Robert McConnell Flake

Robert McConnell - Flake (Heritage).

Another Dunhill clone! To date, I've smoked most of the Charatan copies and 'McConnell's 5 Year Matured. I've found them good, and this is the same; it's as enjoyable as the antecedent Dunhill Flake!

As is often the case, now, although the blend arrives in a round tin the paper insert's one for a square tin! The flakes are rectangular, quite thin, nicely hydrated, with many yellow flecks, and an unostentatious aroma; fresh Virginia. The preparation, because of the build and hydration, is easy. The same can be said for lighting.

Similarly to the Charatan copy, the smoke has a fresh, citrus quality, but isn't too sharp. Any possible causticity is smoothed out by a subtle, honey-like sweetness. This gains a little strength as a bowl burns; it doesn't seem aromatic, or cased, but this sweetness keeps the vibrant Virginias in check! My bowls have all burnt well, at a medium pace.

Nicotine: just below medium. Room-note: nice.

Robert McConnell Flake? A nice smoke, a touch more exuberant than the original, but a smashing straight Va. Highly recommended:

Four stars.

As this one is a reprise of the Dunhill Flake that's been favorite of many smokers worldwide, one could expect pretty much from the Heritage Flake. I will try to not compare too much to the Dunhill version.

Look in tin is a bit wild as the flakes are not pressed as compactly as other VA flakes (also Dunhills); color is dark brown with golden stripes and dots. Cold smell is sweet and natural with grassy overtones. Packs nicely and takes flames well then burns slow and steady with no tongue bite.

What can I say?!.. it simply IS NOT the Dunhill Flake but a solid standalone tobacco that can truly deliver all the positivities of a VA Flake. Sweet and a little spicy at once with hey and citric all over like a mild summer breeze. There's a flavoring (K&K mention it) and i guess it's a natural sugar fruit molasses or something as I can taste peach or apricot nasal. The flavoring is very decent and just pops up every now and then. All the tastes are well balanced and stay until the end.

Good quality leaf and tastes, that are level-headed for a pleasant smoke make up this Flake which is also easy to handle.

To my taste (and memory), it's somewhat of a way between the recent Dunhill/Peterson version made in Denmark (which is a very good flake, and one of the few decent bastardized Dunhills) and the old "real" Dunhill.

There is a flavoring, and it's of the flowery kind, maybe a bit like Earl Grey Tea... but it's extremely delicate, much more so than in the old "real" Dunhill version (where it could be a little bit soapish). Apart from this, it's a really elegant, smooth, bright but not bitey Virginia Flake. Hay-like fragrance, delicate sweetness, all in a soft flake that folds and packs easily and burns marvelously.

There may be Virginia flakes that are bolder and richer in flavour, but this is an understated classic that takes a while to love, and never gets tiresome, overwhelming or cloying.

Appearance: a 50 gram tin, released in mid-2022 with the standard black and yellow series label containing the Robert McConnell brand legend. Unlike most dense Kohlhase & Kopp flakes, the RMC Heritage Flake is a lush, slightly crumbly but neat flake of standard size 40 by 65 mm, with a rich peanut hue. The moisture content is perfect.

Flavor: bisquit cookie (butter, wheat flour, sugar) is the first thing that comes to mind. The association is added by a soft woody note with a slight spiciness that adds something akin to the smell of bergamot to the bouquet. A barely perceptible citrus scent is present but almost imperceptible, as are the fruity notes. A sweetish topping - perhaps a slightly flavored sugar syrup - is evident.

Taste: initially a slightly uneven, but very high quality Virginia bouquet with considerably more sweetness than Charatan Flake. It is dominated by wheat tones, there is also a soft tannin note with a slight spiciness in the background, which complements the cookie flavor with something similar to mild black tea, and herbal, floral and hay notes in the bouquet are there only as a slight spice. The flavor of the blend quickly smooths out, taking on a wholeness inherent in the original Dunhill recipe, but different in composition. The tobacco is mild, with no harsh edges or bite, but is more prone to overheating due to the sweet topping and distinctly sweeter tobacco than the Charatan Flake. The strength of the blend is clearly below average, there is no danger of nicotine hit even in a very large pipe. The tobacco burns out into a gray dusty ash, leaving almost no moisture in the pipe. The aftertaste of tobacco is not noticeable, slightly astringent.

Smoke from tobacco in the room is hardly noticeable, has a light woody flavor.

What's the bottom line? Not a Dunhill at all, though closer than the Charatan blend. Bad? No. This is a very good Virginia flake, made, moreover, from a mild tobacco that has a high enough sugar content to smoke it immediately, without aging. The downside is the fact that this tobacco is much more demanding to the smoking temperature, which means that a beginner needs to keep a closer eye on the pipe. I'll let you finish with a couple of words for comparison: RMC Heritage Flake, in my opinion, is closer to the Dunhill idea. But the Charatan Flake is also very good.

A fairly well made virginia flake, with a moderately sweet flavor, and something citric and herbal, but not too intense. It is a pleasant tobacco.

This is a pleasant tobacco. This is also the first time I have used flake. Open the round lid. In the middle is a square carton. There is a fruity sour taste. I must say, it tastes like Earl Grey tea. It seems to be Bergamot oil or citrus oil, but frankly speaking, I don't like the taste very much. After the tobacco is ignited, I feel a little flat at first. I usually like the thick Burley smoke and the thicker flavor. On the contrary, McConnell Flake also brings a relatively smooth and peaceful feeling. Because it is not a sharp excitement, I try to taste it with a small mouthful. After smoking for about 5 minutes, I began to feel the fruity aroma, slightly sour, slightly sweet, and quite elegant. As the rhythm of breathing slowed down, the sense of pleasure slowly emerged. McConnell Flake can accompany you to enjoy the afternoon quietly, or the night under light, accompanied by the sound of insects outside the window. Therefore, this is also a very beautiful tobacco.