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The tobacco is pressed into blocks and stored for minimum 30 days before they are cut into flakes. Finally the flakes are hand packed to protect the tobacco from breaking up.
This flake is made of Virginias out of 2 continents. A bright yellow and a darker Virginia have been used in combination with a modern cavendish. A touch of burley ensures a soft and smooth smoke. This flake gives you a natural sweet taste of tobacco and just a detectable topping of sweet, ripe fruit.
Favorite Of 3 Users
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JimInks (3023) |  |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The first thing you notice when you open the tin is the sweet fruity topping and Virginias. The yellow and dark Virginias offer some citrus with a few grassy notes and a little earth, and comprises the majority of the tobacco (70%). The dark cavendish is Virginia based, and adds a citrus note with a touch of honey, and bare hit of spice. There’s a little burley (10%) that is nutty with a slight sweetness. The tobaccos are pressed for thirty days and the flake is very easy to break apart for folding and stuffing in your bowl, or rubbing out as you please. The topping is apricot and a hint of pineapple, and is noticeable in every puff, though it’s not strong enough to overwhelm the inherent properties of the tobaccos. I also get a mild fig taste. The topping slightly diminishes after the half way point, and the tobacco flavor is just a little more obvious from then on. The flake is a touch fuller in the Virginia component than the loose cut. It’s a mild to medium very smooth and rather creamy smoke that burns at a moderate pace with few relights, no harsh or dull spots, no bite and no dottle. The nic-hit is mild. Has a pleasant after taste and room note. An all day smoke.
-JimInks
36 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gunner525 (66) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
The idea with this blend was to create a blend with a pleasing room note that has a taste of a nice Virginia flake. Personally I think Mac Baren hit a home run with this one.
As soon as the seal is broken you're greeted with a wonderful aroma of raisins, apricots, and hay.
The flakes are cut wonderfully thin in the size of a stick of bubblegum. They're very easily folded and lightly rubbed out to load. They are a bit in the moist side, so it's a good idea to pack the bowl and let it sit for 10-20 minutes.
After a bit of drying time it takes a light really well. A char and true, a tamp, and you're ready to go. It burns evenly and cool to a nice white ash. You can easily fit one and a half flakes into an average sized bowl. As long as you sip it this one doesn't bite.
The apricot flavoring is noticed on the initial light up, but for me it faded away quickly. The majority of the flavor throughout the smoke is a pleasant sweet straight Virginia for me.
The fruity apricot casing is more noticed in the room note. It's a nice light fruity tone that's pleasant to those around you.
Overall it's a wonderful blend.
If you're an aromatic smoker looking to get your feet wet with Virginia blends this would be a good one to check out. If you're a Virginia smoker looking for a blend that has a more popular room note give this one a try.
13 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| brashboy (84) |  |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Very Pleasant |
PGT - Pretty Good Tobacco. OK, if you don't like fruity toppings, don't bother. You ain't gonna like this and there's no point knocking the rating down. MVF is what it is and it does its job very well, indeed. And it's flake, which don't hurt nothin', either.
The apricot and pineapple are pronounced in the tin note and in the aroma, which is PDG (you know what it means). It is wife-approved. I am not a real aromatic hound, but I really like this one. Actually, I got an ounce of this as a gift and ordered more. (You will, too) Who would have thought I would like apricot or pineapple flavoring, much less together? This blend is mad tasty, though, and the flavoring was done really well. Lights well, smokes well, is good to the bottom and gets a bit more complex as you smoke it, no bite, no dottle. Kudos to the evil genius who devised MVF.
MVF would make a great addition to the rotation, iff'n you like the fruities. I rated MVF a 3 (it's not a 4), but actually rate it 3.2-3.4.
Ratings Note: Although it may seem as if I hand out 3- and 4-star reviews pretty slapdash, there is a method to my madness. First, I only order tobaccos that are highly rated or recommended and preferably both. [But if you give it to me I'll smoke anything.] And I like most tobaccos I try. I want to like them all.
