Peterson Irish Flake

I ordered a tin of this blend in the Spring, and immediately opened it, smoked a bowl, and sealed the rest in a Mason jar. That first bowl was, hmmmmm, powerful in all respects, LOTS OF NICOTINE, and stronger in taste and aroma than anything else I've smoked (probably my most robust personal smoke prior to that had been some Captain Earle's Ten Russians - which I did, and continue to enjoy). Another bowl a week after the first, hit me the same way, so I left this blend in the jar till last evening - it's been sealed in there for 5-6 months now. Cubed, and rubbed out a few flakes, and let it dry a few hours - packed a pipe 3/4 full and moved out to the deck. I was pleased to find that, though still strong - it seemed smoother around the edges. Healthy nicotine infusion here, but not like the punch I received the first two tries. Also found that this particular blend goes very well with 15 year-old Glennfiddich Solera - the sweet smokiness of the scotch balances the slight bitterness of the Irish Flake - a pair I will continue to enjoy together! Recommended.

For a high nicotine dose, this is a good one, for ease of smoking, FVF is far superior. That said, this is a good strong tobacco if that is what you crave, the taste starts out very anise making me think I had a refined Erinmore Flake in the bowl. Finaly, the aniseed drifted away in the last third giving a more "wood" flavour, like oak. This was a beast that had to be smoked carefully, it is not a smoke-away-'till-your-hearts-content. If you are going somwhere where smoking is not an option, a bowl of this will keep you going for sometime, just make sure it's not before breakfast

Update March 1 2020 Still a good tobacco but for me, its strength seems to have dropped to medium, mind you this could be caused by a winter smoking G&H Dark Plug, Revor Plug and Sam Gawith's Lakeland Dark.

10-19-2007 Irish flakes tin description is an accurate one,although not only for the experienced pipe smoker,anyone looking for a true tobacco taste needs to look no further than Irish flake.

This is a very durable well behaved flake,you can fold/tear and stuff or rub it out to your liking,knowing it will light and burn easily.

Smells a little like anise in the tin,but once fire hits,the taste is all natural.This is a wonderfull full bodied and balanced smoke that only gets better as the bowl progresses,burning evenly and cool,no bite whatsoever.Whoever makes this for Peterson has some excellent quality control,Taste is consistent from the beginning to the end and from tin to tin.

Sometimes I get a very,very subtle rope like hint,probably due to the fire cured leaf.Nicotine is noticeable but never overpowering in any way,if I had to put it on a scale I'd say its maybe a 7 out of a 10,tobaccos such as the ropes and blends like Dark flake/Dark Plug are much stronger.Like a few others here,I too have finally found what I was looking for in a pipe tobacco.I rarely reach for anything else other than Irish flake.

8-31-2008 This stuff seems to get better every time I smoke it (daily) ,It does especially well in its own pipe.

I must say that I need to echo one of the fellas who said that he really wanted to like this blend...I too felt the same way. There were lots of good reviews and I was hopeful. I have had a love/hate relationship with University flake, which is just about as strong but with a slight berry aroma in the tin and minimal in the bowl when cooking up. I gave this two stars, reluctantly, considering it was nicely tinned, smelled great in the tin, rubbed out nicely and lit quite easily. Additionally, I loved the incredible volume of cool smoke it produced, as UF does as well. It does have a nice nicotine punch that didn't faze me.

But then for the most important aspect of this weed...that being its flavor and aroma...it failed...abysmally. It was not harsh or too strong but it smelled like the typical "lakeland" purfume that I find disgusting. There was no sweetness of the VAs that I could detect, nor any roasted nuttiness of the burley. In fact my mouth felt as though I had smoked wet cigarette butts. So not only was the aroma terrible and the flavor disgusting but it left me smelling like I had been to a bar and they used my beard as a rag to clean the ashtrays after sopping up stale ale.

Wait a sec...and I paid 9 bucks for this little tin...I'm now a little peeved...ONE STAR! Try it at your own peril!

I was hoping I was going to like this flake, but that just did not prove to be the case. I found this tobacco uncouth and dirty tasting and too strong for my tastes. It was a relief to return to a G & H offering. However, in fairness, by the the time I had consumed half the tin, it had become tolerable, though I shall not be buying it again. I don't reckon much to their University Flake either!

Roget?s Thesaurus ought to have this flake included amongst synonyms related to the adjective ?Hideous?. A distinctly interesting dark speckled flake from the tin, and a not altogether bad tin aroma, that?s where the pleasures end. I am told this is not to be considered an aromatic, but I don?t know what else you would call it. It?s so heavily poisoned with sandalwood or some other nauseating perfume I wouldn?t waste on making candles. There?s enough tar and nicotine imbued in this fiend to make Jean Nicot wretch. After about five minutes of head and stomach queasiness and intense choking, I attempted to dump it out. This was no small task, practically requiring a hammer and chisel to expel the damp, silty mass from my Peterson bulldog. I will probably have to boil my pipe to get the residue out. Now manufactured in the ?EU? by Orlik, let?s chalk it up for yet another miserable European tobacco experience. Unless you are in a mood to put even your worst pipe out of its misery, steer clear of this muck and spare your taste buds and blood gases an undeserved assault.

Zero of five stars