is a delight. The appearance is of golden and jet marble, with long veins of shredded leaf, packed into a plug-like brick, which is aesthetically perfect, as as with my review of Medium Flake, it smokes lovely in small-bowled briars and clays. I have found that this one prefers smaller to medium bowls, as this keeps it consistent, and that in my ODB, it became a bit bland toward the bottom.

Although some seem to claim it is a true English, I classify it to be a VA/Lat mixture with very little Oriental at all, at all. The Lakeland scent in this is extremely muted, but still there, and I happen to find that delightful, but others my not.There is also a higher percentage of bronze, and possibly some red leaf in this, as compared to Medium Flake; this lends toward more Nicotine, however, the Latakia is timid in this regard, which leads to an overall balance of about the same kick as medium Flake, but nowhere near Brown Flake.

Unlike Medium Flake, which I have daily, and then-some, I do not keep this in my regular rotation. That isn't to day that it isn't a treat, but I try to keep it as such, as I feel that Special Latakia Flake doesn't hold up well for more than one bowl a day. I also prefer to have at least a year on my tin of it, if not more, and it is hard to keep something in daily rotation that you need to age.

Although, as I stated, it is a good smoke when green, it is fabulous when it ha some time on it, and I would rather wait with a dozen in the cellar, and two green tins that I can sip while the others mature.

Special Latakis is smokey, slightly sweet and soft, with a woodsy background. It is especially good during the winter, or on rainy days, and if you have a small-bowled briar or a clay in which to set fire to it, so much the better.

I also find that toasting SLF, unlike medium Flake, does not improve it: It is best as-is, and should not be allowed to dry.

The only downside is that because it is primarily around a 70/30 mixture of VA and Latakia, you may find it lacking dimension. This is where the tin aging helps dramatically, but that, of course, requires patience.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cherry picker 1779 (52)	2017-09-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

With the name of special Latakia flake I was expecting some serious latakia. I love the stuff but that's Not the case here , however it's a fine tobacco that I really, really, enjoy. Tin aroma is earthy and has a strong fig and raisin scent. I really like the tin presentation of the tobacco. Peeling off fantastic long strands from this flake of black and brown and gold and red makes a fun pack. It is on the wetter end of the river but smokes cool and tastes great straight out of the tin, just needs some relights on the way down early on. Smoke starts out light and mellow, nutty, creamy , smooth and sweet but gains strength and character as you progress. I want more strength and flavor when first lit, but it definateley gets there at about the 1/3 mark. Very smoky. Very pleasant. It's odd to me that coffee doesn't work with this blend so well as it drowns out the natural flavors of the tobacco and makes you want more strength and flavor, but on its own it's just perfect. I will definateley want to keep this fine nice lady around. I enjoy penzance at times and I enjoy special Latakia flake at times. They both have that smooth creamy characteristic but I wonder why this one doesn't also carry the hype? It's just as good, dare I say it..... better?!?! If your dissapointed because the name is a little misleading I can understand, but if your like me you are ever so glad you bought the tin anyway because it is one of the best blends out there. I was starting to think I tried it all until I got into some Germains. I'm not very sure if there can be any better blends out there than this. I've said that before but now im pretty sure that this takes the flake! I have smoked, all the frogs, presby mix, squady leads, nightcap, sobranie, empire English, ten to midnight, dark star, Irish oak, penzance, artisans blend, carter hall, captain black, empire English, trout stream, three nuns, and several house English blends but I gotta say this is better quality and smoother tobacco blend than all the others. There's just something about it that seperates it from all the others. Not too heavy in the nic dept but French inhaling every here or there will get you a very nice nic fix by the end of your bowl. Consider yourself a winner if you got some of this stuff in your pipes ! Update 12 /11/17 The recent snowfall here in Buffalo has me looking for a change up in flavor from my regulars ( presby mix, , squadron leader, sobranie , and nightcap for the most part) but lately I've been dipping into penzance, margate , and King Charles smoking mix the last week or so. Tonight I packed my largest bowl with SLF. I'm definateley getting the most cigarette like flavor I've ever had from a pipe tobacco. To the likes of petersons Irish oak. Or at least what I remember of that blend a few years ago. I do smoke cigs and I find this to satisfy the nicotine fix as a French inhale / retrohale most pipe tobacco to get a good nic hit out of it. Room note is cigs too. It's Very strange as I had sworn I got more chocolate and rounded flavor tones in the past with this. it's the same tin as my original review and it has been sealed in a jar since. I actually like this cigarette flavor but I can't see most people liking the cig flavors. It's Turkish all the way if I'm not mistaken. Comparing it to margate and King Charles mix it is severely lacking sweetness and Latakia. And yes I do find this most similar to penzance, sometimes it's even better. This time around its monotone , bland, like a really good camel cigarette of Turkish tobacco. Maybe it's just me. Not bad to me, but there are much better offers readily availible if you ask me. Downgrading to two stars for now....update 12/16/17 must have had a bad bowl last update, be sure to mix in the flakes containing all the players. Definateley back to 4 stars. This is indeed a great tobacco

Similar Blends: Penzance.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2017-03-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Despite the name the stars of Special Latakia flake are the Virginias and the Orientals. Moreover although Latakia is present, to me SLF tastes more like an enhanced Virginia flake than an English mixture. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the most popular English mixtures come in ribbon cuts. But it’s not that only, it has to do with taste and to me it does not taste like an English.

Virginias are dark, succulent, leathery and yeasty in the same vein as FVF (…only better in my opinion in both mechanics and flavor), seasoned with drier, sour, creamy, earthy, loamy, even dusty Orientals with a hint of tangy butter and a Latakia which gives me the impression it is ancient, like it is almost exhausted but still there, which adds a smoky sweetness but only as a condiment.

Now as for the Latakia, care must be taken when rubbing or folding the flakes (very easy) because it is not evenly distributed among them and unless you consciously take care to include some in your bowl you might end up wondering where the Latakia is…

Flavours evolve throughout the bowl as the taste becomes deeper, almost chocolaty. At times I find it has the sweet spice of freshly baked pastries. At other times I get notes of white pepper and then again of black - always supported by the depth of the Virginia sweetness. For this reason I like to smoke SLF in larger bowls and while until the first two thirds of the bowl there is a restrain to the pace it burns, towards the end the tobacco at the base of the bowl seemingly dried by the burn above it, smokes drier with greater volume of smoke and a little faster. What a nice change!

Strength is only medium but flavors are complex and pronounced. A deeply satisfying smoke I can only use as a treat and not for all-day. For me this tobacco is the apotheosis of both Virginia and Turkish. A true Virginian/Turkish delight! Room note is very Turkish. I like it, most do not.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	shakenbake (11)	2012-04-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Wow. All I can say is, Wow. This flake hit the spot taste- and aroma-wise. It brings me back to the days of those venerable Latakia laden blends originally from the UK, and particularly for the Gentlemen (and Ladies) of St. James. Although it is a difficult flake to separate out of the tin, most of the flakes being in a semi-rubbed out state, it burns well and packs easily enough.

The pipe starts out a bit spicy and later into the smoke, the Virginia sweetness comes through. Although it might seem to be a bit wet out of the tin, it smokes dry and clean. Well done Germain and Son!

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2006-04-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This blend seems to have drawn a variety of opinions. Mine is from a tin smoked a year or so ago by myself and some of my fellow pipe club members. It was very moist coming out of the tin, but dried quickly once exposed to open air.

Two things are immediately evident, the Latakia in this one is strong, smoky and leathery. I can see where Lat addicts will swarm all over this one as the processing was superb and the leaf is obviously top shelf. While one of the stronger (and really smoky!) Latakia blends that I've ever smoked, it was smooth from start to finish.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2018-01-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Truly a special Latakia blend! The flakes are almost all broken in my tin and given all the comments on the inconsitency of the tobacco-ratios in the tins, I feel I'm lucky my tin has about 70% bright leafs (Virginias+Orient) and 30% pich black parts (Latakia).

I find this to be more an Oriental-forward blend, rather than a "Latakia-Bomb". Quite moist this needs some drying for my gusto, but then burns perfectly and cool.

The aroma is salty, hearty, smoky, ethereal and slightly sweet. The Orientals are everpresent, give a nice exotic, ethereal aroma, with spice and the "sharp edge" (in a positive sense) of Orientals. The Latakia sports some smokiness, salty, creamy aroma. I perceive the blend as being really salty, reminding me of sea-water, like you could really taste the shore where the tobaccos have been fire-cured. Slightly sweet undertone, but rather hearty and full-bodied. Not too complex, just honest, hearty tobacco-goodness.

Be aware, that it'll ghost your pipe more than the average english... at least this is my experience with it! Whenever I had 2 bowls of Special Latakia FLake, the follow-up bowl will have the same saltiness that overtones the nuances of a more complex smoke. Dedicating a pipe to this blend wouldn't do harm, if you smoke this blend frequently.

I like this blend quite a lot and it deserves being an old classic, I'll get a few more tins by times for sure! Recommendable to the English lover, as well as to fans of Oriental Leaf imo.

Pipe Used: Clays, Cobs, Briars

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kumo (4)	2016-05-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I am mostly a latakia smoker. Or I should say, I have mostly been a latakia smoker until I discovered the subtleties of straight VA flakes. Still, I love latakia. And I love good VA. And Germain Special Latakia Flake is the pinacle of both worlds.

It's a flake in the Germain tradition, meaning that it's most definitely a broken flake, tightly packed in a small tin.

It's also definitely VA-forward. Lovely, plump, juicy, fruity VA's like only Germain can deliver. It's so VA-forward that the smokers of stout english blends may find it a bit light for their taste.

It's followed by savoury orientals to spice up the mix. Now, I am not an oriental tobaccos specialist. I never tried my hand at sampling every one of the oriental blends offered by the likes of McClelland. All I can say is that I tend to prefer balkan to english blends for the palette of flavours oriental tobaccos deliver. The orientals here are typically Germain as well, and you'll be in known territory if you smoke Exotique Mixture or Penzance.

What's the difference with those two, then? The difference, Sir, is that in Special Latakia Flake, latakia comes third. Kind of weird for a tobacco called "Special Latakia", but that's the very reason why I favour that one over Exotique or Penzance. It's no lat-bomb for sure. It's a latakia-flavoured VA flake.

