Iwan Ries IRC Virginia Flake

My sample has a minty smell in the bag; like tic-tacs, and this put me off at first, but I can't detect the scent once the tobacco is lit-it's just a good bulk natural Virginia flake. The burning qualities seem a little uneven, but that's no big deal. Simple, plain Virginia along the lines of Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake. Good price in bulk as well.

1-23-10 I had been using this mainly for blending, but tonight, after a steak dinner and a cheap yet tasty bottle of South African wine, decided to pack up my Savinelli Capri with this blend for the last pipe (?) of the night. Aging in a jar for a year has treated this flake well. The first third of the bowl showed up this tobacco's weaknesses: uneven burn, hard to get lit. Granted, I did not rub it out. But then it really opened up. The Savinelli is not a big pipe, but the bowl smoked for a solid hour. In the "home stretch," I was getting a sublime pure Virginia taste from small sips. I had been pushing the pipe harder earlier on, yet despite this abuse, I experienced no bite and the pipe did not overheat. At the end, I was treated to pure Virginia nirvana; it is the only tobacco that makes you want to smoke the ashes! Speaking of ashes, this tobacco does not seem to leave much in the way of ashes. Therefore, with all due pomp and circumstance, I give to you, IRC flake, your fourth and final star.

1-24-11 Back to three stars. I must have been pretty drunk that night. I'm not saying it's bad, just does not make that level of four-star tobacco. Like, would I put this on the level of FVF or Escudo? Has a strange smell as it ages, almost like fish or the beach, but it is not offensive, and this is still a good smoke.

This review is based on IRC Virginian Flake and not IRC Slices; the latter is listed as containing perique.

Well this is a great Virginian flake and quite similar to Dunhills Light Flake in many aspects. The pouch aroma, the rub result, the smoking quality and the flavor are quite close. Exact? Maybe not, but that sweet Virginian tang is there and that aroma, delightful. Fully rubbed and allowed to lightly dry and this stuff smokes itself, leaving me satisfied. If there is a topping it is not burdensome, never crowding the tobacco, but rather supporting the smoke. It softly strengthens as the bowl progresses. Some may say this smoke is one dimensional, that its uninteresting, but the old familiar isnt a bad thing. I cannot not imagine a time or place that I would find this tobacco unappealing. Ive been sampling a lot of Virginians, and maybe one out of ten had me pining for more, this stuff has me hooked.

Edit: 7/6/09 More nicotene than I expected, but nice. And I can't say there is no Perique, again, not a bad thing. This may not have dazzeling tin art or boutique glamour, but it is really, really good.

IRC?s Virginia Flake is the first flake I have smoked. I purchased some after reading other reviews here. As it is a flake, it is a bit more work to get smoke ready, but it is really well worth the effort. This is magnificent and the taste is astounding. IRC?s Virginia Flake is now one of my favorites.

4-09-09 Update. This stuff smokes for days. Yesterday I loaded my pipe for the hour drive home; it was a Savinelli Antique Shell (a $40.00 pipe with a balsa filter). I lit the pipe at 4PM; I finally dumped out a little bit of ash at 6PM. I am not kidding a 2-hour smoke, had to relight twice.

Outstanding Virginia, one of the best out there. The large flakes are a pleasure to see, smell and handle. The only similarity with Dunhill Light Flake lies in their color (not in the size or smell, and certainly not in the taste). If we had to compare it, I'd put it next to Capstan Medium (next and above). Same tanginess, similar hay taste, a bit more sweet and with more depth.

Highly recommended.

IRC's Virginia Flake has a bright, racy Virginia taste with good volume and a fair nicotine hit. It is redolent of musty new-mown hay. An untoasted tobacco, it is slightly sweet, as from golden honey, and mildly tangy, as from the zest of a citrus rind. But mainly, it's just good old Virginia tobacco taste that gets toastier as you smoke it.

It makes a good all day smoke because it smokes dryly, is mellow and refreshing to the palate, and is well behaved in the bowl whether folded or rubbed. It folds compliantly for stuffing in a bowl -- that's the way I handle it. But it rubs-out wonderfully if that's what you prefer. I get best results in a briar with a small diameter bowl, but it's great to sip from a gourd calabash too.

When I went to Iwan Ries asking for a flake to try and get used to the technique, this is what they gave me. I like this blend quite a bit, though I don't like the size of the slices compared to the small stuff in tins (Peterson's, Penzanze, whatever) - makes for more prep work before you smoke. I find most flakes best when not rubbed out at all; I usually just fold one of them in thirds and stuff that into my pipe. With this cut, that just isn't practical.

Anyway, this blend is a good light VA. If you don't go into it expecting something it isn't (which was hard for me when I got it a year and a half ago, as I was mostly smoking Balkans then), then you will probably be pleasantly surprised.

Somewhat recommended, and probably something I'll buy again once I get done experimenting with some others. This could be a light flake of choice, but I'm not convinced just yet that this is the best.

I picked up a two-ounce sample of this Virginia flake on my first trip to Iwan Ries and Co. in Chicago, IL. Most college students spend spring break in Florida but, I spent my in the area of Indiana called The Region. Upon the suggestion of a fellow smoker in Knoxville, TN I decided to make a trip to this famous establishment. The shop was awesome. Alas, back to the tobacco, this flake is very familiar to Mac Baren Virginia Flake. Normally a tobacco like this would burn up my mouth but this one is not a tongue burner. It is very light and pleasant unlike the Mac Baren offering and at for the price it might be worth investing the money to get some weight. If you get a chance to visit this shop buy this tobacco. You won’t be disappointed.

mar 2015 either the new irc flake has lost flavor or my tastes are demanding a richer smoke

feb 2013---- I BELIEVE THIS HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED---MORES THE PITY...

2005: i have smoked this flake, off and on , for nearly 25 years. it is cut similar to dunhill flake,and is perhaps richer, but not as oily or rich or fully flavored as marlin flake. in the ddunhill occasionally i taste a touch of soap---none in the irc flake. (i don't know who makes this tobacco--i think it's danish) it begins a bit bright, perhaps a touch of lemon but develops into a nice, toasted taste and aroma, which last through the entire pipe. it lights like a flake, but, if rubbed and packed properly ,stays lit with an even cool burn. it does not seem very stoved ( if at all) and seems to have no added flavoring. i find it one of the few i can smoke several bowls in a row, and i also find it one of the few that will tolerate being relit an hour or so later.i am not loyal--i smoke it as only one of a large number i keep open ( 10 or so), but i always come back to irc flake. joeljcj2

Iwan Reis
Virginia Flake
(bulk)

Blend notes: “Light flake. Similar to Dunhill Light Flake. Blended for IRC By Orlik/ Peter Stokkebye.”

This is a fairly standard straight Virginia from Chicago’s Iwan Ries, manufactured for them by Orlik. There is some light seeetness and it burns easily and steadily. I concur with one review that it’s best to fold and stuff not rub out. Even so, this blend has a harshness — harsh edges as some would say. Some dark fruit, a bit of fermentation. Not a bready type of Virginia.

I don’t get the comparison to Orlik Golden Sliced from some reviewers since that is a VaPer and this is a straight Virginia. Virginia Flake is a medium-bodied blend but not that interesting.

2.5 stars out of 4 rounded down.