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

It's a little moist out of the tin, so it may need a little dry time. The flakes break apart very easily, and are pliable enough to prepare to your preference. The Virginias are light and dark, and work their respective traits of hay, peat, mild grass, lots of earth and wood, and deep tangy, fermented dark fruit and some tart and tangy citrus with light floral, stewed fruit, sugar, vegetative, tea-like notes, and a bare hint of spice. They say there is no topping, but I believe a sweet one has been added. You may experience a light cigar note if you puff fast. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is in the center of mild to medium. Won't bite or get harsh, but it does sport a few small rough edges. Burns clean, cool and a little slow with a very consistent, mildly sweet, earthy, lightly floral flavor from top to bottom. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, but no dottle, and does require some relights. Has a pleasing, lightly lingering after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke depending upon your experience level.

-JimInks

Brown Flake is one of my favorite tobaccos, one of the few that I consider unique enough to fear its disappearance from the market. Over the past year or so, Brown Flake has suffered the fate of several Germain-manufactured tobaccos: it's gotten tough to find. That makes it worth purchasing in quantity to squirrel away for future smoking.

This excellent stuff arrives as a moist and mottled mid-brown flake with some golden yellow splotches, some of which are bits of attractive birdseye. Brown Flake folds and stuffs easily, though I tend to rub out most flakes. What is most appealing about this flake, however, is its superb smoking qualities and flavor. Brown Flake is all about clean, robust tobacco flavor. The Burley in the mix softens considerably the sweetness of the Virginia and the result is a delicious flavor of lightly honeyed, strong, black tea. I often think of this as Stonehaven-esque as far as the way it smokes, but far more enjoyable for me because of the absence of that cloyingly sweet treacle topping. A few have even commented on a certain cigar-like quality to this tobacco, and I think that is apt, particularly toward the end of the bowl. Like a good cigar, Brown Flake gives the sensation of diminishing sweetness and growing depth of tobacco flavor as the bowl progresses. Some may find the flavors late in the bowl to be a little guttural and swampy, but I like them very much.

Those fond of tobaccos that are drier tasting than things like Stonehaven or FVF may well find something to like in Brown Flake. It also holds well with mid-term cellaring, though I can't say I've noticed any substantial change in the flavor profile in Brown Flake with a couple of years maturity. Then again, this smokes like a mature flake right out of a fresh tin. If the tobacco world has its equivalent of Gran Reserva Rioja, it's right here.

A great, old-fashioned flake.

Very small rectangular tin with a heavily pressed flake inside. The flakes were very difficult for me to separate cleanly so I simply peeled off finger-fulls of strands and loaded in 3 steps as I do with a ribbon cut. This is one I preferred slightly on the moist side.

Very lightly sweet with a heavy peat-like aroma, this virginia flake shows us more of the dark side of straight VA's. More spice than sugar, which is more to my taste. This could hardly be called a complex tobacco, as it didn't seem to change much as the bowl progressed. The light sweetness did much to counterbalance the dark notes and added just the right touch to keep this one from being all bass - nice slight additional treble to the ensemble. I would use the word "balance" for this one but I get the feeling those who prefer sweeter VA's would strongly disagree. However, this one was right up my alley, and if you enjoy blends like McClellands Navy Cavendish or C&D's Briar Fox (as well as Opening Night), this is a good one to try. I'll definitely get more of this - JF Germain has blended a winner!

Others lack in complexity what this flake pulls off in its simplicity. This wonderfully fermented Virginia flake is definitely dirty and peaty with a deep fruit note that I really like along with a light cigar note that can turn grassy to deep hay flavors. It's similar to nothing I've had so far and what I especially like about it is the nicotine buzz - it's just so darn relaxing - JFG brown flake puts me to sleep but GH keeps me awake. Heck if I know why

I would agree with the many reviewers who have stated that this is similar to Stonehaven, but not as similar as Rich Dark Flake. It has the same taste of which I always assumed a topping, but perhaps it is just the taste of the Germain Virginias as I get a similar taste from Peacehaven, a blend I have recently just tried.

