Erik Stokkebye Evening Flake

Erik Stokkebye - Evening Flake (4th Generation).

'Evening'? Well yes, in my opinion with this being a mellower VaPer as opposed to a St. James-esc blast of Perique, it's more suited to the evening slot than the morning.

As it's from bulk any excess moisture's abated in the pouch making for a smoke right away. I like to fully rub my flakes and to do so is a doddle with this. The unlit aroma isn't one to imply much Perique, I get more fresh hay from the Virginia than Perique.

Upon lighting my initial impression is of a 'smooth' VaPer. As I expected, it isn't a smash around the head with caustic Perique spice, instead it's more about the Virginias. If you want a leading taste of summer-hay from the Vas then step this way! I'm not finding rich fruit, sweetness, etc., but I get only the herbaceous Va qualities. The Perique? From it comes enough pepper to give some 'zest', but no plums, figs, etc. The burn? Fabulous! Tongue bite remains absent even when forced; a comfortable smoke.

Nicotine: below medium. Room-note: not bad!

Evening Flake? A mild VaPer making a pleasant change for the evening aromatic spot. Four stars:

Highly recommended.

The gold Virginias provide a burst of tart and tangy citrus, plenty of grass and hay, bread, some tart, fairly sour lemon and sugar, a little floralness, light earth, wood and acidity, a few drops of honey, and a couple of pinches of spice. They are the lead components. The earthy, woody, plumy, slightly raisiny, rather spicy perique is a more of a secondary star instead of a supporting player. The strength and nic-hit are in the center of mild to medium. The taste level is a step past that. It won’t bite or get harsh, but sports a few small rough notes. Between the spice, tartness and acidity, you may experience a light tongue tingle if you are a fast puffer. Burns a tad warm at a slightly slow rate with a very consistent favor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste, and room note. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. An all day smoke that should age well. Three and a half stars instead of four because of the sour acidity notes.

-JimInks

In my opinion, this is the best of the available bulk VA/per flakes (Luxury Navy/Bullseye Flakes, Newminster 400, etc ). The Virginias in this fresh version are a little grassy but have a nice sweetness, and the Perique stands out more than in the other bulk flakes with a pleasant musty plummyness. I've had the chance to smoke an aged sample and it was marvelous, deep and richly sweet. Just a great blend to buy in bulk and pad your cellar with.

干净清爽的VPer切片，没有调味的馅料，不粘手，没有水果气味。 Clean taste vaper flakes，None Topping，None fruits flavor 因为比较新吧，初始阶段per草过鼻辛辣，V草提供了一个干净香甜的背景，整体比ps400要舒服，更接近Escudo。 Virginia taste sweet in background，more comfortable than PS400 luxury navy flakes 烟气属于中等偏薄，整天抽也不会腻人，冷火慢抽，不咬舌，刺激只在鼻腔，给鼻腔挠痒痒的感觉。 all day smoke，keep it slow burns，No bite and comfortable in nose

Very good natural blend with a fair amount of spice from the Perique. Like most VaPers on the market today the taste and tin note were of sweet grass and hay. The moisture level was good and the burn was near perfect with no relights required. Definitely worth a try.

Not much perique here in the tin aroma or the smoke but an enjoyable VA/Per that could be an all day smoke. No bite, condensation and smooth burning with very few relights.

Some type of glitch here. This blend doesn't show up when entered into the search function here, but if you enter it into a search engine on the interwebs, it has a link here to TR. Weird! Anywho, on to the review!

I hesitated when I ordered this blend, as Mac Baren blends tend to give me severe tongue bite, especially their Virginia blends.

The appearance is a beautifully mottled brown flake adorned with lemony yellow bright leaf. Perfect cut, and even thickness of the flake. Moisture content of these bulk flakes are perfect on arrival. They rub out easy as can be, and load/pack very well.

Pouch aroma is very light citrus, cut clover and honey. I cannot detect the Perique in the pouch.

Initial lighting is a close resemblance of the pouch aroma. Light, lemony, slight hay, with a honey sweetness. It has that signature Danish flavor and aroma. This blend stays nice and even throughout the smoke. This has been a great smoke for me during the heat of the day due to its light and refreshing profile. It pairs well with coffee, iced tea and even a Cuban rum on the rocks.

I'll be aging a good bit of this to see how it develops

Aroma brings hay, bread, a little citrus. Midway through some of the more citrus-sweet bright Virginia and the more hay-bready ones. Well balanced.

If you're a lover of the lighter bright Virginia and mild Perique blends, you will find Evening Flake very familiar. Smoking notes, again, of some hay, bread, and a tough of citrus sweetness. The Perique is just slightly noticeable, but is definitely there. It brings a hint of dark fruit notes and some body to the blend.

