J. F. Germain & Son - Germain's Special Latakia Flake pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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tabaco	03/12/2008	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I am a big fan of Latakia infused slices, which I prefer to fold and twist or in a tall bowl a twist will do. The pressing enhances flavours and the burn. Even though it does take longer - a few more matches or a third of a tank of butane to light. Upon opening the tin I did not find the tobacco overly moist. There is a fair bit of Virginia in this tobacco and the Orientals present a most pleasant aroma. Overall it is very well balanced and half way down the bowl it did change for the better with more of the Orientals coming through. This tobacco is not a Latakia blast; however, the Latakia is blended very nicely, combusting in symphony with all of the other tobaccos. It is somewhat similar to Esotericas Penzance; however, not quite as full and rich. Certainly not a demanding smoke as Penzance sometimes is. I found it reminded me more of G.L. Pease Odyssey than Penzance. To summarise, Special Latakia Flake is a wonderful blend to read a good novel by.
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Doc Jake	03/03/2008	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I purchased this tin on a whim in my perfect latakia hunt. The tin aroma is a deep leathery musk, with almost a prune like overtone. The tobacco is very moist, and packs great with just a rub between two fingers. It takes a little while to get lit, but once it is going it's great. Large plumes of almost sweet smoke, and the latakia sings harmoniously with the little amount of orientals in the background. The room note is not opressive, and has almost a molasses quality to it. Truly a womderful smoke.
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smoking-rob	02/15/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I have not much to add to most of the glowing reviews here under, except that in this flake, the Latakia is more or less all in a lump somewhere in that flake, so not evenly distributed. This would be no real problem except that the slices themselves are almost impossible to seperate! But don't let this deter you in smoking this high-quality English style tobacco, real creamy and with a real Latakia flavour that is not overwhelming.
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GarageLocked	10/19/2007	Mild to Medium	None detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Heaven is in my pipe tonight!
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jackflash	10/15/2007	Medium	None detected	Full	Unnoticeable
A rich tasting Latakia blend and I would guess that if there is Syrian in this blend it's pretty much in the background.It comes in a cool little tin and the cut is a rougher or more rustic flake that I've seen.A flake cut is my favorite by far, but the smoker has to rub or adjust it to their liking.After opening the tin it gave off a delicious leather like aroma that I love. The tobacco was very moist,actually too moist to smoke without lighting multiple times to get it going and thusly giving a harsh and incomplete smoke. This blend should be rubbed and left to dry on your tray for 30 minutes to an hour. Drying changes this blend from mediocre at best into a smooth, creamy, sweet, non-biting, drool down your chin Latakia experience that is unrivaled. A medium sized meerschaum or large briar bowl enhances the cool sweetness even more. This blend goes to the head of the line over Penzance, Old Ironsides,Odyssey and any other Cyprian Latakia based blends except possibly Kendal's Balkan Mixture by Gawith Hoggarth. It took me a month to learn to get the most out of this blend and that was time well spent.I know that I'm starting to rave so I won't write anymore lest the wrong people read this and make it illegal. This gets my top four star rating.
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sasha	09/03/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
Very good flake. Although very moist in the tin, it dries quickly and rubs easily. The initial smell is somewhat unpleasant, but the smoke is a different story: rich, tasty, complex although latakia dominated, especially towards the end of the bowl. If you, like me, are not a fan of overmoist flakes which take forever to dry to a smokable level, try this out: it will be a nice surprise!
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Xeneize	07/01/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
What a solid Enlish mixture! First, I love the small tin. I wish all tinned baccys would come like this one so I could carry around a lot more through the day. Inside, a nice looking flake covered with crystalized sugar and a perfect moist level. I feel really confortable with Germain's "shaggy flake", so loading the bowl is a breeze. After that, it's all pleasure from top to bottom. It's a symphony: you can focus on latakia, virginias, or orientals, or you can let them come together. That is up to your mind: the great music is there for you to enjoy. It burns so well that it hardly needs tamping, so there's no distractions either. This baccy has entered my Top 5 list of six tobaccos (I know, I either need to rule one out or make it a Top 6 list).
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puro66	06/07/2007	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
This is a medium colored tobacco with a light pleasant tin aroma. It's a cake that pulls apart stringy but is fairly easy to work with. Nothing overwhelming or particularly special here. Just a good straight forward mild smoke. A very good choice for someone who wants to experiment with latakia but not take a big plunge!
