Tobaccos Peterson - Irish Flake

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3023)	2014-08-08		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Original review date: 8-8-2014. A strong blend with a potent blast of nutty, earthy, woody, sweet and sharp burleys, They are well supported by dark fired Kentucky which offers a rich, hearty dose of smoke, earth, floralness, wood, vegetation, herbs, medium spice, nuts, and mild barbecue. The Virginias are floral, earthy, woody, grassy, bready, vegetative, mildly tart and tangy citrus sweet, spice, some tangy dried dark fruit and and a few cigar notes in the third slot. They are a step ahead of the condiment mark. There is a light topping that reminds me of anise. It’s not as overly complex as I make it seem due to its rugged bold richness and fairly creamy smoothness. The flavor is mostly consistent all the way to the end. The strength level is very strong, and the taste is very filling. The nic-hit is strong, too. I recommend smoking it after you’ve eaten due to the high nicotine content. Won't bite or get harsh, but has a few rough edges. Burns cool, clean and slow with a very consistent nutty, creamy sweet, fruity, mildly floral, spicy, mildly cigarish flavor. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, so you may want to dry it a little first. Requires a fair amount of relights. Has a long lingering, pleasant after taste, and rather pungent room note. Certainly not an all day smoke. Four stars.

Update: 12-30-2022 The blend has been changed. The dark fired Kentucky takes the lead by a fair amount now. Their particular aspects much the same as they were in my original review with the exception of the higher smoky barbecue and spice content. The burleys are not much more than a condiment with similarities matching what was used in the past. The Virginias are further in the background, just below the condiment line. The strength level is now strong, not very strong. The taste is reduced to the full threshold. Has a little more roughness. I faintly detect anise, and am doubtful of its presence. The cigar notes are barely present. The creaminess and fruit are hardly obvious. All other characteristics are the same. Three stars for the current production, and my ratings reflect that now.

-JimInks

108 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2009-01-17		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Pleasant

I amazed I haven't reviewed this one yet. Let me begin by saying this, "How the hell can Peterson's make great pipes and a fantastic tobacco like this - in real Irish tradition - whilst still making so many non-entity aromatics. Apparently Deluxe Mixture is their top seller in the Dublin shop which frankly suggest most Irishmen haven't got a clue about good tobacco!

UniFlake is great, Irish Oak is good and popular, Sherlock Holmes I love apart from its inappropriate name, Sunset Breeze is a sweet aro of good repute that doesn't bite two much and I'm looking forward to trying my tin of strong Irish whiskey sitting in the cellar. But Irish Flake is Peterson's and Irish. It is strong and sweet, fruity with hints of anise and Erinmore with a perfumey lakeland ripple brushing the pebbled beach.

It fits Peterson's so well, it redeems them when their pipes take too long to break-in or burn too hot or for not making enough filter pipes and when they do sending them all to Germany. I have only one problem with Irish Flake, they do not sell it in Holland! Every other blend they make but not this one...the best one...the most Irish one...the strongest one. If you are the importer to The Netherlands and just happen to read this...get a life...please.

EDIT: Since last writing this review, there are now 2 or three suppliers in Amsterdam selling this winner in the pipe world...I guess a distributor read my review after all!

I'd also like to add, that Capt. Pete (below) is right, when he say's it's not as strong as many think. It does taste strong and it is a strong baccy, but Uni Flake is close and Erinmore Flake has a fair wack to it too (I have no time with older smokers talking about how much better it was 20 yrs ago). And. Many English Plugs and Ropes are stronger. But credit must be given to Peterson's for making a strong flake with a look to the past...it is a brave thing to do, and I suspect financially very sound...ERIN GO BRAGH!

97 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2006-10-31		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Peterson's Irish Flake, in a nutshell, is delicious, strong and cool burning.

Upon opening the tin, I was greated by a greasy, dark flake that smelled rancid. Experience told me I'd be in heaven once I got it in my pipe. Due to the moisture content, I let this one dry out for about half an hour after first giving the flake a good rubbing out. I loaded up in a medium bowled pipe and enjoyed a rich, straight forward, no frills smoke that provided just a slight hint of sweetness.

The taste was strong... The nicotine content was full to the brim... And, the flavor was that of a heavily stoved and strong Virginia with perhaps a smidgen of added flavoring.

If you are new to smoking, puff slowly as Peterson's Irish Flake, quite frankly, was made exclusively for the full scrotum crowd.

80 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2013-12-29		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

After reading the reviews I took away what I should... This is a very strong tobacco use caution. With that I knew not to smoke on an empty stomach and show respect with small easy puffs. I made sure to do both. I was amazed how rich and deep the taste I.F. has immediately after the hard light. Even with a few gentle puffs I could feel my heart race and my consciousness slowly disconnect as my body began to react to this high octane nicotine.

Taste: This is the first tobacco I smoked that tasted like the bouquet of the tin, however it was that (fresh sweet natural tobacco) but VERY deep. Has the foundation of dark fire cure throughout, even with small gentle puffs the deep fire cure rose from from the back of my throat to my nasal cavity. This is one strong deep musky tobacco.

Room note: I asked my wife what she smelled she said, "smells sweet," and like "tea." I realized that was the taste I couldn't quite figure out.. It's dark like an earl grey tea bag you left in too long, this is on top of the fire cure. It's probably the other tobaccos faintly peeking through. I recommend having this in your inventory but for me it's not an everyday smoke. Respect this one or you could get hurt. This would pair well after a fine meal of steak and potato.

50 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2010-04-06		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Visiting friends, I stopped by the only reasonably-stocked tobacconist in their area, and it turned out to be the first place I ever found to have this blend in stock. Obviously, I obtained a tin on the spot.

Opening the tin, the scent comes over rather fruitily, with a dominant dose of tobacco scent. The presentation is a beauty: the tightly-pressed flakes, if righted, show rather definitely that the tin's content has been cut from one piece of plug. With a very nice pattern showing the various leaf.

Darker than University Flake, and with far less topping, this is Pretty Strong Stuff, and the note on the tin that this blend is recommended to the experienced should be taken seriously. Definitely not for the beginner. Whether rubbed out or folded & sunk, this blend packs a nice whollop and if you find it to be rather nice starting out, be warned that the strength rises steadily throughout the smoke. The room note is good enough for other pipe smokers, excellent for cigarette smokers, but probably not good enough for the non-smoker; it is sweet-ish and unobtrusive. The taste has enough sweetness for me and a good, leathery note (yes, I know that's a bit of a cliché...) with a beautiful, fresh sour note. I make the mix mostly Burley in various types of preparation, and you definitely don't want to smoke this weed too hot or it will turn tarry and, possibly, bite.

Folded, lighting still works even out of the fresh tin, and the burn is slow but steady. I find my pipe to contain only some mottled ash at the very end.

Serious tobacco with serious strength, for the seriously experienced smoker to seriously enjoy. For me, great stuff. Seriously.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Ranging from new tin to 2 years

Purchased From: DanPipe, Lauenburg, Germany; HoS, Lingen, Germany

Similar Blends: Peterson - Peterson's Perfect Plug, Rattray - Stirling Flake (Flake Collection), Peterson - University Flake, Mac Baren - HH Old Dark Fired.

40 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe Newb (49)	2014-03-28		Very Strong	Mild	Very Full	Pleasant

"I can taste colors!"

Irish Flake. It should have a warning label, according to everyone that has ever smoked it. "May cause tongue twisted nicotine fueled rants about the gold standard and or those uppity kids and their crazy denim trousers". The smell was definitely fire cured, smoky, strong. I grew up on a tobacco farm in the Carolinas so any time I smell cured tobacco I associate it with the smell of a barn. This smelled like an entire barn was packed into this small tin - very strong, sweet, even with strong floral notes and hay coming along for the ride.

Using the "Z-Roll" technique to create a cylindrical "plug", I put this into a very large bowled meerschaum, which gave me about 1/4" of headspace between the top of the plug and the rim.

I really like the flavor of this tobacco. Lightly sweetened tea, heather, some pithy bitterness at the finish, and a lingering woodsy sweetness at the back of the palate. A quick French inhale revealed something resembling mint. Don't get me wrong, the predominant flavor here is big, manly, mean... but with a sensitive side... Hulk in the front, Bruce Banner in the back.

The room note, think of the taste of sweet tea that has been scented with heather and mint. Very pleasant, and while this tobacco has fairly massive flavor, the smell was very mild and even dissipated quickly.

Expecting a sledgehammer of Nicotine, I made sure I had some food just prior and a large glass of water to go with this beast. I'm glad I did, because despite my precautions it was a heavy hitter - but not unbearable with the right precautions.

The only negative? Despite letting this flake dry on a sheet of paper for 30 minutes, I still had a tough time keeping it lit. I'm sure though, had I used a tighter bowl, I wouldn't have had the same problems.

=UPDATE 2014-07-18= Although my "newb" tobacco tastebuds have changed quite a bit since my first review, I found that my love of Irish Flake is still what it was upon my first review. Additionally, for almost a month prior to my most recent procurement of another tin, I literally had a "craving" for this tobacco. There aren't many tobaccos I can say that about. I really like this stuff.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum, Cob

Age When Smoked: Unknown (Purchased 3/2014)

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

30 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-06-22		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Well, this one is rapidly stating its case for the most often reviewed tobacco here at TR. It's becoming very popular.

Beautiful flakes with a very noticeable tin aroma of some kind of fruit. But this is no Erinmore, as this fruitiness does not come through in the smoke. What comes through is exactly what they proclaim on the tin - pure tobacco with a hint of sweetness.

With all the claims of high nicotine content in this one, I was all set to be knocked on my fanny. But it never happened. If someone can smoke the black and brown ropes, they will laugh at this one's nicotine wimpiness. But it does pack a punch so it's best smoked later in the day or on a full stomach, and probably sitting down. I usually loaded two full flakes and had no problems with nicotine overload.

This is a wonderful pure tobacco. My tin was a little overly robust, a little young and a little lacking in the refinement I get from Solani, Wessex or Edgeworth burley flakes, but it was still very good. I reviewed University Flake and wondered what it would taste like without the berry topping. Irish Flake has answered that question. This one won't make my regular rotation but I'll buy more to smoke occasionally when I'm in the mood for something feisty.

23 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2009-10-02		Overwhelming	None Detected	Extra Full	Pleasant

Drowning in fire-powered Kentucky Burley (WHAT is so Irish about that??), I find this bitter, cloying and bloated in flavour, slightly nauseating in unrestrained nicotine charge, and simply not for me. The man who called it RAW, RAW, RAW was absolutely right.

If you like untaxed back-forest moonshine, go ahead.

23 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2014-08-16		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

An absolutely delightful, thick, dark and delicious tasting tobacco.

There's a definite gravity to the rich full bodied smoke produced by this flake. The strength is more full tilt than I prefer but once I experienced smoking this a handful of times, I learned a couple tricks to help stave off feeling as though I got hit by a dark fired wrecking ball.

Stylistically, I liken Irish Flake to Old Dark Fired, but I.F. is more heady and a bit more firm in flavor. There's also a very subtle flavoring at play. It's there but it's quite mild and difficult to describe.

Strong and good. Damn Good...

Pipe Used: Small

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Duke (41)	2014-04-29		Strong	Medium	Full	Strong

Irish Flake is everything the label says it is. It is strong, you could almost say it’s menacing. I can’t smoke it in the morning, but in the evening that’s another story. I agree when some reviews mentioned it having a taste of cheroot, the preferred smoke of Samuel Clemens. But I think the smoke has more finesse than a cheroot. I’ve read folks mentioning its flavored with anise, but I bet it’s licorice, see article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licorice This tobacco burns effortlessly to a fine ash. The trick to enjoying this blend is don’t ever inhale- you’ll get all the nicotine you want by your mucous membrane’s absorption of nicotine. There are a few tobaccos that I’m quite fond of, but they lack the punch of nicotine, so I find myself inhaling to round out the experience, but not here. It has a wonderful sweetness I can’t describe, and I don’t notice an overbearing or ghosting Lakeland essence. I also think that University Flake (its lil’ brother) is really quite medium in strength and more sugared up, and I don’t find the ash as powdery as IF. I'm quite fond of this tobacco. If you prefer strong dark tobacco I suggest trying this blend.

Pipe Used: Genod Bulldog

Age When Smoked: Fresh

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sirchud68 (60)	2012-12-16		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm not going to lie. I have anticipated trying this blend for a very long time and upon smoking my first bowl was kind of disappointed. What was all the fuss about? Ok, it's a bit strong, then what? But, as any good reviewer should do, I smoked my way through the tin before making a judgement. Each bowl brought a bit more intrest. A nice robust earthiness that is quite enjoyable once you acclimate to it. I have a tin I plan to put some age on, as I believe I will enjoy it much more. So, yes, I.F. is a strong tobacco and really good with an Assam tea. I'll have to wait and see if it gets better with age. If you like strong flakes, give it a try.

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-04-01		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Oh, dear! This is a very strong tobacco but, boy, it's so good. I wanted to start quitting aromatic tobaccos so I picked up a few strong Virginias and a few Latakias and, indeed, it's something different. I think that this is the true nature of pipe smoking. Not an all-day smoke and I won't recommend you to smoke this in the presence of non-smokers. When you want to smoke alone and you feel in the mood for something strong, this is the best choice.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-12-11		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Ohh, this is the stuff! I've gone a week smoking St. Bruno's Flake, Peterson's Old Dublin and Irish Oak and - despite the many notable and diverse pleasures these blends provide - I just wasn't getting into the zone (and my tongue was getting a bit fried).

Today, I finally got a couple of tins of Irish Flake and all is well! A delightful smell of prunes from the tin and gives a creamy-smooth smoke. A superb tobacco: undemonstrative yet tasty and with a long-lasting and satisfying belt to it. Heaven. Lesson learned.

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-05-22		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A very good flake, just not a amazing one for myself. I do rate Peterson's University Flake a four while this is a 3.5 for my tastes.

I'm tightening up on my ratings and only give 4 stars to my top 5 blends that are in my core rotation of tobaccos. Those at this date are Escudo, Penzance, University Flake, Churchill & still deciding what the 5th will be.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-01-27		Overwhelming	None Detected	Full	Extra Strong

This is a good tobacco if you can handle it. Good tobacco taste with good smoking qualities but this stuff kicked my butt. I read the reviews and thought maybe I can handle it....I was wrong. This is a tobacco for the hardcore veteran piper. I need some hair on my chest before I'll come here again. NICOTINE!!!

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Geronimo Von Klaus (76)	2014-09-02		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

Don't be scared off by the strength hype this gets. This is a strong but very well refined, tasty, elegant and smooth smoke with rich VA and Burley.

There are stronger out there. I haven't got a great tolerance for high nic and folded 2 and a half flakes into a big billiard of this and smoked for over an over without being much put off, only right near the end did I get a bit woozy. MacBaren Dark Fired, GH Rum Flake, even GLP Sextant knocked me over far harder.

Its a great mix. The proportions are just right. I didn't get much or any sweetness, just pure, unadulterated tobacco throughout, and it got warmer and richer as the bowl went on. This for me is the closest you can get to straight tobacco right now, you just have to know that before you fire it up.

The burley comes through with some nutty niceness near the front, mellows at the middle as the VA's really set fire and come into high gear, and then at the bottom its heavy VA's with the Bur still peaking out here and there.

The smoke was rich, I dared not draw a lot, I sipped for most of it.

Very very good.

Pipe Used: Straight Billiard

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Cigars International

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Uban (60)	2014-06-08		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Really strong natural flavor. Spicy, creamy, rich with real heavy bass notes all the way and not too much in the highs. This is a truly honest offering, mixing the major types of old-fashioned leaf in fine proportion. Not for everyday, as it is a bit one-dimensional, but a nice relaxing mid-evening smoke especially before something sweeter & more complex. I don't find it sweet or raisiny, but it tastes & smells just like the tin note to me. Good stuff, but I like University a bit more.

Pipe Used: Meer, cob, briars

Age When Smoked: 3 yrs

Purchased From: JR

Similar Blends: Some MacBarens' unflavored twisis.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tpatriarche (43)	2013-12-21		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I reserve 4 stars for a blend that has "something special", so although this is an excellent tobacco, I give it 3 - I have tried other flue cured/dark fired blends that have more character. Definitely a strong blend, not for the faint-hearted!

Smooth and even burning, although the last 1/4 is a little harsh. I like the sliced flake cut, although because of the density a 50g tin does not yield as many pipefuls as (say) a ribbon-cut. E.g., a medium pipe of Amphora is about 2 gm., the same pipe holds nearly 5 gm of this blend (rubbed). OTOH, a pipeful lasts a long time. I have been looking for a strong, old-fashioned blend, and this definitely qualifies.

For a somewhat lighter sweeter smoke, this blends well with a Black Cavendish, and for a more "Oriental" taste blends very well with various blends containing Latakia & Yenidje.

Pipe Used: Carey; Falcon

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Goodfellas, Victoria BC

Similar Blends: McLelland Personal Reserve series, but the McLelland blends have more character, E.A. Carey UK's Dark Flake No.7 (house blend, not available from EA Carey USA).

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2011-05-05		Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I was attracted to IF because of my enjoyment of University Flake, also by Peterson. I would describe this as a bit stronger than University Flake and less sweet. After smoking my first full tin, I promptly bought a sleeve. However, after another couple of tins, I found myself growing bored with it and getting more of a medicine taste from the topping. I enjoy the strength of Irish Flake and the tobacco is of high quality, but on the occasion that I choose a powerhouse flake, I'm looking for a little more pure tobacco taste and less topping.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	simonburrows (2)	2016-06-07		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

My default setting tends to be St Bruno, simply because it is so readily available from my local supermarket. But with a narrow boat holiday on the horizon I thought it best to stock up on some different experiences. So I looked at tobacco reviews.com for some inspiration. 3 tobaccos came to light, Dunhill my mix 965, Cornel and Diehl black frigate and this little beut. So I took a trip from Beeston on the new tram system in to Nottingham and headed up to Gauntley’s. Oh boy, I savoured the experience, firstly by gently perusing in the window at the finest display of wine, whisky, cigars, lighters, pipes and tobacco. A proper good old English tobacconist. I walked through the door.... It gently hit me, a gradual realisation of the fanfare of delights laid out before my eyes, everywhere I looked yes I looked everywhere. I had to stop myself, I announced my requirements. Of course sir, she said. The lady then selected my tobacco from the well stocked shelves and cupboards, although I am sure the lady must have visited Narnia for my selection, not because of the length of time it took but because of the mystery and dreamlike constitution of the products received. So this needs some serious contemplating

Pause....

I head down to my local pub. The Crown in Beeston Nottinghamshire. A pint of Sunchaser I reckon will go well with this. So to the review...I open the tin.... sssppsss the sweet-tempered hiss of air meeting merth. Not knowing my Burley from my perique this review will be based purely on my experience with flavour and satisfaction. Next I open the crisp paper wrapping to expose the perfect flakes of joy. The nose heads towards the exposed flakes to gather the first fresh aroma of the newly opened tin. Nuts, especially walnut husks and dried figs wrapped in slightly damp deer skin with a hint of sultana. I rub half a wide flake gently but firmly with my right thumb pressing into the palm of my left hand, just as my father did when I was a boy. Packed gently into the bowl of my 1960’s Peterson system standard 313 restored by yours truly. It half fills the bowl, the other half of the wide flake is carefully bent in 3. This sits wholly in the top half of the bowl. Lighting and the first full burst hits me immediately, walking in a dry peat earthiness with wool socks and an aroma of burnt heather. It is liken to a smouldering fire of Ash logs and the texture on the nose is as a tweed jacket. That’s it, I am walking through moors of heather burnt yesterday wearing a slightly damp tweed jacket with some dried figs and walnut husks mixed with sultanas in my pocket. Now that’s an experience I can only get by going to Scotland or Ireland or by smoking Peterson Irish Flake. The depth and lingering experience of these flavours is an earthy journey only known and savoured to the experienced pipe smoker who’s depth and knowledge can only come through the quiet contemplation of peaceful felicity.

Marvellous

Pipe Used: Peterson system standard 313 1960's

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Gauntley’s

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2018-05-17		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Summary: a strong Burley-forward blend with a subtle dark fired flavor heavily spiced with anise, honey, and other delicious stuff.

This is one of my eternal go-to tobaccos because it always delivers a flavorful, pleasant, and long-lasting smoke. Burleys hit some people stronger than others, and this one is chock full of Burley, so will set your stomach off if you get that feeling like having eaten an underripe vegetable after smoking Burley. The bowl starts with domination by the topping, a licorice-honey flavor with possibly other spices and condiments, but as the flake burns down, more of the dark fired flavor and then a hint of sweet Virginia emerges, eventually caramelizing. The anise remains a presence but not overdominant during the majority of the bowl, producing a fragrant smoke with lots of flavor, and enough Nicotine that I could smoke this all day long without nodding off. As a moist and dense flake, "Irish Flake" rewards extremely slow smoking or it generates a boatload of water. At that speed, it delivers a nuanced and complex flavor with a strong aura of natural tobacco taste.

Update for 2019: the "new" Irish Flake comes in shorter flakes and is the Dr. Pepper of tobaccos: it has a semi-cola flavor from the interaction of dark fired and Virginia leaf with the anise, then they added some of the fruity stuff they put on "University Flake," and the new flakes are shorter and sweeter (more bright Virginia). The result tastes a bit like the amaretto-cola flavor that is Dr. Pepper. I would like the old Irish Flake spun off as its own blend because it served a vital niche, where the new version seems to be gunning for the general Virginia flake market, namely Orlik "Dark Strong Kentucky." Losing uniqueness translates to replaceability.

Similar Blends: Orlik Tobacco Company A/S - Dark Strong Kentucky, Rattray - Stirling Flake (Flake Collection), Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Coniston Cut Plug, Mac Baren - HH Old Dark Fired, Samuel Gawith - Lakeland Dark Flake.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-04-20		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable

As a Bold Kentucky and Old Dark Fired lover I was really looking forward to try this one. I was expecting something like those two, but now that I've smoked Peterson's Irish Flake I have to say: They may be living in the same alley - yet they are TOTALLY different. First thing I want to mention is that I don't find the Nicotine overpowered. Is it strong? Yes! Is it too strong? Hell no! At least if you like a stronger smoke.

Peterson's Irish Flake comes in a classy tin with a simple lable, which is typical for Peterson's backys. Inside there are appetizing flake slices stacked. Dark brown in colour, with a few yellow/golden dots.

The tin smell is tempting, and at the same time hard to describe for me. I get nutty-scents, along with a bit of woodsy notes and a aroma that reminds a bit of anise or licorice. Very savoury. Flakes are a bit moist when you crack the tin, but they can be smoked without drying time.

Packing, lighting - no problems! Quality tobacco in quality condition.

The taste is building up throughout the smoke. On first light I only perceive a slight nutty note with a whiff of tanginess. At the beginning I was a bit suprised of it's simple, honest taste, but it diddn't dissapoint me in any way. I was expecting a bit more "oomph", a complex blend with a bunch of different notes to it. But Irish Flake is rather simple - but definetly not flat!

Irish Flake gives me some deep bursting nutty notes, along with a bit of woodsy-notes and a gentle sweetness. A hint of licorice/anise is lurking in the back and enriching the taste. There's a gentle sweetness that's always present, which marries well with the slightly sweetish nutty taste. Accompanied by a woodsy note thats shining through in the back. Every few puffs a delightful note of the said licorice/anise flavour comes through. A nice condiment is always present. Tangy, slightly sweet and aromatic.

Also worth noting is that I find the Kentuckys to have a very different taste than the ones used in Bold Kentucky and Old Dark Fired. It's a bit more dry in taste and has a different taste-profile to me.

EDIT: Smoked in a wide bowl (in diameter) it's even better for my taste. More sweetness and nutty flavours comes through.

Even tho I was expecting something totally different, I diddn't get dissapointed. Irish Flake is a smooth, palatable and unique tasting tobacco of fine ingridients that melt into some tasty smoke. A taste that's matchless imho. I guess it's rather you love - or hate this tobacco.

By the way: The only additive in this tobacco is ~28mg of flavoring on 1000mg of tobacco! https://service.bmel.de/tabakerzeugnisse/index2.php?detail_id=104601&site_key=153&stichw_suche=irish+flake&zeilenzahl_zaehler=1

4/4 Stars for this honest and seductive blend! Takes a place in my tobacco-bar for sure.

Pipe Used: Clays, Cobs, Briars

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobacco (52)	2014-05-15		Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Plenty of reviews on this great stuff. But it deserves mine too...

Tin is only a bit moist, perfect for long term storage. Tin note is not unpleasant, perhaps Heinz 47 Steak Sauce? You get about a dozen nice sized flakes, perfect for two small bowls or one medium-large bowl. The flakes dry overnight and are easy to rub out. After a slightly persnickety relight, you get a very well behaved long smoke. Burley flavor is there, but so is sweet dark Virginia and a hint of cloves. Very smooth smoke that is flavorful and easy on the mouth.

Strength is nothing to be intimidated by; N build-up is predictable and pleasant. You can put a pipe of this aside and relight later; the flavor will still be pleasant. More dottle than a typical flake, but still very well behaved and the pipe is left easy to clean. Goes very nicely with Constant Comment Tea, hot with milk and sugar. This is 100% good smokable tobacco; a great value from smokingpipes.com at $9 per tin on sale.

Pipe Used: MM Great Dane Egg Cob

Age When Smoked: fresh opened tin

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	twaksak (54)	2014-07-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I got this as a sample and very few of the reviews captured what I've experienced - that's why I decided to write this review.....

In the tin I got an immediate Oriental aroma. Then on first light, a burst of roasted coffee/chocolate beans. On re-light, the roasted mocca continued, but very faintly, while the oriental notes were ever present.

I enjoyed this tobacco a lot.

Update Sep 2014. Earthy, creamy and musky. Everyone says its high in Vit N and only for those with enough hair on their chests..... Key Largo kicked me more. Really a nice tobacco.

