J. F. Germain & Son Germain's Medium Flake
(2.84)
Red, brown and gold Virginia tobaccos pressed to give a medium color and a medium rate of burn, with fruit extracts.
Details
| Brand | J. F. Germain & Son |
| Blended By | J.F. Germain & Son |
| Manufactured By | J.F. Germain & Son |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | Fruit / Citrus |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.84 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 14 of 14 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 09, 2010 | Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
My preferences lean towards the lighter Va flakes (eg. Reiners, Orliks Golden, Escudo) and some of the medium sweeter flakes or Va's (FVF, BBF, Stonehaven, Union Square, Laurel Heights). A touchstone for a light, towards citrus and balanced va flake would be Dunhill's Light Flake ... so I am always looking for something comparable and available since it was discontinued. Fribourg & Treyer's Vintage probably comes as close as any blend I have tried as a substitute. But I digress.
Not a big fan of heavy casing and the McClelland-type blends with their vinegar/catsup or caramel/brown sugar toppings. On the other hand the McClelland's red virginia bulk 2015 I have found an excellent blender with a true red virginia flavour profile without the catsup notes.
So looking for a virginia with a light touch and clean quality - balanced and nuanced rather than boldly flavoured or heavily sweetened.
Germain's Medium Flake, as other reviewers have noted, comes packed as a block of what turns out on separation and gentle rubbing to be finely ribbon-cut virginia, putting one in mind of a fine, almost cigarette cut that reminded me of Astley's No.55 Elizabethan. Unlike the thicker pressings and cuts typical of most quality flakes, this tobacco has been shredded quite fine before pressing.
There was a tin aroma that had a slight botanical note towards soapiness such as lavender, lilac or bergamot. It also gave up some typical virginia raisin notes and slight citrus, as another reviewer noted, towards orange not lemon, perhaps tangerine.
I was hoping the medicinal/soapy notes would not express themselves in the smoke. I don't think they did.
The tobacco was a suitable moisture level straight from the can, it might have stood a bit more drying, although it didn't bite from moisture IMO. It was difficult to pack loosely and get an even burn in the bowl on first light.
Insipid. Ashy. Medium strength in nicotine flavour, but an odd, characterless single note smoking experience that had a grassy and unappealing flavor for my palate. No discernible transition down through the bowl. Probably the most cigarette-like experience in smoking a pipe I have ever had - a nicotine delivery system, going through the motions of smoking, although it is a trying cut to smoke in a pipe bowl for me, but no subtlty. Like eating oatmeal or brown rice without sugar or spice. Just very little to commend itself, and a bit of a trial to finish a few bowls. Now that may well be a "pure" experience in the sense that the tobacco delivers an unadulterated virginia experience, but there was none of the organic underlying, untopped sweetness of the leaf, almost as if it was insufficently cured, or slightly green and raw.
I'll probably give away the last half of my tin and won't buy it again. Can't scold it for being unpleasant, but in a life with only so many bowls ahead of me and so many more tasty and finely balanced virginias to smoke ... I'll pass on this. 2 Stars, somebody must like it, there is nothing per se wrong with it, not my cuppa.
BTW - it says 50 gramms on the front and 2oz on the back of the tin. A troy ounce is 31 grams more or less ... I thought a standard ounce weight would be about 28 gramms - so what's up with weights and measures in Jersey?
Not a big fan of heavy casing and the McClelland-type blends with their vinegar/catsup or caramel/brown sugar toppings. On the other hand the McClelland's red virginia bulk 2015 I have found an excellent blender with a true red virginia flavour profile without the catsup notes.
So looking for a virginia with a light touch and clean quality - balanced and nuanced rather than boldly flavoured or heavily sweetened.
Germain's Medium Flake, as other reviewers have noted, comes packed as a block of what turns out on separation and gentle rubbing to be finely ribbon-cut virginia, putting one in mind of a fine, almost cigarette cut that reminded me of Astley's No.55 Elizabethan. Unlike the thicker pressings and cuts typical of most quality flakes, this tobacco has been shredded quite fine before pressing.
There was a tin aroma that had a slight botanical note towards soapiness such as lavender, lilac or bergamot. It also gave up some typical virginia raisin notes and slight citrus, as another reviewer noted, towards orange not lemon, perhaps tangerine.
I was hoping the medicinal/soapy notes would not express themselves in the smoke. I don't think they did.
The tobacco was a suitable moisture level straight from the can, it might have stood a bit more drying, although it didn't bite from moisture IMO. It was difficult to pack loosely and get an even burn in the bowl on first light.
