Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Erinmore Flake

This Virginia burley bland is a delight. The tin note is great. The flavor is a classic Virginia infused with the nuttiness of the burleys. There is citrus and vanilla notes as well. The room note is fantastic and will usually evoke complimenet. An absolute delight that burns well in the pipe.

Smoking Erinmore Flake is like having a nice colorful rainbow in your mouth after a rain which calmed down the wind in the morning. Highly Recommended to the ones looking for a transitional blend between strong Aromatic and VaBur.

Sniffing the tin note I know there is a food from my childhood that smelled the same, alas, I cannot remember it. Maybe a fruit smoothie with strawberry, banana and apple? Regardless it's very apparent and welcoming. There is also a hay like tobacco smell under the fruityness.

Looking at the flakes brings back memories of University Flake (more on that later) but with a couple of shades lighter and more fleck of bright leaf. They are beautiful flake and at about the width of two MacBaren ODF flakes. They rub out easily, although I am a fold and stuffer 90% of the time.

Smoking this flake starts you off with a very pronounced fruitiness. I personally don't find it overbearing but for the pure tobacco flavor conoisseurs, it might be too much for enjoyment. The VAs are sweet and haylike while the Burleys are mild and nutty. The marriage of all three makes for a pleasant smoke that starts off middle of the road and builds throughout the bowl.

The burn of this tobacco can be a little finicky so relights are going to be plentiful. It doesn't always burn down to a nice dottle but you can't have your fruit flavored cake and ash it too! 😉

Virginia and Burley are probably my favorite combination of tobaccos. If you like Peterson University Flake but think it might be a little too strong, this will probably be right up your alley. The plum in the former is not as present as the fruit/citrus in this blend though. You'll get more flavoring with less strength in Erinmore and less flavoring and more strength in University Flake. This is a wonderful year round smoke as it's warming and inviting during those cold winter months and sublte and sweet enough on those hot days.

I've smoked three current production tins and three Murray era tins. I will say that I am more inclined to praise younger versions of this. The burley is very subtle (at least for my preferences, I tend to favor the C&D KO varietals) and with too much age on it the flavoring takes over and becomes a duet with the VA rather than a trio of flavors like the current production. This will always be a part of my rotation.

I’ve always been a fan of Erinmore because I’ve always considered it to be part of the holy trinity - Erinmore, St Bruno and Condor.

I first had this towards the end of the last century and although the modern offering has similarities to the old stuff, it also has some differences. Let’s start at the beginning because that seems like an appropriate place to begin; let’s talk pineapple.

Pineapple. I’m no expert when it comes to pineapple detection but I don’t think there is any. My suspicion is that the pineapple logo on the tin is in reference to the Georgian habit of displaying a pineapple at dinner parties to show how wealthy one was - they used to rent them because they were too expensive to buy. Erinmore is a blend with age and pedigree so I wonder if the pineapple isn’t used to reference the expensive quality of the leaves included? The Victorians would have had a closer understanding of the pineapple metaphor? Anyway, it isn’t pineapple tasting. Non-aromatic fans, don’t be put off because, if this can be considered an aromatic then it must be the lightest aromatic on the planet.

Pouch note. The modern pouch note has the usual citrus aroma but it is sitting alongside a rather hefty vinegar note that takes some time to lessen in a jar. I find that smoking straight from the tin leads to a fairly horrendous experience - the smoke can be sharp and bitter, virtually impossible to smoke down through a bowl without inverting your mouth; it takes multiple re-lights and, to be honest, isn’t worth the headache that you get fairly quickly. If, however, you give this some time out of the tin - a month or more - this begins to calm down and behave like it used to. I, for one, have an old (pre-decimalisation) Erinmore tin that I carry round my daily tobacco in. I found that leaving a few flakes of Erinmore in there did something quite extraordinary. Now, I’m not sure what is going on but it seems to have taken on the old scent and flavour of Erinmore as it waits in the tin; to the point where I have bought another old tin off eBay that I can put my blend for the day in and just use the old Erinmore tin for Erinmore.

The flake. The modern flake sits in the old tin like an overweight cousin; the flakes were narrower and longer and are now shorter and fatter. Does this make a difference? I shouldn’t have thought so, except for the aesthetics. The flake taken straight from the tin is moist and malleable but can be a bugger to rub out. When left in a jar it takes on a more leathery aspect; my preferred preparation method is to split half the flake along the width, rub it out and let it sit for five or ten minutes to dry off. I then place it in the bowl and after the usual char light, it is possible to keep it going and this burns beautifully slowly. It will bite like a demon if new or if it is still too moist so take the time to prepare it well. I do find that this tobacco does need a tamp with a tool more than a finger like others do.

