Peterson Irish Flake

These dark brown near black flakes have a pure tobacco odor in the tin. I can only compare the smell to Copenhagen moist snuff or one of the unscented British dry snuffs. It is really pungent and the smell in the tin translates well to the earthy, leathery, smoky sips I enjoyed. The nic hit is remarkable and a full stomach is advised. While I cannot smell it in the tin note, there is certainly some sort of floral-based topping that is evidence in both the smoke and the side stream. I think it is lavender. Despite this topping, the odor of this smoke is not likely to make you any friends.

FOR EXPERIENCED PIPERS ONLY-

This is great tasting tobacco, even though it is very strong and intense. I smoke a lot, and I find that even though it is extremely well behaved I often add a little sweetened black cavendish to cut it down just a tad. Hands down one of my favorite all-time flake tobaccos.

As an occasional cigar smoker for over 20 yrs, I remember opening a tin of this for the first time was very similar to opening a new box of yet untried very strong cigars for the first time. Somehow the smell lets you know you’re about to have a tiger by the tail. The tin note is heavy, oily, and slightly smoky. It smells like strong tobacco, pure and simple. It reminds me quite a bit of my favorite chewing tobacco (minus the molasses). I’ve heard most American chewing tobacco is made from dark fired Kentucky, which is definitely present in these flakes.

Upon the initial light, there is a very familiar cigar taste, and then the dark fired comes through in spades with lots of spice and a bit of sharpness. It tastes heavy, with a nuttiness from the burley. The Virginia peeks through intermittently with some grassy hay notes and some sweetness, but always stays in the background. I think this is a great blend for those transitioning from cigars to pipes, as there’s a lot of overlap in the taste and smell, especially for this not being a cigar leaf blend. It also has the nicotine punch that people expect from a good cigar.

The blend does have some rough edges as you near the bottom of the bowl.

Basically, if you like strong spicy tobacco, try this. If you hate the strong/spicy stuff, stay far far away.

I have a couple ounces of this cellaring right now. I know burley doesn’t change much, but I bet the slightly rough edges smooth out with a little age. I also hate to dive into it right now because it seems like the Peterson lines are in hiatus.

I’d give this one 3.5 stars if it’d let me.

This was my first flake. Strong tin note, clearly something new. Moisture content was a little dry for what I was expecting from a flake, but it rubbed out well. Charring light was good, no relights needed. Very full flavor. I did get a bit of cigarette taste. It was smokey yet still enjoyable. It gave a warmer smoke, had to pace myself. Had a bit of a nicotine buzz halfway through the bowl. Overall, decent first experience for a flake.

Reviewing on memory's which are fond , nice skillful blend , slow burning , plenty of nicotine , no bite , true tobacco taste , I personally could not smoke a full bowl of this in one go , a tiny bit heavy on the licorice. May buy more of this for the occasional smoke.

Why: You want a heavy strong tobacco with a knockout punch. Experienced users only.

Looks: This is a dark tobacco, dark brown flakes cut from a block. You can see some lighter streaks of tobacco but overall it's dark.

Method: They are somewhat moist so drying out is recommended. You can roll the flakes and pop one in very easily. So rolling this flake isn't a bad idea.

Result: Very strong. Maybe too strong for even seasoned users. Bite if you don't dry it a bit. No noticeable taste except for tobacco.

Conclusion: Strong tobacco flakes for addition curing and rolling. A very heavy fix of Pipe tobacco smoking.

IF is a smokier version of Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake. It's good, like a good steak. And that's my problem... I'm not always in the mood for a steak. When I am though, this tobacco hits the spot. I dry it out. I rub out the flakes. I don't overfill. And for 45 minutes this stuff rocks my world.

My oldest gave me a tin as a gift. It's presented as a dark flake with a sweet, molasses and raisin note once the seal is broken. I packed with a Z fold, and it was a little moist. It took a little work to get lit, but offered a sweet raisin flavor with just a hint of nuttiness.

The flavor was steady, and I went nice and slow. Mid bowl, some dark roast coffee entered. On a full belly, nicotine washed over me like a 2x4 to the face. This got my heart rate up and my scalp tingling. Retohale brings out the nut nuance.

While not an all day or every day for me, it's a pleasant treat.

"Patience is key" is what pipe smokers remind one another. And for me, it paid off.

It's been a long time since I smoked Irish Flake, and I decided to try it again. I only remembered it being strong and woody. Note the tin I have is wider than the one depicted, which could mean this is a newer tin. Picked it up and used it to break in a new pipe. Naturally, I decided not to judge the first few bowls, which were somewhat ashy and flat.

The pipe is sweet now (only took a dozen bowls), and the blend now showed its true flavors. Imagine the non-plum character of the first few puffs of University Flake as a constant note throughout the bowl, with occasional oak tones adorning a rather impressively-creamy smoke that leaves an aftertaste similar to toast bread. Occasionally, a subtle raisin-like aroma is released, which is a welcome surprise, making this a non-monotonic journey.

This tobacco burns really well and leaves behind a very fine white ash. I found it best to fold it and pack it loosely - rubbing it somehow makes keeping it lit a bit more challenging.

Heavy in nicotine content, but not quite a bomb. A great smoke for long, quiet nights. Do not smoke on an empty stomach.