Tobaccos Newminster - No. 400 Superior Navy Flake

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2015-10-13		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The Virginias are mildly tart and tangy citrusy, sugary, bready, grassy, lightly woody and earthy with a few drops of honey, and a pinch of spice and floralness. The sweet honey topping mildly tones down the tobacco. There's a light citrus additive as well. The flakes easily break apart for a fairly smooth, very moderate burn rate. The taste may be fairly one dimensional, but it's an all day sweet smoke that wears well while you go about your business. The strength and nic-hit are just below the center of mild to medium. The taste is a notch past that mark. Won't bite or get harsh, but does have a few minor rough edges. The cool, clean flavor is very consistent to the finish, requiring an average number of relights, and leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Has a very pleasant, lightly lingering room note and after taste. Makes a nice companion for tea or coffee, too.

-JimInks

63 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeterD (91)	2012-08-17		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

...I've read some reviews of this tobacco and I don't agree that this is "cut-rate" or is "less a Virginia Flake than others"...Frankly, it stands on its own, has a very reasonable character, and smokes well.

I don't see it as a replacement for any current tobacco either...

It is simply a nice mild/medium Virginia Flake...

I ordered a pound of this several weeks ago have have augmented my usual strong matured Virginia plugs/Flakes with this and find this continues to be an appealing, quality leaf tobacco.

Not what I would consider in my all time top 15 tobaccos but one I will keep in rotation, without hesitation.

A fine all day smoke and does well in a group 3-4 size pipe. Worth a good try for those who like a fairly straight forward mild Virginia Flake.

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

34 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2014-12-27		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This is possibly the best straight Virginia I have ever smoked. It has an herbal grassy aroma in the bag and smells very earthy and natural while being smoked. Very mild without being bland. It's hard to believe this is sold so inexpensively in bulk online. Under $2 per ounce is incredible! It smokes and tastes as good if not better than some of the other straight Virginias I paid 4 times the price for! I have jarred up a pound or so to see how it ages (if it lasts that long!)

Pipe Used: mm cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: P&C online

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2016-10-03		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Newminster - No. 400 Superior Navy Flake.

These flakes are very easy to work with: they appear whole and unbroken, but the moment one's handled it begins to crumble. This makes it a complete doddle to load with: there's no need for a deliberate crumble, if they're just stuffed into the bowl they acquire a perfect consistency as they're being pushed and twisted.

No. 400 takes to the flame with great ease, and then gives a taste that's a little different to most straight Virginia's: the flavour's richer than most Va's, it's not just sharp grass. The best way of describing the smoke's taste, at first, is like sweet dough; I really enjoy this. Once a burn's settled more of the stereotypical Virginia traits enter the scene: some citrus, and hay qualities, with quite a strong natural sweetness. The burn's very good, giving a cool, bite free, smoke.

The nicotine's mild from No. 400, and the room-note's pleasant enough; nothing special, yet nothing horrible; probably the kind most people would call Boring!

No. 400 is unequivocally deserving of four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Erik Nording

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2015-09-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Newminster No.400 Superior Navy Flake presents as the standard, rectangular flake, similar to Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake or many other bulk flakes on the market today. The nose is predominantly of sweet coffee and a touch of cacao. These aromas translate directly as flavors on the charring light. 

The true light continues with chocolatey, coffee and milk flavors for the first several puffs before giving way to a more traditional, if understated, Virginia citrus that lasts about towards the end of the first third before giving way to a toasty, burnt caramel flavor that lasts, supported by the coffee/mineral/earthy background notes, consistently through to the end. There's also a slight parchment note reminiscent of good burley. 

In a crowded field of Virginia flakes dominated by lemons and reds, full of citrus and tang, and with hay-like aromas, No.400 Superior Navy Flake stands out for its slightly Burley-esque flavor profile: toast, mineral, cocoa, parchment. 400 will bite if pushed, so the best approach is a soft, slow cadence to release the maximum amount of subtle flavor without a tongue scorch. Like most Virginias, one may be tempted to push the cadence to extract more flavor. But this approach doesn't work - its simply not there. Rather, the flavor profile manifests only in its subtlety, and is extracted with finesse rather than brute force. The smoke can be a bit hot at times, but dry. The finished pipe is left relatively dry with no slop. 

Overall a very good tobacco, a nice change of pace for the traditional Virginia smoker used to a more citrusy smoke, and a fantastic value. 

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-08-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is an excellent value in a Virginia flake. I smoked mine rubbed out and found it a pleasant slightly sweet Virginia without the distinctive cirtus/hay of a yellow Virginia and without the tart/heavy you find in a red Virginia. There may have been a little caramel in the flavor profile from the natural sugars, but I claim this is not topped at all. I was told room note was a little like a toasted bagel. That is friendly enough for non-smokers.

Initial impressions were LNF without the perique. I think LNF has a slightly "brighter" flavor profile though. This was good but nothing to rave about. I could smoke this all day but won't. If you like Virginias and want to try a basic Virginia flake, this gets a good recommendation. It is a solid 3 on my rating scale...

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2015-07-20		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

I was given a pretty good sample of this flake and just recently finished it up. I found this to be a good Virginia flake, but a little too mild for my preferences. I ended up spiking it considerably with perique for my last bowl just to give it some heft.

It is hay sweet with some citrus notes that you would expect from a mostly yellow Virginia. If I were to search for a comparison I would compare it to capstan yellow. At least, I was left with the same sensation when smoking this one. I think that if you enjoy mild Virginias, then you could really like this one.

Similar Blends: Capstan Yellow.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2015-08-10		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Summary: a very basic bright and brown Virginia flake.

This blend is admirably straightforward: pressed Virginia in flake form, with a gentle sweetness and slow-burning flavor. The flavor seems entirely natural, and for those who love sweet Virginia tobacco alone, it becomes desirable after about six months to a year of age, because out of the box, it still has too much of that citrusy acidity that makes bright Virginia tricky to blend. It lacks strength and character when smoked alone, so only really works if you like basic Virginia flavor, at which point this is a great all-day blend at an all-year price.

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Capstan Original Navy Cut, Mac Baren - Navy Flake.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jvnshr (23)	2016-08-03		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoking Newminster No. 400 Superior Navy Flake is like eating a tasty warm Farmer's bread with some farm butter spread on it. Highly Recommended to Virginia beginners.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hanzy4200 (12)	2014-05-22		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

This a fine flake. I was given a healthy sample by a friend and I've been very impressed. I generally would not factor price into a review, but this could be an exception. A Navy flake available at this price and of this quality is unmatched. Excellent tobacco to add to your rotation. I plan to cellar a lb.

PS. The "Select 2-3 flakes and rub out...." bit is a bit comical. I'd like to see the pipe that will hold 2 or 3 1"x5" flakes. Better have a big bowl.

Pipe Used: Italian Estate Pipe

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: P&C

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-08-19		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

When compared to the wide array of beloved VA flakes available, I could see this newcomer being easily overlooked. However, it has been a very welcome addition to my cellar and I'm already well stocked on the blend.

When I first gave this a whiff I would have sworn that it was cased, but a bit of digging confirmed that it is not. The aroma is incredibly sweet and very enjoyable.

I used to rub out a few flakes to smoke, but of late have done more fold-and-stuff after giving a flake or two some air time. I have smoked it without any drying, but it was definitely easier for it to burn hot I've not found drying to detract from the flavor at all.

The flavor I've had trouble finding the right adjective for. It's a bit darker than caramel, but not so much as molasses. A nice, rich sweetness that I enjoy from the top to the bottom of the bowl. It could be described as a bit one note, and I could see that as a detraction, but I absolutely adore it. I'm eager to see what some age will do for this flake, too.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gripsholm (43)	2016-03-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I received 2 oz's of this in which I smoked one oz fresh and cellared the other for about 6 months. This review is on the cellared oz.

