Tobaccos Butera - Blended Flake (Royal Vintage)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2014-05-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Broken flake ranging in color from deep mahogany to strands of blonde, with a deep rich aroma unlike typical McClelland Virginias. Sort of a musty, sour aroma. Reminded me a bit of McC's #24 at first but direct comparisons showed me that they are quite different.

This is one of those unusual blends that struck me differently at different times. Certainly it always smoked like a VA/Oriental, but occasionally a type of burley flavor came through - almost like a less sweet Uhle's Blend 00. As there is no burley here, I'm unsure what to make of this. Sometimes the perique was noticeable, but not always - at least not in the flavor. Sometimes I got the nose tickle but not the taste of it and sometimes I could taste it well in the background. The sweet-sour interplay of the Virginias and the orientals was at times excellent and at times sort of mediocre. I guess that means this is a complex blend but it didn't hit me as such. However it started out is how each bowl ended - it's just that they often started out differently than each subsequent bowl. Odd indeed.

As I've had great success with both McClelland and Butera blends (go figure), I had high expectations for this one, and that may have been the reason I found this sort of blasé. It's a fine blend but it doesn't live up to the greatness those names invoke. Still I found it intriguing enough that I'm going to keep my other two tins and age them, just to see what the future holds. Try it if you're looking for a Virginia blend with a strong oriental presence that is very light on the perique.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum and morta

Age When Smoked: 2 years

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2005-08-29		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I have almost finished my first tin, and I can't say I am overly impressed by this tobacco. My tin has been aged for a couple of years after purchase, I must remark.

Many others have said what the components of this blend are, and their contribution to the taste, so I won't digress any longer as they are quite accurate.

What puzzles me a bit is that while the interplay of the different tobaccos is quite lively and you can feel the different kinds of leaf quite well, the overall result is underwhelming to my taste buds. Probably this means that the balance is superb, but I often find it too weak and dull, lacking in any oomph. Sure, there is a nice tangy red virginia sweetness, some perique sourness and the orientals have a nice character... but at times I also feel a slightly ashy, cigarettish taste.

Anyway, it burns smooth and extremely cool, which is a definite plus. The tin aroma is excellent (if you can stand the McClelland trademark smell...), very fruity and slightly "putrid" (in a nice way)... but the taste is not as lively or rich as some of my favorite offerings from this brand.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-11-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

To me, the list of ingredients is irresistable: McClelland Virginias, Perique, and Orientals. One of the few non-Latakia Oriental blends on the market. This will please McClelland Virginia lovers due to its loyalty to full-range flavors and a zesty top-tier. It will also appeal to those folks who find McClellands too "thin" or biting, because the Oriental and the Perique cool the smoke and widen the flavor spectrum. The component tobaccos are well-integrated, and there is nice complexity that urges you to stop analyzing it and just enjoy it. Age makes this even better.

Addendum: The Red Virginias provide the dominant flavor here, while the other leaf is beautifully combined. The tin aroma is classic McClelland, while the initial room aroma could almost be described as floral (in a cherry blossom sense, not a Lakeland sense). There is some bite threat along the sides of the tongue (odd). The Perique picks up at 1/4 bowl, adding a nice winey tone and some oomph. The floral tone backs off and transitions into a fragrant toastiness. As the zestiness and heat danger subsides, the strength increases, though not overwhelmingly by any means.

After a one-hour DGT at 1/3 bowl, the floral tone re-asserts itself very pleasantly, as well as a hint of cigar-like richness. (Well complemented by an IPA). The top range has just enough zest to give a sparkle and a touch of green tea bitterness (nice). The mid-range is solid and sweet with Virginias, with the toasty/marshmallow flavors for which McClelland Virginias are famous; as well as hints of exotic spice, orange peel, undefined herbal tones, and a tone/smoothness of chocolate without the actual chocolate flavor. This blend LIVES in the mid-range.