Pipe Used: Peterson, Bari

Age When Smoked: Don't know

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (107)	2020-06-19		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Prep: Was a bit on the wet side like most flakes, but required little drying.

The Kentucky is obvious, with its bbq, smoky, character. The burley pops in with its nutty, molasses notes. The virginas are evident, adding sweetness, but are in the backseat. This is a full flavored blend, staying consistent throughout the smoke.

Flavor wise, this is a wonderful blend. However..... Granted I am a weakling when it comes to nicotine, but boy this was heavy in that category. A dizziness and headache hit me mid-bowl. I enjoy a nic punch but this is simply too strong for enjoyment.

If you are a nicotine chaser, grab a tin; you'll be quite satisfied. If you arent or you are new to the heavier nic blends, tip toe around this blend. Flavor profile alone 8/10. But personally 5.5/10

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Calamiti (85)	2017-06-23		Strong	Medium	Full	Pleasant

I really like that menacing disclaimer on the tin: "EXPERIENCED SMOKERS ONLY!". It may give a kind of guilty pleasure to speculate like this: "Well, if I like this stuff and smoke it often, then I should be a truly experienced guy. And even more: if I - unlike most guys on TobaccoReviews - don't find this smoke excessively strong and even like to inhale it, then I must be not just an Experienced Smoker, but I-don't-know-what, maybe a Guru of Smoking" :)

Actually, I'm not thinking this way. Unfortunately, through decades of heavy smoking I've become so "experienced" and so dependent of nicotine that few blends can really satiate my nic crave now. I'm not happy at all with that hyper-tolerance. If I could, I'd prefer to roll the time back to become young and inexperienced again. And enjoy those long gone spins from a pipeful of Irish Flake and from other good things in life. Alas.

Irish Flake is a good potent stuff. I feel notes of wood, earth, rye bread and baked potato (it's not called "Irish" for nothing). It's one of the few tobaccos nicotinized enough to my taste. And it smokes really cool. There's a slightest anise topping in it, I find it pleasant and adding to the magic of this blend.

Irish Flake is simple, non pretentious, and is indeed "true to the pure", as the tin description says. A masterpiece by Peterson, much like University Flake; these two are like no other from Old Pete.

Highly Recommended for all Experienced Smokers. And a Must Try for inexperienced ones. Because when they are experienced, they'll need some memories from the past.

Pipe Used: Peterson Rhodesian 999

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bulletsnbriars (4)	2014-05-15		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

This is an awesome blend, my current favorite! The tin smells full and salty; like real tobacco! It doesn't need anything to hide the lovely musty scent. It does come a little moist, i'd say leave a whole flake sitting on a paper towel for at least an hour before smoking. That gives me the best results at least. Everyone seems to have their own way of packing a flake, but I use the "Z" method. Fold it in thirds, then in half and jam it in. Light tamping to get her set. Takes a little bit to get it lit; but once it is, I haven't had much trouble with it going out or a hard time relighting when I let it sit. Once you've got her going, sit back and sip. Enjoy this full, rich, flavor! This blend is nothing fancy; that's not to say it is dull. There's a lot of intricate flavor here, you won't get bored with all the subtle notes dancing across your tastebuds. It's sometimes got a hint of sweet, a bit of salty, but mostly pleasantly nutty and bold. Sipping is a requirement here, not just for the high nicotene content but also to enjoy all the subtleties. Irish Flake is meant to be savored. Never bit me, even with some heavy puffing. The room note is bold like the flavor, but not unpleasantly so. I definitely get the tea notes other reviews have pointed out. I could just kick back and smoke this all day. Great way to get your vitamin N fix, but not too strong to enjoy on its own. Not reccomended for new pipe smokers or for a short smoke; being a flake it burns long. My only complaint is that they don't sell it in a bigger tin!

Pipe Used: Peterson Billiard, MM Cob

Age When Smoked: Less than a month.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-05-08		Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Strong

I'm surprised the average rater only notices a mild flavoring on this one. An incense like note was pretty prominent to me. Not that I really minded (though I'd be interested in trying this without it for comparison purposes). As a hard-hitting scented flake, this ranks up there with 1792 in my estimation, and that's saying a lot. Creamy, toasty, spicy, with just a bit of an edge to remind you you're smoking a man's tobacco, this stuff delivers. Get you some.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-01-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A lot has been said here about this Flake, but I still feel compelled to add to the numerous reviews. For what its worth, here is my 2 cents.

A Masterpiece. Strong and satisfying. Possibly the finest tobacco on God's earth.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-01-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Wow, this is the real deal. As soon as you open the tin this one makes a bold statement. There?s nothing fancy here just straight up pure tobacco. It rubs out easily, burns cool and dry providing a full flavored smoke with plenty enough nicotine. If you puff to fast it won?t bite but it will slap you silly.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain Pete (83)	2009-01-08		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

When Murray's in Belfast closed their doors, we all shed tears for the demise of the Irish tradition of tobacco production. The tobacco blends that were created in Belfast included Erinmore Flake, Peterson's tobacco products, and many Dunhill blends. I really miss those old blends, though I still have plenty of the Belfast made Erinmore Flake in my cellar, and I'm finishing up the last of a tin of Murray produced University Flake.

And so, once Murray's was closed, Peterson had to find another blender for their tobaccos. I do not know where they are made now, but they certainly are not of the quality they once were. So when Peterson introduced this new flake a couple years ago, I was a bit surprised. To call something "Irish Flake" when it wasn't even ever at any time made in Ireland takes some gumption. But, at least people wouldn't be comparing it to the old stuff, since there was no "old stuff" to compare it with.

Apparently, Irish Flake has become legendary in its own time. I have heard tell that it's strength is remarkable. People have positively swooned over it, and their claims to its powerful nicotine levels finally swayed me to try it. Irish Flake, you have been weighed and found wanting. When measured against the true Irish flakes, Erinmore and the old University, this tobacco is truly lacking in strength and character. When compared to such heavyweights as Gawith & Hogarth's Dark Flake or Consiston Plug, it may as well be corn flakes.

In the tin, the stuff looks like you'd expect. Dark brown in color, narrow stirps. Tin aroma slightly smokey, traces of va. sweetness and dark fired tobacco spiciness. I have a fairly acute sense of smell, and I still had to get down within about two inches of the open tin to pick up the aromas. So it's fairly weak in aroma strength. Tobacco was perfect moisture for smoking, and so immediate loading into a Peterson 05 was called for. First light was a little difficult to get it going.

Once I got the tobacco going good, the flavors began to peek through. I think I can see where people believe that this is strong stuff, because it has a definite cigar-like quality to it. It was mildly sweet, with the merest hint of spice. The smokey dark fired leaf was ever present, but it was weak. I really expected to be bowled over by this stuff. But, I've gotten a better nicotine buzz from University Flake (the Murray). And this stuff comes nowhere near the strength of the old Erinmore Flake. I kept waiting for the nicotine fairies, but they never came to visit.

From the beginning, the tobacco flavors were a little strange, just a bit 'off'. It actually seemed to me like this stuff is cased with a tobacco flavoring to help boost the otherwise wimpy character. I know that doesn't make sense to do, but I swear that this stuff tastes like it's artificially enhanced with some kind of tobacco flavored stuff. Midway through the bowl, the tobacco began to just taste kind of skunky and wet. I just don't get it. I suppose if someone were coming from heavily cased cavendish aromatics, they might find this a strong tobacco. But, as for tobacco flavor, I've gotten more out of MacBaren's Stockton.

Everybody out there who is smoking this stuff had convinced themselves that it's a potent smoke. Well, whatever makes them happy. But, if you really are interested in smoking something that will ring your bell, this ain't it. Despite its name, this is most definitely not an Irish flake. "Recommended for the experienced pipe smoker." Maybe I'm just not experienced enough to for the nicotine to have its effect.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-12-29		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

Well let me start by saying that I chose this as my first review, because love it, or hate it Irish Flake is memorable.

As a former user of Copenhagen, I do not normally worry about tobacco considered high in nicotine. I should have respected this one, as my first bowl (on an empty stomach) threw me for a loop. I decided to roll two flakes into my Erikson bulldog and puff away as I normally woul on one of my English blends. Not my brightest Idea! After half the bowl I had to cry UNCLE! That is not something I am used to doing.

After learning from my mistake I find this to be a very strong, but pleasent smoke. It is very smooth, but it sure gets the job done. Perfect companion to a good whisky before turning in for the night.

There is definately a good amount of vitamin N in this, but if you are looking for a well developed, natural tasting, full flavored smoke...this is it!

The biggest problem i have found with this, is that if i do not open my windows, my dogs get stoned and become monsters!!!

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nach0 (35)	2022-06-20		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

Here is where we split apart who has or not a good resistance for nicotine. I´m not saying it´s the strongest tobacco in the world, but u need be careful.... It gave me hiccups after 1hour of good smoke, i mean, this is what i expect from strong tobacco. I really love it. It has the body i like to smoke when it´s cold or during the winter. Not that complex, but delivers a good quality mixture of bold and mellow tobaccos. The flakes comes lil bit wet, a time drying out is necessary, i had better experiences with cobs than briar, i´m not sure why or if this is just my imagination, but for me this is a tobacco to be smoked in cob´s. It has a special space in my rotation, i can compare it with 'bold Kentucky' or 'old dark fired', all of them are quite strong and belong to the same "family" of body/strength, imo they lie on the same shelf.

Pipe Used: many included briar and cob

Age When Smoked: straight from the tin

Similar Blends: bold Kentucky and old dark fired..

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Poodlejuice (51)	2021-11-25		Strong	Mild	Full	Strong

Lots of bitter wood smoke, & bread, some deep earth, floral notes, and a bit of Grass, stewed dark fruit, and tiny bit of citrus fruitiness. There is a faint tonquin/clove/anise type note I can't quite grasp. Nicotine strength is strong, but far from overwhelming. Burns well and I find little bite, although it will get bitter. Smokeable right out the tin, but I like to give it a 20 min dry time.

This is a "must try". An A-tier tobacco. Impeccably balanced and soul-rejuvenating. This might be tied with Old Dark Fired as my favorite tobacco ever, they are both good for slightly different reasons. This one being breadier, drier, and a tad stronger, white ODF having more of a sweet BBQ sauce character. Perfect morning coffee companion (is it normal to enjoy strong blends in the morning?) or post dinner nightcap. It is, in short, perfect.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2021-05-02		Very Strong	Very Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

Thirty six years ago I rotated three tobaccos, they being, Ogden’s Rebbreast, Players Digger Flake and Gallaghers Condor long cut, these three tobaccos were my favourite blends. At that time all three of the aforementioned tobaccos were easily sourced at any newspaper shop come tobacconists you cared to mention, it would be hard to single out any one of the above tobaccos as my personal favourite, but I did love digger flake. At that time Digger Flake came in a unusual tin in that the tin was hinged and the tobacco was wrapped in cellophane, before that it came in a standard oblong tin that was yellow in colour, but for me the hinged tin was the best, on opening the tin one was met by a most delightful mouth watering smell of pure tobacco nirvana. Anyway without further nostalgic ado, onto my review of Peterson’s Irish slices. Irish slices used to be made in Belfast by the now long closed Murray’s tobaccos, who up to twelve years ago also made a loose Digger tobacco. For my money Peterson’s Irish Slices is an exact copy of the now long dead Digger tobacco, yes I know of a tobacconists in the UK that purports to selling loose Digger tobacco, but for my money it is of no comparison.Peterson’s Irish Flake in its present incarnation is the closest thing to Digger Flake in the modern tobacco world. The Irish Flake is not for the faint hearted as the nicotine hits harder than a mule kick to the head, but smokes ultra cool right to the end. This tobacco needs respect if one is to reap the full benefit of its fruity, sweet top notes. This tobacco is for the man who likes a strong tobacco and is a fine companion to smoke at night, when one is ruminating on ones day or the madness of a world that at times is hard to fathom. Smoke this tobacco slowly and appreciate the fact that we as pipe smokers are the guardians of a lost world and as such are thinking people who do not follow the herd mentality. Peterson’s Irish Flake is a bowl full of nostalgia that gives you much more than a quality smoke, it gives one a little respite from the aforementioned craziness and conjures up a lost world of eccentric non-conformists who lived in peace with their pipes. To summarise, if like me you were a fan of Digger Flake then this is the nearest thing out there, if you are a newbie then this is a must try tobacco, that will not fail to deliver a full satisfying smoke that the Lakeland’s and aromatics cannot deliver, that being a satisfying cool slow burning smoke with no tongue bite and a Irish slice of pure pleasure.

Pipe Used: Lorenzo Skyscraper

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Appleyards Tobacconists Buxton

Similar Blends: The now unobtainable Players Digger flake. Rattray's Sterling Flake, Bold Kentucky..

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2016-01-16		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Let me start by saying, this isn't strong enough that you should be wary of trying it. Tin aroma on this tin (aged 2 years) was very similar to Gawith's 1792 flake. Earthy, musty and a bit floral. Moist in the tin, it can take some time to rub out. I never have been a fold and stuff kind of guy.

Initial lighting went smooth. Taste is also similar to 1792, minus the tonquin. Earthy smoke, leathery and pure tobacco flavor. I detect a bit of casing here at first, but it fades mid bowl. second half of the bowl seems to develop an almost chocolate-y flavor. This tobacco stays well lit, I had next to no relights on almost every bowl I smoked. Leaves a very clean and refreshing palate, almost minty. So don't be afraid, go get you some of this!

Pairs well with coffee and rye whiskey.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Similar Blends: Gawith 1792 Flake.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2008-12-18		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Hey, this has recently been added to the Peterson's tobaccos imported in Italy! but I'm smoking a tin coming from Dublin which a dear friend brought me (along with Fox' Provost)a month ago. Again I should go back to the good times of my past memories... when Condor and St. Bruno, and other masculine flakes from UK were on the shelves of our tobacconists. IF is something of that kind, and UF as well, very "old school". IF is meal for "once a day" and, when you smile at the red tin, you'd better be sure and well prepared to the hour and more of high nicotine dose you are going to get in a small bowl. No additives, no bite, no gurgle, no strange aromas, just plain tobacco. Just have it dried a bit before smoke, otherwise be prepared to several relights. A couple of personal opinions: 1) tin aroma has a bit of Samson, the RYO Dutch tobacco 2) one or two flakes are enough to give some meat to 50gmrs of all-day mild tobaccos based on Virginia & Burley. My love and deep respect to IF.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RK_Oz (15)	2022-07-25		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Dark Flakes which did not need much drying were ready to be packed as is but I dried them for about 20 mins. Easily broken and packed

Pipe: MM Rob Roy cob

First 15 mins:

From the initial light, burley seemed to lead the blend with creamy nutty notes mingled with slight sweetness and sourness from the Virginias in conjunction with Kentucky... There is very mild presence of the cocoa topping/casing perhaps which is enough to mute the offerings from Virginias imo.

Retrohale: fuller creamy and nutty with mild sweet and spicy notes.

15-30 mins: The virginias and burley go hand in hand. I get the nutty,  woody profile of the burleys in equal proportions to the floral,  bread, fruity sweet and mildly vinegary (and some tea as after-taste on the palate) notes from Virginias. Kentucky is in the support role and perhaps contributing to the strength and the fuller profile than the notes itself.

Retrohale: creamy and mildly spicy

30-45 mins: Virginias are in the lead now offering fruity sweetness along with bread,  hay and mild floral notes. After taste of tea I'd noticed on the palate. Light woody notes with even milder nuttiness from the burley/kentucky

Retrohale: spice is up a notch with some sweetness.

45mins+: Interestingly I get more woody,  soapy notes mixed with some floral notes.  The sweet and sour notes from Virginias are not there any more. tbh, it's made the blend less enjoyable for me.

Smokes cool and dry at a decent pace. Needs only a few relights.

Overall fuller taste with similar strength. Interesting blend but not something I would smoke daily.  3.5 star️ until I reached the 45 mins mark which kinda ruined the experience... 3star️ overall.

Pipe Used: MM Rob Roy

Age When Smoked: 18 months

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (192)	2022-04-30		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Smoking now.

Sample bag contained thick intact flakes that had some age on them. The aroma had a vinegar tang, some smoky woody notes, and maybe some dark fruit? Did remind me or bbq sauce. Rubbed out rather course and put into a wide bowl.

So disclaimer I’m not a fan of burley tobaccos. This reminds me slightly of HH ODF however this is not as sweet or bbq flavored. Which is one of the only burley Virginia DFK blends I’ve smoked.

Woody, more dry wood, nuts, vegetative plant material like autumn leaves, spicy, and mild smokey characteristics. I want to say I get some mild dark sweetness from the Virginia too. The retrohale is where it shines for me, getting more of that smokey wood note, dark earthy semi sweet Virginias and some spicy notes.

Some people say this is creamy… it is in the sense of a heavy maduro cigar. Happy to say that it did not bite my tongue like burley heavy tobaccos do. A little mouth tingle and no bad aftertaste. A hearty smoke for sure. A woody burley and earthy Virginia type of smoke with some spicy notes and little sweetness. Not my wheel house but if it is this should be on your list.

I found the nicotine doable after a heavy lunch. The nicotine is definitely way higher your average non aromatic pipe tobacco. I smoked another bowl later in the day after an adult beverage and the nicotine hit was a bit higher than I like from a pipe. Crossing into cigar territory. Would probably not smoke more than a bowl at a time. Certainly not an all day smoke unless you can smoke cigars all day. If you smoke cigars like I do treat it as such. It did light and stayed lit just fine. Smoked well.

I have 3 more bowls left so I will up date this accordingly.

Pipe Used: Peterson 606

Similar Blends: HH ODF.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cherry picker 1779 (51)	2018-07-04		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

WOW. this blend changed the whole pipe smoking game for me. After smoking pipes for 10 + years and having tried Countless blends I am left scratching my head here. I put a halt on reviewing blends on here a while back, however I had to review this based on my experience of smoking Peterson Irish flake. The number one thing to note is that everyone is different and different blends can be strong to one piper and weak to another. Some blends bite one and some blends bite another. It just depends on the individuals reaction to the contents of the smoke, it's Totally subjective. That being said, let me explain. Of the 200 something blends I've smoked I always get some sort of tongue bite by the end of a pipe. Regardless of pace. Sometimes mildly, sometimes scorched, but always something. This is the very first tobacco that I can honestly say has left me with zero tongue bite/ discomfort. And by zero I mean ZERO , zilch, nada.... nothing. I am literally dumbfounded right now. The nicotine content is not too high for me. It's actually just perfect. It's what I would choose for every blend if that were possible. I went for it because of the strength and nic hit. It wasn't quite what I expected based on my research of the blend prior to buying it. But I am darn glad it is what it is and I got what I got. A beautiful smoke, perfect in flavor , non complex, with that perfect nic hit. again my tongue, after an hour + of smoking away , doesn't even know it smoked a single puff. I am satisfied to the fullest. I feel bad for putting my tongue through all the scorching of the past about now. If I new this blend agreed with me so well I may have stopped my searching for perfect pipe tobacco many years ago. It's something I'll have to look into in order to figure out why/ how this blend is so kind to me. I normally smoke heavy English and Balkan blends. Mostly oriental/Latakia/Virginia blends. This va/bur might be my new thing. As for the room note I think it's gotta be very pleasant. The wife says she doesn't really smell much in the room note but she likes it. (She's definateley smelled too much Latakia over the years as most all the blends I smoke have a strong hand of it) So here I lay shirtless on this hot summer night, smoking my third bowl since sundown , with a Candace of sip sip chug, sip sip chug. And all I can say is I'm stoked up for an early smoke in the morning to start celebrations for Independence Day. This stuff is the bees knees, the crows coo, the pots pie!!

Similar Blends: A small resemblance to sir Walter Raleigh, but much cooler, deeper, richer, and way way better.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleSquinty (27)	2018-03-15		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Strong

Peterson's Irish Flake. Okay, I'll add to the noise here a bit.

Strength: Yes, it's strong. Not as strong as G. & H. Brown Bogey, not as strong as University Flake. But it is strong, and I wouldn't recommend this to the light aromatics crowd. It will in fact, knock you on your ass. I got vagus nerve spasms that nearly dropped me to the floor the first time I smoked this.

Taste: I didn't initially like this. It is strong and tarry, a pure tobacco flavor. Toppings, dressings, casings? Well, the description says this is topped, but the reviews generally say otherwise. I get a bit of rose geranium and other Lakeland scents, but I don't taste the anise that others have reported here. The flavor becomes stronger, less sweet and more cigar like as you smoke through the bowl.

This is a lovely, oily flake that smells nasty in the tin, but which smokes beautifully. At 34% relative humidity with central gas heating, this required about 45 minutes of drying time, if you don't want an oily, wet dottle at the finish.

Preparation: I folded and stuffed one flake into the bottom of my M.M. Danish spool. I then thoroughly rubbed out another flake and packed it into the top half of the bowl in two packing steps. A number of relights are required, even after the tobacco has been rubbed and dried. I am a vacuum cleaner, and I could not get this one to bite no matter how hard I tried. This is a bit of a surprise, because the tobacco is quite moist out of the tin and contains a goodly amount of Virginia.

I enjoy this as an after breakfast smoke with strong black coffee. Not at all an all-day smoke for most.

Room note: The wife grabbed the skillet and attempted to bludgeon me with it after smelling this one inside the house. The divorce should be finalized by the end of next month. (joke...no assault actually occurred).. Calling the room note "tolerable" is akin to calling a skunk "lightly perfumed." In other words, non-smokers will find the room note to be a justification for their radical anti-tobacco political stance.

Finish: If sipped more or less slowly, the finish is pleasant. As noted above, cigar-like notes emerge and much of the sweetness goes away. If dried, this leaves a dark grey ash and moist dottle, and the pipe should be cleaned after each bowlful. Three out of four stars.

Pipe Used: M.M. Danish Spool with balsa filter.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Turbo Stormy (1)	2017-12-20		Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

My favorite Flake. It is a delicious tobacco that makes me wish I had a larger bowl. Lot's of nicotine though, if you are a rookie or don't smoke often, it will make your mouth water, give you hiccups and possibly make you want to toss your cookies. If you are a noob, save this one for after a large meal. Otherwise, I smoke this with coffee in the morning and watch the sun rise.

Pipe Used: Peterson Flame Grain, Savinelli

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: Tobacco Patch, Bellevue, Washington

Similar Blends: Peterson 3 P's.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2017-06-24		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Peterson - Irish Flake.

Note: this was one of my first reviews which I thought could be, and needed to be, re-posted. I only smoked this for a short while, wrote my review, and hadn't had it since. So I ordered a fresh tin to work my way through and review.

A tin contains two stacks of virtually jet black flakes. They're maybe a tad too moist, but still smokeable fresh. I usually fully rub my flakes, but Irish Flake gives a superb smoke without rubbing being a prerequisite.

Partly because I fold and stuff Irish Flake it gives an extremely cool smoke. My first bowl from this tin was fresh, un aired, and there was no problem initiating the burn. Before I talk about what I can taste, I'll vanquish the subject of what I can't: Virginia. With that topic out the way it leaves what I can taste: I get a very full smoke of quality Burley and Kentucky. Although the fired Kentucky can be tasted, it doesn't take over the flavour with bitter, astringent, smokiness; it gives a note of Kentucky, rather than a BLAST. The Burley cleans things up, by lending a nutty, rustic style of taste. I only get a delicate sweetness, a lot more of the smoke quantifies as being savoury. At no point have I had tongue bite, with this tin, further qualifying it for a full score!

The room-note's tolerable at best, but I don't care, and it has a more than healthy amount of nicotine. But, if you, like me, don't like too much N, simply don't inhale ;)

Four stars, easily:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: G.Q. Tobaccos

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipers' Domain (16)	2017-05-17		Very Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A strong blend with a dominant part in burley and spiced Kentucky. The earthy Virginia is still present giving a somewhat bread/buttery note. Very creamy and smooth tobacco, but one should fill up their bellies before smoking it due to high nicotine content, I' d say higher than nightcap. The kind of liquorice topping makes it less brutal, especially at the end of the bowl. Tongue bites are kept at bay. I highly recommend smoking it in a churchwarden accompanied by a strong espresso blend

Pipe Used: churchwarden

Age When Smoked: fresh from the tin

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TabacFanatic (6)	2016-05-23		Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Pleasant

Ten bucks is more than I like to spend for 50 gm of pipe tobacco. But Irish Flake is so satisfying and so flavorful, I don't mind it a bit in this case.

And don't let any swaggering doofus out there tell you it isn't strong. Because it is. Not as strong as Condor Plug, but it packs a wallop. If you're used to smoking Sweet Vanilla Honeydew and decide to load 3 slices of Irish Flake in a large pipe, you'll be horizontal in no time.

Decades ago my pipe smoking mentor (may he rest in peace) taught me the key to enjoying these powerful flakes and cut plugs: rub out, pack loosely in a small or narrow pipe, light gently and let it smolder. I carry the pipe with me all day and take occasional 15-minute pipe breaks, which are intensely satisfying. Each sip is like taking a bite of a crusty, juicy grilled steak.

That's the only way I can think of to describe the flavor and aroma. Enjoyment is immediate. No soul searching required. No need to fanny about with terms like citrus, grass, hay, plum, or whatever. Just fire it up and use what nature gave you.

In the categories of flavor, aroma, and satisfaction, Irish Flake rates 100 out of a possible 100.

Pipe Used: Astleys Chimney

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Online Vendor

Similar Blends: Gallaher Limited - Condor Plug.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brandr ODS (15)	2015-11-20		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Peterson’s Irish Flake : my favourite tobacco.

I like to compare its taste and aroma to a nice piece of plain dark chocolate: strong and with a firmly pronounced character, still sweet in a way.

At first the tin note is a honest, straightforward scent of natural tobacco, clearly with something special that I believe to be the mature fruit of the majestic combination of Kentucky and Virginia leaves, pressed to get more intimate each other and age together. I really cannot tell if there’s any casing : if so, it passes unnoticed like a ninja.

