Barclay-Rex Barclay Slice

One of the best broken Virginia Flake tobaccos I have ever smoked. Deep and strong in flavor, there is an added touch of Vanilla that makes the taste a bit creamy despite its depth (I find that strong tobaccos usually are a bit harsh on the palate but not this one).

I do not know who makes this tobacco for Barklay Rex, and it has been several years since I last smoked it, but if they still have it I am going to order more.

Truly a delightful smoke for those who enjoy strength and lots of flavor that leans lightly on the sweet side.

I just bought a couple of ounces of Barclay Slice. It is a very nice broken-flake Virginia (almost cavendished). I don't find that the slight vanilla essence applied (more sprayed than "cooked") mars the natural tobacco taste. This is a very smooth blend. It is easy to pack and it lights at the first go. It burns slowly and it won't bite. Different in taste from those Virginias with a ketchup/vinegar undernote, but also different from the more European preparation (English/Danish), with the molasses/raisin natural sweetness. It is a very simple and nice smoke, nothing to write home about, yet a very suitable companion to read and write. Kudos!

I don’t know if Barclay Slice is still sold at the famous Barclay Rex stores in Manhattan since the city has placed restrictions on flavored tobacco. I bought a couple of ounces of Barclay Slice four years ago and hardly touched it before storing it in a Ball jar. It smells like a Vanilla aromatic in the pouch. If I had to guess, this was made by McClelland or McClelland Virginias were used in this blend in some fashion. Now, four years later, the dark flakes are now darker and I chose to rub them out. There is enough added vanilla in BS that I would describe it as more of an aromatic than just a dark flake with a hint of vanilla as it is as sweet as many aromatics I have smoked. I’m sure the added age raised the sweet meter. I enjoy an aromatic from time to time, but this isn’t one I would buy again. Kudos to Barclay Rex for coming up with something different.

BARCLAY REX – BARCLAY SLICE Straight Virginia, good quality, more natural than flavored. I mean the flavoring is extremely mild. I don’t actually find any dark Virginia, as stated, but only light Virginia. The cut is a broken flake very close to ready rubbed. Medium taste and mild to medium strength. The room note is acceptable. Overall, not great, but satisfying. Suitable for straight Virginia lovers. Available only at Barclay Rex in New York city. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 8 and three stars.

A high quality, broken Virginia flake with more body than most. Delightful aroma and good smoking qualities. Made for Barclay-Rex by McClelland.

A great blend from Barclay-Rex! A very American Va.Flake with a true Vanilla essence applied and some Black cavendish pressed into the flake. The taste is Sweet/aromatic ,but in a more European sense. Not goopy! An excellent Choice for the Aromatic smoker who feels his Palate is maturing yet cannot jump feet first into true Virginia flakes or English Mixtures. It is also recommended for the English smoker who wants something sweet but deplores a return to aromatics. Very Pleasant tobacco.

This is better than Tordenskjold Virginia Slices, yet costs less than half. Caveat emptor.

A well-made, partially-broken ["Scotch"] cake, Barclay Slice has more depth and variegation than your usual heavy flake. Yet it is on the hefty side. The taste is round but not syrupy, with a very lightly applied vanilla topping that actually tastes the bean.

This might be the most economical way of entering the world of Virginia flakes?you can actually buy just one ounce. It is quite representative of the whole genre. Recommended.

I associate this blend with an experience. I've recently dropped off my IM Corona Elysee for repair. On the day of picking up the lighter I went down to Wall St. to visit Barclay Rex, where I set my eyes on an absolutely beautiful Genod Canadian pipe which turned out to be the exact same size as some of my favorite Savinelli Canadian pipes.

I approached the table full of house blends, opening them one by one to smell their aroma, starting with Barclay Slice. From the first second I knew that I will get myself couple of ounces. Leaving the store, I filled my branch new Genod with this local Virginia blend and lit it with my repaired Elysee, while walking towards Wall St. This was a fantastic smoke from the first second to the last.

The aroma from the jar was of berry-like sweet fruits, hay, and grass. I get absolutely no vanilla flavoring at all, which is possible if the city banned flavoring tobacco. But I'm not sure what are the official ingredients today.

These are also the notes I'm getting from smoking this straight Virginia, except for citrus rather than berries. Definitely on the bright-Virginia side of things, with only a drop of spice coming through (but then again, my palate gets some spice from every blend I've smoked in the past couple of years, so who knows). The broken flake is easily rubbed-out and I prefer to rub it all out from the get go. The moisture was spot on, but living it in my tobacco pouch for a few days didn't make it over-dry. In fact, it kept a perfect moisture whenever I needed it.

Thanks to this experience, Barclay Slice has been the only blend I've smoked in my new Genod. And every smoke has been fantastic. It's easily packed and smoked, doesn't require relight, has absolutely no tongue bite, and can easily be an all-day smoke. In fact, I had to stop myself from finishing it too quickly. Fortunately, it smokes exceptionally slow, helping me to enjoy longer smokes with the amount I have left.

It is medium in body, light-medium in strength.

Now, it's been some time since I've smoked Orlik Golden Sliced, but from my memory these two are very similar blends. It's also similar to the general cased Mac Baren bright Virginia blends, such as Virginia Flake and even a bit of Amphora Virginia. It is sweet with a touch of spice, very satisfying. This blend gets the highest rating. Unfortunately, only being available at a brick-and-mortar store, it's more expensive than Orlik and I'm forced by the rules of capitalist economy to not support Barclay Rex as much as I'd like to. I'll buy couple of ounces whenever I visit, but that won't be too often.

After giving this some thought, and a good amount of fair shakes, the verdict is in. This slightly-aromatic broken Virginia flake is a hidden gem in the pipe community. Only available in the brick and mortar, you've got to find your way beneath the skyscrapers to Pearl St. in the Financial District to lay hold of this offering. A journey into the belly of Manhattan for which you'll be richly rewarded.

This is a broken flake, and if I was pressed to place this on the Virginia spectrum of light and dark, this is somewhere in the middle. Every once in a while, beautiful citrus notes pop through, but boy, this Virginia has some depth under the hood. I wouldn't say this reaches the toasty, red end of the spectrum, but it gets a good bit there, too. Just like any Virginia, this will burn a little hotter and takes some finesse to keep it in the sweet spot, so don't go chuffing on this like a kid behind the bleachers because this leaf will rise up and quickly remind you that this is a tobacco to be savored. Once you've got the correct cadence down, you'll understand.

There is a good amount of vanilla-sweetness to this blend, but I wouldn't say overly-so, or even enough to call it a "crossover" blend. It merely sweetens up the blend and compliments the cozy nature of this tobacco.

Particularly, I enjoy this tobacco as a "Golden Hour" smoke, watching the last of the rays paint over the sky before mellowing westward for the night. And just like the sun that you wish would never set but is soon past, you'll not know what you've had until it's gone. Then onto Pearl St. once again you'll go.

A nutty, citrusy and sweet virginia blend. Doing well in any briar pipe. Good all day tobacco. From grassy and nutty at the beginning to creamy and woody at the end.