Dan Tobacco Skipper's Flake

Very natural, very sweet. That's it. It is not so strong as some reviews suggest. The strength is comparable with the St. Bernard Flake from Dan Tobacco. For me it's undimensional, but sometimes quite the thing. I think I can taste the very good Virginias that are used to create this blend. A nice smoke if you smoke calmly and intently. Beware of the tongue bite.

update: going through my reviews here, i find that i'll have to downgrade a good deal of the praise i've given so many blends. 4 stars should, i feel, be reserved for the blends i find truly exceptional. so, this is downgraded a bit. end update.

first of all: this is not air cured, but flue cured...

a couple of months ago, i bought a tin of skipper's flake. the first pipefull did not appeal to me. i found it somehow "off", and didn't like the flavouring i felt had been applied to it. i jarred it, thinking that it might improve with a little enclosed airing.

today, i've given it another try, and i was certainly right in thinking that it might improve. here goes:

tin aroma: very "old belt"'ish. clean and neat, tobaccoey, with only a hint of dried fruits or berries. perhaps a bit of fermented hay and some oat flavour.

it's a bit brittle (but perhaps the jar was not absolutely air tight), and easy to pack and light.

the first impression is that of well aged virginia, with absolutely no additives to be noticed. it's a bit sharp, and quite strong for a pure virginia. this reminds me very much of an old belt flake that w.ø.larsen used to make, only without the ghastly flavouring, and a bit stronger. a little malty, sweet in a non-obtrusive way, and a classical taste of grass and hay. being german, it's probably got quite a few additives, but i don't notice them in any way. they're certainly not as up front as in many other continental virginia flakes.

relights reveal deeper and more mellow flavours, and the sharpness recedes. i could well imagine that this is the backbone of the delightful va/per st. bernard from the same manufacturer.

it's a joy to smoke for anyone who cares for a standard virginia experience - and my guess is that it will be even better with a few years of aging.

Another nice VA flake, quite strong for my taste. You should avoid it if you are afraid of tongue bite; has to be smoked extremely careful to avoid it.

This is how I finish my day - my last bowl before I go to sleep is almost always Skipper's Flake. Very tasty, and enough nicotine to survive the night...

While this is a decent tasting Virgina, this is a bit too strong for me. Not to the extent of Gawith's 1792, but trailing close behind.