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

This is Gawith Best Brown Flake's handsome brother. Light in appearance but not strength or smoking qualities. It is semi-sweet and has some sort of fermented dark fig flavoring added with just enough presence to really enhance the overall presentation. If you are one who enjoys stouter Virginia fare, this might be worth a try. It does not change much as you work your way down the bowl, just rock solid Virginia that leaves the palate refreshed.

The flakes have an overall bright appearance and are already sliced, so you cannot take out one piece as they fall apart. They are very soft with perfect moisture and rub out very easy. Once rubbed you get a mix of ribbons and shag(!) cut. Tin aroma is a distinctive hay-like Virginia with yeasty tones and there is a fruity topping as well which may be apricot as others have mentioned. Upon opening it smelled like a corked wine - something cardboard-like - but once aired it is certainly fruity. Yet this is not an aromatic tobacco, it's just slightly scented as most tobaccos are and here it is only more obvious.

Lights with ease and produces a rich, yeasty, succulent and creamy Virginia taste with honeyed sweetness and a nice counterbalancing hay-like sharpness. Smokes cool, dry and fairly slow. This is pure tobacco taste and the fruity scenting is barely noticeable, always agreeable and after some time vanishes. Moreover as the bowl progresses the flavors deepen becoming even more yeasty and show a mild spiciness. It is of medium strength with medium nicotine. A perfect tobacco!

For me this is a superb Virginia flake, deeply intoxicating, surely one of the top I've ever tried. Could be an all-day smoke, but it's too good for me to use constantly. Comparisons with Best Brown Flake and Golden Glow are unavoidable and I find Medium Flake much more pleasing and less fussy - actually it is one of the easiest tobacco to handle. I think Germain's Medium Flake is a much underrated and underappreciated tobacco.

The red, brown and gold Virginias offer a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, some tangy dried fruit and grass, hay, bread, wood, and earth with a touch of spice and floralness. I’m not sure of the toppings, but it has some citrus and certainly some apricot, and they moderately sublimate the tobaccos, particularly in the first half on the smoke. After the half way point, the citrus, grass and hay are more obvious over the rest of the tobacco flavors, though you’ll still notice the aspects. The nic-hit is in the center of mild to medium. The strength and taste levels are a step past that. It won’t bite or get harsh, but has a few small rough edges. The thin cut flake is very easy to break part, mostly into strips that remind me of a slightly thicker ribbon cut. Burns a tad slow and cool, and fairly smooth. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. Has a short lived, pleasant after taste, and lightly stronger room note. Can be an all day smoke. It's more of a two and a half star blend. Awarding it three stars pushes it because of the inconsistency of taste, so I settled on two.

-JimInks

J.F. Germain's - Medium Flake.

I adore Germain's Rich Dark Flake so this had a lot to live up to!

The moment I open mine up I am greeted by a Virginia aroma with a zesty addition. It's a little moist, but not Sam G' wet! Mine includes a few broken flakes. These are easy to prepare.

Lighting this one is a real easy task, a few short touches of the flame are plentiful to supply a full burn which is very even and consistent. I like the taste, it's mainly Virginia but in the background there's a notable tingling of citrus, which becomes amplified if retro-haled. The nicotine level is quite mild with this one, not ridiculously so, but still below medium. The burn's medium in temperature and it doesn't bite.

A nice flake that's just short of a full house.

Recommended.

The wide variety of reviews make me wonder if there are some quality control issues with this, or if it just shows how subjective we are. In any case, my tin is firmly in the apricot tin aroma (as opposed to citrus or florals), which really only showed up in the pipe the first few times I tried this. At that point, I was rather unimpressed, as I was left with a rather unpleasant last 1/4 of a bowl. With the tin almost finished, however, either the topping has blown off or I've gotten used to it, as it primarily tastes of medium-dark VAs with just the slightest hint of fruit at the beginning of a bowl, and it's a solid 'medium' blend. As I've noticed many of the Germain blends improve after being opened for two weeks, I'll go with that explanation. For me, it works best in taller bowls.

Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is not often.

I am a huge fan of Germain. Be it their Esoterica, Smoker's Haven or in-house tobaccos, I consider them my favourite blender by a large margin.

Does that mean that Medium Flake is amazing? Well, no. Is it good? Well, yes. Really good? Well, kind of. It's subtle, fruity, and I love the cut. If you don't know Germain, you have to understand that the way they cut tobacco is rather unique. Their flakes look like shag. Their ribbons look hair-thin. Their cakes look like ribbons. Uncanny.

Back to Medium Flake. It's a fine, mild, fruit-flavored VA. Tin-note reminds me of fresh pineapple juice. But that's about it. Do yourself a favour. Get a tin of Capstan Gold instead and buy yourself a cold one with the remaining change. If you're expecting an epiphany with Medium Flake because it's Germain, you're in for a slight disappointment.

That's the problem with Germain. Now that everybody is fighting to get a tin, most forget that they also do tobaccos that are just fine without being incredibly good.