The pouch note is a sweet fig like aroma. When I first lit up I was immediately struck by a mild lemony citrus flavor. After about a half dozen puffs or so the figgy pouch note reappeared as a ghostly nuance presenting a nice interplay between sweet and tangy.

I experienced no pipe gurgle as the flake burned down to a fine white ash. As with most pure Virginia's it becomes a delicate balance between keeping my pipe lit and avoiding tongue bite.

The 6 months of aging didn't seem to do much other than darken the leaf from a dark yellow to a medium brown color. I didn't notice much of a change in the pouch note or smoking flavor.

I smoked this flake in a corn cob because for me smoking Virginia flake in a corn cob is as natural and rewarding as eating hot buttered popcorn at a movie.

IMHO This Virginia flake is exactly what a Virginia flake should be.

Pipe Used: Seasoned Corn cob

Age When Smoked: 6 months

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	joeljcj2 (13)	2015-06-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

this is a light clean Danish flake, I smoked it unaged, and would compare it to iwan ries Danish flake . it is not quite as rich as dunhill flake, and not nearly as rich or complex as Samuel gawith best brown,...but a light pleasant smoke nonetheless. I do not sense any topping --although there is a hint of sweetness---probably natural Virginia tobacco sugars. I am normally a smoker of untflavored Virginia flakes ( I favor a touch of perique--like sam gawith st james - in the evening) and this is a very pleasing, possibly all day smoke. the price is certainly appealing when compared to the gawith prices.

Pipe Used: large charatan

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: iwan ries Danish flake, dunhill flake.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Motoyoshi (68)	2014-12-22		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I bought 2 oz. a year ago and, as braindead as I am, left it in the box that came from smoking pipes. I was sending a pipe to a friend as a gift and was going to reuse the box. Lo and behold, I found the baggie of tobacco with perfect moisture! Which may lead me to believe there is some PG in this, or I had the perfect ziplock from smokingpipes.com

The smell of this stuff in the bag is incredible. When I opened the package a year ago it gave the whole box this sweet caramel smell. But none of that transfers to the smoke. I doubt there isn't a casing on this tobacco.

The flakes are very thin and are rubbed out easily. Even if they're folded they tend to split with little to no pressure. Easy to light and usually burns down to a nice white/grey ash with little to no dottle.

The flavor of this is very peculiar. I see a lot of reviewers having experience with brown VA. It doesn't taste like the bag note at all. For tobacco frame of reference I would say Samuel Gawith BBF but with way less high notes. Very little citrusy notes in this tobacco. It has a very slight sweetness and a little tang. Almost reminds me the aftertaste of an Italian glazed chestnut.

One thing should be noted, this is nothing like Peter Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake. But if you want a nice all day smooth smoking VA, this is a great start. Also recommended to someone who wants to try VAs without the tangy bite they offer for some smokers.

Pipe Used: Cobs, briars and mortas

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Best Brown Flake.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Backwoods Piper (70)	2014-10-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a very nice flake that is produced in Denmark. Often referred to as a cheap compared to comparable brands and blends. I Love my Virginia's and this is no exception. Offered in a nice dense brown slices that rub out to small ribbons. It has a wonderful nutty sweet taste with mild complexity that a VA aficionado is sure to enjoy. This tobacco burns well but needs to be enjoyed patiently to avoid bite. The most redeeming facet of this tobacco is the price. Don't be fooled, like wine, pipe tobacco doesn't have to be expensive to be worthy of smoking. Sweet smokes gentlemen!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoke_Ring (158)	2013-10-05		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Newminster - No.400 Superior Navy Flake;

Star Rating = 3.75;

Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst;

Pouch Note = 9;

Room Note = 9;

Flavor = 9;

Bite = 8;

Burn = 9;

After Taste = 9;

Raw Score = 53;

Rated Percentage = 88%;

Comment = Smooth, medium Full Body rich natural tobacco Flavor, just a whisper of a Bite

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Newby (6)	2022-02-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I preface my reviews that I am a new pipe smoker. I am doing reviews as I learn for new smokers because most reviews here are articulate literature by seasoned smokers about flavors new smokers often cannot grasp. I hope my simplistic perspective helps new smokers.

This is my first straight Virginia. For those new to the pipe I suggest research and learn smoking with any other blends other than straight due to its propensity to burn hot and bite you. If you are trying straight Virginia just remember go very slow where you should always be on the edge of it going out. Even if you have to relight more often it’s better than over cadence. When you do relight only do so with 1-2 puffs. Be minimalistic to avoid heat. It is a very thin line between sweet flavor and ash with a straight Virginia.

Ok I really like this tobacco. Room note is difficult because I smoke outside and don’t really smell the room note. As others have already mentioned there is a sweet bread dough flavor mixed in with citrusy hay notes. The citrus is not like the fruit, but more an acidic sweet hint. Hay and grass are not my strengths but it is the natural undertone flavor that is ever present between spikes of sweet dough or sweet acidity. It’s not sweet, nor bitter, but a simple earth taste. It’s what corn flakes are to cereal, simple and clean.

Probably as with all straight virginia there seems to be an immediate feedback loop. If slow sipping I get sweetness, but if I go to fast it starts turning less sweet so I know to back off. This feedback loop is great for beginners like me to learn cadence. I probably had to relight about 6 times during the bowl because I preferred to stay on edge of sweet flavor vs staying lit.

I give it a 3 because I enjoyed it very much and will make this part of my rotation. It’s a great price at around $2.40 an ounce. I must reserve 4 stars for the great one in my near future.

Pipe Used: MM Gentlemen Cob

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Unknown - My first Virginia.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Thepipehunter (43)	2021-08-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

From the jar, Superior Navy Flake is a little moist, and required some drying time. The bulk sample I received had wide flakes that were quite long and darker in color then other flakes such as LNF. They also tend to break apart on their own. The tin note is sweet and bready, with notes of sweet hay, spices, and Earth.

The Virginias are a bit more mature than other bulk Navy Flakes, though I imagine they will get better with some age. They range from bright to medium, though I would say medium is more predominant. They sport sweet bread, honey, hay, and earthy notes, as well as spices and some tangy and bright citrusy notes. Although this blend does not have a topping, I believe there has been some added sweetness to the casing, which may be where I taste the honey. The flavor profile is simple, round, and gentle.

Superior Navy Flake behaved well and did not bite and sported no sharpness, though it could get a tad hot if I freight trained it. It smoked consistently from beginning to end. It required a normal number of relights and did leave a little moisture behind and is fairly mild on nicotine. An all day smoke for the mild and pure Virginia lover. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ruffinogold (112)	2016-11-26		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I havent seen a mention of a topnote [ ? ] This is a very nice Virginia flake . It is mild to medium and is very representative of it's style . It does have a mild topnote which I figure is rum . It has a slight edge to it that is a little sharp , which if not would have I'd have given this 4 stars . The citrus/hay flavors that you expect are all there and for me the topnote was apparent most all the bowl except for the last quarter . Burns fantastic . It's nice to have this available in bulk

Pipe Used: Quit a few

Age When Smoked: Year aged

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-04-03		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

In the pouch, I only smell typical grassy Virginia's, but when I put the flake under the nose, there is clearly a sweet topping, almost chocolaty. But in the pipe, there is some added sweetness, but it doesn’t get in the way of the Virginia flavor and whatever scent I associated with a chocolaty smell it didn’t translate to the smoke. Unlike my other two experiences with Newminster, I didn’t find any rough edges with SNF. The medium brown Virginia's take the lead for me with a few bright spots. There is a bit of a brown sugar and/or caramel note to the flavor. It will burn a little hot if pushed, but with the proper cadence, SNF offers very straight forward flavor with no complexity. After a few bowls I found myself wanting either a little Perique or Burley to keep things interesting. As with Superior Round, the big selling point to this blend is the cost/value equation. It’s a decent flake at a very decent price, but Stokkebye’s Luxury Navy Flake, I’m pretty sure made by the same company, is still my flake of choice when compared to SNF.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-10-10		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Based on a 1 oz sample, this is a very nice looking long flake of mostly light brown color. Bag scent was light but I picked up a light caramel or butterscotch along with a citrus aroma.

