Astley's No.109 Medium Flake

Astley's No.109: A Classy Grassy/Citrusy Virginia Flake

No.109 is made up of a mix of bright/lighter leaf, red, and darker Virginias—the latter of which I believe to be stoved. The Virginias tend to be more on the grassy/citrus side of the spectrum with an ample amount of natural sweetness.

Folded and stuffed, No.109 is a four-star Virginia flake. It enhances the sweetness and balances out any rough edges in the smoke. Rubbed out, the flake is good but nothing special. I also appreciate how this flake burns to a fine white ash.

This is one of my after diner tobaccos and well it should be . The smoker is presented with long flakes more than average in thickness . it really is sort of a broken flake because there is a good deal of strands on the bottom . The color is dark brown and the tin note is fruity and inviting . A good moisture level helps in packing and lighting . This is a slow burning tobacco that delivers flavor all the way through . The taste is natural , matured Virginia tobacco with no topping that I can notice . 109 is a rich smoke with the same punch as F & T special brown or Ratray's marlin. Though not good for the morning smoke in my opinion it's value comes later in the day when something more full bodied is desired . It is almost identical to Wessex brigade dark flake , also made by K & K .and I smoke them interchangeably . This , along with the Wessex , is in a class by it's self in the Virginia world . Enjoy some. Edited 6/5/16 K & K has changed the presentation . It is now delivered in a square tin , ala F & T , as a folded flake . What a loss to this fine tobacco . The old round tin presented long flakes that wrapped around the can sort of like Ratrays Marlin flake . The new presentation looks like every other folded flake made by K & K . Still the same great tobacco but the new presentation takes something away from the experience . I guess that I will use Wessex brigade dark flake from now on , it being exactly the same tobacco , still presented in the traditional way .

A superb early morning smoke in the hotter weather, I originally bought three tins while the weather was still warm, for some time now, the cold has made it's presence felt, still, I have two more tins for the summer.

A light and easy tobacco to pack and smoke usual superb astley quality, no bite just pure virginia, an excellent smoke if you want to be aroused very slowly but soon to be discarded for more stronger tobacco's thereafter. Certainly not (IMHO) for the English winter nights or morns (where we are currently experiencing -7c) such as they are, at present I am looking more for a SG Skiff, at least or SG Squadron Leader to start the day.

A Mild & Mellow Flake. Just like the tin description and most definitely an all day smoke.

In the early Fall I find myself moving from Virginias toward the Latakia laced Balkans and English mixtures, but #109 is an exception. It provides year round appeal with its rich dark brown-sugar tin aroma, with hints of honey and toasted nuts. Pecans, not mine, thank you Rev. Jackson. Arrives in the tin almost at perfect moisture, but some drying does help. I prefer it shagged out over the fold and stuff method. I wouldn't mind a good shagging out myself. Fill your bowl lightly with this one or you will soon regret not doing so. It can be tough to keep lit otherwise. It's a sipper, so take it easy.

Reveals a rainbow of flavors as it meanders down the bowl, with the molasses-brown sugar elements staying in the foreground. There's hints of dark cocoa, licorice, cookies and freshly baked bread. Aged a few years in the tin, it starts to develop little nooks and crannies of flavors difficult to describe other than damn tasty.

If you're looking for a Vitamin N delivery system that will knock your undies off, this ain't no panty dropper. Mild in all the good ways, but packed with flavor.

I find this tobacco to have a singular ability to evolve in the pipe. The first ten minutes or so are totally underwhelming, leaving one to consider if it was worth purchasing. Ho hum. After puffing away for a time, it begins to grow in both body and flavor until I find myself completely immersed in the experience. By bowl's end, I'm pining for more. Lush without flamboyance, round without bloat, No. 109 has a long, lingering finish worthy of a Pauillac. I place it at the very top of a short list of the finest Va flakes available.

I would never consider it for a quick, short smoke, but whenever I have the time to give it its due, it's mighty hard to beat. This blend is to Virgina flake what GLP is to English mixtures.

*********Addendum, 10/04- A man once paid a visit to the famed gourmet Brillat-Savarin, and was advised by servants that he was busy enjoying his dinner. The man waited patiently, noting that it was 7:00PM. He found this odd, as it was common knowledge that the great epicure would dine religiously at 4:00. When finally greeted by his host, he could not help but make mention of this, whereupon Brillat-Savarin responded that he had, indeed, eaten at 4:00, but, as correctly pointed out by his staff, was "enjoying" his meal.

As I write, I am enjoying a bowl of 109, consumed approximately three hours ago.

Although my tin was marked as made in Germany, there was no indication that Kohlhacs & Kopp was the blender as with other of the Astleys tobaccos that I've enjoyed. I thought that A&C Petersen,indicated above, was in Denmark. Whoever the blender, they did a great job and I was not disappointed. My dark brown flakes were almost 6" long and folded into the round tin. Packing, lighting and the lack of relights were excellent even thought the tin moisture content was higher than expected. A rich, but smooth, naturally sweet, cool smoke, this blend didn't even hint of bite from start to finish. It is just as advertised but a bit mild for my normal tastes as an all day event. However, in hot weather or as my first smoke of the day, it's a pleasure. Although I personally prefer the added strength of their #44, I still had to give this the highest available rating for a good high quality VA flake. Try some.

