Davidoff Flake Medallions

I really like this blend. It's not too strong but still satisfying. The flavor is semi-sweet, and the room note is just lovely! This is as close to an aromatic blend you can get without getting an aromatic.

The presentation is very nice, a great looking sliced spun VaPer with a core of dark cavendish. Very easy to rub out, and my tin had an almost perfect moisture level. The tin note is sweet and and citrus-fresh with a beautiful baccy backbone.

It burns very good, a little too good for my taste actually, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any beginner, or people who don't like to put an effort into keeping the pipe lit.

Very nice but expensive smoke. I believe this tobacco is produced in a very similar way to Stokkebye's Luxury Bullseye Flake, except that the cavendish centre is not as evident. This is an excellent smoke for anyone who enjoys Virginia/Perique blends, with the added taste of the Cavendish (Burley most likely), but honestly one is better off with Stokkebye's rendering of ther same tobacco (equally good and not as expensive).

This is an expensive blend, but all Davidoff tobacco products are. It is definitely for the experienced pipe smoker and it is not recommended for the novice smoker, since the transition from the taste of the different tobaccos comes slowly and unexpectedly, in a way that an experienced smoker can detect and appreciate (as in all medallions). Very nice presentation. The flakes are perfect for an insta photo and you can impress your wealthy friends too that don't know much about pipe smoking.

The fourth star is not there because you can find many blends with the same characteristics in a much better price. Coming from cigars (where Davidoff is the only non-cuban cigar, equal or better in quality), I would say that I would expect something exceptional. In this frame of thinking, I cannot justify the price for such a mixture. In a period of 5 years, I think I have purchased 3 tins and if you think that this is the only quality tobacco readily available where I live, says the whole story.

Two generous sized coins loaded one at a time into the pipe folding the sides over the cavendish center. The well aged Virginia is reminiscent of toasted hay and citrus and similar to Dunhill fake. The Perique used is quite peppery and loaded with dark stewed fruit and is on par with the Virginias as the base flavors. The Cavendish core rounds out the blend with a sugary touch and malted fruit undertones. Very pallet filling. Burns smooth to an off white ash but has a harshness at times from the Perique, perhaps it will mellow out with a bit of cellar time. Requires average relights. Overall, a must try for the VaPer enthusiast.

This tobacco is a real treat. Opening the tin, you are greeted with very handsome medallions, with a core of Black Cavendish. The smell is a bit on the sour side yet also sweet, and the moisture is perfect for filling your pipe without the need to air it out.

Rubbing this out, from my experience, tends to improve the flavor. Not drastically, but it smokes better and cooler, and becomes more complex. Or, you could just take two medallions (depending on the size of your bowl) put them on top of each other, fold, then stuff it in. Lighting this tobacco and keeping it lit is not a concern.

Mid bowl, the tobacco really develops, and the Virgina taste is absolutely amazing. The Perique is there for sure as well, and adds a nice, soft, peppery touch. Unlike other smokers, I was able to detect the Black Cavendish, though it is pretty far in the background.

Burns cooler than anything I've ever smoked before, and leaves no mess in your pipe.

Rumor has it that Davidoff Flake Medallions and Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake are the same product in different packaging. I have no hard evidence to substantiate that rumor; I can only go by what my senses tell me. But they tell me the two blends are remarkably similar in appearance, smell, and taste. I'm inclined to believe they are the same tobacco. That belief bears some significance to this review, seeing as how the two products are priced very differently.

But first, let's consider Davidoff's offering on its own merits. This is a wonderful smoke. Cleanly sliced rounds are presented in an elegant tin that speaks to old world luxury and tradition. The tobacco's aroma of freshly mown grass, sweet oats and light citrus translates directly to the palate. The Virginias are the star of the show here, supported by just a sprinkling of pepper from the perique, and sweet, creamy body from the cavendish core. Given enough time in the cellar, the Virginias will darken and deepen in appearance and flavor, becoming sweeter and a bit more tangy. The room note is pungent, but sweet, and far less cigarettish than many blends in this genre. This really is an A+ VaPer.

But let's circle back to that pesky business with the Luxury Bullseye Flake. I've probably smoked more than ten pounds of Stokkebye over the past year, and I've smoked as much of the Davidoff as my budget will allow. I find them more or less identical -- with the key difference being that Flake Medallions, a tinned product, will taste a bit more mature and refined than Luxury Bullseye Flake when smoked young. Over time, however, any apparent differences recede, and the tobaccos converge at the same place.

The only difference remaining between the two is the price. And it's quite a difference. At the time of this writing, a 1.76oz tin of Davidoff Flake Medallions sells between $11 and $13 at the major online retailers. Meanwhile, a 2oz quantity of Luxury Bullseye Flake, purchased in bulk, sells between $4.50 and $6.25. That's half the price for a virtually indistinguishable substitute.

On its own accord, this tobacco deserves 4 stars. But I am deducting a point for the price. It's not entirely fair, but hey, I feel this is relevant information.

Disclaimer: I'm new to both pipe smoking, and to reviewing.

In the tin, this tobacco smells pretty nice. To my inexperienced nostrils, I get what reminds me of molasses and hay. Sweet, but not punch you in the nose sweet.

I opted to break two coins up to dry for a few minutes, as opposed to the fold/stuff, or leadball approach. Loaded it into my Savinelli 310, and away we go.

Seemed to maybe still be slightly too moist at first, because I had a tough time getting a solid char light. Once I got a char going, and the tobacco swelled a bit to let me know it was alive, I gave it a light tamp, and I was off to the races.

Taste seemed pretty consistent throughout the whole bowl. Virginia, with just a hint of pepper/spice (is this the perique?) and maybe a small hint of sweetness. Smoke was relatively mild throughout, and the bowl burned evenly, almost entirely to ash, leaving only a tiny amount of dottle in the bottom of the bowl.

I'll be revisiting this one.

In the tin, I was surprised with definite aromas of barn / hay grass and molasses. It was a pleasant smell for someone who loves Latakia / English / Balkan blends. I was at first worried about tongue bite as my experience is that high content of Virginia / aromatic chemicals may be the culprit of tongue bite. No tongue bite here (at lest in 2 smokes). On the tongue, a subtle sweet, maybe more a caramelish-sweet (molasses like) taste was evident. Also very faintly a peppery taste from the perique, but overall well balanced in such a way that I could not pinpoint any of the perique/ virginia / black cavendish as the dominant flavor. A good tobacco; could easily be a 4/5 but pricey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZKlvqODkk8

The Virginas are a blend of hay and tangy fruit notes, with the Perique assisting in the dark fruit character's prevalence. Cavendish as an addition to Virgina and Va/Per usually makes me cautious but I was pleasantly surprised. It not only mellows the blend but adds a bit of brown sugary sweetness, unlike other Va/Per I've had with Cavendish.

This blend isnt a strong VaPer, both in the Perique's spiciness and overall flavor. And that's not a negative necessarily. It is an all day smoke and a quality entry level VaPer. It wont be regular a VaPer for me to grab but certainly a change of pace blend. 6.5/10