Astley's - No.109 Virginia Flake pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
< PREVIOUS Showing reviews 41 through 50 of 50 reviews of this tobacco
BrittPark	06/13/2003	Medium	None detected	Full	Tolerable
In the tin: Pretty, dark brown flakes. Pleasant slightly acrid smell of fermented Virginias. Packing and Lighting: I rubbed mine out to a fairly coarse texture and it packed, lit, and stayed lit just fine. The Taste: Yuck. Strong tobacco taste admittedly. but harsh and lacking in the sweetness I would expect from a Virginia blend. Towards the end of the bowl, intrepid explorer that I was, the "taste" just became stronger and more noxious. I can't recommend this to anyone. Maybe it's the flake form. I've never met a flake that I liked. I'm very much in the minority here and haven't been pipe-smoking that long. Perhaps I don't know how to rub out a flake satisfactorily yet.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Stan	06/13/2003	Overwhelming	Medium	Extra Full	Tolerable
Well, after all the good reviews and being a lover of virginia flakes, I grabbed a couple of tins from my tobacconist, and started puffing in a small Dunhill Root #3. Not bad at first I thought. Then in a larger Dunhill Root # 4. A bit strong? Then in a larger yet Ardor Om Paul. Overpowered with the dark virginia in my opinion. I normally don't review a blend I don't care for, but it did smoke somewhat better in a small pipe but nowhere near as good as I was promised it would. And it was aweful in a larger pipe, which size I prefer. Not terribly hot while smoking but just plain explosive with flavor at times. It is like Marlin Flake a bit in strength, but sweeter and maybe fuller. If you like really strong tobacco and you are in to mixtures with darker flakes maybe the sweetness in this will grab you. But, after smoking one tin, I returned the other for Paul Olsen 111 flake (also on the strong side but no match for #109). Sorry.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Paddy	03/13/2003	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
This is more like it. After smoking Astleys No.2, I was not expecting much. But this is a good smoke. It comes in thin, long, dark brown flakes, folded over in the tin. It has a vegetal barn smell of good quality Virginia similar to sweet clover. It rubs out and packs easily. It lights easily with no harshness in the initial smoke. A light neutral sweetner has been added, but does not interfere with the Virginia flavor on the tongue nor in the aftertaste. This could be an all day tobacco, but may not have a heavy enough tobacco flavor to go the distance over several successive pipes. This would be a very good Virginia for the novice smoker. Absolutely no bite nor hint of a bite from start to finish which is unusal for a Virginia. I will keep this on hand, and smoke it occasionally. Highly recommended. Paddy.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Eulenburg	01/23/2003	Medium	None detected	Medium	Very Pleasant
Yes, indeed. A delicious, smokey-sweet Virginia beauty, similar to, but heftier than, Hamborger Veermeister. It looks as dark and luscious, heaped in the tin, as RATTRAY's Marlin Flake, which it resembles closely, although this is less peaty (by which I mean those bittersweet edges found in whiskey that has been filtered in charcoal) smoother. I tried 109 in a picture-perfect, silver-mounted Peterson bent, a medium-sized Don Carlos oom-paul and a brand-new Radice squatty bull-dog: it proved a steady, smooth smoker on all wood, slightly edgy at the very beginning, wonderfully rich and savoury through the main part of the session, fading only ever-so-slightly towards the end. This is more expensive than Marlin, but that is just about the only thing I can say against it: a major find. It left a marvelous taste in my mouth for a long time after I had finished puffing it.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Mike Castello	01/19/2003	Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is an excellent flake tobacco. It is sweet, but not overly so. The tin aroma is very inviting. The first tastes are enjoyable and of wanting more. As it is smoked it brings on increased flavor, a bit of a nutty taste, it is crisp and very smooth all the way down to the bottom of the bowl. There is no bite and for a flake it is very easy on the stomach. This is a tobacco that can be smoked as often as you want without ever feeling overpowered. Highly recommended and worthy of its highly esteemed reputation.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Tantric	01/07/2003	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Astley?s 109 is the third blend from this house I have enjoyed over this Christmas period. The three of them seem to me excellent tobaccos!All are beautifully made, top quality and very palatable. 