Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Erinmore Flake

I received this as a sample - about an ounce. I didn't ask for it, I was leery of it as I had recently smoked as much of the Mixture as I could stand (not much) and reacted very negatively, but this one surprised me. I guess my assumption is always that a flake version of a blend should taste like a fully rubbed out version... and they did... sort of.

Somehow some way, Flake toned down the sour-sweetness I found in Mixture and it tasted sweeter with less sour bitterness. I did not find much of the spiciness others have written about, but I did get a fairly sweet (and thankfully non-tastebud riddling!) flavor all the way down the bowl. I can certainly see how this one could have its followers. The flakes were beautiful! But then again, I'm always enamored of a flake presentation in the tin. I tasted no "spoiled pineapple", which I know is just the mind playing tricks - there's no pineapple in here! - just a nice, smooth easy to smoke sweet virginia. Nothing earth shattering but nice and steady. Not enough flavor for me, however. But do try this if you like a sweet but natural tobacco or you just want to sample some history.

I hadn't smoked Erinmore for years until recently, and was very pleasantly surprised when I revisited it. I recall my father warning me off the blend because of its 'soapy' flavour; undaunted, I tired it for myself a couple of times, found the flavouring to be completely over the top, so ignored it for the next 30 years.

Clearly during the intervening time, and with its passage to Scandinavian, it's undergone something of a reformulation, and the current iteration is a lovely smoke. They've toned down the flavouring somewhat, and now it's far more subtle, allowing the tobacco to shine through.

I'd describe Erinmore Flake as a pleasant, well-behaved smoke. It packs and lights nicely, and smokes without problems of relights or tongue bite. Whilst not spectacular, I'd describe this as a good, solid, all-day smoke, and probably a good choice for a first-time pipesmoker who is willing to deal with a flake tobacco.

For me it also has another significance. It was the regular smoke of my great grandfather, the skipper of an old deep-sea steam trawler, whose vessel and crew were requisitioned for wartime minesweeping duties. He proved himself to be a very brave chap indeed, and was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French for his troubles. But that's a whole different story.......

Finishing up a tin of this, it occurred to me to check my review from a couple years back. There wasn't one, and I was sure I would have written one. I clearly recall questioning the value of writing one, since there was so many already. Was it accidentally deleted? Or did I just forget?

Also, it surprises me that Erinmore scores this low. It is so much better than the highly-vaunted Escudo, and I'd put it on the same level as Peterson's Irish Flake and HH Old Dark Fired.

It's not pineapple flavored, but the Juicy Fruit comparison is apt. Even pretty dried-out this is good, and I was still able to catch a good whiff of Juicy Fruit, and it still smokes slow. As a matter of fact, it's still a little hard to keep lit.

I can't tell you how much the formula of Erinmore has changed as years have rolled by, but it is good stuff now. My last tin was good as well. Try it just for the history quotient. Yes, this has got a nicotine content, but maybe not as much as the other tobaccos I mentioned earlier. Virginia is the basic flavor you get while there's Burley in there too. No perique to my knowledge.

I crumble this well; I'm always sorry when I don't this to flakes.

I don't really consider this to be an aromatic either. If you try one tin, you'll likely want another eventually.

This is one of the iconic tobaccos of the times past. It comes neatly packaged in a nice size tin. The flakes themselves are uniformly shaped and somewhat narrower than most flakes of different brands. The aroma is sort of flowery, fruity but not in the Lakeland kind of way. I really cannot figure out what exactly am I smelling in the aroma. The flakes are a bit on the moist side, so I let them sit for a while before packing into the pipe.

I do the packing my usual way - take two flakes and fold them in the Z-shape, and then roll them up and stuff them into the pipe bowl.

There are no problems lighting the tobacco, but it requires quite a few relights.

The taste is very interesting - you get sweetness from Vriginias and a bit of nuttiness from burleys, plus some flowery notes. This is considered to be an aromatic. But while being and aromatic blend, it is quite strong. In the second half of the bowl you get rather high dose of vitamin N.

I consider the room note to be on the pleasant side and noone has complained about it yet.

