Sillem's Commodore Flake
(3.69)
A flake of full bodied, spicy latakia with Kentucky and a dash of black cavendish.
Details
| Brand | Sillem's |
| Blended By | |
| Manufactured By | Kohlhase & Kopp |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Latakia |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Kentucky, Latakia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium to Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.69 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 29 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 20, 2014 | Strong | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
I have read and re-read the reviews of this blend and noted that they are consistently positive. I cannot concur. I found Commodore Flake to be a flawed blend with sins of both commission and omission. First, I want to explore the commissions. When I first opened this tin it seemed adequately dry to smoke right away and, so, I did. On the very first lighting draw my tongue was attacked by a corrosive smoke that made a sore spot immediately. I've been smoking a pipe for almost fifty-five years and have never experienced anything like this. Ignoring the sore spot on my tongue, I pressed on and made sure the smoke went to either side of my tongue, but, to no avail. Soon the sides of my tongue were tingling and I knew I had to stop if I wanted to smoke and enjoy a pipe later in the day. Then there is the taste of this blend; thin and flat and heavily dominated by the latakia with precious little of the nutty characteristic of a good burley component. It reminded me of smoking straight latakia, which I have done before several times. Then there is the room aroma; again, thin and flat. I applied the technique suggested by Regis McCafferty of smoking for a short while, leaving the room for about ten minutes and going back in to find out what the blend's room aroma is. I did this and could only slightly detect a thin and vague English aroma. I laid off smoking CF straight for a couple of weeks and used it in microblending as a condimental ingredient and this worked-out okay. I decided to try smoking it straight again and this time the tobacco was more dried-out. The aggressive tongue bite on light up didn't happen this time. As I smoked the bowl down it began to irritate my tongue, however, this time I pressed on to finish. I found that if smoked in a careful manner, it was tolerable. But, and this is a very big but, smoking faster made this blend flat and tasteless and smoking it very slowly ALSO made it smoke flat and tasteless! That left a very narrow range of puffing that was difficult to maintain but yielded a beautiful marrying of the latakia and burley. As to the omission factor: this blend needs something added to it in the middle range of tastes to give a platform for the other tobaccos to push off from for a really good smoke. The result is that this blend seems incomplete in it's current configuration. Now, a lot of you really like this blend and I am so positive about Sillem's London Blend (I would have rated it five stars if I could have) that I am giving Commodore Flake two stars and cautiously recommending it to all English smokers, even though its not for me.
Pipe Used:
Becker quarter bent yatch
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
recent
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 2014 | Medium to Strong | Mild to Medium | Very Full | Very Pleasant |
Figured I should give one of the highest-rated English blends on this site a try. Had to wait a bit for smokingpipes.com to get it in stock but it did not disappoint.
The blend is a unique formulation for an English--latakia married to dark-fired burley (Kentucky) and cavendish rather than Virginias. Flakes are somewhat narrow, a bit delicate, and jet, jet black. The tin note is straight-up incense. Smells like it may have bergamot or a similar flavoring? Once exposed to air, it gives off a strong note of grilled red meat as well.
Rubbed out a flake and let it dry for about 24 hours (a bit excessive, but I couldn't get to it sooner), then a three-layer pack. Lit up and burned like a charm to a clean ash. Lat-heavy for the first half of the smoke. Short-lived taste of meat over hardwood charcoal that opened up into strong floral and toasted bread notes (burley?) toward the end of the bowl. Room note smelled like a stick of nag champa.
Nicotine didn't hit too hard at first, but by the end of the bowl, I was feeling pretty softened up. Also has that rich and heavy mouthfeel you'd expect of a lat blend. Absolutely nothing to object to with this tobacco.
The blend is a unique formulation for an English--latakia married to dark-fired burley (Kentucky) and cavendish rather than Virginias. Flakes are somewhat narrow, a bit delicate, and jet, jet black. The tin note is straight-up incense. Smells like it may have bergamot or a similar flavoring? Once exposed to air, it gives off a strong note of grilled red meat as well.
Rubbed out a flake and let it dry for about 24 hours (a bit excessive, but I couldn't get to it sooner), then a three-layer pack. Lit up and burned like a charm to a clean ash. Lat-heavy for the first half of the smoke. Short-lived taste of meat over hardwood charcoal that opened up into strong floral and toasted bread notes (burley?) toward the end of the bowl. Room note smelled like a stick of nag champa.
Nicotine didn't hit too hard at first, but by the end of the bowl, I was feeling pretty softened up. Also has that rich and heavy mouthfeel you'd expect of a lat blend. Absolutely nothing to object to with this tobacco.
