Wessex Gold Virginia Flake

Very handsomely presented medium colored flake. The tobacco completely fills the tin with no air space. The tin has been in my humidor for at least two years and is fairly moist. After rubbing out enough for one small bowl, the pipe was set aside for about two hours drying time. First light was a bit sharp perhaps due to excess moisture. The second light began a very nice smoking experience. This flake reminded me a good deal of Dunhill Light Flake (the older version) but with less tang to it. It burned well to the bottom with no surprises and a good deal of pleasure. I should note that the unlit smell was somewhat unusual and reminded me of slightly fermented apples. This flake lags behind Marlin Flake and Best Brown in my opinion. After the remainder of the tin air dries a bit longer I may update this review.

Whereas Red Virginia flake has the tang and fermentation taste, Golden Flake is somewhat milder but with a citrusy flavor and hints of lemon. An excellent tobacco with no tongue bite. Again, a great tobacco for beginner Virgina smokers.

This flake comes in a 50g tin, navy cut, medium brown with flecks of gold. The aroma in the tin is light honeydew. It rubs and packs easily and burns well all the way to the bottom of the bowl. This is a good example of a German made, highly refined or processed Virginia flake. A light, neutral sweetener has been added. All in all this is a mild sweet smoking experience. The sweetener does not interfere with the taste of the tobacco, but the Virginia flavor is quite mild. It is very easy on the tongue with no bite that I can detect. This might be the perfect tobacco for the smoker switching from aromatics or burlys to Virginias. It is a bit too sweet for me and does not carry enough depth of Virginia flavor, but that may just be the nature of gold Virginia which I find usually works best in a blend. This is an expensive tobacco for me to buy, relative to other, more satisfying smokes. I might keep it on hand when I want something smooth, sweet and kind to the tongue. Paddy.

With this blend, Wessex gives us nicely prepared, chewing gum like layers of pressed tobacco that is pliable enough to be packed without any rubout if chosen. The colors range from light yellow to darker brown with medium brown in predominance. For a higher quality tobacco I was surprised by the amount of almost white, ground stalks that were intermixed. The tin aroma is of natural tobacco. The initial few puffs are in fact zesty as advertised but if smoked at a reasonable pace, a rich, cool VA taste develops. Proceed slowly or this beast will attack your mouth. In my Peterson System pipes and other full bents, I felt excessive moisture developed and ruined the taste and overall experience of the last 1/3 of the smoke. In my view, there are more enjoyable choices for the straight VA flake smoker than this one.

Smoking Wessex Gold Virginia Flake is like drinking homemade iced tea with a subtle sweetness and citrusy flavor. Recommended to Virginia smokers as it can be an all day smoke for a Va smoker.