Erik Stokkebye Evening Flake

Gold Virginia with perique. Virginias are smooth and sweet with grassiness and hay qualities, the perique is the peppery kind, no stewed fruit or raisin quality all pepper. I tend to go for the fruity periques. There is a caramel notes and flavor to this which is very nice . It smokes cool and burns clean. It's not a complex tobacco just Virginia and perique going back and forth. Bread, grass, hay, caramel and spice are the main flavors. Tastes a bit young and harsh when new, definitely needs some age.

Bought it at the same time as some Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake, which I have had many times before, and comparing one to the other, am surprised at how similar they look; almost indistinguishable. Tastewise, PSLNF may have a bit more Perique in it. Also got some GH Dark Flake U/S and a tin of Sutliff Molto Dolce, both of which are as far from this basic light VAPER, in their own ways, as possible.

I can't go to four stars with this; could be pushed into three-and-one-half, just because it is a very young, light, and basic Virginia Flake, with a very small amount of Perique. With a few years in the jar, it could make four stars, but I don't know. Just seems like it would age well.

Manufactured by Mac Baren, and I love Mac Baren, but a lot of their blends can bite me, as they do others. They always use good tobacco; must be that ubiquitous honey topping. Well, this may have a Bit O' Honey, but not too much even if it does, and for me at least, is a biteless Mac Baren. They do exist...

All in all, could easily be a go-to tobacco for basic Virginia Flake lovers. I like Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake just a bit better, because it has a bit more body to it, but could never knock this blend. Virginia Flake or VAPER? The Perique is well in the background, and only gives a hint of pepper; no complex figginess or pluminess (yes, I know those are not real words).

I would buy it again, and really would be interested in how it ages, but might buy more PSLNF first; it's just a touch better for me. I have had some initial success using it as a blender in dump mixtures, because it is such a basic, young Virginia. I will continue to smoke it as it sits in the jar; alone, or in blends.

A note by way of an afterthought: this in no way detracts from the quality of the blend, but two things to consider. First, if you rub out your flakes as most do, take care in packing the bowl. It tends to compress a lot, and I have ended up with a couple of far-too-tightly packed pipes which I had to "fix," even though I have been a pipe smoker for years, and consider myself capable of packing a pipe. Second, though it seems as if it will keep a good moisture level if stored in a jar, and be ready to smoke right out of the jar, it will get bone-dry very quickly if left out, especially if rubbed out.

11-24-2022 Actually, having worked a bit more with this flake, fold-and-stuff seems to work best, and takes care of the slight problem of it tending to pack too tightly rubbed-out. Also, above, I slightly criticized it for not being too complex or having as much "body" as PSLNF, but I am getting more complexity and body now. Three-and-one-half stars, and I promise it will be four after a few years in the jar.

11-28-2022 Holy crap; today I made my own aromatic with this stuff. Stoved it in an empty tobacco tin with molasses water, and coconut and anise extracts right off of the spice section of the grocery store (look up home stoving of tobacco on YouTube). Went six hours at 200. Heavenly!