I sometimes hesitate spending hard-earned cash to try a new tobak but I'm glad I took a chance w/this one. Astleys #109 is an excellent VA that is true to the "mild and mellow" tin description. As stated by others, this is a mostly dark brown to black flake w/smidgeons of lighter colors threaded in. It appears that it's one long flake that is folded over a few times and placed in the tin. Rubs out very easily to packing consistency and lights equally well. I was surprised when I noticed I almost didn't need to use a second match. I charred, tamped lightly, and read another paragraph or so before relighting. When I put the pipe back in my mouth I habitually drew on it before I even lit the 2nd match and lo and behold.....smoke! Once burning good, the natural, hard-to-beat, good VA flavor comes forth w/slight sweetness and faint citrusy notes. The typical VA tang is present but very subdued. Virtually NO bite here, folks! I notice a woodsy note that reminds me of the mild fermented aroma when I opened the tin, sorta like a forest after a Spring rain. The smoke is cool and creamy, mostly mid and high notes but there is some bottom to it especially farther down the bowl where a richer and more smokey flavor surfaces. This is a very tasty and flavorful VA, perhaps one of the best. Though it was somewhat moist in the tin (the tin seems to have a good seal to it too), moisture while smoking was pretty much non-existant; I used a pipe cleaner about 1/2way just for the heck-of-it. Some drying time wouldn't hurt. I used a GG size Castello "Old Antiquari" panelled Lovat that has a fairly deep bowl, but IMO this tobak would smoke good in most any size bowl. Burns to a fluffy ash and leaves the pipe clean and dry. IMHO, this would be a good tobak for smokers new to the world of VA's as well as seasoned pipers. My only complaint would be that I wish there was more tobacco in the tin, but it's a good tobacco for the price. My "smoke this on occasion" rating is because I'm going to make this tin last as long as I reasonably can, (gonna hafta use some restraint) and will definitely have a couple more in the cellar for the near future. This would be a good all day/all the time smoke but that could get a little pricey. As a now and then/frequent smoke this is a very good choice. I'll always have some of this around. Hey, works for me! ****Update**** This is just a brief update after having smoked more of this VA. tobak side-by-side w/#55. Since I gave #55 Elizabethan the highest overall recommendation, I felt it was necessary to also give the same rec to #109, simply because they are both, IMHO, excellent smokes. I still think I prefer #55 as I stated in my review, but #109 has a bit more body and burns a bit slower depending on how you rub it out, so spending your day w/Astley's VAs. would be very pleasurable, to say the least. I certainly wouldn't refuse either one, anytime.

The latest issue from Astleys, a blending house that, IMNSHO, is only matched by the "House of Pease" in consistency throughout it's entire line. #109 is named after the company's address on Jeremy Street in London. Tin appearance: 50g tina a la dunhill or mac baren.

Tobacco appearance and tin note: Extremely dark colored, well aged, broken flake with just an occasional bit of lighter weed peeking out. Moisture: Higher than I like, the entire contents have melded together (pluck at one flake, the entire contents lift out). Tin fragrance, glorious, light, sweet Va, with no (zero, zip, nada) hints of catsup, vinegar, acetic acid, or anything that isn't glorious tobacco. Flake breaks up well, but I highly recommend letting it dry on a paper for a few minutes before packing. . We're packed. Opening "Blood Rave" Theme from the Blade Soundtrack on the faithful Nakamichi, assisted by a pair of old Advent Heritages.... let's rock! Flame hits weed releasing.... wow.... mmm..... wow! One of the softest, lightly fragrant smokes that I have ever encountered. It has sufficient body that the delicate citrus and cashew notes have support, but *just* enough. Smooth? Less friction on the palate than liquid teflon on black ice. If you are in to such things, this is unquestionably the most inhale able tobacco that I have ever run across. The fragrance and room note carries all the delightful elements of a carolina curing barn sans the grassiness. Mid bowl: the fruit mutes a tad, making ways for more of the cashew butter aspects, the bowl develops more complexity, and it was no slouch in that department to start with. Very slow burning, you can't hurry this one (nor would you want to) not because it would slap your tongue, but because when ya hurry you'd miss al the nuance in this one's conversation. End bowl. Unbelievable. A Va that has nary a nip or bite even down in "no man's land" at the heel. Now rich and buttery. Summary: This is it! The Finest Va flake that I have found. Deliciously light, smooth and fragrant. If you shy away from Va's, because of bite, burn, or the dreaded "Heinz" factor, get this one. Trust me. You *will* become a fan. 10 out of 10 Bearclaws. -- Bear Graves

No Bite, complex flavors despite the mildness, and the real kicker, no other tobacco has the same effect after the smoke. Something about 109 makes me want to rub my tongue over my teeth all day long, enjoying the deliciousness again and again.

I like 44 alright, but this takes the cake handedly.