109 belongs, IMO, with N° 55 and N°44 in terms of being a straight forward Virginia, spicy, either in flake or broken flake form. If you plan an entire day of smoking straight Vas., you could easily start with 109 in the morning,have a bowl of N°55 for mid day and finish the day off with N°44. N°109 is a type of Va. that provides a rich, tangy, almost beefy taste (a certain Lea & Perkins sauced undertone, similar to some of the McClelland?s I have tried, but in a more moderate and tastier vein). Never the less it is a smooth tobacco, of a rich brown colour, quite simple to pack and light. Of the three Astley?s I?ve mentioned, 109 is by far the tastier one, providing an almost joyful smoke, and I don?t find any correlation with Rattray?s blends (as I do regarding N°?s 55 and 44). The taste is so rich and spicy that I wouldn?t dub this tobacco as a contemplative smoke. It has many layers and it burns wonderfully. I?ve enjoyed it both indoors, and especially outdoors, when walking Glinka (my enthusiastic Airedale Terrier) in a nearby wooded area. Again, highly recommended.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Pipestud	12/23/2002	Very Mild	None detected	Very Mild	Pleasant
I agree with Willy that the tin description is right on regarding this tobacco. The tin says A mild & mellow flake. Indeed it is. It is just too mild for my enjoyment though. Upon opening the tin, I found a rich, dark Virginia flake in folded strips. There was also the tangy smell of uncased Virginia leaf, but only distantly, and the tang never showed itself at the match. The tobacco arrived so moist, I had to fully rub it out and let it sit in an open bowl for 24 hours before getting the leaf into smokable condition. Once properly dried, it lit easily. This is, perhaps, a good morning smoke for some, but had little kick. The flavor was wonderful, and I even detected a hint of chocolate, I think. If you enjoy a straight Virginia with punch, you may want to look elsewhere. I did order a tin of Astley's #44, which claims to be a full & dark straight Virginia. I think I'll try that one right now!
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Willy	12/02/2002	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
I sometimes hesitate spending hard-earned cash to try a new tobak but I'm glad I took a chance w/this one. Astleys #109 is an excellent VA that is true to the "mild and mellow" tin description. As stated by others, this is a mostly dark brown to black flake w/smidgeons of lighter colors threaded in. It appears that it's one long flake that is folded over a few times and placed in the tin. Rubs out very easily to packing consistency and lights equally well. I was surprised when I noticed I almost didn't need to use a second match. I charred, tamped lightly, and read another paragraph or so before relighting. When I put the pipe back in my mouth I habitually drew on it before I even lit the 2nd match and lo and behold.....smoke! Once burning good, the natural, hard-to-beat, good VA flavor comes forth w/slight sweetness and faint citrusy notes. The typical VA tang is present but very subdued. Virtually NO bite here, folks! I notice a woodsy note that reminds me of the mild fermented aroma when I opened the tin, sorta like a forest after a Spring rain. The smoke is cool and creamy, mostly mid and high notes but there is some bottom to it especially farther down the bowl where a richer and more smokey flavor surfaces. This is a very tasty and flavorful VA, perhaps one of the best. Though it was somewhat moist in the tin (the tin seems to have a good seal to it too), moisture while smoking was pretty much non-existant; I used a pipe cleaner about 1/2way just for the heck-of-it. Some drying time wouldn't hurt. I used a GG size Castello "Old Antiquari" panelled Lovat that has a fairly deep bowl, but IMO this tobak would smoke good in most any size bowl. Burns to a fluffy ash and leaves the pipe clean and dry. IMHO, this would be a good tobak for smokers new to the world of VA's as well as seasoned pipers. My only complaint would be that I wish there was more tobacco in the tin, but it's a good tobacco for the price. My "smoke this on occasion" rating is because I'm going to make this tin last as long as I reasonably can, (gonna hafta use some restraint) and will definitely have a couple more in the cellar for the near future. This would be a good all day/all the time smoke but that could get a little pricey. As a now and then/frequent smoke this is a very good choice. I'll always have some of this around. Hey, works for me! **Update** This is just a brief update after having smoked more of this VA. tobak side-by-side w/#55. Since I gave #55 Elizabethan the highest overall recommendation, I felt it was necessary to also give the same rec to #109, simply because they are both, IMHO, excellent smokes. I still think I prefer #55 as I stated in my review, but #109 has a bit more body and burns a bit slower depending on how you rub it out, so spending your day w/Astley's VAs. would be very pleasurable, to say the least. I certainly wouldn't refuse either one, anytime.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Bear	04/05/2002	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
