Side note: I found Erinmore flake to be very similar to this tobacco, though I enjoyed Erinmore a bit better due to its light citris undertone.

I also do not pick up on the fruity flavoring at all, but the tin I amoked had quite a bit of age on it. I am not sure how much, but trust that it sat in the humidor for quite a long time due to the slight rusting on the tin. I may try a fresher specimen at some time, but won't rush into it.

I don't taste the plum but strangely enough, it tastes a little, only a little, like fig-rolls to me? But then everyones different.

Being new to flake, I looked up some reviews on the web and came across a video of a guy explaining how to pack the pipe by folding the flake and then tamping it into the bowl. Thank Jeebus I figured this looked wrong and found another where the guy folded it in half twice, placed it between his palms and rolled it into fine flake. Depending on whether you want a long smoke or a quick one depends on how fine you want to rub the tobacco.

The strength is good, the flavour is nice, the aroma is pleasant around other smokers (to non-smokers they will forever endeavour to cough and splutter when you are around them). I would recommend this as an everyday tobacco or at least include it in your cycle.

I only opened the tin today and used the fold, twist and stuff method, i will try it again in a week or so and rub it out first like some have recommended, but unless it somehow gets a lot more flavour and room appeal then i doubt this will be in my rotation.

UPDATE:04/19/12, gave it time to settle down in the tin which i opened just over a week ago, this time i rubbed the flake out and left it for 30mins to dry a little more, It is definitely better than the first time, but it is burning a little hotter than expected, nice full flavour but still reminds me of cigarettes, good nicotine hit, good for cigarette smokers trying a pipe, but i want something different (3 out of 5 stars).

Perhaps there could be more complexity here if it was not for the sometimes overwhelming strength, which can feel dry and unpleasant somewhere near the throat. But there is no sharp harshness, no burning of the tongue. University Flake lights and burns well, and will provide a cool and dry smoke with relatively low maintenance.

It smokes a bit dry on the palate for me, and dries out my throat. Decent nicotine content if you are looking for that sort of thing in your tobacco. I would recommend this blend to most, but it is just not my cup o' tea.

Update 7-15-12

I knew I must have been missing something from this blend. I smoked through another tin, and am starting to enjoy it! Bumped up to 3 stars.

This flake makes me want to smoke more aromatics. Since I have picked up the pipe I have naturally steered away from the aromatics without interest (I smoked cigars prior, so I had an inlinations for all-natural tobacco. I have smoke a few aromatics before; they were fun, but not something I would like to smoke normally). But, after smoking University Flake I want some more. It just tastes so good, and the plum flavoring is supported by the tobacco's flavor rather than overshadowing it. This stuff smells so good that I just want to eat it.

I noticed that it smokes best, from my experiece, broken rather than howl. When I smoked the entire flake the flavor landed harshly on my toungue and the plum was faint in the background. Smoked broken it tasted like the tobacco's flavor was well married with the plumb flavoring, and it was much more easy on the tongue. Also there is a good amount of nic in this, but it is certainly not an 'n-bomb.'

I think that I am actually going to buy a briar for aromatics eventually, rather than using a corncob for the once rare ocassion of smoking aromatics.

I have not bought a new tin but I took the flake that I rehydrated and put it In to an air tight jar and let it sit for the last few days an to day I packed a bowl and it was great. It smoked cool and didn't bite . It had a nice taste and I only had to light it once. The nic levels are high and gave me a nice strong relaxed buzz. I am so glad I gave this another try. I am going to keep this tobacco in my normal rotation.

This was my first ever flake which was a novelty at the time. I liked the way you could rub it,tear it,roll it,crush it,twist it or stuff it to suit how you wanted it to burn according to my taste or for the type of pipe.

Its appearance reminded me of strips of cork engine sump oil tray gasket,and it was neat and compact in the pocket sized rectangle tin which i could re-use for keepin rollup tobacco in.(They have since changed the design of the tin to a flatter and wider shape which isn't as tight or robust after opening.)

