Former Bird's Eye Flake
(2.94)
A smooth classic flake tobacco made from the finest grades of Virginia leaf, blended in layers and using traditional methods. Gently matured in order to bring out the optimum flavors of the natural tobacco.
Details
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.94 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 07, 2005 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Rumored to be like Capstan mild, it seems to be a lighter version of Former's Cross Grain Flake. It has more bright leaf, probably less perique and critus flavoring, but more of an edge than Cross Grain Flake. Still a sweet smoke and not bad if puffed slowly in a medium bowl.
Not completely bright leaf. Some red virginia. Comes in flakes easily broken into a thick shag. I try to break it up little (but more so in a smaller pipe). Fairly dry and steady burning to me. No additional aging is necessary in my opinion (though all flakes will improve some with time); it smokes well right off the shelf.
Dunhill's Light Flake is smoother and more tasty to me. This one has more of a straight virginia tang to accompany the sweetness. Cross Grain Flake has more rich flavor. Neither of Former's Cross Grain or Bird's Eye flakes are quite as robust as Solani's 633 flake in my opinion. Reiner's Long Golden Flake is also smoother (due to burley added). Orlik's Golden Slices is sweeter.
So if you don't savor the Dunhill flake's flavor or the Cross Grain extra flavor, and find Solani's or Cross Grain too rich at times, or Orlik's too sweet, this is a step down in strength but still a contender in the bright flake field. But again it must be smoked slowly. Two to three bowls in a day were too much for me even though the blend remained tasty. Maybe you can consume it easier.
Germain's Medium flake is also a comparison that can be made.
I would reservedly recommend this for a spin if you are a bright, sweet flake fancier. You may like it better than the other ones I noted, but I did not. Maybe a bowl a day is o.k.
Well, I continue on puffing with Former's Straight Grain Flake.
Not completely bright leaf. Some red virginia. Comes in flakes easily broken into a thick shag. I try to break it up little (but more so in a smaller pipe). Fairly dry and steady burning to me. No additional aging is necessary in my opinion (though all flakes will improve some with time); it smokes well right off the shelf.
Dunhill's Light Flake is smoother and more tasty to me. This one has more of a straight virginia tang to accompany the sweetness. Cross Grain Flake has more rich flavor. Neither of Former's Cross Grain or Bird's Eye flakes are quite as robust as Solani's 633 flake in my opinion. Reiner's Long Golden Flake is also smoother (due to burley added). Orlik's Golden Slices is sweeter.
So if you don't savor the Dunhill flake's flavor or the Cross Grain extra flavor, and find Solani's or Cross Grain too rich at times, or Orlik's too sweet, this is a step down in strength but still a contender in the bright flake field. But again it must be smoked slowly. Two to three bowls in a day were too much for me even though the blend remained tasty. Maybe you can consume it easier.
Germain's Medium flake is also a comparison that can be made.
I would reservedly recommend this for a spin if you are a bright, sweet flake fancier. You may like it better than the other ones I noted, but I did not. Maybe a bowl a day is o.k.
Well, I continue on puffing with Former's Straight Grain Flake.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 02, 2010 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
I enjoy puffing this tobacco while doing other things. Actually, it's become my video-game blend. I tend to take a few puff, put it down, play for a while, then come back to it.
The tin note smells a little like hay and has a hint of honey in it.
Packs very easily and lights well.
The taste is simple in a good way, though the perique is not noticeable to my taste.
Not a bad blend; certainly not fantastic, but I will keep it around.
The tin note smells a little like hay and has a hint of honey in it.
Packs very easily and lights well.
The taste is simple in a good way, though the perique is not noticeable to my taste.
Not a bad blend; certainly not fantastic, but I will keep it around.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 08, 2019 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
Well this is one of the mildest virginia flakes out there, that does not mean its bland but it certainly is monotone and not complex, a tad stronger and more mature than orlik golden sliced and a bit milder from peter stockeby navy flake. I cannot detect the perique in it but if its there then it is. Smokes cool and burn to white ash, no flavoring detected and the room note is of typical virginia. If you like mac baren virginia number one and want to step it up some, or find luxury navy flake too peppery then this might fit the bill. Al janabi
Pipe Used:
Briars
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 12, 2010 | Very Mild | None Detected | Very Mild | Pleasant |
I was sent a 1/2 tin of this to try and as I like Danish style tobaccos, i like it. It reminds me a lot of the old Amphora Brown without the burley influence. This smells very nice in the tin, very much like a Virginia. If this has perique as reported in other reviews, I sure could not detect it. I taste just a mild peppery Virginia, not real sweet. This to me was a good moisture but it is possible the guy who sent it to me dried it out first. It is in long medium brown strantds rubbed out. It packed very easy and lit on first light, smoking all the way down to a grey ash and no dottle in the bottom, just a powder. This could bite if puffed too agressively, but I had no problem with it. it is very light in taste, and one could go serching for more flavor and get bit. While this is a rather one dimentional blend, it is satisfying in the N dept. Nothing real exceptional so i can't give it a high rating, but it is one I am enjoying and Danish lovers should give it a try.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 10, 2005 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
Upon opening the tin, you are greeted with an inviting aroma and nicely prepared, partially rubbed out reddish, brown flakes with hints of golden VAs. Although packing and lighting were easy, I found the initial moisture content too high with no additional rub out and a wet smoke with relights @ the bowl bottom resulted. This didn't improve much even with considerable drying. The room aroma was considered better by others than my preferred VA/periques but that had to be balanced by the lack of taste of this blend. It was milder than I like and although naturally sweet, lacked much of a Perique influence. As I recall it, this is no Capstan and certainly no match to Reiner's or Solani's.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 05, 2005 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
This flake is very easy to pack and that may be because of its inherent moisture. Indeed, if it were a bit drier, the whole blend would be more smokable. Overall, this blend is very similar to flakes like Dunhill's Navy Flake; a good virginia, aged well, packs easily and doesn't burn the tongue. However, the fact that in order to keep it lit one needs to keep drawing rather frequently, does pose a threat of tongue sores if one is not careful. The smell of the tin is particularly inviting, reminding of the scent of walnut and roses. However, while smoking those notes cannot be detected easily. It is very difficult to keep the end of the bowl lit, even after cafeful packing. The tobacco isn't bad, but in the same league there is better. I would recommend it as a leaf to use to clean a pipe after smoking many bowls of strong aromatics like latakia and perique, as the old English chaps on the other side of the pond often do.
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