In the bowl it develops some really interesting traits : the dark chocolate aftertaste is a constant tune like a bagpipe’s drone, accompanied by a subtle hint of what I detect as plum. But that’s just the ouverture, and things get serious at ¾ of the bowl : The earthiness and light spiciness of the Kentucky arises in first place, tingling you nostrils and your throat with a faint peaty note. From now on, you can enjoy a firm, noble, full-bodied, mouth-filling, slightly sweet smoke that to me is medium to strong in nicotine content, and just as (little) astringent as expected from the leaves on the stage.

I find it easier to use a small-sized bowl for flakes. If I’m more prone to a contemplative, relaxed smoke, I use to crumble one flake and separate the bigger chunks, which will go to the bottom, from the smaller ones that I place on top to facilitate char-lighting; this will assure a long lasting cool smoke. If I fancy a quicker and less effort taking one, I reduce the whole flake in finer pieces.

Combustion leaves behind nice, silver-grey ashes. The smoke is extraordinary cool and clean, even with a short stemmed pipe.

How this blend will age? Wonderfully.

Should I cellar some tins? Yes, like there’s no tomorrow. Well…

Cheers Everyone, Brandr ODS

Age When Smoked: Fresh and 2yo

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Andya27 (9)	2014-10-26		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

What more needs to be said about this classic? It's just a darn good Burley-based flake that has quite the nicotine kick.

The tin note is quite sweet - grassy - reminding me of a high quality Chinese green tea. And that's a bit misleading - as this tobacco is a deep, brooding smoke. The flakes are beautifully packaged and look and feel like top-quality leaf - which is exactly what this is. I prefer to rub out a flake and let it dry for up to half an hour.

This is a tobacco best smoked slowly, and perhaps in a small bowl pipe until you are accustomed to the nicotine level. The flavor remains even from top to bottom of bowl, with few surprises: just a clean Burley tobacco that doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is.

This is one tobacco that I will always have on hand. It's just that good, and I haven't found another tobacco quite like it.

Pipe Used: BC bulldog various Petersons

Age When Smoked: New in tin

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-10-12		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

This is a tasty strong VaBur with some DFK thrown in for good measure. I smoked mine mostly rubbed out, but I did try folding as well, and that worked too.

This is a full flavored burley forward blend. The burley has a slightly sweet and bitter profile and it is backed up by a spicy, smoky Kentucky. The Virginia gives it a smooth sweet undercurrent. There is a hint of a topping that gives it a note every now and then that I can't quite identify. The topping is very subtile, and this is really tobacco flavored with a side of tobacco.

This is a great blend, but it is probably not something for the novice.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Motoyoshi (68)	2014-05-22		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Before I even bought this the first time my tobacconist suggested University Flake before buying this. And I'm glad that he did. UF is like the little brother to this tobacco and still babies you with the flavor of plum and VAs.

Irish flake on the other hand is a grizzly deck hand with no time for plum. I imagine this is what tobaccos of the early 20th century tasted like. Full bodied flavor and a heavy dose of Vitamin N. Unless you want to feel a little lightheaded, you should eat a nice meal before this. Definitely not an aperitif smoke.

The flakes are cut very nicely and are relatively moist so it pays to let them dry out for at least 30-40 minutes fresh out of the tin. I personally like folding and stuffing this flake but that choice is up to you.

If you decide to pack the whole flake, it's a nice long smoke. The bowl takes its time and wants you to appreciate the marriage of the Kentucky and Burleys. You can expect some earthy notes, maybe even raisins and chocolate flavor profiles as well. If you're a strictly Balkan and Oriental lover, this may not be the blend for you. It does have a decent Burley kick in the back of the throat so I would advise you have a beverage at hand. Nice cup of tea (unsweetened chai tea especially) goes really well with this blend.

I've heard compliments and complaints about the room note but I think it's pleasant. It produces a scent that is very nostalgic for me. I have had neighbors when I was a child that smoked something that smells like this.

Typically I stuff the flake in the morning and leave my pipe at home while I'm at work. Come home and make dinner and enjoy one of these before bed. That was probably my favorite way to enjoy this blend. No worries about moisture levels and if the N got to be too much, I had already finished the day's work.

I rated this as a 3 out of 4 because I have recently been smoking 1792 Flake and HH Old Dark Fired. They both provide a little bit more in the realm of flavor but this is still a top notch tobacco. If you are a Burley fan or looking for something heavier, this should be next on your list.

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - HH Old Dark Fired, Samuel Gawith - 1792 Flake.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-05-07		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This will be a simple review for a simple tobacco. This is strong. This is burley. This smells, and somewhat tastes, like a high quality cigarette tobacco (drum, bali shag or something of that nature, for example). For me, this is the tobacco equivalent of a shot of espresso. Strong, simpler, pure, and perfect for the morning. This burns slow and (again) delivers strength so you now have a use for your smaller-chambered pipes.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	colt25314 (42)	2009-04-16		Very Strong	Medium	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Peterson Flake is by far their finest effort in producing a high octain flake. That said I would not be alarmed if this flake is made by SG as it reminds me Sqaudren Leader with slight hint of additional English as opposed to Irish flovoring. In any event, this is a great flake that I have and will continue to enjoy on a regular basis. Buy a tin fellow flake fanciers; this is a flake of the finest sort.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-03-27		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

One of my all time favorite tobaccos. Peterson's Irish Flake is definitely not for the faint of heart but if you?re after a strong, flavorful and thoroughly enjoyable pipeful with a healthy dose of nicotine then this is for you. Not an all-day smoke, but great as an after dinner pipe, this wonderful Flue-Cured Virginia/Kentucky tobacco is sweet and aromatic with virtually no bite. If you can, buy some, you wont be sorry you did. As an additional note I would also like to recommend adding one or two flakes of Peterson?s to Full Virginia Flake. I really enjoy FVF as is but when I get to about half way through a tin I like to rub it all out and blend in one flake of Irish. This really is a nice smoke and if you like FVF you should give it a try.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-01-16		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is the most wonderful smoke that I have come across. A real nicotine buzz. This is especially good for those moving from high nicotine cigarettes like roll ups as it will give you the same sort of instant hit evn without inhalation. In hale and a dizzy head is guaranteed. This is my favourite regular tobacco. My biggest regret is that here in the UK the tin has had to change to a bland design because the original picture may have caused hundreds of unsuspecting children to suddenly start smoking!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2006-12-11		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable

Irish Flake is a scented flake in the tradition of Lakeland flakes. Upon opening the tin the first whiff reminded me of Erinmore Flake, though the scent was much less aggressive. In the pipe the most prominent note is of roses, though there are other notes as well. It is strong in nicotine.

On first light the flake produces a lovely crown. It smokes cool to the bottom of the bowl and is very well behaved. Leaves you sated.

The problem with recommending a scented flake is that reactions to particular scents are even more subjective than to tobacco tastes. I can smoke 1792 Flake with pleasure every now and then, but not Coniston Cut Plug or Bosun Cut Plug. Since Irish Flake seems to have some familial resemblance to Coniston scenting I do not think I will revisit this in any great hurry. Still, minus the scenting, the basic tobaccos are of good quality and strength, even if better options are available.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Owl (1)	2022-02-28		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Form the very first bowl this bad boy became my favorite tobacco it was STRONG and burnt cool even when I smoked it very fast and there was no bite at all (I didn't use filter) it just works for me 10/10

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: fresh

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mitchell Alan (6)	2021-12-19		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

First off, this blend was, wet, wet, wet, wet, weeeeet! But, nothing a through rub and dry out (15min) couldn't handle. Starting off, i didn't taste much, grassy and hay-like, reminded my of a fresh Virginia. As the bowl began to shrink and become ash, the nutty-ness conquered the back of the pallet as the grassy virginas danced on the middle. Just past the middle that fantastic smokey-ness of the Kentucky really kicked in and combined with that sweet grass and nutty, leaf litter taste to create a alchemic beauty of all that is pipe blends.

Pipe Used: Peterson, system P-lip

Age When Smoked: >1 year

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JackSparrow (16)	2021-10-01		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Well, this is a very interesting one, great baccy. This is a regular player in my rotation list: I smoked several tins of this stuff, from fresh ones to up to 10 years old... needless to say: the older the better! Dark pressed thin flakes, with some light topping I cannot really define: sometimes I think it's anise, sometines a hint of tonquin bean, I really struggle with it... however it's very mild and it is perceivable mainly in the tin notes. Moisture is almost perfect, needs just a few mins drying time after rubbing out the flakes. When lit it burns pretty well and cool throughout the whole smoke, needs just a few relights. Flavor wise the topping is perceivable only in the first puffs, then it fades aways and leaves the stage to a great, nutty, eartly, leathery, smoky old fashioned tobacco taste: wow! The scene is now set, the burley takes the lead with its earthy nutty notes, perfectly supported by a hint of sweetness from the VAs and some smoky / greasy notes from the Kentuky. There is a good load of vitamin N, kicking off a full N party around 1/3 of the bowl.

Given the N kick this is to me ideal as afternoon / evening smoke.

Bottom line: a full body, pure tobacco taste rewarding baccy. Highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: from new to 10 years

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-02-16		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable

Another one of those topped flakes for me. I kept hearing about this blend from the folks who like Old Dark Fired and other Dark Fired blends and since I'm in the same boat I thought I'd give it a try. It is a strong blend and it does rate up there with HH Bold Kentucky.

There are about 12-14 flakes in each tin, and they are pressed very firmly. The tin note smells of slight anise, dark fired herbal spice and a touch of sweetness. They are very easy to fold and stuff, but I actually have been trying to cube cut them for the first time and I am impressed. When using fold and stuff it can be a bit tricky to light and when going that route I suggest an overnight dry time. Cube cut is much more merciful. This will burn down to a fine ash if you let it take its time. If you smoke fast this may produce more dottle.

When lit this gives ample plumes of white smoke due to the high oil content naturally in Dark Fired Kentucky. The taste is beautiful. The Dark Fired is in the lead with barbecue spice, herbs, wood and some earth. The Virginias are sweet, bready and light. They really help round out the blend. I can taste the anise every now and again on the retrohale, but it's helping things along not covering the taste of the tobacco. The room note is strong and unless your spouse or significant other doesn't mind smoke you may be consigned to the outdoors. I however think it smells lovely.

The taste is full. It coats your mouth and is complex and interesting, sweet and smooth. The strength. Lady N has bought your dream car and is taking you out on the town. This is a strong blend, your knees will feel wobbly if you're not used to the nicotine and at least a little food on the stomach is preferred. It isn't the strongest I've had, but it is up there. It burns very cool and I don't have any problem with bite. All in all this is a fantastic blend and has become a favorite. I give four stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson St Patty's Day 2021

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rock&RollPiper (5)	2021-01-12		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I only regret that it took me so long to try Peterson Irish Flake. What a wonderful burley-based blend. For my palate, this tobacco results in the least tongue bite of any blend I have smoked thus far....which is to say, practically none whatsoever, regardless of smoking cadence. As most blends cause me at least a minor level of tongue irritation, this is a wonderful find. The smoking mechanics I found to be good to above average for a flake tobacco in terms of staying lit, volume of smoke, temperature etc. Now to the flavor - I get a wonderful mix of earthy, nuttiness from the burley, sweet bbq smokiness from the dark Kentucky, and tangy bread/hay notes from the Virginias. There is a topping/casing added that adds some sweetness/fruitiness to the blend, but not overpowering in any sense. The key here, IMO, is the perfect balance between the components as no one component seems to dominate the flavor profile. The nicotine content is fairly high on this one, thus I'd recommend new smokers or those with low tolerance approach this one with caution. It literally sings paired with coffee, assuming you can tolerate the N-hit in the morning. I find it a wonderful way to start the day. Highly recommended and will always be in my rotation.

Pipe Used: Briars/Cobs

Age When Smoked: Less than one year

Purchased From: Online retailer

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheAromaticDan (10)	2018-03-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Honestly, I was afraid of trying Irish Flake. I'd heard so much about its strength that I shied away from buying a tin for such a long time. Last month, however, I finally received a sample - two small nice-smelling flakes - and I was determined to give Irish Flake a try. I'm not going lie, this stuff is strong. It doesn't smell good to non-smokers, and it doesn't even smell good to (cigarette) smokers either. I like the musty and nutty smell this blend gives off, though. You'll know that you're smoking something since it's pretty full-bodied. It didn't bite me and it didn't burn too hot on me, fortunately. It tastes rather sweet in the beginning due to the flue-cured VAs present. Towards half of the bowl nicotine kicks in and the burley and Kentucky make themselves known and push the sweetness into the background. I'm a nicotine lightweight which had me worried initially, but the hit wasn't as strong as I was expecting. Sure, I was dizzy and my heart rate was slightly higher than normal but it's not that bad. All in all, I would definitely tend to smoke Irish Flake after a good dinner. I'll be buying a tin sometime soon.

Pipe Used: Alpe Adria Cup FAAK A 1998

Age When Smoked: new (sample)

Purchased From: tabak versand.de

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-03-21		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Strong

After reading so many helpfull reviews i decided to purchase a tin of this tobacco.when you open the tin you get aromas from burleys and kentucky mostly wich include nuts ,sourness and some dark fruits perhaps from the virginias.also i detected a descreet topping of anise.rubs easy and needs some drying time.packs and lights ok and needs several relights.while smoking the flavours are really strong combing nuts,woods,dark fruits in a sharp taste.i also detected some cigar notes occasionally.the nicotine level is very high.first time i felt the nicotine in my esophagus.no chance of biting.burns medium to hot and leaves some moisture at the end of the bowl.the room note is unpleasant.i wanted to like this blend but i didn't.

Age When Smoked: Rubbed and left to dry for 1 hour

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lord Oom Jan (1)	2017-02-06		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

IrIsh Flake used to be a favourite of mine, but the crap I bought today is not Irish Flake. I cannot remember a time I forked out hard earned cash for such a disappointment. If I could, I would have given this a zero, but I can't, so one it must be.

Gone is the "... full bodied blend made of equal proportions air-cured, flue cured, and dark fired." Replaced with "A dark brown Virginia flake." I never knew Virginia could be so insipid. I would rather smoke old socks.

I once tried washing tobacco to get rid of a somewhat heavy casing. Suffice it to say that it did not work and the tobacco ended up tasting like absolutely nothing. I wonder if Peterson tried to do the same. If they did, they washed it even longer than I did.

I think they thought that if they abruptly discontinued Irish Flake, they would lose customers, full knowing that, if they kept on selling it under the old name, they would still lose customers, but, keeping the old name they could, for a while at least, continue to ride on the good reviews this tobacco has received and, furthermore, manage to sell at least one last tin. Well, they succeeded. They managed to sell me one last tin.

I do not think anybody at Peterson is ever going to read this review and that is a pity, but still. I have to ask the question; is it worth ruining your reputation for pittance? Coca-Cola had the decency to go back to the original recipe. Will you do the same?

P.S. Tobaccoreviews.com, please change the "Blend Type" and "Contents" headings in your description, because they are misleading.

Pipe Used: Various. I even tried a Peterson.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: JJ Cale

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JpPipe (4)	2014-10-22		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Overall a quite nice flake tobacco. When I first popped the tin it reminded me of a really dark unsweetened iced tea mixed with a campfire. It has a very earthy and outdoor kind of smell.

I folded the flake to put in it in my pipe. It was a pretty snug fit, but it burned slow, dry and didn't require an relighting. When I started smoking it all I could think of was chewing tobacco. It tastes just like Copenhagen straight. This is not a tobacco for a new pipe smoker. Overall it was quite strong and smoking the whole flake in one go might be too much for some.

The room note is quite strong. I tend to smoke outside on the patio and my wife usually doesn't say anything about it. With this tobacco she asked me if I smoked inside that day because it was so strong. I enjoy the smell, but it really lingers. Also, don't keep any books or papers near the popped tin or they will absorb all that smell.

Certainly stronger than Dunhill (light) Flake and Gawith Full Virginia, but stronger isn't always better.

Pipe Used: Billiard

Age When Smoked: 2 months

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sibeen (10)	2014-08-02		Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable

First off, not the best cut flakes I've ever run across. A bit too thick for my liking, and with this tobacco, which is quite dense, it makes rubbing it out a bit of a chore. I'm not a fan of the fold and stuff with this blend as it is just too hard to keep a decent light on it.

OK, that's the downside.

The upside...everything else.

The smell from the tin is just divine. For me an aniseed top with a cardamon hint. Once rubbed out I do prefer it in a bigger bowl, and then it reveals itself as one of the world's best blends.

An unctuous, thick and delicious smoke. Slow sipping, and an hour or so of enjoyment.

Not an all day smoke, I'll agree with others that it is a bit too strong for that, but as an evening smoke with a decent dark beer at hand; well I'm in my happy place.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-05-21		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Tough dark flakes with sprinkle of lighter leaf. It rubs out to a coarse mix that burns easily.

The tin note is promising, sharing some of the flavour profile of powerhouses such as Revor and Happy Bogie. Wood, leather, linoleum. There is also a clear sweet note, perhaps indicative of a topping.

This promise does not transfer to the bowl. This is, I think, a rather nondescript VaBur blend to which has been added some not very distinguished fire cured leaf. There is very little structure here despite the insistent and unsubtle character of the dark fired.

The nicotine can be very strong and has a tendency to creep up on you in the last third of the bowl.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-10-19		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

It was just ok. Nothing really stood out for me. Nothing I could sink my teeth into.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-12-22		Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

For some reason the pouch aroma of Irish Flake reminds me of Russian Caravan Tea. I commenced by gently rubbing out one and a half flakes to "kindling" like strands and setting out on paper it to dry for about 20 minutes before lightly packing it into a small bowl Deluxe Peterson 20s. Following the charring light, a light tamp and a second light, it started as a slightly harsh smoke that was a little drying in the mouth but soon settled into a smooth, bite free, dry smoke. This is one tobacco that does indeed need to be puffed slowly as it packs quite a nicotine whallop. The flavour is tobacco pure, simple and lovely, with a slight sweetness in the background. It burns evenly down to white ash with the flavor strengthening toward the end of the bowl. A good choice for a relaxing smoke prior to bed.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Effluvinator (60)	2008-12-21		Very Strong	Strong	Extra Full	Tolerable

For some reason Peterson tobaccos always take a while to grow on me. It was no different with IF. At first I thought the taste and aroma to be strange and I was not certain if I was going to be able to finish the tin. Then it hit me. I found myself craving this stuff every evening. I generally do not smoke the same tobacco two or three days in a row, but it happened with IF. It is as good a scented flake as anything from GH or SG and has the nicotine to satisfy smokers of ropes or twists. I have a 1930's Kaywoodie Suntan Algerian briar that I have dedicated to this. Now if they would just sell it by the pound. . .

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Honest&Simple (25)	2021-10-13		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Rich, deep, creamy. I really like this tobacco. At first approach I was apprehensive to fully enjoy this tobacco.

Tin note is deep intense meaty tobacco. Sweet but robust. My tin was moist, so drying/relights have been apart of this tobacco for me.

As stated its high on nicotine but with a normal cadence it isn't that noticeable. Consistent smoke throughout, creamy smoke that you can eat if that makes sense.

I plan on cellaring at least 5 tins of this beauty. I found myself reaching for it far more than other blends I had open.

Pipe Used: Cob, various briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kgmac311 (8)	2021-08-15		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

As a cigar smoker, I decided to try this out. When opening the tin I was met with a very intense and lovely tobacco smell. This is meant for seasoned pipe smokers. Even I was taken back a little the fist time I smoked it. This is bold all around. However, still in my top picks of tobacco to reach for.

Pipe Used: Peterson Donegal rocky 03

Purchased From: Cigar Land

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cakeanddottle (105)	2021-07-31		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is for the old K&K formula, now Rattray's Stirling Flake. I've only ever smoked Irish Flake out of the old square tins and can't comment on the current STG version of Irish Flake.

This is a great nightcap tobacco and provides an alternative to 1792 and GH Dark Flake. Equal parts Burley, Va and Kentucky. The Malawi Burley drives the train, giving a smooth and stout body to this tobacco. I detect a mild flavoring, but indirectly and it doesn't draw attention to itself besides complimenting the tobaccos present. The Va I don't really note in the smoke. The Kentucky offers a dry, sour note that is pleasant and takes a backseat to the Malawi.

I think this is right up there with 1792 and Dark Flake. I'd rank it third of the group. If you ever smoked 3P and wished it had more backbone, here it is minus the fruity topping. It does have an anise topping, but it doesn't always stick out. Honestly I wish 3P was this tobacco topped, I find this one satisfying in a way I don't with 3P.

I can't imagine the STG version of this tobacco has the same oomph, so I have bought some Stirling Flake to keep this one on hand. This is an excellent and hearty VaBur in the English style, highly recommended.

22Aug2021 I am amending this review to four stars as I have come to view it as an indispensable blend and something I smoke quite often. A close third place behind 1792 and GH Dark Flake. I have just started loading up on Stirling Flake so I have a supply of this on hand.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrAcula (62)	2020-12-16		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Presentation: Very simple, red label with white text.

Cut: Neat, dark, thinly cut flakes. On the moist side, but smokeable out of the tin.

Tin note: It smells like floral kentucky leaf.

Tasting notes: Floral sweetness, woody, strong earth, sometimes tart, the most minimal amount of spice but it is there. Sometimes bready, sometimes leathery, sometimes I just taste a general tobacco taste.

Mechanics: This is a very cool smoke which is always welcomed, but at times might require a faster cadence to keep lit or just relight. Will leave moisture in the pipe -- might need to run some pipe cleaners through mid smoke.

Extra Remarks: This is a strong, full flavor blend. Right up my alley but surely not everyone's cup of tea. Not too complex though. If this was all I smoked it could get boring, but what it does it does very well. If you are not basically immune to nicotine like I am, consider yourself warned! I'll borrow a line from pipestud in saying this might make you fall off your horse! Great blend. 4 stars.

Pipe Used: IMP Straight Billiard Meer

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin to 8 months

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - HH Bold Kentucky.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mhaque (13)	2020-05-23		Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am blown away by this tobacco. An excellent blend, highly recommended for folks looking for pleasant full bodied smoke. I will make this review short just pointing out at few necessary things. Firstly, this blend is strong. I recommend to smoke it after a meal or at least some snacks to get the full taste. Otherwise, you might get a totally wrong perception. It really kicks if your stomach is empty. Secondly, there is a topping in it which you can definitely detect from the tin. But once you start smoking the tobacco, the topping tones down to almost nothing. The very slight detected topping while smoking will not knock you off if you properly dry the tobacco. Thirdly, if you are sensitive to nicotine then you may get a hit. Be gentle with this tobacco, smoke slowly, and enjoy the very nice flavor that it delivers. I don't think you need to be an experienced pipe smoker in order to enjoy this great blend like it suggests in the note. I highly recommend this blend to anyone who like Dark Fired Kentucky. Thumbs up!!

Pipe Used: Savinelli 320

Age When Smoked: Fresh

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Reviewer (25)	2020-05-19		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This stuff is amazing. One of my all time favorite. Smoked it fresh and it is great. Currently smoking some that I have had stored away since 2014 and I like it a lot too. Break it apart into small thin strips, fold and stuff, rub it out, no matter what I find it is great but I usually always just pull it apart into thin strands and stuff in my pipe and let er rip. It does hit hard sometimes. Stand up and have to sit down again but after I smoked it a bunch that didn't happen anymore. I like pairing this with a cup of coffee. This is a great smoke for a big relax.

Pipe Used: Brigham Mountaineer #63

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2020-04-13		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Excellent flavor. Very few blends I've tried are this tasty. I only have two issues: the nic hit is killer and the flake is a pain to get right. It's a bit too thick and moist, so drying can take hours, and it does not fold well. If you don't mind a nic kick in the balls and you're good with your flakes, this is not to be missed!

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (212)	2019-08-04		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

Before i smoked this i was told it was powerful so i was ready ! Upon opening the tin it smelled just like copenhagen snuff !! Very strong . It burns very well a little nutty and chocolate cocoa nuts like a dark beer . It is pretty bland IMO . It taste the same from start to finish . Too strong for my taste but others may be able to handle it I’m sure . Instead of tossing it or aging i mixed it in proportion with a local chocolate blend and i will smoke it only occasionally. Not for me anyway.

Pipe Used: Small to medium

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Local pipe and pint

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Voyaging (80)	2019-06-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Strong

I'm not sure which version of this tobacco I smoked. The tin had the simplest description of the know versions. 'Dark Virginias' or something like that. I think it was one sentence.

The presentation was nice. The flakes were wide and neatly arranged. The smell was off-putting. It smelled like anise or something similar. Maybe licorice. I don't like either, but it didn't really show up in the taste. I did not enjoy working with this tobacco. It was really moist and did not rub out too well to help with combustion. Very chunky and hard to light.

The taste was surprisingly refined, but heavy and dense with those soil-like notes I got in Univ Flake, some maduro cigar notes, woodiness, leather, some spice, a touch of clove. Not a lot of bright peaks and bright flavors.

Nicotine was medium to strong. Strength was medium. Taste was medium.

I would recommend this to the Burley smoker, because that's mostly what this flake is. I thought this blend was okay, but not for me. I also don't know which version I was smoking, meaning I don't know what company produced it at the time. I've heard the K& K version was the best, and had a different tin description than the one I mentioned.

Pipe Used: Lovat,bent pot, canadian

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Peterson University Flake.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Machado (3)	2019-02-06		Overwhelming	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Strong is the perfect word. Overpowering... Overwhelming... But in a good way: it's a flavorful, exhilarating and very intense experience.

Smoky, woody, somewhat sweet.

Of course the nic hit may make you feel sick and you may have to tone it down by blending it with milder tobaccos like Carter Hall. But if you are tolerant to nicotine, you can enjoy it in its full glory... and what a glorious experience.

I like the room note. It's not fruity, chocolatey etc. like aromatics, but it has personality, it has strength and it's enjoyable.