Pipe Used:
Boswell hand carved
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
new
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 04, 2013 | Very Strong | None Detected | Full | Strong |
Cult classic is right. Have been a Sillem's London Blend fan for a while and, while I'm not sure I'll be a Commodore devotee, I'll certainly be a fan. For what this tobacco is and what it professes to be, it merits every bit of 4 stars. Extremely strong, which I like (as one who would rather half-fill a pipe than stuff it just to have a bottom third that is often painful to smoke with a smile). As for quality of leaf and manufacturing process, spot on. Well smoked Latakia and well cured cavendish. Easy to light and smoke and surprisingly complex and subtle flavors throughout. "Lat bomb"? Overused phrase but maybe apt here. "Bomb" for sure. Fun like a great roller coaster. If you are not turned off by strength, definitely give it a try if for no reason other than educational research. Smoking a pipe is not a habanero eating contest, but if you like the heat buy a tin or two. And again, this is in fact a quality tobacco/smoke and not a novelty item.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 14, 2013 | Very Strong | Mild | Very Full | Strong |
IMO, Sillem"s Commodore Flake has what it takes to become a Cult Classic. While it's not for everyone, there is definitely enough There here to make it an object of lust for a certain few. Preparation, presentation, smoking qualities, aroma and taste are all 4 Star, and it only gets better on that level as it is smoked down. At the the same time, the nicotine level keeps building, from a rush to a blow to the side of the head. Is this the stuff of legends? We'll see.
As for aroma and taste, this tobacco is all about undertones, reminding me in this way of a true mole' sauce, at least when it's fresh from the tin. I would say of the tin note, it's "subdued, yet potent; almost brooding". The Latakia, Cavendish, and Kentucky are blended, pressed, and well fermented to provide a rich, intoxicating blend of dark, smoky, unsweetened chocolate, sour prunes, piping hot, dark, bitter coffee, and roasted Brazil nuts. I find it hard to describe the unique combination of prime Latakia "smoke", sour, sweet and nuts on the tongue, but it is more than a blast; it is the tobacconist's art at its zenith. It gives off a great profusion of thick smoke that smells wonderful, but the smoker inhales it at his own risk. And just to be triple sure one never forgets it, it has the best aftertaste of any tobacco I have smoked. It is certainly the best of the Lat blends in this regard.
07-29-13: Yes, it's too soon for new impressions, but because this is/can be such special stuff I just wanted to share that my original review was based on "native moisture", as from the tin. Today my jarred stash was pretty dry, but I smoked some anyway. Excellent, but mostly cedar incense as a trick, and there seems to be some sort of rum or "rum sugars", or something like this. FYI, the celebrated intensity, complexity and aftertaste I first described seem to depend on correct (wet-ish) moisture. Drying did seem to reign in the nicotine somewhat, however...
08-11-13: OK, re-hydrating CF at this point has brought back the heavy nic effect, along with most of the exceptional, myriad aromas and tastes. However, FWIW, those who wish to smoke CF at its best might want to consider smoking it soon after the tin is breached. Again, if you are at all sensitive to nicotine, believe me, this stuff will get you. Try a small pipe or a partial load, and puff cautiously, before you go hog wild.
As for aroma and taste, this tobacco is all about undertones, reminding me in this way of a true mole' sauce, at least when it's fresh from the tin. I would say of the tin note, it's "subdued, yet potent; almost brooding". The Latakia, Cavendish, and Kentucky are blended, pressed, and well fermented to provide a rich, intoxicating blend of dark, smoky, unsweetened chocolate, sour prunes, piping hot, dark, bitter coffee, and roasted Brazil nuts. I find it hard to describe the unique combination of prime Latakia "smoke", sour, sweet and nuts on the tongue, but it is more than a blast; it is the tobacconist's art at its zenith. It gives off a great profusion of thick smoke that smells wonderful, but the smoker inhales it at his own risk. And just to be triple sure one never forgets it, it has the best aftertaste of any tobacco I have smoked. It is certainly the best of the Lat blends in this regard.
07-29-13: Yes, it's too soon for new impressions, but because this is/can be such special stuff I just wanted to share that my original review was based on "native moisture", as from the tin. Today my jarred stash was pretty dry, but I smoked some anyway. Excellent, but mostly cedar incense as a trick, and there seems to be some sort of rum or "rum sugars", or something like this. FYI, the celebrated intensity, complexity and aftertaste I first described seem to depend on correct (wet-ish) moisture. Drying did seem to reign in the nicotine somewhat, however...
08-11-13: OK, re-hydrating CF at this point has brought back the heavy nic effect, along with most of the exceptional, myriad aromas and tastes. However, FWIW, those who wish to smoke CF at its best might want to consider smoking it soon after the tin is breached. Again, if you are at all sensitive to nicotine, believe me, this stuff will get you. Try a small pipe or a partial load, and puff cautiously, before you go hog wild.