If I hate a tobacco (eg, Middleton's Cherry Blend), I usually don't review it. I cannot imagine giving a perfectly serviceable tobacco a 1-star rating just because I didn't like it. Heck, was there NOTHING to like about a blend given a 1-star, especially when lots of guys like it just fine? And why do guys who, for example, hate aromatics review something like Middleton's Cherry that they know up front they won't like and then give it 1 star? Not my bag...
I stalk the perfect blend, smoke it right and give a fair review. Is it my fault I pick really good baccys?
Love, JB
Age When Smoked: New
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StevieB (2076) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Mac Baren - Modern Virginia Flake.
This has surprised me! I wasn't too sure what to expect, will it taste like a fruity aromatic or a lightly embellished blend? I am pleased to have found the latter to be applicable.
From the tin the moisture is superb. The fruit is a lot stronger in the tin note, the smoke is prominently Virginia. It's not as heavily cased with pineapple as I found Rattray's Malcolm Flake to be. The apricot offers a sweetness that reminds me of fruit jam, it's not gooey or gloopy but subtle and tasty. I don't get much nicotine from this, mind you, I don't smoke for N so that suits me! The other two tobaccos are very light in the taste, I find it quite tricky to acknowledge their flavours. I can't identify much fruit in the room note, like the taste it seems Virginia rules the roost. When I smoke a bowl of this it can be enjoyed without the constant need to keep re-lighting, it only wants the odd tamp.
I wasn't too sure how to rate this when I had my first bowl, three or four stars but after a few bowls it has me hooked, highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Meerschaum
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmokeDawg (82) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
A delicious VA-Burley blend with fruit topping. This reminds me a great deal of Erinmore Flake. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if MVF was designed to compete with the Erinmore blend. They have basically the same ingredients and fruit flavor topping. They are VERY similar.
Modern Virgina Flake is a wonderful tobacco in both blending harmony and presentation. But if fruit flavored bacca is not your thing I would pass on this one. The fruit flavor stays but doesn't overpower and also provides a great room note. You will get the natural and mild flavors of the tobacco as well.
TASTE: The Va's flavor profile also reminds me of Mac Baren's Scottish Mixture (A blend I'm very famliar with as its a fav) but with a bright fruit topping. Maybe that't why they call it "Modern Flake." It's a blend of various VA 's like Scottish Mixture with a hint of Burley, topped with fruit.
There... that's Modern Virginia Flake.
Pipe Used: Peterson XL305, Peterson 4s DeLuxe
Age When Smoked: Sept 2014 Tin
Purchased From: Smoking Pipes
Similar Blends: Erinmore Flake.
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pipedrum22 (15) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I smoked this blend three different times (as I do with all my reviews before writing). First, I love how this flake is sectioned off into three small flakes. This makes it great if you want to have a quick smoke or a larger smoke. Its definitely drier than most flakes, but this only makes it easier to light and smoke. There is no bite at all. The flavor is that of the natural sweetness of Virginias mixed with the right amount of spices and some noticeable honey notes. This blend is a fantastic flake and would be a great start for someone who is just venturing into the flake tobacco world as well as for the veteran flake smoker.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Mr. Big (321) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
- I'm going against the crowd, sorry. Upon opening a fresh tin, ( 3 months of age), the tin note was of Pineapple and an "ammonia Snuff" scent ( my fellow reviewers say it's "Apricot"). The tobacco was damp, so I removed the flakes and spread them out for 5 hours, this only partially reduced the "snuff/ Apricot" scent. Upon lighting a bowl the flavor was predominantly of a Sour Pineapple. I should explain, I'm usually not an aromatic smoker, but this was well done , not an artificial or cloying Pineapple and it did not impart a bite. The flavor remained through a couple of relights and until the second 1/2 of the bowl where it dissipated and the smoke turned "Muddy" and "ashy" . I never really experienced the tobacco flavor, so I can't say if I liked it , the smoke went from "Sour Pineapple to Mud".