I think this is the key differentiator between these blends GBF is more Virginia forward and the Kentucky is used with more restraint versus SH or RDF, where the Kentucky and the toppings are more the star. I would say in terms of comparison with more popular blends, I would think of this as University flake to Irish flake. I prefer Irish Flake, but still enjoy University Flake.

Unfortunately, GBF or the other blends with which I am comparing are not as easily obtained as are IF and UF. In fact, I have been trying hard to find this blend and had to reach out to a friend in Germany to get me one tin that happened to be at his local B&M in Hamburg.

As a Virginia forward flake, GBF has plenty of character in its own right. And, this presumably is the foremost reason it is so hard to find. The other reason being it is made by Germain. With a name like Brown flake, one may expect a taste like that of SG and GH blends of the same name. It really tastes nothing like either of those blenders' brown flake offerings. I really enjoy SG BBF, but I would say that if was given the choice between SG BBF or this flake, I would opt for this one as it adds a bit of body and earthiness from the burley; whereas the other is restricted to a more full and hay sweet Virginia flavor.

Four stars without a doubt.

It is different and it is well done. It also helps that it is made by arguably the best blending house in pipe tobacco. I recommend it for the Virginia lover to have as a change of pace.

J.F. Germain - Germain's Brown Flake.

This is a beautiful blend! It's also as simple as it's beautiful! After a few bowls of this the only real issue I can find is the moistness out of the tin, it's quite moist so it's obligatory to allow it some time out in the open. The aroma from the flakes is a pure Virginia one, there isn't really much to say on the matter actually!

Once rubbed and filled it takes to the flame with the utmost ease and imminently gives me great pleasure! Again, as I found at the start, the taste is simple. I could sit for hours and hours desperately trying to fabricate some kind of false description to impress people with but the same word that jumped out at the opening is the most expedient one to use... simple! The flavour is mostly Virginia with a slight semblance of Kentucky taste in there. The smoke can become a touch too warm if strained, not 'hot' but just a little warm so I like to use more of a sipping technique. The nicotine is a healthy amount, not strong but it does the job of quelling my wants for N well!

I find Brown Flake superb, highly recommended:

Four stars.

When i opened the tin i found a soaking wet, saturated wax paper and a stack of far from dry tobacco coated with gorgeous sugar crystals. And i cannot smell alot really but once i can i always can clearly make out some smell of foam of green tea. Its a very satisfying and musky smell. The flakes are really wet and not flakes at all. In fact you'll be smoking coarse shag sized tobacco with this offering. Not that you dont get flakes cramed into the tin to begin with but you will not be able to get single flake slices out of the tin. The second you just breath on them they crumble down to shag like strands. Which is what you will be smoking with this offering.

And smoke you will.

Even right out of the tin, wet and all, it only takes one match to light up and then it just keeps on staying lit forever. Even if you lay the pipe away for a moment or two. Burning properties overall are perfect. That perfect that this leads us to the only beef i have with this blend: its ashes. Its that kind of ash where you cannot possibly move the pipe in any way or direction without spilling out ashes *everywhere*. The ashes realy, realy annoy me. Despite the perfect burn properties i almost never make it through an entire bowl. There always is a considerable ammount of dottle left, yet bone dry and not bad smelling.

But this is one of the most honest, true to the core tobaccos around. All it is and tries to be is plain and simple tobacco. And as user weePipe said "Others lack in complexity what this flake pulls off in its simplicity". We are so proud over our taste in all natural english or VA blends with their refined and exotic taste experiences but if we want to know how tobacco *does* taste we have to taste this flake. I even outright refuse to describe this flake's aroma with anything else but the single word "tobacco".

And it masters this task in a most delicate manner too and extends it to the entire experience. From the almost gone tin size to the classic label, the saturated wax papers flair and the lusciously old timey clump of tobacco offered. Throw in a clay pipe and off you go, exploring time travel.

Room note is the smell of, you guessd it: tobacco. So it clearly is very pleasent ;o)

Aftertaste is the taste of tobacco plus some very tasty sweetness. Overall this blend is also best described with "satisfying" if i had to use another single word description. The nicotine level is high enough for being content quiet some while. Tongue bit will not occur.

