Sillem's Councilor 1695 Flake

(3.46)
Red and light Virginias combined with a good dose of Louisiana perique.

Details

Brand Sillem's
Blended By  
Manufactured By Kohlhase & Kopp
Blend Type Virginia/Perique
Contents Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Flake
Packaging 50 grams tin
Country Germany
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.46 / 4
7

5

1

0

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 13 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 17, 2017 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
The mildly tart and tangy dark fruity, earthy, woody, lightly vegetative brown Virginia is the dominant Virginia, and also sports a slight fermentation. The lighter Virginia provides some citrus and a few blades of grass and bread in the background. The spicy, raisiny, figgy, and mildly plummy, tingly perique is a supporting player with the spice being the most obvious note. The taste level is a hair past the medium level. The nic-hit is in the center of mild to medium. Won’t bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean a little slow as flakes tend to do. The mildly sweet, rather spicy, lightly savory flavor is fairly consistent though it loses just a little sweetness toward the finish. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and needs some relights. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 13, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Based on about 1.25 oz gifted to me. Nice looking light brown with some blonde mottling. Flakes were neither too thin nor too fat and even a fumble fingers like myself could easily fold and stuff or rub out. I did not taste any difference in the two loads but of course it smoked slower when folded. The tin note offered up a non-descript aroma that gave no clues as to what was inside. As an interesting sidebar, this dried out pretty fast in the tin once opened. I transferred to a small glass jar early on but drier is usually better for flakes and this one was no exception.

I knew nothing of Sillem's prior to this, having smoked none of their blends, as none of them really interested me. But this one was a surprise. My reference VaPers are GLP Telegraph Hill and McClellands St James Woods, if that provides any insight. I prefer my perique on the heavier side, and this blend provides it. Instead of the stewed dark fruit presentation, the perique here is more briny and spicy without losing depth of flavor. The Virginias had just the right amount of tang and citrus but the perique was the star of this show. Condimental spice was first and foremost, and I can certainly see this one having too much for many VaPer fans. And while this won't replace my references, it's definitely a four star blend in my book.
Pipe Used: meerschaum and morta
Age When Smoked: New
11 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 31, 2017 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
Sillem's - Councilor 1695 Flake.

To be fair, the previous Sillem's review I did: Commodore, was to potent in the Kentucky department for my liking. This, Councilor, is an improvement, though.

The tin holds two rows of medium brown, perfectly moist, fairly thin, flakes. I like to give my flakes a full rub, and this is one of the easiest I've encountered. Lighting Councilor is quick and simple, and then it's on with the smoke: to be best enjoyed 1695 takes a little time, savouring, and deciphering. The Perique is strong: spicy, fruity, tangy, and vinegary, but the Virginias give 1695 some lemony/citrusy zest. For the first third it's a full on blast of Perique, but given time the Virginias join in and complete the picture; the citrus from the Virginia plays off with the tangy Perique impeccably. I find the temperature medium, and it only bites when puffed ridiculously hard; and even then it's not that bad.

I quite like the room-note, and think the nicotine's above medium.

To me, Councilor isn't the best blend in the world, but I'd feel uncomfortable awarding it only three stars:

Highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Friday, so Altinok Van Cleef
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: Four months
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 29, 2016 Mild None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a very nice VaPer from Sillem's. To my personal taste it it in the top two or three VaPer's available, right behind Escudo. It is funny how few people are familiar with many of the Sillem's blends as they are an old company and these are truly some of the best blends out there, and are my personal faves coming from Germany (most are from Germany, and while the description above says Denmark, my tin states that it was made in Germany). Sillem's London is highly regarded, and their aromatics are fantastic, especially Sillem's Black, which is totally unique among a field of hundreds of aromatic mixtures.

Councilor is a beautiful medium to dark brown flake of VA's and perique. It offers a very natural tobacco flavor and to my knowledge this contains no cavendish, which I enjoy when present, but appreciate the difference here.

In my experience this benefits from some aging. When I first opened my tin it was a little more grassy and lacked complexity. Now, about a year and a half later it is truly stellar. The VA's have mellowed and sweetened, and the flavor is richer with no bite whatsoever. I may be crazy but the flakes also seem to have darkened - I remember them being a lighter color, and now they are a deep mahagony brown.