The bass range holds the cigar-like tone, and a spicy/licorice aspect rare for natural tobacco bass ranges. Baking cake sweetness is also present. As the pipe approaches the 2/3 mark, the complexity, integration of flavors and sweetness continue to rise, with the interplay of these very nice component tobaccos doing wonderful things at a smoulder.

A two-day DGT (not intentional) doesn't hurt this blend. The mid-range picks up a very mild peachy tone, the top range sweetness more than hints at caramelized sugars. A slightly musty, but good, tone stretches from the lower mid-range to the mid-bass range, probably in part due to the Perique. The borders between the ranges fade completely.

Rich, complex, but not heavy. This tobacco is one of those blends that is unlike any other. A must-try for those who like non-Lat Oriental/VA blends. Not as complex as Cairo, but a bit more flavorful.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-04-09		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is remarkable in every way.

Popping the tin makes my mouth water every time. There is a certain refined tanginess (not vinegar, but cooked fruit) and sweetness from the flue-cured leaf that compels a deep inhale.

The reward is subtle cocoa and spice fragrances, undertones from the Perique and Orientals. No Latakia here and it is not missed, even from one that is an English blend aficionado.

The tin reviewed here is eight years old according to the date on the tin itself from the McClelland folks.

The moisture level was perfect, drier than most of MCC's blends. The short, squat flakes are leathery and require some vigor to rub out. They defy being folded or lightly crumbled.

Once broken up, Blended Flake is easy to load, which is a bit firmer than I pack ribbons or even other flakes for that matter.

A thorough charring light, tamper and relight release clouds of incense to Heaven. With a little attention, this will smoke all the way down without relighting.

The burn is cool, dry, clean, and even to a whitish ash. Nary a bite for this sensitive tongue.

This is a true symphony. Each leaf brings distinct notes from the match. The score is complex ala Mozart; flavors migrating from the sweet, mature flue-cured to the ineffable Perique, and back to Turkish delight. This all just deepens as the bowl burns down.

How a blend can be this rich, aromatic, fullish flavored and tolerable to the constitution all at once is magical to me.

When this tobacco is burning, it reminds me of Carolina barbeque that is being smoked and basted with that tangy, smooth and non-cloying sauce I crave. Blended Flake belongs to the realm of the delicious and addictive category of tastes and aromas.

I am not aware of another blend that fits within this category. It has a place on my "top shelf" and ample space in the aging room.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2016-03-17		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Over the past couple of weeks I have been going through my little stash of Butera blends and some have proved to be exceptional and others not my favorite. Blended Flake is a good example of a broken flake VaPer using excellent quality leaf as always provided by McClelland which is IMO almost a must for Perique blends since McClelland uses the real thing: St. James Perique, not that fake Arcadian Perique which as I understand it is Burley that's cured in the same manner as the real thing but to me does not taste the same. I have tried both on their own and the real thing is spicier and has more plum like qualities. BF has an almost perfect percentage of components resulting in a mild VaPer with added Orientals that can be smoked all day without tiring the palate. I much prefer St. James Woods since it has an ethereal Sweet and Sour sauce like flavor and amazing Perique finish, also I prefer my VaPer's to not contain any Orientals. BF did not bite me at all even with a hot bowl and had a mild to medium nicotine content. Although the signature McClelland tin note is present in BF, it is in no way overwhelming and I did not detect any sort of topping over the delicious tang of Perique. The room note was described as a classic Pipey aroma and was not detested so that's a plus. Another 2 and a half star blend for me but in this case I will round down to 2, this is a crowded field and although a tasty, well though out and high quality flake, I prefer other VaPers over it.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-01-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Smells like a McClelland. Tastes like a McClelland. In the first one quarter of the bowl the Virginias are right on the edge of biting. Calmed down after that and became very enjoyable. All the components are nicely balanced contributing equal amounts of flavor. Medium bodied, medium flavored. As much as I liked this I have to say that I prefer Low Country's Waccamaw for a VaPerOr. It's flavors are richer than these and it's also a bit cheaper. This is a good blend though and I'm glad I tried it.

Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (317)	2013-12-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Even though, as many have remarked, you can tell McClellend blended this as soon as you pop the top, that did not carry over into the smoke for me. Instead, this seemed a very nicely balanced blend, neither the VAs, the Orientals, or the Perique stood out, but all were there. Overall, this is a very pleasant smoke, but nothing memorable about the taste. What is memorable, however is that while flakes tend to smoke more slowly than most other tobaccos, this was one of the slower burning flakes I've come across. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is probably yes.

Pipe Used: briars, meerschaums, cob

Age When Smoked: 18 months

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2006-11-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Oriental/Virginia flakes are some of my favorite tobaccos. On the deeper tasting end you have McClellands Virginia No.24, on the higher sweet and tangy end you have the old Asfton Pebble Cut and Blended Flake. The virginias are sweet and tangy, and the orientals are rich and edgy. Sort of a tart razorblade for the tongue. If you like the type, it is a good, if somewhat strident iteration, not nearly as laid back as Mat.VA 24 or the Grand Oriental line, but interesting is you are wavering between tangy offerings.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2002-04-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

This one is nice. The Virginias are lemony and tangy. Maybe a little over the top for my personal tastes for an all day smoke and there's a little bite if smoked at a fast pace. I'm sure that vanishes with age as this one has all the makings of a delightful aged blend.

If you are a fan of stoved Vrginia blends, you will like this one.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3023)	2015-08-12		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The “vinegar” is mostly in the smell of the tobacco, and quickly disappears after you light up. The red Virginia is tangy, slightly earthy with a dark fruitiness. The flue-cured Virginia is citrusy with a very mild grass/hay, and melds well with the red Va. The perique is a supporting player, kind of spicy with some raisin and fig notes, though I don’t always notice it. The Oriental is also a supporting player, a little woody, and is responsible for the occasional dry, sour hits. It’s not as complex as it ought to be, and there is a little flavor inconsistency during the smoke. Has a mild nic-hit. Won't bite. Burns clean and slow and may need some dry time. Expect relights. Will leave some moisture in the bowl. Has a decent after taste. An all day smoke.

-JimInks

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2014-04-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I'd been meaning to try Blended Flake for a while, so when I came across an 11-year-old tin, I knew I had to buy it. Popping the top, I was greeted not with the usual McClelland vinegar smell, but the rich aroma of fermented fruit, cinnamon, and allspice. Reminded me a little of spiced rum. The tobacco is covered with glittery little sugar crystals. Really wonderful.

I picked out a couple of the largest flakes, and folded and stuffed them into an old favorite Stanwell. In my zeal to try it, I neglected to dry the tobacco and got straight to smoking it. While the taste was heavenly, my aggressive puffing and constant relights led to me roasting my tongue and having to take a day off from pipe smoking to recover.

Subsequent bowls have been more enjoyable. Most of the flakes have fallen apart in my tin. I don't know if that's how it always is, or if age has caused them to disintegrate some. In any case, I try to keep the pieces as intact as I can, drying them for a little while before packing.

This is an extremely enjoyable, creamy, slightly spicy smoke with the Virginias providing a sweet foundation. The perique has mellowed and melded with the other tobaccos to the point where I can't detect it separately except for a little pepperiness on lighting and when exhaling through the nose. I'm sure the perique contributes to the overall flavor, but to me Blended Flake smokes more like a Virginia-Oriental, at least at this age. So if perique isn't your thing, don't let that deter you from trying this gorgeous smoke.

When dried, it smokes easy and cool, burning completely to the bottom of the bowl with a dry, gray ash. I'm enjoying this tobacco immensely. It's really something special in my opinion.

