Astley's No.109 Medium Flake

There's a light topping of some kind that added a light citrus/sugar note, but it tended to fade as I smoked. The raisin hit I sensed when I opened the tin also seemed to fairly much vanish. The Virginias offer a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, hay and grass, bread, earth, wood, mild vegetation, tangy darker fruit, light sugar, spice, acidic lemon, and floralness. Not very complex, but it isn't meant to be that way. The strength is in the center of mild to medium. The taste level is a step past that center. The nic-hit is a notch less potent than the overall strength and body. Won’t bite, but fast puffing may result in a harsh note. Has a few small rough edges. The flake is easy to break apart. Burns a touch warm, clean and slightly slow with a very consistent flavor from top to bottom. Requires a few relights. Leaves little moisture in the bowl. The short lived after taste and room notes are pleasant. Can be an all day smoke. Three and a half stars.

UPDATE 6-2022: The changes in this blend are similar to other recent K&K products that I have smoked. The main differences are the elevation of the tart and tangy citrus, floralness and the sour lemon, all of which are more potent now. The tangy dark fruit, earth and wood are barely evident. Even though it’s not visually apparent, the amount of red Virginia was cut quite a lot with orange Virginia which accounts for much for the changes. The sugary citrus topping is stronger now as it has a little more than a moderate effect, and does not wane. I also sense a light syrup note which was not present before as well as a little more acidity. Burns a tad harsher now. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels are a notch higher here. The room note is a little stronger, too. All of the other previous observations of the earlier manufacture still hold. I deduct half a star because of the extra acidity, so I rated it at TR as a three star blend.

-JimInks

The description on the tin is spot on with this broken flake. Sweet, mature Virginias are there from the get go. This tobacco is sensitive to how and when you smoke it. Use the same pipe and make it your first smoke of the day. This way you make the most of it.

I like the honey sweet and raisin taste, mellow and yet interesting. It's a shame that there is the typical European topping of aniseed and licorice applied to this otherwise perfect flake. This topping is sometimes strong enough to distract you from a good and honest smoke and then disappears to come back when you have settled once again. For me that's the only minus.

Virginia lover

Ok what's the deal,? This used to be a 'wraparound flake' flake right?? Marlin flakesque from what I understand... the tin I bought looked like neat stacks of capstan.. disappointment aside, when I lit up my Frank method packed rub out... I was greeted with a warm, earthy, spicy (More cayenne than pepper) Virginia palette. .settled in later on in the smoke to a carmally raw sugar note..seems pretty pure, relatively unflavored.. not my cup o tea.. but delicious and a very distinct natural tobacco..

Very nice flavors of citrus and darker fruits with a light addition of anise. Modest amounts of sweetness and spice. This is a very tasty smoke, but requires some discipline to keep it that way. I barely have enough which makes this a flake that I won't be smoking much of. I will enjoy it on occasion though. If you can keep it slow and cool you'll get a first class smoke out of it.

Mild to medium in body. Flavoring is very mild. Taste is medium. Burns very well.

I am on my second bowl of this in a Peterson African meer - a dublin with the p-lip. The tobacco is described on the tin as "matured, naturally sweet, broken Virginia flake - medium strength." I open the can and find long wide flake similar in appearance to Orlik Golden Sliced in the 100g tin. The flakes are dark and smell sweet with no identifiable honey or flavor of sweetener. The tin had just a hint of raisins perhaps. A piece was torn off and rubbed out. Moisture seemed about right to me, and I did not dry it or let it air.

The smoking experience is mild and mellow. There is a slightly sweet virginia flavor and no other tastes to me. Some people taste perique in this, but I do not. The tobacco flavor grows in strength as the bowl progresses, but it is still what I would call mellow and slightly sweet. I get just a hint of citrus every now and then.

