J. F. Germain & Son Germain's Special Latakia Flake

The tin I am smoking has been in my cellar for a year and a half, and I have a feeling it probably gathered dust on the tobacconist's shelves for quite a while before I picked it up.

Upon opening I discovered a dense brick of tobacco, tightly wrapped in heavily stained wax paper. The aroma was quite divine. Closer examination revealed that although the brick had been sliced into flakes there was no way I was going to be able to peel one off intact. In fact, I suspect that this is rather what a ‘crumble cake' tobacco is like, as I ended up breaking the block into chunks of various sizes, then slamming these into a mason jar for storage.

Having selected a likely looking lump I rubbed it out thoroughly and put the strands on one side to dry. As would be expected given how the flakes had congealed together, this was very moist in the tin. I figured an hour of drying time would do the trick, but in actual fact the weed was obviously even wetter than I had initially suspected and I ended up with a steamy smoke that scorched the insides of the lips. Nasty.

Take two, and this time I rubbed out enough for a bowl and put it under a hot desk lamp for about forty minutes. I have never had to subject tobacco to this much ‘lamp time' and I always feel it is preferable to let it dry naturally where possible. Some folks suggest that you can give your baccy a quick blast in the microwave to dry it out, but I have found that this results in a harsh and less flavoursome smoke.

Anyway, the desk lamp did the trick. The result was a delightfully smooth, balanced and refined latakia blend with a room note that should please any pipester. It's a perfect smoke for those dark winter evenings when you want to curl up in a comfortable armchair and listen to the wind howling outside. A roaring log fire, oak panelling and glass of fine scotch would complete the picture. That is the kind of pipe dream that Special Latakia Flake evokes!

Some reviewers say that Esoterica's Penzance, another latakia flake from the same blending house, is fuller flavoured and easier to prepare for the pipe. Well, despite the fact that it is manufactured in the UK it isn't for sale here, but I can't say that I feel too hard done by. Once Special Latakia Flake has been allowed the considerable amount of drying it requires it is truly a top smoke, and I shall definitely be getting a few more tins in next time I am placing an order at my online tobacconist. Highly recommended!

Edit: I am knocking a star off as I am becoming increasingly convinced that the reason this blend clings onto its moisture is because it is treated with humectants, much more so than other blends I usually smoke. I am finding that unless I get it completely dry (and a lamp is necessary for this: 24 hours air time seemed to have no effect) I suffer mouth discomfort to some degree. A shame, as I still think the basic flavours it offers are top notch!

I wanted to try a Latakia blend for the first time and did not know which to try, so I asked my local tobacconist (very reputable place) and the gentleman recommended this to me and said it was his most popular latakia blend. I cracked open the tin and loved the smokiness, a great tin aroma. I found it to be a little moist when I rubbed some out for my bowl but it smoked fairly well had a few relights though. The flavour was very nice, not overwhelming, which I was worried about since I was told latakia blends could be quite potent. At this point I would have given it a three out of four. However I decided to rub the rest out and let it dry a little. It was like magic, each bowl I had after the first got progressively better and better. A cool smoke, burns nice all the way to the bottom of the bowl, no tongue bite whatsoever, one of the best tobaccos I have ever had. I am interested in trying some other latakias, but I think I will be coming back to this one on a regular basis.

I bought this initially looking for a very latakia-heavy tobacco and I like flakes, just hadn't tried too many at the time.

so i bought this, because my local tobacconist (and they're a good tobacconist...) recommended it to me after I said what i wanted.

the first smoke I had was right out of the shop, since I just couldn't wait. unfortunately, it's way too moist in the tin and, adding to that, it was a hot hot summer day, so...

I was sort of disappointed at first. the tin aroma was great, though not very latakia heavy, and I was really looking forward to my first puff, depsite all that. however, it was just kind of weirdly sweet and did not taste anything like what I'd expected, latakia-wise. so I thought I'd just spent 10 euros on a tin of crap.

but you've always got to try more than once, right? so I let it dry out (rubbed out) for an hour the day after buying it and smoked it then and what do you know?! it's subtly sweet, smoky, a little metallic (in a good way... probably the VAs) and just delicious. a great smoke when you're needing something a little lighter/milder. probably good in summer. maybe I was just unlucky. I'm starting to think most tobaccos I smoke taste better in cold damp fall weather though. 🙂

my tin's almost gone and I'll probably buy a new one, once I'm not broke anymore.

recommended, granted you want to work a little for a good smoke.

The latakia in Special Latakia Flake is not actually all that strong, so it might not be what you're looking for if you're a latakia junkie. It is great tobacco, though. It just needs a bit of drying out (an hour in humid Japan) and it will smoke fairly dry and full of good flavors. If you like latakia but don't always want a big shot of it, this very well could be an every day smoke for you. Personally I want the shot every day, and this is my every once in a while break.

Edit: After over two weeks sitting in the unsealed tin, this tobacco has transformed! Before, it was good tobacco. Now, it is extraordinary tobacco. It is still extremely wet, but after drying it is a serene smoke. This is definitely in my all time favorites now.

The saler told me it's a STRONG tobacco. It's not completly false, but it wasn't bit your tongue, it's a spicy tobacco very different from the other latakia blend, so if your are tired by your english mixture with latakia, you have to try this blend in flake !

I'd like to give this 3 out of 5 stars, or 2.5 out of 4, but, since I could only pick either 2 or 3 of 4, I went ahead and gave it the higher option, just to be nice. It's not UNpleasant, it just doesn't have anything going for it. Really, I want the Esoterica Penzance, or one of the G. L. Pease line of orientals, and this is only a weak approximation. There's a LOT of tongue-bite for me in smoking this Special Flake by Germain's, but it's nothing I can't handle. I think I was maybe puffing too hot?

Anyway, it lights and burns well, it mellows in the pot well, it ashes in a very pretty way. It is a good thick (but dry) crumble-cake or pressed-ribbon type of packaging that I really enjoy fiddling with. So, overall, not too negative. Not really stellar-A+-kind-of-stuff, but they didn't really do anything totally wrong, either.

Gods gift to those who love the taste of Latakia .

The smell in the tin is of fermented figs. Fine strands of dark, brown and golden tobacco covered with sugar crystals that barely hold together. The Latakia is expertly used as a condiment. The Virginias and Orientals are the main players in this Crumble/Flake to which the Latakia imparts a light smoky characteristic. I get a tangy, sweet and sour flavor for the most part. It's a delicate smoke that will yield better results with sipping instead of puffing. Burns well, no bite. A real pleasure to smoke, and an even bigger pleasure to have as the supply in North America is quite low.

Virginia lover

My review is based on a 2008 tin, opened in 8/2009.

Like nearly every other Germain (and "Esoterica by Germain") blend I've tried -- except for Penzance -- this really needs some serious drying time straight out of the tin. (For me, that meant several hours. You might prefer your tobacco drier or more moist.)

This flake offers velvety-smooth flavors/aromas that seamlessly blend the Virginias, orientals, and latakia. There is also just the slightest hint of sweetness, which I attribute to the orientals used (which my palate suggests might include Smyrna). No one ingredient ever really dominates here, and the blend remains consistent from top to bottom. It truly is seamless, and quite enjoyable.

I've read reviews that described this as quite similar to Penzance, but I did not find that to be the case. For me, the orientals in Penzance are uniquely spiced; there's no oriental spice here, just a nice underlying richness that brings the blend to life.

For me, this is 4 out of 5 stars.