Wessex Gold Virginia Flake

The usual pressed flakes like the other two "color" Wessex VA flakes. Tin flakes that aren't the easiest to load as flakes, but it was do-able. Definitely a golden-brown color with hints of dark. This worked best in a sort of modified flake fold and at tin moisture. Wessex tins are suspect in their vacuum seal and this, as with the others, came drier than most VA flakes. Fine with me - saves me some drying time and trouble.

This was probably the coolest and easiest to smoke of the Wessex VA's, and it had a nicely subdued but still present citrus flavor among the tang and oats. Not a complex smoke, but good tasting. I can't decide if there is added flavoring or not - there probably is, but it's still very close to a "straight" VA. I preferred their Brown Flake but this is a nice, lighter tasting version. I got a slight "spice rack" flavor from time to time but the overall taste was orange peel mixed with an oat cereal sort of taste. Not overly grassy or hay-like.

Recommended as something to try but all the Wessex VA's seemed sort of ordinary... nothing new here. Kinda pricy to recommend for what it is, but it's worth a sampling.

Before smoking, let this tobacco dry out some. You will be rewarded. The House of Wessex does a credible job with their tobaccos, and this is an elegant smoke that requires skill and patience to smoke properly.

Although I tend to completely rub out my flakes, the sight of all the lighter (thus hotter) leaf in this blend begged for a coarser, chunkier rub out. Once properly dried and smoked slowly, there will be rewards!

This tobacco is tasty, rich and packed with nicotine - ahhh!

Nice simple virginia flake.. very much in the style of dunhill flake or orlik golden sliced.. it doesnt bring much to the table to set it apart from other virginia flakes, but it is nevertheless a good smoke and a nice presentation. its a bright tasting somewhat cereal like flavor. not too complex but not bad.

I like this quite a lot. The flakes themselves are neat and uniform, and are easily rubbed out, or folded and stuffed. It tastes pleasant and naturally sweet, but will bite like a lion if you smoke too fast. nothing super complex here. I found it to be very similar to Orlik Golden Sliced, just less sweet and citrusy. my onlyy real gripe is that it tends to gurgle in the pipe. 3 stars

Here in middle Tennessee the mercury is pushing 100 with moderate humidity. The breeze doesn't whisper, it barks.

The dog days of summer are here. No better time to crack a six year old tin of Gold Virginia Flake. Perfect moisture right out of the tin. Full rub out with a few chunks. First charring light is bitey and bright. Second charring light settles down a wee bit. Final light and tamp brings out some great citrus notes on top of hay, grass and white grapes. A little brown sugar as the smoke progresses.

No dairy products present, nor any confectionary flavors. A nice agricultural smoke with plenty of fresh produce in the mix, along with some grains like toasted oatmeal. I would bet this stuff kicks butt in a cob!

DGT while checking my eyelids for light leaks in the hammock.

A tall, ice cold Arnold Palmer as an afternoon eye opener. Relight. Even better. Dry as dust, no gurgle or steam. Medium gray ash and four (count 'em) shreds of dottle. Pipe is sweet and dry and ready for another round of Gold Virginia Flake. Me Too! Me Too!

Wessex Gold Virginia flake- This is a solid Gold Virginia flake . A little grassy and some citrus . A little brown sugar and oatmeal. Good but not great . Better than the Wessex red Virginia but not as good as the brown Virginia or the campaign flakes . No bite . 3

Smoking some Wessex Golden Virginia flake this early morning with a cup of Walmart coffee. The flake has been aging in a mason jar 3 years.

The tin note was hay and citrus. The flakes were the perfect humidity, thanks to the aging. I crumbled the flake and stuffed it in the Savinelli Spring 311 KS in a very messy way because I was still waking up.

The flake took to lighting easily. I was surprised at the initial taste. Fresh oats. The tin note betrayed me! I was expecting straight citrus! The citrus is there, but takes a back seat to the creamy, muesli-like, cereal oatiness. It's very tasty. There is a dark fruit sweetness as well. Wow! So good!

I haven't been smoking many straight VA blends, but this really hits the spot right now! I need to bring more into my rotation. There is a light spice in the background, under the oats and sugar and citrus. A slight VA tingle.

The room note is pleasing. The citrus and oats come through nicely on this nosewarmer pipe.

It's on the mellower side. None of the flavors attack me. Very laid back and fun!

This flake surprised me. It's not one you hear mentioned often. I don't remember it being this good three years ago. Perhaps the age really affected it for the better?

Burns cool for a VA flake. Minimal moisture left behind. Leaves a great taste in the mouth.

This is a solid, tasty smoke. 4/5.

Disclaimer:

This review is from a 0.5g sample. I'm smoking the before last bowl of the bag. I use the following review mostly for myself, as a reminder. So use it with a grain of salt.

The Review:

My sample is cube cut, witch I don't mind at all. I am aware this is not how this was sold, but it's how it was gifted to me. As I dislike having to fight with a blend for it to stay lit, I still rub this one out almost completely. The cubes are rather dense and need a little bit of work to come out the way I like.

The tobacco was slightly moist but not overly so. I smoked one bowl at that moisture and it went fine. Nevertheless, I have dried the couple other bowls from 5 to 30 minutes with good success.

The "tin note" (I have no tin) is typical of a bright VA. Quite grassy, light and sunny. There is a little bit of bread there.

Lighting is easy. A first one for charring and a second to get it going. I usually relight a couple of times afterwards because I'm often losing attention and a bit more at the end when I'm starting to get close to the dottle. Off we go!

The taste starts out pretty medium bread-y. There are some glimpses of pleasant high notes. People seem to think of citrus, but personally, I've never tasted citrus in tobacco... After that first blast, as I get comfortable in this smoke's first third, the high notes seem well in place as they dominate the smoke at this point.

In the second third now and the bread quality takes over. There is a little but of spice here. A light piquant touch to the tongue if I'm not careful though.

As the bowl finishes, the bread notes are strong the high ones are completely gone. The blend gains a toasted feel, reminiscent of black VAs, but never really gets there. The spice gets a bit stronger but nothing like Perique would bring to a blend.

Personally, I prefer darker VAs like a hot pressed blends or red VAs can achieve.I'll probably buy a tin sometime but will definitely not chase it either.

I wonder exactly what is going on at K & k . I have enjoyed Wessex Gold for years and the first part of this review reflects that . This WAS a really nice folded flake , light in color and with a very slight citrus like topping . It was one of the many fine K & K folded flakes that one can enjoy . Most of them are sort of similar with the exception of Special Brown flake and Vauen #14 .So when I recently ran low on this staple tobacco I ordered more and what I got folks

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was Astley # 109 in their new folded flake form . No mistake here , that is what it was . What exactly is going on in the K & K factory . I still have some old cans of Gold which I will save for history . RIGHT NOW , IF YOU ORDER ANY YOU CAN JUST THROW IT IN WITH THE Astley 109 AND THE WESSEX BRIGADE CAMPAIGN DARK FLAKE .