Pipe Used:
various briars; recommend starting small
PurchasedFrom:
Liberty Tobacco
Age When Smoked:
stright from the tin to jarred 1 year +
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 11, 2022 | Medium to Strong | Extremely Mild | Full | Strong |
Sillem's Commodore Flake has a tin that is very smokey, woodsy, and sweet. The smoke is pure harmony, I get a very smokey, woodsy,nutty and earthy flavor profile which is slightly forward from the floral and spicy notes that trail behind. The black cav has a vanilla note that I assume has been add to it before it was added and pressed. The smoke has a sweetness that counters the spicy notes that is rather creamy, yeasty with something that reminds me a little of nougat for lack of anything better to compare it to. The nic hit is med to strong but not overpowering. It is not an all day smoke but has been enjoyable several times throughout the day. All I can say about the room note is that even the dog left the patio while I was smoking it and the wife was unhappy when I came back inside too! The finish does linger but not for too long. Whatever that sweet nougat flavor is did ghost my pipes as well. Still a very good and unique smoke for an English blend that I liked quite a lot.
Age When Smoked:
1 month
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 28, 2020 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I'm an avid home blender with one-third of my rotation being blends I've created myself, so commercial offerings are held to a high standard: they've got to be better than what I can do at home, or they've got to have some kind of distinctive character that I can't duplicate at home. Commodore is winner on both counts, and would be part of my regular rotation if it were more readily available, and at least in the U.S., a little easier on the pocketbook.
Hard to believe this is mostly Latakia, because the aroma and flavors do not have the typical campfire smokiness. The muted smokiness that is here is a deep, roasted malt flavor that reminds me of a German Rauchbier. Occasionally there are draws that taste like somebody put a tiny marshmallow in my dark ale. On the retrohale there are occasional hints that a pinch of anise may have been part of the casing, and a nice savory flavor of smoke-cured meats (like Tyrolean Speck). When I put my nose right to the bowl it smells like beef jerky! The aftertaste is of dark ale.
If you like brighter flavors like Va-Pers, lemon sorbet, or hoppy beers, you won't like this one. It is at the opposite end of the spectrum: rich, dark, and malty. If you like dark lagers or ales you've absolutely got to try this one. I wouldn't be surprised if when this formula was originally developed somebody slipped a pint of Dunkel Bier into the mix. When they liked the results, a new creation was born!
This is one to sip and savor, not because it will get hot, but because there is so much flavor that big gulps would be a waste! In a wide bore bowl like my Charatan pot, flavors are slow to develop, while in tall, narrow bowls, they arrive sooner - in either case, flavors deepen and tend to concentrate at the end of the bowl giving the last few minutes a flavor that reminds me of a fine aged cigar, like a Padron Aniversario (while keeping the dark ale aftertaste).
Some have mentioned strong nicotine but this one has never bothered me.
Verdict: Different enough that I wouldn't turn to it often, but when I do, I always thoroughly enjoy. All in all, nothing else quite like it. Perfect choice for an evening session with a good dark ale!
Hard to believe this is mostly Latakia, because the aroma and flavors do not have the typical campfire smokiness. The muted smokiness that is here is a deep, roasted malt flavor that reminds me of a German Rauchbier. Occasionally there are draws that taste like somebody put a tiny marshmallow in my dark ale. On the retrohale there are occasional hints that a pinch of anise may have been part of the casing, and a nice savory flavor of smoke-cured meats (like Tyrolean Speck). When I put my nose right to the bowl it smells like beef jerky! The aftertaste is of dark ale.
If you like brighter flavors like Va-Pers, lemon sorbet, or hoppy beers, you won't like this one. It is at the opposite end of the spectrum: rich, dark, and malty. If you like dark lagers or ales you've absolutely got to try this one. I wouldn't be surprised if when this formula was originally developed somebody slipped a pint of Dunkel Bier into the mix. When they liked the results, a new creation was born!
This is one to sip and savor, not because it will get hot, but because there is so much flavor that big gulps would be a waste! In a wide bore bowl like my Charatan pot, flavors are slow to develop, while in tall, narrow bowls, they arrive sooner - in either case, flavors deepen and tend to concentrate at the end of the bowl giving the last few minutes a flavor that reminds me of a fine aged cigar, like a Padron Aniversario (while keeping the dark ale aftertaste).
Some have mentioned strong nicotine but this one has never bothered me.
Verdict: Different enough that I wouldn't turn to it often, but when I do, I always thoroughly enjoy. All in all, nothing else quite like it. Perfect choice for an evening session with a good dark ale!
Pipe Used:
Alpha, Charatan, Peterson Meerschaum.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2019 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Strong |
Summary: a strong Virginia flake dominated by the flavors of dark-fired Burley and Latakia.