I would recommend it to anyone, except for those who aren't tolerant to nicotine.

Delicious.

Pipe Used: Stanwell De Luxe 45

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: catalogocdc.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2018-09-13		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This is a blend I would compare to hickory smoked brisket,a strong cup of coffee, and a premium cigar. This is definitely a blend I am throughly enjoying. I love a good stout high nicotine blend. Dunhill Nightcap has always been a favorite. This blend is just about neck and neck with Nightcap but with nightcap being a little weaker. And quite honestly, Irish is a lot more satisfying then Nightcap. Once Nightcap is gone. This will be my main stay.

It starts out big and bold. hardwood and a touch ofbrown sugar. The fire cure is dominate with the occasional brown sugar coming in from time to time. Further down I strong black coffee roast with more of a brown sugar. As I get down to the last third the fire cured dies down and more of a nutty burley with a caramel sweetness comes in from the Virginia. This also starts to get earthy on the retrohale along with the caramel sweetness. It reminds of a Rocky Patel Edge B52 Maduro. With a deep earthy caramel. A very rich and oily mouth feel also. For the most part it burns cool. This it with the Flake rubbed and dried out for a day. A great great blend for me. I'm not getting any of the Lakeland flavoring that people describe. I taste pure unadulterated tobacco with all my favorite qualities. I will definitely be stocking up on a lot of it.

Pipe Used: Peterson system

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tinder Box

Similar Blends: .

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wilhelm Joharsányi (33)	2017-11-26		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Robust. Dark. Rich.....Just the way I like my women!

Jokes aside, Peterson’s Irish Flake is a terrific Burley-based blend, which I am strongly considering adding permanently to my daily rotation. This blend is exactly what I was looking for: Bold, full-flavored, nice nicotine hit, not too sweet but still a mouth-watering taste; a great hard-hitting, rugged tobacco. Not overly complex, but that’s a good thing in this case.

The aroma of the tin has a black licorice, ‘fresh soil from the first day of spring’ smell. The Burley takes center stage here, with the Virginia’s providing a slight dried fruit taste and the spicy Kentucky’s complementing it delightfully.

The only negative thing I can say is that it requires numerous relights, even after drying it out well. It is definitely not an all-day smoke. However, it is the perfect after-dinner smoke or puffing while drinking a dark beer or a Hot toddy on a cool winter’s night.

Irish Flake seems like a ‘masculine, red-blooded, will grow hair on your chest’ type blend. This is the type of blend that would be smoked by an old sea captain sailing the high seas or a general planning his wartime strategies. One of my favorites to date!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2017-01-17		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Peterson Irish Flake offers a manly tobacco which will appeal to a segment of pipe smokers but will likely leave a significant coterie of others unimpressed. Female pipe smokers should beware: this pipe tobacco will grow hair on your chest.

Open the tin and you find dark brown flakes mottled with lighter brown. The actual components are air cured burley, Kentucky (also burley, but fired), and Virginia. The tin aroma is unexceptional. It just smells like pipe tobacco, with a somewhat woody undertone.

The flakes are quite moist. If you crumble it up completely as it is the tobacco will light and stay lit satisfactorily. If you prefer to fold and stuff flake tobaccos you had best give Irish Flake some drying time. (The fold and stuff method with flakes provides a cooler smoke, but it also creates some difficulty in getting an evenly satisfactory light which does not require frequent relights.)

Once lit, the tobacco offers a strongish although creamy flavor. The burley and the Kentucky dominate, although the sweeter Virginia also comes through. Unless puffed quite vigorously Irish Flake presents no problem with tongue bite.

The room note offers nothing exceptional. It is basically a strong natural tobacco smell, but it will elicit no "that smells good" from non smokers in the room. The nicotine blast is hefty, although I think some reviewers overdo that aspect of Irish Flake. Smokers who are nicotine sensitive, however, will do well to load only a half bowl. This tobacco burns dry and leaves a light grey ash.

Unlike Peterson University Flake, I detect no obvious added flavoring to Irish Flake, but I do suspect one or more of the component tobaccos has a little casing of licorice or anise. If you do enjoy Irish Flake, the chances are that you will like MacBaren's HH Old Dark Fired better.

Pipe smokers who dote on burley or burley/Kentucky blends should rate this a highly satisfactory smoke. Of the remainder of pipe smokers, most will not find it obnoxious, but a rather blah (although strong) blend. Personally for me this is a three star blend, but in reckoning its appeal to the totality of pipesters I rate it only a two star Somewhat Recommended.

You do not have to be particular of the pipes used for Irish Flake as it does not ghost a bowl. Many puffers, however, do find their best results with burley forward tobaccos when smoked in a cob.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Orientalswede (1)	2016-12-09		Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Tolerable to Strong

Wonderful tobacco! First time I tried it i got hints of coconut and the usual dark burley notes. The coconut note diminished second time but as I progressed with the flake it really opened up with robust leathery and earthy tones. Get caramel hints and the Virginia blends well creating a light flowery overtone touching on a violet note. A great blend that I will be buying more of!

Pipe Used: Peterson

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mawnan Smiff (28)	2016-08-22		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

After discovering quite by chance that Rattray's Stirling Flake bore more than a passing resemblance to my tobacco of choice, the 'Mighty Condor' (both ready rubbed & flake) I started to read reviews of SF and found many folks comparing it to Peterson's Irish Flake. I had tried many Peterson blends (with very mixed feelings) but not IF so on my next order it was on top of the list.

In the square 50g tin one has two neatly stacked rows of thin flakes, very dark brown in colour intermingled with flecks of gold . The aroma is of leather and musky peat with the very slightest whiff of floral notes. Methinks I am going to enjoy this!

I rubbed out half of the flakes and aired them for a couple of hours afore loading a bent bulldog. Several char lights later the game was finally on. I immediately understood the comparisons twixt this and SF, to my untutored tastebuds they were pretty much one and the same blend though I thought the aforementioned 'slight' floral notes were more apparent in IF than in SF. Nice and creamy in texture and full of smoky flavours from the dark fired leaves I was really impressed. Many reviewers regard this blend as strong+ but I would place it twixt mild and medium though closer to medium. It is a robust blend but only in flavour and not overall strength. As for nicotine content I can only say I was never aware of it so perhaps it is medium in that regard.

That was a week or so ago and since then I have enjoyed several bowls of this gorgeous blend. As I write this I am sipping away on a largish bowled Peterson bent pot and loving every moment. I can only find one negative regards IF and that is whereas Condor manages to maintain its flavour throughout the bowl (as does Stirling Flake to some degree) the same cannot be said for IF. From mid bowl onwards IF loses much of that lovely slightly floral peaty earthiness and becomes a little sour. Not necessarily a nasty 'sour' more of a tangy bitterness associated with some other blends where it is regarded by some as a positive feature. No tongue bite at all and it leaves behind a small dollop of soggy dottle.

Peterson's Irish Flake is now part of that select group that is my five favourite blends but for how long?...There are so many blends out there yet for me to try. Not quite the 9/10 I would give my beloved Condor but not very far behind, I would give IF a well deserved 8/10. As for similarities to Stirling Flake I would say that SF just pips IF as the better of the two but I will be buying both regularly just for the slight differences they offer.

Pipe Used: McQuade bent bulldog & Peterson's bent pot.

Age When Smoked: Fresh.

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop.com

Similar Blends: Rattray's Stirling Flake & Condor (rr & flake)..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nkulk8r (90)	2016-07-15		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Holy smokes! "Pretty strong stuff", indeed . . .

Based on the reviews I’ve read here (and a shout-out from Joe Case on youtube for Irish Flake) I purchased two tins of this stuff (not actually having a true clue as to what was really inside those tins). This is a robust and very convincing tobacco. While recommended for the “experienced pipe smoker” (I’m a former cigar enthusiast who transitioned to pipes two years ago) along with a few cautionary comments about the strength of this tobacco, I threw caution to the wind and rubbed one of these beautiful flakes out for a mid-day smoke (before I had eaten lunch, on a fairly empty stomach). Big Mistake. Even puffing gingerly (yes, I read all the reviews on this tobacco) by the time I got to the deep end of the bowl, the nicotine jumped up and blew my head off. So high was I, philosophically, it was the nearest thing to a religious experience for me since those peyote buttons back in the ‘70s. It took me several hours to come back to earth. (Perhaps they should consider re-naming this "Peterson's Pop-Skull"). This is a .44 magnum tobacco, and it needs to be respected as such.

Having been humbled by this tobacco once, I next tried it after a filling, meat-laden supper to match the heartiness of this flake (along with a fresh pressed cup of Kona coffee w/cream & sugar). Especially prudential with every puff (to prevent nicotine overdose), this excessively enthusiastic tobacco is a cool, dry, earthy . . . Ah, hell – I can’t really add anything that hasn’t already been said about Irish Flake. One reviewer used the term “one dimensional” to characterize I.F., and I would whole-heartedly concur with that assessment. Not an everyday smoke for me, but a “special occasion” smoke for when I just feel the need to go running with the bulls. Definitely not beginner tobacco – or even a black diamond tobacco for that matter – this is an X-Games tobacco. 90 grams of this stuff is going to last me a long while.

For my own personal preference, I would have given this tobacco 3 stars, but I’ll toss it a fourth star just for the sheer authenticity of the tobacco itself.

Updated on 2-6-2017: I now have 25 tins of this in my closet, and can't imagine myself ever being without it. Have absolutely fallen in love with this tobacco. When I want to be alone and go sailing with my thoughts, this is the stuff that provides the magic carpet ride.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wīglāf (13)	2015-10-30		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

I am almost certain that I am not the only one who happened upon this blend by filtering my search results by blend strength. If you are looking for a potent blend to see if you can handle it, this blend is a good pick! When you open the tin and get the aroma, it is overwhelmingly similar to bacon, and the burley is nutty, and robust underneath. Like all flake tobaccos, you have to prep it correctly or else it will burn unevenly and offset the flavor. This blend, especially if smoked for a long period of time, is not for the faint of heart. The nutty burley is front and center and fills your mouth with enormous flavor. It has a sweetness that lingers under the potency that is really compelling. The dark fired Kentucky amplifies the burley quite well. My only beef with dark fired tobaccos (other than that they actually kind of taste like beef sometimes...) is the "catch" in the back of your throat that develops after a few minutes. There is a really distinct sensation that comes from these tobaccos that is really hard to describe, but it lessens the enjoyment of the flavor for smokers like me who tend to prefer VA/Latakia base blends. All of that said, if you like nutty, robust blends, this one will make your friends who don't seem less manly than you. It's not my cup of tea, or rather black coffee, but I can appreciate the quality of this blend.

Similar Blends: D & R Tobacco - Ryback Gold , but Irish and tastier. .

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Guillaume (15)	2014-12-22		Very Strong	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

As the label says, this tobacco is intended for "the experienced smoker".

Most probably, this is because this tobacco contains much, much more Nicotine than many others. However, as a Nightcap and Old Dublin smoker, this has never been an issue for me.

Nevertheless, I have smoked some tins of it, waiting for an enlightenment which never occurred. IMHO, this tobacco has no taste. Very strong, of course, but without any personality…

I would much rather stick to my Nightcap and Old Dublin (University Flake, although very different, is also much better than this one).

Pipe Used: Peterson "Darwin" B42

Age When Smoked: Fresh

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (217)	2014-01-01		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable

Peterson's Irish Flake is dark, highly processed, fairly strong, and intense. It comes pretty wet in the tin, and IMO it's best smoked fairly wet. Dry, it's not so strong, and it lights and burns better, but, at the same time, drying it out makes it taste like a cheap cigar. Smoked wet (which is not so easily done...), there seems to be a lot going on in the thick, rich clouds of smoke it exudes, and it also seems like much of what is going on is not exactly tobacco. Yes, the tobacco tastes are there, all right, and I have to say I like that part of IF a lot. That I give 4 stars. But the more I've smoked it the less patience I've had for the "incense" thing and its oily aftertaste, and the less I like the way it ghosts my pipes and stinks up my clothes and hair. Back to the smoke, at the match, IF starts right in with some cigar-ish spices, and I'm guessing that some smokers are quickly overwhelmed by this, and some likely think this means IF is "strong". My "trick" with these spices is simply to regulate my intake until I reach and maintain the desired degree of saturation. As for IF's flavor profile, the Peterson blurb mentions only VA and Burley; but these are stoved, pressed and fermented, aged tobaccos, after all. Because of the spices, I've long suspected there are Orientals and some Latakia in the mix, as well. However, I suppose it is possible that a particular strong, fermented KY could provide the noted effects, at least as far as the tobacco is concerned.

Back (again) to IF's celebrated "strength", IMO, too much has been made of it. It is strong when it's moist, but not all that strong. Dried out, it barely rates a "medium", compared to any number of blends on this board that are rated "strong". Room note is fairly strong. Apparently, some like it. My wife and daughter hate it. The aftertaste is pleasant, and it lingers long; quite nice, apart from the oily thing.

Overall, IF is a mixed bag for me. Wet IF is fruity, exotic, spicy, aromatic and darkly intense, with cigar-ish side notes. I like it on occasion, but it's not my idea of an everyday smoke. To date, jar aging has not helped IF. Balancing the worst of it against the best of IF, 3 stars.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: fresh to 1 year +

Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco

Similar Blends: Sillem's Commodore Flake (with respect to processing and character)..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2013-02-17		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I must admit to not being a fan of this tobacco. The nicotine content doesn't bother me (in fact it's one of the positives of this blend). I just found the smoke to be harsh and one-dimensional in flavor. I would recommend it's cousin, University Flake, as a more interesting and no less bold tobacco. There are far tastier flakes out there. But for fans of this style, Irish Flake is obviously the Holy Grail.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2012-02-26		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

UPDATE 8/13/2018

I thought an update was due this review as it was written at a time when I was still learning to smoke a pipe. Although I may not have understood all the components and nuances of Pipe tobacco at the time, I seemingly nailed this one as it still holds four stars and has continued to be a favorite of mine; I have smoked at least five or six tins since that review 6 years ago.

I came from a cigarette background and I think this is a great blend for someone looking to make a switch from cigs to pipes. A big reason for this is the nicotine content, which is high. Another reason is how easy this is to smoke once it is allowed to dry some. It does not bite no matter how much you provoke it, so it is forgiving to a beginner's cadence.

The blend is mostly about Dark Fired Kentucky and it is the prominent flavor one will encounter. DFK by itself is bold, dark and stout and needs help to soften it or it will simply overwhelm the hardiest of palates. Irish Flake is aided by both a topping, of which I fail to identify, and a bed of Virginia. Both of these items add sweetness that both sweetens and enhances the DFK. To me it is these elements that make IF so special. It remains a stout strong blend, but it is also a joy to smoke and you can actually finish a whole group 4 bowl of it unlike blends like MB Bold Kentucky (also tasty, but too strong for me to get through an average bowl) or any of the C&D Burley Flakes. YMMV

It is really a well done tobacco, and of the strong blends out there, it is one of the finest available.

ORIGINAL REVIEW 2/26/2012

Upon opening this tin I was greeted by a godawful smell that made my stomach turn. OK, I have just pointed out everything that I found bad about this blend, because upon lighting it I was in heaven. The good thing is that this is about the least important thing to me so long as the smell doesn't carry over, and with IF, it doesn't.

This is my first experience with flakes. I am not sure I am even rubbing it properly, but it smokes fine all the way down upon first light so I must be doing an adequate job. I feel the sweetness of the VAs and, quite out of character for the leaf, I get no real tongue irritation.

The Nic is strong, but this only adds to this one for me. I am a fairly new smoker (about six months) and it is not too strong for me. I highly recommend this to anyone as it has jumped up to one of my favorites after only two bowls. I do not smoke this at work, however, as I think it might make me a bit counterproductive. I also could not imagine this as an all-day smoke as it might put me into a coma, but what a treat for a nightcap when I just want to sit and watch the tube. I may review this after more bowls if anything changes.

Similar Blends: Mac Baren HH ODF.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (241)	2010-06-29		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

Upon opening my tin I was greeted with a predominantly leather-like and slightly spice-like aroma. I can see where some have described it as Lakeland-like, but in my opinion, not Lakeland-like at all. This was certainly not perfumed, nor fruity/flowery in the true sense of the word. Really, just a spicy tobacco with the hint of sweetness. Perhaps it is cured with licorice. That is the closest I can call it. Whatever it was, it made for an exceptional smoking experience. If I had one word to choose to describe the tin note, that word would be leather.

Perhaps one of the better made flakes, thick, supple, and leathery. It also tastes as it smells in the tin which is a huge plus. A nice, subtly sweet tobacco taste. Sweet and smokey without Latakia (thank God as Latakia is not one of my favorite tastes). Along with this, the addition of the Kentucky leaf, to me, is what IrF is all about. I enjoy the presence of Kentucky leaf as it adds a very nice spiciness to any smoke. I think many that have described this smoke as harsh are really commenting on the Kentucky presence; a presence that one has to get accustomed to. As far as nicotine content, I found it to be in a league with the original Edgeworth Sliced and Solani Aged Burley Flake, with Irish Flake slightly edging out the other two. IrF smokes cool and without bite or gurgle. With slow, patient smoking, you will be rewarded with perhaps one of the best tobacco tastes you can get in a pipe. Truly a classic in the old-world tradition of pipe tobacco blending. I can see where some compare it to a cigar, However, there is no cigar-like bitterness with IrF as it is subtly sweet throughout. I've had no complaints about the room note. It smells very nice after returning to where it was recently smoked - especially when smoked in the car.

Irish Flake is a very solid smoking experience - about as natural as you can get. If you like a full-bodied smoke that only good Kentucky leaf can provide, Irish Flake will certainly satisfy. A very solid recommendation. It is a stronger, fuller version of University Flake (very little if any Kentucky leaf in that one) and without detectable casing, and not at all harsh like UF can sometimes be. It is much stronger than their very stout Perfect Plug (unfortunately too bland in taste for me). I have mixed some IrF 50/50 with Edgeworth Sliced for a very delicious smoke - one of the best tastes I have ever had in a pipe. Alone or in combo, IrF has become an everyday favorite. For me, after 35 years of pipe smoking, one of my top 3 favorites! Easily a "desert island smoke."

UPDATE 10-13-11: I smoke IrF almost every day and have noticed with the most recent tin that I opened how the flakes have changed. The last dozen or so tins have the flakes packaged in the newer "everyone else seems to be using" flat, square tins. Although I prefer the older tinning, the flakes always were tightly pressed and dark. Now they seem to be much lighter in color and break apart very easily. At first I thought that the new blenders (K&H) ruined a fine blend (maybe put some Aged Burley Flake in there by mistake as they looked and felt the same), but I was wrong. Admittedly, I always found IrF difficult to work with since the flakes were so tightly pressed, making for lighting/re-lighting issues. However, the "newer" pressing seems to have resolved those issues along with much more tobacco flavor and sweetness making itself present in the smoke. It smells the same in the tin and tastes the same while smoking, but handles so much better - and that subtle sweetness I described in my original review is so much better. I hope I didn't get an anomaly here as I prefer the new pressing and leaf components. The Virginia is very tasty and a bit more up front. We'll see with the next tin. Still a 5 star smoke for me!

UPDATE 9-21-13: Regardless of the "current state of tin" this flake is put in, or the size of the flakes, IrFl has remained a 5 star smoke for me. This and Solani Aged Burley Flake are my two favorite tobaccos. I can smoke either of them every day for the rest of my pipe smoking days if necessary. Also, a 50/50 mix of these two favorites, for me, approximates the Edgeworth Sliced of old (not the Orlik version - which is limp-wristed in my opinion, but the original, made in the USA version!).

UPDATE 12-12-14: There has been much in the way of speculation in various pipe smokers forums as to who now is the blender of Peterson's Irish Flake. Apparently, it is no longer being produced by K&H (the flakes having been pressed by Orlik). Many have stated that Mac Barens produces it now. According to Mac, they are only producing Peterson's non-flake baccys (Hyde Park still by G&H, however). I would say that even though the appearance and tin note is what I remember from my first tins of IrF (2009/2010), I do notice a difference. That difference being in what back of the throat harshness I noticed with the earlier tins is now gone; which is a good thing. I still find IrF to be one fine tobacco. It is still my number one favorite; my desert island smoke, my all day, every day smoke. Although I smoke my other favs on a regular basis, it is a rare day that I don't smoke IrF. I'm up at 6:30am most days and am smoking a bowl by 7am. I wouldn't say that the "newer" incarnatnation has been "dumbed down" or cheapened in any way. I look at it as having been refined. Still great tasting and with a fantastic room note, it is still a big winner in my book. Anxious to try K&H's Stirling Flake which has been said to be the same as IrF. Once I do, I will review that one.

UPDATE 2-4-15: Since my last update in Dec 2014, I stated that I detected no difference in Irish Flake. Now that may be about to change. I recently opened a tin in my line up (I date and number them as I receive them) and the first thing I noticed was the smell typical of Danish produced Virginia flakes - very fruity. The leathery/tarry smell so reminiscent of IrF was present but only minimally. The appearance and handling qualities of the flake appeared to be the same. The smoking experience was good, however, the fruitiness tasted throughout the bowl (I'm half way through the tin and this hasn't changed) and that Kentucky presence wasn't as noticeable in taste, but in nic kick...yes. Still a good smoke for me and remains my favorite, and perhaps this tin was a fluke, but if I want the taste of the "Irish Flake of old" I'll got with K-H's Stirling Flake. I've tried that and it is identical to the Irish Flake I'm used to (see my review).

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Scott (82)	2010-02-20		Very Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Strong

The best cigarette tobacco you will ever put in your pipe. (I mean that as a compliment.) The Burley and Kentucky dominate everything about this blend. Just enough Virginia is added to make it tolerable.

Manufactured for the Peterson brand by Kohlhase & Kopp in Germany, the flakes and the packaging might cause you to mistake it for a Solani tobacco that is made in the same workshop. Like Solani and other Kohlhase & Kopp blends, this one seems to be cased with honey. If you pay attention, you can taste it in every puff.

It comes is a compact tin, 18 pieces of chewing-gum-size flakes. Smokes well after rubbing out and drying to your preferred texture. I get a dozen or more medium-size bowls from a 50g tin.

That's not tongue bite, but the tingling of nicotine, something that I don't usually experience from pipe tobacco. The nicotine is present from the beginning, not just at the end of the bowl or in the bottom third of the bowl. It won't make you ill unless you try to abuse it. Smoked at a normal slow pipe-smoker's speed, it just supplies a gentle buzz that stays with you from beginning to end.

This is not a favorite of mine, and not in my regular rotation. My wife detests the smell of this one. But with the presentation of the flakes, the convenience of the small and narrow tin, and the high nicotine content, I will always keep a tin around. Great late at night with brown beer after a stressful day at the office.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jaybee (77)	2008-04-27		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable

This is a great tobacco for a number of reasons... 1. Great taste 2. Exceptional burning qualities 3. No bite 4. Great value

The reason this tobacco is a great value is that I only need to smoke it once a week to overload my nicotene urge!! Good Stuff.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (448)	2023-02-28		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Tin note of raisin, anise and sugar. Tobacco is a flake of marbled brown, dark brown and black. Moisture content is good, and flakes rub out fairly easily. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is medium to strong and nic is medium. No flavoring listed, but there is a mild sweet anise note throughout the smoke. Taste is medium to full and very consistent, with notes of lots of nuts, mild sweet anise, wood, dry, spicy, bread, bitter, creamy, mild herbal floral, mildly savory, slight brown sugar barbecue, lemon grass, earthy, a dry tart dark fruit background note, and a peppery retro. Burley is leading with Virginia and Flavoring supporting. Kentucky is off the back somewhere. Room note is tolerable to strong, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: Castello Old Antiquari G84

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Esactun (11)	2021-08-06		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Strong

Others have said plenty, so here are just a few notes on the K&K version: -- there is a definite topping a la Copenhagen wet snuff, a sauce to make a Kentucky seem more like a dark fired Virginia instead -- Burley is the lead, with Kentucky on bass. The Virginia plays high notes quietly in comparison, but adds a useful sharpness -- Solid amount of nicotine that matches the full taste and mouth feel. A bit of spicy in the back of the throat. -- A good gateway to the even more powerful English type tobaccos. Enough lighter flavors and finesse to not be foreign to those used to milder blends, but with a solid preview of what is to come in the land of plugs and twists.

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: 0-13 years

Purchased From: Hudson News

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Manorhill (14)	2021-05-20		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Being a Londoner, I have this inability to slow down, even though I left nearly ten years ago for the country. This also reflects in my tendency to smoke a pipe a little too feverishly. Ribbon cut tobaccos are therefore of no use because they just burn hot and fast unless you sip them. Thicker cuts serve me.

Enter Irish Flake. I was aware that this very traditional tobacco was a strong one and therefore commands respect. Very much so. This is the tobacco that encourages me to go slow and sip. At last I have found the potty trainer seat or stabiliser wheels for my smoking pastime.

Out of the tin it smells like it has already been smoked! This has no casing or topping added. This is a naked tobacco, to be sure to be sure. If you like your Vitamin N, this will not disappoint.

Pipe Used: Peterson System 31 Straight

Age When Smoked: Purchased

Purchased From: Smoke-King

Similar Blends: St Bruno.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2020-12-11		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Wow. This tobacco is Da Bomb!! If you like dark Fired blends this one should be on the top of your list right up there with ODF and Dark Birdseye. What a beautiful blend. I find IF to be very well rounded, incredibly tasteful and smooth as butter. The tin note is quite mellow. Not as smoky as ODF and DBE. IF has a slightly earthy, smokey, floral smell with just a hint of Virginia tang and a very subtle anise/licorice scent deep in the background.

I like to rub my flakes all out at once and jar them. When broken up I could get the intricacies of all the aromas. The moisture content was spot on and it took the flame quite easily. This is a very smooth smoke indeed. In the smoke I get smooth sweet floral earthy barbecue dark fired lightly layered with that sweet anise topping coming back and forth which is all rounded out and kept in check by the smooth and sweet Virginia leaf. It’s really good.