The smoke. Rich, delicious palate pleasing plumes of smoke come of it. There is the sweetness of the Virginia, the dark mountains of the burley and the mystery of the Malawi leaf. I have seen old tins proudly announcing “Empire Blend” with all leaves being grown in the Empire and I think that this, more than a casing, could be the root of the citrus scent. For non-aro fans this is no way intensely gloopy - after the first few pulls the aromatic side of things has gone to bed and you are left with a rich beautiful smoke that has a nice nicotine side to it.

Overall. The pouch note (when thawed out) is one of the most pleasing available; it smokes slowly and calmly, giving subtle changes of character and pace as you smoke it down, and it could easily be an all day smoke for me. Don’t be put off but do give it some time out of the tin to settle down and then it is pure heaven.

I am enjoying this Tobacco since 1980, I love Erinmore Flake , I have used many types of flavors, but simply say that Erinmore Flake id awesome, I love it.

This is a longtime favorite of mine I'm only now reviewing. It was my first proper tobacco and has stayed in my heart since.

There's a definite sweet aroma in the tin. I believe it is citrus, and there is a sense of sweet licorice.

The taste of the Virginia is most prevalent, but gives way to the flavor, which is the same as in the tin note though far more muted. The burley is a minor player that really just tells you "This isn't just Virginia." The flavor is consistent throughout.

I really like this as a nighttime smoke. This form is similar to the Erinmore Mixture, but the tobacco in this is FAR more robust, much to my pleasure.

You can watch my video review of this blend here:

https://youtu.be/Mph0WTsUOsc

I had not smoked this for thirty some years. Its different now, but might actually be better. Not many things you can say that about. The virginias are typical scandi tobacco Co. material -- which is not bad. A bit young but they stoved them and then added a very nice nutty dark burley. Id say more virginia than burley....maybe a lot more. The casing is mild but clearly this is an aromatic. But might be the best aro on the market, honestly. Apricot, a bit of citrus and something like prunes. Its very seductive. And the blend burns slow and cool.NO bite at all.

Also, a better than average nic hit. All told a welcome change of pace for straight VA smokers or Vaper smokers.

This is another blend I've bought because I was looking for blends that are in the style of Peterson's 3P. Virginia, Burley + a mild, somewhat fruity flavoring. University Flake was in the style of 3Ps and Erinmore seemed to fit the bill so I bought a tin of it too.

Inside the simple, yet classy designed tin I got greeted by a intriguing scent and perfectly cut and stacked, thin flake slices. Mostly medium to dark brown, with few bright speckles.

Erinmore's flavoring seems more natural to me, than the one of UF and is more reminiscent of actual fruits/berries. But I find it hard to define what it exactly is. I get spiced and stoved fruits, berries and alike. I see where the comparison to bubble gum comes from, but I find it to have a spice undertone.

A bit too moist out of the tin, but average for a flake cut. Impatient and excited as I was I simply rubbed it out nicely, so it would burn without drying time on my first smoke.

Erinmore is a very pleasant blend, that fits in line with blends like Peterson's 3Ps and University Flake/Wallace Flake. It offers decently nutty Burley qualities with minor earth to it. The Burley is just a bit less present than the refreshing, citrusy-sweet and slightly grassy Virginias. Both base tobaccos harmonize very, very well imo and are underscored by the flavoring. The flavoring is much less intense than in the tin note, yet present in every puff and offers mild aromas of spiced-, and stoved-fruits, as well as berries-ish notes. Occasionaly I also perceive a mild floralness.

A masterpiece of a pipe tobacco blend, really. Unlike the most natural blends I prefer (mainly Motzek blends), but very enjoy- and love-able for its own merits.

I can see why some dislike it, but I am a lover of Erinmore Flake. Its a classic, and does have something truly unique going for it in a world full of forgettable blends. Forgettable it is not. First off, the tin note immediately distinguishes. It is a rich vabur, but you wouldn't know that by sniffing the contents of the tin. A baked apricot pie is what you get from the nose. Very intriguing. Upon combustion, you certainly pick up some bright, fruity notes, but this is tempered by rich, deep, textbook quality vabur flavors. This is one of few blends that satisfies both my desire for novelty, and classically perfect execution. There is a reason this potent flake has been around as long as it has. I always have a partially consumed tin kicking around my mudroom for those moments when nothing else will do. A good dose of nicotine, this is a full flavored aromatic for lovers of heavier fare. You really ought to try a tin, if only to determine which camp you are in: the Lovers, or the Haters. Use a cob you don't mind ghosting.