Somewhat typical Danish Virginia flake with an underlying lemon citrus flavor but this one also has a touch of something like wheat flavor. A lightly sweet casing that I couldn't place but since this is a navy flake, I'd guess rum, although I'm not tasting rum specifically. I preferred this rubbed out because it produced a bit more flavor, something this blend lacks for my taste buds. It's just too light in flavor, but would likely be perfect for an all-day smoker wanting a mellow sweet flavor. Frankly, I was bored, but that's a personal judgment - this tobacco is probably better in an objective sense than the two stars I'm giving it. I did get a slight bitterness from it at times but mostly it was sweetness and citrus with that touch of wheat. No development to speak of, but again if a smoker just wants a bowl they can set and forget, this one should be on their list.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leaf Packer (30)	2015-09-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Got free sample with order, I figured what the hell I haven't tried Navy Flake by any manufacture. I was so impress I order 8oz. plus 8oz. of Stokkebye just to compare the very next day. Lets keep in mind that I smoke English/Balkan so a straight Virginia or Va/Per is only 180 degrees left of center, With that being said, I found this to be quite enjoyable, earthy, straight forward and very satisfying. I need to learn how to pack to suit me but that is my problem. This tobacco can suit any taste even aro smokers, with it's mild tasty somewhat creamy flavor. It works well with morning coffee, it's just a great way to start your day

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2015-07-26		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

A Navy flake on the lighter side. This was "ok" and considering that there are a lot of other Navy Flakes around that i consider better i will not be back to this one (Peter Stokkebye Navy flake at a similar price in bulk). Has a slight candy smell to it. Light with low nicotine. Worth a try though thou as we all have different tastes.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kyohan (13)	2015-01-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

I received a sample of this with my last order from Smoking Pipes and was pleasantly surprised. I had read a few reviews that said this was just OK, but I really like it and think it will just get better with some age on it. I will definitely add some of this to my next order.

Pipe Used: Peterson 408

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gchiaram (12)	2020-12-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A pleasant surprise for its price. It is a sweet Virginia without being cloying, tasty although somewhat simple without being boredom, and a good companion to start the day. It burns evenly, and requires few relight. Leaves a pleasant tobacco flavour in the mouth and nose. Three and a half stars.

Pipe Used: an old reborn CPF

Age When Smoked: I smoked it immediately when I received it.

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillardFan (90)	2020-08-02		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first tried this flake, I wasn't that impressed. However after a bit of aging, it really begins to shine. Citrus and hay comes through in a very flavorful way. For the price, give it a try...

Pipe Used: Nording freehand pickaxe.

Age When Smoked: Over a year.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kokinhenik (93)	2020-05-04		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

First Impression: bready, molasses, hints of toast, buttery, honey and dark Virginias, faint hints of a Cavendish like sweetness and smoothnes on the retrohale. Absolutely delish. Seemed to get a little bit hot and spicy if pushed

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cherry picker 1779 (52)	2020-05-01		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This one has some factors to consider in order to properly rate it.

1. It’s nothing fancy. The best description is toasty, and straight forward , non complex. A bit bland, and a slight caramel like top note

2 burn - it’s excellent in this category. Flakes came perfect moisture, not wet , not dry. Burns moderately slow without relights , and behaves perfectly for a flake.

3. Strength and body. It’s not a strong tobacco by any means. I would say it’s mild body and lack of strength would make it a bit whimpy. Very mild nicotine - it’s barely noticeable. Ya know those airy blends that your trying to get just a bit more out of so you puff a little more than you’d want? That is this blend.

4. Price. This is a very reasonably priced tobacco. The price fits the blend quality and characteristics. It’s kinda cheap.

5. I personally would not buy this again. Comparing this to my go to Virginia - Peterson flake, I have to say this does not even exist in the same world.

The good is the moisture content, the burn characteristics and the price. Because it’s priced right, and mild I’ll give it two stars- but it’s really only recommended if your budget won’t allow you to get something better. I really wouldn’t even call it an all day smoke because it gets to the tongue after a full bowl even though it’s mild enough to smoke as an all day blend.

2 stars is a very fair and realistic rating.

Update - I’m not sure what has changed, but the blend is not burning as hot as it had been the first few bowls I smoked. The topping is coming to the forefront. Although it masks the natural tobacco flavor it’s not too bad. It’s a maple caramel type flavor and I’d bet that aromatic smokers would like this blend. I would say that this could be an all day smoke after all. I don’t know why this blend is advertised as having no topping. I never heard of a natural maple caramel flavor. In fact I would name this blend “caramel maple burst “

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Seanv (35)	2019-06-29		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Bag note is very sweet and sugary. I get some malty notes as well. Folding and stuffing I have found maintains the integrity of this one. I had to dry this one out for a while as it arrived pretty moist for my taste. Once dry it takes the flame well but for me needed more than an average number of relights. Great Virginia flavour, lots of hay and some light grass. The sweetness is there and maintains throughout but never overwhelms. The malty notes I got from the bag are there and present throughout as well. Overall this is a solid flake, it is mild but very enjoyable. This could definitely be an all day smoke for some.

Pipe Used: Various briars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2017-12-15		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

The topping in these flakes reminds me of Capstan. I am not quite sure I'd class this tobacco as an aromatic though. The tin note is quite pleasant, but the topping makes it somewhat difficult to explore the virginia leaf in this presentation. In true honesty, I don't think I am reviewing a bad tobacco here, but certainly it would not be a favourite. For starters, I cannot detect any earthy undertones or sweetness from the bright virginia, which are features I definitely enjoy in a virginia blend. Secondly, I am finding the smoking experience quite one dimensional. Having said that, I can see how some people will enjoy these flakes if this kind of tobacco is what rings their bells, so please take this review with a pinch of salt.

Edit January 9 2017:

I have already gone through my 2oz bag and my appreciation has changed, so I am upgrading to 3 stars. It might not be as good as other virginia blends that are available in the market, but it does not disappoint either. Like I said before, I could see the potential here, but maybe I did not choose the right pipe to sample it the first time. Detecting the topping is always a downside feature, but once you go past it, these virginia flakes are quite enjoyable.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	anglocatholicpiper (34)	2016-06-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A moderately good Va Flake purchased under the name "Tivoli," in bulk, from a B&M store in Jacksonville FL. It took me a while to figure out it's true identity as a Newminster flake (had to ask the clerk who blended their tobaccos).

This is a brighter, lighter Va blend. Lots of hay. Pungent and citrusy. Good for the price.

When I purchased it, it was dryer than what you might find in a tin of flake tobacco. And I wonder if that might have been to my advantage in terms of age, moisture, and this flavor.

By the time I packed this in my pipe it was more like a broken flake (think Mac Baren Va no. 1 in terms of texture).

What I like about this is its straight forward Navy Flake taste all the way through the smoke.