The flakes are very easy to rub out, pack, and smoke. I recommend giving it some drying time. Even when it felt dry to me, I still had to relight a few extra times and felt the beginnings of a tongue bite. However, with sufficient drying time, none of those take place. The flavor and strength intensify a little around halfway through the bowl. The Perique black pepper becomes a bit more dominant. Smokes in medium-fast pace, just a little hot. But of course you can take it slower than I do, which will help to smoke cooler. An all-day smoke.

Mild-medium in body and strength. I love the balance between the different leaves, this is almost perfect in terms of the play between sweet, bread, and spice, as well as nice amount of body and strength. I only smoke this in small or small-medium pipes. Smoking in larger bowls helps to lose good amount of flavor and smokes hotter.

I would personally have liked it a little more if it was a touch sweeter, and smoked slower and cooler. But for that experience I can just turn to some other blends. Similarly to other Stokkebye bulk blends, my first couple of bowls also felt a bit too "green", or young, although that has changed with drying time as well. This is not a special blend, but it is just slightly different than some others on the wide spectrum of Virginia-Perique blends. And the great price means that it's hard to say 'no' to. I will probably get a couple of pounds and let it ripen a bit.

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 because why not.

Package note of sweet, grassy and spices. Tobacco is a Flake of marbled yellowish brown, tan and yellow. Moisture content is great. Flakes rub out with a little effort. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and very consistent, with notes of zesty orange peel, grassy, spicy, tart mild dark fruit, floral, spice, sugary, peaty hay, wood, rich earth, acidic, mild bread, mildly sour, a lemon citrus background note, and a peppery retro. Virginia is leading with Perique supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

COMMENTARY-ERIK STOKKEBYE 4TH GENERATION EVENING FLAKE: Innovation is Based in Legacy and Tradition Consider for just a moment that effectually a new generation is a valuable seed. As such, it must be carefully nurtured to establish its base roots from which to experience initial budding. Through substantive growth a generating seed ultimately fulfills its intended purpose by contributing value in life.

In blossoming, the seed naturally advances the legacy bestowed by the source from which it first germinated. This original conception is finally complete as the present generation bears genesis for the progenies that follow. Through this natural progression, the constancy of lineage is assured and so the cycle thus continues. Whether of botanical concern or pure human endeavor, such as the production of pipe tobacco, this axiom holds true. Such is the manifest of continual sustenance and development.

In deference to the aforenoted, let us turn the mind back in time to the year of 1882, not that it was just yesterday, respectfully. During that period, in the city of Odense, Denmark, a critical seed within the tobacco industry was to be formerly sown. Of note, Erik Peter Stokkebye initially established a fledgling commercial shop specializing in the production and sales of handmade cigars. Eventually as the enterprise flourished and Stokkebye’s knowledge of tobaccos enlarged, the scale of his continuing operations expanded.

With said expansion pipe tobacco was brought into the folds as an additive product offering. This original development would spawn one of the most impressive legacies that has been perpetuated for three successive generations. Over the course of the last century, the sheer impact of the Stokkebye name upon the global tobacco market and the proliferation of admired products that have flowed from its auspices has been institutional in nature. Up to the present day this fine lineage shows evidence of an exceptionally strong root system. In the celebration of this remarkable tradition, it is in reference to the fourth Stokkebye generation that I now lend the focus of my discussion.

Woefully the warm splendor of this late Spring day is now complete. Peering from an open window, I can see the sun setting far off in the distant west. It seems the sky is slowly darkening with signs of the evening curtain. Sounds of the nocturnal playfulness of residing birds and crickets are beginning to murmur with a repetitive joyous chorus. A peaceful time, mind you, and a time for relaxation.

As the dusk prevails, one can find me resigning to the interior of my den, for it is here that I find one my own most pleasant indulgences, a nightly pipe smoking. So presently, as I sit wondering what blend fair shall provide this evening’s entertainment, I am reminded of a singular preparation that I have been trialing. One that seems befitting on this occasion. “ Yes, most appropriate indeed”, I agreeably mutter to myself as I reach for the handsomely etched glass jar housing my remaining sample of 4th Generation Evening Flake. A genteel to medium styled blend intently designed by Erik Stokkebye, the great grandson, for attaining congruence with the tranquil mood of this day’s nightfall.

Gazing down at the specimen I’ve rescued from jarred captivity; in my hand I see a lovely flake made handsome by perfect geometry and exquisite graining. A thin pliable strip configured principally of golden Virginian strain animated by bright yellow, red-orange, golden, and finely fermented brownish striations of complementing color. By chance this vibrant palette of Virginian splendor is marginally disturbed by impressions of darkish St. James Parish Perique, giving the overall visage the appearance of added depth and aging. Being hot-pressed, Evening Flake is distinctly marked with uniformity of texture and a deep integration of the individual layers.

