| My experience trying to draft this review was much like my first time smoking this tobacco: nearly overwhelming. There are just so many things I want to say about it, all at once. Now, as I write this, I feel bound by common sense and common decency to warn others that this is strong tobacco, indeed, and you will not go gently into the good night after smoking a bowl of Commodore Flake!
IMO, this tobacco has what it takes to become a Cult Classic. While it's not for everyone, there is definitely enough There here to make it an object of lust for a certain few. Preparation, presentation, smoking qualities, aroma and taste are all 4 Star, and it only gets better on that level as it is smoked down. At the the same time, the nicotine level keeps building, from a rush to a blow to the side of the head. Is this the stuff of legends? We'll see.
As for aroma and taste, this tobacco is all about undertones. The Latakia, Cavendish and Kentucky are artfully melded and provide a rich, intoxicating blend of dark, smoky, unsweetened chocolate, sour prunes, piping hot, dark, bitter coffee, and roasted Brazil nuts. I find it hard to describe the unique combination of prime Latakia "smoke", sour, sweet and nuts on the tongue, but it is more than a blast; it is the tobacconist's art at its zenith. It gives off a great profusion of smoke that smells wonderful, but the smoker partakes of this at his own risk. And just to be triple sure one never forgets it, it has the best aftertaste of any tobacco I have tried. It is certainly the best of the Lat blends in this regard.
So, if it's so great, why do I only give it 3 stars? Simply put, it would be downright irresponsible of me not to penalize it one star for its over-the-top nicotine content.
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| 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.
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