It is and interesting blend. It cannot be considered and all day smoke because of the strength. In my opinion, novice pipe smokers should avoid smoking this.

I walked into The Godfathers Tobacco Shop today and spied 8 tins of Erinmore for 6.99. With a 10 percent discount I was sold. As I placed it on the counter the girl asked..."are you really going to buy those?" I laughed and must have given her a very puzzled look indeed. She pointed to the bulk jars and stated it is so popular here no one buys the tins they just pick up the bulk for $2.55. She asked if I had my pipe and when I pulled it out had it loaded up by her. This was a first for me. I lit it and sure enough it was Erinmore flake. Same taste all around. So I picked up a pound and all the tins. Plus several others I had not seen in years. As for the review. This is a very good flake. The taste has changed over the years but I really do not care. It smokes very well. It is mild and leaves no bad tastes. In all I will welcome it back into my rotation.

With the exception of Paladin and Spinnaker, I've never met a blend that I haven't somehow liked. However, my favorite blends (flake or otherwise) are good old Va or VaBur blends. SG Best Brown takes Gold, while Erinmore Flake brings home the Silver. (Bronze goes to OGS). The focus of this review is Erinmore Flake, which I've been blissfully smoking for years.

There's nothing fancy here. Just fine Burley leaf that is supported by some VA and dark-fired leaf, and just enough of a fruity topping to make it all interesting. At least that's what I detect. I rub it out fully, pack it a wee bit on the tight-side, give it a charring light, tamp, give it a second lighting, and then lose myself in a wonderful medium/full-flavored blend as I float away on gloriously thick clouds of smoke, The room note is quite nice, but I can only describe it as "pipe tobacco-like". In short, this is pipe tobacco at it's finest but not most exotic. It's a solid and honest smoke, and one that is gonna appeal more to pipe smokers who just want an honest bowl of pipe tobacco - not an "experience.

Some people claim that it nips if puffed too hard, but I don't find this to be true. However, I do agree that it needs to be sipped to appreciate the depth of flavor that this sublime blend offers. It's deep, it's rich, and it's just wonderful. I'm not sure how to describe the fruity topping, but comparing it to Juicy Fruit chewing gum is not unreasonable. It's also not unreasonable to think of this as an extremely light Lakeland blend, but it's not all GH soapy-like. If you smoke a lot of it, it will ghost a pipe. It also has some stones and a decent dose of Vitamin N, but not enough to relegate this to an evening smoke. I enjoy it all day long, and it pairs quite nicely with some black coffee or iced tea.

Price-wise, it's probably tied with OGS as the best value in pipe tobacco. You can find it for about $8USD a tin if you go over to Pipes and Cigars.com. Think about that - that's not much more than what you'd pay for an OTC if you bought said OTC at a grocery store... at least here in Texas, anyway. The only better value is gonna be a bulk blend like Stokkebye's LNF or LTF. But Erinmore Flake is much better, IMHO. And at about $8USD a tin, I've cellared quite a bit of it.

This is an old school smoke that's been around since Mobby Dick was a guppy. It's been around for so long that it is reputed to have been one of JRR Tolkien's favorite blends, and I would not be surprised to learn that he was thinking about Erinmore Flake when he decided to make pipe weed a central aspect of the daily lives of Hobbits and wizards. And people who have the solid sensibilities of a Hobbit or the wisdom of a wizard are gonna be those who really get the most out of this esteemed blend because it's a solid and dependable smoke, offered at a fair price, that embodies all the qualities of a really great pipe tobacco blend.

Highly recommended to those who just want a bowl of great tobacco, and not a pipe smoking experience akin to nekked bungy jumping. But to clear up some long lasting controversy, there is not a pineapple on the label - it's a thistle. There is an old Celt connection to the thistle and the name Erinmore, but don't ask me for the exact details. That secret went to the grave along with the marketing gurus that first thought it up.

Summary: bright Virginias dominates a mix of darker Virginias and Burleys to create a complex flavor.

