Peretti London Flake

This is almost McClelland's #2015. I say "almost" because there are differences between them. The familiar vinegar smell lightly translates into the smoke, but it isn't as obvious as it is in some of the other McClelland blends. The orange and red Virginias offer a lot of tart and tangy citrus, some tangy ripe dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, light grass and sugar, and a floral note. There's less perique here, and it provides more plum and fig than spice as a condiment. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is step past the center of mild to medium. Won't bite or get harsh. Has a few very small rough edges. You will have to dry it some, but once done, smokes cool, clean and a little slow with a very consistent flavor from top to bottom. Leaves just a little moisture in the bowl. Requires some relights. Has a pleasantly lightly lingering after taste, and room note. Not quite an all day smoke. It's really more of a two and a half star blend, but it deserves more than two stars, hence the three star rating.

Update 7-22-2020: The new version has a very similar composition to the “McClelland” production. The orange and red Virginias offer a lot of tart and tangy citrus, some tangy ripe dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, mild grass and sugar, and a small floral note. The figgy, plumy, earthy, woody, moderately spicy perique is a little more obvious here, especially the spice. It’s a secondary player. The light vinegar note is a step less potent than it is in the original, and the floralness is a hair stronger. There is a light sweet topping present, though it doesn't tone down the tobaccos much. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a couple of slots past the center of mild to medium. Won't bite or get harsh. Has a few small rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a slightly slow pace with a very consistent sweet and mildly spicy flavor that translates to the pleasantly lingering after taste, and room note. Barely leaves any moisture in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. A worthy successor to the previous manufacture even though it lacks the McClelland touch. A solid three star blend.

-JimInks

First of all, it is not McClelland's 2015...no way, no how. I have both blends on the table in front of me right now. The texture of the tobacco is closer to the old Bengal Slices when you rub it out. It also does not have the ketchup smell (to me at least). It is a delicious VA-Perique blend that hits a great balance between the aged virginias and the perique. I actually like that it does not throw the perique in your face...it's a subtle note here. Just enough of the peppery goodness that you want in this type of blend. Honestly, this is one of the best VA-Perique blends that I've ever smoked.

Focuses on darker browns and a bit more broken than a typical broken flake. Tin aroma was of a diluted McClellands fermented tang, which indicated that they sourced the Virginia from McClellands. That's a huge plus.

I've heard that this is supposedly a rebadging of McClellands #2015. It may start out that way but Peretti does something to it because it neither looks nor tastes the same. This is considerably lighter in flavor and less fully developed. There is less of the familiar tang of McClellands, and the perique is more lightly applied here. I compared the two back to back and found them in the same ballpark but not the same. This is less sweet with a bigger sour note as well as being lighter in body. This is still a very good tobacco but it's not quite up to the 2015 level. This one, however, might be the better choice for someone looking for lighter fare, such as in the mornings. In fact, this might be a quite excellent first smoke of the day. Since I don't often smoke that early, I'll stick with the more robust and flavorful 2015.

This is a review for the new London Flake, released March 2018.

Sadly I never got around to trying the old version and that chance has come and gone.

This is obviously not a McClelland product. What is it? I'll bet all my chips that it's a Sutliff Virginia Slices, plus perique. Tastes good. I really enjoy Sutliff slices (I had no idea they made such good flake) and the perique adds a nice fruity-spicy dimension. The Virginia is grass and hay, with a mild Danish-style topping.

Peretti London Flake - This Virginia -Perique blend has an obvious ketchup tang to it where Sutliff rc515 is all Vinegar and all Virginia. There is some bright leaf hay and grass but more of the fruity tangy red variety Virginia. Bready and a little malt and oats . The Perique is light here but adds some nice plum and a little spice . I enjoy this quite a bit . This is a solid Vaper and I would definitely buy A tin for the cellar . A lot more flavor than the tin I smoked of Elizabethan recently . No bite and light nic hit . 4 star blend

MARCH 2018 EDIT:

No longer able to source the McClelland flake, Peretti recently introduced a new London Flake. This is a loosely packed, 7 inch long flake of lighter colored VAs and Perique and is quite good. It has a certain smell and flavor that have me believing it is British, though they would not tell me who their new supplier is.

The new London Flake is great, and will appeal to smokers who like Cardiff.

OLD VERSION:

I'm convinced this is made for Peretti by McClelland. It has the characteristic texture of a McC broken Flake and the same tang and ketchup tin note. But it's not a rebrand of 2015. Compared to 2015, London Flake is less spicy, slightly sweeter and has a more refined character. If you're a VaPer fan or like 2015 but want something a bit more easygoing, give it a try.

This is the fourth of five samples I received from my nephew. All Four of these were VaPers (or variations of the same). This was my least favorite of those four. I see that a lot of people compare this to 2015 and I guess that is apt as all of these blends had traces of McClelland scent and as this is composed of Virginia and perique, It is an apt comparison.

I did find this different than 2015. The scent was much subdued and so was the smoke itself. It was less tangy. I also thought this was a little stronger in nicotine than 2015, albeit far from a nicotine hammer. I had thought perhaps that it was because it was higher in perique, but I would be definitely in the minority with that opinion as many have explained the perique as very light.

I actually find the perique very light in 2015 as well, so for me it is pretty hard to determine which of the lightweights is heavier. At the end of the day the two blends are just too similar to justify spending more money on this one. Your dollar would be better spent on Number 8, Dundee or Park Square.

By this and a strict interpretation of how heavily I would recommend a blend, this should be a one star. But that just would not be doing the blend justice, so I am adding a star for the quality leaf and a blend that certainly won't disgust anyone who enjoys Virginias. Heck, someone who despises the McVV scent, may enjoy this blend a lot as it is so light that it almost escapes detection in LF.

This is a fine VA flake. This as most tobaccos of this sort is multi-faceted and can please in a variety of ways depending on the rub out or lack of.

Out of the pouch the aroma is reminiscent of Mc Clelland VA's with the ketchup and vinegar over tone in the pouch aroma. London Flake packs nicely and burns well once thoroughly lit. This tobacco is well balanced and has a satisfying VA flavor from top to bottom.

I really like this blend and most likely will add it to my VA rotation from time to time.

First off, the comparison to the old McClelland red Va is not far off. McC always had a certain touch though, much as Esoterica (Germain) does. Whoever said bengal slices I fear is confused....its not that at all. This is a high quality but pretty simple virginia flake (its honestly not too far off from stuff like Dan Tobacco's Patriot Flake or Hamborger Veermaster). There is perique in there, and you can taste it, though nothing like McClelland used to with Beacon Extra, say. It reminds me a bit of St James flake (gawith, also impossible to procure these days). All that said, its very good -- Im a va flake smoker-- and I buy quite a bit of it. Its not really a dark heavily stoved flake, but its more middle strength in those terms. Nic hit is about what you would expect. Has that lovely hay and stewed fruit quality of fermented viginias. And a bit of a nudge from the perique. I think we should all be grateful Peretti is still around. 3 and a half.

To me this is THE best Vaper in existence. But imo it needs to be allowed to sit for a few months before it's really, really good. When I'm writing this it has a 2.7 overall rating, and that's shocking to me. When it's ready it's smooth, creamy, tasty, sweet, and a little spicy. What more can one ask for in a VaPer? My suggestion is get a few ounces, put it in a jar, air it out every now and then, and visit it after a few months. If you like VaPers you can't possibly be disappointed.