This has been a very pleasant smoke. It is not a flavor bomb or have complex flavors. I would recommend this to someone wanting to try a good Virginia. It smoked cool for me, and I did not have problems keeping it lit or with tongue bite. It was easy to sip and had enough flavor that I was not puffing away trying to get more out. The cost per oz in the 50 g tin is a little high for me, and I am not likely to be smoking this on a regular basis once the tin is empty. For my smoking $, there are things that I like just as much (or more) that are cheaper. It is a good smoke though, and I recommend it. If you are weary of complexity and complicated flavor descriptions, this might be a great one to try.

A tasty middle of the road Virginia flake. Good sweet and typical smell from the tin. Beautiful flakes are easy to prepare. Work well as a fold and stuff. Benefits from a good drying as it gains in strength and makes the burn easier. Overall, mechanics are great for a flake.

Flavor is typical of a none cooked VA. There are many in this category. Good sweetness, little zest, lots of bread. This one is a good representation of the genre but I don't find it to stand out particularly.

If it were easier for me to get, I'd probably have a stack or two of it, but as it is, I'll stay with the others I have and enjoy already. Namely BBF from SG.

New Tin- initial impression- Tin note has the scent of figs with a single long loose flake of medium dark Virginia . Very easy to rub out or break off and will require some drying. The initial flavor and scent is unremarkable with a slight spice, good N ( I find it more than acceptable), not hay or grass like, more English in flavor with high sweet notes and maybe some bitter base notes. One of those blends that's nice while smoking it, but a year later, after my memory fades, I'll be asking, "that was good but I don't remember why !!!" Now fast forward !

Tin Open One Week-scent and flavor starting to develop, you have to French inhale in "small wisps" to find it.

Tin Open One Month- The subtle scent further develops. The blend now has a very smooth sweet flavor, but the real interest is the scent. You have to allow the smoke to drift up the nose or "French Inhale", the fragrance is sweet , reminds me as if there was some "Samsun Oriental "in this blend ? But there is something else ???? Wait for it, wait for it..... have you ever smelled "Kiwi shoe polish"?, it's totally intriguing. Ok, maybe it's an "anise" as reviewer , " Virginia lover 2014-06-18" described it, but nothing as overpowering as in Ramsgate or Blackpool , I love it and I'll be buying more.

"Sometimes I have to just laugh at my reviews." I recommend you read reviewers, "DK 2011-11-17" & "Virginia Lover 2014-06-18 ", & "Moniker 2013-07-14" for "well written" reviews.

Update 4/25/17- The newer two tins I tried have a much stronger Vanilla taste. I'm not a fan, I find it cloying and I'm removing a star.

Very nice VA. Pleasing aroma (bread, yeast, caramel) from the tin. All those same aromas transfer well to the smoke. A nice dark profile, as I said, caramelized sugar and a nice slightly spicy and sweet smokiness. Great inhalation when breathed through the nose...little tingle. This was moderate in flavor and body and a delight in which to indulge. This will be stored and broken out later for inspection. I feel this will mellow some with time. A good VA and quite filling after one bowl. This is a nice offering indeed. MJCKYAYFF

I was looking at Hagen's review, and he said something about K&K having added caramel and vanilla when they did the blend. My tin is from 2005. Somehow, I think this is that blend. There does seem to be a caramelly topping that is not quite my cup of tea (or pipe of tobacco), but I don't think it ruins it. However, the tobacco might be better without it. I like it alright, just prefer more natural tobacco usually. I can't speak to what the tobacco was like when blended in England, or at the present time, since my tin is 2005. I will smoke it; indeed, I am getting to the bottom of it, and have a sealed tin in reserve, which I will cellar a while. The Virginias are of good quality. This goes well with the apple cider I am drinking right now. I have gotten the best results from thoroughly drying, and from small to medium bowled pipes. Actually, smoking the present bowl in a larger bowled Brebbia (but not huge) and not completely dried out. Still, it opened up midbowl, and I am getting some nice flavors. They are not pure tobacco flavors, but that's ok.