Astley's No.109 Medium Flake

This classic VA flake is tasty indded! Wonderful tin aroma, sort of a fruity, sweet smell in a straight VA manner. No topping detected. Easy to rub out and pack. Let this one set a few minutes - a freash can will be a tad on the wet side. Burns well after a good rubbing abd setting. Nice, fresh VA flavor; no harsh overtones. This is a great smoke for those wanting to try VA's or like the milder, less acidic tasing VA's.

I stumbled on to this blend at my local B&M. I requested a straight Virginia that was somewhat mild. I was given a 50gm tin. Upon opening the tin I was greeted with a pleasant aroma of quality Virginia tobacco. I detected a light casing but not so much as to overshadow the pure tobacco aroma. I found the moisture content to be minimal. The broken flake packed and lit easily. At first I detected an ever so slightly sweet taste,however it quickly subsided and the true Virginia tobacco taste arose to the forefront. I find this to be an extremely mild and pleasant tasting blend. A wonderful way to start the morning with a fresh cup of coffee or tea.There was no apparent bite. This could easily become an all day smoke. I would highly recommend this to aromatic smokers who wish to evolve and expand their taste selections. The only negative aspect of this blend is that it does not come in a larger quanity than 50 gms. I am compelled to give this blend four stars only because there aren't five stars.

This is my favorite Virginia, because it's mild, and being a broken flake, it's easy to work with. It's always a bit sweet, without overdoing it. Light enough I don't get burned out on it.

While on my recent stop travelling down the Virginia hiway at the village of Astleys, my second visit was at No.109 Jerimy St. London. Great place to visit....I may want to stay awhile. Much has been written on this blend ,so I'll keep it short. Unlike No.2, No. 109 has absolutly no vinigar aroma....only mild, sweet tobacco. This blend has no bitterness. If smoked slowly you will be rewarded with a mildly sweet, flavorfull, no bite smoke. This could become one of my "all day" smokes. That says a lot, considering all of the great blends avaiable. Rate * * * *

This is one of my all-time favorites. It starts a little mild but really builds character by the middle of the bowl. It has very little bite and lights easily in either flake form or rubbed out. For a Virginian it requires little attention and unfolds with a variety of flavors throughout the bowl. If you want a powerhouse, this isn't it. If, however, you want a sweet, natural Va. that can be smoked all day.....look no further.

A long dark ribbon flake that comes rolled in the tin like Orlicks Golden. Darker than I anticipated with light streaks. A very pleasant medium Virginia. I give three and three quarter stars.

So what?s wrong with a tobacco that?s ?mild and mellow? and advertises itself as such? Absolutely nothing. This is a delightful, exceedingly good Virginia blend and a nice change of pace from heavier, full-bodied blends. This is a great morning smoke or even an all day smoke for some. It may be one-dimensional but it doesn?t bite. I like it much better than Astley?s #44.

I rate this tobacco 9.8 out of 10.

I love the smell of Number 109 on opening a fresh tin. Although Dark Star is my favorite Virginia flake, this one smell a hundred times better. It looks a heck of a lot better to boot! The top note and half way through the bowl aren't what I'd call outstanding, but it does get a grip on you after working your way down the bowl. The taste improves significantly in the second half. It's never over sweet, just a pleasant relaxing smoke. I find this tobacco easy to use, especially compared to some other Virginia flakes. If you crumble a load and let it dry out for a day or two, there is no trouble getting the charring light or any wetness. This is one Virginia where little or no pipe cleaner use is necessary. Although I prefer a little Perique mixed in with my Virginias, for a straight air cured version this can't be beat. I'm finding myself smoking this blend more and more as a day's starter, and think it might be a great Summer smoke to relax outside with. Astley's Number 109 wouldn't work in the evening for me because I'm a constant wanderer through a fog of English/Balkans when the sun sets. I like smaller Canadians for this one because I want to get to that second half where the flavor jumps out. Still there is no hurry to finish this great tobacco, and a second bowl is always welcome! Great stuff from K&K, as usual!

I ran out of my other Virginia flake, so I bought a tin of this, and I'm glad I did. Tobacco comes moist, as most do from K&K, and the flakes are folded into 5" slices, no problem, I pulled one off and let it air out out. The tobacco has that nice natural smell, and packing was like most rubbed out flakes. Charring light took two matches probably still a tad moist, and we went along, a tasty Virginia with no bite, unless you smoke like a freight train. This stuff is great, I haven't been this exicted about a Va flake since I tried FVF. I wanted another bowl after I finished my first, which is what I did. Good Stuff.