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haredawg	01/13/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
My tobacconist, who is likely damned for all time by on a wholly unrelated matter, suggested this as they didn?t have the Penzance in stock. Now I?ve never tired the Penzance but most every review I?ve read was gushing and on an aesthetic level I liked the idea of a flake with latakia mix as heretofore I?ve only had VA, VAPERS and VABurley flakes. The tobacconist, surely a damned soul but in a completely different way, talked Germains up going so far as to suggest, albeit in hushed tones, that he preferred it over PenZance and Old Ironsides. The Guy speaks with a Brogue and has Mickey Dolenz Sideburns; saying no to him would be like asking Bobby Burns to knock it off with that Bonnie Brae stuff. Penzance must be made out of Gold; we?re talking 24 ct not the black hills stuff, for it to be better and richer than this stuff. First off the aesthetic of the tin presentation was all I had hoped, looking a bit like a torte with hazelnut on the outside and a rich black chocolate in the middle. The smell was like a campfire in autumn. Now I?m not a huge Latakia fan, I like the stuff, but I like it like I like A1 sauce, if it?s a cheap cut of meat I put more on, if it?s an aged filet mignon get that stuff off my table. The Virginians and Orientals in this blend are excellent but the Latakia blends in so well I may have to start adding a bit of A1 to my filets. Overall very tasty from char to the last sad sip. Downside? My Tobacconist, that rat bastard on a completely related level, recommends based on price tag I?m thinking. The price per gram on this stuff is closer to the wacky tobaccy range of Green Bud prices than the mortal range of a legal weed. The only reason I'm giving it three stars instead of four is in attempts to instill a facade of credulity, everything I like that I review here I give four stars.
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Satc001	07/31/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
This is a solid Latakia flake from Germain. Upon opening the tin I found a well aged tobacco littered with crystallized sugar from the aging process. This is not a tobacco loaded with nuances but is instead a solid high quality Latakia blend. I was very pleased with the smoothness of the smoke and a nice smokey and slighty sweet flavor. Over all this is a nice tobacco, but it is rather mild and not what I am looking for in a Latakia Flake.
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Northraven	07/25/2006	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Strong
Just wanted to put in my two cents on J.F. Germain & Sons Special Latakia Flake. Appearance: Opening the tin reveals a stack of moist, slightly-broken flakes. Dark leaf predominates with lighter strands of chocolate coloured leaf wending their way through the flakes. In many tins bloom and crystalized sugar will be apparent, proving that Germain ages this tobacco well. Tin Aroma: In a word, pungent. The smell which wafts from the tin is unlikely to win over many casual observers. Lovers of English style flakes will apreciate the bouquet of wet grass and saucy-sweet Latakia which this blend exudes. Packing and Lighting: The flakes rub out easily, which is good as those who like to make plugs out of flake tobaccos will find this blend almost impossible to keep lit if packed in such a fashion. Also, allowing the leaf to dry for a while outside of the tin is a must as this tobacco is one of the most fire-retardant substances I have ever seen. All in all, this blend requires special attention when packing and preparing lest the smoker never derive satisfaction from it. Smoking Characteristics: Assuming the instructions above are followed, this blend smokes cool and dry with a good volume of rich smoke. The room note is strong and likely to be objectionable to non-smokers. The start of a bowl always yields a heady dose of Latakia flavour. About a quarter of the way down the Latakia backs off and is joined by a smooth smokiness and just the slightest wisp of Virginia sweetness. As the bowl burns down from the halfway point the smoke becomes harsher and a little hotter, now the Virginia sweetness comes into it's own, complemented by wooden and bitter undertones. At this point the Latakia is just a faint ghost of it's original presence. Smokes down to a fine gray ash with just a little black char present. Perhaps not suitable for the novice smoker due to the preparation required to make this tobacco smoke well, this blend is nonetheless a fine offering for the smoker who loves Latakia. The mixture of tobaccos used and the flake preparation make this blend an interesting mixture of Latakia flavor and Virgina flake sweetness.
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Pipestud	04/20/2006	Medium	None detected	Full	Overwhelming
This blend seems to have drawn a variety of opinions. Mine is from a tin smoked a year or so ago by myself and some of my fellow pipe club members. It was very moist coming out of the tin, but dried quickly once exposed to open air. Two things struck me about this tobacco. It was extremely foul smelling in the tin and at the match. And, it finished totally different than it began. After rubbing out, loading and lighting, I was greeted with a pleasant enough Latakia taste that mingled nicely with the other components. By mid-bowl though, the Latakia rallied furiously and left me overwhelmed. I will say it burned easily and slowly and produced no bite whatsoever. Just too much Latakia at the apex of the smoke for me.
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jackhackett	04/20/2006	Medium	None detected	Full	Tolerable
This crumbly latakia flake is middle-ground in nicotine content, high on flavor, and yet very easy on the tongue. Germain's SLF is an exceptional and well-married blend with a very full flavor that should satisfy both those who desire a stronger latakia element and those who enjoy the balancing nature of orientals. The premium price on this blend is well justified; the quality of the leaf and the skill of preparation are evident throughout every bowl. I believe SLF completes the triumvirate of latakia flakes along with Penzance and Old Ironsides.