The flavor is consistent from top to bottom of the bowl and it's very cool smoking with no hint of bite at all. I myself am fairly immune to nicotine so can’t really comment on the level strength, but it's definitely in there and if you puff this one like a chimney you might not be able to stand up for too long afterwards. So, I recommend a small bowl and take your time smoking it. That way you could really savor it. I think it pairs really well with a cup of coffee or a Dr. Pepper. I also just happen to be munching on a chocolate covered pretzel during my smoke (it’s the holiday season, so why not!!) and for whatever reason it made the smoke even more enjoyable. It was awesome. The after taste is very pleasant as well. For me I think ODF is for the summer, DBE year round and IF for the colder months.

Pipe Used: Clay Pipe

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Similar Blends: ODF & GH Dark Birds Eye.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	benhughes2552 (8)	2020-12-01		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

The tin does not lie. After about 6+/- months of pipe smoking, I thought I would give this one a whirl. Bad idea. It was like getting pepper sprayed in the mouth. Fast forward six years give or take, I decided to give it another go. I cubed one flake, and fired it up. It is still extremely peppery, but not nearly as much as my “virgin” palate would have thought. Has a slight Copenhagen fermented type taste, but enough of my pontificating. Is it good? Yes. Is it for beginners? Nooooooooo.

Pipe Used: Barrister

Age When Smoked: Fresh-6 years

Purchased From: Just for Him

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Uncle Al (17)	2020-03-19		Very Strong	Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

Peterson’s Irish Flake is a stout, on the front foot tobacco that’s not to be messed with. Show respect and you’ll learn how to sip a deep, flavourful blend of high end, high Vit. N tobacco that’s best savoured after a full meal. Relights well and given Irish Flake’s strength, that’s important. Won’t bite but will demand your attention as it needs to be taken slowly and gently for the full flavor and high profile hit. Great for when you can sit back and take your time. I’ve had it moist and folded with rubbed out, small pieces on top to ensure an even light as well as dry and completely rubbed out. Exceptional, long lasting and satisfying either way. Smoked mine in a medium size briar.

Pipe Used: Stanwell (Italian) Billiard

Age When Smoked: From the tin

Purchased From: 4Noggins

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Randy Tuggle (46)	2020-01-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

An incredible experience! Rub this out a bit and enjoy. Better when aged but great at any time right out of the tin. Buy several tins as you won't be disappointed.

Pipe Used: Rossi Rubino, Peterson Dracula 68, various others

Age When Smoked: 7 years

Purchased From: Gettysburg Cigar Company

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GeorgeB (8)	2019-11-01		Very Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have to say this tobacco blew me away. I felt as if a brick wall hit me. I have been very disappointed by most of the tin tobacco’s. The reviews allured me to buy them, but I wasted my money. Nightcap, Elizabethan, 1792, Full vergina Flake to mention a few all hopeless, but not Peterson Irish Flake. This is fantastic full flavoured very strong and bursting with nicotine. You get your money’s worth. I would buy it again. Great tobacco.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New 1 year old tin

Purchased From: E A Carey’s

Similar Blends: Gawith and Hoggarth Sliced Brown Twist.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2019-03-10		Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Dark flakes which rub out easily. Tin aroma brings to my mind boudoir powder. It is quite similar to 1792, must be a Tonquin topping. Also, some smoky aromas from the Dark Fired Kentucky.

Irish Flake is a stronger than most tobaccos but on the other hand there are quite a few mainstream tobaccos that are even stronger (i.e. 1792, C&D Burley Flake, Royal Yacht etc.). I find it quite similar in taste to 1792 though the topping is not exactly the same, some mention anise and it could possibly contain anise in addition to tonquin along with some kind of fruit. The taste is bold, with the Dark Fired Component having a leading role. It is a dry tasting tobacco with a bitter finish although the topping has a sweet aroma. The mouthfeel is quite smooth.

Maybe not as exciting as 1792 but still an excellent strong tobacco for an occasional use.

Similar Blends: SG's 1792.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ahmad Othman (51)	2017-09-30		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I rarely find tobacco tin literature more than a nice gimmick. However, I think this one summarises the blend. "Recommended for the experienced smoker" and there is good reason behind this. The strength, the mechanics and lastly the targeted palette. As soon as I opened the tin, I was greeted by - what is in my opinion - the most excellent cut flake I have ever seen. It is cut to perfection. It was 24 equal and stacked flakes of very dark brown colour. They have a soft, oily feel to the touch and give away a strong, smoky aroma. It reminds me a lot of smoked herring in the most pleasant way. the flake came moist and needed some drying time, though they never bit when smoked as they are. Though - and this is the first part of what makes it "experienced" - is that you need to dry it perfectly to get the taste profile. Other than that, it won't give away its secrets. I normally found that 20 minutes of dry time as a flake then rubbing it well and leaving it for 5 more minutes made it perfect.. It lights with a bit of effort as most flakes, but as soon as it lights it stays lit and smokes cool. Upon the first few puffs I didn't get much of a taste except a rich, dark taste. Then it starts to give away a beautiful, dark, nutty taste. This is burley and kentucky tango. They mingle and dance in your mouth. The taste is strong and commanding that I rarely felt any Virginia in there. Yet it has a surprisingly light room note. It smoked consistently and at most needed 1-2 relights.. It burns to the bottom well and rarely leave any moisture in the bowl. It is quite strong on nicotine though. After eating well and being paired with some tea or coffee, this will make your head feel light. So beware. And I have to say that this pairs well - actually very well - with coffee. It is strong, it is recommended and it is indeed not for a novice smoker

Pipe Used: Savinelli St. Nicholas 2017 - 321

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: Local Dutch B&M

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (395)	2017-07-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Unnoticeable

The smell out of the tin reminds me of this strong plug chewing tobacco I use to chew when I was a kid. This is a great no nonsense pipe tobacco. A Man's Man smoke. I take one flake fold it lengthwise and then into thirds and stuff it in my pipe. I smoked the same tobacco in this pipe for 3 afternoons in a row and it tasted just as good as the first day. I normally do not do this but did not want to waste the tobacco. I can't really describe the taste other than strong and dark. I smoke outside no room note observation.

Update: 11-23-2019. I opened another tin of this about a year ago from an estate dated January 2007 and am almost finished with it. It of course is bone dry in the tin but still tastes as good and strong as ever. I have two more tins dated 2006 and will hold on to them for a while. I am thinking about buying a new one just to see if anything has changed over the years. Mine are the square tins with rounded edges. I see it comes in the round tins now. I really do miss the tin art that is disappearing.

Pipe Used: Peterson 317

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco

Similar Blends: HH Bold Kentucky.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pops Pipe (19)	2017-06-20		Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Strong

Woooooo! Full bodied, rich and smokey ! Tastes like beef jerky, delicious smoke. Its a strong flake and will knock you on your rump if your not used to strong tobacco. Best after a big meal, very satisfing! Petersons best !

Similar Blends: University Flake only richer and stronger..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MarkTheLad (46)	2017-06-09		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a once a day smoke for me, in that I usually smoke this once a day until I finally get thru the tin. it's very unique in it's flavoring (anise maybe?), along with something sweet which is applied perfectly along with a very slightly floral topping. It's earthy, nutty and a little sweet with a strong nicotine content, so I usually smoke this in an after dinner pipe, it's very satisfying that way. This reminds me of Condor in a way, and maybe St. Bruno too, but it's also unique in it's own way as well. Peterson did it right with this tobacco and I hope it's around for a long time to come.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Recently purchased

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Condor, St. Bruno.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Napping Puppy (25)	2017-05-29		Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

For the seasoned smoker, nothing beats the Burley, Kentucky and Virginia combination, and Peterson managed to create an exceptional blend featured by Irish Flake.

If you have no access to Gawith Hoggarth blends, Irish Flake certainly represents a perfect substitute, both taste and strength wise. There is no better companion for bedtime than a distinguished burley blend, and Irish Flake does certainly rank among the best in that regard.

Aside from C&D Burley Flake # 3 and Old Joe Krantz, Pease's Jackknife, and Mac Baren's HH Bold Kentucky, Irish Flake is quite an unbeatable blend, whose actual value will be best appreciated perhaps only when it becomes unavailable in the market.

Stock and enjoy...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	William H. Hardy (95)	2017-04-29		Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

A good, stout blend from Peterson's of Dublin. Opening the tin, one is greeted with rich, dark, and sweet smells and a tobacco to match. On the match, to me, there's a sudden and welcome sweetness to the flake and a hint of anise and, well, something else. I have heard others say there is a very slight floral note and I won't disagree. For me, however, it's more of an earthy, herbal note.

Yes, it's strong, but not at first. The top quarter of the bowl is nutty and a bit sweet; almost treacle-like. The further down the flake is smoked, the stronger it becomes. In my experience, it never becomes harsh, but is quite powerful.

Irish flake is a solid four-star blend for me. It's definitely not an all-day smoke, but when I want something full of flavor, satisfying, and cool-smoking, this one hits all the criteria hands-down. Don't think you'll win any popularity contests with the room note, but I'm not smoking a pipe for others to enjoy, anyway.

Pipe Used: Many, but usually a GBD Prehistoric Bent Dublin

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	riobrew (80)	2017-04-22		Very Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

Full body tobacco with no noticeable casing. I rub it lightly and let dry on a clean sheet of printer paper for about 15 to 20 minutes and it's good to go. Lights easily and smokes to a clean ash. Flavor is burley forward with Virginia in background. This a very good smoke.

Pipe Used: Peterson Apple

Age When Smoked: Newish

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fen Piper (1)	2017-01-17		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Just opened this up having had it for at least a year on the shelf. I suspect like many others I thought this would be a bit much on the Nicotine and Strength department and guess what, it is! BUT this is the first blend that has Burley and Kentucky in it that I have really enjoyed. I found it smooth and just lovely in the flavour department. I have smoked University Flake, this is way better. In the UK we dont have as much access to the Burley and Kentucky blends as the US does but this for me is a great exmple of how well these tobbaco componenets can work together. Couldnt smoke this all day every day, but after a big meal when Im in the mood for it this is a dam fine smoke!

Pipe Used: Peterson Kinsale P-lip

Age When Smoked: 1 years plus in tin

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop uk

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HobgoblinTA96 (60)	2016-11-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

First, and foremost, let us clarify a bit of false information on this blend. Kentucky Fire-cured is a specially treated Burley Tobacco. The term fire-cured is used only to describe the curing process. Because one can grow an apple tree, it does make him an expert on apples. Now, back to the blend. PIF is a brilliant Burley based flake that I smoke on a regular basis. Indeed, there is a dedicated jar for this flake next to my Churchwarden on the study fireplace mantle. As other reviewers have previously noted, this flake needs a good drying to be smoked properly. I prefer to place my flake under the reading lamp to dry it, then rub it out on my palm and dry it a wee bit more. Once properly dried, this flake offers a very hearty, robust, flavorful smoke. An excellent tobacco to smoke while pondering life in general. Can be a bit heavy in Vitamin"N" and a bit harsh to those of a delicate nature. Still, a brilliant blend if one is looking to try something other than the usual VA Flake. Cheers

Pipe Used: CherryWood Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: Fresh to One Month

Purchased From: Local Tobacconist

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wikguy (11)	2016-10-30		Mild	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Easily one of my favorites.

Tbe first experience of joy comes on opening the tin. I spent many minutes just taking in the smell, enjoying the full bodied, earthy, manly smell (sorry ladies but this smells like it comes straight from a cowboy's day out in the mountains).

I could not wait to smoke the first flake. I found it best to let the flake dry out a bit before rubbing it out. Once rubbed out, Iet it dry for a few more minutes.

If sufficiently dry, only one charring light is necessary. I give the baccy a gentle push with my finger and let the bowl stand for 30 to 60 minutes while I potter around.

Coming back for round 2 is almost mind blowing as you experience a full, hearty smoke. I can't put my finger on the different tastes but this is a complex but very well rounded blend. So much so that I look forward to the next bowl full like it's Christmas.

The nicotene isn't over powering but I use to smoke 30 a day so N never really is an issue.

Be patient with this and let it go out and re-light later, you will be greatly rewarded.

We are not spoilt for choice in RSA with different premium brands and blends but compared to what we have available, this is in my top 3.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: New and 6 months

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ash K (12)	2016-10-05		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Just to highlight, I don't really enjoy burley based tobaccos; they're just too one dimensional, in my taste. This, however, is one of the exceptions.

Upon opening the tin, a complex smell fills the nostrils. A bit of fruitiness, a bit of woodiness, and a strong smokey tobacco smell that warns you how strong this can be. When first lit, some might ask "is that it?". Take a dozen or more puffs, and the array of flavours will subtly seep out. A strong, smokey, bold taste with a bit of black sweet tea underlay. A good smoke when you want to be lost in deep thought. Be warned, it is bold and strong in taste, as well as it's nic strength.

Best time to smoke this? For me, its after a hearty meal, or after a day's work. Something I can kick back and enjoy with a cup of coffee. Not really something in between meals, or before / right after breakfast, unless you're a nic junkie like me.

Pipe Used: Peterson Kildare Bulldog

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2016-09-29		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I grew air cured leaf for a while and know a thing or two about tobacco. This blend has fire cured leaf in it that boosts the strength and gives it the campfire taste. Fire cured is neither Burley nor is it Bright (Virginia). Irish flake has just a tiny bit of fire cured in the flakes. A little of this leaf goes a long, long way. I'll put it like this. If you were to bring a hand of this fire cured into your home you would smell it all over the house and the smell would linger after it had been taken back outside. I passed through Kentucky a couple of weeks ago in the wee hours of the morning and rolled the window down. The fire cured smoke could be smelled for miles around. Irish Flake is a nice earthy, smoky flake that is sure to please. I didn't find it all that strong. Please let this dry out a lot before trying to enjoy it.

Pipe Used: Wilmer

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MadMick (4)	2016-04-24		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable

Well. What a difference a change of blender can make. When i heard last year that Petersons were changing over from K&K to STG the words 'here we go again' resounded in my head. This is no longer Irish Flake. It's a mere shadow. Now with K&K blending for Rattray's we have Stirling Flake.To my palate Stirling Flake is no match to the 'old' flake either....believe me i've tried to get on with both flakes and i can't. Now with STG phasing out Warrior AND Mick McQuaid plugs i can only assume that they have come to the conclusion that, as they now produce Peterson's 3 P's plug, it would be ridiculous to compete with THREE products of their own manufacture. This is what happened with Stokkebye's Irish Slices and Sinclair's Highland Sliced, both STG and comparable to IF and coincidentally no longer in production since the merge. A great shame indeed, as to me at least, W & MM are far superior plugs and both IS & HS being far better flakes than this new incarnation. STG have squirrelled away many a fine blend from the UK and either abandoned production or made them only available in Central Europe. I'm tired of being dictated to. I'll vote with my money. I don't suppose either of them will miss it unfortunately, far too bloody complacent.

Pipe Used: Aldo Morelli medium Dublin.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

Similar Blends: Rattray / Kohlhasse Stirling Flake..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sybariten (61)	2016-04-13		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Conclusion: Nothing spectacular, but a good smoke. One dimensional and semi-strong it is something I most likely won't reorder.

Taste: Anise comes through the topping and some light smoky notes from the kentucky, but mostly it is plain bread provided by the burley. Otherwise it is mainly pepper. A plain smoke that offers no complexity. It is also a bit dry to smoke and makes me want to drink something while smoking. Pairs well with coffee.

Mechanics: Burns clean, needs some drying and some relights may be necessary but it is really nothing untypical of flakes. Strength is at medium to strong, body medium. A dry smoke that doesn't bite if it is dried, but it tends to burn hot. And the flake looks beautiful.

Pipe Used: Cobs and briars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2015-10-23		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is about the latest version of Irish Flake manufactured by Mac Baren.

The rather large and thick, mottled brown flakes are neatly stacked into the rectangular tin, effusing a strong tobacco scent that mixes with an indistinct fruity undertone, something like apricot jam maybe. The slices feel rather firm and light, but not too moist.

Too me, this is the perfect flake tobacco for the fold and stuff method. A single slice will usually suffice to give you at least an hour of smoking pleasure. It's important not to fill your pipe too tightly, because it tends to expand upon lighting.

After the charring light, you need to tamp down and level out the ashes before applying a thorough true light to get it burning steadily.

From the first puff on, you'll realize that this is really strong stuff, also on nicotine content! There's a dominating earthy tobacco taste of the Dark Fired Kentucky, which is complimented by sublime, but clearly noticable fruity notes of dried figs, apricots or prunes. Smoking the Irish Flake requires some leisure in order to keep it burning coolly and slowly. That way, it gives you a satisfying smoke throughout the whole bowl and burns down evenly leaving some graying ash.

The room note is dominated by strong tobacco scents with some fruity sweetness in the background, which renders it more tolerable for bystanders.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Nr. 95 Silke Brun

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Esterval's Pipe House

Similar Blends: Rattray's Stirling Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jedibastard (36)	2015-09-18		Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This was the second tobacco i smoked when i picked up pipe smoking. I was immediately punched in the face by this amazing, smokey, burnt aroma. Almost like you covered a steak in pepper, A1 sauce, threw it on the ground to get some dirt and camp fire ash on it, wrapped it in a sheet of leather, and grilled it till it was past the point of well done. I had a good feeling this would be my favorite.

Looking at the flake, i saw nothing but what looked like burnt beef jerkey.

My first light i was hit with immense flavors of leather. Spice. Smokey nutty flavors, and something i still cant pin point to this very day, but i assure you....i love it! About the first quater of bowl i get that burnt nutty flavor coming through alot. The rest of the bowl is a very sweet smokey flavor. Which is really great.

My old lady was sitting near me and asked if i was smoking a cigar. And i agreed this pipe tobacco smelled, and tasted as great as a really good quality full bodied cigar!

Ive found rubbing this flake out, letting it dry for a good 20-30min is best! It tends to lean on the moist side. Ive tried the fold and stuff method, and had nothing but relights upon relights, and some uneven burning. It very well could have been me, but ive never had a single issue with rubbing it out!

If this is puffed on heavily, the nicotine will make sure its presence is known. But honestly, i dont get that head buzz, or crazy sickening overdose of nicotine people talk about with smoking this tobacoo.

To me...the room note is great! And as weird as it sounds...the smoke lingering on your clothes smells pretty great too. Kinda like a camp fire! I cant recommend this tobacoo enough to people looking for a unique, full bodied smoke. And honestly. You love it or you hate it. And personally, this tobacco doesnt care it you like it! This is a mans smoke. Itll put hair on your chest for sure!

:::::UPDATE::::: Ive been sitting on this same tin for a little over 4yrs now. The flavor profile has changed immensely!!!! Think.......smoked raisins. Opening the jar, all i smell is a sweet, fermented raisin, with a slight nose sting. Char light is straight smoked sweetness. Honestly......i thought i grabbed the wrong tobacco. Its lost all that delicious stout, tangy, burnt, awesomeness. First half is GREAT!!!! Sweet and dark with a little smokey tang. Full flavor for sure.

Second half is where this shines.

Its starting to get alot more of that smoked raisin flavor, and that spicy pepper note is alot more forward now. But still maintains its sweetness with a little bit of vitamin N. Towards the last quarter of the bowl.....you get VITAMIN N in all its glory. Smoke slow and youll be just fine.

Im surprised how much this blend changed so drastically. I almost wish it didnt. I loved everything about the brand new, straight of the tin, knock your socks off, type flavors. But.......age did this flake wonders! None the less........this is still my #1 favorite tobacco on the market. Period.

Grab a tin. Dont open it for 5 years. Thank me later.

Pipe Used: Freddie Prieto

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Adrian B. (29)	2015-09-17		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

I held off on trying this for a long time because of the descriptions of the nicotine content being so scary. "Yeah, I tried Irish Flake once. I woke up two days later in the hospital with a concussion and two broken legs. You be careful with that."

Well, it's got plenty of nic, but I found it didn't flatten me as I'd expected. You feel it, but I didn't get any of the classic N overdose symptoms. I might not smoke it all day long, but could easily smoke it several times a day; nothing to fear here.

And I'm really glad because this is blend that deserves to be smoked a lot. Nutty, sweet and smoky with some leatheriness (new word) from the Kentucky, Irish Flake is simply delicious. Sometimes the Burley is a little sharp, but it's not unpleasant, and the smoke is creamy and smooth.

If you have a low nicotine tolerance you'll want to probably start with small bowls because it is a strong blend, but it's worth trying for sure.

Pipe Used: Briars mostly

Age When Smoked: tin fresh

Purchased From: Watch City Cigar Co.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	atomicbuster (79)	2015-01-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Mild	Tolerable to Strong

This is slightly better than most other Virginia blends I've tried. The nearly flavorless characteristics make it somewhat boring. If you are looking for that natural taste, then it's a good choice. Somewhat strong on the nicotine, but not enough to make me dizzy or nauseous. Excellent burn characteristics with little to no bite. I got it in a bundle to try Peterson tobaccos, but I won't be buying it again. Still, not the worst of tobaccos I've tried.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Britannia (10)	2014-08-13		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Strong

Virginia and Kentucky, you can't get better then this. The anise topping does not agree with me, but I can see why it's so popular. Very stout blend and recommended for pipers getting into stronger blends

Pipe Used: Radice Rind Bulldog

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: John Haynes Tobacconist

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2014-02-07		Extremely Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I bought this one after hearing how well it seems to be regarded, a lot of folk seem to swear by it in spite of it's reputed strength. So when my 40th birthday came up at the end of last year, I treated myself to a tin of this stuff in the hope and expectation that it would make a great celebratory smoke. I might not have got quite what I wanted but I think I got something probably a lot more worthwhile.

I opened the tin up on the day of my birthday about three weeks after purchase while safely ensconced at my brother's house where I was staying for the week. The tin aroma was cracking, good whiffs of something like whisky, even my brother, a non-smoker, thought was a great smell. He was as impressed as I was, too, with the large, well presented, dark brown flakes that sat within the tin. My first smoke, sadly, wasn't up to much, but, seeing has I was having to smoke outside on a very blustery day, I didn't really let it leave any untoward opinion of the tobacco itself. My next couple of smokes when I got back home, in a bent Adsorba, did dampen my hopes of liking this one, tasting quite musty and dank. The strength, while anticipated, didn't help any and left me feeling rather disappointed, and packing quite a large bowl didn't help. I then switched to a smaller Dr Max Dental, still the same mustiness came through. Feeling rather let down, I rubbed the remaining flakes out, put it and a jar and stuck it at the back of a cupboard, a trick that's worked with some other flakes that didn't impress initially, and cracked on with some other flakes that I had and found a little more palatable. Now they've run out, I've come back to this in the past week or so, packing it into a small bowled BC Belami and, may I say, it's worked wonders, there is still a little mustiness to it but it seems to add rather than detract, there's something woody or other and something of some rather dark, less sweet fruits such as figs or plums, all making it rather enjoyable. The strength is there, I personally find it tremendously strong, but in a pipe with a small bowl, this doesn't become an issue. the only other things of note are that it makes for easy rubbing out, packing and lighting and there is no tonguebite. Also, it's rare I notice the room note of tobacco these days, that's why I tend to put pleasant to tolerable on most reviews, but this is one I can pick up on and it's nice.

In the end, then, a good tobacco that has grown on me. I can't, in all honesty, give it the praise that inspired me to buy it, but, with a bit of patience, it has revealed itself to be a good smoke and has begun to grow on me. It's certainly a tobacco I'm willing to purchase more tins of to see if it grows even further on me, a further four star review may be pending. It is actually a smoke that somehow reminds me of some old academic surrounded by musty old manuscripts, puffing away on a pipeful as he pours over some old tome, divining the secrets of some ancient wisdom from some ancient script. As a book lover that's fine by me.

UPDATE: 12/12/2014

I've had the liberty in the past year to buy another couple of tins, rubbing them out and jarring them after purchase and smoking them in Pete Standard System and I've decided to upgrade my review to four stars. I've found it absolutely gorgeous, that whisky flavour comes out very well. I'm not sure if it's that this stuff is meant to be smoked in a Standard System or that I've become more attuned to it's flavour but I've fallen for it. I still can't understand why folk compare this to Condor, this has quite a potent, savoury whisky flavour to it while Condor has a sweeter, brandy note to it. Nonetheless, I'm glad to have disproved my original view of this most excellent tobacco.

Pipe Used: Butz Choquin Belami Sablee 110 + others

Age When Smoked: 0 to 3 months

Purchased From: mysmokingshop.co.uk/Cuban Cigar Club

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-06-06		Overwhelming	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Gag...burp...ugh!! This is a revolting flake. I don't know if its the high amount of nicotine that accounts for the reaction I get, but this one makes me sick. The flavor is strong and that's it, just grossly strong. I used to love UF and was hoping to love IF, but it was not to be. Peterson's baccy as of late have been a great disaster, not one in the line I really like any longer.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Grundie (26)	2010-07-26		Extremely Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is good stuff!

Upon opening the tin the aroma is a strong and delicious mix of fruits and leather.

Upon lighting it, the first third is a bit rough, but it smooths itself out soon enough. The flavours whilst smoking are of leather and wood, with the fruitiness coming through occasionally.

As others have said, this stuff is strong. A small bowl is a wise choice!

All in all this is a really tasty tobacco that packs a punch. A lovely occasional treat to be savoured and enjoyed.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-02-14		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Wonderful stuff this - if you like full strength plain tobacco.

A small 50g tin for the flake slices, which are very regular and 'machine-made' looking. A far cry from the rough flakes of Sam Gawith, for example. There is a strong fruity, fermented tin note that hits you on first opening. I think it is natural rather than added. The flakes are quite moist, but rub out and pack easily if that is what you want to do. The light is not difficult - one or two chars and you are away.

