Cornell & Diehl Virginia Ribbon

This is without doubt VA Flake before it is pressed into flake form mine was all ribbon so I doubt that it has been rubbed out. I do wish C&D would clearly state when they do this as there is really very little differences. What there is I will point out below. The jar note after 6 months is hay but not much else that stands out. The smoke itself is a little earthy, with notes of hay out front and some citrus behind it. There is a dark fruit notes that soon follows with a little tang. These flavors will remain fairly consistent throughout the bowl but will deepen during the last 1/3. At about the 1/2 point I also get a woodsy note that reminds me a little of oak. There are times when the tangy note becomes a little sharp but this goes away quickly and only occasionally comes forward. The overall flavor profile stays at the upper end of mild to med. and is not quite as full as the flake version. The nic is just at the top end of mild to med, and this is a little less then I noticed in the flake form but it could be just my imagination. It does not get ashy or cigarette like at all but the room note does have that cigarette smell to it. The finish is fairly short and does not linger long. It does not bite but will nip if pushed hard. There is enough sugar here that it might age well. Worth a try if you are into VA's but for me there are better blends available. 2 stars personally as while the differences between the flake version and this one are minor I do prefer the flake version to this one.