Sillem's Commodore Flake

The Cyprian latakia is the most prominent component, but this is not quite a lat-bomb in the sense that the other tobaccos obviously contribute. The latakia is very smokey, woody, and mildly sweet. It may also account for a hint of incense. The dark fired Kentucky burley is lightly floral, very earthy, fairly woody, smokey and nutty sweet with a fair amount of spice that underscores the latakia in every puff. The black cavendish has a very light vanilla hit, and serves to smooth out the smoke a little. I also get a vinegar/barbeque note through much of the proceedings, which works well with the fermented taste that stems from the pressing of the flake. The nic-hit is just past the medium threshold. I rate the strength level as strong and the taste is full. I do not recommend a big bowl for this.

The flake is a little moist, and easily broken apart to suit your preference. Needs no dry time. Burns at a slow pace with a cool, clean, spicy smooth, lightly creamy, very consistent flavor. Has no dull, weak, or harsh spots. It does require a few relights, but not enough to bug you. Leaves almost no moisture in the bowl, and will burn to the last ember. The after taste pleasantly lingers, though it does have a strong room note. A very rich, deep, well melded and complex, full-bodied flake for the experienced smoker.

-JimInks

I believe this is the first tobacco that I've ever rated as being "Very Strong" in the nicotine department. Dunhill Royal Yacht, Peterson Irish Flake, Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake, Gawith and Hoggarth Dark Birdseye, and Samuel Gawith Brown Rope #4 all rate as "strong" tobaccos for me. This, to me, means that my nicotine craving is satisfied with just one bowl as I am quite tolerant of it and find higher nicotine content tobaccos to be quite pleasing before bedtime. The Commodore Flake offered by Sillem's can easily accomplish this task in only half of a smaller sized bowl, which led to the "very strong" rating.

The reason I have commented on the nicotine content of this flake prior to mentioning any of it's other attributes is that I would not want anyone to ding it in a review due to it's high N content. Know that this one packs a punch prior to purchasing, and if that isn't your thing, stay far away from it.

That being said, let me get into my perceptions of the rest of this offering from Sillem's. This is a totally up front Latakia blend, and it is stellar. If you love Latakia, you will love this. If you don't know what Latakia is or haven't tried it as the primary player in a blend, you will either love it or hate it. We don't know what we love or hate until we try it!

To the Latakia lovers: This blend is amazing... It burns slow, cool and has no bite (and I am easily bitten). It is spicy, but the Cavendish and Burleys give it a semi-sweet undertone. I normally hate Cavendish tobaccos and cringe when I see it is part of a blend, but this one just pulls it off in spectacular fashion. After being tamped down a bit, this tobacco gives off a glorious thick smoke as well. I would write more, but I am already long winded in this review, and it's prowess has more than prepared me for bedtime.

If you love Latakia blends, and don't mind a high N factor, give this one a go. You will not be disappointed! I would give this one a solid 5 stars if the rating system here allowed for it.

Additionally, I find the room note to be spectacular, though it is most definitely not an aromatic tobacco. My lovely wife commented: "it smells great in the living room". I am stocking up on this one for certain! WOW!!!

It's really a pleasure to review a great tobacco! Commodore tin note: smoked brandy. About a dozen, slightly soggy flakes. Each flake is about the volume of a medium bowl. Flakes fall apart and rub out easily when dried properly. Relight is persnickety and best done slowly with a good pipe lighter. However, once lit you get a well behaved smoke. This is 100% high quality tobacco, with a long lasting smoke to fine ash. Two aspects of Commodore surprise me... First, the Latakia is not at all overwhelming. Second, the N strength is very predictable for such a strong flake. Flavor is a bit like Peterson's Irish Flake, sort of raisin-like but a bit smokier with a floral component that's not present in Irish Flake. Definitely one of the tastiest smokes I've had. On my Flake Shelf: 1792, Irish, Gawith Scented Brown, Conniston Cut Plug, Commodore. I'm torn between Petersons Irish and Commodore, but for budget reasons and smokability I've gone through more Petersons Irish.

How do I love thee, Commodore Flake? Let me count the ways!

O-K, I'm a noob, but I've been trying a lot of high-quality strong tobaccies- such as Irish Flake; 1792; Black Irish X, etc. which are all very good...but once I tried Commodore, I KNEW that I found MY mainstay tobacco!

