Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Erinmore Flake

Juicy fruit just about sums this one up , an unholy allaince of chewing gum and tobacco . I see that this is availble in 100g doses over the pond , stick to the 50g . This stuff has a habit of lingering in your pipe and your house. A friend of mine bought a house and the minute I walked in the frontroom the smell of this tobacco hit me , the previous owner smoked this stuff and even after the room was redecorated it still lingered every time I walked in. Availble in flake , ready rubbed and plug in England.

If you are like me, there may come a point, early on in your smoking career, when you think smoking pineapple cinders is pretty cool. This stage may last you about half a tin. Afterwards, you will spend about six months trying to get that pineapple taste out of your pipes and perhaps even thanking Jah that your tastes have evolved so far as to not again require Juicy Fruit in your pipes. But then again, you might really like this stuff.

Not an aromatic. Yes, it smells nice. Yes there is flavoring added. But this tobacco was not designed to showcase chemical flavorings. This tobacco is made to provide some seriously good Virginia flavor. Maybe it is a stout blend. But it's just another sweet Virginia to me and I like it. Is there some Lakeland essence in there? Maybe sometimes I think I notice it. The fruitiness of this blend I believe comes mainly from the Virginia tobacco. And it's pretty nice. But there is also a nice licorice flavor, that can remind you of Peterson's Irish flake. I've heard complaints of high nicotine here, I don't really notice much but then again I am a regular nicotine user. This is a solid blend. It seems to stand alone. It's unmistakable can is found in most mature pipe smokers collections. For me this is right up there with royal yacht. Sweet, Strong, full of Virginia. Royal yacht is a better tobacco, because it has an incredible sweet spot, that can be maintained for quite a long time. Whereas Erinmore flake is less predictable.

I smoke this once in a while. But if I had to, I could smoke it everyday and enjoy it. I've never heard a man say this was his favorite tobacco. But if I did, I would assume that man knew a thing or two about good tobacco.

This is a truly excellent tobacco and for whatever reason seems to be an excellent demonstration of Rupert Sheldrake’s morphogenetic resonance hypothesis of connection to the past’s wisdom. Yes, the flavor is good, yes it heavily ghosts a pipe, yes it is a balance of natural and topping - it should be added that the smoking dynamics of this are damn near PERFECT - the smoothness of the draw, the velvety smoke - how easy it is to keep lit - how long a single flake lasts - how tolerant ot is to having great flavor in various levels of humidity - how easy to roll and pack, it is amazing. Also - it is slightly more mild in strength for me than full Virginia flake. This is a classic for a reason - I doubt it will disappoint. It is not my favorite, perhaps not even top 5. - but it is very, very good and I have dedicated my Savinelli to it - at least for several weeks more.

The flake is LOVELY to transport in pocket pouch or tin, well-formed and holds together nicely. The flavor benefits from some dry time - just to where it crumbles but still folds/rolls well. It comes across almost as a Virginia perique - with some earthy spice. I loathe perique but love this blend. The juicy fruit sweetness is an apt description of the topping.

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

The tin smell is awesome. The room note is very pleasant in a grown-up way, not cloying or sticky sweet. The taste kinda sucks, however. It manages to simultaneously lack in flavor and at the same time feel like I've just licked a bar of hand soap. Having just finished 2/3's of a bowl my tongue is sour and tired in a chemically sort of way.

Don't recommend. First time I've disagreed with Pipestud.

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.