Update After smoking it in my rotation for a month this flake seems to be easily outdone by just about every other navy flake. So I'm downgrading my rating. If this was the only Navy Flake I had, I would enjoy it. But otherwise I probably will opt to purchase something else from here on.

Pipe Used: Cobs and briars

Age When Smoked: Slightly dry bulk from B&M

Purchased From: B&M in Jax, FL

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J.R. Patton (106)	2016-06-10		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

A decent flake VA at a decent price. Given the choice between the two, I'd probably opt for P. Stokkebye luxury twist flake before SNF. Similar profiles, but LTF just seems more levelled and balanced...smoother I'd say. Anyhow, SNF is of good quality and definitely worth a try. The bright VAs smell like hay with a honey and brown sugar kind of topping. The honey character carries over nicely into the smoke with the addition of warm, buttery flavor. It can burn pretty hot and gurgle quite a bit, but I find it much less of a problem when preparing like the description says. Rub it out, dry for about 15 minutes or so, and pack it lightly. I personally enjoy flakes that smoke better fold and stuff, but to each his own. All told, it's a pretty good VA. I don't know yet if I will repurchase, but it was a fairly enjoyable smoke.

UPDATE: AFTER aging this for about 2 years, I can say it doesn't seem to change much. I do believe it may have softened some of the rough edges. As with other virginia flakes and plugs, I've discovered this one is much better and less hot in a cob during cooler, less humid times of year. Therefore SNF has become a fall/winter sort of smoke for me. I'm raising it a star, but given the choice I'd still go for luxury twist flake first.

Pipe Used: MM cobs

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Stokkebye Luxury Twist Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pecheur (19)	2015-02-12		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Has a slight note of carmel when you open the bag and this comes through in the smoking, it's a very mild flavour of carmel without the sweetness and it complements the mild virginia flavour very nicely. I wouldn't be surprised to learn this has a very light topping or casing.

I could enjoy this blend but, like MacBaren blends, no matter how I pack the bowl or how slowly I smoke this blend bites me hard from first puff to last. If it wasn't for that I'd give it two or three stars but as it is...

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hybrid12 (26)	2015-01-12		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I received a sample of this and being a big fan of flake couldn't wait to try this out. I rubbed it out and it burned with only one relight. The Virginia really shines in this flake with exquisite taste that reminded me of Dunhill Flake. I really like this tobacco and would say if you like a medium strength Virginia Flake, this is on tobacco that is definitely worthy of lighting up. A true delight with exceptional lemon/bronze flavored Virginia.

Pipe Used: briar

Age When Smoked: Freshly rubbed out, with no drying time

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Dunhill Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Andya27 (9)	2014-08-03		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This was one of the first tobaccos I purchased. And it remains among my favorites. I prefer Virginia flakes and kakes - either by itself or with Latakia.

This Virginia blend has a very nice tin note. The sweetness would almost suggest a casing, but it has none. Letting it dry for a half hour before lighting, I find no difficulty lighting nor keeping it lit.

Did I mention that I love Virginias? And this one doesn't disappoint. It's not a deep, brooding Virginia that will knock your socks off with nicotine. It's not a replacement for an English blend. It's a Virginia mixture that can be smoked all day, every day.

The room note is quite pleasant for a tobacco without any casing. I would not feel uncomfortable smoking this around non-pipe smokers.

I have three ounces of this that I have sealed in a mason jar and will keep cellared at least six months, if not a year. I believe that a bit of age will only deepen the flavor.

If a non-pipe smoking friend wanted to try a tobacco, this is one I would not hesitate to suggest. If a seasoned pipe veteran wanted a mild Virginia blend to smoke while working, reading, or relaxing - again, I would recommend this without hesitation.

This is a tobacco that doesn't pretend to be something that it isn't. It's a straignt-forward Virginia - not monochrome - but with minimal range as you progress through the bowl. What you do receive is a consistent, mild to medium smoke that will satisfy.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Golden Danish

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Local brick and mortar

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SecretAgentMan (27)	2014-01-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Thin, oak-colored flakes, with some streaks of honey and lemon. After a few minutes' drying, it breaks up nicely although a bit on the small side. Smoking it was pleasant; as everyone else has observed, this is a mild, uncomplicated Virginia. Mostly I experienced a pineapple flavor with notes of honey and oatmeal. The pineapple citrus flavor predominated throughout, almost irritatingly so. It's a very light smoke, with mild strength.

It's nothing to knock your socks off, but for an inexpensive Virginia flake it's very good. It would be interesting to see what Kilmarnock Piper reports after smoking some of his cellared flake in a year or so. As it is, I could see buying a few pounds of this but only if there were some sort of national pipe tobacco shortage and I couldn't get my hands on anything more to my liking.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2013-04-14		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I got a pound when it first came out mainly because of the price, and it was indeed a good value. Smoking it, however, I really get the impression that it needs to age a few years. It comes across as raw to me. Doesn't bite, doesn't taste all that bad, but needs to develop some character. Well, I have plenty in a great big jar, so I can continue to evaluate it as the months pass. I can concentrate on my more aged Virginias in the meantime, but still, the pipe I'm smoking of this right now isn't at all bad; this tobacco is just young and needs some experience. Even now, it is a perfectly good little Virginia flake, but don't expect a lot of complexity right now.

Edit 2 19-23 Got another pound, and though it has been ten years, seems different to me; more complex, with different levels of curing and stoving. I like it!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Klaus_75 (6)	2022-04-15		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

This has made the final round in my quest for the “one bulk Virginia to rule them all” .

You will see the word “mild” used quite a bit in other reviews and it is a spot on description of this flake. Mild in all the best senses of the word.

Flavors are great without demanding your attention. It has the same bready, yeasty “tea with honey” sweetness as MacBaren’s Virginia No 1 but with less intensity. Also a definite orange, citrusy flavor…this is not the juicy orange of Golden Sliced; nor is it the deep orange zest of something like Sam Gawith’s Golden Glow. Instead it is somewhere in the middle…an unassuming citrus flavor.

This is a tobacco that there is nothing excessive about; a flake with no vices if you will. It is a simple, mild Virginia Flake with great (mild) flavor.

At the price point a fan of Virginias would be foolish to not try it.

Pipe Used: Mitchell Thomas Bent

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes&cigars

Similar Blends: Orlik Golden Sliced (kind of), Virginia No1 (kind of).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TotoPipeDreams (44)	2021-03-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Bag note: 4/5 Sweet Bread pastry Rum raisin

Cut and Pack: 5/5 Loose, long, thin, flake Perfect for fold and stuff Right moisture content from P&C If you’re new to flakes this one is not as cumbersome as your typical presentation.

Taste: 4/5 Compared to the bag note, you get that lightly sweet bread, but no raisin. Then on the back half of the palette there’s a nice Honey and vanilla sweetness. Very mild and delicate smoke but gives you enough to keep you interested throughout.

The strength of this blend is that it’s so impressionable and delicate a flavor that your drink pairing will really bring out different elements of the smoke. Ginger ale, black tea, coffee with cream will all enhance and elevate certain subtleties of the blend. And for that reason I would recommend the blend.

Would highly recommend as a first time straight VA Doesn’t bite, isn’t harsh on the retrohale, burns and behaves well. Would highly recommend for experienced smokers as well as it demands a slow smoke because the flavor is so subtle. It’s a lot like Japanese sake; you can’t pound the stuff because when you do it’s really underwhelming. It has a natural sweetness and subtle strength. Requires gentle lighting and puffing.

If I had to compare this to a food item it might be macaroons. It’s more about the subtle sweetness and the big picture of the individual elements working together as a unit. It’s not a flavor bomb. But sometimes that’s just what you need.