There seemed to be very little NATURAL sweetness or flavor from the Virginia's. Taking a closer look at the blends ingredients , it seems that the addition of Burley and "MODERN' Cavendish ( ???) may have tamed what Virginia flavor there was. If I was forced to say what tobacco this was similar to, I would have a hard time, but my guess is a milder Peterson's University Flake with a Pineapple topping.
I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had just smoked some MacBaren's Virginia No. 1 accompanied with some "Dole's Pineapple" juice !
UPDATE: 1/5/2017- ( two years later)- Saw this tin sitting in the "Misfit Tobacco Pile" and I gave it another go. It was dry as a bone and I didn't rehydrate it. The taste was rather improved; a much lighter Pineapple flavor, actually enjoyable and you could taste the tobacco. Won't increase the rating but after two years it is now 3 stars.
Pipe Used: cob
Age When Smoked: 3 month/2 weeks open
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BriarWoody (33) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
I've avoided Mac Baren Virginia blends for years because of many reviewers who report how badly they bite, but decided to give this one a try at the recommendation of a pipe-smoking colleague. I'm glad I did!
It's a bit of a crossover blend, a touch aromatic ... and it is delicious, fruity and pleasant, with a mild pineapple/apricot topping that is interesting, lightly applied, and never competes with the core Virginias. The burley adds some body and the cavendish rounds everything out nicely.
It smells great. And it's easy on the tongue, with no bitterness or bite, even if you increase your cadence, which you will because the flavor doesn't get tiring. Smokes dry and smooth and leaves no dottle or goop. I've smoked it in a variety of pipes of varying sizes, and the results are consistent.
Modern indeed!
Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| the_german (309) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I like several of MacBaren's VA forward blends, so I decided to give this one a try to see what's so modern about it.
Opening the tin, I like the chewing gum-sized slices: easy to fold-twist-sink in smaller bowls. As it turns out, MacBaren are also using less glue than they used to, which I think is a good thing. The tin note is decidedly fruity, but with the VA coming through. The scent is apricot with something a little sharper, possibly pineapple.
Stuffing is easy (fold one slice lengthwise, then the other way, twist it up a little to loosen it up and drop into the bowl). Lighting is surprisingly easy for a flake, and it burns down to almost nothing: remarkably good behaviour for a flake with a sauce on it.
The flavour is nice and sweet, and fruity from the beginning, not letting off much throughout the smoke. I do, unfortunately, get a somewhat chemical aftertaste that lingers on for a bit.
This could be a good entryway into the world of flake tobacco for the aromatics crowd; for the VA purists, this isn't it. The size of the slices makes for a relaxed half hour or a little more, depending on smoking habits, and the sauce is not overwhelming.
For me, this is something that goes well with a beer; three solid stars for being a very good-natured aromatic, but not truly outstanding.
Pipe Used: Kürle freehand, Stanwell 11, VAUEN Barontini apple
Age When Smoked: Fresh from new tin
Purchased From: DanPipe
Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Modern Virginia Loose Cut.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipestud (1829) | |
Very Mild | Mild | Mild | Very Pleasant |
No sir, this one did not cut muster with my palate. In fact, it really was downright unpleasant to try to get a good smoke out of. I tried fast puffing and slow puffing, but it actually smoked best when I didn't puff at all and kept the pipe out of my mouth.
I thought the Virginia element was tart, the Burley and Cavendish casing just flat nasty and the wetness of the leaf (wouldn't dry out for me), produced way too much heat and steam. Who wants modern? Come on Mac Baren, bring back that delicious HH Vintage Virginia!
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Dr. Bertram Peterson Dunhill 3rd (2) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
I'm primarily a Virginian smoker, and feel better qualified to comment on this end of the tobacco spectrum. Saying that, I was eager to try this blend and was sorely disappointed. It burned hot and bland, and I found little of the fruity tin smell carried through. MacBaren--while having some of the prettiest tins in the business--needs to improve the quality of their tobacco leaves. The quality of their leaves fall far short of Dunhill or McClelland.