Now, I have smoked many pressed latakia tobaccos. Some very fine ones like Krumble Kake, Penzance and Lancer's Slices. Some likeable ones like Old Ironsides and Holly's Discovery. Some so-so ones from Gawith (Balkan, Navy, Bothy) and some truly crappy ones like Giubileo d'Oro and HH Latakia Flake. In my humble opinion, no one is as lovely as Special Latakia Flake. The reason is that no one takes as much care to use such excellent VA's and to boldly put them forward.

A last word on the room note, even if it's mostly pointless to care about room note when you smoke latakia. However, when it comes to any of the Germain latakia blends, I find the room note enticing. If, like me, you enjoy the incense-laden atmosphere of old religious buildings, the evocation of Silk-road caravans and maybe even the Oriental aisle of dusty museums of ethnography, you'll love the room note.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: HU-tobacco, Smokingpipes

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2012-12-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

The people at J.F Germain's tell me that this is "more or less the same" as Penzance, which is not available in the UK. My palate isn't sensitive or accurate enough to tell whether this is so or not; but I can tell you that this Latakia flake is a mighty fine smoke in its own right when you're in the mood for Latakia. An English mixture in (more or less) flake form, it's a tasty, woodsy, cool smoke that behaves itself all the way to the bottom of the bowl, and each bowl gives you a good long smoke. It smokes dry and it won't bite. What more could you want? It beats Samuel Gawith's Latakia Flake hollow, IMO. If you don't like Latakia, you won't like this. If you do, you will. I can't find anything wrong with it, apart from the room note, which non-Latakia lovers will find distressing - though the same is true of all Latakia blends. I still don't understand why Germain's won't market Penzance in the UK; but they obviously have no intention of doing so. This may not be exactly the same, but it's a fair approximation.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnH (24)	2019-07-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Simply put this is one of my favourite tobaccos. There is only one other I enjoy quite as much, and which ever one I'm smoking is my favourite. I could smoke it all day every day and not get tiered of it, yet it serves as a sublime, unique pleasure everytime I smoke it.

It appears almost more like a rough broken flake in the tin, but there are flakes there when you search. You'd be forgiven for thinking it a little wet straight out the tin, but I find it smokes well without further drying, just just have to work with it a little more start, but once it gets going it'll smoke wonderfully.

The smoke is subtle yet bold, a beautifully balanced soft smoke that is full of character and just a little spice.

I could rattle on about this all day, but I really recommend you try it for yourself.

I will just also add that this tobacco ages beautifully.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh and aged

Similar Blends: Brebbia - Latakia Flake Mixture No. 9.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_dalai_lama_himself (43)	2017-05-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Maybe 25% latakia, Stellar blend. Spicy and sweet with a savoryness that works the salivary glands into overdrive. Buttery and creamy spicy Turkish, The woodsy earthy bassnotes of the Latakia which kind of coats the tongue, the fruit and slight citrus of the Virginia peeks its way in now and again especially in the back of the palate.. the finish is very long if not a bit overly sweet at times and succulent..clean and warm through the retrohale slight fruit and cocoa/coffee/earth. I'd call this in between medium full & full flavored as the depth is seemingly endless but mild to medium in strength.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gestalt (20)	2013-02-16		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

My tin contained Virginias and some Orientals, with no Latakia present at all. Tin note was an overwhelming sickly sweet stench of stewed figs and nothing else. There was also something very unpleasant about the smoke... Maybe it's the taste of disappointment?

Very disappointing experience, especially as I hear this can be a very good tobacco indeed.

It feels a bit unfair to give this a poor review after having a bad tin, but I feel that a tin of Latakia flake should have Latakia in it. I get the impression from other reviewers that variable quality is a feature of this blend. I may try again one day and will update this review then, but I doubt it.

I sent the tobacco back to Germains with a letter but received no response. The chances of me trying this blend again are even slimmer now.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2018-11-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This flake from the first look seems to be made in an old traditional way like the old times.once the tin opens a robust smell of woods,leather and some citruses comes out.the mostly dark with some bright spots flakes have perfect texture either to rub of fold as they are.i recommend rubbing and some drying time because they are a bit moist.lighting is easy with some relights needed.while smoking you instantly realize that this is a traditional english blend with very natural and satisfying taste.latakia flavours are strong being leathery,coaly and sweet.orientals support the flavours by offering lots of woods,spices and earthy notes.virginias come last offering mostly citruses and some sour notes.generally the flavours are combined to a great and natural result.burns cool and medium speed to perfect ash with a little moisture left at the filter.the nicotine level is lower than medium (wich is the only weak spot to me) and the aftertaste is what you expect from an englist blend.no tongue bite exists even if pushed hard.room note is bad as expected.not an all day blend to me but for someone who is dedicated to english blends it is an all day smoke.in conclusion this is a very pleasant traditional english flake.

Age When Smoked: 1 year cellared

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt. Peng (2)	2017-12-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

-=The Lord of The Smoke-Rings - The Fellowship of the Special Latakia Flake=-

A short-story

My precious....the infamous Special Latakia Flake by Germain's....a beast like no other... if I only had known that before seeing it laying on the shelf of a local magical-herbs vendor.

It scoffingly smiled at me whispering "Come and set me free! Smoke me like you stole me..." My eyes stopped wandering the endless-seeming shelf full of tobacco blends of which approximately 50% are soul- and characterless smokes that are easily replaceable with any other tobacco... Special Latakia would be none of those, of that I was sure when lurking at its simple, yet classy label on the front of the tin.

Some anarchistic vanadal had maltreated all of the tins by spraying "Smoking kills" on it.. definetly must've been one of those anti-sensualists that are lacking any sense for pleasure and the good things in life who did this, so I grabbed that poor thing held it in my hands and tried to relive it from its contamination using my most powerful chant (saliva and trying to rub the ink off), but it was too late.. the ink had burned its way too deep into its surface. Pitfully I took it to the counter and gave this poor soul a shelter in my house. The vendor had warned me about this harmless looking tin of tobacco, telling me to be careful and think twice if I wanted to buy it, but I didn't trust his words, thinking he would want to keep this gem for himself.

Once home I did finally let it breathe some fresh air by cracking the tin. "FINALLY...wuahahahaha" it squalled shortly after I removed the lid and thousands of musty, smoky and salty smelling ghosts left their cage where they had been held captive for too long. "NOW YOU'RE MINE! I'LL HAUNT YOU TILL YOU'RE PUSHING UP THE DAISIES!!!" it yelled at me in a taunting way. My skin was covered with goosebumps and I shrinked back, almost falling off my chair. What had I done? What kind of beast did I unleash? I should've burried that taseful mostrosity tthere and then so it wouldn't do any harm to anyone, but I was too far in...I had to smoke it and see what the fuzz was all about!

"SMOKE ME...COWARD" it yelled on as a scent of ethereal-smokiness, delicate sweetness and refreshingly grassy filled the room, grabbing all of my attention. I plucked up courage and grabbed a clay pipe laying on the top of my desk whilst shouting "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!" towards the tin of tobacco, holding this piece of clay like a magic wand... bravely I ripped open the cover-sheet and grabbed a pinch of the already broken flake slices that had a tiger-like look to them and courageously stuffed it into the white-gray clay bowl that already had tamed quite a few beasts in the past.

"YOU HAVE NO POWER HERE!!" I yelled at the tin, whilst my wife was preparing to call the men with the white coats and to explain to the kids how Daddy lost his mind to a tin of pipe tobacco....

"BURN Motherf.... BURN!!!!" I obsessively yelled on as I set the flame of my lighter to maximum, ignited it and with crazy eyes held it threateningly towards the packed bowl of tobacco and the first layer of tobacco caught fire to begin smolding evenly.

"I'LL SUCK THE SOUL OUT OF YO....OH" for a seconds I remaied silent as I realized what I just wanted to shout out loud, and I realized how that may have sounded to my surroundings and decided to keep my mouth shut, as my wife had just put the phone away, after I assured her I'm in the wokest state of mind I had ever been in... I didn't want to wake any sleeping dogs...or kids, ye know.... and provoke a white-coat covering my white clay...

As I took the first puffs with twisted eyes I knew what I was up to... this was a beast like no other! Its salty, smoky mustiness tickled my tounge and taste buds and bravely I took a few more puffs before a ethereal and flowery aroma also started trying to enchant me and making me a slave of this beast. The bold spice and smokiness got countered by some sweetness was... This beast had some most powerful spells...

I didn't had a snowball's chance in hell... I was doomed, being a slave for eternity of this mystical, magical beast....I'd never be able to take my eyes off of its blinding beauty... I'd be admiring its possessive charme for ever, adoring it, begging for mercy on my knees....

My precious....my precious.... my pre....cious....

Pipe Used: A magic wand of white clay

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lazarus77 (91)	2017-05-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

A nice mixture from Germains. Easy to lit, smoke, few relights needed. As it is " Special Latakia flake" I want more Latakia in it. In my tin 70 % of bright and only 30% of dark flakes, and I'm missing smokiness that I'm getting from Balkan blends. Overall is good tobacco. Recommend.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 6 moths

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop.co.uk

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pinko (52)	2016-07-22		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Any doubts that this is handmade tobacco will disappear as soon as you open the tin - the flake is all jammed in there, and there are veins of Latakia in it. Big, dry, black veins running throughout the Virginias. You could pinch out a pure Lat string and pack a bowl of it.

Grab a few pinches, making sure to get all the different colors, and let it dry some. The load it and fire it. It is gently smoky with a bright Virginia flavor, not a lot of red VA taste, and some very well integrated Turkish leaf. It tastes rich and creamy, but not overly sweet, and everything works very well together.

I pick up a couple tins every time I see it at my tobacconist. Lord help you if you’re trying to order it online. But it’s worth smoking, if it was more available I’d probably have it in the regular rotation instead of off to the side as an occasional treat. It’s nice to buy Special Latakia Flake a couple tins at a time over years anyway, because each batch seems to be a little different. Like I said, this is handmade tobacco, no machined consistency here. That’s part of its charm.

Age When Smoked: 3 month

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LondonCalling (13)	2016-03-01		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Let's for a moment forget the name of this mixture, and treat this review as some sort of blind tasting. I'll explain why shortly.