My original scibbled pencil notes describe: "Cool strong and cigarish.Dry smoker.Mature natural sociable aroma.Complimentary drink is definately "Newcastle Brown Ale".Scottish oat cakes with salted butter.Bran flakes.Savoury. Initially i was glad to finish the tin as i was new to this and although i found it pleasurable,i found it hard work as well."

(i was still new to the strength of burley and the fact that inconjunction with alcohol and its slow buning forever aspect i would fatigue due to the nicoteen.)

"But like a memory that needs a 2nd visit sometime later i have repurchased this and it reminds me of times and places,where i was and who was around me.It brings back memories like instant recal.Good outdoor smoke."

Tin aroma is akin to digestive biscuits with a light natural wild raspberry topping. Loading the pipe and sucking to test the packing and draw i taste a creamy wheat and somewhat malty taste like a buttery cheese cake base,with a natural berry fruit hint.

Benefits from a 1 hour airing before smoking it if using a larger bowl;2 flakes folded and stuffed will last me @1 hour 20 mins. Lights easy and stays lit well,burns clean and is low maintenance.

A real cool long burner with no bite. Good nicoteen kick and not to be underestimated. Produces a heavy talcish ash with little dottle,and whatever doesn't get burned can be put on top of the next bowl for lighting material.

Tastes how it smells in the tin;an all grain,nutty ala sunflower seeds, mild hazel nuts,cereal bran, maltyness,light condenced milk,with a subdued berryish hint that is welcome without distractive intrusion...Very natural.A rasberry flapjack almost.

Nice berry nutty bicuity room note.

Quite simular in certain ways to Irish Flake but more nutty burley component and possibly less sweet in the tobacco sence than Irish Flake,but the topping maybe sweeter than what is in Irish Flake.

I did until recently prefer this to Irish Flake but;with some recent pipe and baccy combination trials i have since discovered that Irish Flake totally shines in a pyrolytic graphite liner bowl ala "the pipe"/"the smoke"/"venturi",and so i now rate them equally.

I have have smoked this in Briar,Meerschaum lined bowls,Clays and I prefer it in Clay for the concentration of taste(not that this tobacco lacks). Although at the time of this review i have been using a blue "The Smoke"-"Woodstock" shape pyrolytic liner pipe. Its ok in a Briar but i miss certain strengths that i get from from clay hot burner pipes;certain briars i feel are too open draw and i prefer a tighter draw pipe for more strength.

Stored in a 125ml glass kilner jar which holds about 100g (two tins worth)with the flakes cut in half for max storage and preservation of flake form it stores and ages well.A few months out of the tin and in a jar produces a dryer,richer,mellower and more mature rounded smoke, with only a faded topping.

One of the few tobacco's i have smoked around other proto pot head cigarette smokers, whom i let have a go of my pipe:They were inhaling and payed the price later i think when i got reports of their after binge drinking hangover;"I was throwing up last night and all i could taste and smell was your pipe". Oh well..Burley is quite strong afterall.

A semi aromatic with a serious and quality tobacco base,and always consistant. Easily a 3.5 star tobacco,real quality and with me its a regular purchase.

I smoke this primarily in a mm freehand, but when I only smoke half of it and leave the rest, it tastes bitter and nasty when I finish it. I just do my best to knock it off in one sitting. Top shelf stuff, I have already bought more.

As usual, I tried this blend before reading anything about it that might cloud my judgement. On reading of the plum flavouring it was a case of "ahh, so that's what it was". You can tell that there is something in the fruit line there, but this is not at all what I would call an aromatic. I certainly wouldn't have come up with "plum" purely from the flavour.

I would say this makes a wonderful smoke for a cold evening, but I would find it too high in nicotine to smoke all day. Having said that, I will be putting a couple of tins aside to see how this blend ages and I have added it to my regular stable of smokes. As noted above, this would suit someone moving to a pipe from cigarettes, although you probably don't want to smoke too much on an empty stomach. Goes well with a nice strong cup of tea when you want to wind down at the end of the day.