Dunhill Light Flake

I just tried this tobacco, and I am impressed!

The taste is very clean, very sweet and pleasantly woody with no noticeable casing. It was crisp and refreshing. It was not at all bitter, burned remarkably cool/dry and I did not experience tongue-bite. I was also impressed that this tobacco did not become harsh or bitter toward the bottom of the bowl, but remained sweet and tasty. At no point did the taste become unpleasant or tiresome.

As someone who enjoys a properly done light aromatic, this is an impressive natural/english blend! It is full of flavor and did not taste at all harsh, the nicotine kick was fairly strong but not overwhelming. This is my new favorite smoke!

As for the room note, it was not incense-like the way some aromatics are but reminded me a bit of a campfire -- definitely less heady than some english blends, I don't think anyone would complain about the smell unless they disliked smoke in general. Fresh from the tin, it has a sweet/woody smell that is not at all musky.

I was quite excited when I first opened this tin of fine tobacco. This was my first experience with a pipe tobacco that didn?t come out of a [house-blend] jar at my local smoke shop. When I first opened the tin, I was very pleased to hear the vacuum seal ?hiss? as it was opened. This assured me that the seal was in tact. The first aroma from the cake was a tangy fig type of smell, with some lingering summer fruit aromas. At first I wasn?t sure if I had gotten myself into a ?casing-soaked? mess. I was truly shocked when the cake wasn?t wet, just the right amount of moisture. The flake easily rubbed into soft, long ribbons. I read somewhere that some folks just fold up the flake and pack it into the bowl. I did try this once and decided to never do it again. It just would not stay lit, and the aroma was less than favorable. After a quick fight convincing it to light (I wouldn?t recommend it for outdoor use because of this), it actually stayed lit easily. I only had to tamp down the ash twice. I did have to relight it once during the last half of the bowl, but it relit very easily. The aroma of this wonderful blend is quite pleasurable as it has a sweet, fruity scent to it. Non-smoking friends of mine commented that this blend didn?t ?push them away?. All in all, this will more than likely be the tobacco I take with me to public functions that I know non-smokers will be at. The only thing I did not like about it was the way it bit the back of my throat when I inhaled my draughts. The bite was not so bad as to burn me, or be overly annoying, but it was enough to bother me some after several bowls. In the overall look of this tobacco, I was quite pleased! The only complaint I have is the throat bite experience I had. Other than that, the blend, flavoring amount, aroma, and after taste was wonderful. I would highly recommend this to any beginner or experienced smoker who wants to change the pace with a light aromatic.

While Dunhill has once again created a false impression with the name, they have also crafted another fine smoke. Certainly not a Light smoke, this tobacco has great flavor and a wonderful aftertaste. I found myself still enjoying the smoke for quite some time after it was over. It had a slight bite at first, but this mellowed out fairly quickly and the richness of the tobaccos asserted themselves. This is a great choice for an occasional change of pace or anytime that the rich lingering taste might be needed.

Never having smoked anything but aromatics and relatively exotic blends, I decided I needed a change of pace. So I paid a visit to the local tobacconist and he suggested Dunhill Light Flake when I told him I wanted to try a flake cut tobacco.

This is the first pure virginia blend that I ever tried and I had to admit thinking "Just virginia? That sounds boring." Well, boy was I wrong. In short this stuff is great. I found it very sweet, smooth, and full of flavor. It burns well and doesn't bite much either.

I don't have much experience with Virginia blends but I know what I like and this is it.

ADDENDUM

After trying some nicer virginias (such as Hal o' the Wynd) and then smoking this again, I find that this stuff has an annoying soapy taste to it. I find this to be OK but no longer my favorite.

So you get the picture. Light Flake is a dependable member of my squad too. A full-enough flavored (despite the name) yet mellow smoke that rubs out easily, stays lit and tastes great. A solid performer whether you're mowing the lawn or sitting by the fire pondering life's mysteries. Can be smoked all day without bite or fatigue. Anyone trying Va flakes has to take a pit-stop here, even if you move on. I'm not without a tin for long.

(From a blind tobacco tasting group review)

Appearance: 3" flakes, pressed and stacked in the Lakeland style. Flexible, a bit moist for smoking, tightly pressed. 45% light, 40% brown or red, 15% black tobaccos (approximately, of course).

Tin Aroma: Fermented/steamed aromas with a spicy/savory smell that seems to be mostly natural tobac aroma with a mild, well-integrated top. I'm picking up a tangy apricot/dried peach flavor which I believe to be the topping. Also nuances of fresh bread and very mild bay leaf, which I think are natural tobacco aromas.

Smoke: Mostly if not completely Virginias, and I'm guessing non-U.S. based varieties. Sometimes the natural tobacco flavors came through, leaving me with a Samuel Gawith impression. Other times, the apricot-like topping seemed to dominate the blend. I like this blend, but it doesn't challenge my favorite Lakeland flakes. I won't be buying this, because there are too many excellent VAs out there. Still, no regrets on the smoke.

This rates an 80 out of 100 for me.

When you open the pack you might go thinking YES!I found it!a great tobacco with lemon flavour...but when you smoke the 1st pot you get disapointed!although it has a stong flavour of lemon,there's no taste of lemon whn you smoke it nor there will be some lemon fragrant in the air!so i don't recommend this to any aromatic smoker like myself,it's waste of money to buy it & waste of time to clean your piep to get rid of the smell!

This is a quality flake. The flake size is about one inch wide by three inches long. The moisture content is close to perfect right from the tin. This is not a citrus like light Virginia. In fact, I believe it is called "Light Flake" from its color and appearance. In appearance, it is mainly light yellow with some brown components. It is definitely not light in either taste or nicotine content. Compared to other bright, lively, peppery Virginias, this is subtle, deep, and has more of a pure tobacco taste. I have a problem with the first quarter of a bowl. It has little flavor, and is a bit grassy. After that it starts to settle down. The pure tobacco flavor gathers strength. The nicotine starts to build. By mid bowl, it becomes a strong, straight tobacco blend with plenty of nicotine. For me, it completely changes from the top of the bowl to the bottom. I've never experienced a blend that changes so much during the smoke. In fact, this "Light Flake" will best be appreciated by those that lean towards strong blends with a heavy tobacco presence and a strong nicotine content. It might be a bit too strong for beginners. It finishes with a lot of strength, and leaves a very small amount of dark gray ash. And, it does not bite.

Smells of banana candy - like an aromatic, but this is natural, and...

This can be an enjoyable smoke if smoked slowly otherwise your tongue will sizzle! Although a bit one-dimensional, this is fine for a change of pace.