This is a pleasant, refined tobacco. On opening the tin I see a block of rather loose flake wrapped - rather unusually - in grease-proof paper. The tobacco feels sticky, though not overly-moist. I can see plenty of bright strands, presumably virginias, a few darker patches - presumably latakia - and as other reviewers have noted, the constituent tobaccos seem strangely unblended, though this is not a problem as it simply means you have to rub them together. It takes a light easily, smokes politely without significant bite or relights, maintains a surprising sweetness down to the bottom of the bowl, and probably constitutes a decent all-day smoke.

But......

.....quite why Germain chose to call it "Latakia Flake" is beyond me. Certainly there's some latakia in this blend. But it's hardly enough to confer the title, and certainly anyone buying this mixture expecting a healthy dose of latakia is, like me, likely to be a little disappointed. That said, it's a quality tobacco providing a pleasant smoke. Just ignore the name.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: From date of purchase

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beardywul (5)	2015-06-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

A-mazing! After 2 tins the latakia content and ingredient proportions weren't all that different. Slightly so. The first one, with more latakia, leading me to pick up my second but both of them were beautiful. I have yet to see the enormous inconsistencies a few people have reported and I WILL keep occasionally buying this.

I think it is one for rubbing out completely due to the visible gold and black layers; the 'seperateness' of the components, despite the pressing they have had. Not one for stuffing. I'm not a stuffer anyway but it's not much of a 'melded', processed beastie, so I don't think it would pay you to stuff it either.

Drying out flat for at least 20 minutes is probably advisable too. Then I just pack it loosely in another tin for portability but this also helps with another little issue as well.

The latakia will break into grainy little crumbs while the rest will rub out to a long stranded ribbon 'shag'. Picking up from the flat drying position will separate out the components as the lat crumbs are so, well, 'crumby' that they will remain on the tissue or tray. Use a credit card for lifting those and then just shake your tin or jar all randomly but not violently, like you are mixing a cocktail or something (you kind of 'are', anyway) and this will distribute them nice and evenly throughout your woolly 'shag'. I find that the crumbiness of the crumbs, far from being some drawback, is actually a nice advantage because you get that 'increased surface area' effect; the one that lets fine powders dissolve quicker in solutions and makes flour more flammable as an air-bourne dust, etc. In other words: it burns very efficiently, thoroughly and tastily. Permeating and remarrying with the Turkish and Va and tempering the slightly sharp, bitter-sweet characteristics those leaves can sometimes have (in this case only very, very slight; see Squadron Leader for some outright 'yanging' sourness) and combining to a sublime, creamy, well-balanced, 'light-smokiness' that I keep wanting again and again.

Even my occasional Golden Sliced intake has suffered and my tin of it is drying out.

Cool burning and I have yet to be bitten.

Others can describe the flavours better than me but do yourself a favour and don't wait too long before trying it yourself. It is grand stuff!

Pipe Used: Various standard size, balsa filtered briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Edinburgh Pipe Shop

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-04-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

When I opened the tin I was a bit bewildered at what I saw. A mass of flake and broken flake all mushed together and very wet. I dumped the entire mass in a bowl and rubbed it all out very thoroughly, let it dry a bit and jarred it.

Smoking this is a pure pleasure. The components are well married giving flavors of smoke and wood with wonderful sweet and sour notes. The smoke is very smooth, almost mellow, making it very easy on a retro-haler like myself. All three components provide near equal amounts of flavor. Nicely balanced. If this were more readily available I would add it to my favorites list.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in flavor. Burns perfectly. A truly fine English.

Pipe Used: MM General, Country Gentleman, Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Henry Mars (21)	2012-12-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is one of those blends that I shy away from. Why? Because... I love the stuff and find it very hard to come by. This isn't anything like Penzance IMO. It remids me just a little of Squadron Leader with more Latikia. I am partial to flakes so it fills a need in my rotation. It is by no means a Latikia bomb. One other note, it must be dried out a lot before smoking so that it burns properly .... it can bite if too moist.

It is a well blended and typical English blend. The quality and blending skill is unquestionable. You can taste the Virginia and the Latikia is a bit forward but not overpowering ... the orientals provide just enough spice to keep it interesting but not particularly complex. A very nice tasting smoke that your really don't have to think about. When properly dried and properly packed it will burn cool right to the bottom of the pipe with only and occasional relight. Your pipe will be dry with only a bit of gray ash remaining. Thjis is an outstanding blend ... now if I could only get my hands on some more....

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tabaco (112)	2008-03-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am a big fan of Latakia infused slices, which I prefer to fold and twist or in a tall bowl a twist will do. The pressing enhances flavours and the burn. Even though it does take longer - a few more matches or a third of a tank of butane to light.

Upon opening the tin I did not find the tobacco overly moist. There is a fair bit of Virginia in this tobacco and the Orientals present a most pleasant aroma. Overall it is very well balanced and half way down the bowl it did change for the better with more of the Orientals coming through.

This tobacco is not a Latakia blast; however, the Latakia is blended very nicely, combusting in symphony with all of the other tobaccos. It is somewhat similar to Esotericas Penzance; however, not quite as full and rich. Certainly not a demanding smoke as Penzance sometimes is. I found it reminded me more of G.L. Pease Odyssey than Penzance.

To summarise, Special Latakia Flake is a wonderful blend to read a good novel by.

- Tabaco

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wes-NY (12)	2020-02-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I have to say that I absolutely adore this flake! Amazing when fresh and Stellar when aged! It develops a sheen of crystals that glistens when aged. For a Latakia Flake, it is anything but a Lat bomb! The latakia here is sweet and smokey. The Virginia's used must be aged for not only do they have the typical grass and citrus they also provide an earthy-sweet stewed fruitiness. The incense, spice, and perfume of the Oriental's tie it all together. It can be prepared in any method, but do yourself a favor and cube cut it! It will smoke cooler and slower with more flavor than you could ever imagine!

Pipe Used: Castello 55

Age When Smoked: 11 years

Purchased From: Shared

Similar Blends: MacBaren HH Latakia Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (156)	2018-11-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

In an age of astronomical tobacco duty, a pouch of this was a very generous gift from a friend. Its the first tobacco from Germain's that I've tried, and its quite nice!

The flakes are unusual, the different leaf appears to have been stacked in layers, with a seam of black latakia at the bottom of the flake, which has been crumbling off since I've had the pouch. The result is that it's not consistent from pipe to pipe. Would have been if I'd rubbed it all out at once, but that's not my style,and I suppose it made for variety having some pipes with a hint and some with a generous dose of latakia. The moisture content is just right, and the aroma in the pouch is like a light English mixture, smoke, hay, malt and wood. Not much of the mouldy funky aromas I enjoy in heavier blends like Nightcap.

It rubs with ease and takes the flame with no trouble, with an even burn. I didn't need many relights, and it burnt down to just a little more dottle than I'd see in an English mixture. The smoke has a dusty quality which seems to be from the latakia, more pronounced in bowls with more latakia. Aside from this it's mostly got a bready, malty flavour of Virginia leaf, with a little spice from the Orientals. Very much like a subdued English mixture. The flake preparation makes it burn a lot slower than a mixture would, which is nice. There isn't much development through the bowl.

In summary, a mild English in flake form, which makes for a slower burn and potentially some variation from bowl to bowl. Pleasant after breakfast with a cup of tea, but not an engrossing smoke for me to pay too much attention to. It strikes me as something of a gimmick, and won't be replacing any of my favourite English mixtures any time soon, but a pleasant change of pace for a chap who never looked a gift horse in the mouth.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum, calabash, Briars saved for English mix

Age When Smoked: New

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jaime102 (6)	2018-04-17		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am a faithful man. I like to try different options in life, but when I find something I love, I stick to that. However, today I came back home from the Motzek tobacco store with my beloved Solani English mixture and a tin of Germain's SLF. I never tried Germain's tobaccos before, so, after reading the components of this tobacco, I opened the tin. The Flakes where loosely compacted and mildly wet, like grass at 10 AM, so I left the tin open while I was brewing some green tea without honey. Virginia tobaccos are often sweet, and I am already sweet enough.

I loosely packed the tobacco in my Peterson Christmas 2017 XL11 because the Latakias in it, and then I lighted my pipe.... What a pleasure. Smooth, delicate Latakia flavors arose since the beginning, without overwhelming my palate, and the sweetness of Virginias developed nicely along the smoking experience. Orientals where seasoning the mixture, giving it an exotic character ...Damn, I'm in love.

I'm lighting my second bowl. My wife is right, I'm smoking too much.

Pipe Used: Peterson Christmas 2017 XL11

Purchased From: Motzek

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (203)	2018-04-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I am rather surprised by the amount of gold leaf these flakes contain, which is tangy and sweet. The addition of Latakia is rather minimal, but they seem to contain a fair amount of Oriental leaf as well. The woodsy and spicy notes of the Latakia are somewhat missing, but they retain some creamy properties that seem to develop against a sour/acrid background. Despite the moist content they don't clog in you pipe and you can get them going with just a few relights. One con is you might need to cellar them for some time to bring up all their full potential. Also, their intrinsic complexity might put some people off or miss the point.

Similar Blends: This is with due caution, but similar to McClelland's 2020 Matured Cake Mixture..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jallen49 (25)	2017-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

I guess it's my own fault for expecting a blend similar to Penzance... it's hard not to enter into this tobacco without that expectation. I should say Penzance is my absolute favorite blend, for many reasons, but as we all know, it's hard to obtain.

This was a good blend for what it is, which is a latakia based blend. Orientals and latakia dominate, and it's pleasant for the most part. One think I did not like is that I found this blend bitter at times, and not in a good way. It could have been the pipe I used, but I kept find this blend bitter. It wasn't so bitter to overpower the other smoky/earthy notes, but it was present much of the time. If there were a 2.5 star option, I would give it that, but I'll give the benefit rating it as recommended. Certainly give it a shot if you come across it, but I don't think I'll be buying again (not to say I wouldn't smoke it again). To my taste, there are just too many other great english blends to spend more time on this.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2015-03-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

The thin, fragile slices of this mottled flake tobacco are stacked and pressed rather disorderly into the rectangular tin and effuse a rich, earthy, peaty scent with salty notes of seaweed and tar, reminding me of a walk on the waterfront, and hints of apricot jelly. There might be some precipitate of sugar crystals, which must not be confused with mold.