As I am leaning to embrace the pouch airs, a bold tarty sweetgrass is coiling upwards to form the immediate registration. This alluring fragrance is kindly followed by a distinct raisin note enfolding an intonation of dill and soft floral spicing. Behind this crisp and clean essence, I seem to be gathering remote evidence of passive sourness, musty tinges, and a bit of native sugared generality that is serving to finish the nose characterization.

Rubbing the modestly damp slice between my thumb and index fingers, I am finding the Evening Flake succumbs effortlessly to the applied pressure as it is crumpling into nice strands of malleable soft tobaccos. With great ease, loading the interior chamber of my Peterson Dracula is accomplished in quickstep as the tobacco appears to migrate evenly and comfortably to the confines of its vessel.

With a flick of my butane lighter, the initial flame takes hold as I recline in my chair in anticipation of the forthcoming experience. Re-authenticating the base character of Evening Flake derived from previous trials, I am finding within these first series of drawls a confirmation that the Virginia to Perique apportioning is impressively balanced. Honestly, I am taken back once again.

The forward pronouncement of Perique is not what one should expect. Namely, the Acadian is bringing much more intensity than the reasonable presumption formed by previous observations. In fact, the overall convergence of the two streams is lending itself to an artful clustering of sweet citrus grass, some marginally soured wood/hay and most definitively, forceful spice. The bottom-line is that this tobacco is proving unfailingly to be colorful, intriguing, and most enjoyable.

Once again, the leading Virginian fare is projecting a tasteful brow sugary honey, warm caramel, and the previously registered citrusy sweetgrass/new hay undertones. Further, there is surfacing that deeper sour wood, considerable decorative lemony grass, and a finishing shade of lightly green florid spice. To me, the feel is very reminiscent of Peter Stokkebye’s Luxury Navy Flake only a drift more towards the sweeter side.

The Perique is registering very respectfully as a decent level of peppery spiciness is shining through. There again are those hints of stressed prunes, dark musty wood, and modest pungency. Through a couple of retro-hales the experienced tingle is sensitizing and enlivening my whole palate cavity. Overall, I’m feeling this strain has some nice maturity to it. Much more powerful than anticipated which I am really enjoying being completely transparent.

As I watch the spiraling whisps of white smoke ascend upward I am mesmerized by Evening Flake’s supple creamy consistency. The plumage is materializing thick initially and then gracefully it feathers off into the oblivion of the ceiling structure above. Looking over my right shoulder, I see that I have managed to receive the company of the two house cats.

The black alpha male has postured directly in front of the desk gazing intently at my smoking action with steadfast fascination and curiosity. Affectionate nudging on my leg draws away my attention of his commanding query, as the docile female calico appears to be enjoying the intimacy of the experience more firsthand. I’m wondering if they can smell the wonderful bouquet that the blend is projecting, perhaps that’s what drew them to my quarter. Encircling the den’s interior, I am sensing a warm baked sweetness, some seasoned grass, bright tangy citrus, and prominent nose of zesty spice. It is rather soft and tethered in magnitude and lays gracefully with extended pleasantry, even these felines are finding agreeable enjoyment.

Mechanically, Evening Flake is modeling admirable features. The quality of its native texture is playing out quite smoothly. Essentially it is endowing a solid degree of mellowing comfort, an exceptional achievement in simple satisfaction. The burn seems to be superbly cool and faithfully consistent. My bowl has been charting along with optimum dryness and the tobacco has proven to be extremely gentle on my palate. What is more, I am feeling very little disturbance from the nicotine held within which is nice given my purposes for a relaxing close of the day retreat. In reflection, I suppose one could argue that this mixture would be just as amiable on an easy Sunday morning as they say.

Although Even Flake is not an overly complex, it does offer captivating poise of the primary base, mid, and high note enunciations. Additionally, the blend brings with it some is reasonable depth and boldness of character given the pure simplicity of the recipe. Its natural sweetness and colorfully nuanced display of key varietal attributes really make this one a noteworthy representative for the VaPer genre.

This trial exercise has proven to be a classical example of the premise that I initially pitched regarding the potential of generational seeds. Erik Stokkebye has obviously learned and applied the lessons from the great legacy bestowed upon him. Evening Flake stands with equally strong footing as many other Stokkebye blended treasures. Yes, I do rather like this one. After all who am I to argue against the fortune of good genetics.

Hanna Subjective Rating: 3.4 Objective Scoring (based upon standard genre attributes, mechanicals and cost) 129/148 @ 87%