So do i recommend this blend? Hell, why wouldn't i? I *do* recommend this blend to anyone except the total beginner. To him it is too hard to pack, too heavy in strength, too little in taste and too exhausting to sit through an entire bowl. But once you have at least some experince in smoking and taste and packing has become easy to you then go for it! No seriously, you will not get a better reference for what just good ol' tobacco is.

Simply put, I find that Germain?s Brown Flake is the finest tobacco I?ve ever smoked. And coming from a Burley fanatic, to make such a comment on a VA Flake is an extraordinary statement.

You see, my pipe background is steeped in Burley tobacco. Historically, VA?s have clashed with my personal chemistry and my mouth suffered. I typically have found VA?s nasty, ashy and brutal. Add to this that I have a sense of smell that would make a bloodhound blush and a very precise palate and it creates a very finicky pipe smoker.

My first real adventure in Lakeland tobaccos came last Spring (06) from Grouse-moor. Much to my surprise, here was a VA tobac that I could smoke with out the French-kiss-volcano-lick. Doing my research, I discovered that Grouse-moor is made with steamed/stoved/flue cured tobacco. Umm?so I searched about tobbacoreview.com and came across Brown Flake. Thank God for sort options!

I usually can tell after the char light if I?ve got something interesting in the pipe. I?m certain my eyes grew and my eyebrows shot up when I took my first puff of Germain?s Brown Flake. I?m quite certain I let out an ?Oh my!?

Two days and seven pipes later, I ordered five tins?.

On with the review:

For me, it?s all about taste. Brown Flake offers the most sublime, magic carpet ride to ever pass through any of my briar. This is far from a monochromatic smoke; I?ve experienced flavours ranging from soft ginger wood and cigar to chocolate and caramel; from musty books to spring flowers, from cardamon and cinnamon to vanilla and pine and from Good N? Plenty to leather. To me, there?s something in Brown Flake that dips into the pleasure zone and triggers off all kinds of food memories. It?s akin to eating all the comfort foods in your personal library and wrapping yourself in flavour. But rather than ending up with chop-suey, a singular flavour comes up with every sip?they simply don?t fight for control. Instead, there?s a surprise with every draw. Letting the smoke trickle from my lips and I?m surrounded in a smokersborg of bliss. I simply control these flavours by puffing cadence and the quality of the draw (go slow) and the size of the bowl (I?ll use everything from a large Charatan to a little ?coffee-break? Masta with great success. Medium sized pipes bring out the flavour spectrum). Brown Flake offers a wonderfully nuanced experience. In fact, Brown Flake will take you out of absentminded puffs and garner your full attention with the quality of this smoke.

The tobacco burns nice and slow. A size three pipe can go on for well over ninety minutes. The tobacco DGT?s wonderfully?it becomes another tobacco all together, unleashing more flavours and even greater softness.

Later, when you hit mid bowl, there?s another flavour evolution. What a surprise! It?s a whole new pipe.

I?m far beyond enthralled with Germain?s Brown Flake. I?d marry this tobacco if my wife would let me. But since she won?t, I?ll have to settle on buying a few tins every month to add to the cellar.

I give Germain?s Brown Flake the highest endorsement of any tobacco I have reviewed. And good news?I wrote the folks at Germain and was assured the tobacco isn?t going anywhere ala Dunhill. Thank-you Germain!

O.k. dear readers, you point me to that desert island now?.

I received an ounce of this from a friend. It had been rubbed out and jarred since 2015. Hydration was very good for smoking - maybe on the slightly dry side of things.

This has been a delightful smoke. The first try was in a Grabow Belvedere pot, and that was so good I checked availability. It seems to be chronically out of stock, which is a pity. I could see this being wildly popular if it could be found.

The taste was slightly sweet with a persistent nuttiness and spice from the Kentucky. I know it is not supposed to be topped, but the quality of the sweet is a little more than I would expect from the Virginia. Flavor was consistent, although it always seemed a little more full in the last half of the bowl with a hint of a tart and bitter edge. I found myself "playing" with this edge in my cadence.

Try this if you can find it.