The strength is noticeable immediately. I am a regular smoker and this is the only tobacco I have found so far that gives an instant nicotine buzz. Your head will spin if you don't take it easy. This one is made for sipping! I find no Lakeland soapiness at all, unlike some earlier reviews. Just strong, smooth Virginia with a Kentucky kick. If there is any topping, I can't taste it. The smoothness stays well if you keep it slow and I find this is one I put down often through a bowl. No tugging away to get what you need - it is very up-front. Relights are easy and I find do not spoil the taste. Around the halfway point I notice a cigar-like quality - and a good cigar at that. Absolutely no bite at all. Just smooth.

The flavour is complex, with fruity and earth overtones. I find the taste well integrated with no feeling of additives. If I have a criticism it is that I expected more complexity in such a strong smoke. It is there, but the flavours do struggle to make themselves known through the strength. Nonetheless, one of the best tobaccos I have found. A bit too strong for me to smoke all day but will remain firmly on my buying list. 4 stars from me.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mo (81)	2007-08-08		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

I will start by telling you what this tobacco is not. This blend is not for high school kids, it is not for puffing fast, it does not set your tongue on fire, it is not for big bowls and it certainly is not Macbarens Mixture Modern (remember the number 1 on the tin or pouch???) What it is, is a rich, full and tasty smoke that rewards the senses with a strong but smooth tobacco taste that leaves you satisfied. The taste could be compared to University Flake in a small way. It certainly has a nicotine hit of note and would like to meet the man or(heaven forbid) woman that can finish a bowl of this in one sitting. Given the strength of this blend I did not find it harsh and to me that is important if one is a lover of fuller blends. This is great stuff and fully recommend it, it fills a gap in pipe smoking that I thought could never be filled. Just remember to sip slowly and enjoy that full taste. Oh my, writing this is making my mouth water, ill go and fire up the old briar. Mo, South Africa

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ducksbreath (125)	2006-08-24		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Update/Reevaluation: I have come to like this newest incarnation of Irish Flake and am upping my rating. It's difficult reviewing tobaccos because they change blenders and all of a sudden it's not the same, and the first inclination is "it's not as good."

So I've grown to like this latest version of Irish Flake quite well, although it takes a different smoking technique than the original.

Update 2: Tried a round tin a few years later. Less casing, more Va, and more Va bite, relative to an old square tin I had. I don't consider this the same quality product it was.

The old square tin I had is the same as in update 1, so age does help (it was a few years old), which shows how much young VA is mixed in .

Possibly with years of age and mixed with some Bold Kentucky, this might approximate what Irish Flake used to be.

However you'd be better off mixing MB Bold Kentucky with something else of higher quality, like FVF, to approximate the old Irish Flake.

Update: Fresh out of the tin and with a new blender. Very pleasing distant fruitiness that I do not remember, which must be some kind of subtle casing. Not as much dark fired taste, and I smoked it too hard and too wet and got a kind of tongue bite, a testament to the new blender. One degree less strong and less harsh than K&K version I remember, but unfortunately the p.h. didn't seem to agree with me. Thus I'm altering my rating.

This is University Flake's stronger and more natural tasting country couisin, and that ought to be enough to scare off some of you.

But really, I love this flake. It is like GH Dark Flake but creamier and better balanced and not quite as strong. It is obviously blended with much care and very high quality though strong components. Rating goes a notch lower...

So if you like strong, like Bracken Flake, GH Dark Flake, Dark Birdseye, then this fits right in, and it has a charm all its own. I like the fact that it is entirely natural, no topping. Not even a hint of berry essence like University.

It is smoother than GH Dark Flake or Dark Birdseye and not exactly as strong or relentless as those. It has some complexity too, not monochromatic, again revealing the hand of a careful blender.

I taste a measure of dark fired tobacco (similar to what is in American chewing tobacco twists or Five Brothers) which makes like Walnut Flake from the UK, but this is richer and made of higher quality leaf.

It's perhaps a bit edgy here and there, though this is a new blend, and the edges seem to fade quickly ... creamy, nutty and slightly oaky, this is a very full blend. I think it is the best of the very strong, unscented flakes out there.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (139)	2022-11-22		Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Today's trial: the Irish Flake of 2009 in a square tin and the Stirling Flake of 2022. My opinion about fresh tins (after 2013) has been written as P.S., so have in mind: all marks I bet is for OLD Irish Flake.

Appearance: some differences can be seen immediately. Irish Flake had been sliced into long, narrow flake strips the length of a tin, each of the flakes weighing about three grams. The Stirling Flake strips are the “standard” rectangular size, wider, stacked in two stacks. Each flake weighs about four grams, with its small volume provoking you to stuff more than one, which I wouldn't recommend for a beginner. Irish Flake is a little lighter in shade, less dense. Stirling Flake clearly has more glycerin and propylene glycol treatment. Despite all of the above, both tobaccos are similar, mostly dark with occasional yellow flecks. The flake have a great consistency, easily broken if desired or twisted into a tube for "envelope" stuffing. However, knowing the strength of the mixture, I did not risk smoking it this way.

Flavor: There is also a definite difference here. In Stirling Flake the anise topping is brighter, bitter chocolate and Kentucky smoky note prevail over the rest, Virginia tones of field hay, wheat bread and tangerine are in the background, and burley gives it all a woody and nutty support. Inhaling this flavor, after a couple of minutes, I felt a faint note of leather. And in Irish Flake, the aniseed topping note over the years has gone deep into the overall flavor, giving room for woody, nutty burley notes framed by smoky and chocolate Kentucky with a slight coffee tone. Virginia's light notes of dried field hay, wheat bread and tangerine, along with the lightest touch of leather, give this bouquet a subtle sweetness in the scent, being somewhat off-putting. Overall, aging has clearly benefited the tobacco - the flavor is more whole, though less bright.

The taste of both tobaccos left no doubt that they were practically the same. A beautiful bouquet, with smoky, chocolatey, woody and barely noticeable citrus tones melded together, lightly supported by very light sweets of Virginia. The Stirling Flake is a bit brighter towards smoke and chocolate, but I attribute that to its youth. The blend has no harshness from the start, is tolerant of overheating, and the flavor is extremely mild. There is nothing superfluous about it, it tastes like an expensive vintage pipe tobacco. It smokes very slowly, cool and extremely dry, burning to almost white ash and leaving absolutely no moisture in the pipe. The strength of both tobaccos is clearly much above average. Three grams of one Irish Flake was just enough for me to feel quite a tangible relaxing nicotine kick. In the case of Stirling Flake, the effect was a little stronger, but do not forget that the plate of this tobacco is a few grams heavier. The aftertaste is smoky and woody, unsweetened, mild, but persistent.

The smoke from tobacco is dense and persistent in flavor, has the aroma of smoldering resinous pine with the lightest phenolic flavoring.

Bottom line: the place is never empty. Irish Flake is dead? Long live Stirling Flake! This is an absolutely luxurious strong, but very mild tobacco. It goes great with peaty Irish or Scotch whiskey, being a strong afternoon or evening tobacco. I can recall that I had the same pleasure with Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired (by the way, both tobaccos are similar in composition and strength, though slightly different in flavor and taste). As for the older version of Irish Flake, if you have it in your collection, don't worry about running out. Stirling Flake is an equal replacement.

P.S. For this trial I did not take the current version of Irish Flake by STG because I absolutely know that its form has undergone serious changes. The old version of the blend had equal proportions of air-cured, flue cured, and dark fired tobaccos - that is, it had equal amounts of Virginia, Burley, and Kentucky. The current version clearly has more of bright Virginia and less Kentucky, which you can see even with the naked eye. In addition, instead of the old anise topping, a mixed fruit and berry syrup has been preferred now by STG, somewhat similar to the current University Flake version. Together with the rich flavors of bright sweet Virginia and burley with a faint support of Kentucky, the result is a strange, somewhat watery sweet berry-woody-coffee flavor. That is to say, completely different. The current version of Irish Flake by STG will be considered fallen in the unequal struggle with globalism and the cruel market.

Pipe Used: Peterson 14B, 69, 80s, 106, 150, 999

Age When Smoked: 2009

Purchased From: Secondary market

Similar Blends: Rattray - Stirling Flake (Flake Collection).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	b7q (51)	2022-09-06		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

When tobacco burns, there is smoke, and we smoke it, hoping to get the following feeling:

1: It smells like food or perfume.

2: Hopefully it will be microprocessed and retain a bit of the original taste of tobacco

3: The desire to fully obtain the original taste of tobacco.

Don't think of it as too scary, there are many more powerful types than this, using the right tools will help you a lot, the taste is rustic, rich, the room notes are good, There was no smell of bad breath or feet。

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: 15

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com SmokingPipes.com Cup O'Joes.4noggins.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaulMcCoy (78)	2021-10-21		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a fantastic blend. It’s on the strong side in all departments, so if you aren’t use to nicotine, be careful with this one. I wouldn’t call it an all day smoke for most people.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Bent Dublin

Age When Smoked: New, and 8 years

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hrhf (38)	2021-04-19		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable

I never had the opportunity to try earlier incarnations of Irish Flake. But, having had nearly a tin’s worth, and having tried others in the same ballpark (Rattray’s Stirling Flake, Mac Baren Old Dark Fired, Gawith Hoggarth’s dark flakes), I feel I have a pretty good understanding of the heavy hitters of pipe tobaccos and where this one stands.

First off, Irish Flake is a quality product. That’s the only way Peterson knows how to do it. And if it was the only option for a nice rich, bold, strong flake, I’d smoke Irish Flake daily (or nearly so) with no complaint.

As stated above, it’s strong... but it’s a very smooth smoke for such a nicotine-laden commodity. Smoking it is akin to sipping a very strong coffee with a splash of amoretto.

But it’s not the only show in town. Irish and Stirling are virtually indistinguishable as far as I’m concerned. And they’re both superior to ODF. But, to me, Gawith Hoggarth’s dark flakes, both the aromatic and unscented versions, are the heavyweight champions. I find them more tasty and a bit stronger.

But like I said, this is a quality product. I’d never turn my nose up at it. And I almost certainly haven’t bought my last tin of Irish Flake. They’re just not the king of the hill.

A very solid three stars for this one.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New stock

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Rattray - Stirling Flake (Flake Collection), Mac Baren - HH Old Dark Fired, Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake, Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake Aromatic.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Great Mungulor (8)	2021-03-12		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The flake itself comes in a very neat and lovely looking square. After rubbing out and drying, it fit snugly in my pipe. The first light revealed a thick, almost chewy smoke that immediately hit with some considerable strength. The flavours came through with a lovely creaminess, the fruity notes very noticeable. There is a deep virginia sweetness to this blend that mixes brilliantly with the nutty, woody and earthy flavours that all tie together to make a truly tasty blend. The smoke itself is thick (and has the potential to bite if not careful), leaving a lingering aftertaste that is almost as strong as the blend itself. The strength of the nicotine, as well as the strength of the flavour, is something special. This is a quality blend and I will try to smoke this one again soon.

Pipe Used: Falcon Coolway

Age When Smoked: New from tin

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ocelot (33)	2020-11-05		Very Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Peterson - Irish Flake - this was really strong. I am not sure if I don´t like dark fired Kentucky, or what was the problem, but I did not enjoy it. Casing was sweet and nicely refilling the flavour. I am indecisive about this tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael D (29)	2020-08-06		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

What a wonderfully strong Tobacco blend! As a lifetime smoker of cigars, pipes and at least the last twenty years smoking three packs a day of cigarettes, till I quit them 15 years ago, I enjoy stronger blends. Opening the tin, I was presented and blessed with the rich dark coloring of the flakes. The aroma told me right off that I would receive all the nicotine my addicted body would need. Rubing out a half flake fills a bowl nicely, leaving room at the top. after a false light and a tamp, the chase is on. a few relights will make it to the bottom. Burley is at the top and it is full body flavor. The Virginia is not far behind although sits in back of the Burley. I picked up a light sweetness , that I cannot figure is the press or added. A very light Floral I assume comes from the Kentucky. It all works well together and allows the nicotine level to complete my experience. Truly a fine blend for those looking for a full flavored Tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (107)	2020-06-09		Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Tolerable

These dark brown near black flakes have a pure tobacco odor in the tin. I can only compare the smell to Copenhagen moist snuff or one of the unscented British dry snuffs. It is really pungent and the smell in the tin translates well to the earthy, leathery, smoky sips I enjoyed. The nic hit is remarkable and a full stomach is advised. While I cannot smell it in the tin note, there is certainly some sort of floral-based topping that is evidence in both the smoke and the side stream. I think it is lavender. Despite this topping, the odor of this smoke is not likely to make you any friends.

Pipe Used: Jobey Stromboli 165

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: Iwan ries

Similar Blends: Consider this the older grizzled alcoholic brother to University flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Liam Tyr (22)	2020-02-02		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

FOR EXPERIENCED PIPERS ONLY-

This is great tasting tobacco, even though it is very strong and intense. I smoke a lot, and I find that even though it is extremely well behaved I often add a little sweetened black cavendish to cut it down just a tad. Hands down one of my favorite all-time flake tobaccos.

Pipe Used: Rattray's Pipe of the year 2019

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Mission Pipe Tobacco

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cold Comfort (14)	2019-07-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

When Mac Baren made it, it was awesome. The new STG blending lacks body and stength.

You used to get a nice subtle hint of what tasted like anise in the MB blend, that is non-existent in this new version. This is now a mediocre blend.

Pipe Used: Pete Kinsale

Age When Smoked: new

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Country Bladesmith (18)	2019-05-12		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

As an occasional cigar smoker for over 20 yrs, I remember opening a tin of this for the first time was very similar to opening a new box of yet untried very strong cigars for the first time. Somehow the smell lets you know you’re about to have a tiger by the tail. The tin note is heavy, oily, and slightly smoky. It smells like strong tobacco, pure and simple. It reminds me quite a bit of my favorite chewing tobacco (minus the molasses). I’ve heard most American chewing tobacco is made from dark fired Kentucky, which is definitely present in these flakes.

Upon the initial light, there is a very familiar cigar taste, and then the dark fired comes through in spades with lots of spice and a bit of sharpness. It tastes heavy, with a nuttiness from the burley. The Virginia peeks through intermittently with some grassy hay notes and some sweetness, but always stays in the background. I think this is a great blend for those transitioning from cigars to pipes, as there’s a lot of overlap in the taste and smell, especially for this not being a cigar leaf blend. It also has the nicotine punch that people expect from a good cigar.

The blend does have some rough edges as you near the bottom of the bowl.

Basically, if you like strong spicy tobacco, try this. If you hate the strong/spicy stuff, stay far far away.

I have a couple ounces of this cellaring right now. I know burley doesn’t change much, but I bet the slightly rough edges smooth out with a little age. I also hate to dive into it right now because it seems like the Peterson lines are in hiatus.

I’d give this one 3.5 stars if it’d let me.

Pipe Used: Freehand briar, Missouri Meerschaum cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local B&M

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2019-04-20		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

I purchased a couple more tins after a few years of absence from pipe smoking & I didn't smell or taste any cigar aroma in the tin or smoke that I initially noticed back in 2010. Back then they came in the rectangular tins. This strong blend might put you back in your easy chair for a while. I prefer these round tins now which can maintain freshness for a much longer period of time & prefer the round screw top tin over all others.

The tin description states the contents are a dark brown Virginia flake. However, I see that it also contains dark fired Kentucky & Burley which, BTW, has twice the strength of any Virginia tobacco & hits harder & faster. This is still one of my favorite go to blends & I sometimes use it to add to some blends that are a bit on the wimpy side.

Pipe Used: Peterson Deluxe 9S & 11S

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars, Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: HH Bold Kentucky, HH Old Dark Fired.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	3pipeproblem (28)	2019-04-03		Extremely Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I smoked my first tin of this magnificent, storied flake exactly 7 years ago and I loved it. I marked it as a favorite here but waited until my second tin, finished yesterday, to do a review. Sadly, my palate is not discerning enough to taste and describe the nuances of blends like so many of our fortunate brethren, so I cannot add any new or intriguing insights. Suffice it to say that I LOVE this blend so much I expect it to land a spot in my perpetual rotation once I've completed my tobacco education.

It is remarkable : dark, strong, smoky in the Dark Fired way, and full of flavor and nicotine. As Pipestud says, for the full-scrotum crowd...But don't let it scare you. Well worth the experience, and you may come to love it as well. An unmitigated 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson "Antique" 1910 Bulldog (reproduction)

Age When Smoked: 6-12 months

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RonR (85)	2019-01-25		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

3rdguy

Well established burley flake. Strong in flavor and nicotine but relative to your cadence. It is not Five Brothers strong but it is up there for sure.

Only thing I can add to the other reviews is that now that STG owns the rights I look forward to it coming back to market. I am down to 7 tins and it would be nice to see this in bulk as STG had done in the past with some of their blends. HOF blend.

Pipe Used: Briars and meer.

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Good luck until STG ramps up.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ParamedicGentleman (4)	2019-01-23		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This was my first flake. Strong tin note, clearly something new. Moisture content was a little dry for what I was expecting from a flake, but it rubbed out well. Charring light was good, no relights needed. Very full flavor. I did get a bit of cigarette taste. It was smokey yet still enjoyable. It gave a warmer smoke, had to pace myself. Had a bit of a nicotine buzz halfway through the bowl. Overall, decent first experience for a flake.

Pipe Used: Roma

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: Wabash Cigar Shop

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2018-12-13		Very Strong	None Detected	Mild	Strong

This one put me back in my easy chair and kept me pinned down for a while! Very good strong tobacco. This is my first tin of IF & I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like to rub the flakes out a little to achieve a more even burn but it smokes great any way one chooses to prepare it. It requires a little picking & tamping & doesn't produce a lot of moisture if dried to an almost crispy state which I found was the best way to handle this mix. One flake is just right for a size two pipe. I now keep a tin handy for those times I feel like a quick Vitamin N blast.

Difficult to describe the tin aroma...never smelled anything quite like it...a slight acrid, musty aroma. To me this mixture seemed to be mainly a straightforward, no frills, strong tobacco mixture with a flavor that should suit most pipers who prefer this type of blend. It burns fairly slow & will give you that added bliss you're looking for in short order with its strength & the flavor's not all that bad... maybe a tad bitter initially but easily tolerated.

I have several tins aging and this one is in my top ten rotation. If you like tobacco blends that provide a relatively strong smoke, "this flake's for you." Excellent! Four stars without reservation. A delightful change of pace. Sampled in a 2S Dunny & a Peterson Deluxe.

ADDENDUM: It's 2018 now & I purchased a couple more tins after a few years of absence from pipe smoking & I didn't smell or taste any cigar aroma in the tin or smoke that I initially noticed back in 2010. I feel like the recipe "may" have changed slightly & they are in the round tins now which can maintain freshness for a much longer period of time. I prefer the round screw top tin over all others. The tin description states the contents are a dark brown Virginia flake. However, I see that it also contains dark fired Kentucky & Burley which, BTW, have twice the strength of any Virginia tobacco & hits harder & faster. This is still one of my favorite go to blends & I like to experiment adding it to some of the wimpier blends.

Pipe Used: Size 2 Dunny & a Pete Deluxe 9S

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Sorry... unable to make a comparison to anything..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A.Moreno (1)	2018-11-08		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Wonderful, a favorite over all others. I'm a cigar smoker and I found this blend to have a great tobacco leaf flavor. It needs to be allowed to sit and dry 30-40 minutes. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula

Age When Smoked: 1 Year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2018-08-21		Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable

Reviewing on memory's which are fond , nice skillful blend , slow burning , plenty of nicotine , no bite , true tobacco taste , I personally could not smoke a full bowl of this in one go , a tiny bit heavy on the licorice. May buy more of this for the occasional smoke.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Arthur morris

Similar Blends: Sinclairs Highland slicedr.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ocelot79 (32)	2018-07-17		Medium to Strong	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Been trying out a few Burleys recently, and I don't much like any I've tried so far, including this one. The smoke is thin in flavour (to me) and reminds me of a cigarette with some artificial spices added. Though it has more nicotine strength than many, I don't find this to be a 'very strong' baccy, as others seem to say, but that may be something to do with the new round tin production I have; perhaps older stuff was stronger still. I was hoping that the VA content would add a strong, creamy bottom note to the chord, but it doesn't. It does burn evenly, apparently without much chance of bite, and the ingredients seem to be of reasonable quality, but that is all the praise I can give it. A baccy which bores me rigid, frankly, because of its overall 'thin' taste.

Pipe Used: Oil-cured English makes

Age When Smoked: New.

Purchased From: Smokingpipes USA

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HeavyMetalPiper (64)	2018-05-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

The smell is like sweet jerky. The taste is fairly similar.

This tastes more like a cigar than most tobaccos I've had, though not so much where it might as well just be a cigar. It almost has a salty taste to it, with a small amount of sour. There is a vague nuttiness from the burley. The taste is almost meaty like some Irish ropes. It is a nice smoke at night.

You can see my video review of this blend here:

Pipe Used: Peterson Summertime 150

Age When Smoked: 8 Months

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tschenyinkoh (51)	2018-02-06		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

A robust blend of air-cured sweet Virginias, flue-cured hearty Burleys and bold dark-fired Kentucky in equal portions which are then matured, pressed and sliced.

Tin note: like a sour wood, but pleasant.

When smoking: Virginias in the background is a little bit floral sweet; Burley is nutty sweet; Kentucky makes it deep and full. Even though aftertaste is dry and a little bit sharp edge, no harsh side when smoking.

Conclusion: To me, very different from American Burley blend, such as Cornell & Diehl - Old Joe Krantz. Even though I regularly smoke the Latakia blend and straight Virginia, I like Irish Flake very much. And I highly recommend you slowly sip it in a small bowl, which is so full, gradually evolved and deeply balanced woody, floral taste.

Pipe Used: 1910 unnamed small Canadian pipe

Age When Smoked: nearly one year

Purchased From: 2 oz tins from pipesandcigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BatmanPipes (10)	2017-12-06		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Why: You want a heavy strong tobacco with a knockout punch. Experienced users only.

Looks: This is a dark tobacco, dark brown flakes cut from a block. You can see some lighter streaks of tobacco but overall it's dark.

Method: They are somewhat moist so drying out is recommended. You can roll the flakes and pop one in very easily. So rolling this flake isn't a bad idea.

Result: Very strong. Maybe too strong for even seasoned users. Bite if you don't dry it a bit. No noticeable taste except for tobacco.

Conclusion: Strong tobacco flakes for addition curing and rolling. A very heavy fix of Pipe tobacco smoking.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula 68

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	anglocatholicpiper (34)	2017-09-30		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

IF is a smokier version of Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake. It's good, like a good steak. And that's my problem... I'm not always in the mood for a steak. When I am though, this tobacco hits the spot. I dry it out. I rub out the flakes. I don't overfill. And for 45 minutes this stuff rocks my world.

Pipe Used: Various Briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

Similar Blends: a heartier Sam Gawith FVF.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dave, A Smoker (4)	2017-09-06		Very Strong	Very Strong	Extra Full	Overwhelming

Been smoking a pipe since 1962, tried a lot of things. It's hard for me to understand why any firm would make this as a pipe tobacco...or why any pipe smoker would want it in a good pipe...it is like a lousy stinking cigar, and I even like a good cigar. This is a reference of what is to be avoided, wouldn't even call it a pipe tobacco....can't understand, this downgrades the opinion I have of the validity of some reviewers...sorry.

Pipe Used: Junk pipe, to survive it

Age When Smoked: 72

Purchased From: Gift

Similar Blends: Bad Cigar.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MickPiper (6)	2017-07-15		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really enjoy this blend. The virginia is a nice compliment to the burley-it's very noticeable to me. This is my first blend with any virginia in it. I assume it is the virgina that tasted like a twangy sweet zest almost like a hint of ketchup. That or possibly a flavoring.

I "notice" the nicotine content. Most blends I don't unless I smoke a large bowl or smoke fast. I'm quite tolerant to N and it doesn't bother me, in fact it is a nice change as the bowl last longer and is able to be enjoyed more smoking slow.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2017-07-14		Strong	Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Thoroughly full bodied and strong flavor of Kentucky. I loved it, even though I found it strong in the first bowl but I love it and I will be continuing it particularly in cold seasons and snowy surroundings.I feel the moisture of air around you will help you to keep enjoying it much more. It burns continuous and remains fine grey ash. Try to spend enough time making it rubbed and ready which is important to control the heavy vapor and enjoy the taste.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CherchezLaghost (52)	2017-07-09		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I've smoked an awful lot of this, as it is always available at my tobacconist and it scratches a certain itch i have...it is much like other blends i enjoy, but has a strange tea like quality which i really appreciate at times. The tin note is like copenhagen straight long cut. It smells like dark tobacco. The body of the smoke is much like HH ODF, or GH Dark Birdseye, but the former is far smoother and the latter harsher but more cocoa-ey... I realize this review probably isnt making much sense. Suffice it to say that Irish flake is a dank, deep flake that wallows in the bass notes, yet has a stoved smoothness and a touch of bergamot essence that is well married to the tobacco and gives a subtle almost medicinal flavor to the blend. I dont love the flavor, but i love the stuff, if ya dig. Nicotine content is sufficient for an evening smoke; a shade higher than most flakes, but well short of most ropes. Give it a try. It may well suit you.

Pipe Used: Cobs, meerschaums, briar

Age When Smoked: New to 1 year

Similar Blends: ODF, Dark Birdseye.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_dalai_lama_himself (43)	2017-06-28		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

A full blend of earth and smoky leather with a tasteful natural fruitiness. A dichotomy of textures come forth in a collasal way. Bold and delicate, spicy hardwoods with an underlying sweetness that tapers the blatant decadence of the Kentucky and burley. Peterson has some home runs in Irish flake and University flake.. necessary additions to everyone's cellar, even if it leaves you toeing the line on queasiness don't fret because relights register just fine.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A Scot in Argentina (19)	2017-05-12		Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

On my second tin of Irish Flake and for me it just gets better the more I smoke it. I'd put the taste somewhere in between Condor Flake and Erinmore Flake which is no surprise given their Irish roots. Hence why I definitely think it has some flavouring added. I personally don't see why this blend should be avoided if you're not used to strong tobacco....I'd hate to put people off trying it. If smoked slowly it shouldn't cause the inexperienced smoker any problem. Burns slow and cool...a great baccy.