Pipe Used: Bertram
Age When Smoked: Spankin' brand new.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timbo 556 (6) | |
Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Upon opening the tin you are greeted with a sweet fruity note. I can't quite put my finger on it but maybe a mango type of flavor? The flakes are perfect in shape and cut. You can grab a couple flakes and do a fold n stuff method or you can rub out the flakes to get a really nice pile of Pile of ready to pack shreds of tobacco. Upon light you are hit with a sweet note which quickly takes a back seat to the smooth modern cavendish with a hay like scent from the Virginias. The blend says a touch of burley which I feel is pretty accurate as there is a slight background of nuttiness. I have to slow myself down when smoking this stuff because is really enjoy the room note and flavor at the beginning. Mid pipe everything comes together nicely as you start getting more of the natural tobacco flavored coming through which to me seem to be the high quality leaf used in this MacBaren blend. If smoked too fast you will get some goop on the bottom of the bowl. If smoked patiently this is not so much the case. I have experienced some minor bite which is likely due to me puffing like a steam engine freight train (I do not blame this on the blend) overall I enjoy this stuff and the more I smoke it the better it gets. I would recommend some dry time before loading up the pipe which I have found helps with the goo on the bottom of the bowl. I personally take mine out of the tin and place it in a canning jar and let it sit for a few weeks before smoking it. I just prefer to give my flake tobacco some time to rest in the jar before smoking. I will buy more of this stuff. It is in my current rotation of 4 tobaccos I have settled on for now. This would be a great start for the new piper to get into some flake tobacco and still get a little of that aromatic flavor that drew you in to pipe smoking in the first place. That is of course if you started with aro's.
Pipe Used: Stanwell 118 , Bent Dr. Grabow, no name billiard
Age When Smoked: Fresh out of tin (dated from 09/15) to 1 month
Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com
Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Vanilla Cream Flake.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEWMAN (305) | |
Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Upon popping the tin, you are greeted with nicely prepared flakes about the thickness of bubble gum that smell almost as fruity. They are pliable and with an ideal moisture content to permit my fold and pack technique in all bowl sizes. Burns evenly and cool without condensation or the need for relights. The fruit topping dominates the 1st 1/2 of the bowl but the grassy VAs still come thru. If you don't prefer aromatics, maybe pass on this one but I'll keep this around for the not days of summer.
Pipe Used: various bowl sizes
Age When Smoked: dated 9/14
Purchased From: pipes & cigars.com
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| doc'spipe (241) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Three very smart rows of dark brown flakes with a mild, not over the top fruit note. Deep inhalation and I get fresh (not sugary/artificial) apricots and something else fruity which may be the pineapple. All in all very nice.
Very easy flakes to work with and at a ready to smoke moisture content; it's what you can expect from Mac Baren! I am thoroughly enjoying this offering. I don't get any individual fruit taste per se; just an overall, mild sweetness and not an overly sugared fruitiness as one might expect. The taste of the Virginia was very enjoyable and totally different from OGS and Capstan Yellow. It was more along the lines of Capstan Blue in its fullness and lack of hay/grassiness. No bite, no moisture, doesn't smoke hot.
4 stars across the board and one I would be happy smoking several times a day, every day. Thank you Mac BAren!
