Fribourg & Treyer Cut Virginia Plug

(3.47)
A full bodied, medium to full strength pressed flake. Very complex from start to finish with a well balanced taste that is both boldly spicy and subtlety sweet.

Details

Brand Fribourg & Treyer
Blended By Kohlhase & Kopp
Manufactured By  
Blend Type Straight Virginia
Contents Virginia
Flavoring Fruit / Citrus, Vanilla
Cut Flake
Packaging 50 grams tin
Country Germany
Production Currently available

Profile

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

Average Rating

3.47 / 4
47

19

9

1

Reviews

Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 76 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 22, 2013 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
Flat tinned, light brown-to-golden virginia flake - thin flakes that are easy to rub out or fold. Nice wheaty tin aroma with a hint of sweet casing, a cross between citrus and vanilla. Easy to load and easy to keep lit.

Excellent example of a golden VA. It is a sweet flake, but not overly so and has quite a bit of spiciness as well. The citrus is not overblown as it is in OGS but is present in just the right amount, just to the light side of Dunhill Light Flake. This is a soft smoke, gentle on the palate but with no attendant loss of flavor. And I taste something beside the citrus in here as well, a sort of vanilla creme or hazelnut. It's very light but very present, all down the bowl. Reminds me faintly of a more lightly cased Tordenskold VA. I like that one because it's different but this one is different still, and more to my taste. More of a natural smoke but with some creaminess (a word I don't think I've ever used to describe a VA flake). It's almost an Orange Julius taste but leaning more toward the citrus and less to the cream. Quite enticing. Add to this mix the lightly toasted wheat bread flavor and this is one tasty smoke!

While I was smoking this one, I wasn't focused on its complexity (on the lighter side of that scale) or nicotine content (ditto) or anything other than its flavor, which was nothing short of excellent. This is golden VA at its best - subtly citrusy rather than tasting like it was marinated in lemon/orange sauce. The creaminess was done to perfection. I can hardly wait to crack one of my tins of Cut Blended Plug! This one is a keeper and a simple recommendation to anyone who enjoy straight virginia, with a twist. As someone who strongly favors darker flavors, this blend shows me what can be accomplished on the lighter side of things. Impressive!
36 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 10, 2016 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
The dark flue cured Virginia provides some some tangy dark fruit sweetness, earth, wood, bread, and vegetation along with a minor sugary stewed fruitiness, and small spice and floral notes as the lead component. The flue cured gold Virginia offers some tart and tangy citrus, bread, sugar, vegetative grass, mild floralness, light sour lemon, and a pinch of spice as a supporting player. The vanilla topping is very mild, mostly underscoring the blend with a creamy sweet texture. The mild fruit topping is apricot which has a nice richness that doesn’t drown out the tobaccos. The nic-hit is a shade below medium. The strength and taste levels are a step below the medium mark. The flakes are not overly wet, and I saw no need to dry them. They break apart very easily to suit your preference. Burns slow, cool, and clean with a very consistent sweet, earthy, woody flavor as the toppings do not lose strength. It’s fairly smooth with a little creaminess, and a very slight rough edge from the dark Virginia that well compliments the quality of the experience. No dull or harsh spots to be found, even if you’re a fast puffer. Won't bite. It requires some relights, but fewer than I normally expect from a flake with a little moisture. Burns to ash with little problem, and leaves just a little dampness in the bowl. Has a lightly lingering very pleasant after taste and room note. Can easily be an all day smoke for both experienced and novice smokers. Four stars.

UPDATE: 7-6-2022. There has been a change. There’s a little more flue cured pressed dark, bright Virginia in the composition of the blend now. The dark red Virginia is now a dark orange Virginia and offers secondary, not full support. Before, it was the lead component. The mild apricot topping is a tad stronger now, and a noticeable, sweet honey has replaced the very light vanilla as they currently reduce the effect of the tobacco. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels are about a notch and half lower now as a result of the change of varietals and toppings. The flavors that stand out now are tart and tangy citrus, sour lemon, a little more floralness, bread, sugar, with light acidity and a syrup note. The tangy dark fruit, earth and wood are a rung ahead of the condiment line. The cream note in the previous version is slightly evident. The after taste lasts just a little longer, and the room note is a touch stronger than before. All the other aspects still apply. I deduct a star because of the heightened sour and acidic qualities which causes me to give this production three stars instead of four. My TR rating reflects the current version. Should age well.