Pipe Used: English made clay

Age When Smoked: New (bulk)

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (108)	2021-03-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Prep: The moisture was about perfect. The flakes come in near broken flake form (not a complaint necessarily). Rubs out well.

Summed up in two words: Sweet Bread. The blend contains the hay/citrus notes you'd expect from brighter leaf. My knowledge of the various leaf contents is limited but the bready, woody, notes do pop from the other leaves. You wont find much sweetness but it is evident. This tobacco is consistent, cost-effective, and smokes fairly cool for a Virginia blend. But it wont win any "unique" contests. All in all, a solid 6.5/10.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Olivermac (19)	2018-09-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

I've been smoking this tobacco for years now on and off and I've always really enjoyed it. It's probably one of the most delicate and mild Virginia flakes out there. I really like to smoke this one in the morning with my coffee, which is what I'm doing now. It smells like some kind of breakfast cereal. Really sweet and semi grassy. I love the smell. And to my understanding it has zero topping on it. It smokes really nicely and is great when you're in the mood for something pure and mild. Highly recommended. Ok, I'm getting back to my bowl now.

Pipe Used: Viking classic, various cobs and meershaums

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: P&c

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2018-07-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've smoked a lot of PS Luxury Navy Flake over the years and out of the bag Newminster 400 Superior Navy Flake is a dead ringer aroma wise. Whatever casing/top dressing is used, some kind of brown sugar derivative I guess, it is indistinguishable to me from one to the other. They also look the same, except for No. 400 being enormous flakes. Laid end to end I cannot tell LNF from SNF visually.

Having said that, the two tobaccos differ once lit. No. 400 makes no pretence at having Perique in the mix and is decidedly less complex. It is a decent enough Va but has little nuance or variation through the bowl. That's not a fault per se; a thing is what it is, and as a straight Va muddled with a bit of sweetener it does what it is supposed to do, giving an uncomplicated, simple, easy to manage smoke. Are there better Va flakes on the market? Sure. But you'd be pushed to find one as good at this price point.

Realistically somewhere between 2 and 3, but it would be churlish to mark it down.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SunriseBoy (21)	2017-11-21		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Having read the reviews, I thought I'd give this a shot. I'm glad I did. My preference is for easy smoking tobaccos and this suits me down to the ground. Good taste, doesn't bite etc., and burns steady and smokes very well. And a compliment and good review like this, from a grumpy old man like me, it must be a quality product, which, I believe it is. Highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: Out of the bag

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BryGuySC (26)	2017-05-02		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco lit easily with one match, and burned reliably. It tasted of mild virginias. The smoke was light and unremarkable. A few minutes in, the smoke thickened a bit, and got more interesting. There was a mild citrus note on the sides of my tongue, sometimes with a hint of something I can only describe as the taste of a sweet tin can. The mouthfeel of the smoke has greatly improved, as I can feel it coating the inside of my mouth. As the smoke progresses, the bright “can” taste is still the main note. It is not bad. The smoke is a bit one-note, but if you like bright virginias, you will probably enjoy that note! This doesn’t strike me as what I think of as a “navy flake;” I hope for rum in a navy flake. This one is more just a nice virginia flake. I miss the rum.

Pipe Used: MM Missouri Pride

Age When Smoked: Fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brass (5)	2015-09-19		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is an honest, simple, pure, satisfying Virginia flake that bite sensitive smokers can enjoy. Beautiful flakes with fresh pouch aroma of grass and sweet tang. It is just as good in quality as more expensive flakes. I sometimes want complexity in my smokes. Other times I'm looking for something that satisfies an itch for something down to earth. SNF satisfies, which is the most important, if intangible, quality I seek in a blend.

Pipe Used: Jepperson pot

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: PS LNF.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bonneville (52)	2015-09-12		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Man, this is a tough review to make. I REALLY wanted to like this a lot. I was banking on liking it a lot, and purchased several pounds of it. The pouch note gives off a delicious brown-sugary scent that makes your tastebuds water. The flakes are masterfully prepared and the box presentation is top notch.

The problem is that the smoke itself I find... lacking. There's lots of bright Virginia notes with a nice sweetness. But this is a tobacco I would equate with a gorgeous super-model type woman, but one that has very little depth or dimension. To draw another comparison, this tobacco is all treble and no bass.

Where is the low end on this stuff? Sadly it's not there. The smoke tastes and feels... empty. I don't know how else to say it. It's a decent tobacco and is very well priced. But for not much more money, you could get some Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake, which is far superior.

I've been using this as a blender, adding it to more brooding tobaccos, so as to not waste it. Shame, it really is a beautiful tobacco... just not much going on inside of there.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: 1 year

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Blue Jazzman (73)	2015-07-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow, I am impressed with this Navy Flake. One of the best I've tried and would be a great choice for aging. And at an awesome price. You can't go wrong with this one. I hope Newminster continues to grow their line of fine tobaccos.

Pipe Used: 70's Meer

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: PS Navy Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old6String (27)	2015-06-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Very good straight forward Virginia. Don't let the low price point deter you from trying this. I don't choose to rub this out. I tear the pieces just shy of the rim and do this as many times as needed to fill the bowl then light and tamp as normal. All of the pieces are standing on end and after lighting, the tamping lays them down nicely. Great smoke for sure; stays in my rotation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ronnstein (29)	2014-09-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I like this blend for it's lighter citrus note. I always have a tin of MacBaren's mixture flake around, this blend is similar, but lighter. Of course MacBaren makes #400, so it's still very good quality and similar to mixture flake to me. So far this is the best of the Newminster line that I have tried, reasonably priced and a good smoke, recommended.

Pipe Used: Various briars and cobs

Purchased From: P&C

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2012-10-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Nicely prepared flakes ~ 3"x1.5"x1/16" that I just fold and are easy to pack by this method. I thought that my bulk sample was a bit dry as received but it still smoked without getting hot. Not as sweet as some other VA flakes but smokes without bite or condensation and is an enjoyable trip. Give it a try if you enjoy VA flakes.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quiggifur (99)	2023-02-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Jar note: super dark and deep raisin, prune, date scent. Grassy and floral in the smoke, mildly/moderately sweet, no fruit to speak of. Rubs out very fine, burns well, barely a relight necessary without any drying time. Pleasant smoke from beginning to end.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blew_Smoke (17)	2023-01-12		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I received this in a bag, then moved it to an empty tin, and the notes come across differently for the bag and tin. In the bag, my impression was that this flake was treated heavily with propylene glycol. After moving to the tin, I'm no longer struck with this smell. The tin note is honey, hay, leather and a hint of tea.

Flakes are large and fall apart easily, and can be stuffed directly into the bowl.

After smoking several bowls of this, I can report tongue bite is a serious finding. You'll want to take slow puffs and manage the heat as well as sipping a beverage constantly and moving the pipe around so smoke doesn't touch the same point on the tongue throughout the smoke. Bite is much worse in the first half of the bowl. Afterward it mellows and gives the tongue a break.

On lighting, a sweet topping is detected: maybe honey, possibly rum, or PG based on initial impression. The topping burns off halfway through the bowl and gives way to more traditional virginia flavors.

This is definitely a sweet smoke with a pleasant aftertaste. Because of the bite and initial PG impression that turned me off a bit, I'm giving this 2.5 stars. I don't think I will purchase again. If bite were not so intense, this would be a solid 3.5 stars. Recommended for tough tongues and long stemmed pipes.

Update: After trying this flake in a church warden with matches and avoiding clenching, much less bite.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 673 KS

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	darktater (2)	2023-01-04		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

for you southerners, it's a honey biscuit (fresh biscuit with butter and honey). Not complex, not overwhelming, just satisfying. I'm becoming a fan of straight Virginia blends, and this is a good one. Could easily be an all day smoke, especially at the price point. I finally bought a pound, will order another (or 2) next pay day.