Pipe Used: Stanwell smooth featherweight poker
Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin
Purchased From: 4noggins.com
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| LannarkGent (145) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
This is the best Virginia flake I have had. Complex enough in flavor to continually satify, the Virginia tobacco provides a fine flavor,easily beating a number of options in the market.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| BROBS (67) | |
Mild | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
To me the tin note is very comparable to Erinmore, but the difference is in the smoke! The flakes are beautiful especially in the 1lb block, before they are separated you can see every leaf. I fully rub out (or at least mostly) my flakes and this one does so easily. Upon lighting I get a nice sour Virginia flavor and don’t really even notice the toppings as they meld with the Virginia perfectly. It’s tangy. The flavor stays fairly consistent to the end burning to a clean grey ash. The room note is not bad and less cigarette like than say Golden Sliced. Also has very little spice when compared to a lot of other Virginias and doesn’t bite at all. Nic hit is mild, much more mild than Erinmore and I like that about it. I was worried when they used fruit in the description as I usually dislike fruity tobaccos. So far I would have to say this is toward the top of my list of Virginia flakes and that includes some at twice the price! Very glad I tried this stuff and plan to keep it in my cellar.
Pipe Used: Peterson’s
Age When Smoked: Direct from 1lb bulk block
Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com
Similar Blends: Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Erinmore Flake.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| steppx (186) | |
Mild | Medium to Strong | Mild | Pleasant |
well, I guess if you like aromatics, this is fine. Its very sweet and its hard to taste too much tobacco beneath all that apricot jam they slop on it. Honestly, it shows how subjective pipe smoking can be. I see reviews of McClelland flakes...pure tobacco....getting 2 and a half stars, or 3 .... but this gets four. How is that possible? Again, its all subjective. But.....but......to be clear, this is sweet...well made, like all macbaren products. But its essentially a high class drugstore blend.
Purchased From: 4 noggins
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| JJ Sir Emmitt (40) | |
Mild | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
This is an interesting smoke. There is a nice nutty quality along with a pleasant sweet bread and vanillia, and citrus flavor from the Virginia. As for the top flavors I thought the pineapple flavor actually worked well. As a non areromatic smoker I was very shocked by this. However I was confused by the apricot flavoring. When it worked it felt out of place, but for the most part it was just a flavor that muddied the overall profile of this tobacco. I would smoke it again, but I would not seek it out.
Pipe Used: Peterson Kinsale XL13
Age When Smoked: 6 months
Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| cajomu (80) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Judged on appearance, Mac Baren's Modern Virginia Flake is a four star tobacco. The flakes themselves are perhaps the prettiest flakes I've ever seen. Cut perfectly, tissue paper thin, fold and pack perfectly, easy to light, no relights necessary, and burn to a light grey ash.
The aroma of MVF out of the tin is that of lemon drops and graham crackers. Quite nice but a bit on the mild side. The taste of the tobacco follows the aroma -- mild fruitiness layered over caramel sweet Virginias, also fairly mild. By mid-bowl, the topping dissipates considerably but never leaves completely, while the sweet tobacco flavor remains constant throughout. All-in-all, a pleasant smoke although not very complex. Sort of a milder version of Erinmore Flake.
The nicotine level is also mild and the room note fairly pleasant.
I like MVF enough to give it three stars. I knock it down from four because, considering the price, IMO it should be stronger in both flavor and strength.
If you like mild, sweet Virginia tobacco, you will like MVF. If you're looking for a lot of flavor and/or nicotine, keep looking.
Pipe Used: Barling African Meerschaum, large corn cob
Age When Smoked: 3 months old
Purchased From: Smoking Pipes
Similar Blends: Erinmore Flake.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentleman Zombie (729) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
The natural tobacco flavors are wonderful. Mostly Virginia fruit and citrus with just a touch of nut and earth from the Burley. The topping is very tasty, mostly apricot with a hint of pineapple. When they said "ripe" in the description they weren't kidding. In fact, it's almost over ripe. A little too much so for my taste. No doubt, it's a great flake of high quality, but the added flavors make me think of fruit that is a day or two past it's prime. Evidently, a lot of people like this one so maybe it's just my taste buds. At the least it's worth trying.
Mild to medium in body. Medium in taste. Flavoring is mild.
Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, Mark Twain, Diplomat Apple
Age When Smoked: fresh
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
1 person found this review helpful.
600 Perdue Ave
Richmond, VA 23224