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This almost black tobacco combines the best grades of naturally sweet Virginia and smoky latakia, matured together under pressure. A wonderfully smooth and full bodied mixture, reminiscent of the old Bengal Slices.

BrandF & K
Blend TypeVirginia/Latakia
ContentsLatakia, Virginia
FlavoringNone
CutBroken Flake
PackagingBulk
CountryDK
ProductionCurrently available
Where to Buy SmokingPipes.com
TobaccoPipes.com
Product Image
Strength
Medium
Flavoring
None Detected
Taste
Medium to Full
Room Note
Tolerable

Favorite Of 2 Users

Reviews
4 star:
3
3 star:
7
2 star:
2
1 star:
0
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JimInks Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
JimInks (3046)
★★★☆
Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable

This blend has lots of smoky, woodsy, earthy, musty Cyprian Latakia with an earthy, woody, lightly bready, tangy dark fruity, creamy Virginia that has spice and tart and tangy citrus notes, and a touch of grass. The Latakia takes the lead. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The strength is medium, while the taste is a couple of slots past that mark. The mildly sweet and very savory, campfire flavor is very consistent throughout the smoke. It may require a few relights, but it burns at a slow to moderate pace, cool and clean with no dull or harsh spots, and leaves very little moisture in the bowl. Most of the time, it burns to ash. It's not overly complex, but it is well balanced. Has a pleasant, lingering after taste, and a smokey room note. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable.

-JimInks

19 people found this review helpful.

StevieB Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
StevieB (2080)
★★★★
Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable

F & K - Lancer Slices.

The flakes aren't overly broken, the pouch contains a few ribbons but the majority of the blend still has the constitution of flakes; just 'slightly' rubbed. This arrived last week so hasn't had ages sat in the loose pouch to dry out but the moisture's good.

I like my flakes to be fully rubbed and this still requires a decent rub to reach the consistency for me. However, the job's relatively simple to do.

The smoke has quite a full flavour but the Latakia isn't too omnipotent, or sharp. Don't get me wrong, the Lat' accounts for more flavour than the Virginia but it's more of a calm, smoky, taste, as opposed to a sharp, vibrant, one. The Virginia, although lighter, gives the smoke a breadiness. It burns well, is slow in speed, and doesn't bite.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: quite heady.

Lancer Slices? A smoke I'll highly recommend:

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Cob and Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

16 people found this review helpful.

sleightinmind Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
sleightinmind (2)
★★★☆
Medium None Detected Medium to Full Strong

Without all the bullcrap, it's good. Respect a slow cadence on this as it can bite. One of my favorite blends, but not an all day smoke for this palette. Burns down fine with little dottle, just do a thorough job of rubbing it out.

Pipe Used: Many briars

Age When Smoked: about a year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

10 people found this review helpful.

HeavyMetalPiper Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
HeavyMetalPiper (64)
★★★★
Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable

The smell and taste are grassy and leathery. I like these aspects of Virginia and latakia, so I'm definitely anticipating a good smoke.

The taste does not disappoint. There is obvious latakia, but not too much. It overpowers the Virginia (can still taste it, though) but not me. It burns nice and cool and the taste very much reminds me of leather. Another blend that's really a 3.5/4.

You can view my video review of this blend here:

YouTube Video

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Bent Diplomat Apple

Age When Smoked: 1 Month

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

8 people found this review helpful.

DavyCrockettwashere Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
DavyCrockettwashere (33)
★★★☆
Medium to Strong None Detected Very Full Tolerable to Strong

Long, dark, semi- broken flakes with the scent of the middle eastern tobacco, (Latakia). Mingling in the long strands, are the most incredible naturally sweet Virginia tobaccos. The smoky Latakia and the sweet Virginia are reminiscent of the sweet and salty effect in confections. I initially ordered only four ounces to try. I have now ordered a pound. In my forty-five years of smoking a pipe, I have smoked all the old greats when they were made by the original blend company’s. I would often think that this or that tobacco was the greatest. None, not one of those English style tobaccos has pleased me as much as Lancer Slices. This tobacco is glorious! Notice that this blend is ranked number fourteen out of hundreds of pipes tobaccos on Smokingpipes.com.

Pipe Used: Comoy Liverpool

Age When Smoked: New.

Purchased From: Smoking pipes.com

6 people found this review helpful.

RickyLee Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
RickyLee (1)
★★★★
Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable

it's definitely a full day Latakia flavor, and very easy to beginner to smoke it.

and, I wonder this one the the same as 『 Charles Fairmorn - Lancer's Slices 』

Pipe Used: corn cob pipes

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smoking pipes

Similar Blends: Esoterica Tobacciana - Penzance, Charles Fairmorn - Lancer's Slices.

6 people found this review helpful.

Uban Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
Uban (60)
★★★☆
Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable

No subtlety here, but good smooth flavor in a cool smoke. As soon as I opened the bag, I smelled pine smoke. I love pine smoke, especially in rich latakia. The VAs here are light and sweet. Blended and aged well, and in bulk the slices were long & pretty. Packs well by any method.

Pipe Used: MM, Meer from turkey, briars

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: Gift (1/2 lb!)

Similar Blends: No really anything I remember.

5 people found this review helpful.

Hoipolloi Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
Hoipolloi (12)
★★☆☆
Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable

A rich full bodied smoke, that plus thick latakia smoke. Tastes sweet with nutty and leather undertones. There is a sour note to this that isn't unpleasant, but its a little to strong. Packs and burns easily. Burns cool and doesn't bite.