Age When Smoked: 11 years (2003 tin code)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2014-01-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Creamy, flavorful, and tangy. Has that slight McVinegar when first lit. Virginias play the major role, but they are supported by a good amount of Perique and fine orientals. The blend is sweet but on the dark side and full bodied. Reminds me very much of "Tudor Castle" or maybe one of the McC Cajun series blends , Dark? I believe the processing is similar with that, "Pressed Stewed Perique" process. The overall blend is smooth , without bite and the flavor lasts the entire bowl without bitterness. Probably better than any of the for mentioned blends. I do agree with those that say to let this breath and dry before smoking. I'd be a buyer again.

Pipe Used: Osark Cherry wood

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Similar Blends: Tudor Castle, Royal Cajun Dark.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-09-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Medium to dark brown broken flakes which deepen and homogenize somewhat in color as the tin is allowed to breathe, the aroma is rich and a bit spicy with an inviting earthy quality. While easily rubbed out to suit just about any preference, the flakes are tinned quite moist and require a bit of initial drying before coming anywhere near the pipe. Experimenting with a variety of preparations is suggested, as the character of the smoke has a tendency to change noticeably at varying degrees of moisture and with various styles of rubbing and packing. This reviewer has found the blend to perform at its best when in between just slightly pliable to a few ticks away from crispy, and when moderately rubbed out to just a bit chucky. Individual mileage will vary, of course, depending on pipe and preference.

Dominated by a mild woody spice, in the bowl Blended Flake offers dark notes of citrus and black tea alongside flavors reminding of figs, currants, and lychee. The piquant character of the Perique is notable throughout the bowl and at times seems intensified by the Oriental leaf. Securely coupled to a core of semi-sweet, aged Virginia, these two components are distinct enough to be recognized with little effort while at the same time creating enough of a synergy to generate a whole which at times transcends all three. While not a ‘balanced blend', Blended Flake is certainly not ‘out of balance' either. A smoke which seems to shift and change as one works his way through the tin, an interesting range of divergence and convergence are revealed as increased familiarity brings the blend's various aspects into focus. Medium to just a tad mild in body, the finish is long and lingering.

There is something about a Virginia-Perique-Oriental blend in a flake preparation which this reviewer finds eminently satisfying, and McClelland has done a nice job in producing an example which stands up to other well-known representatives of the genre – both those birthed in Kansas City and those coming from further afield. Blended Flake is a standout among Butera's Royal Vintage line and deserves the consideration of a wider audience than perhaps it has been given thus far. This review is based on a tin dated 2004, and while certainly more than ready to smoke at that vintage it does seems that laying some up to age for much longer would not go unrewarded.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-01-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

First off the tobacco in the tin I have is not ready rubbed, but is in flake form. The tin aroma is wonderful, spicy, sweet,tobacco without flavoring. It packs ok as it is a bit moist out of the can. It charrs and relights without problems. It does not burn as nice and evenly as it would if it were a rubbed out blend as advertised. The taste is the important thing, and the taste is very nice. The blend is not too strong in nicotene either. It is a good smoke and worthy of many returned visits for any smoker who likes natural tasting tobacco, or some one who wants a non aromatic-non latakia blend. I am of the understanding that this tobacco is actually from McClelland. I'm not sure if this is true, but if it is I wonder under what name it is sold by.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	haredawg (47)	2018-01-17		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I had taken a break from pipe smoking, was doing e-cigs for a while. E-cig reviews are pretty silly, it's a good review if it tastes like watermeleon and kiwi. Tobacco I had cellared seemed a little to sacrosanct into I got back into the rhythm, so I bought a number of american blends. It seems everyone, including butera, in america is using McClelland Virginians. The ketchup smell has turned into a vinegar smell. I don't know why I dislike that so much, it's not like it tastes like it smells, but, yeah, it bothers me. That's why I'm giving it a lower ranking, not the lowest because I didn't dump the bowl, but I'm smoking it in my S. Bang either.

Pipe Used: Radice Hawkbill, dunhill billard

Age When Smoked: 57

Purchased From: Smoking pipes.