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: New

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ShadowFox (8)	2017-03-16		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A good strong tobacco. Something more traditional, as I was mainly smoking aromatics. I must say I love it! It's a bit earthy and smoky taste. I would agree that it is for a more experienced smokers. I would't smoke it all day long, but once in a while I do enjoy it very much.

Pipe Used: Peterson Donegal Rocky 65 Fishtail

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bentlink (9)	2016-12-25		Extremely Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My oldest gave me a tin as a gift. It's presented as a dark flake with a sweet, molasses and raisin note once the seal is broken. I packed with a Z fold, and it was a little moist. It took a little work to get lit, but offered a sweet raisin flavor with just a hint of nuttiness.

The flavor was steady, and I went nice and slow. Mid bowl, some dark roast coffee entered. On a full belly, nicotine washed over me like a 2x4 to the face. This got my heart rate up and my scalp tingling. Retohale brings out the nut nuance.

While not an all day or every day for me, it's a pleasant treat.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie Drinkless 93B

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Gift

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Snappo's Pipe (23)	2016-11-06		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant

Read JimInk's review first and then add some other favorite reviewers... This blend is classic Irish X10 in flavor! Nothing not to love and everything to come back for again & again! Smokes beautifully, especially when dry - nothing in flavor is really lost, but burn quality adds to a wonderful experience. FLAVOR in the most traditional Irish tradition... some will know what I mean ;-)

Pipe Used: No Name Baby Briar

Age When Smoked: 1+ year

Purchased From: P&C.com

Similar Blends: Orlik Racing Green, sort of... but on a stronger scale w/extra nic hit & Irish flavor bent!!!.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pastor Puff (15)	2016-09-24		Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tasting Notes: Peterson Irish Flake

I have heard a lot about this blend. I have been caution that only the bravest of smoker even dare look its way. I have been told that if I were one day brave enough to conquer this blend I could never again turn away from its powerful grasp.

This blend holds a lot of fame (or infamy) in the pipe smoker's lore. It's hailed as one of the strongest and most flavorful blends out there; even the tin says 'for the experienced pipe smoker'. There is so much hype surrounding this blend that I only picked this up after becoming an experienced pipe smoker. I was afraid of the nicotine hit. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to handle the flavor. And what do I think of it?

Component Tobaccos: Burley, Dark Fired Kentuckey, Virginia

Cut: Flake, beautiful flakes too. A whole flake will take up your largest bowls, split it for smaller bowls.

Tin Note: Chocolate raisins, faint cherry cough syrup

Body: 9/10 Strength: 9/10 Nic: 6/10

Mechanics: I had some trouble with this particular bowl but normally this lights well and stays lit well. Cool, dry, creamy smoke.

Taste: Very earthy straight off of the first light. Smoky profile of the Kentucky leaf is up front. There is a bit of spice in the mouthfeel. I detect a dark floral note in the retrohale along with a touch of licorice. There is some noticeable sweetness that I want to contribute to the Virginias but could possibly belong to the topping. I have some trouble locating the burley in this blend, the not dark fired kind.

Thoughts: I honestly think that we give this blend to much credit, while at the same time not enough. We scare newcomers away from this blend because it'll knock you down. Then we fail to emphasize the good points this blend has to offer. It is dark, smoky, earthy and slightly sweet with a decent nicotine hit. It is an absolutely delicious tobacco that pairs perfectly with an ice cold glass of milk.

Overall: 10/10

Pipe Used: Various

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Deckard Cain (37)	2016-04-22		Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of my favorite tobaccos. The roof of my mouth thinks its sweet and mellow, but my throat says its good strong baccy. It reminds me of rice pudding, because it is so smooth and pleasant with a slight flavor of vanilla and licorice. This is also some of the nicest prepared tobacco ever put in a square can. Uniform chestnut brown slices, soft but never wet.

I think it must be flavored with tonquin, because it tastes similar to 1792. But less strong, and more refined. It has a bit of nic. But it should, because thats why we smoke tobacco.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: Old and new

Purchased From: Cigar lounge in State College PA

Similar Blends: Samuel gawith 1792 flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Earl Grey (34)	2016-01-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

When I opened the tin, it smelled mostly like an earthy, mild Kentucky. I did the fold and stuff and fired it up. I was pleased that I could taste Burley as well as the Kentucky. I really couldn't detect any Virginia in the smoke. I didn't get any tongue bite and a single flake burned for a while. Nice little vitamin N kick too. The tin was gone within a few days. It managed to muscle in on my daily rotation. The next time I'm feeding the TAD beast inside of me and go on a tin spree, I will be getting more of this.

Pipe Used: Danish Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh out of tin.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2015-12-18		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I'm not a fan of this one, period. Upon opening the tin , you get a strong scent of anise. Even after a few weeks in the tin, the scent is quite prevalent. Now, does that translate into the taste, not all that much, but slightly. Overall this is strong, but everyone knows that. My problem is that it's boring with a, monotone flavor. Also, if you're like my chemistry , this has that "Burley Bite", not as bad as some, but it's there. To me it's similar to MacB's Bold Kentucky or other Peterson " Burley Blasts" , they do put out some strong stuff but not real interesting!

Pipe Used: osark maple and MM cob

Age When Smoked: 3 weeks open

Similar Blends: MacB's Bold Kentucky, Petersons University flake with less topping.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	aadelma (67)	2015-10-25		Strong	Mild	Very Full	Strong

The quintissential Peterson blend; strong, flavorful, and biteless. Unlike some iconic tobaccos around nowadays, it is easy to obtain. I do not find the nicotine level overwhelming in a small bowl. It burns slow and cool, so even a small bowl puffed at a leisurely pace lasts a long time. It definitely becomes smoother, more elegant, and the plum topping less obtrussive with some age, so I recommend keeping a few tins in your cellar. Enjoy it after a meal of corned beef and cabbage in a Peterson system pipe, a Guinness, and watching "The Quiet Man" for the full Irish experience. You will be speaking with a brogue for hours afterwards.

Pipe Used: group 1 billiards and Peteron system

Age When Smoked: 1-2 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	r (34)	2015-10-16		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

"Patience is key" is what pipe smokers remind one another. And for me, it paid off.

It's been a long time since I smoked Irish Flake, and I decided to try it again. I only remembered it being strong and woody. Note the tin I have is wider than the one depicted, which could mean this is a newer tin. Picked it up and used it to break in a new pipe. Naturally, I decided not to judge the first few bowls, which were somewhat ashy and flat.

The pipe is sweet now (only took a dozen bowls), and the blend now showed its true flavors. Imagine the non-plum character of the first few puffs of University Flake as a constant note throughout the bowl, with occasional oak tones adorning a rather impressively-creamy smoke that leaves an aftertaste similar to toast bread. Occasionally, a subtle raisin-like aroma is released, which is a welcome surprise, making this a non-monotonic journey.

This tobacco burns really well and leaves behind a very fine white ash. I found it best to fold it and pack it loosely - rubbing it somehow makes keeping it lit a bit more challenging.

Heavy in nicotine content, but not quite a bomb. A great smoke for long, quiet nights. Do not smoke on an empty stomach.

Pipe Used: Peterson Irish Harp 408

Purchased From: Hemingway (Palo Alto, CA)

Similar Blends: Peterson - University Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AlexFullin (6)	2015-10-07		Strong	Medium to Strong	Extra Full	Very Pleasant

Wow, best tobacco I ever smoked... It was my first experience with flake tobacco as it is not common here at home, and now I'am afraid I will have to move to Ireland. The aroma is strong yet very pleasent, even my wife, that usually hates latakia ,loved this one. I dont know if this will help anyone but its great hangover morning smoke!

Pipe Used: Orlik ANTIQUE

Age When Smoked: from the tin

Purchased From: Lotar, Buenos Aires , Argentina

Similar Blends: Anything I ever smoked....

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gloucesterman (5)	2015-05-17		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I'm not one to agonize over what once was or how a blend does or doesn't measure up to its predecessors. For me it's a simple matter, does this tobacco please me or not. And Irish Flakes does just that. It pleases me. Peterson has hit a home run with this blend. If you like the pure taste of tobacco unencumbered but flavorings that is a wonderful example of a balanced blend of natural tobaccos that will delight the taste. It smokes smooth and bite free and provides a strong set of flavors that will please the smoker. I like dark fired Kentucky tobaccos and these are enhanced with Va. and burley in just the right proportions to produce a well balanced blend. What once was is gone. What is can be enjoyed. Try this blend if you like full flavors, You won't be disappointed. It's probably not an all day, every day smoke but it's a wonderful end to any day.

Pipe Used: GBD 9438

Age When Smoked: 3 mo.

Purchased From: Local B&M

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluesmoke (75)	2014-12-22		Overwhelming	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Peterson's Irish Flake is one strong baccy! They took some of the stronger tobaccos from University Flake, totally ruining UF btw. This is too strong for me. I experienced a burning in my throat and painful nausea. I tried though, three separate bowls...could not finish one of them. The flavor was a very earthy tobacco taste, one which I would have liked if this was not such a potent weed. A shame, for it dried easily, packed well, made smoke like a fog machine. If you can take the strength or flavoring, which made me wretch, then by all means try this. You have been warned. TYLJFYG

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (317)	2014-06-17		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

To me, this is a 'very full'-tasting tobacco on the scale used here. Yet the Kentucky is not overwhelming, it's just very well-supported by the other parts of the blend. While on the strong side, I didn't think the N quite hit the 'strong rating' (almost, but not quite) -- either I'm used to tobaccos of this strength or others are thinking the strong if neutral taste is part of the N. Right now, I am favoring strongish brown and dark blends without obvious toppings, and Irish Flake is a great example.

Pipe Used: briars, cobs, and meers

Age When Smoked: 14 months from purchase

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (216)	2014-05-06		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a great straight VA/Bur. No frills just good strong tobacco taste of stoved Burely and VA. The nic hit is not that great. I smoke it often in the early morning with just coffee before breakfast not problems at all. No bite either. It is full and yet slightly sweet. I think there is a very mild topping here but it is more felt than tasted (which is how I like toppings to be). This is not as some reviews have called it a scented flake, but there is that light top note. Will it ghost a pipe? Not the Meer. I used at all but the briar that I have smoked many bowls in did seem to pick up a note here or there for about 3 bowls. So no, what is there smokes out rather quickly. I think this one will age very well. I am going to pick up several tins and see how they do at 5 and 10 yrs.

Age When Smoked: 18 months

Purchased From: smokingpiipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	panduji68 (28)	2013-07-25		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

An extremely pleasant mellow smoke on the palate! There is definitely a very mild topping on this one that I can not quite put my finger upon, but whatever it might be, it compliments this tobacco wonderfully, and is very unabtrusive. Much like one of those 1950's style Summer dresses on a pretty girl at a picnic... Not revealing at all, subdued yet beautiful, and leaving you concentrating on her beauty rather than gawking at her figure as we men so often due. The focus is on the smoke as a whole, and how it all comes together rather than on it's particular beautiful nuances. Whatever this topping/flavoring I am detecting, It seems to back up the Virginia sweetness, and mellow out the Burley just perfectly.

Wow! I am smoking my second bowl of this offering as I write, and it is just fantastic... Rubbed out and left to dry for about 30 minutes in my air conditioned living room prior to packing the bowl, it is smoking extremely cool, no tongue bite at all, and is one mellow tasting tobacco. The nicotine level is oddly off par with what I am tasting in the smoke. This sedate pretty lady in the Summer dress packs a right hook like a pissed off boxer. I now find myself planted in my leather recliner with little will to get up, and even less will to stop smoking this amazing flake. The nicotine hit is powerful, yet easing... Much like watching a severe thunderstorm in the distance.

I am a huge fan of English Blends... Samuel Gawith's Squadron Leader and Dunhill's Nightcap being my favorite before bedtime smokes. I think the Irish have finally won the war, as this Irish Flake will replace the English Blends as my before bedtime smoke. Much more smooth, yet I wonder what a little bit of Latakia would do with this blend? Either ruin it outright or make it even more amazing. Perhaps I shall try mixing in a bit of Latakia and find out. The worst that will happen is that my beautiful wife will have to come out and pry me out of the recliner :-)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-12-01		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This is a great tobacco! It reminds me of the marvelous Lambert and Butler "Warlock Flake" of 40+ years ago - a taste I have not been able to find again since the regrettable demise of Warlock. I have smoked black Irish twist almost exclusively for decades - first as Gallaher's Irish roll, and then, when production of that tobacco ceased, I used to order thick black twist from England. Now, of course, it is possible to find both Samuel Gawith and Gawith Hoggarth twist in the U.S. For those who love the depth of full flavor released when smoking twist tobacco, "Irish Flake" will prove to be an enjoyable occasional alternative.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-08-24		Extremely Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Tolerable

There's something wrong when you've got to treat a pipe tobacco like booze. This one caused me to take a trip to the ER. Had a similar reaction to Peterson's University Flake (albeit without a visit to the ER). Don't know if it's attributable the slower burning qualities of flake tobacco or what, but what many of the other reviewers have said is true regarding the vitamin N in this blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phototone (9)	2011-05-02		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Popped open my first tin of this and was almost overwhelmed by the strong Anise aroma. (Licorice). Initial light gives a strong Anise taste over the tobacco flavors. Appears to be strong stuff, and I like strong stuff, but prefer natural tobacco flavors, rather than a topped blend.

I am still forming my opinion.

Update #1 Another day, another pipe, still the same. Strong Anise aroma from the tin, Anise coming thru in the smoking of this tobacco. I could really do without the Anise topping.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipesterJim (47)	2010-12-23		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

My feelings regarding this tobacco are almost identical to those of CaptainPete, whose review I would like to quote:

"When compared to such heavyweights as Gawith & Hogarth's Dark Flake or Consiston Plug, it may as well be corn flakes."

Spot on, Captain! And after reading so many other positive reviews I have to say that it really was more than a little disappointing to find myself in such agreement. I was hoping for a fruitier version of CCP, but this limp-wristed effort fell well short of its hype.

Tin aroma is almost negligible. Charring light yields a harsh, raw and rather unpleasant take on fire-cured tobacco, which quickly dissipates. For the majority of the bowl, the characteristics are akin to a very mild, slightly sweet cigarette. True, nicotine is adequate, but personally I want some flavour and mouth feel to go with it.

This tobacco has obviously earned itself a good number of devotees, and all power to them. Nevertheless for me, with Highland Sliced available at my local B&M and Dark Flake and Coniston Cut Plug only a mail order away, Irish Flake simply isn't worth smoking.

Given the fact that it is (in my opinion) inferior to all similar blends that I have smoked, I cannot with good conscience give Irish Flake a recommendation. I know I am the odd one out, but I give Irish Flake one star only - not recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (161)	2010-11-22		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable

Big flake flavor from a pretty small sized flake.. Peterson's irish flake is one you smoke when you want something substantial.. Somewhat hard to tame, it is well worth the effort of doing so... I find it to be similar to 1792 flake minus the tonquin.. which for me is perfect since I did not like that aspect of 1792. Once tamed it can become strangely mellow, with barbs around the edges.. midbowl it can become very subtle with traces of sweetness.. I like it. an espresso among flakes.

edit: I just want to say that with care and attention and maybe some drying time- this flake is very much capable of delivering a 4 star smoke! don't be frightened but give it some time for sure! maybe a little aging would help.

2018.. trying this again.. not nearly as strong as I remember it.. not sure if I changed or the flake changed.. still a great burly forward smoke with some kind of topping and a nice subtle virginia background.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2010-06-20		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Strong, slow burning, cool and full of its own distinctive flavour. An excellent, well-presented flake – a bit too strong to smoke all day, I think (too strong for me, anyway), and the room note doesn't please SWMBO; but a good, solid, consistent smoke with no fancy stuff. I've never found it unduly moist in the tin; it can be smoked straight away without drying. Fine ash; no dottle to speak of; no goo.I find, however, that opening the tin and leaving it for a few days before smoking does bring out the flavour more.

Not for the beginner, though, and try it in a small bowl. You need to smoke it very slowly; otherwise there's a harshness to it that rather spoils the party. I recommend rubbing it out rather than folding and stuffing, too.

I wouldn't call Irish Flake a personal favourite (too much of a nicotine wallop for me, and a little bit one-dimensional in terms of flavour), but I can see the virtues of this very masculine, uncompromising baccy. Recommended to those who like a fight. To my (not very subtle) palate, it's very like Sinclair's Highland Sliced. I'm thinking that if you like the one, you'll like the other.

Pipe Used: Peterson Billiard

Similar Blends: Sinclair's Highland Sliced.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2009-07-17		Overwhelming	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Top grade tobaccos are used in this mixture of Kentucky, Burley and Virginias.

First half of the bowl is dominated by Kentucky, tasting like toned down Kendal Kentucky. Then the very matured Virginias start to shine, switching to a sweet version of Dark Plug. Very tasty.

I'm taking from it a probably deserved fourth star because I find the nicotine load over-the-top. I'm a regular smoker of plugs, ropes, and similar strong tobaccos, yet I find myself putting down my pipe with Irish Flake often to recover from the nicotine hit. Not a big issue, being a good candidate for DGT.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-05-27		Strong	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

This is my first review, so I decided to go with Irish Flake. I've been smoking pipes for 35 years and I've tried every type of tobacco you can pack in a pipe. Like most of you, I started out with the "Drug Store" offerings, moved to the Latakia blends, and finally found what I really Liked best in good virginia Flakes. That said, I will tell you that if your new to smoking pipes, be careful, be very careful with this tobacco.

I detect no added flavor here, only good quality tobacco with a mans load of nicotine. I smoke it in a large Peterson St. Patrick's Day that I reserve just for Irish Flake. I have found that it works best for me in a large bowl, pulled apart in small sticks and gravity fed, with a light tamp at the top of the bowl.

I don't smoke it every day, usually on saturday nights after a good meal. Smoke it on an empty stomach and it'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget! Smoke this stuff when you want a nicotine fix.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2009-04-09		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I had my first experience with Irish Flake by Peterson this morning and I have to say I really like this stuff. I laid out a couple of flakes before bed last night and packed it after rubbing out into a favorite pipe this morning and my taste buds came alive! It is full of flavor from the get go, a very sweet natural smoke with a great aftertaste and room note. I smoked it with a zeal that I have not had in awhile and upon finishing the first bowl, I had enough left for 3/4 of another bowl and went right back into the tobacco heavens. I will for sure add this to my tobacco rotation! I'm normally a burley man but this stuff is good. __________________

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2008-11-24		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

I've long been a fan of Peterson's other flake, the oddly controversial (at least on this board) University Flake. It's my Chicken Soup tobacco--the most comforting baccy I've found so far. Irish Flake is at least as good as UF, but it's not exactly comforting like granny's chicken soup. It's more of a bear hug. And that feels good, too.

It is one of the prettier flakes out there with a sexy, leathery, sweaty bottom tin aroma. It smells vaguely like your leather-clad dominatrix after she's just given you a serious whuppin'. Sweat, girlbum and the many who came before you. You know what I mean.

Behind all that, and especially once it's burning in the pipe, the essential qualities of mature Virginia come rushing out, turning all that leather to caramel sweetness. Irish Flake is amazingly smokey and cool in the pipe. It really is a sublime smoke with extraordinary purity.

I don't like it better than UF, but I like it just as much and in a different way.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-09-13		Extremely Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

This tobacco is surely one for the afternoon, I smoked half a bowl in early day and dreamt about my bed immediatly! I loved it. I can not wait for the evening to come. All I have to say is that this tobacco is great.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-05-04		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

This tobacco has absolutely wonderful taste. It is slightly sweet and zesty. There are a fair bit of earthy notes that balance everything together very well. The tobacco burns very cool and leaves absolutely no residue in the pipe when finished. The tobacco has a odd room note. Overall this is a fine blend.

The tobacco has one drawback, the nicotine content is very strong. I ate a fairly large meal each time before i smoked this blend, and I still felt like I smoked a Fuentes Opus X on an empty stomach. Wow

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-03-18		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

Even for an old salty dog like myself, this leaf was definitively overwhelming in taste in strenght.

I salute the impeccability and quality of the flake, the subtle sweetness in the tin aroma, but lighting up was a bit too much for me. Before 1/2 of the bowl, I almost had the hiccups!

I will revisit when my tastebuds are less prominent thant at the present time.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-02-21		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is grown mans tobacco without the Bull$#!+. It's quite an unusual smoke. It's sweet, woody-smokey, with a slight cigar note that peeks through on occasion. I popped out my Dr. Grabow Omega, took out a slice, rubbed it out, and filled the pipe. One slice filled the Omega perfect! It burns slow and very cool, with no bite whatsoever. This is a savory tobacco thats good in the morning with a nice cup of coffee, or a good after dinner smoke. It is very rich and I wouldn't suggest it to aromatic smokers as a first time VA or english. It has a laxative effect on you if you have not smoked a tobacco this strong in a while so don't make no travel plans if you're trying this for the first time. An awesome tobacco, very high quality, awesome natural flavor. Im in love! Im throwing away all my aromatics and OTC weeds, except for my Half & Half. Warning! Go easy with this if you are not used to very strong tobacco! This will knock you down and send you spinning! Draw slowly about every five seconds and you'll be okay. This is a tobacco that demands respect!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipePaladin (78)	2008-02-09		Very Strong	Medium	Full	Strong

I love Kentucky for it grants character and a good nicotine kick but this is one is gonna kick your butt!!! If you are a guy that smokes warriorplug or 1792 you will stay on your feet for rounds. But if you are into mild strength aromatics prepare for a knock out in the first round!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-10-26		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the first tobacco with the so call ¨Lakeland Scent¨ that I found enjoyable. See my Condor review. The difference here is that the ¨scent¨ appears naturally derived, as opposed to industriochemically produced. With IF it compliments the tobacco rather than just being sloshed onto it like cheap aftershave ala Condor. IF works for me only in a small pipe, sipped slowly and with its slow burn it lasts a long time. It is only an occaisional smoke for me, but it fills a nitch when I am in the mood.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-09-07		Very Strong	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Being a newbie to pipe smoking, only three weeks, I must say that this is the first tobacco that I ve tried that I truly love. I started with mild blends from my tobacconist and will never turn back. It rubs easily, just be sure to let it sit out for a half hour or so. Packing is breeze too. I ve found that if you do not pack it too tight it s the best thing. Lighting is not a problem, and it stays lit throughout the bowl. During the first third of the bowl, the flavor is smooth with a hint of Irish wiskey. About mid way, the intense tobbaco flavors come through with a mild peppery taste. About this time, the nicotine punch kicks in. And what a kick it has. For me, it s very strong but not overpowering, since that s one of my favorite parts of the smoke. On the final third of the bowl, the peppery taste increases and so does the pleasure. The nicotine kick stays with you to the end, and even for over an hour after I ve finished. To sum it up, the taste is great, the room note is not overwhelming, the nicotine level is perfect. I also can produce billowy clouds of white smoke without drawing too deep. If I draw in very deeply, It s as if I am in a foggy wonderland. smoke. This tobacco gives me a I give this tobacco 5 stars. A WINNER.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-07-08		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

I know that many reviewers who have tried this blend do not like it. But, regardless of how many unfavorable reviews I read, this is absolutely the best pipe tobacco I have EVER had.

I have been smoking pipes and cigars for 20 years. However, I just tried Peterson's Irish Flake for the first time yesterday. I am enthralled and remorseful at the same time. How did I make it 20 years before I tried this stuff!?!?!

I started out smoking a pipe 20 years ago with a readily available bulk tobacco blended by my local tobacconist. It was fine and interesting enough to keep my interest. However, during that year I found myself smoking so 'intensely' that I often produced so much smoke that even other smokers were concerned. Furthermore, my pipe would get so hot that it could burn you if you touched it in the wrong spot. Naturally, everyone told me that I was simply smoking too quickly. OK. I slowed it down. But, the experience always left me "wanting more". I tried every blend I could get my hands on that didn't smell like candy which only counted for about 15% of the average offerings. (I actually LIKE the taste and smell of pure tobacco.) After stopping and starting pipe smoking a number of times over the next few years, I finally switched to cigars. This was a wonderful revelation for me. FINALLY, I could get a full mouth of "tobacco flavored" smoke. I was absolutely hooked! Now I have full flavor and some variety without any "artificial flavorings". BUT, here was the big hitch. Naturally, I knew that cigars were expensive. But, WOW, they were really expensive! In one year, I realized that I spent about $4500 to $5500 on cigars! For most tobacco enthusiasts, this is just plain too much. Even if I had oodles of money, I just can't justify spending that amount of money on tobacco. And, I was not buying ultra premium cigars for everyday consumption. I made EVERY effort I could to reduce my costs. I tried tons of different sticks looking for the cheapest cigar that I could still "enjoy". Even after completing my search, I realized that it was just too much. Quite frankly, I was kind of depressed about this situation. Then, it hit me. Why don't I go back to smoking a pipe? After all, I still had all my pipes and every serious smoker knows that pipe tobacco is infinitely cheaper than cigars. (Plus, you can smoke a pipe for three minutes, put it down, and come back hours later with little or no loss of character or flavor. Try that with a cigar!)

