I found that loading the pipe with the flake without rubbing it out allowed for a very slow burn and fine, even white ash which could be savored for a good long time. It did get gurgly, often but I find that to be very common with all of my tobaccos. It probably is a result of my preference to them being somewhat moist.

Unless you are one who prefers the English blends with orientals (which I have never been able to adjust to in 49 years) this could be THE choice for the smoker looking for a sweeet, slow and fragant smoke.

as for this blend, I have no clue why it took me so long to try it. I had a decade old sample many years ago, of 2 bowls-worth, and it was excellent. I think the person told me it was LNF, not LTF.

This blend packs easily, lights as easy, and has one of the best VA room notes I've had the pleasure of being around.

The flavor has none of the "hay/straw" qualities I find in LBF and slightly in younger LNF. oddly, I find this blend to be more "navy" like than LNF, which is a good thing. Flavor changes as the bowl grows older, and right now it has a great tasting spice that I just can't name.

easily 4 stars from me.

LTF provides the smoker with a toasty sweetness. Freshly baked rolls in the bakery at 5:am would be the way I would describe it..

If you have not tried LTF, you have not experienced VA blends.

Unfortunately this high grade tobacco has a mild strength and taste for my tastes. It has a sweet taste which has been enriched with a casing. I can't explain the casing, maybe it is just the cavendish, although it reminds me a bit vanilla.

The mild strength and less taste can result a fast puffing cadence which ruins the smoke. I hardly recommend smoking this tobacco very slowly.

If you look for a sweet and mild strength tobacco this one can be one of your favorite.

Upon lighting I realized there is some kind of topping on it, its not a aromatic by any means but you can tell there is a sweetener, and its not an all together unpleasant topping at that. I tend to like my aromatics...well aromatic and my english/va blends to be topping free but I rather liked the subtle flavor added to this. The topping does have one unpleasant quality though. I imagine when its not doing its job flavoring tobacco it moonlights as wood stain at some pipe maker. Rubbing it out would sometimes leave a gooey substance on my hand that would stain it a golden brown.

While the first light was an amazing flavor, it only lasted about 3 puffs and began to fade. It continued to fade for about 1/3 of the bowl and then leveled out to a mild, not very sweet VA flavor. I was somewhat let down by this, especially since the bowl started out so nicely.

Oh I did find a quality with this tobacco that was somewhat a double edge sword. Unlike most VA's I found that puffing to hard would drastically alter the flavor. When I started to draw to much the flavor would quickly turn to ash in my mouth, literally, it tasted like ash and nothing like tobacco. Slowing down would correct the problem. I say double edge sword because the flavor would turn revolting long before it would bite wich if a person was learning to smoke VA's for the first time, would be a great way to learn without having your tongue bit off.

All that aside, I wouldn't mind buying this tobacco again, I wasn't hugely impressed but I had to give it respect. It was good for what it was, it just wasn't what I was looking for.

Happy Puffin'

I let them dry a bit, and then the fold and stuff method works great. The way the flake naturally starts to break up (due to the unique folded and pressed manufacturing) makes it easier to light than your average flake. This stuff burns great and produces creamy fountains of smoke when it's rolling by mid-bowl.

The virginias here are very agreeable to the tongue. It hasn't bit me yet in any pipe or fill method. The top flavor is sweet but midly so, and has a sort of 'refreshing' tone to it. Almost like anis, or mint. But don't worry, the flavor is light and goes well with the high quality tobacco. I'm surprised how much I like the flavor.

A "must try" for those lovers of virginia flakes with a sense of adventure. A possible "hate it" for virginia purists or grouchy old men ;)

Update: I have been smoking this tobacco daily and it has become a favorite. I find the sweet aromatic notes to be extremely pleasant while still providing a good tobacco experience in the traditional sense.

Try Astley's No.109 Virginia Flake if you prefer the same flavor as this one but more natural and with no casing

In the years between TS and LTF I smoked a lot of cigars. It recently dawned on me that I could buy a decent pipe and a supply of tobacco for what I was paying for a box of fine cigars. So I bought a couple of Radices, a few tins and bulk bags, cleaned up the Caminetto, the GBDs and assorted other pipes, and I am resuming a journey started long ago. I would like to thank Phil Lowe for getting me started way back when.

A most unique presentation and preparation of Danish Virginia Cavendish. One of the easiest flakes to prepare and smoke in a variety of techniques and pipes.

Very nice tobacco.

Smells wonderful in the bag. Flavor of tobacco seems slightly muted. Lite, easy to smoke. Room note isn't the 1st choice of the wife.

The grassy flavor doesn't really present itself until the bottom 1/4 of the bowl.

I would recommend it, but only to those whose preference isn't a full bodied virginia.

