Sillem's Councilor 1695 Flake

A nice looking VaPer from K & K with very little tin note . The flakes are supple and easy to pack either by crumbling them up or stuffing them whole hog . The flavor is mild , very mild . It's difficult to get much of the perique flavor because it does little to make it's presence known . The virginias are standard K & k issue which means that they are just fine . The taste is mild to medium and not serviceable for those looking for real perique taste . It is , however , a relaxing and smooth smoke , ideal for every day use . I believe that is very similar to Srockabye's Luxury Navy Flake or Soloni #633 Perique Flake . There are , for all of us , a time when we want just a little perique to liven things up . For that moment , Councilor is made .

Very nice smoke. Citrus and darker fruits. Mildly tart and tangy. A little sweet addition. Moderately spicy. Has a hint of red wine. Gets a little earthy in the second half. If you constantly retrohale like I do you may notice a little sharpness. I like this one a lot, but I can't go as far as loving it.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in taste. Added sweetness is very mild. Burn is great.

This is a substantial tobacco...Not so much complex but refined and pleasant. Of the many VaPer flakes available, this one holds its own.

What it comes down to is simply a matter of personal preference, taste, aroma, and consistency. Burn qualities are very nice and even and moisture content is excellent. Flakes are uniform in cut and packaging, with little flavoring.

While I'm giving this a 3 star rating, I will perhaps change that to 4 stars at some point. I enjoy "unassuming" pipe tobaccos and this fits nicely into that category.

Enjoyed in a group 3-4 size pipe, and is an "anytime" somke.

...a pipe is to be savored...

If you are a new piper, wait on this one. If you are new to VaPer class, start with Orlik golden sliced, then escudo for a basic training. You'll need it. Learn to control your pace, and cadence for a few months. Wait till a hot summer day, grab a cold, slightly sweetened ice tea and open your blue tin councilor 1695. I want to make sure you like it the first time. This is a flake made for a moderately developed palate for the dark VaPer. My own experience: I had just stopped smocking aromatics a few weeks. I had decided to smoke non-aros. I opened a tin of orlik golden sliced, took a puff and tasted NOTHING. The strong artificial aros had raised my flavor tolerance to such an artificial/chemical height that a natural VaPer tasted like a cardboard. So, I gave English blends a try, and they intrigued me due to their complexity. Best starting English was Presbyterian. Then 6 months later and after dozens of English blends, I picked up the old, dried up orlik golden sliced for another try. It was sublime. The sweetness, citrusy Grassy flavor pinned me to my seat. I went on to others, more refined VaPers....sillem councilor made sense only after I allowed my palatal senses to develop. It's just like wine. Give it a try, but if you dislike it, put it away for few months. Taste changes constantly the first year or so. What you loved, you may not a while later, and what you may not like now, you may like later. Sillem councilor is a mid to high range VaPer and it's spiciness might put you off if you are inexperienced with VaPer. But a mature palate will appreciate its zest.