But, this was easier said than done. After all those full, pure, tobacco flavored cigars, it was just plain disappointing to smoke pipe tobacco. My first thought was, ?Am I smoking tobacco or potpourri?? I started at my local tobacconist, no luck. I worked with a real pro. I kept trying to tell him that I wanted "more". I really wanted the full pure flavor that I could regularly expect from premium cigars. After trying virtually everything he had, he basically told me that what I was looking for didn't exist! But, I just kept pushing. At that time I also started reading reviews on the internet. Along with that resource and my tobacconist, I decided to try "tinned" pipe tobacco. They promised to be 'different'. And, they were. Unfortunately, most were "worse" than the custom blended local blends. (It would, however, be fair to say that the quality of the tobacco itself was superior to the bulk. It burned smoother, with less bite, but the "flavors" just made me gag. I wanted tobacco flavored tobacco.) Then, just when my tobacconist was ready to throw in the towel with me, he offered to let me try a bowl from his old stash of Samuel Gawith 1792 Dark Kendal Flake. Thank goodness! It was heaven sent! About 95% of what I was looking for. (As a matter of fact, SG 1792 Dark Kendal Flake and Peterson?s Irish Flake are very similar.) However, it had just a bit too much anise flavor for me. So, I went back to the web and started reading everything I could on tinned pipe tobacco. On a hunch, I decided to order a tin of IRISH FLAKE to try. PERFECTION!!! I literally cannot think of any way to improve upon this outstanding blend.

Flake tobacco is simply the best way to go. First, it is infinitely easier to pack correctly. With regular shredded tobacco, one can easily pack it too firm making it impossible to draw or too loose requiring constant tamping and relighting. With this perfect flake, I just cut the tender strips into 1/2 to 3/4 inch (rough) squares and pack them into the bowl any old way. Maybe I have just gotten lucky so far, but I am yet to pack the bowl too loose or too tight. I should note that virtually all tinned flake pipe tobacco (at least the ones I have tried) come in a bit too damp to smoke right away. I'm sure this is necessary to ensure its freshness even if it is months before it is opened or to keep it fresh for a long time after it is opened. As a result, I simply let about two bowls worth of the "squares" dry out for four (4) minutes on a paper towel in the hot sun. Alternately, it takes about 30 to 50 minutes indoors to dry it sufficiently. Then I'm ready to pack and smoke.

This flake lights up very easily and it actually stays lit! (Constant relighting is a pet peeve of mine.) But, one of the best things about this tobacco is that you do not have to puff hard at all to get the wonderful full flavor of this stuff on the palette. What all this means to me is that I don't have to 'work' at smoking my pipe and I need only produce about 25% as much smoke as I would with another tobacco for the same amount of flavor. Naturally, the nicotine in this flake it very high. But, since I smoke a lot 'easier', I don't find that it is overpowering. (I doubt too many pipe smokers could manage to smoke enough of this potent blend fast enough to get a problematic buzz from the nicotine.) All this, and it still doesn't go out every few minutes! Who could ask for anything more?

As far as I'm concerned, this is it. My search is over. This is what I have been looking for. Oh, and as far as cost is concerned, it is somewhat expensive as far as tinned tobaccos go. BUT, it doesn't even begin to approach the extraordinary cost of smoking cigars. So, now I get all the flavor and ease of world class cigars without the outrageous cost or excess smoke.

I have never taken the time to write a tobacco review online, but now I feel that it is appropriate. I just can't recommend this tobacco highly enough. Peterson?s Irish Flake has pure tobacco flavor, nothing else.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-05-24		Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

At my current age of 57, I find that this superb tobacco is perhaps best judged not by today's standards, but from a time when tobacco tasted like tobacco and the enjoyment of a bowl was not an art form or matter of complexity but the province of the common man. This is truly the stuff of a fine Irish pub with friends and community, a smokey fire, and a wee bit of Guinness or some fine Irish whisky. Not the basis for waxing poetic, but rather, LIVING! Like a great Scotch this is something to be smoked very slowly and savored through the occasional light sip. NOT for the faint of heart.

This is the genuine article, real tobacco the way natural pressed, twisted or rope tobaccos used to be. To compare this to today's tobaccos is tantamount to comparing dry twist to Red Man, a Vantage cigarette to a fine, full bodied English Blend or a Chesterfield of bygone years, a swisher sweet to a full bodied Maduro cigar. This is from an era when folks twisted a bit from a rope of tobacco and enjoyed it for what it was..a smoke. BUT, don't be fooled, in this there is true tobacco flavor, full, rich, strong, and VERY intense NATURAL flavor with perhaps a touch of an older method of casing such as a touch of licorice or molasses, but some very good true tobacco flavor. Maybe not today's blend...but NOT the sicky sweet Vanillas or other flavors that mask many of today's lesser leaf.

THIS is tobacco the way it once was. Some will hate it and some will love it. It is not for everyone. I found that if you can get past the wallop in the beginning, that this is easy burning and mellow throughout the middle when NOT packed tightly, but with a light touch after the initial charring. Do rub well between the palms and allow to dry a bit. It is at the end that the nicotine and concentrated flavors can bite back. Excellent for what it is as a representative of a totally different and older style.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-04-17		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Strong

Well I bought this stuff not knowing the first thing about it because I left home without my tobacco and had never smoked a Peterson tobacco before. I opened it and was greated by a nice dark color flake that was easy to rubb out. I too thought the flavor was like that of Erinmore which gave me hesitation because I am really not a fan of that tobacco. In any case, I noticed right away upon lighting up that this was a potent weed. Not something to be smoked with any great haste but to be sipped like one would a strong Whiskey. I spent most of the afternoon trying to make it through a bowl of this stuff and it put my flat on my ass. Seriously, I had to lay down because the nicotene simply got the best of me. Still, I will recommend it because it has a unique taste that I would choose to go back to on occasions especially in the evening time. I certainly wouldn't subject myself to this stuff on a daily basis however. An occasional diversion for me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-03-21		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

tin aroma: beautiful. figs, a little smokiness from the dark fired, plain and simple tobacco.

visual impression: very pretty, dark flakes.

packing & lighting: a little difficult, as the flakes are rather unflexible.

first taste: hey, that was a surprise! it's a lot less sweet than expected, actually a good deal too dry tasting for me. but it burns well, and has a nice strength for an after dinner smoke. quite consistent from start to end. i wish they had made it with a little more sweet virginias to counter-balance the dark fired.

conclusion: nice quality tobacco, but certainly not my immediate choice.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Satc001 (67)	2006-12-30		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Overwhelming

I don't really know what to say about this tobacco. It does have a nice flavor of darker virginias with a nice sweet overtone to it. However, this tobacco is simply very strong with a foul odor to me. I find that the smoke makes me sick when I smell it and the tobacco is very bitey on my palate. On one hand, there are probably some guys that will enjoy this, but on the other I know that the typical pipe smoker just isn't going to like this. Try Gawith and Hoggart's Dark Flake for something comparable. I actually preferred that blend though.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2006-12-10		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This stuff is a bit mulish for me. Lovely flake, and the tin odor lets you know that this is going to be potent. The smoke is full and rich to the point of being almost like a hot mustard in the way it infuses your whole head immediately. Makes you cough if you aren't careful.

Flavor wise, this flake reminds me a bit of Amphora Full Aroma (in the red pouch), but kicked up a notch. Aroma is completely natural - not offensive, but compared to the Amphora Red, which is very rich and chocolatey in smell, this is NOT at all an aromatic tobacco, which should surprise no one.

This is maybe to say that this tobacco could use a bit more flavor given how strong and potent it is. Amphora Red is not a favorite of mine, because I find it monochromatic and boring. Same can't quite be said of Irish Flake, but I would suggest that Irish flake drifts away from rich and into harsh if you aren't careful. A bit cigarette or cigarish, actually.

It didn't floor me with nicotine, but it is fairly strong, and not to be recommended for a newer piper at all. If you switch from Captain Black to this weed, you're in trouble.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (178)	2006-08-25		Very Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's a bird, a plane, no it's superflake.

Stan to the rescue, but this is potent stuff all right. Lee from Peterson at RTDA told me this was stronger than University Flake due to the abundance of flue cured leaf. Whatever, this is pretty strong stuff. It is University Flake on steriods.

Looks like University Flake in the tin but I detected no flavoring whatsoever. About 18 small flakes filling the tin. Tasted like strong, straight tabak to me.

Best to rub out fully and puff in a small pipe. Not necessarily an everyday or all day smoke, but unique for its stoutness. Not harsh or hot, just very full. Not as strong or dark as 1792. Stronger than Silver Flake (my favorite). Reminds me of the fuller brown/dark flakes (like Walnut Flake), but richer.

Rich, rich, rich and best on full stomach. I taste the virginia and fired cured.

I haven't given up on her. I have smoked about a half dozen or more bowls in an older, # 3 Dunhill and will finish the tin. Good for those moments in your own fortress of solitude. This is real tabak. I recommend this due to many of you like something rich and full (like beyond Tilbury or Cumberland). This is it, but not for all. If you like a mild virginia, like say Montgomery, Stratford, or F&T's Cut Virginia Plug, it may be too much.

UPDATE 8/25/06

I have finished my tin in my old Dunhill root. Smoking a bowl every day or two or so. Other than I smell in the tin as others have a scent -- my wife calls is herbal garden-like -- I still feel this is a natural tasting and strong tobacco. I don't think I taste anything other than tobacco. It has a slighty minty taste every now and then, but I attributed that to the fired cured tobacco in it rather than any lakeland flavor, but it may have some of both. This may be similar to Murray's Irish Slices or Sinclair's Scottish Flake I have read about. Just similar strong toaccos. I'm told it smells good. Not bad at all, but for the strong at heart. Most similar to me to G&H Brown Flake (unscented) or Walnut Flake as I and others have noted, but a tad stronger. It does have a nicotine hit. The flavor is earthy and to that extent similar to University Flake, but more complex, at times spicy, and stronger tasting. A good, full smoke but I'll keep it at three stars as maybe a bit too much or too unusual for all Virginia smokers. But it is quality stuff for the bigger hitters.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2021-03-05		Strong	Mild	Very Full	Very Strong

I first tried a sample of this in 2018 when I started smoking my pipe again. At the time, it was very overpowering. I jarred up the rest and forgot about it.

Now in 2021, I've developed more appreciation for stronger tobaccos so I pulled the jar out of the cellar to give it another try.

It still requires some effort to get burning. The flavor is led by the Dark Kentucky.. I get a dark earthy flavor which is the main taste. There is more sweetness on the top which I don't remember from 2018.

It's a smoke for me at least when I've had a good meal first due to the strong nicotine content.

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Smitty's Cigar

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Premo (7)	2020-09-03		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Extra Strong

If you're looking to discover what Flake tobaccos are all about I'd have to say the Irish Flake is a great start. The tin is rustic but the packaging inside with gold wrap looks fantastic and really serves to set the stage for what you're about to enjoy. Upon opening the tin the scent is POWERFUL, I'm reminded of a very well spiced hickory jerky, both in smell and appearance!

It doesn't take much to dry it out, maybe 30min-1hr or to your preference, and if you fold and stuff it smokes like a dream hardly ever needing a relight. Not to mention the strength of the nicotine in each flake is enough to make you want to take a break halfway through. I was pleasantly surprised by the smoothness of this flake, even with its considerable strength, and tongue bite is a non issue. She burns to a fine ash if you smoke it slow and I couldn't be happier with this as my first flake tobacco. It's a solid tin that's worth stocking up on!

Pipe Used: Corncob + Multiple Briars

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smh hosseini (1)	2019-12-05		Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Some time when i smoke Irish flake I'm feeling smoke pepper & my throat burns & I'm thirsty but usually it has nice taste & it's not bad to daily smoking .

Pipe Used: 1yare

Age When Smoked: 23

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cap'n Lev (19)	2019-08-08		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Peterson blends are something that I enjoy to try, and the Irish Flake is probably my favorite Peterson so far. The tin opening aroma was earthy with a hint of ketchup, much promising and upon lighting produced indeed a tasty mouthful smoke. A fine ,strong and nutty flavor that satisfies the smoking experience in total. Keeps its moisture the whole time so needs some relights. I give this 3,9/4 stars.

Pipe Used: Briar, calabash, corn cob.

Age When Smoked: new

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (150)	2019-04-04		Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a pleasant dark flake, seeming to sit between the more heavily scented dak flakes such as St Bruno and it's ilk, and the more lightly flavoured, burley heavy plugs in the Irish tradition. It's on the stronger side, but I don't find it overwhelming - it satisfies.

On opening the tin you find some very neatly cut and stacked dark brown slices, exactly on the EU regulation 1.5mm thickness, so completely uniform that you could use them as a set square! The aroma in the tin is of rich nutty tobaccos, with raisin and date, a hint of liquorice and just a drop of some liquor, Irish Whiskey? There's only a hint of fired leaf in the aroma. Certainly bodes well.

It's quite moist, rubs out fairly well, but can easily be packed too tightly. It benefits from some drying time after rubbing, but take care: it doesn't take long to dry to a crisp. Even when it does it smokes OK, so don't worry too much.

It takes two matches to light when moist, one can suffice if you've dried it well and put some crumbs of "kindling" on top. It will need a few relights regardless. The flavour is nutty and hearty, with only a hint of sweetness. It's not complex, I don't detect many subtleties, but it's full and satisfacory. There isn't much flavour development through the bowl, this isn't a tobacco to pay close attention to in this regard. As such it's quite nice to get on the go when working on something, except that the need for relights can be a nuisance. It can give just a hint of tongue bite, something that surprises me in a stronger tobacco. The aftertaste is nutty, slightly ashy.

All in all, a nice enough dark flake with satisfactory strength. I expected to like it more, as I'm a fan of this style, but it's burning characteristics detract somewhat from what could be a pleasant "background" smoke. Personally I wonder what it would be like in "plug" format, as it could be shaved much thinner and might stay lit better, I do enjoy the Irish plugs.

Pipe Used: Falcons for the most part...

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Miss Moran's tobbaco shop, Belfast.

Similar Blends: The Irish plugs - Warrior in particular. Walnut Flake (aka "Original Flake" these days). St Bruno. Coniston Cut Plug unscented..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JackalMike (7)	2016-08-07		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Disclaimer: This review comes after only 2 tries at smoking this tobacco.

A few weeks back I started researching and looking for pipe tobacco with a little more 'oomph' in the nicotine department. Peterson IF was mentioned in more than one internet forum. So, I knew I had to try it, and immediately ordered a tin.

When my order arrived I opened the tin and gave it a sniff test. My nose immediately informed me that there was a strong, rich, tobacco inside. But underneath there was also the smell of teriyaki-flavored beef jerky... which I am fond of. Spicy and smoky, but with notes of sweetness and saltiness.

My first attempt at enjoying this tobacco was an abyssmal failure. But it was my own fault. I had come in from a long drive and desperately wanted a bowl of tobacco. So I grabbed a flake, gave it a quick Z fold, crammed it in one of my briars and applied a match.

Big mistake. My haste and poor method made for a less-than-appreciable result. It was harsh, raspy, and hard to keep lit. I only made it halfway through the bowl before giving up and dumping it.

My 2nd attempt was much more satisfying. I removed a flake from the tin and broke it into small pieces. Then I took 2 or 3 of the broken pieces at a time and vigorously rubbed them in my hands until they broke into appropriately sized pieces of ribbon. I left them to dry while I went and did other things for an hour or so.

Upon my return I loaded my briar and applied a match. I was disappointed at first. It was still harsh and raspy. And the overpowering taste of tobacco dominated. But I stuck with it. It soon mellowed a bit and the Virginias began to peek through. What was first disappointment, blossomed into a wonderful smoke.

As I closed in on the bottom of the bowl I wondered where the claims of nicotine surge came from. I had yet to experience anything close to a nic hit... and then it flooded me. As a former cigarette smoker it didn't overwhelm me. But it was definitely noticable when it happened.

I don't know if I will go out of my way to purchase this again in the future. But now that I have worked through the intricacies of rubbing, drying, and smoking it. I will surely enjoy the rest of this tin. And I would recommend it to someone who might be looking for more strength when they enjoy a pipe.

As my experience progresses with this tobacco, my impressions may change. So stay tuned for possible updates.

Happy puffing,

Mike

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: Unknown. 50g tin

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gestalt (20)	2016-07-20		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

I first smoked this blend as a neophyte pipe smoker. I ignored the warnings about it's strength and my first bowl set my head spinning so fast I was forced to stagger to bed in the early afternoon to sleep it off. I persevered with the tin but just found it a bit too much for me at that time and not particularity enjoyable.

Five years on and I have just finished a tin with the same amount of years on it and I have really enjoyed it. Ropes have bolstered my Nicotine tolerance and much more experience with other blends has really helped me appreciate this for what it is: strong, full-bodied no nonsense tobacco that's a bit more refined and forgiving than a brown rope. If you have the tolerance for this you might be rewarded with a great flavored and very satisfying smoke. If you don't... sweet dreams.

Pipe Used: Briar and meer

Age When Smoked: Fresh and five years +

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Little Steven (76)	2016-06-19		Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

Update 15th March 2018. I bought a tin of this for nostalgia. Nostalgia's rubbish. And so is Irish Flake.

_________________________

There's a lot of raves about this one, but I can't get my head around it. Occasionally it's amongst the best smokes in the world but, more often than not, it's as if my pipe is filled with twigs and brambles. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But why can't I get the consinstency that is raved about? Maybe it's my hormones or my pheromones. I rate Peter Stokkebyes Irish Slices much more than this. But, disasterously, that's gone out of productuon. Does anyone know where I can get some?

Pipe Used: Stanwell billard.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the shop.

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop (nice chaps).

Similar Blends: Any old Eurotobak..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wallenberg (11)	2016-04-09		Very Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Tolerable

First of all, this is my first written review on this site and I'm no veteran pipe smoker, so feel free to deduct these shortcomings from my credibility.

After going through a few rotations of different Virginia and Virginia/Perique flakes plus some Kentucky/Burley-added blends, this was love at first sight, hence my eagerness to add my review.

The tin note is very strong. I keep reading of raisin and fig notes in various reviews, but this is the first time I can agree on that. Plus, this tobacco reeks - in the most positive way - of fermentation. A quality akin to the scent of a mountain road in a forest, before the rain, when the pores of all plants open and their smell is mixed with that of the earth.

I folded and packed the flake quite tightly, after letting it dry for a bit. Always expecting trouble, I used a pinch of some neutral dry tobacco (Landtabak Spezial), just enough to cover the flake in the bowl. This does wonders for the start and does not spoil the taste at all. Throughout the smoke, relighting was necessary a few times, but not too often.

On to the really good part! This 'baccy is a singularity standing out way beyond all other blends available in felicitious old Austria. Of all three ways to cure the ingredients of this mighty fine blend, none seemed to spoil the fun. There is the spiciness of the Burley, the roast-beef quality of Kentucky and so finely in tune with both is the Virginia sweetness. Smoking this tobacco for the first time immediately let me pick up lecture of John Barth's "The Sot-Weed Factor" while listening to "American Harpsichord Music in the XVIII Century" and other Colonial America music. The clay pipe added to the illusion of resting on a bench in front of a Mansion amidst ripe tobacco plantations in the middle of Virginia. I fail to stick to objectivity with this blend. Quite surely will I find myself smoking Irish Flake for many more times. Well done, Peterson.

As for tongue bite - I am a very hot-puffing smoker, owing to my cigarette addiction - I can say that there is none to little. None for the more patient smokers, I suspect.

Many a non-aromatic leaves quite a pleasant room note; I can't speak for other people and I love even the smell left by Latakia blends. But the room note of this fine tobacco is joined by some slightly sulfuric agitator who may leave you in - as my good fellow Skoma suggested - or lead you into social isolation, for it is a very "rural" note. This is a reason Irish Flake could fail its fourth star for me, but I couldn't care less.

A word of warning, at last: This may not be the strongest, but the sorts blended in this tobacco proudly show their kinship with the family of Solanaceae. If you're not used to it, lay the pipe away and continue your smoke later. This surely is a smoke for the latter part of the day.

Pipe Used: medium length clay pipe (3/4' or 25cm)

Age When Smoked: Fresh out of the tin, dried for an hour

Purchased From: that lovely Lady tobacconist just two doors from Ostermann Pipes in Vienna

Similar Blends: Very hard to describe; there is something of a mix between Kentucky Club Mild (white Burley) and an aged tin of Hal O'The Wynd, but this fails to describe the richness in taste of Irish Flake..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lyle (32)	2016-01-23		Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is definitely an added flavoring/aroma topping on this flake, but it's by no means overwhelming. In fact, I don't much notice it while smoking, but in the tin it's obviously there. That said, I'm not sure what it is! It's a "manly" smell... like something you might smell in a barber shop or maybe in a tin of chewing tobacco. In fact, my only direct association with this smell is my grandfather, who was not a pipe smoker but was a tobacco dipper--maybe slightly medicinal, herbal, or even floral. For me, half the fun of smoking this tobacco was smelling the tin aroma each time and trying to figure out what that top note is!

The flakes are no trouble to prepare for smoking. I usually tear mine up or rub them out, and this way Irish Flake smokes without fuss. Smoked slowly, the Virginias and burleys come through in a delicious, straightforward way. I didn't notice a lot of flavor development or change through the bowl, and I attribute this to the high burley content and the fact that I smoked in small bowls to keep the nicotine at bay.

One thing I noticed on multiple occasions was that I got really nice aromas from the bowl while tamping the ash. I don't know if I should call this a room note, side stream smoke, or "tamp note", but for some reason I really looked forward to tamping and smelling the bowl.

As I'm sure others have noted, that this is a stout tobacco. Plan accordingly.

Pipe Used: Small briars dedicated to VA/Bur/KY

Age When Smoked: 2.5 years old

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2016-01-02		Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Adding this review so I can remember for future purchases...

The Mac Baren IF is goood! It delivers in the nicotine department without becoming unsmokable. Easy to prepare, not as wet as it was way back when, and it smokes cool and easy. Whatever the topping is, I find it slightly fruity, it's just enough to keep the taste "fresh".

This is the good stuff...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jolo Josh (6)	2015-12-30		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

From the way this tobacco is prepared, it is meant for the patrons would enjoy their tobacco strong and true to the earth. But, I would advise beginners to stray far away from this tobacco because the first whiff of this tobacco is a trip on it's on. Perhaps, I would rewrite my review once I can handle this tobacco.

Pipe Used: Chacom Standard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Malaysia

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J.R. Patton (106)	2015-12-29		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

I will shy away from the typical cliché tin/taste descriptors of burley and burley based blends here, and instead focus upon smoking characteristics and general personal impressions. This is my favorite Peterson offering, thus far. These are quality burley tobaccos with an abundance of flavor when smoked correctly. Furthermore, much to my suprise, IF is wife-approved on indoor room note! Always a plus, though many of my blends I enjoy outdoors just as happily. Tobacco flavor is mostly pure without noticeable topping, at least to my senses. I liken it to GL Pease Jackknife with extra burley oomph. Flakes will burn directly from the tin, but I am most successful in drying a flake for 20-30 minutes, cutting into 1 inch squares, and rubbing out to a rough ribbon cut. A light pack, gentle tamp, fill to the brim again and let the show begin. Very pleasant, slow and cool burn with no tongue bite at all. No harshness to the sinuses when snorked either. Taking my time to savor the wallop of flavor, one flake typically lasts nearly an hour. I said I will shy from taste descriptors, but I must make mention of the extraordinary dark tea note I find here. It is delicious and something uniquely found in this flake, a flavor nuance I actually crave quite often. The tobacco burns evenly to soft white and gray ash with no problems staying lit. I do not have a high tolerance to nicotine, but I do not find IF as frighteningly strong as many other reviewers have claimed. In fact, I believe the manufactures assertion "for the experienced smoker" is less cautionary of strength, and more suggestive that experience aids in comprehension of the wealth of flavors present. Smoked in the wrong pipe, with poor preparation or smoking method may entirely mask flavors and seem dull and monochromatic. Give it your full attention and you may well be astounded.

EDIT 6/1/16 I'm still increasingly impressed with this excellent flake. The battle for the title of "desert island blend" is currently down to IF and Mac Barens Bold Kentucky. No such thing as too much Kentucky in my diet.

Pipe Used: Sasieni 4 dot walnut, various MM cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh to 6 months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PhillyB (70)	2015-12-10		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was apprehensive about trying this blend. I had heard that it was high in the vitamin-N department, something I do not particularly enjoy. Having received some as a gift for Christmas in 2015 meant I was able to finally try it without worrying about having wasted my money.

In retrospect, I should have tried this earlier. Compared to C&D Burley Flake #3 this blend is a lightweight. That being said, anything more than the smallest of bowls of the aforementioned C&D blend will put me to sleep.

I smoked half a flake in my cob, and was surprised to find just how little it affected me. I could feel something, but nowhere near my cut off point. I get the feeling however that if I had tried a whole flake on an empty stomach it would be a different story.

But what does it actually taste like? Toasted grain, nuts, and anise. I found myself really enjoying the flavors, but was surprised by their subtlety in comparison to the tin note. Tasty stuff!

I would recommend letting it dry a little more than I did. Just cracking the tin open and having a smoke isn't an issue, but it only gets better if you let it dry for a few minutes beforehand.

Overall a solid blend I wish I had tried earlier.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Legend

Age When Smoked: fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SamH (31)	2015-10-29		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I liked this. Might get some more for a change. It is well worth a try. Nicely packaged, Nicely made, yes it's strong but not in a nasty way. It won't blow your head off treat it well and it's really rather rewarding.

Pipe Used: Peterson oddly, others also.

Age When Smoked: Couple of Months from purchase.

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop.

Similar Blends: Not much, which surprised me!.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nathan (15)	2015-07-24		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Tin note is reminiscent to Copenhagen snuff. Taste is of deep tobacco, slight spice, and a subtle sweetness similar to a very dark chocolate. This is a FULL bodied smoke with an abundance of nicotine. I enjoy this on cool days and cold nights mostly. I seem to smoke this mostly in the Fall. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Various Briars

Age When Smoked: 5 months

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Flatticus (24)	2015-04-25		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Needs a bit of drying time, and I preferred to smoke it rubbed out. Brilliant unadulterated tobacco taste and smell, lovely high nicotine content. Strong taste but flavorful and never unpleasant. This blend is made for those with a real tolerance to nicotine, and would probably be unpleasant for the new smoker, or it'd be highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Briar, cob, meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.