Details
| Brand | Wessex |
| Series | Brigade |
| Blended By | Kohlhase, Kopp und Co. KG |
| Manufactured By | |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.54 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 20 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 17, 2013 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The dark Virginias provide a lot of stewed sugary ripe dark fruit, earth, bread, wood, some tart and tangy citrus, vegetation, a little hay/grass, floralness, and a pinch of spice. There's a sugary topping that very mildly tones down the Virginias without detracting much from the them. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is just past the center of mild to medium. It never bites or gets harsh, no matter how much you push it. Barely has any rough edges. Depending upon your preference, it may need a light dry time. Burns clean, cool and smooth at a reasonable rate for a broken flake. It's not complex, but it is very consistently sweet and that translates to the pleasantly, lightly lingering after taste. Leaves very little dampness in the bowl. Needs a few more than an average number of relights. Has a pleasant room note. An all day smoke with a little punch. Four stars out of four.
6-13-2022 Update. There are some differences in the blend besides the cut of the tobacco, which is now a regular flake cut. It’s just a little less fruity and a tad more sugary with less stewed fruitiness from the dark fruit. The tart and tangy citrus is a little more obvious than before as this aspect now lead the fruit factor. Even though it’s not visually apparent, the amount of red Virginia was cut with a lot of orange Virginia, which accounts for much of the decrease in dark fruit and increase in citrus in addition to a little more grass, bread, floralness, light acidity. So does the mild increase in the topping. The grassiness rates a couple of notches higher than the earth and wood now. There’s a small lemon note not previously present. The nic-hit is more potent, and is a step below the strength level, which is still medium. The taste is now a slot stronger than that. The rest of the previous comments from the earlier production still apply. I rate this as a three star blend, barely. My ratings reflect what this currently is.
-JimInks
6-13-2022 Update. There are some differences in the blend besides the cut of the tobacco, which is now a regular flake cut. It’s just a little less fruity and a tad more sugary with less stewed fruitiness from the dark fruit. The tart and tangy citrus is a little more obvious than before as this aspect now lead the fruit factor. Even though it’s not visually apparent, the amount of red Virginia was cut with a lot of orange Virginia, which accounts for much of the decrease in dark fruit and increase in citrus in addition to a little more grass, bread, floralness, light acidity. So does the mild increase in the topping. The grassiness rates a couple of notches higher than the earth and wood now. There’s a small lemon note not previously present. The nic-hit is more potent, and is a step below the strength level, which is still medium. The taste is now a slot stronger than that. The rest of the previous comments from the earlier production still apply. I rate this as a three star blend, barely. My ratings reflect what this currently is.
-JimInks
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 30, 2013 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Deep, dark flake with a pungent aroma of great virginia leaf, plus a whiff of some type of topping. Sweet and rich - and wet! I experimented with drying times and settled on 4 hours, to the point where the leaf was dry but not crispy. Too crispy and that rich molasses flavor was leeched out. Too wet and it burned poorly plus had a little too much topping flavor present.
I recently smoked Wessex' futile attempt at a VaPer and commented that it tasted like a Mac Baren roll cake with a bit too heavy a hand on the cavendish and honey. I was surprised to find a bit of that flavor here as well. Not nearly as much as the Curly Cut, which was smothered with Danish flavoring, but this had enough to notice. Kept it from a 4th star. But I don't want to make too much of that - this is still a very worthy blend. Just a bit too sweetened for my regular rotation. Still, it's worth a try for any virginia lover. Clearly, other reviewers like this one better than I do.
Well, there are no foreseen new blends in my future, although I do tend to get a lot of samples from folks. But reviews will be much reduced from here on out, as I focus on my favorites. This six year run of trying as many new blends as possible has taught me a lot, such as the value of a good blender of oriental tobacco (which I enjoy more than latakia), that flavoring is a sticky wicket... if I like it, flavoring is good. If I don't, it's bad! 🙂 And much more. It's been fun. But after spending a few days with Stonehaven and a few of my favorites, the search for Tobacco Nirvana is over.
I recently smoked Wessex' futile attempt at a VaPer and commented that it tasted like a Mac Baren roll cake with a bit too heavy a hand on the cavendish and honey. I was surprised to find a bit of that flavor here as well. Not nearly as much as the Curly Cut, which was smothered with Danish flavoring, but this had enough to notice. Kept it from a 4th star. But I don't want to make too much of that - this is still a very worthy blend. Just a bit too sweetened for my regular rotation. Still, it's worth a try for any virginia lover. Clearly, other reviewers like this one better than I do.
Well, there are no foreseen new blends in my future, although I do tend to get a lot of samples from folks. But reviews will be much reduced from here on out, as I focus on my favorites. This six year run of trying as many new blends as possible has taught me a lot, such as the value of a good blender of oriental tobacco (which I enjoy more than latakia), that flavoring is a sticky wicket... if I like it, flavoring is good. If I don't, it's bad! 🙂 And much more. It's been fun. But after spending a few days with Stonehaven and a few of my favorites, the search for Tobacco Nirvana is over.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2015 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Dark fruity flavors, a touch of molasses and a nice bit of sweetness. While experimenting with moisture levels I found something interesting. It only came out when I smoked this bone dry (2 days on a paper towel). This has a mild Lakeland floral essence added to it. With moisture in the flake it's well hidden, but very dry it's easily discerned. Luckily for me, it's mild and tastefully done. If it were any heavier I would not be liking this. As is, this is a very nice flake and even more so when mixed with a quality Burley such as Wessex's Burley Slice.
Medium in body and flavor. The dryer it is, the better it burns.
Medium in body and flavor. The dryer it is, the better it burns.
