The flakes are quite dark, with a dried apricot smell in the tin, they tend to be a little ragged on the edges. It rubs out without any trouble, an is no problem to pack. Lighting however seems always to take me three vestas, every time, if I am to get a nice even light. After that however it stays lit no trouble. It comes a little moist in the tin, and sometimes burns wet, so its a good idea to have some pipecleaners on hand. The room aroma is this tobaccos best feature. Its very light and fruity, but natural and uncased. Quite aromatic in fact.

As to the flavour, the less said the better, simply because there isnt really a lot to say. Dull is the only way to describe it. The Dunhill light flake is a very similar but far superior example of a pure virginia flake tobacco.

It is a slightly scented mild Va. flake, cool burning, but IMO far too bland. However, it is an economic alternative to Va. flakes from more traditional brands. In fact the AITS designed a triad of tobaccos to cover a conventional range of pipe smoking. Together with Flake Supreme (the straight Va. Choice) there is a mild black aromatic, and a medium to full Latakia blend completing the group. I think the range was designed to attract a younger generation of would be pipe smokers.

Flake Supreme is, to a great extent, a milder version of Orlik Golden Sliced and similar to Radford?s Sunrise Flake IMO it lacks body and structure, and the mildness of the Virginia leaf used here is barley countered by a flavor not unlike those semi sweet biscuits the English are so fond of. I don?t know if there is any Burley in FS, but at certain points of the smoke you get a similar nutty and grassy note. As a beginner?s smoke FS may be nice and inviting. Palates used to stronger weed may find it tongue biting and dull. I used to smoke it every now and then, especially when I had a cold, because as I could not distinguish flavors anyway, it was not an expensive nor an irritating smoke.