Pipe Used: MM country gentlemen & others

Age When Smoked: New (bulk)

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

5 people found this review helpful.

RonR Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
RonR (85)
★★☆☆
Mild None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable

3rdguy

Just finished 4oz. Originally purchased in 2018 I did not care for it and left it jarred until now. Much more enjoyable on the revisit. Can be a bit bitey even though the latakia is driving the bus. Retrohale is all latakia…not much dimension with this blend. Nice broken flake that allowed a long smoke. I would buy more but nothing I would care to cellar deeply. Worth a try.

Age When Smoked: 2018

3 people found this review helpful.

Kokinhenik Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
Kokinhenik (93)
★★★☆
Medium Extremely Mild Medium to Full Tolerable

First impressions: Meaty, sweet and smokey. I get a little bit of a floral or fruity note at the top of each puff. Is that the Virginia? I can't quite place it, reminds me of a Lakeland. According to the description it's not flavored. Maybe that's just the herbs in the Latakia? Having grown up with a lot of campfires and spent a fare amount of time trying to keep the smoke out of my eyes and throat (though it annoyingly seemed to follow me everywhere) I don't mind a bit of the woody smokiness but ive had my share of that taste already and I'm not that enamored with Latakia in general because of it. I need a lot more in a blend to make it interesting. For me, this can be a fantastic winter smoke but not a daily.

Update: few more bowls, actually the Latakia seems pretty well balanced with the Virginia. Kind of growing on me.

3 people found this review helpful.

Capt Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
Capt (339)
★★★☆
Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable

Never tried the Bengal Slices, so I cannot comment if this imitation is on par.

2 to 4 inch stringy broken flakes makes up this offering from F&K. Dark brown makes up the majority of this flake, with strands of bright blond Virginias. Rich, wet campfire mustiness permeates through the pouch. I love it!!

The flakes arrive quite broken, which makes the piper's job of loading much easier. Flakes have a bit of moisture, which the lighting could benefit from a little dry time. I found if you smoke these straight from the pouch, they don't produce a voluminous amounts of smoke as when dried for a short period.

Initial lighting takes a few. Just when you think you may be able to settle in, it peters out. After you get it going, it's an amazing smoke.

Thick, chewy smoke, perfect aroma of leathery Latakia, with nice toasty undertones. Virginia adds the perfect amount of sweetness to this flake. Very well balanced and well rounded Never harsh nor dull. Burns clean and cool, with just a bit of moisture in the heel. Does make my mouth tingle a bit, but I would consider it tongue bite. Leaves a cool and refreshing palate!

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

Brunello Reviewed By DateRating StrengthFlavoringTasteRoom Note
Brunello (166)
★★★☆
Medium Extremely Mild Full Tolerable to Strong

This one benefits from some aging. I have three jars of this, each from different vintages, and the transformation with age is noticeably beneficial. Of course I don’t know the actual date of manufacture, as these come in bulk, and who knows how long something may have sat at the seller’s end. So this is based solely on how long I’ve had possession of the product. My newest batch is a little over six months old, my middle batch is about three years old, and my oldest batch (now down to just a few bowls) is about six years old. Just sniffing the jars tells the whole story: the youngest is reticent of aroma, the middle is showing some personality, the oldest smells awesome, with a deep, rich inviting aroma.

The range of my ratings also varies according to age: fresh batch 2.8 stars, middle batch 3.1 stars, oldest batch 3.5 stars. I sure do wish I had another untouched jar of the oldest vintage so I could see if ten years bumps this up to true four-star greatness. I thought about seeing if somebody on a forum had an older supply they were willing to trade for. But all along, from my very first tasting notes, I’ve always considered this a poor cousin to Sillem’s Commodore Flake, specifically this being slightly lighter and less complex. They both end up getting nearly the same tasting notes: salted meats or jerky, burnt molasses, graphite and pencil shavings, creamy malt (like a dark lager), and both have a unique flavor that seems to be in the casing that I compare to a dash of Dr. Pepper. Not saying that was really used, although I’ve used root beer before in my casings (unique!), but this is certainly a very specific tasting note that I’ve not encountered in any other of over 600 commercial tobaccos.

Charles Fairmorn was originally a tobacconist and distributor of cigars in Lübeck, Germany, so perhaps Lancer’s Slices and Commodore Flake (made in Germany) share a common DNA (?). For a wonderful evening sipping session they both pair well with Köstritzer Schwarzbier from Germany, or among domestic choices, Shiner Bohemian Black Lager.

Lancer’s does seem to develop more aromatic expression (although my stack of cellared Commodore tins will need a couple more years before they hit that age). I do consider Commodore to be a truly great flake, and that is something quite evident even when you sample it fairly young. Lancer’s needs time to really hint at its hidden potential. Lancer’s is substantially less expensive, so it doesn’t hurt to put aside some for long-term cellaring. I like to keep both on hand. Incidentally, I have a wonderful tweak of Lancer’s which is an effort to bring out more complexity and a little more contribution from sweet, well-aged (10 years!) Virginias. I call that one Sir Lancelot, because he’s a noble, warm-hearted but seductive son of gun.

Lastly: since these are flakes with well-homogenized flavors, I find the wide bowls I normally favor for complex mixtures don’t really add to the experience, whereas a tall narrow bowl helps focus extra deliciousness at the end of the bowl.

Age When Smoked: Fresh, 3 years, 6 years.

1 person found this review helpful.