Having started out with English blends and then migrating away from them, I didn't consider myself a latakia fan; in fact, I was getting rather tired of lat making it's typical appearance in so many blends- but even knowing that this 'baccy is a "lat bomb", I tried it because a reviewer on another site said that it was the strongest tobacco he had ever encountered, and I love strong tobacco!

Well, in my opinion, it's not the strongest of the strong tobaccos (I'd rate it's strength as more than Irish Flake- which I consider rather mild- and less than 1792] but it does have enough strength to satisfy me, AND it is quite simply the tastiest; most pleasant; well-mannered; rich; creamy tobacco I have ever encountered, and likely ever will!

Although this may be a "lat bomb", I don't get the annoying overly cloying lat characteristic which I find annoying in other blends. In fact, I'm thinking it may be something else ion those other blends, combining weith the lat, which is causing me not to like what i perceive as lat...because there's no doubt that this baccie is high in latakia...but I LOVE it and get a far different taste from it than in the typical English blends.

I get more of a chocolate flavor from Commodore- and I love it! I have never smoked aromatics, and have never bought any tobacco that advertised a chocolate flavor....but I sure do like the chocoilate essence I get from the combination of tobaccos in Commodore! It's truly classic!- and it's not bitter nor acrid- but rather very smooth.

I've smoked blends [like Pease's "Fillmore"] which although good, irritated my nostrils; and which I couldn'/t wait to expell from mouth, as they were harsh and acrid.....but Commodore- what can I say? It's like the smoke it produces feels right at home no matter what orifice it seeps into, and you savor it and enjoy every last nuance of it, rather than trying to waft it away!

While Commodore's flavor is by no means subtle; yet it does not hiot you over ther head and kick you in the butt! It asserts itself, but in such a way that you can revel in it and savor it. Ditto the nicotine- there's plenty of it- but it doesn't punch you in the face and say "Here I am!".

And as another reviewer also stated, I also do not like cavendish, and scrupulously avoid it.....so I find it hard to believe that cavendish is actually in this beautiful flake!

All I can say, is that this is a very unique and surprising tobacco. Whether you like latakia or hate it; whether you like cavendish or hate it, I'd say try Commodore- as it's unique blend tends to defy all stereotypes and preconceived notions!

Bottom line: If you enjoy a strong, but not harsh or over-powering tobacco, with lots of [what I'll call "natural chocolate"] flavor, which is creamy and rich, and has a unique taste and aroma, give this flake a whirl!

No guarantee that you'll like it- it is what it is- and I don't see it as a middle of the road tobacco- you'll either love it or loathe it...but if you love it, you'll have discovered a unique gem that you'll enjoy for many years to come!

Stated simply ...Sillem's Commodore Flake is one amazingly beautiful smoke experience! I rate this most highly a cult classic par excellence'!!! STRONG buttery semi-sweet unadulterated tobacco flavor unlike any other I've experienced - fragrant, sweet, woodsy, nutty, figgy, chocolaty, spicy, with a wonderful medium-high nicotine dose that builds a tingly stairway to heaven. The latakia flavor and nose defies comparison to any other blend - if it is truly there, I have to wonder - curiously, the smokey, piney, cedar incense aromas typical of the latakia ilk are not discernible to me in this blend, yet I find this Sillem's ambrosia simply a world apart from all the rest! Highest grade tobaccos, an olfactory magic carpet ride! Mellow and strong in one fell swoop - a velvet glove, an artisan's hammer! Viscous satisfying mouth feel and most pleasant lingering aftertaste. Never bitter, never burns ...and I'm an enthusiastic puffer. Takes a light nicely and requires no fuss. Room note is a musky cocoa-nut cologne for the ultimate man cave that will have even the most finicky feline growl desiringly! Not always readily available, stock up while you can! To date, Sillem's Commodore Flake stands head-and-shoulders above the rest in my stellar rotation - A Next-Level Rarefied Experience fit for the gods!!!

EDIT: For the Baccy Mad Scientists out there, give a 60/40 mix of SCF & Escudo Navy De Luxe a try. Rub out each to a med-fine texture and mix well - pack firm ...ENJOY!

