Comoy's of London Cask #4 Stand Fast Navy

The word is that this is Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake sporting new clothes and an increase in price. Perhaps so. I don't have any LNF around to do a direct comparison, but this did smoke a lot like my memory of LNF, and I checked my tasting notes which seemed to concur. Same beautiful presentation of nicely cut flakes, same tin nose of dark fruit and hay, same nice bread notes with plummy perique and a top dressing of something that adds sweetness.

Somehow, however, I think this one hit me better. Perhaps it's the cool paintcan tin with the internal "tinfoil" cover. Perhaps it is a different blend. But this one was very, very good - almost a 4 star blend in my book. It was a little sweeter than I like, and by that I mean unnaturally sweet. But the sweetness wasn't overly citrusy, it was more of a mellow sweetness, like the difference between brown over white sugar. A nice toastiness with a hint of hay... kind of a moderately sweetened cereal nature that was very compelling. Burned beautifully, too, and took the match like a champ. Really nothing remotely negative to say in an objective sense. Not terribly complex but a tobacco that's steady on a very good flavor makes for a great blend. While this one might miss greatness by the smallest of margins, it's one I may buy again. More likely, I'll first buy some LNF and do a side-by-side. Well worth an audition for VaPer fans!

I reviewed LNF about a month ago and happened to have a couple of flakes left so I was able to do a side by side comparison with this flake.

Visually the two flakes are identical. Same size, same shape, same coloring. After rubbing I even noted the same identical looking stem shavings in each flake. There is a small difference in how they smell. The Comoy's has a slightly fruitier smell.

Smoking is where the real difference shows itself. If LNF has a topping it's too mild for me to detect. The Comoy's has an obvious topping that is sweet and very mildly fruity. The fruity note very closely resembles that of the Virginia leaf giving the illusion of a richer leaf. I rated the flavor of LNF as mild. The Comoy's is mild to medium. In fact, smoking LNF after having a bowl of Comoy's makes the LNF's flavor seem a bit dull. I rated LNF at 3 stars. I give Comoy's 3.5. I can't go 4 on either flake due to the lack of Perique. I prefer more in my VaPers. Both are very good smokes, but I prefer the Comoy's due to the richer flavor even if it is due to the topping.

In conclusion, those that say the two flakes are the same are correct. Those that say they are different are also correct. They're the same flake, but one is topped and the other is not. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The Comoy's is mild in body. Mild to medium in flavor. Burns very well.

EDIT: A note about price. If you buy in bulk the price of LNF is $2.58 an ounce. Comoy's is actually cheaper at $2.54 an ounce. Prices are from smokingpipes.com.

This is a very pleasant VaPer. The Virginia is on the bright end of the spectrum, and there is a great light citrus note. The perique is a light touch, but it is there and contributes to a great combination of flavors. Exhaling through the nose gives that distinctive perique tickle. I suspect a very light topping enhances the bright Virginia.

It has been too long since I have smoked PS LNF to make a really good comparison. From recollection, the experience is pretty similar. The Comoy flakes are thinner, and I think the smoke is a little smoother.

I got a pretty good sample of this from Erik Stokkebye at the Chicago Show this past year and really enjoyed it. To my good fortune, my local B&M is now stocking this. I plan on buying every can he brings into the shop.

This is a great VaPer that is pretty light in the Perique although it is still detectable and adds that nice touch of spice to compliment the extra sweet Virginias. I have seen many discuss that this is likely topped and I would not argue the point, as the sweetness does seem to be amplified by something, but it is done well similar to the way Dunhill Flake is topped. There is sweetness and citrus not unlike the Virginia Leaf's natural sweetness; just too abundant to be natural, yet with enough restraint that it maintains a position well outside the aromatic realm.

I really like it but am hesitant to give it more than three stars until I have had a chance to smoke a full can of it, something that will definitely happen as I have already put two in the cellar for later smoking.

There is also talk in the reviews that this is PS LNF under a different name. I refute that claim. This is substantially fuller and bolder tasting to me than LNF. As this can also be bought in bulk, I would highly recommend this blend to those buying LNF in bulk as I find this to be a superior product (YMMV) and priced about the same, and sometimes less, in bulk.

Comoy's of London - Cask #4.

Note: this is from bulk as opposed to a tin, hence moisture was not an issue.

The flakes are a bit on the thin side, so rubbing them out is extremely non-demanding. And then the igniting of #4 is about as easy as'd want. With the smoke, the burn's good, it's not too warm, and it's pretty decent.

Initially: It tastes to me as though there's a pinch of Brown Cavendish in there, it isn't as headstrong as a lot of VaPers can be, as if either some Cavendish has been included, or a calming flavouring has been added. The Virginia seems stronger for the first part of the smoke: lemon and grass, but this soon calms down. The flavour changes a touch as I get down the bowl: a sort of bread/dough character develops. It's at this point where I start to appreciate #4 more than I did at the beginning.

The nicotine amount suits me, I find it just below medium, and the room-note's pleasant enough.

My first bowl didn't leave me exactly impressed, but after a few it's grown on me! I don't 'love' it, but feel happy giving it a recommendation:

Three stars.

I bought this tobacco by bulk. Looks like PS's Luxury Navy Flake and the taste is also close but a little bit less sweetness. I can say this is quality blend,taste good,and no tongue bite. Unfortunately, not the best for me so minus one star.

Synopsis: A solid Va/per with more bright Virginia leaf and less perique than Escudo/Dunhill DNLR

The Virginias are at the forefront of this blend and are nice and grassy with slight hints of citrus fruit. The perique is lightly applied with a hint of spice that helps give the blend some character while at the same time rounding off the rough edges of the Virginias. There seems to be a little sweetness coming from a light sugar topping, but it enhances the flavors of the Virginias.

The flakes rub out evenly and smoke very well. I do get some noticeable tongue bite and a little harshness, but it is not too bad.

Comoy's Cask #4 is not as spicy as Escudo, though the perique seems to be of the same lot and flavor profile—just toned down. The Virginias in #4 do smoke with a more crisp mouthfeel that lacks the depth of flavors in Escudo. This is not a bad thing, but I do find #4 to be lighter and more straight forward when it comes to taste.

In comparing Comoy's Cask #4 to G. L. Pease Stratford or Telegraph Hill, I found the perique to offer different flavor notes, with G. L. Pease's blends tasting more of dark fruit and a sweeter spice used in baking, while those used in #4 contributing only a little spiciness. Additionally, the red Virginia's used in the G. L. Pease's blends offer more earthy notes in comparison to the crisp smoke of Cask #4.

In comparison to Orlik Golden Sliced, Comoy's Cask #4 does not seem to have a citrus topping and definitely has a more noticeable amount of perique.

3.5 stars

This tobacco is absolutely identical to Peter Stokkeby's Luxury Navy flake. My advice is to buy whichever is cheaper, usually Stokkeby. When MacBaren Navy Flake went up in price I switched to Stokkeby's which is almost the same but very slightly milder.

I'll skip the debate and just say that this is a very enjoyable VaPer, but from my naive palate I would say it is lighter on the perique.

At the beginning of the bowl, I definitely picked up a few figgy flavors from the added perique, but I didn't notice an overwhelming spice or nicotine hit.

This tobacco smokes smooth, dry and cool throughout the entire bowl. Enjoyable down the the very last flakes of ash.

If you like flavorful virginia tobaccos that lean toward the sweeter side, you may want to grab a tin of this tobacco. Nothing jumps out, just a delicious tobacco.