Sweet and acidic bright Virginias lead the taste profile here, with the stewed fruit and malted grain taste of red and brown Virginias emerging later; the Cavendish must be a minor player, adding its softness, while Burley warms up the flavor. Like "Golden Sliced" and "Luxury Twist Flake," this tobacco has been softened to a bready texture and is memorable for a sweetness that carries to the bottom of the bowl. Erinmore adds a coconut flavoring with something like apricot or berries mixed in, but this topping burns off relatively quickly leaving only a coconut-cherry aftertaste. What I like about this blend is that despite all of the above, there is complexity in this flavor like a good cocktail, with the synergy of the different ingredients fragmenting and then returning as the smoldering flame descends in the bowl.

A love hate tobacco and pretty much the only real Aromatic in my closet.

I like Erinmore flake it has a wonderful tin note, smokes well and tastes like deep leathery tobacco with a tropical fruit back note.

On opening of the tin I see a very dark tobacco with the usual creamy flecks throughout. The aroma is wonderful, a rich tobacco aroma which underlies the sweet tropical fruit/citrus smelling topping. Very enticing.

It is a Virginia Burley blend with a citrus topping/casing. It requires some drying out of the tin in fact quite a bit of drying so plan half a day before you want to smoke it.

I find the best way to prepare it is cube cut the flake and loosely fill the pipe with a light push down once filled.

This blend splits itself in two with the Virginia and Burley mainly showing themselves on the taste buds with the topping and again the Virginia making themselves known on the nasal exhale. The Virginia is good and like a reviewer already said 'tingles the nose like Perique' (paraphrasing).

The taste in the mouth is nutty Burley sweetened by Virginia very satisfying and not overly complex, when exhaled through the nose tropical fruit with a tingle. I pick Dragonfruit and Kiwi on exhale although I do not have much faith in my own flavour descriptors, it is tropical fruits nonetheless.

A recommended blend from a brand that has been around since Jesus played fullback for Nazareth.

Overview: Erinmore Flake is an Irish tobacco that has been around a long time (my Dad smoked it as an RAF bomber pilot in World War II). It comes in a yellow and red 50 gram tin of rectangular shape.

Feel: This flake is much drier and less sticky than the Cavendishes many new pipers are used to. Thats OK. Just take a few strips off the cake and put it in the center of your left palm. Next, put your right palm on these strips and move it in a slightly circular motion until the strips change to a consistency you're used to. Now pack it in your pipe in 3 or 4 lifts. Flake tobacco allows me to achieve several consistencies for different 1) pipes and 2) rates of burn I require for different occasions.

Smoking Characteristics: Erinmore has the exact moisture level I like for setting-up a '1 match' burn. Cool and slow burning, it is quite unlikely to burn the mouth of a skilled piper. Occasional re-lighting may be required for beginners. Better out-of-doors than indoors,I enjoy it immensely while camping, walking or canoeing in the spring and fall as it seems to do better in cooler air.

Nose: Popping the lid reveals Erinmore to have a strong & complex aroma both fruity and peppery -- a wonderful experience if your appreciation of scent extends beyond the corner store brands. The room note is semi-sweet & pleasant for smokers but it?s power is a bit much for the average non-smoker. Unfortunately, this nice room note tends to sour a bit quickly.

Mouth: This is a strong, remarkably flavourful tobacco, well-behaved for pipesmokers with good technique buthard on Pipers with soft mouths. The initial taste experience is very full (somewhat extreme) and complex with the sweetness of fruit that is slightly-past-ripe. Flavors shift subtly within that context as it burns down. Not a tobacco for overnight re-lighting or inhaling.

Economics: Here in Canada, Erinmore Flake is a high-priced tobacco. But I rate it as a moderately economical smoke because of it?s slow burn and it?s ability to please the nose & palate with small puffs.

Last Word: Probably not for new pipesmokers with soft mouths as their taste buds would probably go into shock. However, if you enjoy the strong aromas and tastes of blue cheese, anchovies, peppers, jerky, scotch, etc. you may be ready to give Erinmore a try. I enjoy Erinmore immensely while camping, hiking or canoeing in the spring and fall. It's not my favorite blend for summer time as it tastes better when smoked in cool, moist air. I rate Erinmore at 4 stars out of 5 and would put it in my luggage if I faced banishment to a desert island.