Peterson Flake

Not a bad straight Va flake, just not my favorite. Compared to Opening Night or SG Full Va Flake, the Dunhill is a little lacking. I tried it fresh, then tried it a year or so later and still, it does not impress me. It's not horrible, it just lacks some fullness I get from other blends.

3.3 stars

Dunhill flake is a nice change of pace, straight forward and refined. The dark Virginias bring dry fruit and sweet hay while the bright Virginias add grassy and citrus notes. The subtle lemon topping reminds me of Dunhill Early Morning and brightens up the blend bringing the flavors together resulting in a smooth medium body smoke that is satisfying and won’t bite. Wether folded or rubbed out, a few relights may be necessary. Burns at a medium pace to a white ash and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Almost medium in strength and can be an all day smoke. Pleasant room note and aftertaste. Great right out of the tin but is best decanted in a jar for a few months. Stock up while you can!

I wonder how many folk have dismissed a blend simply because they smoked it in the wrong pipe. I know I have!

In the square 50g tin the two rows of neatly stacked flakes looked enticing. Mostly mid brown interspersed with flecks of golden leaf and rather thinly cut. Tin aroma was not at all what I was expecting, it was a little vague but hints of fresh turned hay intermingled with tea leaves were the most evident with a very light 'scent' which suggested some kind of topping.

Rubbing out was no problem largely due to the fine cut of the flakes and only minimal airing was required afore I loaded up my McQuade bent bulldog. Char light, tamp and light proper and the ball was rolling. Huge plumes of white smoke initially billowed from the bowl but then settled down. From start to finish I got none of the gorgeous flavours one usually gets from a straight Virginia like FVF or Golden Glow, all I got was a taste of cigarettes with the occasional hint of Virginia sweetness and the meerest whisper of citrus and I really had to look hard to find that.

This really is more of a 'dry' Virginia than a sweet one and to be quite frank this was rather akin to smoking cardboard. Yes there is flavour in there but it is so hard to find and once found it is so diluted it might just as well not be there at all.

Now fast forward to a week later.

Not too happy with my initial experience with this blend I decided to give it another go but this time in my Bernina bent billiard, an ancient pipe that so often has revealed flavours in blends that were not so apparent when smoked in other pipes. The difference was quite amazing. I was now tasting what I should have the first time around, what was then a hard sought citrus sweetness became much more apparent and I no longer had the impression of smoking cheap cigarettes or cardboard. The typical Virginia flavours one would expect were there in every puff though they did flatten out slightly the closer to the end of the bowl I got.

I am now smoking this in a larger GBD bent billiard and am thoroughly enjoying every moment. Though not as flavoursome as Sam Gawith's Golden Glow or FVF I still feel Dunhill Flake is up there with the better straight Virginia blends. Mild to medium in strength, slow burning with zero bite this is a very 'clean' smoke.

So it just goes to show that not all blends sing their hearts out in every pipe. I wonder how many folks have dismissed blends simply because they were smoked in the wrong pipe...I know I have!

Would I buy this again? What with so many straight Virginia blends out there, many of which I have yet to trial I cannot honestly say I would. What I would do however is recommend this blend for those seeking a good Virginia, it may well prove to be a favourite. A well deserved 6/10 from this piper.

Memory is tricky. When long gone, or original blend tobaccos are remembered, it often makes bad ones worse and good ones better. Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, a lady friend and I were on our way to Niagara Falls. I had filled one of my car pipes with Dunhill Light Flake (Dunhill Flake, today) and lit up after we'd made a stop at a gas station. About 20 seconds later, she asked, "What's that tobacco you're smoking?" I told her, and she went on to say it was the nicest aroma of any tobacco I smoked. Needless to say, I picked up several more tins at my earliest opportunity.

Fast forward about 30 years. I suppose it's been 20 years or more since I smoked Dunhill Flake but have been trying a lot of different flakes lately and so bought a couple tins. This evening, I broke up a strip (Didn't rub it out) and filled a 1997 Ashton Pebble Grain 3X. After a false light and re-light, I walked out of the room for a few minutes, wanting to check the room note, then came back in. What I remembered from years ago was a light, spicy aroma, rather unique in its scent. What I smelled this evening was smoke. Not unpleasant, not acrid, but simply smoke. The only spice I got was a tingling on the tongue and mouth as I smoked.

Now, it's entirely possible my nose and taster are shot after 50+ years of smoking a pipe, but I don't seem to have that problem with most of the other tobaccos I've been trying. The Flake itself is undoubtedly high grade, of proper moisture content, and nicely presented in even strips in the tin. It simply isn't the Dunhill Flake of memory.

Athough I'm primarily an aromatic smoker, this provides quite an enjoyable smoke. It smells okay and the dark, natural taste can be a pleasant change of pace from my super-sweet cavendish blends. I can see how somebody who doesn't like aromatics would love this. I, on the other hand, still prefer something a little sweeter.

A great virginia classic from one of the tobacco greats. A dark yet sweet virginia flake. very similar to Samuel Gawiths Full Virginia Flake. A little lighter and milder. A nice all day smoke for the Virginia lover but not quite to the level of Full Virginia.

One of the best straight virginias on the market today I would say. You can see the quality of the leaf as soon as you open the tin. It has a just right portion of Vitamin N for my taste and it leaves for me a nice room note as you smoke it. It lights well and stays lit with little effort. Highly recommended.

Great tobacco. Probably one of the best straight virginias on the market. Would loved to have tried it in the old days on Dunhill. Must have been amazing. A must tobacco in my opinion.

This light Dunhill Flake was a surprise for me. Wonderful hay tin note brought me back to memories of the Indian summer. Nostalgic, nice straight Virginia pressed into flakes. Nice enjoyment.