To me this has about 1/2 the body of Solani 633, which for some might be exactly what they are looking for.

I have some Luxury Navy Flake and Luxury Bullseye Flake on the way to see if I they are a little more hearty.

The leaf is of great quality but it does have a tendency to burn hot if not smoked very slowly. I also believe there to be some sort of sweetner added to the Cavendish but would not bet my life on it.

Similar in some respects tastewise to Astley's #109.

LTF has an interesting added flavoring that is difficult to pinpoint, although, thedstnguishdgntlmn 's comment, "Think baked goods right out of the oven", is probably as close as one can come to describing this flakes unique taste and aroma.

Not something I smoke everyday, LTF is nice change of pace from my normal virginias. Anyone who appreciates a flavored virginia should try this unusual offering.

* * *

A pleasant and very well behaved Virginia, perfect for reading, or quiet contemplation. Good with coffee or tea. Definitely worth a try, but may be too mild for some of you who favor heartier flakes.

After loading as I do with a typical flake, I found the lighting draw to be quite sweet. After lighting, it seems to mellow into a very mild, easy smoke. I'll need to smoke a few more bowls to give a sound description but found it very pleasant, all things considered.

I don't think this will replace Blackwood's Flake as my favorite Virginia right now, but certainly a worthy change of pace.

Edit: Just a post-note to indicate that after a few bowls, I find this tobacco to have a very mild and slightly spicy taste. Most would think it too mild. However, it does have a bit of a niccotine hit (for me at least).

BETTER PICK: MCCLELLAND CHRISTMAS CHEER 05' OR 06

However, even despite the very attractive price (two bucks an ounce), it falls short of being a virginia capable of standing on its own. It's not a mild virginia, it's more a bland virginia. The flavor came through fairly well, just very one dimensional (even for a va) and plain. At first I thought it was rather like a milder version of MacBaren's Navy Flake, but it isn't even near approaching that flake for flavor. And, it even makes Orlik's Golden Slices seem exotic and spicy in comparison.

Still, I find it hard to say that this is a "not good" tobacco. It's unexciting; that's the word. But, for someone looking for a very mild biteless va flake that smokes clean it will do. And the price is right, even comparable to cheap drugstore blends (most of which this is still far above in flavor and quality). I just can't really give it a full endorsement due to it's overly gentle nature.

I don't try to get a super-even burn with this va. I'll light the pipe, tamp it down, relight quickly and then sip on it like it was a fine cognac and the results are quite rewarding.

A wonderfully woody va flavor with a touch of topping that may be citrus.. great for the first smoke in the morning. High quality va and very mild.

Five of five stars

Appearance: A light golden to medium brown thin cut flake, square cut.

Aroma: Wonderfully enticing, tawny aroma to match its color, with the suggestion of fig, grape leaf, date, and faintly of spicy ketchup.

Taste: Delicious straightforward Virginia flavor: sweet, nutty, mellow, and mild. On the mild side in body, with a modest amount of nicotine, it has a mellow nutty flavor that is unassuming and easy to smoke, without the complexity that other Virginia blends, such as Dunhill Flake, present.

Comparisons: Sweeter than Dunhill Light Flake, not as nutty as the Gawith flakes, with a certain distinctive flavor aligning it with Dobie's Four Square and Capstan Medium.

Bottom Line: An easy to smoke, enjoyable Virginia flake. It lacks the vibrancy to make it a permanent resident in my cellar of aging tins, but I enjoy it from time to time in my rotation.

This stuff just smells fantastic in the packaging, and the construction is unimpeachable. For those who back away from nicotine strength, but like the Va. blends with a slight casing, this is hard to beat.

The blend comes in thick perfectly-cut rectangles that seem to break naturally into 3 seperate but equal squares. Each one of these squares seems to be the perfect size to fill a medium-sized bowl. The appearance is a beautiful golden swirled square that rubs out easily to a fine crumble.

The scent and flavor of the leaf is similar to a butterscotch/coconut combination with a bit of honey yet there is definately natural tobacco taste.

Burn is easy and even. It rarely bites and remains consistent throughout the bowl. This is one of those rare blends that tastes like it smells and even smells the same while burning as it does in the bag.

If you like a flavorful yet natural-tasting tobacco that burns well then this is for you.

***************************************************************** update 3/29/05----------I am still smoking Luxury Twist quite a bit and continue to marvel at this wonderful baccy. It smells from the pouch almost like a vanilla/rum/baking bread aroma. However the flavor of the tobacco comes through entirely enjoyably. With only mild hints of the topping. I can smoke this all day long without getting tired of it and I look forward to my evenings at home puffing on this wonderful mixture.

