Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake (No. 403)

A very natural smelling tobacco that is pleasing to the eye. Not a lot of strength and a mild flavor during the smoke, a light Va/Per with a Black Cavendish Vanilla center. It reminds me of Davidoff Flake Medallions like a twin brother but way cheaper.

After trying four Va/Per coins, my favorite remains Escudo.

Virginia lover

Peter Stokkebye - Luxury Bullseye Flake

As with many who are used to more fulsome offerings like dark fired Kentucky and matured Virginias, it’s easy to see how a silky, peppery and delicately sweet VaPr like this one can seem a bit hollow and monochromatic at first brush ... but with a little patience, and slow sipping, the graceful qualities and inner beauty emerges.

As with a wonderfully prepared meal, a good tobacco blend that perfectly fits your tastes is one that soothes and resonates with pleasant memories. For me, smoking this VaPr reminded me of my home brewing days, and the smell of malted barley ... lightly kilned pilsner and biscuit malts in particular. For those who’ve never had the pleasure of sticking their head into a large pail of freshly cracked brewing malt, the closest I can get you with words is a combination of fresh bales of sun-dried hay, buttermilk biscuits and sweet light malt extract (similar flavor to the interior of a malted milk ball). A good quality VaPr, smoked slowly, can evoke some of those nuances. The perique is a perfect pairing for the Virginias, and gives their delicate grassy sweetness a long and gently malty/peppery/milky finish that lingers, and leaves you wanting more. To me, it’s like mothers milk.

Another thing I found remarkable about this particular VaPr is its outstanding value - as of this writing, PipesandCigars.com is offering the PS-LBF (normally sold in 1.5 lb. bulk) in 1 oz. increments for a mere $2.50, which is an excellent value. Another standout is its easy rubbing qualities, and blendability. The small eye of dark Cavendish in this blend is barely detectable, so anytime I want to add a little nuance of something else, I just rub out a coin or two, add a pinch of something a little stronger, let it stand for a few minutes, and it’s good to go.

Highly recommended (3.5 of 4 stars, rounded up to 4 due to its compactness, easy preparation, blendability, and excellent value).

May I revisit this review? I just cracked open some LBE that has two years of age on it now. Using a large Ruthenberg billiard, I carefully pressed one coin of LBE down near the bottom, which also curled up around the bottom sides. I tore another coin into several pieces, carefully, and fitted them around, then finally filled the bowl with shreds for combustion. It took a while to light well, but then I settled in for what can only be called a long, cool smoke with no bite whatsoever. Many of my preferred VA's and VaPers have a citrusy note, but this remains decidedly grassy. It isn't off-putting at all, just different. The years in a Mason jar have smoothed the blend and allowed some nice marrying, softening, and maturing. If you take the time to read my original review below, this still isn't Escudo, but it is a lovely, mild, somewhat complex blend, and could easily be an all-day blend for some. Stokkebye's quality leaves are well known, and this is no exception. In bulk, it's reasonable and good quality. I give it 3.25 stars.

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The best thing that I can say about Bulls-Eye is that a pound of it is a bargain. It's isn't a bad VaPer at all; it's just not exactly stellar. I feel that the tobaccos are in their infancy in this blend, and having smoked some that has aged for a year or so, there is definitely some improvement with maturation. It can easily be considered an all-day blend; no bite to speak of, easy to pack as coins (in larger bowls) or can be easily rubbed out if desired. Burns well, not overly-hot. This has more Perique than their Luxury Navy flake, and the Black Cav just whispers in and out at times. Very tasty, and very reasonable. Adding a little bit of more matured VA's really picks this blend up, and for Perique lovers, a bit of blending Perique added would definitely raise the flavor profile for you. For every pound of this that I buy, I'll purchase at least ten tins of Escudo to cellar. This is certainly no Escudo or Solani 633, but it's good for every day. Not bad, and the price is definitely a bargain.

I bought this because it looks cool. After the first bowl I was a believer. Smooth flavor. I smoke my pipe while walking our dog in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains..This tobacco is wonderful for walking and reflecting. Has become a favorite. Usually I stick to mild Virginias but this blend smokes great. Not being much of a purist I usually just break one in half and push it into the bowl..well maybe two and push them into the bowl. As has been mentioned, this smokes cool and mellow right down to the bottom of the bowl. No hot aftertaste, and I do not rush right to the sink when I get home to wash the bitterness out of my mouth....An excellent value as even a 4 oz package will last me for a month or so..

"Try it you'l like it..".

Jim in Gold Bar.

