John Aylesbury Luxury Flake/Classic Flake

My tin was labeled Classic Flake. The tin note is strongly of honey a mild citrus note and sweet hay. The flakes break apart easily and are in need of only a few minutes of drying time to get it how I like it. In the pipe I get sweet hay, a little citrus and earth. I also get a slight medicinal note that reminds me of iodine that comes in on occasions. No one else seems to get this I have noted it in a hand full of other blends and perhaps it is my cigar background that peeks through here and more my imagination than anything else. The honey note is more than just a little noticeable for me it is there along with something else that I just cannot quite put my finger on. Overall, a pleasant mild smoke that is nice first thing in the morning or on a summer afternoon. I did not get any cigarette like notes but it did bite just a little. That said while it is a fine smoke in its own right I don't see myself buying it again, there are too many other mild VA's out there that hold my interest better but I certainly would not turn down a bowl if offered either. This is really a 2.5 star blend for me but do to the bite, the availability of it, and the price I am rounding down to 2 stars.

Based on a relatively fresh tin.

The presentation is nice. The flakes are neatly arranged and there is a somewhat sweet, oaty smell.

The taste is bready, oaty, and a touch earthy. There is likely a sweet topping of some kind. Maybe honey. There were almost no bright peaks to this flake, which isn't a bad thing depending on preferences. Sometimes I got a tea note in the taste.

The strength is mellow and mild. Taste is refined and mellow. Nicotine is mild.

I would recommend this to the lover of Virginia flakes. The oaty and bready profile is similar to that of Capstan Blue, but Capstan is a fuller-tasting flake with more flavor nuance. I probably would not buy it again, although it is an enjoyable flake. Just not enough going on for me.