Similar Blends: GL Pease Fillmore..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2017-06-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Wow...this is fantastic, the tin I am smoking has 14 years of age on it, so this may not apply to fresher vintages, but this one is spectacular. The tin smells like the tobacco was stored in a port wine cask, with a deep dark fruit and earthy aroma. The taste in the pipe is sublime, I taste the Red Virginias mostly, the Orientals and the Perique are unnoticeable, but I do believe that would miss them if they were not there, as the years have muted their distinct flavors and they have become a spice for the Red Virginia. There is a rich tobacco flavor is up front, make no mistake, but the addition of the Perique and the Orientals has caused the blend to become greater than the sum of its parts. I would give this five stars if i could.

Pipe Used: many briars

Age When Smoked: 2003-14 years old at review

Purchased From: local B&M

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2016-09-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Butera - Blended Flake (Royal Vintage).

I'm not too sure why it's currently badged 'Ready Rubbed', my tin contains some fairly dark, only ever-so slightly broken flakes. They're on the thicker side so need a thorough rub if you like your flakes to resemble a shop bought ready rubbed mixture. I just give them a gentle fold and break, then stuff them straight in.

I opened this as my morning smoke, and it will fill that vacancy perfectly. The flavour's deep and rich. I find the Perique mellower for the first part of the smoke; the main flavour's a buttery and creamy Oriental/Turkish one, initially. It takes a while for the Perique to come over. The burn's very good from Blended Flake and not too quick; mind you, I have mine virtually folded and stuffed and that usually keeps the burn slower. Although this was opened as my morning blend I think it would be great any time of day; it doesn't bite, the nicotine's medium, the taste would be good to relax with as an evening smoke yet it would also give me that 'get up and go' in the morning.

I enjoy this a great deal: highly recommended.

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Peder Jeppesen

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	balkan_boy (49)	2015-02-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This smells like McClelland in the tin. I don't like that Ketchup note, so that's a minus if that matters at all. When smoked however it's awesome. Different types of tobaccos are clearly distinctive. Flavors are not "married" and mixed together, but here it's a good thing. You can feel the sweetness of the Virginia on the tongue, and at the same time the spicy pepperyness of the Perique in your nose. This is as if you have picked three totally different types of tobacco, put them in your pipe immediately, without giving them a chance to blend together and mellow each other out. And all that in a good way. I like tobaccos where Perique is wild and unbalanced, there's a lot of joy in it. Very few Vapers achieve that. There is however a hint of the McClelland "emptyness" if I may say so. McClelland Virginias often lack body to a certain point due to the way they ferment it. Here is noticeable also. Perique and other leaf compensate it and give more dimensions, almost like latakia usually does. It has freshness, and can be smoked in the summer, but also as a winter smoke. An everyday treat with slightly cigarettish note barely detectable, and not disturbing.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CornCob (94)	2009-02-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Well upon opening the tin a very bitter and almost malt vinager smell hit me like a brick wall, i wasnt very optimistic at this point. After rubbing it out in my hand for a minute a smell of tomato paste came to mind and this turned me off even more. It took a bit to light it, and when i did it was heavey and spicy, and quite hot. I really dislike it so much i gave away the rest of the tin. In all honesty though i could see how some smoker may like this so im me impartial and fair in my descrition.This blend has turned me off flake, i think for good.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-07-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Strange tobacco. Ever now and then this smoke reaches 'four star' level, you can taste figs and chocolate. But it's a pity that this happens only incidentally, most of the times there's nothing more than a very very strong vinager taste, which dries out your mouth and throat. I like McClelland (the producer of this tobacco) 'catsup' a lot but this is way over the hill. "Royal Vinager Blended Flake" would suit better as a name for this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2006-03-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