Okay, back to the surprise and disappointment. My previous encounter with this blend around four years earlier left me with an impression of a gently sweet, light/medium Virginia with a nice fragrant tone. When I smoked this, I thought maybe I had mislabeled my sample, but I didn't.

There is an edge to this, and definitely some decent nicotine. It comes in a beautifully variegated, supple flake. If there is vanilla here, it comes through only as a background smoothness. But there is some harshness here that counters any such contribution. When allowed to gently escape from your mouth, it stings your eyes and nose. The smoke is very thick.

It may be that I have a particular chemical reaction to the Stokkebye Luxury series tobaccos, because I don't see many people having my reaction, so take this for what it's worth. I really wanted to like this tobacco, but I just can't give it thumbs up.

I had to go all the way to Houston Texas before finding this excellent blend.

This IS Virginia. Good Virginia pressed and sliced into square cut slices. Several birds eyes in the cut as well. It is sweetened only a little. The taste is natural Virginia,Carolina old Belt cream. The sweetness is wonderful,and reminds me of Troost Slices,or how they did tatse,except better. Easy to light,easy to keep lit. Lots of sweet tangy cream Virginia wafting smoke.

Also, the ladies will not run you off while smoking this Virginia.

*My sweet wife says that when I smoke Virginia Tobacco it smells like a nasty old cigarette.

I rate this tobacco 8.3 out of 10.

Appearance: This is one of the most beautiful tobaccos I?ve ever seen. Twist Flake as the name implies produces an appealing roughly 2 inch square flake (more often than not joined to a second flake by a few strands) of varying hues from nearly white to rich coffee/caramel brown. The twisting of the flake before pressing produces nice tight birdseye which appeals to the senses visually and tactilely as one rubs it out.

Tin aroma: Initially, I smell very ?bright? Virginias, and citrus, followed by deeper caramel and earthy tones. There is the quality of freshly mown hay, and other smells recalling my summers as a youth in dairy country of Upstate New York. There are deeper more ?forest-like? tones as well.

This tobacco is very easy to rub out, I usually rub several flakes partially and several more fully and employ the ?Frank method? using the rougher rubbed for the gravity feed followed by finer rubbed for the ?rolling portion?. So doing, I generally use the better part of 4 flakes to fill a bowl whose dimensions are roughly 7/8 inches x 1 3/4, a smoke which usually lasts just over an hour.

Lighting usually is a single match affair, I find that the ?Frank method? usually eliminates the need for much of a ?lighting tamp?, though once in awhile if I pause or just let the pipe go out, I might have to re-light it. This is a very easy going easy burning tobacco that almost smokes itself if packed correctly. As expected, the initial flavor is very citrus (though not unpleasant) the orange essence quickly giving way to the brightness of high grade Virginia tobaccos. This is a very good ?first bowl of the day? though I often smoke it at night; the bright and lively nature tends to lift my spirits. Very quickly though, I begin to catch some of the coming depth of flavors, this is not a monochromatic blend at all.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the brightness is joined by deepening tones, earthy and full. If exhaled nasally the brightness and orange is still very much there, when inhaled, tones of caramel and figs are present (the best inhaling method being the ?French curve? out of the mouth and gently inhaled side stream through the nose). There is a very mild (natural) sweetness to the blend, a sweetness like molasses or raw honey, which is only ?just there? barely perceptible. This is the kind of smoke which makes me put my feet up and hold the smoke in my mouth letting its buttery silkiness dance around my pallet.

Home Stretch: Every time I approach the end of a bowl the reaction is the same, I marvel at what a masterpiece it truly is. Luxury Twist Flake stands alone in a fine balance of ?pure Virginia tobaccos? and a mild aromatic blend. Strictly speaking, it is an aromatic, though only just barely so. The carefully balanced ?string quartet? of flavors experienced mid-bowl deepens perceptibly rounding out to a satisfying fullness that is never overpowering. All of the starting elements are still there; the orange essence never really ?leaves the scene? but never overpowers the Virginia richness in any way. This often smokes down to very little dottle leaving fine ?salt and pepper? ash.

Supplemental Notes: This is one of a handful of tobaccos I?d take to a desert island. Rating for those interested in numbers ****

I noticed a topping on this tobacco that reminded me a lot of the topping added to one of my favorites, Escudo. That might be why I like this tobacco so much. The topping didn?t dominate the flavor, but rather I found that it played hide-and-seek with the naturally sweet Virginia leaf flavor.

Twist lit very easily and burned exceptionally well. It can be a bit awkward to load into smaller bowls due to the nature of the cut, but it can easily be torn apart or zapped in a food processor if you prefer small bowls. There was no suggestion of tongue bite, not even a nibble. The room note actually drew a compliment from a co-worker ? and that is saying a lot, this is a tough crowd.

