Watch City Cigar Flake #558

(3.70)
558 is a decadent "Crumble Flake" of three different Virginias and perique. A rich matured Virginia, a deep, dark stoved Virginia and the highest grade of bright Virginia is used as a backdrop for a heavy dose of perique. Rich and satisfying with a subtle natural sweetness.
Notes: Blender's note- Some well meaning fellow edited the original description of this blend to say it contains Kentucky fire cured. This blend absolutely does NOT contain even a trace of Kentucky or fire cured of any form. This is a blend of Virginias and perique only.

Details

Brand Watch City Cigar
Blended By Ernie Q.
Manufactured By Sutliff Tobacco Company
Blend Type Virginia/Perique
Contents Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Krumble Kake
Packaging Bulk
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.70 / 4
17

5

1

0

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 23 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 30, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable to Strong
The matured, bright and stoved Virginias offer some tangy dark fruit, bread, tart and tangy citrus, sour lemon, floralness, grass, vegetation, mild sugar, and a lot of earth and wood as the lead components. In a support position, the earthy, woody perique has more tingly spice than it does raisins, figs, sour plums, and dates. I would call this a crumble cake, and not a flake. The strength and taste thresholds are medium. The nic-hit is a slot below the strength level. Well balanced with a very consistent, mildly sweet, lightly sour and rather spicy, rugged, savory, deeply rich flavor, it burns very slow, clean and cool no matter how you rub it out. No dull, weak or harsh spots, and leaves virtually no moisture at the finish. Requires some relights. Won't bite no matter how far you push it, though it does have some rough edges. Has a pleasantly lingering after taste, and stronger room note. Not quite an all day smoke, but it is repeatable.

-JimInks
28 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 18, 2014 Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant
Another classic from Ernie Q, this VePer with Kentucky crumb cake is a bit darker in color than his Slices. The aroma is sweeter and tangier as well, which is far from surprising. Ernie moves to the Virginia spectrum but still adds a bit of Kentucky to keep this one from hovering towards the "too sweet". As a result, it's excellent.

The tang from the Virginias is not of the typical "grassy" nature but more of a sweet hay. The perique strikes a perfect balance between darkly sweet and spicy that works wonderfully, while the Kentucky provides a bit of down home grit to the proceedings. This was another blend that just wouldn't stay out of my pipes. Generally I smoke a lot of bowls of my favorites alongside the blends I'm reviewing but this and the Slices wouldn't hear of it. Those two blends are extremely complementary, one being bold and earthy and the other tangy and "upscale". I have no doubt this one will age beautifully. If you have yet to check out the Watch City blends, don't wait any longer. I wish I had gotten onboard sooner.
18 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 01, 2014 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
How many cigar/pipe shops in America still create their very own flakes and kakes? My guess is that it is less than five. But as with the other flakes and kakes that I have tried from Watch City, Flake #558 doesn’t disappoint. #558 is a flake that is cut a little on the thick side and the pouch sent offers a deep, earthy, slightly sweet scent. Flake #558 is comprised of red, bright and stoved Virginias with added perique. The flake is a little on the darker side than Old Dominion, another WC flake I am working my way through. I thought there might be just a pinch of added Cavendish in there too, but it was just the effect the stoved had on the blend. But that is just a guess. Due to the thickness of the flake, I prefer to let it dry a bit and then break it up into small pieces with a little fully rubbed out to get the party started. In the pipe, this is one smooth flake with no hint of bite. #558 burns cool and slightly sweet. Kudos to Watch City on another fine blend. I can’t wait to see what three or four years in the cellar will do to this one. Good stuff!
PurchasedFrom: Watch City Cigar
16 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 11, 2017 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
This is another great blend by Watch City. I purchased a couple of ounces of this about 6 months ago in a mega order I placed. I did not order the Flake 556, but was fortunate enough to have a friend send me some while I was smoking through the 2 ounces of 558. I actually preferred 556 to the 558, but I really liked them both.

The tin notes of both blends were very similar in that it had a smell of tangy fruit; sort of like the way cranberry juice smells. It reminded me a little of the smell of C & D Exhausted Rooster; another blend I really enjoy.

In appearance, the flakes are more like thin cakes, or thick flakes that rub out effortlessly. They are pretty much what you are accustomed to seeing if you like Seattle Pipe Club's Mississippi River. Both are produced by Sutliff and both are great. They crumble out extremely easily and are actually kind of fun to deal with.

It isn't until you light 556 and 558 that you notice any real difference and that is when it is obvious that one has burley added in. The DFK in 558 is noted as lightly added, but I found it to be a big component of that blend. It was pretty nutty/earthy, particularly when contrasted against the uber sweetness contained in 556.