On first light, these black little flakes give off a strong tangy Latakia flavor with an undertone of Virginia sweetness, but as the bowl goes on, the dark-fired Kentucky Burley swallows up the more piquant Latakia and produces a dense, powerful flavor. This takes Latakia in a different direction than your standard sweet-and-sour English blend, making it more like an English Christmas pudding, a rich and almost morbid intensity with a blanching dose of nicotine compared to your average English blend. Within that, a gentle sweetness drifts to the surface. This blend made me rediscover Latakia and I will likely buy it again.
On first light, these black little flakes give off a strong tangy Latakia flavor with an undertone of Virginia sweetness, but as the bowl goes on, the dark-fired Kentucky Burley swallows up the more piquant Latakia and produces a dense, powerful flavor. This takes Latakia in a different direction than your standard sweet-and-sour English blend, making it more like an English Christmas pudding, a rich and almost morbid intensity with a blanching dose of nicotine compared to your average English blend. Within that, a gentle sweetness drifts to the surface. This blend made me rediscover Latakia and I will likely buy it again.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 10, 2019 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Full | Tolerable |
I can't really call this an English Blend. In fact, I'm not entirely sure what to call it. I can say that I like it, a lot. Lots of Latakia, and just enough "other stuff" to make it socially acceptable to smoke. There's a vanilla sweetness to this that makes me think there may be a topping or a decent dose of black Cavendish. The flakes are certainly black; glossy, crumbly, and dark as a Raven's wing. The tin note is very jerky-like; smoke and lots of black pepper. The smoke is cool and creamy, rather sweeter than one might expect. Rubbed out or folded, it takes a light easily and refuses to go out. I can't speak to the nicotine content; nothing but the strongest ropes or irrational quantities even touch me. It's certainly a full-flavored smoke.
Pipe Used:
Big Ben Pipo, Wimbledon Author
PurchasedFrom:
B&M
Age When Smoked:
1 year
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 26, 2018 | Very Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant |
On a whim yesterday I grabbed a tin of Sillem's Commodore Flake. No date stamp appears anywhere on the tin. When I popped the lid, I was hit by a wallop of fire cured prunes. As I peeled back the paper it was all dust and diamonds; there was a thick layer of plume(not mold, I inspected it closely) and crystals atop the brick of ancient leather below. The flakes broke apart like cedar bark, easily, but took a great deal of rubbing to become pliable. The char light took two matches, but opened with an aroma, and flavor much like a Pinot Noir reduction. Once fully lit, I can only describe it like eating mincemeat or pecan pie from a stovepipe. The bowl burned ferociously in the beginning, until I realized I was puffing like a locomotive. I tamped lightly and relaxed into dopey nicotine bliss, accompanied by Piano Jazz: with Marian McPartland on the radio. The sweet, fruity cavendish and spicy latakia were perfectly married by time, and the Virginia or Kentucky offered an elegant, yet understated presence. Like a campfire the end was a mixture of fine ash and small lumps of charcoal. A euphoric, and invigorating experience only pipe smokers can know.
PurchasedFrom:
Rich's Cigar Store, Downtown, Portland OR
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 05, 2016 | Very Strong | None Detected | Extra Full | Very Strong |
In the phase of my tobacco experience, I tend to go for the 'powerful' smokes. I enjoy 1792 and Dark Flake and consider those to be my standard for 'strong'. With that said, I found this blend to be just as strong if not stronger than those previous mentioned blends.
The flakes are very dark and almost black and break apart very easily. The flakes have a oily, greasy feel to them. Moisture content was good. Packing was easy and effortless.
Initial taste was good upon first light. Heavy thick smoke and the taste reminds me of a bbq. If you could produce a blend that tastes like smoking ribs over a fire, this is it. The nicotine hit is very strong on this blend and half way through the bowl I was satisfied. I did notice that this blend has a bitter smoke taste left in my mouth. Reminds me of that bitter taste after eating a heavily smoked meat.
Excellent blend and surprising strong. This isn't an everyday blend for me and I'm sure this will age nicely.
The flakes are very dark and almost black and break apart very easily. The flakes have a oily, greasy feel to them. Moisture content was good. Packing was easy and effortless.
Initial taste was good upon first light. Heavy thick smoke and the taste reminds me of a bbq. If you could produce a blend that tastes like smoking ribs over a fire, this is it. The nicotine hit is very strong on this blend and half way through the bowl I was satisfied. I did notice that this blend has a bitter smoke taste left in my mouth. Reminds me of that bitter taste after eating a heavily smoked meat.
Excellent blend and surprising strong. This isn't an everyday blend for me and I'm sure this will age nicely.
Pipe Used:
Briar Poker
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes and Cigars
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