Having had a string of Germain's tobaccos recently, I picked this one for no particular reason other than not already having tried it. Given the appreciation I've developed for all the other offerings I have sampled, I had some expectation for this, I'm not sure this met or fulfilled the anticipation but am not completely disappointed.

The tin aroma was very pleasant, possibly lemon with hints of pineapple perhaps, made me think a little of Holger Danske's Royal Navy Flake with the flakes looking not too dissimilar. The tobacco rubs out just fine and lights just as well. The fruity flavour comes through nicely initially, not wildly exciting, just nice. A little of the tobacco comes through, but it's not hugely noticeable. This pleasantness, though does dip about a half to two thirds into the bowl into some kind of... mild unpleasantness is the only phrase that springs to mind, not sure if I can place it but there becomes a certain roughness and mucky taste to it that brings the the whole smoke down a peg or two.

I've found myself getting strangely bored of this. That first half of the smoke is pleasant enough, might have been enough to warrant three stars of it kept on going to the bottom of the smoke. That last third to a half though, while not necessarily that bad per se, is enough the bring the smoke down a notch. It's telling that, judging by the info above, that this is the only Germain's I've had that hasn't been blended by them and simply carries the badge. Will I buy this again? Probably not. Would I smoke it if I got given it? Probably, and I'd enjoy it in much the same vain as I have now. Two stars is about right.

The tin opens to give way to scents of tangy fruit mixed with leather and fermented hay. The tobacco is in almost broken, loose, flake. They are beautiful medium brown flakes with specs of yellow that easily rub into a long, thin, shag that is easy to load in the pipe. Lights easy with a charring light and then a second. Remains lit with gentle but firm tamping.

The smoke is creamy, tangy, and almost sharp, but not in an overpowering way. It seems to be a perfect balance of natural sweetness that is deep and rich that is offset by the citrus tang mixed with cream. The room note is wonderfully sweet, but not cloying. I'm lucky to have had a friend gift me some of this hard to get tobacco. It's very good stuff. It reminds me of Long Golden Flake, but the citrus is a bit more subdued, until the 2nd half of the bowl and the flavor seems to be more deep and rich than LGF.

Medium Flake is what is says ON the tin - Medium Flake is what you get IN the tin. If you are looking for a no- nonsense , easy packing 'all day smoke' , look no further. Presentation is not as a 'traditional' flake , but more like a 'block' of loosely pressed 'flakes' , lacking any real form.Don't be put off by this description - MF is very easy to pack and handle - tease & fold the 'golden 'strips' , or rub out if you prefer. The result is the same either way - sweet , VA's of superb quality , with a very slight peppery note - adding another dimension from time to time. MF is not complex or challenging , however , its simplicity and easy going nature is its strength.

A light to mid brown flake, I'd say 100% Virginias, and the tin note having some citrus quality to it. The cut is thin, like flakes used to be before the EU "1.5mm or more thick or get taxed at the much higher cigarette rate" rule came in. Maybe Germain's get away with the cut because although Jersey is a possession of the British Crown, the British monarch being Duke of Normandy since 1066, Jersey isn't part of the UK or EU. Anyway, on with the tobacco.

Very easy to load, though does take a few lights to get going. I bought a couple of tins of this while looking for a replacement for Orlik Golden SLoced which Orlik ceased selling into the UK a couple of years ago. And there is a definite similarity to OGS. The citrus notes are quite pronounced, whether from a topping or the tobacco itself.

As a mild, light flake it's very good. However...

Firstly, this tobacco bites like no other and does so ferociously. I can't smoke it at all without a filter and even with one have to smoke very carefully. I normally don't use filters and smoke a lot of Va based flake, but for Germain's Medium Flake I've found a filter or Peterson system pipe is essential.

Secondly, I have had the current tin I'm smoking open for a couple of months now and the contents are showing little to no signs of drying out. Which makes me suspect there's a humectant added to keep it moist - which may well be making the bite problem worse. I've not encountered this with any other Germain blend I've smokes, and I smoke a lot of their Brown Flake and Perique mixture. I've seen it said that Medium Flake isn't produced by Germain's but is made for them by one of the big European manufacturers. True or not, I don't know, but the blend and humectant do remind me of Danish-style aromatics.

If this didn't bite me like mad I'd give it three stars. But because of the bite I'll say I certainly recommend it as a tobacco worth trying if you like light Va flakes, but be aware that you might not get on with it.

My review of Medium Flake is based on tins that are eight and fourteen years old, so put it in the “for what it’s worth” category. Not uncommon with Germain flakes, it can be difficult to remove the entire flake from the tin. I use look thin strips to pack each bowl. The tin note is inviting. There are more high notes in this blend offering some hay like flavor. It’s straightforward in flavor and medium in body. Surprisingly, even with age, the overall sweetness is lacking compared to other similarly aged flakes. I am less than impressed with the overall taste although those that prefer more hay-like flavor may disagree. Medium Flake seems to follow a similar pattern with Germain blends for me personally in that I find the products that they produce under other names (Smoker’s Haven, Esoterica etc) to be more of an attraction for me.

