Player's Navy Cut Flake
(3.35)
One of John Players classic blends, a beautiful flake comprised of Virginia and burley. Cold pressed with a smidgen of rum into an eye catching flake of brown with golden highlights. A very fragrant smoke with a wonderful citrus and grassy aroma. Not overly strong but very smooth and cool to smoke.
Notes: Trivia: Reputed to be one of author J.R.R.Tolkien's favorites.
Details
| Brand | Player's |
| Blended By | John Player & Sons |
| Manufactured By | Orlik |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Burley |
| Contents | Burley, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Rum |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams pouch |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Extremely Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.35 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 26 of 26 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2011 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The received wisdom is that the UK has two over-the-counter baccies that are worth smoking, the stalwart St Bruno Flake and the mighty Condor Long Cut. Leaving aside the fact that there is getting to be no such thing as an 'over-the-counter tobacco' anymore (St Bruno Flake is getting increasingly hard to locate without recourse to one of our rapidly dwindling number of dedicated tobacconists), I would like to propose a motion: Britain has three great over-the-counter blends!
PNC is a thoroughly delicious virgina flake with the tiniest smidgeon of sweet, fruity topping that blends very nicely with the base tobaccos. It isn't strong enough to be termed an 'aromatic', but it just adds that extra little something to the flavours on offer. Although the N-factor is only moderate, there is plenty of smoke, and satisfaction is easy to come by.
This blend takes a light easily and, like most brit flakes, seems to last a long time in the bowl. There is a tiny bit of harshness to the smoke which, in my view, just helps to add an extra bit of body. It certainly isn't enough to cause any discomfort.
I am very pleased I decided to take a chance on this one and would recommend that anyone else who stumbles across a pack does likewise. It's a good 'un.
P.S. and yes, I had forgotten about Walnut!
Edit Aug 2012: I am revisting some of my reviews and regrading, reserving 4 stars only for a select few that have become mainstays in my extended rotation. I still recommend this tobacco, but my tastes nowadays tend to run to stronger, more flavoursome fare. I am therefore docking a star.
PNC is a thoroughly delicious virgina flake with the tiniest smidgeon of sweet, fruity topping that blends very nicely with the base tobaccos. It isn't strong enough to be termed an 'aromatic', but it just adds that extra little something to the flavours on offer. Although the N-factor is only moderate, there is plenty of smoke, and satisfaction is easy to come by.
This blend takes a light easily and, like most brit flakes, seems to last a long time in the bowl. There is a tiny bit of harshness to the smoke which, in my view, just helps to add an extra bit of body. It certainly isn't enough to cause any discomfort.
I am very pleased I decided to take a chance on this one and would recommend that anyone else who stumbles across a pack does likewise. It's a good 'un.
P.S. and yes, I had forgotten about Walnut!
Edit Aug 2012: I am revisting some of my reviews and regrading, reserving 4 stars only for a select few that have become mainstays in my extended rotation. I still recommend this tobacco, but my tastes nowadays tend to run to stronger, more flavoursome fare. I am therefore docking a star.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 07, 2002 | Mild | Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This famous mix is often recommended to beginners and is a good introduction to flake tobaccos. On opening it has that traditional sweet Virginia aroma and breaks up easily. Reassuringly straight-forward to light and maintain, it has a delicious soft sweetness for the first half of the bowl and as you progress so the intensity of the sweetness seems to build, tasting as it smelt when you first opened the pouch. Despite being a bit of a 'puffer', I found it easy to smoke nice and slow and it offered no harshness or discernible bite at all. Sure an all Virginia mix probably won't ever top your Christmas list, but it's a good reliable blend that is honest and rewarding.
Of course the cool picture of the sailor on the front and the fact you have to break it up in your fingers makes you feel like a genuine seaman plying their trade on a 19th Century square-rigger between Liverpool and San Francisco, rounding the horn in a force 10- and all without even getting your feet wet!
Of course the cool picture of the sailor on the front and the fact you have to break it up in your fingers makes you feel like a genuine seaman plying their trade on a 19th Century square-rigger between Liverpool and San Francisco, rounding the horn in a force 10- and all without even getting your feet wet!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 23, 2016 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
A basic, straightforward blend, the VAs give it a slight complexity and the rum is light. The flakes are thin and separate into long thin strands for easy packing. If you are looking for a mild, 'traditional' rum blend that isn't really on the sweet side, this might be for you. If you need more (N, flavor, sweetness), this might be a bit on the boring side.