-JimInks
27 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 18, 2014 Mild to Medium Very Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
I generally prefer brown Virginias over light Virginias, but I have to say this fine F&T flake fits nicely in my Virginia rotation. This review is based on a well-aged tin. As usual with F&T, the flakes are cut and laid out very evenly in the tin. The scent is heavenly. I have smoked this fully rubbed out, folded and stuffed, and broken into small cubes. I prefer the latter. This blend is sweet, and now aged, it’s very sweet with a reduction in spice. There is a sweet, somewhat citrus like topping, but I find the citrus component very mild. As a point of reference, CVP isn’t close IMO to Orlik Golden Slices in terms of amount of added citrus. To me, this is a much better flake. It doesn’t bite and the flavor builds throughout the bowl, but never becomes strong. The “hay” like flavor seems to become a bit muted with the age of the blend. My only negative with this blend, and its minor, is that it is almost too sweet when aged. For me, that’s saying something because I love the sweetness that comes from aged Virginias.
Age When Smoked: 7 years
24 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 07, 2013 Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
For me this one is the pinnacle of continental flakes. The very best you'll find outside of England and America.

Broken down, this is an excellent golden Va flake. I rate the tobacco here right up there with SG MVF and Butera Golden Cake. It's a great example of golden Va, full of sunny sweet notes and grassy tobacco goodness.

Like Dan Hamborger Veermaster and Dunhill Flake, this one is cased with citrus. It has much less of the citrus sauce than the other two, which allows it to be much more about the tobacco while still having that great citrus body. Because of the added citrus this one holds up during the cold months, where it wouldn't without it. I can smoke this one year round.

For me this is not only the pinnacle of continental flakes, it's the finest example of a citrus cased Va in existence. A superior, delicious tobacco, one of my top five.
17 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 10, 2001 Mild None Detected Mild Pleasant to Tolerable
Having enjoyed this in the past, I recently openned a tin that I had been cellaring for some time now (perhaps about a year).

This is a beautiful tobacco-- light, red and dark Virginias intermingle in the thin sliced flake. Mine has darkened slightly with age (I assume it has picked up some sweetness along with it, but I don't remember well enough to say definitively).

The tin aroma is very pleasant. Natural sweetness combined with a fresh mown grass-type smell reminds me of summers outdoors wiht that slight hint of honey suckle in the air-- I love this smell!

The tin description claims that it's full bodied-- it seems pretty mild to me. The blend smokes cleanly and coolly and gently. This would be a fantastic all-day or early morning smoke for the lover of straight Virginias. For me, it is a fantastic change of pace from stronger, richer tobaccos. I wouldn't say that this is particularly complex, but it is very pleasant. It is sweet, but definitely not overwhelmingly so and has a wonderfully 'clean' flavor.

I highly recommend this to almost any smoker-- it's easy to light and keep lit for the newcomer to Virginia flakes, a fantastic mild Virginia in its own right and a superb change of pace tobacco for the lover of stronger Virginias, Va/Perique blends and Latakia blend.

I have but one complaint-- I only cellared one tin...
15 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 20, 2002 Mild None Detected Mild Pleasant
A very nice and simple Virginia, mild but tasty, with a very subdued tanginess and a bit of a creamy and toasted flavour. Uncomplicated, smooth, this is a smoke that requires little to no attention at all. A nice companion to work with, I would define this as polite a tobaco as Orlik Golden Sliced, albeit without the Burley edge. But they could be brothers. It is also quite similar to Stokkebye's Navy Cut, without the Perique and much milder.

This may be one of the best introudctions to straight Virginias. It lacks the natural sweetness I have tried in other blends (Bjarne´s Flake de Luxe or Dunhill´s Light Flake), but its toasty and wheaty undertones would surely attract a cigarrette smoker. It is made from quality leaf and it is extremely simple to pack and light. A very good option when in a rush, or to smoke it at work. Nobody seems to mind!
12 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 25, 2016 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium to Full Very Pleasant
Bold, dark and naturally sweet, this has to be one of the finest Virginia tobaccos that I've ever put in my pipe. I cannot describe how gallantly the leaf performs at the match, and the best part of all is the way the leaf morphs into an indescribable richness as the tobacco is consumed from the mid-way point to the bottom. If you can find a tin or two of this old classic, grab it!

Pipestud
10 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 04, 2013 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
Opening a tin of this flake (from Kohlhase & Kopp) is always a joy. Word is that it is identical with the Ilsted Plug but, as the name says, cut into very attractive, mottled (light, brown and dark brown) slices; the Virginias from Brasil, India and Africa. The strength and room note are on the lighter side of medium.

The tin aroma is enticing with a light fruitiness, most probably from the casing. If it is a top flavoring it has been applied skillfully with a light hand and is more apparent in the tin than on the tongue. It is not an 'aromatic.'