The appearance of this flake is fine, really nice to look at, the rubbing is easy and the moisture perfect: all that's needed for a fine smoke. After the first puffs where you taste the usual McClelland ketchup flavour, the body and taste set both on a light/ light to medium level, while the three components start to play their role. The first important impression is about the incredible smoothness of this blend, rather strange knowing the components. The Virginias and Orientals make the first half of the bowl a little "cigarettish", while the Perique adds some sourness. The second important impression is about how much this tobacco is drying my mouth. The burning is cool and regular, really ok. In the second half of the bowl the Perique comes out stronger, but everything remains light, too light for my taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-03-04		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Like everything Butera puts it's name to, quality shines through. This is definitely a McClelland product: the tin, the lid, the packaging the tobacco cut and slightly ketchupy aroma have that distinctive McClelland stamp. This reminds me very much of McC's matured Virginias series, such as the No. 24. It's sweet, though the zesty Perique and North Carolinas balance that out nicely. The aroma is warm and toasty, and the sugars from the Virginias are released to bring comfort to any room. Though ready rubbed, the pieces are a bit large and may require a bit more crumbling to get into the bowl. It's a clean, dry smoke and never any wet dottle or gurgle. Though matured Virginia flake is not one of my everyday favorites (I prefer English and spicy Balkans), when I am looking for a solid American with just the right amount of sweetness, Butera's Royal Vintage fills the bill. The Latakia No. 2 is Butera's crown achievement, and I will soon be trying the Latakia No. 1, which I hear is equally as spendid. I'll keep you posted on that after I've sampled it. Enjoy!

Three of five stars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2001-11-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This was maybe the third or fourth tinned blend I ever tried and I guess soemtimes you just have to get lucky. I went into a shop looking for some more Blackwoods Flake and was told by the clerk that they were out. He suggested that I'd like this just as well. Well, obviously they didn't move much of this stuff as it the tins were about seven years old. Darn, just my luck.

I honestly don't know how this stuff is newly blended but with some age on it it's fantastic. The various orientals and the perique play a great game of dueling flavors all the way through the smoke. The Virginias lay a great base with their delicate flavors underpinning the stronger topnotes of the varietals. The Carolinas contribute just an extra something. If Mike Butera's label wasn't also the one that brought us Kingfisher I'd say the man is a full blown genius.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2001-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Even if I didn't know who blended this tobacco, the tin aroma would have told me. It has the McClelland fermented smell that you either love or hate. I guess it might be an acquired taste, as it put me off at first, but now is quite welcome. In addition to the sour aroma, there is also a spiciness present which is intriguing. The color is mostly red, with some lighter and darker elements present. The tobacco is cut in small, slightly thick flakes which rub out easily to any roughness desired. I favor a medium rub of small "chunks" and some strands for easy lighting. The blend lights well, and burns slowly, requiring an occasional relight but just about right for a flake. The initial flavor is fantastic, the Va. richness enhanced by the spicy turkish and the peppery perique. This is a combination I truly love, but had never before found in flake form. The flavor develops even richer toward the middle of the bowl and continues to the end without getting noticeably harsher. I do like to let it dry a bit before smoking, but this is typical for me. Others may like it just the way it comes from the can. I would recommend it highly to anyone except aromatic smokers and Latakia junkies.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2019-01-29		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Comes in heavily pressed broken flakes as per tin description. They need a lot of rubbing out in order to light and smoke properly as there are a lot of very compressed chunks which, if not broken thoroughly do not take well to light. Tin note is tell-tale McClelland: an enticing vinegary fruitiness!

Now to taste. Blended Flake is dominated by the sweet and nutty Red Virginia taste (with a McClelland sauce I guess) which is very reminiscent of 5100 but thicker. The Orientals are also prominent – true and unadulterated they add a strong dry and sour note and their incomparable aroma. Perique is measured. It is spicy and I can feel it mostly after the middle of the bowl. It adds backbone and a nice rough edge to the blend.

Strength is at least medium, as is nicotine. Room note is very tobaccoey and strong – I like it – but smoking Blended Flake is not recommended among the company of non smokers.