In a fresh tin the sticky flakes are rather moist, which is why I usually leave it open overnight to let the tobacco dry. After that you can carefully take a flake from the stack, maybe with the aid of a sharp knife (the one I use for cutting plugs), and fill your bowl with the fold and stuff method. It's important to pack your pipe neither too tightly nor too loosely. To facilitate lighting I like to put some broken bits and pieces on top, which will always be at hand. A thorough charring light is required, before leveling out the ashes and putting an equally thorough true light to the tobacco. After that it usually burns down evenly from top to bottom.

The cool smoke is not extremely dense, but has a rather full bodied, savory, ballanced taste which mixes hints of incense, leather and spicy peat fire from the Latakia and Orientals with a tangy sweetness from the Virginias and an aftertaste of rye bread. There's no danger of tongue bite, even if you draw more eagerly on your pipe or enjoy it outdoors in a windy environment. It leaves some dry, almost white ash with some dark spots.

The room note is dominated by the smokiness from the Latakia.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Royal Guard Nr. 95

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Esterval's Pipe House

Similar Blends: Esoterica Penzance.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-03-21		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

As mentioned in previous reviews, the presentation of this flake is peculiar; the different tobaccos are visible as stripes through the flake. Because of this, in order to make a fair review I spent a couple of days smoking this by cutting across the width of the flakes into thirds and loading them into my pipe to get a good representation of the taste of the entire blend.

Straight out of the tin this tobacco is slightly too moist to smoke immediately, but it doesn't require a lot of drying time and I find filling a bowl before dinner and smoking it afterwards to be sufficient.

The latakia gives this tobacco a full bodied, savoury taste, but at no point did I find it overpowering. If prepared in the way I did, the virginia sweetness is present all the way down the bowl and makes this good for a slow, contemplative smoke. The orientals are noticeable but not enough for me to consider them a defining point of the blend.

If you hold back and wait a few minutes or so for a relight the sweet aspect really shines through, but sipped in a slow rhythm I get a balanced taste of coffee cake with meatiness in the background. It's fairly well behaved and can withstand some absent minded heavy puffing for some time without giving tongue bit, but obviously you'll get the best out of it when you take it slow.

Overall, SLF isn't a mind blowing tobacco but I can't fault it either, three stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mesh (51)	2011-10-16		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Salty, and not in a good way. Like a packet of salted peanuts with extra salt sprinkled in. Or like a smoke from a bowl after an alcohol-salt treatment gone wrong. I have never had a tobacco in any way similar. Maybe some sort of brine solution was overused in preserving the tobacco for this tin, i don't know, but after one bowl my mouth felt like i'd been bingeing at McDonald's since morning. Another bowl the next day confirmed my initial impressions. And the ghost of salt stayed in the pipes used for at least another pipeful of some other (normal) English blend. Bizarre. I won't be smoking the rest of this tin. It's possible that I bought a bad tin, but I won't be risking buying another. Germain and Sons should stop selling us second-rate tobacco and find a way to bring their best blends (Penzance, Margate, Stonehaven) on to the British market.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-05-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

from the name you'd expect this to be a balkan but out of the tin the orientals & turk tell you it's an english. the Latakia just sits along side offering a constant cool flavour. this is a very cool smoke but more to the point creamy, i hear this word used regarding the aesthetics of a smoke but this one is an english milkshake to saver. contemplative and very tasty. I suggested folding length-ways then fold in half, a few twists to screw it into a neat ball and gently ease it in your bowl, a perfect air-pocket method smoke. Slightly off topic this is a good tobacco to cycle with.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-11-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

What a wonderful blend. I was turned onto this by a friend at my tobacconist who knew I liked Penzance and suggested I give this a try.

The tin & pressed flake is a nice presentation.I like tobac that needs rubbing out as this one does. You don't have to be careful rubbing this out like you do with penzance (which will turn to powder if you overdo it). I found it necessary to air-dry mine for a couple hours.To make things easier I cut up the whole tin in half before putting up in a mason jar.

Filled my briar,lit up,and was greeted with a creamy full rich taste. It was blended with the latakia, virginias and Oriental perfectly blended so one does not overwhelm. Half way through the latakia shows some dominance but not such as to dull the hint of sweetness or smoothness thats ever present in this blend.Burns with a nice white ash with ample clouds of blue smoke.What a pleasure.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-10-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I had a lot of trouble with this one because it took a LOT of drying out. I don't think it was because it was so wet, per se, but it seemed to have some humectant. It did no good to pop the tin and leave it; you had to expose it to open air. Before it was dried out enough, this was not a very pleasant smoke at all. Bitter, hot, and just plain nasty. That's the bad news.

But the good news is, when this is dried out well, it delivers a unique and mouth-watering smoke. The best results came from taking a hefty portion out of the tin (say, 1/3 of the whole), rubbing it completely out, letting it dry...and dry some more...and dry some more. Then the smoke was unbelievable. It started like a good standard English tobacco: lots of smoky latakia and sweet virginias (brown-sugar tasting), with a subdued oriental component. But the exra, fire-cured component (Kentucky?) was the centerpiece. Often this component was very much in the background at the beginning of the smoke and built and built until it was quite powerful at the end. It was spicy and strong with the kind of piquant mouth-feel I've come to expect from perique (though, of course, there is no actual perique). Really exquisite.

This is one of the tobacco world's best kept secrets. For my money, Penzance (by the same blender) is not as interesting or tasty. But if you disagree, that's fine. Leaves more of this for me!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2008-09-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Terribly moist, dense and sticky flake, with a sickly smell just after opening. It's a medium english tobacco, and the flavor when smoking is not heavy at all, and it burns quite well, too! It's a sort of King Charles but richer and slightly sweeter. Not memorable anyway.

2008 Update: I have opened another tin, cellared for 4 years. Opinion remains unchanged: very smooth and creamy, but also weak in taste, watery and slightly cardboardy. Not as nutty, fragrant, spicy or complex as it would be fair to expect from such a product. OK, but very unexciting.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-03-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I purchased this tin on a whim in my perfect latakia hunt. The tin aroma is a deep leathery musk, with almost a prune like overtone. The tobacco is very moist, and packs great with just a rub between two fingers. It takes a little while to get lit, but once it is going it's great. Large plumes of almost sweet smoke, and the latakia sings harmoniously with the little amount of orientals in the background. The room note is not opressive, and has almost a molasses quality to it. Truly a womderful smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-10-15		Medium	None Detected	Full	Unnoticeable

A rich tasting Latakia blend and I would guess that if there is Syrian in this blend it's pretty much in the background.It comes in a cool little tin and the cut is a rougher or more rustic flake that I've seen.A flake cut is my favorite by far, but the smoker has to rub or adjust it to their liking.After opening the tin it gave off a delicious leather like aroma that I love. The tobacco was very moist,actually too moist to smoke without lighting multiple times to get it going and thusly giving a harsh and incomplete smoke. This blend should be rubbed and left to dry on your tray for 30 minutes to an hour. Drying changes this blend from mediocre at best into a smooth, creamy, sweet, non-biting, drool down your chin Latakia experience that is unrivaled. A medium sized meerschaum or large briar bowl enhances the cool sweetness even more. This blend goes to the head of the line over Penzance, Old Ironsides,Odyssey and any other Cyprian Latakia based blends except possibly Kendal's Balkan Mixture by Gawith Hoggarth. It took me a month to learn to get the most out of this blend and that was time well spent.I know that I'm starting to rave so I won't write anymore lest the wrong people read this and make it illegal. This gets my top four star rating.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2007-09-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Very good flake. Although very moist in the tin, it dries quickly and rubs easily. The initial smell is somewhat unpleasant, but the smoke is a different story: rich, tasty, complex although latakia dominated, especially towards the end of the bowl. If you, like me, are not a fan of overmoist flakes which take forever to dry to a smokable level, try this out: it will be a nice surprise!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (561)	2023-01-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of tangy fruit, spices, and mild smoky. Tobacco is black and brown mottled flakes with a fair bit of plume. Moisture content is fair and rubs (almost crumbles) out easily. Burns slow with a few extra relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and very consistent, with complex notes of floral, wood, smoky, spices, musty vegetation, fermented sour, savory, toasted bread, mildly acidic, spicy, leather, tangy citrus, herbal incense, creamy, a tartly mildly sweet background note, and a peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Oriental/Turkish supporting. Virginias are supporting from the rear. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is outstanding.

Pipe Used: James Upshall Smooth Acorn (4) (P) (FH)

Age When Smoked: 13 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (197)	2021-12-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Strong

Sample bag. Had some white spots on it. So I’m not sure the age but I’ll say it has time on it. Smells like musty leathery Latakia. Not over powering though. Some wood, earth, and sweetness. Prepared and packed flawlessly.

I am taken back at how smooth and mellow this is while still being so flavorful. It’s not overpowering. Herbal, musty, smokey, Latakia is there in plenty but it’s very easy and mild. There’s a rich buttery quality from the orientals. Woody, nutty, earthy, umami. There’s a bit of sweetness to this too that ties it all together. Even when pushed it stays cool and doesn’t get harsh. Retrohale is fantastic, that Virginia sweetness and herbal smokey woody Latakia, woody nutty, orientals, it all comes though. It’s smooth, silky, and easy to smoke, more so than most English blends I’ve had. No harshness or bad aftertaste. Smokes to ash, a little moisture but it’s cold out today, obviously no bite. Very well done. Well deserved 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Old

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pencils (58)	2019-05-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This should be the sort of mixture that really floats my boat - latakia, flake, 'special'... unfortunately is falls a little flat for me. Although a Germain tobacco of clear quality, a blending house that I love, I can't fall in love with this one. Having been captivated by Original Latakia Mixture, I expected a blast of the fair, dark weed. Problem is, it felt almost absent - almost indiscernible, in fact. Good quality virginias, but a special latakia flake? I couldn't see it or taste it in any sort of quantity. I really wanted to like this, but my disappointment at the lack of balance of ingredients compared to the name was palpable.

