Comoy's of London Cask #4 Stand Fast Navy

Comoy's Cask #4 has a jar note (this is a 2 oz bulk sample) that has notes of hay/grass a little citrus and a hint of earth. The smoke itself is VA forward with the hay notes leading the way. I also get some dark fruit notes and a tangy citrus note as well. Below this are notes of wood and earth. The perique is more felt than tasted. It does occasionally come out in the last half of the bowl. A note of figs and plum can be found in the background as well as a faint hint of that perique spice I love. This is a major criticism of the blend. There is just not enough perique to call this a VA/Per. So if you are looking for a traditional VA/Per this is not going to hit the sweet spot for you. The topping is sweet and slightly fruity I think. It could be rum and something else but I am not sure exactly what. Whatever it is it is very light and complements the tobacco very well. That said, I prefer other VA/Per's over this and it will not make a rotation. It might be worth a try if you are just getting into them. There is nothing inherently wrong with this blend but it is not outstanding either. The room note is tolerable overall a little too cigarette like to be pleasant. The nic hit is a the upper end of mild. This could be an all day smoke for the experienced smoker but it does have a bit of a rough edge so fast puffing may result in a little bite.

Sorry, this is poor stuff in my book. High hopes cracking that lovely foil seal - what nice packaging and presentation. Smells... a little fruity, sweet and mild. In the pipe, it manages to be both cloying and boring, this is quite a feat. The tobacco taste is... there, sorta... but watered down in some way. Whatever casing is present, this ubiquitious sweetness, it coats my mouth, reminds me of a cheap aromatic. And essentially that's what this is, it's a budget alternative to really good va/pers or Navy Flakes. So... okay. But given that Mac Baren Navy Flake is just a touch more expensive and twice as good, or something like Reiner 71 which is I guess probably twice as much in cost but... 10 times as good I see no reason to stockpile this or frankly even to finish the tin. Where ether of these offer integrated experiences with depths of spice/sweetness/toasted flavors, this offers an unpleasant harshness in the throat rather than a spice proper, and any sweetness from the leaf is overshadowed by the casing.

Pedestrian at best, unpleasant at worst. So many better things out there in this category.

I've tried both the tinned and bulk versions of #4 now which seem identical except for their respective ages.

I'll agree this is similar to LNF but I'm not sure they are the same beast (I enjoy both).

That said, the flakes in my bulk bag (the latest purchase) were broken up unlike the LNF. The cask #4 is made up with a variety of light and dark tobacco. They are easy to break up into chunks or to completely rub out for smoking.

Easy to light. The smoke to me is more VaPer than what I'd really think of as a true "NAVY" which to my thinking includes Rum Processing. This flake smokes great and offers a good VaPer experience. I can taste the virginias and the perique. It burns without need for relighting.

The Nic level to me is Medium with my tolerance. I can feel it in there but it doesn't bowl me over. The taste is peppery at times, grassy at times.. nothing spectacular but above average

I think with the LNFs lower bulk price point normally, that will be what remains in my cellar.

This tobacco lit easily with one match, and burned reliably all the way down with no relights. This was a solid smoke. Mostly virginia, with just a hint of perique. I picked up citrus and toasty hay notes, with an occasional bit of spiciness. This is a nicely balanced tobacco, especially if you don’t like too much perique. The smoke was good. Not thick and creamy, but pleasant. I don’t really have anything bad to say about this tobacco. It was not exceptional, but it was not bad.

Reminds me a lot of the Stokkebye and Newminister navy flakes.

If you like P.S. luxury flake you will like this too . That's because , I believe , that is exactly what it is . I am really getting sick of these duplicate blends at a higher price . So the manufacturers think that pipe smokers are all fools . Sure luxury flake is a really nice blend that I have smoked for years . You can buy a whole pound of it , in bulk , for much less than a equal amount of Cask #4 will cost you .I have also seen luxury flake used in other blends besides this Comoy's and always at a higher price . So , tobacco makers , give us a break and stop the baloney , label it for what it is and charge the right price .