J. F. Germain & Son Germain's Brown Flake

I read about this tobacco at pipeclub.gr (from “kodikos” and “yannis_k”), but I had never tried it. One more tin I bought at that “miracle” shop in Latvia, and I say “miracle” cause eventually it seems all the tobaccos were aged. A very delicious mixture, which has nothing to do with withered hay that most Virginia mixtures remind of. These days I slash the flakes into big cubes and I enjoy it even more. Once I open the tin, a pleasant scent of chocolate and maybe dry fruits appears. It is absolutely certain that the message sent to my brain is: “hurry, make yourself a Greek coffee, black and enjoy me”. It lights very easily and swiftly, probably because the tin I opened is aged. It has a full and strong taste that does not last until the end, but the various flavors interchange with each other pleasingly. At the end of the bowl only clear white ashes remain, a bit strange for a Virginia tobacco. Reading reviews at tobaccoreviews, I was impressed by the fact that the first evaluations, from years 2005-2006, were not good, while after 2008 they develop into praises. Do you think its synthesis was improved?? Who knows!!!

Germain?s Brown Flake This Virginia blend comes packed in 50g, rectangular, gold tobacco tins and is manufactured by a small but long established pipe tobacco company based in Jersey, Channel Islands, UK.

Sight, Touch & Aroma: Upon opening the tin the aroma that rose to greet me was slightly sweet, very mild and nondescript ? almost like dried honey. A medium brown-coloured flake tobacco, it comes packed in cake form, is leathery and dry to the touch but not brittle.

Preparation & Smoking: Very easy to palm-rub into a nice medium coarse shag, Brown Flake packs well into the bowl in two lifts. A little stubborn to light, 2 or 3 matches are required to achieve a durable burn; but once the flame takes hold, this flake smokes easily and mildly. However it always seems to require a few tamps before bowl?s end.

Flavours: A very pleasant tobacco whose mild flavour run the gamut from slightly sweet to nutty to slightly sour. Brown Flake tends to desiccate ones mouth if smoked too quickly but a cool, non-biting smoke can be achieved with some understanding of it?s properties. I find it has a much better flavour when smoked out of doors in moist or cool weather.

Room Note: The underlying note is woody and moderately heavy with earthy undertones that smack of natural tobacco. Although I enjoyed its room note and found it quite benign with a hint of Grandpa-esque fragrance, Brown Flake did not meet with approval from my wife or other tolerant non-smokers.

Economics: This blend is priced at around $15 CDN, but because it smokes slowly and easily once properly packed and paced, I rate this as a moderately economic smoke.

Last Word: When ones taste buds are a little frazzled from Perique or Latakia binges, I find this quite unspectacular blend to be just the ticket for comforting a palate. It also may appeal as an all-day smoke for those who appreciate the natural tobacco taste of matured Virginia leaf. Once my first tin was empty, I purchased a second tin

It is unexpected and a pleasant surprise when you try a tobacco and all you can think is...Where have you been all my life? I have had nothing like Germain's Brown Flake and I seriously doubt there is anything remotely close out there. I do have Sam Gawith Best Brown Flake and there is no comparison there. I partake in a fine cigar now and then and though I hate to make that comparison, it does evoke that experience. I find BF easy to pack, easy to light, easy to smoke with few relights and no bite at all. I love the taste and the room note. I doubt it would be appreciated by all like an aromatic, but it smells like a fine, natural tobacco to those that know that smell. I did notice a bit of nic, but pretty much medium strength if Irish Flake is Very Strong.

Now the bad news. Good luck finding any. It is unobtanium much like Esoterica favorites. Since it is so rare, I only smoke on occasion and have paid ridiculous money for a tin...but who cares if I enjoy it for a while.

I'm not sure what to make of this flake.

Given the generally positive reviews I was excited to try it, and ordered a 25g pouch from my usual place. The pouch note is earthy, peaty, and reminded me of a decent cigar. I find this to be generally true of the smoke, too, and while that isn't a bad thing I'd rather get my cigar fix from a cigar.

I don't know. Either my palette is unrefined, my pipe is meh, or the flakes I received were iffy (they were very dry), but I didn't find much to like here. Nothing I smelled or tasted lined up with anything the majority of the reviews here have mentioned.

I'll be jarring this up, perhaps rehydrating it a little, and trying it again in a few weeks. I get the feeling my experience is more of a "it's not you, it's me" thing.