If you are looking for great complexity, don?t look here. Luxury Twist quickly settles in to a delightful flavor that remains throughout the bowl with just the slightest bit of change as the aforementioned topping occasionally asserts itself. In fact, I think I might have been disappointed if it had changed appreciably.

While there is some nicotine present, it won?t clobber you. If you?re looking for a good first experience in the world of Virginias, this should be high on the list of candidates.

Appearance: This is a twist which has been sliced into very thin flakes. Each piece is about 1.5" x 1" and contains a lot of small stem slices (birdseyes). Colors vary from pale yellow to deep rich brown. This is a nice-looking tobacco which rubs out very easily.

Packing and Lighting: I very lightly rubbed out two flakes - nothing more than lightly crumpling them in my palm, actually - and these filled my Tinsky Custom Rhodesian almost to the rim. The pack is rather loose, but I like to adjust that with my tamper after the bowl is well-lit.

The charring light was slightly uneven (normal when I smoke flakes) but judicious tamping and a second light fixed the whole thing perfectly.

Exposition: The initial smoke was very intense, due to all the well-aged virginias present and the fact that this was my first smoke of the day. It's very perky and bright, waking up my tastebuds without assaulting them, but I can see that this would require slow smoking to avoid a tendency to bite. This blend seems best in my Savinelli Autograph Canadian - but I could probably smoke a poodle in that pipe and it'd taste good.

The Story: Once the pack was adjusted, the burn settled down and my palate fully awakened I settled in for a nice slow smoke. There is very little nicotine in this and a fair amount of body. The sweetness comes across well in the flavor, but the orange flavor is more subdued. The predominant flavor is natural tobacco, light in strength and of medium body. There aren't a lot of subtleties here, just a nice unified one or two note flavor. The room aroma is quite nice and shouldn't offend anyone with even a modicum of tolerance for pipe tobacco.

The sidestream smoke is quite sweet and woody, with a sharp note that would be nice in a bent pipe if I were inclined to smoke them (my Rhodesian is a custom and not even 1/8 bent).

As the bowl burns down toward the halfway mark, it has begun to pick up a little heaviness typical of Virginia flakes. A little musky woodsiness has crept in under the sweetness and added some layers of flavor, reminding me of McClelland's 2015 without the Perique. The sharpness is still there, as is the sense that it would bite my tongue if I'd let it. The burn is even and consistent, and it stays lit quite easily.

Denoument: The flavor and aroma have both remained pretty consistent throughout the entire bowl, only gaining in strength and complexity. Not a hint of sourness or bitterness, and it still smells really good.

The further down it burns, the less I notice the orange casing (which was never overpowering to begin with) and the more natural and full it gets. It burns down to a nice speckled ash and leaves the pipe clean.

Pros: This one's a keeper. It smokes dry and clean, burns evenly and well, and gives me good natural tobacco flavor. If you're a fan of Virginia flakes, try this and tell me it ain't good. I dare ya!

Cons: It does have a tendency to bite, but slow smoking in a wide-bowled pipe seems to help that. There was some moisture present, but my Tinsky has that problem despite the nice layer of cake I've laid in the bottom. I just need to find the right tobacco for it.

Luxury Twist is a beautiful rectangular flake that is lightly topped with something sweet. I can't quite put my finger on the topping, perhaps a natural vanilla.

I tried a sample several years ago, but I ended up giving the rest away to a friend. I thought I might give this another try. It came very moist, so I allowed it to dry some. Perhaps it needs more drying, because I still get a wet smoke even in my best briars. This wetness leads to tongue bite and many relights.

The flavor is sweet with a quality VA as a foundation. This combination produces a round smooth taste that I'm sure many will enjoy. For me, I find it lacking the highs and lows that I enjoy in a good VA. I will continue to try and tame this high quality tobacco. Maybe it needs to dry more or maybe it just needs a little age.

Addendum: I've allowed this to dry until it's almost crunchy. I find it to be a very nice blend and one that I will return to.

The pouch/tin aroma is very seductive (but not cloying as is the case with many aromatics) and is reminiscent - in my opinion, at least, of cocoa, deep woods, and a hint of something I can't identify...perhaps citrus and/or vanilla. I folded a couple of flakes into the bowl of the pipe and, after several relights, settled in for a magnificent smoking experience. True, if you're an aggressive puffer at all, this one will barbecue your tongue. However, if you take the time to savor the aroma and flavours present, you will find this a pleasant tobacco indeed...and you won't drown in the sticky sweet aroma inherent in so many aromatics.

I wonder what will happen now that Zimbabwe's agriculture, very much including its tobacco plantations, (the finest in the Southern hemisphere) is being completely devastated, owing to the greed of yet another stupid dictator. Argh!