It wouldn't be fair to criticise the tobacco itself, as this is clearly not some 'thrown together' mess, a poor blend, or a bad bowl - for me, it just isn't a special latakia flake. It aims to be something gentle and light, something focused on those who prefer a milder latakia experience, but for those who enjoy a more robust adventure with this fragrant tobacco, it doesn't hit the mark I don't think. Enjoy it if you swing toward a light touch or even a whispered latakia component, but don't expect a bedfellow to the Original Latakia.

Burns easily, takes a flame well with few relights, and leaves a dry residue. No bite. Virginia forward, orientals behind, latakia almost left behind. Wasn't really a flake either. I recommend this, despite my misgivings - it just doesn't live up to its name.

Pipe Used: Several

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Turmeau and GQ tobaccos

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipelicidad (26)	2019-04-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I got the bulk version of this tobacco, which is the only way to get this blend in the UK. The unlit aroma is very peculiar, there is some of the typical English blend aromas (i.e. smoky, leather, incense-like) but with the addition of something fermented and pungent. Think about pouring a bit of whiskey in your hands, rubbing them, and then wait a few seconds to the alcohol to evaporate, and then take your hands to your nose. The taste is also very peculiar, think about the typical English blend, but without the leather, incense-like, and floral properties. What I detect is the sweet virginia. and also the earthy, slightly sour parts that, I suppose, are the input of both the oriental and the latakia. I can only detect some smokiness at the end of the bowl. Like Samuel Gawith´s blends, it´s extremely moist while new. The flakes are sliced very thinly, which helps the overall combustion of the blend once is rubbed apart. As many reviewers have noticed, this blend is very special. If you have the chance, buy some, or as much as you can.

Pipe Used: Some briar, some clay pipes

Age When Smoked: Few months

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop

Similar Blends: Very unique.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Legionnaire (26)	2017-11-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The name would imply that the blend has a significant Latakia presence. Well, it doesn’t. In fact, if there is any Latakia in this blend it’s doing a damn fine job of hiding. To me, it’s just a mediocre Virginia flake and nothing more. Latakia lovers best look elsewhere.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Individual

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bonneville (52)	2015-06-22		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Though not a fanboy of Latakia blends in general, this tobacco has absolutely garnered my adoration. The flakes are bright golden yellow with beautiful thick black streaks of Latakia. The flakes are stuck together so I had a hard time separating them. I gently rubbed a flake out and after a little drying time I packed it in my Peterson dublin.

The aged bright Virginias take the drivers seat and add a rich creamy profile with a delicious sweetness. The Latakia is very well balanced and provides an extra dimension of flavor that compliments the Virginias perfectly. Though there is said to be Orientals in this mixture, I cannot detect them in any obvious way. But they may add a dimension of flavor that I have not yet identified.

All in all, this may be my favorite Latakia blend ever. It is far superior to Germain's most sought after Latakia blend, Esoterica's Penzance. I highly recommend this blend to those pipe smokers who prefer Virginia dominance in a blend, as I do.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dublin

Age When Smoked: unknown

Purchased From: Beehive Cigars, Salt Lake City, UT

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2015-02-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a really good Latakia flake. I really enjoy the small rectangular format and the wax paper wrapper that holds the tobacco. I have read that the Latakia percentage varies from one tin to the other. In the tin I opened yesterday, it was present enough to make me happy. Good smoky taste well combined with the VAs and the ORs which bring some sweetness and spiciness. Despite the tin being "fresh" the tobacco is not really moist; and, despite that, it still bites but it may be my fault: I should have waited at least aother week or so, after opening, before smoking it. But I was impatient to find out what SLF is all about. I like it. I have 3 other tins and will rebuy more because it's a really good LA mixture. However, I will not chase it, surf the Net to no end, or pay crazy prices to get some. It's just not that good, for me. I would happily invest the extra money it would require on Gaslight, Sextant and MB Latakia Flake instead. But I will, without a doubt, be happy if I can get my hands on more tins. Recommended if you like LA.

Pipe Used: Luciano

Age When Smoked: Fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-03-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am smoking through a generous sample of this sent me by a friend. I have been rubbing it out and smoking it in a Savinelli bent pot.

At the risk of disagreeing with other reviewers, I think I pick up more orientals than they do. There is a sweet foundation that is more than just the Virginia. The orientals are part of this sweet as well and provide a spicy nose tickle. The latakia is a little more than a condiment and it is not the primary flavor in the profile for me. The latrakia contributes to a creamy, thick smoke, and it provides some bass notes.

This is very good but does not rise to a "must try" 4 star tobacco in my book. If you like Virginias and orientals, and you don't need a latakia powerhouse to be satisfied, you will like this flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bigdadz (39)	2012-12-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A fellow pipe smoker kindly gave me a tin of this lovely mixture. This tobacco in my view is a fine representation of Latakia used skillfully. Just enough to provide that smokiness without being overpowering. This is a woodsy medium bodied blend that comes in a nice flake that allows the smoker to better control its burning characteristics. Unlike penzance, which simply crumbles too fine in my view, I like to roll this flake into a ball and plug it into the upper half of my bowl. Highly recommended and underrated! I wish it was easier to find.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hiplainsdrifter (9)	2012-09-08		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Latakia Bomb. That pretty much sums it up. Perhaps a little one dimensional, but superb latakia taste laid on a basic virginia core. Smoky, hearty. Good stinky delicious tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-09-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

YEOWZA.....I have only one word for Germain's Special Latakia Flake........Delicious......absolutely the best smoke I've ever had. Predominately high quality Virginia, with the perfect marriage of Latakia. I could smoke this flake....exclusively. Heady, tasty, no bite.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-06-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Well, what can I say, I'd rather have Penzance. Upon opening the tin I found that the flakes were quite moist. So much so that they were all stuck together like a plug of tobacco. At first I tried loading it like a regular flake, which was hard to keep lit. However, on the second smoke I decided to rub it out almost completely. This yielded a better smoke...

Tin aroma reminds me of extremely ripe raisins; again, not as pleasing as Penzance. This latakia flake is better before the half way point of the smoke. I love the intriguing flavors and spice before the nicotine becomes more pronounced. I've had no tongue bite with this weed, but it becomes stronger towards the middle of the bowl; turns into a pretty damn strong tobacco where the flavor falls to pure nicotine.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2007-07-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

What a solid Enlish mixture! First, I love the small tin. I wish all tinned baccys would come like this one so I could carry around a lot more through the day. Inside, a nice looking flake covered with crystalized sugar and a perfect moist level. I feel really confortable with Germain's "shaggy flake", so loading the bowl is a breeze. After that, it's all pleasure from top to bottom. It's a symphony: you can focus on latakia, virginias, or orientals, or you can let them come together. That is up to your mind: the great music is there for you to enjoy. It burns so well that it hardly needs tamping, so there's no distractions either.

This baccy has entered my Top 5 list of six tobaccos (I know, I either need to rule one out or make it a Top 6 list).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-04-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Germain's Special Latakia Flake arrived remarkably with bloom. It is rare indeed to find bloom on pipe tobacco--a well-aged cigar, yes, but on pipe tobacco, no. I found this understandably curious (reason mostly for two stars rather than one) and thought that I was about to enjoy quite an extraordinary treat. Special Latakia Flake demanded to be dried and rubbed (against my desires). In smoking this weed, I encountered nothing unusual yet alone extraordinary. It is a rather dull offering and, apart from the bloom, without any distinguishing characteristics beyond its dose of nicotine. As I noted with Blakeney's Best Latakia Flake, if you are looking for Latakia in flake form, stick with C.A.O.'s Old Ironsides. In comparison with the latter, this stuff is less a battleship and more a dinghy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-04-03		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one is a treat! Do not expect a lighter version of Penzance for it is not!This is a wonderful amped up version of Germain's King Charles.The backbone of the blend is Virginia ,with orientals for sweetness, and a very mild dose of Latakia that remains in the background.It produces a very mild and natural nutty flavor.The Latakia is subdued and provides just the right amt of depth for this blend.It has the signature Germain casing and burns very cool.Those around you will not even notice you are smoking at all,the room note is very subdued.This comes in the same form as Penzance and needs to be rubbed out.It lights well and does not bite.If you have tried 1820 or King Charles,this is a heavier version of those. 3 of 4 stars fo a great light English!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-11-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Let me preface this by stating that I do not prefer my latakia dosed from a front-end loader. I prefer it as a condiment the same way I prefer my perique. That said...this blend is right up my alley. Lighter on the latakia with orientals and virginias aplenty. The combination here creates a reasonably complex blend. While lightly pressed , I do dig the flake presentation as Va. and va./p flakes are my mainstay. It smokes smooth and cool when partially rubbed out. It will not satisfy those who like their latakia shot from a cannon but should satisfy those looking for a milder english blend. A pleasant surprise.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-05-13		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I got this one evening when the tobacconist was fresh out of my favorite latakia slice, Old Ironsides. I found it somewhat similar, although not as smokey or full, but with a good solid body and taste. It's really all about the latakia taste, which dominates, which makes it a good choice if you like that dimension of blend. Given a choice, I would get Old Ironsides, but if you can't, this will do, and do more than well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2004-04-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

While I risk being villified, this tobacco reminded me of burning railroad ties. I found it hard to find the flavor of the Latakia or Virginia. The bowl size did not seem to change this awefull smell or flavor. At this point, I can't recommend it... Update 4-13-04: I am revising my review due to the insistence of fellow pipesters. I am convinced that the tin I previously reviewed was moldy. With that stated, on to the revision. The new tin I opened looked remarkably different inside. More Light leaf with plenty of stripes of latakia clearly discerned. It was not as moist as my previous review tin either. The aroma was pleasant with sweetness and smokiness nicely balanced. Packing was fairly easy for a flake, with this blend working better for me if rubbed out completely. Lighting was a three vesta affair.

Initial Flavor: A little bright with the latakia way in the background. The VA is still dominant in this blend.

Mid-Bowl: A nice, mellow, round smokiness develops. Yes, you can taste the latakia, and it is good.

Bottom of Bowl: A nice intensity of flavor develops with the smoky latakia dominating now, but the VA still adds a delicious sweetness to balance it out.