The smell of this flake (or lumped-together shag) is of pure tobacco. I almost reminds me of the smell of snus (the Scandinavian kind of oral snuff that comes moist and is packed between your upper lips and the gums).

The shag-like cut makes it easy to rub out and light, and it behaves really well throughout the smoke, burning down to a clean ash.

The taste is unadulterated with no sparks or loud voice. But this tobacco is about simplicity and subtleties, and it does so really well. The Kentucky provides a pleasant toasted note to the flavour profile to the simple but good Virginia base.

All in all, well worth trying for anyone who likes Virginia flakes, Virginias in general, VAburs or VA-KY blends. It's not a four star tobacco for me personally, as I just happen to prefer a couple of other blends in the same category (for purely subjective reasons). It also tends to bite me a bit sometimes, but nothing too annoying.

When I originally smoked this blend it seemed like it might have promise with age, so I stashed away several tins. Nine years later I am revisiting the Germain Brown Flake that has been tightly sealed in a mason jar all that time.

The tin aroma is plum and red wine vinegar; the flakes are dark and still moist. In the pipe, however, this is underwhelming. The flavor is earthy, a smidge sour and ever so occasionally cigar-like. There are no bright notes and whatever grassiness it might have once had is now gone. The cadence of flavor is somewhat akin to SG Lakeland Dark: dark, brooding and monochrome; but for me Brown Flake's flavor is muted in volume - it never quite has an intensity of flavor to offset its monochromicity and thus is ultimately underwhelming.

On the plus side, DGT improves it's cigar notes and nuttiness slightly. Also, I am sensitive to tongue bite and this never even hinted at biting.

To be fair, this is probably a good flake for many people. It's presentation is great, with a easy to peel apart flakes, in a nice small tin. But that taste, though. Brown Flake has its own thing going on. It tastes like a big flake has been store in grandmas shoes in an attic for a few decades. Its almost moldy, with notes of dirt earth and the tang of Worsestershire that FVF is similar to. Maybe it's the burley mixed in that just doesn't do it for me.

I got swept up in the "must have" of its recent popularity and have gone through a couple tins now. Honestly, the second tin I didn't finish. It's taste is suitable, if you want something different (like Haddo's different with new components) but for me, it's not very appealing to smoke grandmas shoes. Germain has a Special Latakia Flake that is head and shoulders better in all regards, in my humble opinion. I don't think anyone should bend over backwards finish locating this blend. Actually, I have a tin I'd love to trade for a FVF tin.

Smoked this consecutively in the same pipe with rich dark flake from the same maker.No contest! For me the brown flake,although packing and lighting well,has too much of that astringent lemony grassiness that my tongue detests.It burns slowly,but way too hot.Maybe it's down to chemistry. Can't really understand the rave reviews The tin,however,is a nice pocket sized affair,allowing me to upgrade to two stars. A day later in another pipe; pleasant enough to start,showing the qualities expressed by other reviewers,however last half of the bowl became clawing ,hot and acrid despite very modest puffing. My rating stands

Have not done a review in a while, but opened a tin of this I had on the shelf for a few months now. Well here we are. Germain's Brown Flake is a highly rated full Virginia flake and it is so because well it should be. The tin note has a very earthy like smell with a hint of molasses. Now the tobacco is a bit moist out of the tin so naturally I jarred this after some air time. This is listed as a flake but honestly it is a very broken flake and really ends up being like a shag/ribbon cut just from transferring the tobacco from the tin to a jar. So with that being said probably a go to flake because it is easy to break up as opposed to other flakes that require (the fun prep time). Anyways these were the tin and tobacco impressions. The smoke is a very flavorful full Virginia Kentucky's are named within the database but I don't notice them that much. This is a very sweet and pleasant VA very mild and just a blend one can smoke all day, and will not bite. I opened this recently and have been smoking it once a week sometimes more. Germain did a very nice job on this blend really keeps an enjoyable smoke all the way to the bottom of the bowl. I have smoked this in Rhodesians, Pokers and Cobs and it always is just a very good quality smoke. I would really recommend this one to beginners who are just getting in to VAs and really any pipe smoker out there because this is a prime example of a VA done right. I know I have been smoking this in the winter but with warmer temps and the fall I can see myself smoking more of this in the future. So overall another very well done blend and it is something that will have you coming back for more.