Pipe Used: Peterson Aran 15

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: OGS, Capstan Gold, Boston Slices.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip'n'Piper (54)	2023-01-01		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Tin note is fantastic, quite chocolatey with some dark fruit and fresh baked bread. I keep a 1oz jar on my desk just to open it up and take a whiff, I love the smell. Flavourwise it is a decent virginia, maybe a light topping added. I taste some bread, some straw, some grass, some honey, bit of citrus, a light woodiness and, surprisingly, just a barely discernable smidge of chocolate. No.400 doesn't quite live up to its scrumptious tin note, unfortunately. It can get noticeably hot and steamy on the tongue, it’s thin in the flavour department, kinda boring and bland compared to the contemporaries, but that takes little away from this cut as a whole. It burns slow and is consisent in every facet. I haven't tried yet, but I'd guess this one would age well. Decent price. Easy to work with. Good moisture level. Not the best smoke ever, but still good for a fresh virginia. There's a classic old school quality to it, like a Buddy Holly tune. Very much a Peggy Sue; great tune, but just short of the pinnacle of rock n roll. With a bit of age, this may become a love that will never fade away. I'd recommend, but it's rather average and immature. We'll see what time does to it. Somewhere between 2.5 - 3. Happy New Year pipers!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	willie b (37)	2022-09-07		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

as a native of Virginia, I have smoked a lot of Virginia leaf tobacco. although we don't grow much these days. this is one of the best straight Virginias you will find. sourced from different places on the map. the price is good, and the smoke is great. its smooth, burns clean, taste like fresh bread with a tinge of citrus and sweetness of a light honey. the note is typical of the blend. i like my Balkan/English blends but this one is right there in rotation when I want a break from the heavy weight. rub it out let it rest for 10 minutes or so and sip it. don't rush because she will get you. Age it for at least six months for a new experience.

Pipe Used: 307 system plip

Age When Smoked: fresh and aged.

Purchased From: tobacco pipes

Similar Blends: a few other straight Va. flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Balrrach (4)	2021-09-21		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This is good tobacco.

Flakes came a very large size. Smell is of a brown virginia. Taste is fairly natural and somewhat spicy, as if it contained a bit of perique, once you get used to it becomes a very comfortable bready smoke. Fairly unique although a bit unidimensional. Recommended to those looking for a different virginia experience although I'll stay with capstan wich tastes more natural hay to me.

Three solid stars.

Pipe Used: Group 3, 4

Age When Smoked: A year and a half

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bushleagueosu (20)	2021-09-17		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a must try if you are a Virginia smoker. Falls somewhere between FVF and OGS. Bag note is very sweet with toasted cereal and honey notes. Has some hay and citrus notes as well. The bag note is exactly what you get during the smoke. There is something about this that gives it a slightly unique taste that I havn't found in any other straight Virginia but I cant put my finger on it. I am very excited to see how this ages but it is excellent fresh and has found its way very quickly into my normal rotation. Definitely a must try for any Virginia smoker and especially if you like Orlik Golden Sliced.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Judge4all (1)	2021-07-15		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I guess I am a cheap date, this one really did it for me. I really enjoy it during weather minus humidity. There is another pound on the way.

Pipe Used: New General Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: New Bulk

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: MacBaren Virgina Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimPM (153)	2021-05-02		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Good judgement comes from experience and experience generally comes from bad judgement. If that notion holds true, then logically one’s experience is the product of personal mistakes. Well, let me tell you I am guilty of a pure incident of uninformed pre-judgement; I know better. A painful reminder to self, that in all fairness, one should evaluate an individual matter, in this case a single tobacco blend, for what it is rather than for what it is not. Furthermore, do not miss seeing the splendor of the amalgamated forest by focusing only on a single type of tree.

Point #1: Perhaps my objectivity was tainted by the suggestive influences of how the subject blend, Newmister No. 400 Superior Navy Flake was marketed by the source e-retailer? Recently, I found myself mindlessly perusing one of the top internet pipe smoking sites. I am always curious to see what this week’s deals are just in case. Yeah, you know, just in case my compulsion to buy and obsessively hoard savory sexy sounding blends trips the trigger. The one that got me spun-up, this time, was billboarded as a fiery Naval Battle of the blends. A rancorous fist to cuff between to subject mixtures, (Russ Ouellette’s Anniversary Kake and the subject Newminster Flake) poised in a toe to toe dual to see who should rise as the triumphant winner.

So, yep “Add To Cart”; ching! The truth of the matter is that I was really after Russ’s blend as I have had a hankering to try it for quite some time now while the Newminster was just bonus offering at a compellingly attractive bundled price; let us be honest.

Point #2: Perhaps I was being somewhat tunnel-visioned on what I deemed as a Navy Flake mixture?

Now let me say that my notion of what is a proper Navy flake calls to mind a nicely pressed blend of Virginias and other varietals cased and flavored with some type of alcohol topping and fruit-based additive ala a Capstan, Samuel Gawith Navy Flake or my BELOVED Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake. If one reads the history, it is discovered that, by the documented methodology of the day, this is exactly how the sailors at seas preserved and prepared their cherished smokes to last over the duration of their seafaring voyages. This is universally correct after all for it is written in annals of piping lore. Therefore, this steadfast paradigm and standard is thus firmly burnt into my brain as the font of subject matter knowledge, end of discussion.

Taking the matter at face value, when I light the Superior Navy Flake for the first time I was met by instant deflation. Where is that familiar Navy flake character? No alcohol notes! No Perique or Lat! What is this? This is not a Navy Flake by any stretch!

What Newminster Superior Navy flake is, simply, a pressed specimen of assorted pure Virginias, bright, red, and flue-cured yellow filler. Unlike the cast of characters previously mentioned, this mixture is a straight-up Virginia true and blue. No casings, no added flavorings, and no dash of complimentary strains, just the honest presentation of that base Virginia component tobacco. Hm … and they call this a Navy Flake?

I did not get to see this blend in its native flake configuration. Upon arrival the full three-ounce bag was already shredded into broken thin strains. Influenced by the pressing process, the presentation is ich handsome looking pile of colorful tobaccos. Dark, brown, golden, and yellow streams of alluring hues modeling all the noted Virginia family characters. The moisture level was almost perfect for pipe-ready experience.

Upon taking in the pouch note one is hit with just an impeccable sweet succulent perfume of native tobacco. Notes of sugary citrus, soft hay and doughy bread are accented by hints of raisin and dark fruit accents make this a wonderful experience all of which transfer through to the overall taste. One might think there are additives on this blend as prevalent sweetness is so pronounced it is somewhat deceiving. Newminster Navy Flake is rather simple and straight-up. That does not mean that lacks passion or is characterless, but it is amazingly uncomplicated in its essence. No plain-Jane but a great study in a native straight Virginia, although badged as a Navy Flake. It is what it is and that is okay by me. I do know the more I smoked it, the more I liked.

Extremely mild and creamy, one experiences a zesty base of grassy sweetness of the Bright nicely meshed with the deeper earth tones coming from the companion Red. The flavor is generally toasty, bready, smoky, and decidedly sweet. I reminded me of cooked caramel-brown sugar or baked honey with kisses of nutmegish herbal spiciness very subtle, but pleasantly abiding all the same. A nice tang or citrusy lemon accent hits on the high notes that melds beautifully into the overall body arriving at a rich flavored and colorfully balanced smoke. The mixture makes a statement on how to properly combine and nest assorted Virginia strains. Final note: 1/3 the way down the flavor deepens and progress to a more hearty-full and less sweet temperament.