Ash: Light grey, dry, nice dusting on the bowl walls.

Overall: Well, what can I say? It is a very good blend, just shy of excellent. I'll definitely keep this around when in the mood for something different.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Points Enjoy!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-08-05		Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

Latakia, Latakia, Latakia! The name says it all. This tobacco, is one of the finest Engilsh/Latakia blends around. It has all a Latakia lover could ask for. Flavor, coolness, flake cut, and of course Latakia! I must admit, I like Old Ironsides just a bit more, but not by much. Should the supply of Old Ironsides dry up, I would be very content with Germain's Special Latakia Flake. One word of note, this is a very moist Flake cut, and is very hard to keep lit. If you take the amount of tobacco your pipe will hold, and allow it to dry out just a bit, you'll have far less problems keeping lit, and you still won't run into tounge bite. Don't let it dry out to much though, or the bite will get you. Try this tobacco, for a "Special" Treat.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-05-18		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Let's get it out in the open right away. I like this tobacco A LOT! Easy to rub out, this tobacco lights and burns well. While the latakia is there, it is not dominant. The orientals play a significant role too. They fold in seamlessly with the latakia, to the benefit of both. The smoke is dry and cool. This one won't bite. There is no deterioration of flavour as the end draws near. The flavour is never as big or strident as a full Balkan blend; it is more contemplative than that.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2002-12-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I was half expecting this one to be a rebranded Penzance. Wrong out of the tin this was something very different a long stringy flake that was wet. Way to moist was my intial impression oh no not another Latakia lightweight. But I left the tin coming back everyy now and again. Towards the middle of the tin and things drying out a touch this one really started to grow on me. Been working on the virginia technique lately i.e. dead slow. This really paid of . Deep and rich and offering much complexity. Well worth a try.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Redbeardedpiper (1)	2021-04-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild	Very Pleasant

First Disclaimer, this is my first review, second I’m still a newbie at about a year and a half of learning and enjoying the pipe

That said, I find it wonderful, it is Latakia forward IMO, and I love Latakia, so this was wonderful, at least 10 years of age before opening as I bought an aged tin, it took till the end but it ended on a barbecue taste that just topped off the wonderful experience, it’s room not is pleasant in my opinion but over the course of sipping it on a mini-meerschaum church warden it smoked well throughout, no bite, just pleasant, if you like Latakia this blend is thoroughly enjoyable!!!

Pipe Used: Meerschaum church warden small

Age When Smoked: 10+ years

Purchased From: Other

Similar Blends: Well, not really like other blends I’ve had so far but my pallet is somewhat new yet definitely stronger than Stokkebye proper English which is currently my go-too though this could easily replace it..

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (110)	2020-06-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A friend gifted me a generous sample of this eight years ago. I remember having to smoke this fresh and being a little put off by the dominance of the Latakia. The reader should note that I tend to be fairly sensitive to the presence of Latakia. It is not that I don’t enjoy it, but find that it tends to drown out other component tobaccos.

Revisiting this blend with 8 years of cellar time is much more pleasant. The Latakia is still a formidable voice, but the Virginias are speaking much more loudly this time around. While I did see some sugar crystallized on the outside of the various flake pieces, I did not perceive this as a set of particularly sweet Virginias. They are much more earthy, dark, toasty than sweet or grassy. The once golden bright leaf that flecks this mixture when fresh now blends in with the darker brown hues that currently prevail. This is a great blend to smoke fresh if you are a Latakia junkie. If one has the cellar space and patience to leave it alone for years, it certainly does become a wholly different smoke. Per my tastes it is much better now than back then. The Latakia is more incense and less “campfire” now.

Pipe Used: Hardcastle crown Dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh and with 8 years age

Purchased From: Sample gifted from a friend

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Screaming Jazz (6)	2018-10-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Comes out of the tin a little wet. I let it dry for about 30 minutes and it was good enough to smoke. It doesn't come in cut flakes either. The flake is ripped apart along the grain and then formed into a sort of kake.I found this quite odd. Because of this I went with the rip and rub method instead of the fold and stuff. The flavour isn't strong. Very much on the mild side. The first thing I notices is this really earthy fruit flavour. It's quite good. In the retrohale I can taste the spice of the orientals and latakia. The spice is very subtle as well. There is a lot of nuance in this blend to appreciate. Little to no bite, even in the nose. I consider this blend my perfect nightcap. Doesn't excite with strong flavour, but instead relaxes with gentle subtleties. 9.4/10

Age When Smoked: Fresh

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2017-11-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

UPDATE 1/18 I may have had a different palate a year ago because I find this to be the best Lakakia flake made. Creamy, sweet, woodsy ...and earthy. Every puff has a nuance that makes it unique from the previous puff. I really can't figure out what i was thinking when I originally reviewed this but this is a must try for every English pipe tobacco enthusiast.

This one is an enigma to me. After reading the reviews and hunting high an low for a tin. I finally got some. J.F. Germain & Son are truly master blenders that have a unique processing and blending art that is truly unparalleled. After 5 bowls I am ready to review and also commit this to the cellar, half a tin and an unopened tin. First off, almost nothing in my review will reflect others on this page, from presentation to tin note I get nothing other reviewers have seen, well some of the tastes are there but that is about it. Let me get this out of the way, this is good are hard 180 from what I expected but it is good. The tin note seems more like a virgina cavendish blend than a Latakia flake. It is sweet and subtle with some of the woodiness you would expect from orientals. If you relabeled it as a VA blend I would believe it. This came as one large cake, at first I thought it was flakes pressed tightly together but it looks like a crumble cake that doesn't really crumble. Very beautiful with light and dark ribbons pressed together that cut off and rubbed into nice ribbons. As with all Germain tobacco's it was wet. I rubbed it out and let it partially dry for 20 minutes but also tried cutting a slice and leaving it for an hour then rubbing out, rubbing out for and leaving for an hour and a few other variations in that range. The flavor is mellow, burns cool and requires few relights if dried properly. The Orientals and Virginias are what are the stars in this blend, odd for a blend called Latakia Flake (maybe that is where the special comes in). I get a sweet, nutty, creamy and woody forward taste. Spicy tingle when exhaled through the nose indicative of the orientals. The Latakia comes in and out in the sweetness and an occasional smoked meat like flavor. Very nice blend. This would get 3 or more stars from me if it was what I expected, now that I know what it is I will smoke it when I am in an oriental kinda mood. I am also curious to see what age does to this. All the other reviews are too consistent to be wrong, maybe with age I will get something similar.

Pipe Used: Briar's

Age When Smoked: less than 1 year

Purchased From: Iwan Reiss (BM)

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Briar Baron (12)	2015-11-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Well this is a very interesting tobacco indeed! After many good reviews I decided to give it a go. Upon opening I was surprised to find the top flake was of purely a very light coloured tobacco layered over a flake that appeared to be fully consisting of Latakia and further down again a different coloured flake. As others have mentioned the variations between tins seems to be significant and in this case if the first flake had been used the "blend" would have shown only the profile to the first tobacco.

Faced with this dilemma, I realised I would need to pull the contents apart and blend it again to get the mix closer to what was obviously intended. As I dug down in the tin a bit I did find that the mix inside the flake was a bit more consistent and it pulled apart easily so that helped a great deal when compared to the trouble others had getting it apart.

This is a bit like being given a Lego set with all the pieces but having to build it yourself! I actually enjoyed this "challenge" because the result was a wonderful smoke that others have described better than I could.

Highly recommend you get a tin for now and maybe a few to cellar since this tobacco will only get better with age.

Pipe Used: Ardor

Age When Smoked: New

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-05-22		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Yet after another great mixture, my opinion about Germain has improved even more. For a long time I was trying to find this beautiful tin, with the very good content, and I was finally justified. It has the same flake form as Medium and Brown Flake. I was under the impression that I would get a tin filled with flakes that would contain more than 85% Latakia, allowing me to create nice mixtures by adding few Germain flakes. Some flakes are “golden”, brown and some others jet-black. It is as if Virginia, Oriental and Latakia were separately placed in the tin. The moisture is very good once you open the tin. It reserves its outstanding taste up until the end of the bowl and it leaves almost no dampness at the bottom of the pipe. It doesn't cause any tongue bite no matter how nervously you smoke it. A really wonderful mixture. Ooooo and something else: when you ask for this blend, don't let any German seller mislead you by telling you it is similar to McConnell's Latakia Flake (as was my friend “Litsa”). They have nothing in common what so ever

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-08-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

years of pipe smoking experience. i smoked two tins of this and found it bland and blunt.i could never taste the latakia.the penzance beats this and is a far better smoke and the best.also samuel gawith balkan flake beats this.i would not waste my money this again.i think this is a poor blend by jf germain.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Scamp (20)	2011-07-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I tried this blend after trying and very much liking Dunhill Nightcap. It seemed to be the next logical choice for a Latakia blend. Upon opening the tin, I got a very similar aroma to Nightcap, I figured this must be the the distinctive smell of Latakia.(?) Upon lighting, I liked it immediately, it has quite a smokiness to it, which I enjoyed. I also noted some of the virginia flavours which seemed to go well with the Latakia. It burns beautifully with little or no re-lights to a thin grey ash, and has a consistent flavour all the way down the bowl. But as other reviewers have stated, it does need some drying out time before packing in your pipe! I enjoyed this very much, but so far I think Nightcap has the edge, with this coming very close second. Still, an excellent smoke, four stars! I think I'm slowly falling in love with latakia.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-07-23		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Good Tobacco. Starts with Latikia out front with Orientals in close support. Packs and burns nice ,and ample "N". Not as creamy as some others (Lancers Slices). Has a slight bitter rather than sweet aftertaste. A solid blend, I found this a little hot or steamy.Unfortunately it is stuck as a middle of the road blend, with neither enough Latikia or not enough Oriental. When I grab for a tobacco, I want either a Latikia or an Oriental not halfway of both. This could benifit from some ageing and some drying could cure the steamy problem. I think there are other tobaccos that would be more to my liking. Note , has a great little tin that is easy to carry and seals pretty well.

Updated 11/3/11- This has had a few more months to age and breath and much of the steam is gone. I'm a little disapointed with the amount of Latakia, as you hit mid bowl all you get is Oriental and Va. the last 1/3 is all Va. You also notice some bitterness in the aftertaste.

