Tobaccos Peterson - Dark Flake

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2016-12-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

The dark Virginia is the main component and offers bread, wood, dried dark fruit that is very slightly tangy and sour, some earth, and a little brown sugar and floralness. There are a few light streaks of lighter Virginia that accounts for the slightly tart citrus, and some vegetative grass and hay. The earthy, woody perique is mildly applied so the raisin, fig, stewed fruitiness and a pinch of spice is mostly in the background. The sweetness is light and has a hint of fermentation. The nic-hit is in the center of mild to medium. The strength and taste thresholds are medium, although the taste and sweet levels edge past that line by the time you get to the last quarter of the experience. No chance of bite, and has no harsh or dull moments. The flake is moist and easily breaks apart to suit your preference. Burns a little slow, cool and clean with a moderately smooth, barely creamy, slight rough edged consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, requires some relights, and will burn to ash. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke if you wish. Reminds me a little of a toned down Dunhill Navy Rolls.

-JimInks

47 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	donmartinthree (22)	2016-11-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I picked this up on a whim while buying pipe cleaners at my local tobacconist not knowing what to expect. I am a huge fan of Dunhill Virginias, frequently smoking Flake ('Light Flake') and always having a tin of either Elizabethan or DLNR in my rotation, so not much could go wrong, considering the fact that I also gravitate toward more stout blends, be it in flavor or strength.

On opening the tin, one is greeted with a deliciously ripe, dark, slightly sour and yeasty, but also raisiny smell that one has come to expect from darker Virginias and VaPers. No dark fired here!

The Flakes are, in my tin, all stuck together in a giant and dense, dark brown block of relatively moist-to-the-touch tobacco. This is, despite it feeling so wet, easily folded and stuffed or rubbed out and lights with two matches.

It stays lit pretty well, smokes pretty dry without a filter and stays nice and cool for a Virginia, granted you are accustomed to smoking Virginias and know the right cadence.

The smoke is creamy and cool, doesn't change much throughout the bowl, but I would say the flavor profile is still fairly complex. There is yeasty dark sourdough bread, cocoa, dark-roasted coffee, dried figs, raisins, a slight white pepper tingle/spice and a subdued but pleasant sweetness, accompanied by a slight, delicious bitter note akin to baker's chocolate. Every now and then, an unexpected ginger and warm spice note like cinnamon or clove, even, pops up in the background, which is very tasty.

This is absolutely perfect for the colder days with a nice hot black coffee or even a dram of Glenfarclas or similar. Fantastic tobacco!

Pipe Used: Dunhill 1968 Ruby Bark

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Similar Blends: Full Virginia Flake, Best Brown Flake, St. Bernard Flake.

34 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-10-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This review is based on a half tin of the soon to be released version of Dark Flake. The flakes are mainly dark brown with a few tan pieces intertwined. The tin scent is a combination of brown bread, hay, and a little bit of sour. In the pipe, after some needed dry time, Dark Flake offers up quite a bit of smoke. It is brown sugar/molasses sweet and fairly monotone. The mainly bass notes offer up a “richness” to the blend. I have questioned if there is a bit of Cavendish in this flake, but I can't say for sure. It burns fairly slowly and the sweetness builds slightly throughout. DF is medium in strength and fairly full in flavor. There isn't any bite, but it can get a little warm if pushed too much. If there is any topping on this flake, I am having difficulty finding it. My only issue with this blend is that at the very bottom of the bowl it loses a little something, but not enough to keep this from being a four star blend for me. Having never tried the original Dark Flake, I can’t make any comparisons. What I can say is that this a high quality, straightforward flake and lovers of Marlin Flake will likely find a home here too. I expect to cellar a lot of this when it becomes available.

Age When Smoked: New

26 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2017-01-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

The new Dark Flake is a standard dark stoved Virginia of good quality but is one of those many stoved blends that needs quite a few years of aging to enrich the lives of those who smoke it. The edge, thanks to the stoving, is taken off, but the depth is not yet there. After sampling, I ordered a bunch more of this one as I think it will improve and strengthen greatly in 5-10 years and the bottom will build to a really nice level.

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2017-01-29		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dunhill - Dark Flake Re-Release.

This seems to be a popular tobacco right now, and as it's been getting a few reviews lately I felt excited to give it a try. I bought some from the Danish Pipe Shop about a month ago but I couldn't quite bring myself to open it, I didn't want to ruin the surprise. However, this morning I couldn't resist it!

Because of the round tin I expected a coil of flake inside, but it looks as though someone emptied a tin of Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream Flake, or another flake from a small square tin into it. The colour's more of a brown, than anything that would give credence to the name Dark; it's a medium brown with yellow specks. Because the tin's bigger than is actually required, the tobacco has room to breathe in there, rather than any moistness being sealed in; perfect.

Smoking a bowl couldn't be any better: it lights easily, and gives a flavoursome smoke imminently. Unlike a lot of blends, I don't find Dark Flake's too dependant on time for the flavour to develop. Right from the beginning I get a lot of Perique, with what tastes like a subtle addition of molasses, and a little bread. The Virginia's rich and fruity, instead of citrusy and grassy. It burns at a steady pace, producing a cool smoke, which gives me absolutely no tongue bite.

I'd rate the nicotine as being medium, and I find the room-note about the only low point: it's not that bad though, pleasant to tolerable.

