On opening this tin, you get a scent which is very acidic (it almost smells like perique but is even more sour, without the same level of fruitiness), but only slightly fruity, and to me, a little foul. As expected from this smell, at first light the taste is about as bland and one dimensional as it gets. However as the smoke progresses it starts to taste just like the tin note, about 1/3 of the way through the bowl. Sour, fermented, slightly foul. I personally don't enjoy it, as it reminds me of the rotten fruit taste of Dunhill's other Virginia, royal yuck.

Then there is the tongue bite, which is vicious. I enjoy a lot of vapers, virginias, and lakeland flakes, and this is one of the most biting flakes I have tried over the years. You can tone it down somewhat by thoroughly drying it, using the fold and stuff method in a filtered pipe, and smoking it very slowly, but you will have more than your fair share of relights.

The ash is of a very dark grey colour, which indicates that it is leaving a lot of solids behind.

I enjoy most of Dunhill's excellent offerings, but this is not one of them. There are a lot of better virgina flakes out there on a similar theme of sour, such as St. James flake, by Samuel Gawith, which smokes particularly smooth, has more nicotine, and a much more agreeable flavour.

The room note is of old damp cigarettes, and won't win you any friends walking by. I'll store the rest of this tin in a mason jar until it changes color, and see what happens when it has some age to it.

Update 6/03/13

What a difference some new air in a mason jar has made in two months! The foulness is gone, and has been replaced with an acidic fermented fruit scent. I was looking for something light to smoke this evening and thought I'd give it another try. It now has become a much better smoke - but this still bites worse than most aromatics. Thus no fourth star. I originally gave this flake 1 star, but will now upgrade it to three. Load this one in a very well broken in cob (to the point the walls have gone porous with charcoal) remove the filter, and sip it very slow. It is not half bad, but keep it outside as the smoke it produces is still very strong and smelly, I'd compare it with a wet dog that rolled around in the mush beneath an apricot tree in the fall. Will likely buy more for a light outdoor smoke on warm evenings. Dunhill makes all my favorite English blends but they need to work on their virginias.

I usually prepare this flake by folding it and cutting it into small cubes, then packing it loosely. It seems to burn better for me this way, versus the fold and tuck methods which necessitates frequent relights.

I like the honest, straight tobacco taste. It burns cooly, and a bowl lasts a long time. As other reviewers have noted, a little drying time is rewarded in a better burning mixture.

Usually easy to find in stores and on line.

Currently, my favorite Dunhill tobacco. Highly Recommended.