Seattle Pipe Club Mississippi River Special Reserve Flake

The fermented red Virginia provides fair amount of tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, and light touches of barbecue, sugar and spice. Along with the other Virginias, it forms the base of the blend. The stoved Virginias have a fermented sugary dark fruitiness, earth, wood, and bread as it almost competes with the red for attention. The rare flue cured Virginia offers some tart and tangy citrus, grass, vegetation, floralness, light sugar and spice notes in the background. The earthy, woody, floral, spicy, vegetative, herbal, moderately sour Orientals are supporting players. The smoky, woody, earthy, mildly floral, musty, incense-like Cyprian Latakia is right on the heels of the Orientals in terms of effect. The aspects of the very plumy perique include earth, wood, spice, and a slight raisiny hit as a condiment. The strength is medium, while the taste level is a step past that mark. The nic-hit is a slot below the strength threshold. There’s no chance of bite or harshness, and has few very small rough notes. The mildly moist flakes easily break apart to suit your preference. Well balanced, deeply rich and complex, it burns cool, clean, and a tad slow with a very consistent tangy, creamy sweet, floral, mildly sour and spicy, campfire flavor. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires a few more than an average number of relights. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste. The room note is a notch stronger. Can be an all day smoke for the veteran, and easily repeatable for the less experienced. Four stars out of four.

-JimInks

Tin note of smoky, vinegar and sour vegetation. Tobacco is a flake of marbled brown and dark brown. Moisture content is great. Flake rubs out fairly easy. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and very consistent, with notes of smoky, spices, fermented vinegary, toasted bread, floral, tart dark fruit, peaty herbal vegetation, wood, spicy, semi-sweet plums, savory, rich earthy, acidic, a creamy tangy citrus background note, and a peppery retro. Virginias are leading with Latakia, Oriental/Turkish and Perique supporting. Room note is tolerable to strong, and aftertaste is great.

Seattle Pipe Club - Mississippi River Special Reserve Flake.

Had a pipe of the last night, it's the only blend I've smoked all day. It's a mighty fine smoke!

Although called Flake, the tin holds slices of kake; not too thick, but way more substantial than what's expected from a flake. The pieces are dark in colour, with a sporadic spot of bright flecks. Mine has a pleasant amount of hydration; ''maybe'' a touch moist but not wet.

This isn't a Lat-bomb English, but it's smooth and luxurious. Yes, there's notable flavour from the smoky Lat, but this doesn't monopolize things. The sweet, rich, fruity Virginias give a remarkable flavour; very indulgent. Then there's the herbaceous, slightly fragrant Orientals giving a further depth of flavour. I notice a slight touch of pepper, which could only be the Perique, but re. any extra dark-fruitiness, because I find the Va so opulent it's hard for me to decipher!! It burns with no issues, giving a cool, bite-free smoke.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: quite nice.

SPC Special Reserve Flake? I can see me enjoying a fair amount of this in the colder months! Highly recommended:

Four stars.

Jiminks nailed the review. I enjoy this one. Tastes aged right out the tin. Pretty much no difference to MRSR to my taste buds. More crumble cake than a true flake and burns slow for a wonderful smoke.

Tin note is smoky and sour; my tin was more a coarse crumble kake than a true flake with an ideal moisture content that made my fold and pack technique very easy; I seldom smoke Latakia blends but this one was ideal over the winter and smoked smooth without condensation or bite; burns slowly and leaves a pleasant after taste

One of my favorites.