As I said, I do enjoy both and I think both are wonderful representative blends in the VaPer and VaBurPer Genres. Both are probably deserving of four stars, but with 558, I have had too many VBP blends that I actually prefer to this one, so my subjective rating is three stars. If I were to go objective on this, I would give it four stars.
Pipe Used: Peterson Deluxe System 2s
PurchasedFrom: Watch City Cigar
Age When Smoked: 6 months
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 06, 2017 Medium Very Mild Medium Tolerable
Long, thick black flakes that are more krumble kake than flake. Imagine a VaPer with all sweet and no spice, and add a little Kentucky for a smoky, savory counterpoint. This is really like no VaPer I ever smoked, and it's extra delicious.

What to say? I love VaPers and this one is way, way above average. I don't understand how a small tobacconist in Massachusetts is coming up with bespoke blends that are this good. This and their Slices are absolute must try tobaccos.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 06, 2021 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Unnoticeable
I have been smoking this on and off for the past few weeks, one of a trio that I bought along with Old Dominion and The Churchwarden. The “flake” which I have to concur with several other reviewers is really a crumble cake sliced into about ¼ inch blanks is an excellent smoke, somewhat on the semi-sweet, slightly sour side of the spectrum, if that makes any sense, and guessing the Kentucky and perique shows itself toward the end of the bowl. Probably best to crumble this up and let it dry some as I had a tough time keeping this one light but consider it operator error. Nice middle of the road kind of smoke. I would like to see how this ages.

Update 082521: This evening I was smoking this and read "Blender's note- Some well meaning fellow edited the original description of this blend to say it contains Kentucky fire cured. This blend absolutely does NOT contain even a trace of Kentucky or fire cured of any form. This is a blend of Virginias and perique only." Glad to see Ernie Q. set em straight.
Age When Smoked: New
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 28, 2019 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
It's very, very good. The stoved VAs are at the forefront for me. There is a lot of tangy, ripe, dark fruit. The perique likely contributes to that, and while I don't find it spicy in flavor, I do notice a bit of a spicy tingle on the lips and mouth. The Kentucky adds a bit of body and stoutness, but I don't get much of that BBQ smokiness. It's very well-blended. I bet this ages an absolute dream. I just find myself reaching for my jar all the time.

Recommended for fans of: McClelland VAs, H&H Anniversary Kake, some of the Pease VaPers.

Strength I'd peg at medium for both nicotine and flavor. YMMV, of course
PurchasedFrom: Watch City Cigar
Age When Smoked: Fresh From Vendor
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 02, 2018 Mild to Medium Medium Medium to Full Pleasant
A kind friend gave me a small sample of this leaf. Well...it has now rocketed to the top of my favourites. Ernie Q. is a skillful blender that's for sure. The leaf smokes fairly easily and has a most pleasant and full taste. A great pipe out walking on a moonlit night. Absolutely highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Cob
PurchasedFrom: Gift
Age When Smoked: A year or so?
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 05, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable to Strong
Watch City Cigar's No. 558 Flake is a broken flake that rubs out easily, yields up figgy Perique, smoky and spicy Kentucky and hay-like Virginias. What a treat! When asked to describe the room note, my family voted "strong." Delicious all the way through - - if you like Perique you'll really like this one (Perique is toned down from the similar No. 556). Moisture in my batch (a free sample) was just right.

A dry and cool smoke that is never boring nor too sweet. This just tastes really, really good. Nicotine is about in the middle. Another great Watch City blend. Their blends are just really special, and if you haven't tried them you really should. If every other tobacco source disappeared but WC, I would miss a lot of great tobacco but could get by just fine with WC's marvelous (and high-rated) blends.
Age When Smoked: Fresh
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 27, 2015 Medium None Detected Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Fat, juicy flakes with a pouch aroma that's mostly perique with some nice matured Virginia and a hint of leathery Kentucky.

Nice and moist, rubs out easily. A bit of drying time does it some good. Smoking a very fresh batch, I've had a slight gurgle when I light it up too fast.

The smoke itself is on the thin side; no billowy clouds of white here.

The flavor is all spice and leather. The sharpness of the perique is very noticeable, held up on a solid spine of pleasant, well-behaved Virginias. The dark fired is very much in the background but provides a nice, subtle, earthy accompaniment. The room note is spicy and a bit pungent, but not overpowering.

Despite the flavorful components, this seems like it could be an all-day smoke, especially for perique lovers.
3 people found this review helpful.
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