The flakes are packed very neatly in the tin and would probably work well to just fold and pack. I prefer to rub it out, and this does so nicely. It rubs out into short pieces of a thin ribbon cut (shag, but shorter) and packs super easily. It burns cool and slow and once lit stays so without much fuss.

This has more flavor and creamy smoke than something like Golden Sliced. While it does not reach the lofty heights of Escudo, I would put it third behind Davidoff Flake Medallions. All three can be enjoyed as this offers a more VA forward flavor which highlights the condimental perique, and is slightly less sweet than the other two mentioned. That puts it in very good company indeed.
Pipe Used: Armellini Pot
Age When Smoked: 1 yr
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 13, 2021 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Virginias dominate, with Perque giving a little fermented spice that's readilydetectable. Salted caramel is the taste that comes forward toI really enjoy this blend me, which is a taste I definitely enjoy. Plum, and a medium strength that makes it enjoyable more than once a day, but a bit heady for more than a couple of bowls a day, for me.

I have enjoyed quite a few bowls of this blend which has very little age on it. I think it will be superb with some cellaring. It's rather too moist when you pop the tin, and I have found that leaving the tin open to dry for a good while makes it even more flavorful and then burns smoothly without a lot of relights. VaPer lovers should give it a try. 3.5 to 4 stars. A couple of years will probably make it a slam dunk for top ratings.

2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 07, 2019 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Tolerable
A nice looking VaPer from K & K with very little tin note . The flakes are supple and easy to pack either by crumbling them up or stuffing them whole hog . The flavor is mild , very mild . It's difficult to get much of the perique flavor because it does little to make it's presence known . The virginias are standard K & k issue which means that they are just fine . The taste is mild to medium and not serviceable for those looking for real perique taste . It is , however , a relaxing and smooth smoke , ideal for every day use . I believe that is very similar to Srockabye's Luxury Navy Flake or Soloni #633 Perique Flake . There are , for all of us , a time when we want just a little perique to liven things up . For that moment , Councilor is made .
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 05, 2019 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Sillem's Councilor 1695 Flake: A Funkadelic Bright VaPer

The Virginia varietals are bright—full of grassy crispness. There are some darker leaf present which give some body to the blend. The perique is both spicy and tastes of something fermented but not necessarily inherently pleasant. Overall, it's good but not exquisite.

Councilor Flake reminds me of Fribourg and Treyer Vintage Flake with an added amount of some funkadelic version of perique.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 17, 2017 Mild to Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant
Very nice smoke. Citrus and darker fruits. Mildly tart and tangy. A little sweet addition. Moderately spicy. Has a hint of red wine. Gets a little earthy in the second half. If you constantly retrohale like I do you may notice a little sharpness. I like this one a lot, but I can't go as far as loving it.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in taste. Added sweetness is very mild. Burn is great.
Pipe Used: MM Marcus, Country Gentleman, Mark Twain
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: fresh
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 02, 2013 Medium Medium to Strong Medium to Full Tolerable
been a long time since i checked any reviews.Only saw one on the councilor and was suprised! for selfish reasons i hope you guys start smoking this so they dont discontinue! the councilor deserves to be in the discussion when talking vapers!Very good no drying out needed ! Natural sweetness and theperfect amount of that heveanly spice in my opinion!Good news ! you dont need a sillems old boy to light it1 Matches work just fine! My first offering from Sillems mabey I will get around to the blue or black everybodys talking about ! Vincenzo will keep some of this on hand! If you like vapers get some Vincenzo
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 17, 2012 Mild Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
This is a substantial tobacco...Not so much complex but refined and pleasant. Of the many VaPer flakes available, this one holds its own.

What it comes down to is simply a matter of personal preference, taste, aroma, and consistency. Burn qualities are very nice and even and moisture content is excellent. Flakes are uniform in cut and packaging, with little flavoring.

While I'm giving this a 3 star rating, I will perhaps change that to 4 stars at some point. I enjoy "unassuming" pipe tobaccos and this fits nicely into that category.

Enjoyed in a group 3-4 size pipe, and is an "anytime" somke.

...a pipe is to be savored...
2 people found this review helpful.
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