I often consider the descriptions on pipe tin labels to be little more than ad copy hyperbole. In this case, however, the description on the label is refreshingly close to the mark; it reads, "Heavily pressed and aged in cakes, the tobaccos marry and naturally ferment. Sliced to final form, Blended Flake is a delicious combination of distinctive tobaccos, uniquely processed to give the smoker complex, spicy aromas with naturally sweet, zesty tastes and mellow-nut flavors. Exceptionally smooth and slow burning...Noticeably cool." I take very little exception to anything in that description.

The tobacco is presented in 2 X 3/4 inch flakes; the flakes are dark brown in color with lighter brown flecks and streaks. The tin aroma is mature, fermented tobacco and dark raisins. It does require some airing to get it to the proper moisture content for smoking. This blend can be smoked in the same year that it is tinned, but when it's "young", it can be a little sharp. I believe that this tobacco benefits from 1-3 years of shelf time. Longer storage results in a more integrated, smoother, and softer taste, but there does seem to be some loss of complexity and flavor when stored beyond five years.

I find that this flake is more heavily influenced by the Orientals than the Perique. I can certainly identify the Perique and it's more than just a spice element, but to my tastes the Perique is not domineering. And the Virginias are not overly sweet, so the flake tends to lean a bit more toward the dark and earthy side. Blended Flake is all about the integration of flavors and I have been unable to discover anything else quite like it.

This is an all-day, everyday, anytime of day smoke. I have no difficulty smoking multiple pipes of this in a single day and I can even smoke a couple of bowls of Blended Flake one after the other without tiring of it. It's not a perfect blend, but it sure comes close.

I need to preface the rest of this review by saying that this is based on smoking a tin that had aged for ten years; anything younger, and I can't vouch. But, what ten years has done for this tin, marvelous! The tobacco was leathery, sugar coated, and reeked of tanginess (this is made for Butera by McClelland). It wasn't very attractive, unless you knew what you were looking at; and I knew that this was gonna taste goooood.

Lighting was surprisingly more difficult than I expected, more like an unaged McClelland flake. But, once it got going it never went out, and it smoked down to pure white ash. The flavor was sublime; sweet va., tangy/spicy perique, but without the overbearing fermenty flavor I usually get from perique. I think the orientals helped tie everything together during the aging process, as the musty flavor of these peeked through around the edges of the perique. Smoking this tobacco brought to mind images of a beautiful, exotic and musky scented woman. I won't go beyond that. It was just really good stuff.

I intend to pick up a few tins of this to put away for another ten years. While this is too much of a good thing for me to smoke all day, I think it would really be a suitable evening smoke for the cooler months. I only wish it hadn't been my only ten year old tin (du'oh).

Many others have said what the components of this blend are, and their contribution to the taste, so I won't digress any longer as they are quite accurate.

What puzzles me a bit is that while the interplay of the different tobaccos is quite lively and you can feel the different kinds of leaf quite well, the overall result is underwhelming to my taste buds. Probably this means that the balance is superb, but I often find it too weak and dull, lacking in any oomph. Sure, there is a nice tangy red virginia sweetness, some perique sourness and the orientals have a nice character... but at times I also feel a slightly ashy, cigarettish taste.

Anyway, it burns smooth and extremely cool, which is a definite plus. The tin aroma is excellent (if you can stand the McClelland trademark smell...), very fruity and slightly "putrid" (in a nice way)... but the taste is not as lively or rich as some of my favorite offerings from this brand.

Moisture content was a tad high, and only modest drying was required. I would call this 'broken flake' rather than 'ready rubbed', and my packing procedure was the same I would use for an all-VA broken flake.

The only downsides were: 1) a slightly astringent quality which could lead to a bit of scratchiness at the back of the throat, 2) the signature McC vinegar quality which I felt interfered with the orientals to some extent, and 3) it burned fairly rapidly which was disappointing because this blend is so enjoyable.

Three of five stars

Addendum: The Red Virginias provide the dominant flavor here, while the other leaf is beautifully combined. The tin aroma is classic McClelland, while the initial room aroma could almost be described as floral (in a cherry blossom sense, not a Lakeland sense). There is some bite threat along the sides of the tongue (odd). The Perique picks up at 1/4 bowl, adding a nice winey tone and some oomph. The floral tone backs off and transitions into a fragrant toastiness. As the zestiness and heat danger subsides, the strength increases, though not overwhelmingly by any means.

After a one-hour DGT at 1/3 bowl, the floral tone re-asserts itself very pleasantly, as well as a hint of cigar-like richness. (Well complemented by an IPA). The top range has just enough zest to give a sparkle and a touch of green tea bitterness (nice). The mid-range is solid and sweet with Virginias, with the toasty/marshmallow flavors for which McClelland Virginias are famous; as well as hints of exotic spice, orange peel, undefined herbal tones, and a tone/smoothness of chocolate without the actual chocolate flavor. This blend LIVES in the mid-range.

The bass range holds the cigar-like tone, and a spicy/licorice aspect rare for natural tobacco bass ranges. Baking cake sweetness is also present. As the pipe approaches the 2/3 mark, the complexity, integration of flavors and sweetness continue to rise, with the interplay of these very nice component tobaccos doing wonderful things at a smoulder.

A two-day DGT (not intentional) doesn't hurt this blend. The mid-range picks up a very mild peachy tone, the top range sweetness more than hints at caramelized sugars. A slightly musty, but good, tone stretches from the lower mid-range to the mid-bass range, probably in part due to the Perique. The borders between the ranges fade completely.

Rich, complex, but not heavy. This tobacco is one of those blends that is unlike any other. A must-try for those who like non-Lat Oriental/VA blends. Not as complex as Cairo, but a bit more flavorful.

The taste is vinagary to me, and the burning rate, no matter how slowly I puff, makes this blend smoke hit. The traditional bite of a less than smooth virginia is there too.

If you are a fan of stoved virginia blends, you will be disappointed in this stuff. If you are trying this as your first-ever stoved virginia, you may never try another!

I honestly don't know how this stuff is newly blended but with some age on it it's fantastic. The various orientals and the perique play a great game of dueling flavors all the way through the smoke. The Virginias lay a great base with their delicate flavors underpinning the stronger topnotes of the varietals. The Carolinas contribute just an extra something. If Mike Butera's label wasn't also the one that brought us Kingfisher I'd say the man is a full blown genius.