Newminster No. 400 Superior Navy Flake

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

https://youtu.be/vpLb91twC0M

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 “

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.

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.

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.