The latest issue from Astleys, a blending house that, IMNSHO, is only matched by the "House of Pease" in consistency throughout it's entire line. #109 is named after the company's address on Jeremy Street in London. Tin appearance: 50g tina a la dunhill or mac baren. Tobacco appearance and tin note: Extremely dark colored, well aged, broken flake with just an occasional bit of lighter weed peeking out. Moisture: Higher than I like, the entire contents have melded together (pluck at one flake, the entire contents lift out). Tin fragrance, glorious, light, sweet Va, with no (zero, zip, nada) hints of catsup, vinegar, acetic acid, or anything that isn't glorious tobacco. Flake breaks up well, but I highly recommend letting it dry on a paper for a few minutes before packing. < insert "waiting" theme from the Game Show "Jeopardy" >. We're packed. Opening "Blood Rave" Theme from the Blade Soundtrack on the faithful Nakamichi, assisted by a pair of old Advent Heritages.... let's rock! Flame hits weed releasing.... wow.... mmm..... wow! One of the softest, lightly fragrant smokes that I have ever encountered. It has sufficient body that the delicate citrus and cashew notes have support, but just enough. Smooth? Less friction on the palate than liquid teflon on black ice. If you are in to such things, this is unquestionably the most inhale able tobacco that I have ever run across. The fragrance and room note carries all the delightful elements of a carolina curing barn sans the grassiness. Mid bowl: the fruit mutes a tad, making ways for more of the cashew butter aspects, the bowl develops more complexity, and it was no slouch in that department to start with. Very slow burning, you can't hurry this one (nor would you want to) not because it would slap your tongue, but because when ya hurry you'd miss al the nuance in this one's conversation. End bowl. Unbelievable. A Va that has nary a nip or bite even down in "no man's land" at the heel. Now rich and buttery. Summary: This is it! The Finest Va flake that I have found. Deliciously light, smooth and fragrant. If you shy away from Va's, because of bite, burn, or the dreaded "Heinz" factor, get this one. Trust me. You will become a fan. 10 out of 10 Bearclaws. -- Bear Graves
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Sykes Wilford	03/09/2001	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong
This is doubtlessly the best pressed Virginia blend that I have ever tried. I'm honestly not sure why it doesn't get the kind of recognition that other Va. Flakes do. Regardless of its level of critical acclaim, I have yet to find a superior straight Virginia flake for both its remarkable flavor and round, but never overwhelming, body. It is unquestionably a rather sweet blend. The natural sweetness of the Virginias manage to surface without the slight bitterness that, for example, is associated with some of McClelland's flakes. Similarly, the sheer weight of the smoke (or the body) doesn't seem to interrupt the flavors to the same degree as any of Gawith's Virginia Flakes. I find it is a far better smoke when given as much attention as possible. Along with a couple of Greg Pease's blends, this is one of the few tobaccos that I really feel like I have to sit down and smoke carefully and thoughtfully. All of the nuance is lost (and the beauty of this blend is most certainly in its nuanced complexity), when the blend is not the primary focus of the smoker. (By the way, Astley's #2 is an excellent all day smoke that doesn't require much attention to be appreciated. I smoke Astley's #2 as one of my primary all day smokes, but I long ago gave up trying to appreciate #109 without giving it its due attention.) Certainly the most predominant sub-flavor is fruity. At the beginning of the bowl, I seem to get more citrusy notes as a result of the acids in the tobacco (I presume). The blend seems to mellow as progresses and loses some of the tartness. By the end of the bowl, soft fruitiness (like very ripe plums or grapes) seems to be the predominant flavor. This is one of only three or four blends that I would "highly recommend".
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