As far as the cut and blending, I have to agree with reviewer, "The German" above. As you load and pick out the flakes, scraps and pieces from the tin I almost think you could change the taste of this blend with each pipe. I would actually classify this more as a Virginia/Oriental with some hints of Latakia . Probably won't buy again, not that it's bad, it just is not interesting nor smooth enough for me.

Updated 12/13/12-I opened another tin, why ,I have no idea, same "Blah" results. It needs drying , no Latakia flavor, no sweetness, no Oriental. It doesn't bite!

Updated 12/17/12 OK, THE NAME OF THIS TOBACCO, "LATAKIA FLAKE", THREW ME OFF, AS LONG AS YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE NAME SHOULD BE "MILD VIRGINIA FLAKE WITH A HINT OF LATAKIA", I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TRYING TO SMOKE .

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipesterJim (47)	2010-10-26		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

The tin I am smoking has been in my cellar for a year and a half, and I have a feeling it probably gathered dust on the tobacconist's shelves for quite a while before I picked it up.

Upon opening I discovered a dense brick of tobacco, tightly wrapped in heavily stained wax paper. The aroma was quite divine. Closer examination revealed that although the brick had been sliced into flakes there was no way I was going to be able to peel one off intact. In fact, I suspect that this is rather what a ‘crumble cake' tobacco is like, as I ended up breaking the block into chunks of various sizes, then slamming these into a mason jar for storage.

Having selected a likely looking lump I rubbed it out thoroughly and put the strands on one side to dry. As would be expected given how the flakes had congealed together, this was very moist in the tin. I figured an hour of drying time would do the trick, but in actual fact the weed was obviously even wetter than I had initially suspected and I ended up with a steamy smoke that scorched the insides of the lips. Nasty.

Take two, and this time I rubbed out enough for a bowl and put it under a hot desk lamp for about forty minutes. I have never had to subject tobacco to this much ‘lamp time' and I always feel it is preferable to let it dry naturally where possible. Some folks suggest that you can give your baccy a quick blast in the microwave to dry it out, but I have found that this results in a harsh and less flavoursome smoke.

Anyway, the desk lamp did the trick. The result was a delightfully smooth, balanced and refined latakia blend with a room note that should please any pipester. It's a perfect smoke for those dark winter evenings when you want to curl up in a comfortable armchair and listen to the wind howling outside. A roaring log fire, oak panelling and glass of fine scotch would complete the picture. That is the kind of pipe dream that Special Latakia Flake evokes!

Some reviewers say that Esoterica's Penzance, another latakia flake from the same blending house, is fuller flavoured and easier to prepare for the pipe. Well, despite the fact that it is manufactured in the UK it isn't for sale here, but I can't say that I feel too hard done by. Once Special Latakia Flake has been allowed the considerable amount of drying it requires it is truly a top smoke, and I shall definitely be getting a few more tins in next time I am placing an order at my online tobacconist. Highly recommended!

Edit: I am knocking a star off as I am becoming increasingly convinced that the reason this blend clings onto its moisture is because it is treated with humectants, much more so than other blends I usually smoke. I am finding that unless I get it completely dry (and a lamp is necessary for this: 24 hours air time seemed to have no effect) I suffer mouth discomfort to some degree. A shame, as I still think the basic flavours it offers are top notch!

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-10-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I wanted to try a Latakia blend for the first time and did not know which to try, so I asked my local tobacconist (very reputable place) and the gentleman recommended this to me and said it was his most popular latakia blend. I cracked open the tin and loved the smokiness, a great tin aroma. I found it to be a little moist when I rubbed some out for my bowl but it smoked fairly well had a few relights though. The flavour was very nice, not overwhelming, which I was worried about since I was told latakia blends could be quite potent. At this point I would have given it a three out of four. However I decided to rub the rest out and let it dry a little. It was like magic, each bowl I had after the first got progressively better and better. A cool smoke, burns nice all the way to the bottom of the bowl, no tongue bite whatsoever, one of the best tobaccos I have ever had. I am interested in trying some other latakias, but I think I will be coming back to this one on a regular basis.

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	donmartinthree (22)	2010-10-02		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I bought this initially looking for a very latakia-heavy tobacco and I like flakes, just hadn't tried too many at the time.

so i bought this, because my local tobacconist (and they're a good tobacconist...) recommended it to me after I said what i wanted.

the first smoke I had was right out of the shop, since I just couldn't wait. unfortunately, it's way too moist in the tin and, adding to that, it was a hot hot summer day, so...

I was sort of disappointed at first. the tin aroma was great, though not very latakia heavy, and I was really looking forward to my first puff, depsite all that. however, it was just kind of weirdly sweet and did not taste anything like what I'd expected, latakia-wise. so I thought I'd just spent 10 euros on a tin of crap.

but you've always got to try more than once, right? so I let it dry out (rubbed out) for an hour the day after buying it and smoked it then and what do you know?! it's subtly sweet, smoky, a little metallic (in a good way... probably the VAs) and just delicious. a great smoke when you're needing something a little lighter/milder. probably good in summer. maybe I was just unlucky. I'm starting to think most tobaccos I smoke taste better in cold damp fall weather though. :)

my tin's almost gone and I'll probably buy a new one, once I'm not broke anymore.

recommended, granted you want to work a little for a good smoke.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-09-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The latakia in Special Latakia Flake is not actually all that strong, so it might not be what you're looking for if you're a latakia junkie. It is great tobacco, though. It just needs a bit of drying out (an hour in humid Japan) and it will smoke fairly dry and full of good flavors. If you like latakia but don't always want a big shot of it, this very well could be an every day smoke for you. Personally I want the shot every day, and this is my every once in a while break.

Edit: After over two weeks sitting in the unsealed tin, this tobacco has transformed! Before, it was good tobacco. Now, it is extraordinary tobacco. It is still extremely wet, but after drying it is a serene smoke. This is definitely in my all time favorites now.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-09-20		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

The saler told me it's a STRONG tobacco. It's not completly false, but it wasn't bit your tongue, it's a spicy tobacco very different from the other latakia blend, so if your are tired by your english mixture with latakia, you have to try this blend in flake !

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	final_id (37)	2010-04-30		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I'd like to give this 3 out of 5 stars, or 2.5 out of 4, but, since I could only pick either 2 or 3 of 4, I went ahead and gave it the higher option, just to be nice. It's not UNpleasant, it just doesn't have anything going for it. Really, I want the Esoterica Penzance, or one of the G. L. Pease line of orientals, and this is only a weak approximation. There's a LOT of tongue-bite for me in smoking this Special Flake by Germain's, but it's nothing I can't handle. I think I was maybe puffing too hot?

Anyway, it lights and burns well, it mellows in the pot well, it ashes in a very pretty way. It is a good thick (but dry) crumble-cake or pressed-ribbon type of packaging that I really enjoy fiddling with. So, overall, not too negative. Not really stellar-A+-kind-of-stuff, but they didn't really do anything totally wrong, either.

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	Mac (20)	2010-03-27		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Gods gift to those who love the taste of Latakia .

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	Virginia lover (218)	2010-02-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The smell in the tin is of fermented figs. Fine strands of dark, brown and golden tobacco covered with sugar crystals that barely hold together. The Latakia is expertly used as a condiment. The Virginias and Orientals are the main players in this Crumble/Flake to which the Latakia imparts a light smoky characteristic. I get a tangy, sweet and sour flavor for the most part. It's a delicate smoke that will yield better results with sipping instead of puffing. Burns well, no bite. A real pleasure to smoke, and an even bigger pleasure to have as the supply in North America is quite low.

Virginia lover

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	RMBittner (66)	2009-08-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My review is based on a 2008 tin, opened in 8/2009.

Like nearly every other Germain (and "Esoterica by Germain") blend I've tried -- except for Penzance -- this really needs some serious drying time straight out of the tin. (For me, that meant several hours. You might prefer your tobacco drier or more moist.)

This flake offers velvety-smooth flavors/aromas that seamlessly blend the Virginias, orientals, and latakia. There is also just the slightest hint of sweetness, which I attribute to the orientals used (which my palate suggests might include Smyrna). No one ingredient ever really dominates here, and the blend remains consistent from top to bottom. It truly is seamless, and quite enjoyable.

I've read reviews that described this as quite similar to Penzance, but I did not find that to be the case. For me, the orientals in Penzance are uniquely spiced; there's no oriental spice here, just a nice underlying richness that brings the blend to life.

For me, this is 4 out of 5 stars.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-05-13		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Special Latakia Flake is a rough cut flake and is alternately sweet and soft with a pressed mix of Virginias, Latakia and Orientals that soon become the essence of mellow pleasure. Aging helps it even more but that isn't necessary for full enjoyment. To my taste, this is pure tobacco with no additives or preservatives.

Germain's Special Latakia Flake is worth the effort it takes to prepare prior to smoking. Be warned: upon opening the tin, this tobacco presents itself as a wet lumpy mass wrapped in wax paper. That's where your experience and pipe craft comes in. Separate as much tobacco as you need, spread it out and allow it to dry out for at least an hour. (Your results may vary since I live in sunny but humid Florida). If you smoke it wet then you will get what you deserve.

This tobacco is one of the best of its type and is one of my Golden Circle. Obviously, if you don't care for Latakia, stay away. If you really enjoy pressed, full tasting (but essentially soft) English/Oriental Flakes...enjoy.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-04-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This stuff ages very well! It was a bit moist when I first opened it two years ago so I stuck it in a mason jar and boy I am glad I did! Man what a difference. This may very well be better than any other Latakia flake in the aging department. So refined and smooth with the presence of smoky latakia but the Virginias and oriental are lush and harmonious like "Miles Davis Birth of the cool" Just cant get enough of this. It just climbed my opinion chart considerably!