First, I don't get any of the "Fruit" flavor. I was expecting that orange or lemon flavoring but I can't find any, the tin note is apricots. That being said, this is good tobacco on its own. A well mellowed Virginia that smokes cool, no bite and a sweet flavor. Although it is listed as "Medium" this has plenty of flavor and "N" for the first 2/3 of the bowl. I would call this a rubbed out flake that has been pressed again into the tin ( Oh, great little tin that seals well and can be slipped in your pocket). Allow this to breath and dry a few weeks to bring out the best. It doesn't have the high notes of say a Mac's Virginia #1 or the "green" flavor of Orliks "red", but it is good. I find that it loses sweetness as you get to the last 1/3 of the bowl and gets ashy. I would rate this as a 2 1/2 star as it has a slight snuff component that I don't care for.

Oranges, thats the impression I get, I've just lit up a bowl of orange Juice ! then it settles down, but with still a note of orange, eventualy this too dissipates leaving an o.k. virginia tobacco taste, but not a dramatic one. I waited a long time to try this and was sadly dissapointed. I will finish the tin, it is certainly smokeable, but I will not be buying more. Therefore, two stars if you like orange flavour for starters before the rather, and I hate to say this, insipid main course.

Final note: As with many others who tried this, I found the contents to have been cut in the flake style, but to have settled into a solid brick.

This is another nice flake by Germain. It is mostly a bright golden virginia flake, but there are some other virgina types mixed in. However, it is densely packed in the tin (I got over 20 bowls from one tin in a local Tinder Box Ser Jacopo medium bent), and is difficult to lift or pull out many nice size slices for packing in a pipe. Most leaves come out in a rough shag. It still smokes cooly if you excercise a little patience in your packing. Maybe some who like to rub out their flakes more will like the resulting shag from the tin.

It is lighter, sweeter and tangier compared to its fuller and very cool brother, Brown Flake (which I like more). Medium flake may have a slight citrus scent, but it is light. Most of the steady sweetness must come from the naturally sweet golden virginia leaf.

I find many golden and bright virginia flakes delicious but hot. Only a couple are my regulars in my rotation. Germain's medium flake is a good one if smoked slowly, and is lighter than the robust Solani 633 golden virginia/perique blend, and not as round as the Solani Long Golden Flake. It is bit cooler and somewhat more complex than Gawith & Hoggarth's Bright CR Flake. And it's cooler than a lot of others.

Overall, this is dry, reasonably cool, and steady burning. If you like a sweet flake with a classic bright virginia tang (like a mild salsa, but not hot unless pushed), gives a tin a try.

This up to now is by far the best I have smoked. After seeing a review by Tokin Tommy on YouTube, I was intrigued and had to get some. I wasn't disappointed. It has a lovely orange aroma too it, a really nice smooth Virginia smoke. Nice mellow sweet notes and hints of orange. I am definitely stocking up on this tobacco. Its beautiful.

I'm not one who likes toppings in tobacco but there's always exceptions. GMF is a pseudo flake of mostly golden with some brown tobacco that has a citrus topping. The taste is mellow, creamy, yeasty and hay with the topping more present at the beginning than at the end. Very good burning qualities, especially after a few weeks and easy packing, ensures this to be an all day smoke.

I must say that I had the bulk version so there was probably no aging on it. I didn't experience any bite or hot smoke and the topping never produced any gurgle. I would compare it to Reiner's LGF but with a creamier and rounder taste from the beginning.

Virginia lover

Earthy hay with a topping of citrus and slightly darker fruit, possibly apricot. Minimal sweetness and a touch of spice. A floral hint on occasion. The earthy hay tends to take over in the second half of the bowl. It's a decent smoke, but that second half tends to bore me.

Mild to medium in body and taste. Flavorings are mild. Burns very well.

Broken flake, easily rubbed out to a fine-cut mixture, almost like cigarette rolling tobacco. Lightish brown. Almost completely tasteless - I had to keep checking that the pipe was still alight. Rubbish - which is a pity, because I've liked all the other Germain tobaccos I've tried.

(Edit) I take it all back - well, a lot of it, anyway. I'm now smoking my fourth bowlful, and it's suddenly come alive. I've no idea why the first two bowls were so disappointing, but now it's a pleasant, medium-strength, slightly fruity smoke. I wouldn't say it's outstanding, but it's pleasant enough. I have altered my ratings accordingly.

It is kind of a stretch to call this a flake since it comes out of the tin more in strings than anything, but that's what you get with Germain. They've been at this for almost 200 years, so I'm happy to trust their expertise.

Medium Flake fills a very specific role in my rotation: a crowd-friendly Virginia that I can smoke around people without offending them. It's much more satisfying than a super sweet American-style Cavendish, and the component Virginias are expertly blended. There's a lot going on underneath the flavoring here that is worth tasting, although that sweet fruity flavor is present to the bottom of the bowl.

Purists should avoid this blend, but nobody really cares what those people think anyway. Anyone looking for a pleasant, moderately complex, tasty Virginia smoke should see if Medium Flake scratches that itch.