I am very satified with this PS offering, especially considering the price. The coins are exceedingly attractive although the bulk packaging does seem to cause them to be a bit roughed up around the edges. Prep: These coins are very much like a flake so I initially tried the fold and stuff approach, next bowl I rubbed out 1 coin completely and used the other folded as the bottom of the bowl portion. The third bowl I rubbed out the little centers of Cavendish into a pile of crumbs which I strategically sprinkled in between layers consisting of 1/2 of each of the VaPer portion of the coins lightly rubbed out. The smoke: Fold and stuff required frequent relights yet the weed was never harsh - drawback was the sweetness of the cavendish was suddenly almost overwhelming while lasting only briefly. I do not reccommend the Fold N Stuff for this reason and also because the majority of the bowl seemed as a straight VaPer. In addition the perique must be very judicisouly applied as it never stung once. The 1/2 rubbed out 1/2 fold and stuff bowl was better tasting for the first 1/2 and much like the 1st bowl for the last 1/2. The rub out completely and strategic sprinkling of the cavendish was the most enjoyable smoke as the sweetness of the cavendish never was intense, never predictable in its appearance and seemed to go very well with the bursts of perique. This will certainly be my preferred preparation for this fine blend. In all methods of preparation the tobacco burned to a dark grey ash, no dottle present at the bottom of the bowl, no gurgling throughout the bowl. I have purposely refrained from making any direct comparisons to those blends I have stated as similar. The list is presented only so that if you know you like one of those you should give this a try as you will probably like it as well. With the money you will save smoking this after you consume 6oz (and especially if you buy a 1/2 or full pound) you can go ahead and essentially get one of the other blends I've listed as a free treat (only of course if you decide you still prefer one of them over PSLBF). THIS ONE IS FOR SURE GOING INTO MY REGULAR ROTATION AND COULD REPLACE MAC'S V#1 AS MY GOTO DAILY PUFF.

Let's get to it. This is the second flake I ever smoked after trying St. Bruno. I was a pretty consistent aromatic smoker when I first started and since I was smoking Stokkebye Highland Whiskey, when my local b&m started carrying this I got about an ounce or two to try and I'm glad I did.

For starters this smoke comes in a round flake that's not intensely pressed, but it does consistently hold its shape. It does look exactly like its name there is a perfect ring of Va/Per with a Bullseye of Cavendish in the center. I prefer to buy a bunch, and then rub it out into a jar. It depends on where you get it either b&m or online, but I have always gotten mine from my b&m at a smokable dryness.

When you open the tin you are greeted with a well matured slightly fermented virginia. It is citrusy, woody, sweet, dark fruity, bready. The smell is mouth watering, and I can get a hint of all the ingredients. You can either take a flake fold and stuff, or you can rub it out. For this one I like to get a really nice full bowl, so I do the latter. Lighting up is relatively easy and I use an average amount of relights. The room note on this one is pleasant, but definitely smells of tobacco to your non-smoking friends in my experience.

I taste a woody, floral and citrusy Virginia, married to some beautiful dark fruity Perique. It depends on my pipe, but in my bent billiard this blend definitely has more woody notes. I taste no topping, but every now and then, you get a wonderful sweet surprise when you hit a Cavendish Bullseye.

I know many people who claim that Escudo is the quintessential VaPer blend, but I think this easily takes that title for me. This is an all day blend that I never fail to have on hand, it's also one of the first tobaccos I recommend when someone is looking to try a VaPer over an aromatic.

I can see why people like this. In the bag, it smells like a combination of raisins, honey, fruit, and breakfast cereal. It has some form of sweet topping, and is soft like a sugar cookie. When you fire it up, the Virginia floats to the top with a treacle and grain flavor, then the Perique adds a very mild fruitiness, with the Cavendish rising among them to delivery a creamy fullness. It stays this way for the whole bowl, becoming more honey-like as the Virginias caramelize.

On the other hand, it is hard to like this. The Perique has been neutered, coming across mostly as a sugared raisin, and the Virginias have lost most of their taste except the natural light grain and hay flavor. Cavendish, a good friend when used well, might be a bit dominant here, as it looks like a quarter of the leaf by volume. The topping is cloying, with a faint sense of decay to it, and the resulting flavor is alarmingly one-dimensional.

Not surprisingly, people swear by this bulk blend and it is easy to see why. Like other Virginia blends, it is a sweet treat to suck on throughout the day. It is nicely balanced with no jagged edges to make it interesting. It is a great blend with which to practice your slow-smoking technique, and when rubbed out it burns easily. Alas, it is also boring, low in Nicotine, and too sugary for this smoker.

Comparing it to "Escudo" does not quite make sense. This blend softens the Virginias to a more white bread approach, where other blends intensify the grain flavor and have a more acidic feel instead. If we are to compare this to anything, like Orlik "Golden Sliced" or Newminster "Superior Round Slices," it would be breakfast cereal. Sweet, and you can smoke it all day long, but the lack of dimension might clobber you at some point with existential desolation.

A very nice tasting VaPer. The Virginias are sweet, fruity and obviously well fermented with flavor that is just short of rich. The Perique is lightly applied offering a nice spicy note and a hint of fig. The Black Cav is very light and fades in and out. A pleasant, mild smoke. Better than 3 stars, but not quite 4.

Mild to medium in body and flavor. Rubs out easily and burns very well.

This was a great smoke. I bought some to try and liked it right away. It has the sweet Virginia with some help from the cavendish. The perique is a spicy thing going on. It is a very pleasant combination of tastes. I rolled and stuffed most of the time. I rubbed it out sometimes too, and I did not notice much difference in the smoking experience. I have smoked about a pound of this so far.

This is a friendly flake for new folks to smoke - sweet, tasty, and not picky about drying or processing the flake. I met another guy smoking it one time who said he went to a tobacconist with a pipe his grandfather gave him, and they sold him LBF. He had never seen the need to look for anything else.

I have had this aged, and found it more mellow and a slightly different smoke. I don't know that it was better aged - just more mellow. I don't smoke this everyday, but I suspect I will always have some around. The price per ounce is very good considering the quality. In terms of rating, I am torn between a 3 and a 4. Everyone should try this at some point, but I don't think it rises to a 4 for me.