Pipe Used:
MM Country Gentleman, Diplomat Apple, Mark Twain
PurchasedFrom:
4noggins
Age When Smoked:
fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 26, 2014 | Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The description on the tin is maybe for the past rendition. There are molasses and a cocoa topping, or should I say casing, that you can smell from the tin and it faithfully translates into the smoke. A meaty broken flake that looks very good but unfortunately comes short of a pure and true brown flake Virginia. It's cloying sweet, with cocoa accents and not much else. This is what a quality Aromatic should taste like, but I was supposedly smoking a " Dark brown Virginia, full bodied and smooth". After managing to get my hands on a tin and waiting on purpose to savor it... well you can imagine my disappointment.
Update: After some drying up, the sweet/cocoa topping is receding and this allows for a better smoke, closer to what a Virginia Brown Flake is supposed to taste for me.
Virginia lover
Update: After some drying up, the sweet/cocoa topping is receding and this allows for a better smoke, closer to what a Virginia Brown Flake is supposed to taste for me.
Virginia lover
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 20, 2012 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Original Review- This is an excellent Virginia flake. Mature with a nice molasses sweetness, no bite, smooth and easy to smoke. I found this to be great on the relight as it doesn't get ashy. Sweeter than Samuel Gawith's Best brown and I will use this as a substitute for Solani Silver Flake depending on price.
Updated 2/7/15- I've been trying to obtain more of this blend over the past year and it has been in very low supply. The new batch, that I just obtained, was a disappointment. I find it kind of bland and lacking in sweetness. Perhaps my initial tin had more age . I will have to cellar this batch. I'm moving this down to 3 stars
After 6 months cellar time ,this is still a disappointment from my original tin. Is Wessex taking some shortcuts to meet supply ? Still 3 stars
Updated 2/7/15- I've been trying to obtain more of this blend over the past year and it has been in very low supply. The new batch, that I just obtained, was a disappointment. I find it kind of bland and lacking in sweetness. Perhaps my initial tin had more age . I will have to cellar this batch. I'm moving this down to 3 stars
After 6 months cellar time ,this is still a disappointment from my original tin. Is Wessex taking some shortcuts to meet supply ? Still 3 stars
Pipe Used:
cob
Age When Smoked:
new/6 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 23, 2022 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Does campaign dark flake surprise me? Does it stray in any way from the German/Danish tradition of lightly flavored and thoroughly consistent if sometimes boring monochromatic virginia flakes? Nope.. not at all.. it fits right along side dunhill dark flake, astley 44, and marlin flake.. a virginia delicately trained to spotlight the deeper chocolate and molasses side of virginia.. maybe just a touch of spice and underlying fruitiness.. Although it doesn't surprise, it is tasty.. Maybe even a sweet treat.. Does it deserve the high praise it gets? In my opinion, not really.. it isn't something that requires any special thought or analysis.. just a decent smoke with a nice dark tone.. surely will improve with age.. Im neither disappointed nor deeply impressed.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2022 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Smoking now:
Bag note is sweet dark sugar, stewed and dried fruit. Rich. Flakes are almost black.
Ah yes. A dark straight Virginia. Natural sweetness, fruit preserve, tangy. A little grass and hay on the retrohale. A little fermented hay but mostly sweet dark fruits. Almost no after taste, very slight mouth tingle, no bite. Does get a little more vegetative and woody as the bowl progresses, the sweetness stays but does diminish.
A wonderful Virginia .
Bag note is sweet dark sugar, stewed and dried fruit. Rich. Flakes are almost black.
Ah yes. A dark straight Virginia. Natural sweetness, fruit preserve, tangy. A little grass and hay on the retrohale. A little fermented hay but mostly sweet dark fruits. Almost no after taste, very slight mouth tingle, no bite. Does get a little more vegetative and woody as the bowl progresses, the sweetness stays but does diminish.
A wonderful Virginia .
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Unnoticeable |
Wessex Campaign Dark Flake - A lot of dark fruity flavor with some citrus and a little grassy . A Molasses like sweetness . More of a tangy red with a little bright leaf . A little spice and some floral notes .Needed a little dry time . Very easy to work with . Fold and stuff works great . Burns nice and slow and even . No bite at all . Gets better as it burns down the bowl . I think it should age nicely . A very light sugary topping is probably in play but it adds to the blend , you can taste the tobaccos . Natural tasting flake . I like it and would buy again . 3 1/2
Pipe Used:
Pots dublins
Age When Smoked:
Fresh tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 2021 | Mild | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
This is a good example of a dark Virginia as it checks all the boxes of what you would expect from this type of leaf. It has that dried fruit sweetness, very monotone in taste and light in nicotine. It can use a little dry time as mine was a little moist out of the tin.
It is not the best dark virginia I have ever had, but I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to someone who wanted to try a dark virginia as this one behaves quite well and is easy on the tongue.
It is not the best dark virginia I have ever had, but I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to someone who wanted to try a dark virginia as this one behaves quite well and is easy on the tongue.
Age When Smoked:
4 yrs 1 mth
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2019 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
Wessex, Campaign Dark Flake (CDF): One of the best Dark Virginias out there
Each flake is dark and slightly cased with molasses, which offers a pleasant tin-note. The tobacco seems to be mostly dark Virginia, though some lighter, and maybe red, Virginias are present. There is a nice body to the smoke with a good amount of earthiness without being overly sweet. I do find some harshness in the smoke, but nothing astringent. Overall, I find it to be a good smoke to have with coffee but not perfection.
Each flake is dark and slightly cased with molasses, which offers a pleasant tin-note. The tobacco seems to be mostly dark Virginia, though some lighter, and maybe red, Virginias are present. There is a nice body to the smoke with a good amount of earthiness without being overly sweet. I do find some harshness in the smoke, but nothing astringent. Overall, I find it to be a good smoke to have with coffee but not perfection.
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