The on-following room note is almost non-distinguishable as compared to others. Exceptionally light, sweet grassy perfume textured within a lovely blue grey cloud of smoke as it burns. My wife did not complain on this one, so I take that as a good indicator of its tolerability. The body of smoke produced is genuinely medium in density and tended to thin-out rather quickly.

Overall, the flake burns slowly but I did start to get a little roughness at my normal drawl cadence. So, word to wise, slow sip this one else the whole thing tends to lean to the hotter side, However, with a more relaxed and measured smoking, Navy Flake can be a satisfying and mellow experience. The nicotine impact is minimal mostly like due to the skillful rationing of Bright to Red.

One thing that I am coming to grips with is there is a high degree of subjectivity on the standing language of what is red versus what is maroon in the world of piping. And at the end of the day, being abso-pure on the labeling conventions of this passion I am beginning to wonder if it really matters More importantly, although I have been at this fun for quite some while now, I am accepting of the fact that I continue to learn something related and new every day.

Lesson of the day: we see what we seek not what is in front of us if we allow pre-judgement or false wisdom to cloud our vision. A potato is a pa-tah-to and most definitely a Navy Flake is a Navy Flake if one allows it to be so.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula

Age When Smoked: Fresh & 1 month jarred

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigar.com

Similar Blends: .

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2021-03-31		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

I've had this before in the past. A lot of not-good things were going on back then so I never took the time with this one and somehow lost my sample. I do remember I wasn't too impressed with it. So I decided to get 4 oz and give it another shot.

This stuff is cased with an obvious maple sugar casing. I cant smell the Virginia's because of the casing. But it's not offensive at all. It's a little wet but didnt find it needed any drying time.

From beginning to end it's a consistent dark profile of maple sweetness, bread, nuttiness, a mild creaminess, slight woody notes, and just a very almost unnoticeable amount of spice. The dark sweetness does build some as you go down the bowl but only by a notch or two. The body starts off on the very low end of medium and builds up to the high end at the last 1/3 of the bowl. Have to relight more often than normal but that's not an issue. No tongue bite and very smooth.

A very nice flake that has a aged quality to it. This is in the realm of your darker, earthier side of Virginia's. Comparable to Dunhil Dark Flake, and Robert McConnell Black Flake, but without perique. Very mature and tame. It may get better with age but its excellent fresh.

Only draw back is the casing does seem to get in the way of the Virginia's.

Updated 4-4-20

I'm dropping this to 1 star. No matter what I try, the casing/topping just gets in the way too much.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hrhf (38)	2021-03-29		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Newminster 400, Superior Navy Flake, is a great starting point for those looking to dabble in straight Virginias. It’s all-day tasty, mild to medium in flavor, mild in strength.

And, if you’re interested in dipping your toe into the pool of tobacco aging, I can’t think of a better starting point. You can get a pound for the price of 2-3 tins. Pretty much every smoker can find a way to throw a pound of this into some mason jars.

Then, in a year or two, you’ll have something even better than you started with.

You can do the same with Sutliff Virginia Slices or any of three Stokkebye Virginia-centric flakes. Or, better yet, all of the above.

For my taste, Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake probably benefits more from the aging, because I find new stock barely tolerable. But I put SNF at the top of my list of bulk Virginias, because it’s so doggone good fresh.

When I was trying to decide which bulk Virginia offering I would buy a pound of first for aging, I’d narrowed it down to this blend and Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake. I then spent about a week testing the two, smoking little else.

I came to the conclusion that, while they’re both relatively similar in flavor profile (to me), the Newminster flake had a little bit more of it. Flavor, that is.

Luxury Navy Flake is perfectly fine (although I don’t detect any of the alleged perique in the flake), but Superior Navy Flake is, well, superior.

And it’s not just better than other bulk Virginia flakes. I’d rate it well above Cornell and Diehl’s highly regarded Opening Night, which is downright pedestrian compared with SNF. It’s also better than Orlik Golden Sliced. Even (to me) better than GLP Union Square, which is a total plain jane of Virginias.

As a side note: I don’t have the best palate in the world, but this seems awfully close to Samuel Gawith Best Brown in my book.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Sutliff Virginia Slices, Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake, Samuel Gawith Best Brown.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CR (30)	2021-03-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This tastes like candy, and I love the raw aromatic tobaccos like this one. Sweet and sour is all I can say about it, though - folded and stuffed, rubbed out and packed the next day, cob or expensive briar, it always left my tongue sore before making mid-bowl, even quicker than the literal candy shop, puff-it-only cavendish my family enjoys as much as I do. But this is just sweet tobacco, so only other smokers will likely enjoy it with you. I actually never knew real tongue bite until I met Newminster 400, to be candid.

Now, Virginia flakes aren’t my favorite. I’m alright with Golden Sliced or any of Stokkebye’s VA flakes when it comes to bite, I don’t buy them often but I do enjoy them when I do. Russ Oulette has that Anniversary Cake everybody seems to love, and while I enjoyed its taste it was too hot and sharp for me to enjoy. This stuff, I could probably smoke this same 400 leaf ribbon cut and not pressed, without the excess moisture - it reminds me a little of my favorite daily smoke, D&R’s Wind Sail Platinum. That raw tobacco tastes a little like candy, too. But this stuff is on another dimension, and it leaves a sweet caramel kiss on the lips and tongue that dissipates into an earthy fog of nuts and grass as you exhale it. The next puff might be lemon drops, the next a summer field. Oh, it’s marvelous at first. There’s a snake amidst the vapors though, so beware.

Here, you take a handful of lemon-flavored SweetTarts and a caramel cube, chew it up for ten seconds then spit it out, split the tip of your tongue with a razor blade, then set your tongue on fire. Next, you set your tongue on fire again. Nature hates you, learn to sip it, practice in patience and all that. And I always thought the “practice in patience” bit was just keeping the pipe lit but cool enough to hold and still get a satisfying smoke. For the price, tobacco this good is always worth trying again, so I might do that someday.

I’m going to smoke some 403 and think it over. Sure, that can get hot and tire the mouth at times too, but not to the pain. That I still have some of this 400 tucked back in some tin in a box somewhere says enough for now.

Pipe Used: All of them

Age When Smoked: New/ 4 Months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gamzultovah (10)	2020-10-03		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Everything that needs to be said about his flake has already been said. It’s a sweet, mild and a fairly one dimensional all day smoke...the only thing that I can add to the conversation is that when dry puffed (puffing on your pipe before the initial light), I get the distinct flavor of toasted marshmallow. The wonderful thing about this is that it translates into the smoke as well. I love toasted marshmallows so this to me is a plus! I highly recommend this flake for that reason, but YMMV.

Pipe Used: Becker Dublin Morta

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-08-24		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Newminster, Superior Navy Flake: A decent, but not superior, navy flake

The flake is made up mostly of bright Virginias and some darker varietals. They produce grassy, sweet, and citrus undertones (in that order). It burns well without producing any tongue bite or becoming harsh. While I typically enjoy medium-bodied Va. flakes with more red or dark Virginias, I find the mild nature of this flake to be pleasant. However, there is a distinct aftertaste that I find to be unpleasant. Otherwise, this would be a solid three star flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	2piper (14)	2019-05-09		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is one excellent flake.

Sweet, smooth, creamy, fruity.

A true pleasure to smoke. Almost edible, it’s so delicious.

Lights easily. Burns easily and continuously. No need for drying it out.

Light up a bowl of this after a rough day on the job or a day full of life’s challenges. It’s a nice soothing salve for the soul.