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Professor	04/20/2006	Medium to Strong	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong
Germain's Special Latakia Flake arrived remarkably with bloom. It is rare indeed to find bloom on pipe tobacco--a well-aged cigar, yes, but on pipe tobacco, no. I found this understandably curious (reason mostly for two stars rather than one) and thought that I was about to enjoy quite an extraordinary treat. Special Latakia Flake demanded to be dried and rubbed (against my desires). In smoking this weed, I encountered nothing unusual yet alone extraordinary. It is a rather dull offering and, apart from the bloom, without any distinguishing characteristics beyond its dose of nicotine. As I noted with Blakeney's Best Latakia Flake, if you are looking for Latakia in flake form, stick with C.A.O.'s Old Ironsides. In comparison with the latter, this stuff is less a battleship and more a dinghy.
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pipe dreams	01/23/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
I've smoked many latakia's, this blend uses the latakia better than them all. A superb taste, with huge volumes of smoke. Never does the oriental, the virginia or the latakia dominate here, but together, create the epitome of latakia blends.
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Scottish Soldier	08/26/2005	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable
Those of you who have reviewed my other tobbacco comments will see that my preference is for Latakia blends. When one opens a tin of Germain's Special Latakia Flake for the first time, one is immediately introduced to the curing process of Latakia. It is pungent and yet sweet. This baccy comes in a flake, so the flakes must be rubbed out. With gentle rubbing, one is left with a very fine cut of tobacco - very European, in my view. I gravity loaded one of my prized Stanwell bents with what I had rubbed out and proceeded to light my pipe. After several attempts at getting a good ember burning, I was finally successful. The tobacco, straight from the tin, is just a little too moist to maintain a lighted pipe. Once the baccy has be relit a few times, it dries out and one may enjoy a very pleasurable smoke. The flavoring, for me, is pretty constant throughout the entire bowl. The baccy burns to a nice clean whitish-grey ash. The only drawback to the Latakia flake is the fact that it is a little too moist right out of the package. To avoid frustration in lighting one's pipe, I would suggest allowing this mixture to "air out" a few hours before dipping into the tin for the first time. Otherwise, this tobacco is a pleasant smoke and it is one that is part of my regular rotation of baccys.
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thedstnguishdgntlmn	04/03/2005	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This one is a treat! Do not expect a lighter version of Penzance for it is not!This is a wonderful amped up version of Germain's King Charles.The backbone of the blend is Virginia ,with orientals for sweetness, and a very mild dose of Latakia that remains in the background.It produces a very mild and natural nutty flavor.The Latakia is subdued and provides just the right amt of depth for this blend.It has the signature Germain casing and burns very cool.Those around you will not even notice you are smoking at all,the room note is very subdued.This comes in the same form as Penzance and needs to be rubbed out.It lights well and does not bite.If you have tried 1820 or King Charles,this is a heavier version of those. 3 of 4 stars fo a great light English!
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pipco	11/11/2004	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
Let me preface this by stating that I do not prefer my latakia dosed from a front-end loader. I prefer it as a condiment the same way I prefer my perique. That said...this blend is right up my alley. Lighter on the latakia with orientals and virginias aplenty. The combination here creates a reasonably complex blend. While lightly pressed , I do dig the flake presentation as Va. and va./p flakes are my mainstay. It smokes smooth and cool when partially rubbed out. It will not satisfy those who like their latakia shot from a cannon but should satisfy those looking for a milder english blend. A pleasant surprise.
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DeltaSnake	05/13/2004	Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable
I got this one evening when the tobacconist was fresh out of my favorite latakia slice, Old Ironsides. I found it somewhat similar, although not as smokey or full, but with a good solid body and taste. It's really all about the latakia taste, which dominates, which makes it a good choice if you like that dimension of blend. Given a choice, I would get Old Ironsides, but if you can't, this will do, and do more than well.
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RCUSElder	04/13/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
While I risk being villified, this tobacco reminded me of burning railroad ties. I found it hard to find the flavor of the Latakia or Virginia. The bowl size did not seem to change this awefull smell or flavor. At this point, I can't recommend it... Update 4-13-04: I am revising my review due to the insistence of fellow pipesters. I am convinced that the tin I previously reviewed was moldy. With that stated, on to the revision. The new tin I opened looked remarkably different inside. More Light leaf with plenty of stripes of latakia clearly discerned. It was not as moist as my previous review tin either. The aroma was pleasant with sweetness and smokiness nicely balanced. Packing was fairly easy for a flake, with this blend working better for me if rubbed out completely. Lighting was a three vesta affair. Initial Flavor: A little bright with the latakia way in the background. The VA is still dominant in this blend. Mid-Bowl: A nice, mellow, round smokiness develops. Yes, you can taste the latakia, and it is good. Bottom of Bowl: A nice intensity of flavor develops with the smoky latakia dominating now, but the VA still adds a delicious sweetness to balance it out. Ash: Light grey, dry, nice dusting on the bowl walls. Overall: Well, what can I say? It is a very good blend, just shy of excellent. I'll definitely keep this around when in the mood for something different. Rating: 4 out of 5 Points Enjoy!
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