Insipid. Ashy. Medium strength in nicotine flavour, but an odd, characterless single note smoking experience that had a grassy and unappealing flavor for my palate. No discernible transition down through the bowl. Probably the most cigarette-like experience in smoking a pipe I have ever had - a nicotine delivery system, going through the motions of smoking, although it is a trying cut to smoke in a pipe bowl for me, but no subtlty. Like eating oatmeal or brown rice without sugar or spice. Just very little to commend itself, and a bit of a trial to finish a few bowls. Now that may well be a "pure" experience in the sense that the tobacco delivers an unadulterated virginia experience, but there was none of the organic underlying, untopped sweetness of the leaf, almost as if it was insufficently cured, or slightly green and raw.
I'll probably give away the last half of my tin and won't buy it again. Can't scold it for being unpleasant, but in a life with only so many bowls ahead of me and so many more tasty and finely balanced virginias to smoke ... I'll pass on this. 2 Stars, somebody must like it, there is nothing per se wrong with it, not my cuppa.
BTW - it says 50 gramms on the front and 2oz on the back of the tin. A troy ounce is 31 grams more or less ... I thought a standard ounce weight would be about 28 gramms - so what's up with weights and measures in Jersey?
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2002 | Mild | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Perhaps they should call this 'medium block'. Germain has taken very finely cut yellow VAs and pressed them into a single block ~ 3"x2"x1" that fills their tin. At the start, I had difficulty separating the layers and obtained mostly fine ribbons, even finer than the typical Germain's, that were difficult to pack evenly. This resulted in channeling, an extremely uneven burn, plugging of the air hole and some harsh tastes. However, in the last half of the tin, I was able to obtain some nice clumps and successfully pack them. Perhaps we should blame my packing techniques since a good tobacco taste developed when large bowled pipes were used. Even if this is a great tobacco, I'm not sure that I have the patience to experiment and discover it. There are other true VA flakes that require much less attention to obtain a great smoke.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Unnoticeable |
Germains Medium Flake - A flake ? A straight shag with a couple flake looking pieces easily pulled apart to a shag . Mostly bright Virginias with a few brown and less orange -red strands . Has that apricot smell like most Germain Virginias but I taste more orange in the smoke . The toppings are lightly applied . A lot of grass and hay and citrus . Some floral and bready notes . It is a good tasting very mellow smoke . I dont care for the cut , think three sails . You could easily roll this up if so inclined. I smoke pipes only for a long time . You have to smoke real slow to avoid bite . I haven’t pushed it to find out . It gets better at the bottom of the bowl . It is a good smoke but there are many better in this Genre . I wouldn’t buy again so I somewhat recommend 3 for taste , 1 for the cut . 2 stars
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 31, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium | Unnoticeable |
Like the other poor souls I fell into the same trap with this one. Thinking that this was merely a virginia flake I ordered it. I was surprised therefore, when the open pouch (not a tin) gave off a strange odour.
I couldn't identify this scent at first; tangerine/orange/satsuma was the last thing I expected. The next thing I found was the cut. There was clearly welded flake strips in a mass at the bottom of the pouch, but the tobacco resembled candy floss. Not in taste or colour, obviously, but the look and feel was wispy, cobweb-like almost. I've had this style of tobacco before somewhere, but just can't place where.
I pulled this loose mass of (not sticky) tobacco out and found that it needed pulling apart to a degree before loading.
The smoke was somewhat brief. It burnt through very quickly and I found that the zesty, tangy flavour almost overrides the virginia. It comes through in the smoke and appears like a tide of orangey citrus sea that washes around your mouth. I found it had a mild soapy taste when halfway through the bowl. Not quite as nasty or prononced as those Kendal blends (and Larson's reserve).
I am not sure I could smoke this continually, especially in my briars, as it might ruin them and am treating this as an aromatic and will let the meers loose on it. Certainly can't recommend this as a viginia.
I couldn't identify this scent at first; tangerine/orange/satsuma was the last thing I expected. The next thing I found was the cut. There was clearly welded flake strips in a mass at the bottom of the pouch, but the tobacco resembled candy floss. Not in taste or colour, obviously, but the look and feel was wispy, cobweb-like almost. I've had this style of tobacco before somewhere, but just can't place where.
I pulled this loose mass of (not sticky) tobacco out and found that it needed pulling apart to a degree before loading.
The smoke was somewhat brief. It burnt through very quickly and I found that the zesty, tangy flavour almost overrides the virginia. It comes through in the smoke and appears like a tide of orangey citrus sea that washes around your mouth. I found it had a mild soapy taste when halfway through the bowl. Not quite as nasty or prononced as those Kendal blends (and Larson's reserve).
I am not sure I could smoke this continually, especially in my briars, as it might ruin them and am treating this as an aromatic and will let the meers loose on it. Certainly can't recommend this as a viginia.
Pipe Used:
Briars latterly meers
PurchasedFrom:
Smoke-King (Greens)
Age When Smoked:
New
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