Some times it bites me a little but nothing so bad as to ruin the experience. Burns smooth, even as a total novice I dont have to relight this very much.

I've smoke this out of a short sort of pocket pipe and a long clay tavern pipe. Out of the two I like this in the tavern pipe. It seems to get a little gurgle in the short pipe.

I dont know if its just because of the clay pipe but this smokes cool and very sweet. Compliments a good thick ale or a sip of whiskey perfectly. Great any time of day, loved it in the morning with coffee. Not at all big nic hit.

After trying out filling my pipes several ways I found this works best for me when rubbed out a little. Just to the point where its like ribbon taking extra care to break up that cavendish (which will want to stay in one piece) then loading the pipe by hold the tobacco in the palm of your hand then rolling the bowel in a circle over it then tamping it gently. This keeps it from packing to tight and opens the taste of it up a lot compared to the 3 step method. I used about 2 and a half flakes in my tavern pipe.

* Final Verdict: I will smoke this for the rest of my life.

This was a good Va/Per and beautiful in disc. form. The Cavendish adds a note of sweetness, but can also bite. It reminds of me of Escudo, but misses it just by a tad (Thus the 3 stars instead of 4). Still wonderful blends, smells of plums, hay, and a bit'o'rum. Love it!

Solid 4 stars!

Similarly, while I hate to compare this directly to Escudo, which lacks the cavendish center, Escudo kicks this blend all over the place in terms of flavor and complexity. If you are buying this as a cheap substitute to Escudo, you are cheating yourself.

With that said, Escudo and Flake Medallions are simply the best of this type of blend that is presently available in my estimation. They are four star blends that stand head and shoulders above what is generally available, so LBF not reaching their lofty heights is not really any strike against it, as a bulk blend.

Taken on its own merits, LBF is very tasty, and, given the brightness of the virginias coupled with the cavendish and spice from the perique, offers a unique taste experience. It is spicy, and that spice remains throughout the bowl. The foundation offered by the virginias reminds me of Orlik Golden Sliced. I find the perique component to be very forward and noticeable here. The impact of the cavendish is minimal.

The flakes themselves are rather shaggy, like a cow midwinter, and have a tendency to come apart in the bag. It, like most flakes, needs to be dried until it is dry to the touch before packing, for the best, coolest, and most flavorful smoke. I have never had much luck folding and packing, but I respect those who can do it, so give that a try, as it is supposed to produce an even cooler smoke. It burns well, and remains cool when puffed with common sense.

Overall this is a pretty fine blend. Had I not tried Flake Medallions or Escudo, I would probably be trying to convince my buddies that this was "the" va/per blend that they had to try. It deserves a solid three stars, and really can be enjoyed for its own unique flavor. This seems like one which would change a little given the size and shape of the bowl, but I have not taken the time to experiment in that regard, as there are so many tasty things to stick in my pipe and set on fire!