The flakes are a treat to behold, pliable and seem to be a bit moist until one begins to work with them. Rubbing them out, they take to air like a pressed sponge to water, expanding and blooming into a surprising amount of springy and easily workable ribbon. In this form they lend themselves to smoking in larger pipes (as do most of K&K's offerings). However, and herein lies the rub, they respond very well if they are folded once, rubbed/rolled slightly keeping the fibers parallel then placed carefully into the bowl as vertically as possible. CVP seems to respond very differently to the various methods of handling and packing and to the size of pipe chosen. Many will be sympathetic with lustra's contradictory experiences (see below). I certainly am. Still, this works well for me both fully rubbed out in a medium to larger pipe and, less rubbed-out in smaller pipes, and I tend to prefer the latter.

CVP takes to the match and burns very, very well. Keeping the temperature in the pipe low yields an alluring, flavorful and invigorating smoke, leaving a clean and fruity aftertaste with a hint of toasted oats. While this is not a nicotine powerhouse, there is enough to be noticed. It is a great summer pipe, shows its stuff best out of the wind or indoors, and would be a good all-day flake for many a Va. smoker.

If you like Va. flakes, this is definitely one to try. It is also one for the 'cellar'. The tin reviewed is from 2008. CVP ages well.

As this is my first review here, I really want to thank all of the contributors. This site has been a great help over the years. Thank you!

UPDATE 06/09/16

Am still struck by the presentation, perfectly cut flakes very neatly stacked in a smaller rectangular tin. This last tin was produced in September, 2008. Moisture level upon opening: ca. 19%. And although it smokes well right out of the tin, it does profit from drying to about 14%, or after remaining in the unsealed tin for a couple of days. The color of the flake has deepened and darkened considerably in the last eight years, as has the aroma.

Fine smell of fermentation, sour and yeastily sweet. Still don’t pick up on the addition of vanilla, if there is any, which I doubt, but besides the orangey citrus notes, it is reminiscent of sweet woodruff with an almost cinnamon-like spiciness as the bowl progresses. Accompanying the cinnamon seem to be hints of clove, nutmeg, basil and bay leaf. Maybe eugenol was used as part of the casing? A pleasant, toasty and tobacco-y tarriness emerges in the second third of the bowl which provides backbone and an axis for the other flavors to revolve around, which are, as a whole, surprisingly smooth and creamy. As the bowl continues, depth and earthiness develop without eclipsing the enticing sweetness and invigorating and almost salty citrus (orange or tangerine) tang which have been there from the first light.

This is really a unique and wonderful smoke and one (IMHO) every smoker (especially Virginia devotees) should try.

Four undisputed stars. Highly recommended!
Pipe Used: Several. All reserved for Virginias w/out topping.
Age When Smoked: 4-5 years.
10 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 07, 2005 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant
Appearance: Beautifully cut small flakes, mostly medium brown in color

Aroma: The aroma is well matured Virginia, with a trace of top dressing. Overall, the bouquet reminds me of Capstan Medium Navy Flake.

Packing: Very easy in almos any size pipe. Either a partial rub out, or a ?roll up? worked well, depending on the burn rate desired

Lighting: Not the quickest lighting flake I can recall, but fairly easy A one match light is possible.

Initial flavor: The initial flavor is sweet medium strength Vrginia, quite beguiling and gentle.

Mid-bowl: The tobacco burns cooler than expected unless puffed too quickly. There is a full range of medium to high notes that keep you interested, but don?t stress the tongue or palate.

Finish: Even at the finish, there is no harshness. The ash is medium gray and quite fine.

Summary: This is to me, an excellent all day tobacco that can be smoked either casually or contemplatively. It is rewarding either way.
10 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 30, 2017 Mild Mild Mild Very Pleasant
Fribourg & Treyer - Cut Virginia Plug.

A little darker than medium brown, the moisture amount makes for imminent smoking from the fresh tin, and it gives a slight citrus tin-note. I normally fully rub out my flakes, but find this smokes every bit as well if folded/stuffed. If not better.

The vanilla's been applied more discreetly than the fruit, which is also fairly light, but easily the stronger of the two. The pair work well together, giving a subtle citrus-zestiness with a gentle custard/cream trait from the vanilla. The Virginia has a ripe sweetness, and little natural sharpness. Cut Virginia Plug burns cool, giving a lightweight smoke, that doesn't bite any.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: very pleasant.

Highly recommended, happily:

Four stars.
Pipe Used: Various
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: New
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.

target="_blank"