EDIT II: I have been searching high & low to discover why my tins of Sillem's Commodore Flake don't present the typical incense latakia smokiness one ordinarily expects. Some good folks on the interweb forums have expressed their impression of this flake to be a lat bomb, while a few others have voiced their observation similar to mine regarding an obviously absent typical lat profile presence. I welcome any input on this mystery. But please don't misunderstand my curiosity - this is a magnificent blend, and I wouldn't change it one iota ...I only hope that the many additional tins that I've ordered stay true to my original tins. CULT CLASSIC PAR EXCELLENCE'!!!

I'm not going to describe the strength, taste, or nicotine level of Commodore flake as the previous reviewers have done a far better job than I could. This is a very strong blend but it's smooth as silk. For my taste Commodore flake is everything I want in a tobacco. After nearly forty years of pipe smoking and God knows how many blends tried I'm going to say Commodore is the best I've ever had..'

You love this blend if you are a latakia lover and not a softy. That pretty much says it all. But of course I will elaborate this blend. Commodore Flake (CF) is a rather strong blend. Not the strongest, but not mild. It's a blend that can kick you if you're on an empty stomach and smoke it too fast. But it's really best smoked slowly.

I've cracked open serveral tins of this and every time I need at least 15 mins drying time. No problem. It comes in the typical stacked flake form. Easy to rub out if that's your method of choice. Also folds and stuffs fine as well.

Packing is typical and very much like your normal procedure. Nothing special here to do and there are no tricks to this. Just load it like you normally would. And lighting is the same as well.

Now smoking it, I'd recommend slowly. Smoking it quickly and you tend to get more of the bold dark Kentucky fired flavor and just a tad of the latakia. But slow the smoking down to sipping slowly and it's a whole new world. The room note becomes more accepting and alive. Tastes of dark chocolate come out. As alwats you smell the latakia but the taste of the latakia is smooth and almost creamy. I liken it to ODF mixed with latakia.

I really enjoy this blend late at night when nothing is happening and no one is around. No distractions of every day life. Just my pipe and I. And I recommend it. But I don't think I'd recommend it to a new pipe smoker. It may be that this blend has a required taste. And maybe I have that taste.

It appears that I am a lat freak. I bought this today when I bought a Caminetti bent bulldog pipe and mentioned that I'd use it as a flake pipe. So he pulled this out and let me sniff it. And I bought it.

And it is a strong Latakia blend. In fact, I'd say it's Latakia with a couple other tobaccos pinched in. It's a Lat Bomb.

I loved the flavor and the room note. It has the odor I've come to appreciate with other tobaccos of its ilk. It is a solid flake and comes out of the tin nearly perfect. I'll try drying a little, but it smoked superbly in my new pipe.

But it's STRONG. It has a full room note, but I find it eminently pleasant (thus my rating there). But I had to stop this afternoon because the nicotine hit it gave me made me break out in sweats. This is not a tobacco for the meek. A solid Latakia tobacco, but balanced. It does cause some tongue bite as you smoke it. Not initially, but halfway down the bowl I noticed it.

All in all, an excellent smoke, but it's not something you just throw in your pipe and go on your merry way. It demands respect.

Sillem's - Commodore Flake.

The tin holds two and a half rows of virtually black flakes. Unfortunately they're a little damp, smokeable but quite damp nevertheless. Even though they hold a touch too much moisture they're easy enough to crumble. And then it's 'load and light'.

The first thought for me was one of great approval: it burns well, gives a cool smoke, and has a delicious soft flavour. But after about ten minutes I noticed the Black Cavendish' sweetness calming down, being overtaken by the fiery Kentucky and that then becomes the prominent taste: this is where my approval becomes subdued somewhat. I don't get too many of the Latakia's flavours, I only get a gentle nudge of it: this disappoints me in an English blend.

I don't find the nicotine as strong as a few of the other folks on here do: medium to strong, but I wouldn't class it as being anymore than that. I'd say the room-note's quite pleasant: nothing remarkable, but it's definitely not a bad one.

My initial rating was one of full marks, but then the Kentucky caught up with me. If you like some of that you'll love this, but if you like a tamer smoke you won't. For my palate it couldn't have any higher a rating than a 'somewhat recommended'.

Two stars.

Delicious, full bodied English blend with a nice nicotine kick. Flakes are just the right level of moisture right out of the tin. Latakia is up front, but underneath lies the full force of Virginia and Kentucky. Love it. I only wish it came in a larger tin!