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-04-21		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Germain's Special Latakia flake. This is a typical full balkan style blend. It lacks some of the more spiciness i have grown accustom to. The latakia, orientals, and turkish are very prevalent;however I am having trouble finding the virginias. It is rather ho-hum in my opinion but as I said before it does lack some of the spiciness that im am used to. the tin was vacumed seal with a strong smell of latakia and very moist. letting dry a bit will definatley improve its smoking quality as well its ablilty to stay lit. At first lite it is very smokey and rich and tends dull down mid-bowl. I picked this blend up from a local store that didn't have my regular blend, so I tried it out on a recomendation. It will do until I can find my regular blends which are Bill Baileys Balken Blend and Frog Morton on the bayou which both have the addition of perique. I will finish this tin but I probably wont try it again. if you are wanting to try some balkan blends this a good one to start with as it is fairly tame.I give 2 out of 4 stars.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-03-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

J. F. Germain and Son's Special Latakia Flake is smoky heaven, this is worth every penny, and here in Canada I gotta pay $25 clams for a 50g tin. The tin aroma is slightly off-putting at first but after a few lovely bowls of this wonderful flake you will inhale it deeply and smile in anticipation. The tobacco is dark brown with flakes of tan and a few sugar crystals here and there. Very wet when fresh requiring at least twenty minutes dry time but better after fourty, it rubs out easily and leaves a smoky smell on the fingers. After the false light and a gentle tamping the first quarter bowl is mild Latakia and slightly sweet Virginia, tightening up with Turkish/Oriental by mid bowl with the Latakia, which is always present throughout the bowl, taking a gentle bow at the finish. The flavour gets more and more complex as you wind your way through the blend, take it slow (it can bite) and take it in a big pipe. I have a beautiful Wombaroo free hand which I reserve for Latakia blends I call her Old Smoky and when I got my paw on her and she's loaded with Germain's Special Latakia Flake, all is right with the world.

Update August 2011: sadly I lost my glorious Wombaroo pipe but happily this wonderful tobacco has comforted me over the years. I prefer Frog Morton but it's hella pricey here in Toronto and, while cheaper, Germain's is of exceptional quality and I find it's often less monotonous than F.M. Also after two years of smoking this blend fairly regular I've come to find the tin aroma is really wonderful. Always in my rotation as it should be in yours.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-02-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Special Latakia is truly well named. This blend is all about a delightfully well cured Latakia Leaf that delivers a smooth smoky flavor without a bit of harshness.

Tin pops to a highly fermented aroma that might make one wonder if prunes had gone bad. A bit moist, yet straight out of the tin it crumbles nicely and packed lightly smokes like a dream.

The Turkish/Orientals lie quietly in the background yet add an essence that I have only encountered in a Turkish Kabob Restaurant. While the aged Virgina's add a bit of nicotine and sugar without jumping to the forefront. The roomnote is perhaps among the most acceptable of any Lat blend I have smoked.

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	jankoez (69)	2009-01-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is superb Latakia! Rich, rounded, creamy... The true pleasure for pipe-lover. However, it is interesting, this blend is very picky so you will have to choose your pipe carefully.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-10-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

like all the other germain's blends i've tried, this is first class tobacco.

there's plenty of sweet virginias here, a nice dose of latakia which seems to me to be very smoky, and a little orientals. this is an uncomplicated smoke, with sweetnes and a slightly ash-like flavour (in a pleasant way, though) that i ascribe to the very smoky latakia. perhaps it's a bit monocromatic due to the low content of orientals. apart from the fact that it's very difficult to loosen a whole flake - you seem to end up with a broken flake, or even a loose cut bowlfull - i can reccommend it heartily, even though there are a few other englishes i prefer over this one. it's certainly got a character of its own.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smoking-rob (79)	2008-02-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have not much to add to most of the glowing reviews here under, except that in this flake, the Latakia is more or less all in a lump somewhere in that flake, so not evenly distributed. This would be no real problem except that the slices themselves are almost impossible to seperate! But don't let this deter you in smoking this high-quality English style tobacco, real creamy and with a real Latakia flavour that is not overwhelming.

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	puro66 (73)	2007-06-07		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This is a medium colored tobacco with a light pleasant tin aroma. It's a cake that pulls apart stringy but is fairly easy to work with. Nothing overwhelming or particularly special here. Just a good straight forward mild smoke. A very good choice for someone who wants to experiment with latakia but not take a big plunge!

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	haredawg (47)	2007-01-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My tobacconist, who is likely damned for all time by on a wholly unrelated matter, suggested this as they didn?t have the Penzance in stock. Now I?ve never tired the Penzance but most every review I?ve read was gushing and on an aesthetic level I liked the idea of a flake with latakia mix as heretofore I?ve only had VA, VAPERS and VABurley flakes. The tobacconist, surely a damned soul but in a completely different way, talked Germains up going so far as to suggest, albeit in hushed tones, that he preferred it over PenZance and Old Ironsides. The Guy speaks with a Brogue and has Mickey Dolenz Sideburns; saying no to him would be like asking Bobby Burns to knock it off with that Bonnie Brae stuff.

Penzance must be made out of Gold; we?re talking 24 ct not the black hills stuff, for it to be better and richer than this stuff.

First off the aesthetic of the tin presentation was all I had hoped, looking a bit like a torte with hazelnut on the outside and a rich black chocolate in the middle. The smell was like a campfire in autumn.

Now I?m not a huge Latakia fan, I like the stuff, but I like it like I like A1 sauce, if it?s a cheap cut of meat I put more on, if it?s an aged filet mignon get that stuff off my table. The Virginians and Orientals in this blend are excellent but the Latakia blends in so well I may have to start adding a bit of A1 to my filets.

Overall very tasty from char to the last sad sip.

Downside? My Tobacconist, that rat bastard on a completely related level, recommends based on price tag I?m thinking. The price per gram on this stuff is closer to the wacky tobaccy range of Green Bud prices than the mortal range of a legal weed.

The only reason I'm giving it three stars instead of four is in attempts to instill a facade of credulity, everything I like that I review here I give four stars.

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	Satc001 (67)	2006-07-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a solid Latakia flake from Germain. Upon opening the tin I found a well aged tobacco littered with crystallized sugar from the aging process. This is not a tobacco loaded with nuances but is instead a solid high quality Latakia blend. I was very pleased with the smoothness of the smoke and a nice smokey and slighty sweet flavor. Over all this is a nice tobacco, but it is rather mild and not what I am looking for in a Latakia Flake.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-07-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Just wanted to put in my two cents on J.F. Germain & Sons Special Latakia Flake.

Appearance: Opening the tin reveals a stack of moist, slightly-broken flakes. Dark leaf predominates with lighter strands of chocolate coloured leaf wending their way through the flakes. In many tins bloom and crystalized sugar will be apparent, proving that Germain ages this tobacco well.

Tin Aroma: In a word, pungent. The smell which wafts from the tin is unlikely to win over many casual observers. Lovers of English style flakes will apreciate the bouquet of wet grass and saucy-sweet Latakia which this blend exudes.

Packing and Lighting: The flakes rub out easily, which is good as those who like to make plugs out of flake tobaccos will find this blend almost impossible to keep lit if packed in such a fashion. Also, allowing the leaf to dry for a while outside of the tin is a must as this tobacco is one of the most fire-retardant substances I have ever seen. All in all, this blend requires special attention when packing and preparing lest the smoker never derive satisfaction from it.

Smoking Characteristics: Assuming the instructions above are followed, this blend smokes cool and dry with a good volume of rich smoke. The room note is strong and likely to be objectionable to non-smokers. The start of a bowl always yields a heady dose of Latakia flavour. About a quarter of the way down the Latakia backs off and is joined by a smooth smokiness and just the slightest wisp of Virginia sweetness. As the bowl burns down from the halfway point the smoke becomes harsher and a little hotter, now the Virginia sweetness comes into it's own, complemented by wooden and bitter undertones. At this point the Latakia is just a faint ghost of it's original presence. Smokes down to a fine gray ash with just a little black char present.

Perhaps not suitable for the novice smoker due to the preparation required to make this tobacco smoke well, this blend is nonetheless a fine offering for the smoker who loves Latakia. The mixture of tobaccos used and the flake preparation make this blend an interesting mixture of Latakia flavor and Virgina flake sweetness.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-04-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This crumbly latakia flake is middle-ground in nicotine content, high on flavor, and yet very easy on the tongue. Germain's SLF is an exceptional and well-married blend with a very full flavor that should satisfy both those who desire a stronger latakia element and those who enjoy the balancing nature of orientals.

The premium price on this blend is well justified; the quality of the leaf and the skill of preparation are evident throughout every bowl.

I believe SLF completes the triumvirate of latakia flakes along with Penzance and Old Ironsides.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-01-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I've smoked many latakia's, this blend uses the latakia better than them all. A superb taste, with huge volumes of smoke. Never does the oriental, the virginia or the latakia dominate here, but together, create the epitome of latakia blends.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-08-26		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Those of you who have reviewed my other tobbacco comments will see that my preference is for Latakia blends. When one opens a tin of Germain's Special Latakia Flake for the first time, one is immediately introduced to the curing process of Latakia. It is pungent and yet sweet. This baccy comes in a flake, so the flakes must be rubbed out. With gentle rubbing, one is left with a very fine cut of tobacco - very European, in my view. I gravity loaded one of my prized Stanwell bents with what I had rubbed out and proceeded to light my pipe. After several attempts at getting a good ember burning, I was finally successful. The tobacco, straight from the tin, is just a little too moist to maintain a lighted pipe. Once the baccy has be relit a few times, it dries out and one may enjoy a very pleasurable smoke. The flavoring, for me, is pretty constant throughout the entire bowl. The baccy burns to a nice clean whitish-grey ash. The only drawback to the Latakia flake is the fact that it is a little too moist right out of the package. To avoid frustration in lighting one's pipe, I would suggest allowing this mixture to "air out" a few hours before dipping into the tin for the first time. Otherwise, this tobacco is a pleasant smoke and it is one that is part of my regular rotation of baccys.

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	Danno (106)	2003-06-28		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I like latakia. I like virginias, orientals, and turkish leaves as well. But here, all I taste is latakia. It is good latakia but rather one-dimensional as far as smoking is concerned. When I opened a tin, the flakes smelled great but were far too wet for immediate consumption. After a thorough drying period, I gave it a go, several in fact. I then cellared it for 6 months and returned to retaste. Better, smoother but still just Latakia. I now use this for blending and find it works rather well for sorting out my various mystery blends. Great tin aroma, but flaccid when smoked alone.

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