Not an all-day tobacco for me (even if I wanted now it’s too late…), rather one to savour and contemplate upon. In any case it’s a great Va/Or/Per blend showcasing one of the best Oriental leafs I have ever smoked. Much truer to the Oriental taste than any of the tobaccos in the Grand Oriental series. Needs preparation before smoking. Even when well rubbed it smokes quite slow.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMP (7)	2009-10-25		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I found a couple of tins dated from 1997, so this is some well aged tobacco. Popping the tin, my nose still told me McClelland, but that's OK, as I don't think anybody does Va's better. My tastes have always taken me to VaPers and Oriental blends; I enjoy very few burleys and latakia blends. This on has it ALL; quality Virginias, St.James Perique, and fine Orientals. As good as McClelland does tobacco, I believe that some of their best blends go out under different labels, like Butera's Royal Vintage, and Hamlin's PCCA. This could easily be a "desert island" blend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain Pete (83)	2007-02-22		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

If you are a lover of va/per blends, you will positively flip over this. I normally shy away from anything that contains more than a whisper of perique, and this has about a shout of it. But it is so well done, that even those of us who are perique intolerant can enjoy it.

I need to preface the rest of this review by saying that this is based on smoking a tin that had aged for ten years; anything younger, and I can't vouch. But, what ten years has done for this tin, marvelous! The tobacco was leathery, sugar coated, and reeked of tanginess (this is made for Butera by McClelland). It wasn't very attractive, unless you knew what you were looking at; and I knew that this was gonna taste goooood.

Lighting was surprisingly more difficult than I expected, more like an unaged McClelland flake. But, once it got going it never went out, and it smoked down to pure white ash. The flavor was sublime; sweet va., tangy/spicy perique, but without the overbearing fermenty flavor I usually get from perique. I think the orientals helped tie everything together during the aging process, as the musty flavor of these peeked through around the edges of the perique. Smoking this tobacco brought to mind images of a beautiful, exotic and musky scented woman. I won't go beyond that. It was just really good stuff.

I intend to pick up a few tins of this to put away for another ten years. While this is too much of a good thing for me to smoke all day, I think it would really be a suitable evening smoke for the cooler months. I only wish it hadn't been my only ten year old tin (du'oh).

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-11-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

What can I say this is my favorite tobacco. To me it's perfect in every way. Taste, complexity of flavors, differences in flavors, Balance between flavors....

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Warwick (37)	2005-05-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A winner. There is a wonderful balance here between the three major aspects: VAs, Perique and orientals. None dominates nor do any wilt into the background. The VAs are not overly sweet, the orientals are not overly cigar-like and the Perique is not overly potent. There is a continual dynamic of reassertion of each aspect so that this blend is never boring. On the flip side, it is also hearty enough that it does not require a alot of attention to enjoy its flavors and complexity. The Perique supplies an adequate amount of nicotine.

Moisture content was a tad high, and only modest drying was required. I would call this 'broken flake' rather than 'ready rubbed', and my packing procedure was the same I would use for an all-VA broken flake.

The only downsides were: 1) a slightly astringent quality which could lead to a bit of scratchiness at the back of the throat, 2) the signature McC vinegar quality which I felt interfered with the orientals to some extent, and 3) it burned fairly rapidly which was disappointing because this blend is so enjoyable.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2002-02-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Open the Butera labeled tin and you can easily smell McClelland as the blender. Under either name this is a winner! A partially rubbed out flake with a mix from light brown thru red to black. Packs nicely and burns uniformly without a bite. None of the vinegar-like tin aroma comes thru in the smoke. I sense a slightly nutty flavor intially but that soon disappears into a richer by smooth tobacco taste. The Orientals & Perique become more evident but do not dominate the flavor right to the end of the bowl. This is great natural tobacco flavor. An interesting, tasty blend that results in a cool and enjoyable smoke.

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