Pipe Used:
briars, cobs, and meers
PurchasedFrom:
GQ
Age When Smoked:
upon arrival
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 09, 2013 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Some brief impressions after smoking my first bowl
Pouch aroma: Raisins and stewed figs with a slightly alcoholic edge, yummy.
Smoke: Just lots of sweet virginia goodness, a good one for sipping.
Burning qualities: Rubbed out 1 flake fully and packed 3/4 of it into a Missouri Meerschaum legend, this provided a 45+ minute smoke(!), never got bitter or harsh unless pushed. Very good.
Pouch aroma: Raisins and stewed figs with a slightly alcoholic edge, yummy.
Smoke: Just lots of sweet virginia goodness, a good one for sipping.
Burning qualities: Rubbed out 1 flake fully and packed 3/4 of it into a Missouri Meerschaum legend, this provided a 45+ minute smoke(!), never got bitter or harsh unless pushed. Very good.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 03, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
update, a couple weeks later:
the flavouring permeated my whole "cellar", to the extend that i smelled it every time i was close to it. in the end i had enough, and simply threw the pouch out. never player's medium navy cut again for me, unless i can lay my hands on an old tin. their cigarettes are top class, though.
end update.
as others have noted, this tobacco only comes in pouches these days. if you want to age it, you'll have to transfer it to some kind of jar.
i'm not sure, though, that it will age that well...
upon opening the little plastic box inside the pouch, you're greeted with a very fruity/winey aroma, somewhat reminiscent of st.bruno but stronger, and without the smokey scent of kentucky. very thin slices of perfect humidity. packs and lights easily.
the taste is of fine quality virginias, for sure, but the flavouring, which now is of red berries/red wine/citrus, is too dominant to my taste. it fills the mouth so as to almost block out the virginias, and doesn't at any time meld with the tobacco taste. this is rather disappointing, as i feel that it might be a very fine smoke if the manufacturer (imperial, i guess) had held back on the flavouring. as far as i can discern, the virginias are almost similar to those used in the british version of capstan rr. nothing wrong with the raw tobacco!
for those who like me have smoked the tin version 10-15 years ago, i can report that this is not as clean tasting a blend as it used to be, and that the flavouring profile has been changed from something molasses/coffee/berry like to the mentioned berry/wine/citrus. it's not awful, but neither is it really to my liking.
somewhat recommended for the quality of the virginias and the burning properties.
the flavouring permeated my whole "cellar", to the extend that i smelled it every time i was close to it. in the end i had enough, and simply threw the pouch out. never player's medium navy cut again for me, unless i can lay my hands on an old tin. their cigarettes are top class, though.
end update.
as others have noted, this tobacco only comes in pouches these days. if you want to age it, you'll have to transfer it to some kind of jar.
i'm not sure, though, that it will age that well...
upon opening the little plastic box inside the pouch, you're greeted with a very fruity/winey aroma, somewhat reminiscent of st.bruno but stronger, and without the smokey scent of kentucky. very thin slices of perfect humidity. packs and lights easily.
the taste is of fine quality virginias, for sure, but the flavouring, which now is of red berries/red wine/citrus, is too dominant to my taste. it fills the mouth so as to almost block out the virginias, and doesn't at any time meld with the tobacco taste. this is rather disappointing, as i feel that it might be a very fine smoke if the manufacturer (imperial, i guess) had held back on the flavouring. as far as i can discern, the virginias are almost similar to those used in the british version of capstan rr. nothing wrong with the raw tobacco!
for those who like me have smoked the tin version 10-15 years ago, i can report that this is not as clean tasting a blend as it used to be, and that the flavouring profile has been changed from something molasses/coffee/berry like to the mentioned berry/wine/citrus. it's not awful, but neither is it really to my liking.
somewhat recommended for the quality of the virginias and the burning properties.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 09, 2005 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
A very easy flake, easy to rub and pack and easy to smoke. It could be a good introduction to the world of flakes if it wasn't for its habit to bite the tongue. If smoked slowly it gives nice satisfactions and a good complexity.
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