Highly recommend.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from a B&M

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2019-04-04		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a nice, fairly standard, slightly grassy, light brown VA. The flakes are easily folded or shredded, and there might be a touch of extra brown sugar or molasses. If you're looking to try this type of VA, this is a good intro. If you like this sort of flake already, it's at a reasonable price point. Unless you only like aromatics or really powerful blends, it's worth giving it a try.

Pipe Used: cobs and meers

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Capstand Gold Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Screaming Jazz (6)	2018-10-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The bowl is at first a little bready. After a few minutes the dark, rich fruit flavours came out. Oh was this sublime. The breadiness stayed in the background complementing the sweetness. About halfway through the bowl, a little hint of caramel poked it's head out. It wasn't prominent, but it really added to the blend. Stayed lit through most of the bowl. No drying time needed. Enjoy! 8.7/10

Pipe Used: Butz Choquin D'Accord

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Little Steven (76)	2018-03-13		Mild	Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

I love virginia tobacco I do. But I am cursed with the fact that I get a chemical burn (I read somewhere that it's the oral ph balances and sugar or something). But I keep on trying because they are a delight albeit short lived.

Newminster have produced a fantastic tobacco here. Mr B mentioned a doughy flavour. Yes, there it is and it's loverly! Who'd have thought it?

They call it Superior. What's their Inferior like? What I'm getting at it that this is not the best quality tobacco. But that's fine. It's not always I want to savour the finesses of a Lafitte Rothchilde. Most times I just want a coldie.

So all in all a very good blend to be recommended.

Pipe Used: Stanwell billiard.

Age When Smoked: A few months.

Purchased From: Tobacco Online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2018-03-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm slowly starting to come around to camp Virginia and No. 400 here has been a great counselor. For a flake, it had the perfect feel and moisture content, and rubbed out great. The initial aroma had less of the anticipated barn/hay oder, and instead gave a off a pleasant honey vapor.

Everything stayed lit and burned for the long haul, dispensing a nice sweetness all the while. Not a refined sugar, but the kind of sweetness that is much more dialed back and found only in natural things. I would say it was a mild smoking experience with a tad bit of body creeping towards medium strength.

Try not to puff too hard however, as you may get a little tongue sting, loss of flavor, and some spittle. It is for this reason I considered it a 2 star blend. This stuff is meant for a laid back approach.

I'm not entirely sure what Newminster is known for, but I think they did a fine job with this flake. It was 180 degrees different from the Blackberry Brandy blend I just quaffed from them, so maybe they can just do it all.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StageCarp (8)	2017-09-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

A very pleasant, straight forward Virginia flake here. The only tobacco I buy by the pound. Best smoked slowly... not breaking up the flakes too finely. A light, non-cloying sweetness, and an overnote of baking bread. Not a lot of complexity, but sometimes simple good smoke is what I want. I keep coming back to this one. The price & quality make this a bargain, but if this were in a tin and priced higher, I'd still purchase. I'd recommend anyone with a liking for this style of tobacco try a sample.

Pipe Used: cobs, Savenelli Oom Paul

Age When Smoked: as purchased fresh

Purchased From: pipes & cigars

Similar Blends: Orlick Golden Sliced, MacBaren Virginia No.1.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gahdzila (61)	2017-03-20		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Beautiful presentation, neat clean light-to-medium brown flakes. Moisture level is just fine.

This is mild Virginia, nothing else. There's nothing wrong with it, just nothing stands out. Fairly one dimensional. The good thing is, that one dimension is pretty good. Sweet, slightly grassy Virginia goodness from top to bottom.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this blend. But it just isn't my cup of tea. It's too bland and boring for me, and it doesn't have enough nicotine to scratch the itch.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Armeniandude (13)	2016-04-22		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

my first interaction with a flake. The smell is slightly fruity/grassy with honey. It almost smells like an aromatic but it isn't. Reminds me of a sweet summer smell. It smelled so good you almost want to eat it. Again, for my first time ever packing a flake, it packed and rubbed out easily to put a little kindling on top and fired right up. I only had to relight once or twice the whole bowl. It has a sweet grassy aroma, burned dry and cool, and overall was one of the better experiences I've had so far with pipe tobacco. Can't wait to try it again. I did let it dry out for an hour or two before packing and did not get any bite. I tend to smoke too fast sometimes and it still didn't bite. If you're looking for something really complex to contemplate on, move along. But if you're looking for something enjoyable just to sit out in the evening sun to relax and smoke something mild and sweet, this is up your alley.

Pipe Used: corn cob

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Virginia Flake, Lane Limited - 125th Anniversary.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HeadmasterOfHerf (25)	2023-02-01		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Always a tasty smoke.

The run topping is light enough to complement the natural Virginia flavors without overpowering them. Speaking of, the Virginias really shine here with a raisiny, citrusy flavor and lots of bread.

Be careful to not puff on it too hard though, because it will bite if allowed to. I’d recommend keeping some water or tea nearby to help.

All in all, a good bulk blend that I’d be haply to stock up on even more.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	b7q (54)	2023-01-12		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

When you open the bag, you get a honey scent, looks like a PS-400(But it doesn't taste like it), and is very easy to break and ignite.Reasonable price.

This is the featherweight I meet in Flake, a naturally sweet and hard-to-catch flavor.You can breathe from a pipe, it doesn't affect any of your work, and you don't have to expend energy analyzing its layers(I haven't quit smoking yet, so I needs a more advanced taste than cigarettes).

My friend, who has always liked to smoke Aro (Vanilla Custard Z92 and Spiced Rum #704), recently told me he was going to work up the courage to try Straight Virginia, I recommended this.Because he is not suited to smoking too powerful tobacco

Pipe Used: Briar&Meerschaum&Corn&Clay

Age When Smoked: new

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Soggio (1)	2022-08-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Don't understand why this flake is not in everyone's rotation, prefernce I am sure.

This is the most relaxing navy flake on the market in MHO. If sipped it will never bite,smokes well, taste is honest and steady. I smoke in a 320 bowl , the tobacco reacts well in that size smaller bowls seems to tyrn the smoke just a little edgy.

Enjoy this wonderful tobacco .

Pipe Used: Rossi 320 bowl

Age When Smoked: New but dry

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

Similar Blends: Hard to compare , it is that good.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2022-08-15		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is a very nice tobacco, and while it does not replace my favorite blend in this category (all hail OGS), I will definitely be stocking up on some of this, especially with its more than fair price in the bulk department.

This is a pretty straightforward flake of mostly bright Virginia tastes. It comes in rather large flakes, It would be very interesting to see a pipe that could accommodate a complete one of these folded and stuffed ( I know they are out there).

The tin note definitely hints to some sort of topping, but not to worry, this does not behave like a goopy aromatic. The topping is not really noticed in the taste, just a nice clean high end Virginia taste. The flakes come a little damp so some dry time is necessary, but they rub out very easily and behave very well in the combustion department (even better if given some air time).

A very nice blend, and have you seen the price of this stuff in bulk? Wowzer, who wouldn't put a pound or two away to sleep?

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bullmtl (2)	2022-07-25		Mild	Medium	Mild	Tolerable

Cheap enough, but don't know why I haven't identified the Glycerol before now...Probably why I haven't smoked it in a while. So now I've become a vaper?

Pipe Used: 604KS & other oompaul's

Purchased From: cupojoes

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaulMcCoy (78)	2021-10-10		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

It's a simple, mild, straight forward Virginia flake at an amazing price point. It reminds me of a chewy sour dough, and the room note has notes of bread and toast. Burns really well. Love it.

Pipe Used: Peterson 80s

Age When Smoked: fresh to 1 year

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.