Robert McConnell Folded Flake

Folded Flake is an example of one of my favorite genres: Virginia/ dark-fired Kentucky/perique.

As a previous reviewer, DK mentioned, it performed best at a very narrow moisture range, slightly drier than normal. Once I got that right everything fell together and I've really enjoyed it.

After aging for two years in the tin all the components are discernible, but it plays more like a 3 piece rock band when everybody's jamming together rather than featuring one particular flavor. It's spicier and has more body than you would get from a typical flake with only Virginia and perique. I attribute both qualities to the Kentucky. The closest blend I would compare it to in flavor and cut would be Solani 660 Silver Flake sans the perique. The perique (and the far superior tin) gives the edge to Folded Flake for my money.

Update (06/12/2010): Once it's dried properly it performs so well it deserves a 4 star rating. A real sleeper...highly recommended!

Very citrusy and grassy Virginias, which surprised me because the tin lists only dark Virginia. No bready notes in taste or room note. Light Perique but noticeable in every puff. Even lighter Kentucky offers some burnt sour and pleasant bitterness but anyone looking for a Kentucky-centric experience, this ain’t that. This is more of a Vaper with a bit of Kentucky. Mild mic hit. Needs a bit of dry time but loses taste if smoked too dry. Nice warm weather smoke. Would purchase again.

With the beautiful tin and presentation, I expected greatness here. I opened the gold foil and the first surprise was that there was no real discernible aroma, only "something" very faint. The flakes are very nice, thin and with perfect humidity. Folding easily, I loaded my pipe and I was ready to experience this tobacco. It lighted easily, few relights really. At first, it was too mild for me to taste anything. It picked up with time, showing off the Virginia and additional components, particularly Kentucky. When it hit the half bowl, the flavors became substantially more pronounced. That was a good thing indeed. Yet, I was hoping for more. However, it did not have what to give. It stayed at that mid-level, rather one dimensional.

Am I being too hard? The problem is that this tobacco's profile is much like G.L. Pease's Triple Play, except the latter is the former elevated to a higher potency in terms of experience, strength and good flavor. The taste in the mouth was not too great either, but acceptable. By the way, no bite.

After having been smoking Triple Play, this seems like an inferior contender of this class and profile. It is nice, simple and without much oomph, but smokable on certain moods. I stay with Triple Play, nevertheless.

McConnell's Folded Flake should be a more enjoyable tobacco than it is. It's pretty to look at in the tin--a golden swirl that would make Rapunzel jealous--and it smells great, too--a sort of hay meets fig meets bruised apple melange.

A VaPer-Bu (which sounds kind of endearing) with a pretty negligible Perique content (at least to this puffer), the blend is dominated by the flavors and aromas of the Virginias. And therein lies the issue. The Virginias in my tin have all the characteristics of leaves that simply need more time to mature. There is a green grassiness to this blend that verges on unpleasant and whatever else the tobacco might have to say is silenced by the whining and wailing and biting of this immature leaf.

I had pretty much the same to say about Stokkebye's Luxury Bullseye Flake, I seem to remember. Then again, I found that green characteristic more forgivable in a cheap and cheerful bulk offering. But Folded Flake comes in at top shelf prices which create high expectations.

Tin note ripe plums, ketchup and vinegar. Tobacco flakes are brown and black and semi dense, cubes nicely and/or rubs out easily. Tobacco needs no drying and burns nicely and slow with average amount of relights. The strength is mild-med and nic is mild-med, both getting stronger toward the end. No flavoring detected. Taste is med, beginning with raisin, bread, lemon, mild sweet grass and pepper and later developing some Foral notes. Virginias led, with perique supporting and Kentucky lounging in the back just hanging out. Room note is non offensive, and aftertaste was good.

For those looking for something a little different in a flake, this may scratch that itch. Not to say it's outlandish ( a la C&D's Mad Fiddler Flake, which I love but others aren't so sure of), but it is different enough to provide some variety for lovers of Escudo and OGS. There is a touch of dark-fired, enough to be noticed without overwhelming the blend. The Perique is a bit anemic for my tastes, which means it will be perfect for most smokers who don't smoke Chenet's Cake as their "Daily". There may be a slight fruity topping, reminiscent in some ways of Peterson's University Flake. Given the choice between the two, I would go with Folded Flake for it's greater complexity. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I bought, but likely won't buy another. That said, I much preferres it rolled and stuffed into a tall, narrow bowl.

I love a good flake. This is definilty a good one. Tin note is nice...fruit, berry, spice. Hand rubbed then gravity fed, it lit very well and stays lit after charring. Top bowl was lightly spiced, faintly sweet and cool. Mid bowl the flavour deepened and the spice was a bit muted. The final bit at the bottom was still quite nice, I sipped from start to finish and I was rather disappointed when I drew the last bit. Not a tobacco for someone wanting loads of fruit and sweetness. A wonderful after dinner smoke.

My tin was more of a somewhat broken flake, but I rather like that. The Kentucky added something of a rough note for me, but added a little (just a little) complexity. The Perique was a little on the light side, but more might have thrown off the balance even more. This is not for those who are looking for a 'refined' smoke, but for those who want a bit of 'fight back' without any bite. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is maybe.

I will make no secret of the fact that I love a good va. flake. Add the right amount of good perique, just the right amount, and it really does it for me. Often, blenders just overdo it on the perique, at least in my opinion. Yes, the flavor is good, but it is just to overpowering for me.

Along comes Folded Flake; a va/per with a bit of kentucky thrown in. The kentucky seems to really smooth out the perique, allowing it to come through in full flavor without its characteristic whang. And the va. is nice and naturally sweet.

The presentation in the tin looks a bit of a mess, as these are long flakes folded over, then stuffed into the tin. I've yet to figure out how to actually get a flake from the tin, so just prefer to grab a big pinch direct and stuff it in my pipe. And this stuff is not picky about how you load it. Gravity feed it; stuff it; hell, use a ramrod even. It is a very forgiving tobacco. It also exhibits only minor tendency to bite, but the pepperiness of the perique may fool some into thinking it's a bitey blend.

Folded flake behaves every bit as well as Scottish Cake and Flake. It lights fairly easily, stays lit, and burns well all the way to the bottom of the bowl. You will be dumping gray ashes out of your bowl without ever having to relight but maybe once. Okay, twice if you smoke it in a tall stack or chimney.