An excellent smoke:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Saninelli Roma Lucite

Age When Smoked: One month

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2017-02-19		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Very nice and flavorful VaPer flake. The fruity flavors cover the full spectrum from light to dark giving a full roundness of highs, mids and lows. Throw in bready notes, a little tartness, a little spice and a very mild amount of added sweetness and you have a truly fine smoke. Many flakes of this genre get a little too earthy for my taste toward the end, but this one keeps that to a minimum allowing it's sweet, bready, fruity nature to last nearly the full bowl. Very nice. My only very minor complaint is that I would like a little more Perique. No big deal though. 4 stars.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in taste. Added sweetness is very mild. Burns very well.

Pipe Used: MM Little Devil Cutty, Little Devil Acorn, Marcus

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2016-12-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is similar to Ye Olde Signe (dark Virginia leaf), albeit a tad browner and stronger. Flakes are beautifully shaded and pliable. The smell in the tin is woodsy, fragrant, slightly acidic and eloquent. The reintroduction of this tobacco gives perspective to the name of its brother, Light Flake (now only known as Flake). LF is sweeter (with that touch of molasses that makes it so yummy), whereas DF has a more pronounced, straight forward tobacco taste.

In a way DF is akin to Gawith’s Full Virginia Flake but, unlike Lakeland’s rendering, I think the Scandinavian Dunhill is more refined, softer, and in my opinion easier to smoke. The flakes can be readily folded as they are and lightening up is a piece of cake (a two match affair). The smoke is rich, without being intense, with some raisin and dark, unsweetened chocolate notes. Even though the tin description says this flake has some Pèrique, it is barely noticeable. Perhaps this ingredient, however discrete, accounts for its leatherier structure. The taste remains more or less the same throughout the bowl. No need to relight.

Not necessarily something to write home about but, as far as simple Virginias go, Dark Flake is a very good choice.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Roma

Age When Smoked: N/A

Purchased From: Joshua Ward

Similar Blends: Ye Olde Signe, Full Virignia Flake.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	O'Confrère (40)	2016-10-31		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

UPDATE (31/01/17): After posting the following review which was based on about 4/5ths of a tin smoked at various moisture levels I put the rest of the tin aside and forgot about it. I stumbled across it again today. The flakes had become extremely dry, crispy. First inclination was to toss it, but I have had good experiences with some very dry flakes so decided to give it a go. Crumbled a couple of flakes, fed them into a small Kaywoodie apple from the 20's which always smokes beautifully, and fired up... Delicious from start to finish! It burned beautifully, leaving a wonderful aftertaste, and was a very satisfying smoke. In this very dry state it's a solid three star (+) tobacco and, for me, just misses being a four star recommendation by a smidgeon (and that only because I'm not sure how often I will return to it). Great stuff. Give it a whirl! 3.5 stars... Will be putting some back to see what it offers in a few years...

Original review: This tin is from August of this year. It is round and contains well cut dark brown rectangular flakes mottled with lighter bits. The humidity level was high, about 28%, so reckon with some drying time. The tin aroma is sweet, reminiscent of fresh peat, sour (fermentation), and, I think SteelCowboy is spot on, offers up more than a hint of molasses, perhaps including some kind of dark berry or rum.

After drying it takes well to the match and burns consistently. The flavours are all up front with the first light, change very little during the smoke, and tend toward the dark side of things. What seemed fresh peat in the tin becomes peat smoke on the pallet, which may indicate dark-fired Kentucky in the blend. Perique is evident (with spice and that strangely fruity earthiness of decomposing leaves). The tannins are pleasant, softly dark, and the molasses is there from start to finish. The Perique prickle is there, but although there is a slightly alkaline tang to the smoke if puffed quickly, I could not get it to bite. Nicotine is apparent and on the high side of medium.

All in all a very serviceable, unproblematic smoke, and if you enjoy these flavours and are looking for a relatively full-bodied smoke that requires little attention, this may be one for you. I'm sure many will love this blend. It's well made and certainly worth a try. I’ll probably finish this tin, but I doubt I’ll be getting back to it anytime soon. It's just too predictable to me, but what seems predictable to me just may be steady and dependable to you. Enjoy!

Pipe Used: Several

Age When Smoked: About three months

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Coalsmoke Russ (1)	2016-12-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

In a previous negative review, I noted a "strong and distasteful sourness that almost made it unsmokable." I let the flake sit for almost two months and gave it another try. The problem for me wasn't one of aging for a couple of months is more like "resting". I've found that VA flakes are sensitive and can change their flavor profile with varying degrees of drying and I believe that my initial review was based on my smoking the tobacco a bit too much on the moist side. After finding a correct level of moisture for smoking, DDF really shines with a medium body and a smooth, interesting flavor. This has definitely turned into one for my rotation!

Pipe Used: Peterson Rosslare "106" smooth billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipees.com

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Train (118)	2016-12-06		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I was looking forward to tasting this tobacco and opened it with some anticipation . Sadly , I did not feel rewarded . The tobacco was sort of stiff and dry in the tin with very little tin note . It was a little stiff to pack and took some work to prepare it for the bowl . Upon smoking I simply did not get the taste of a Virginia flake . It took some puffing to begin to get a sort of peaty , syrupy flavor from it . I suspect this blend has some Kentucky in it but I cannot say for sure . I have never thought Dunhill lite flake an especially strong flake since it usually incited tongue bite and this dark flake is sort of in the same range . While I admit that this flake does have some positive qualities I ask this question ... With the superb quality of K & K folded flakes available why would I smoke this dark flake? With the extremely high quality of Mc Clelland flakes available would I even consider ordering this ? The answer is this ; there is enough super high quality Virginia flakes out there that marginal flakes like this need not be re-ordered . 11/17/17 In time I have come to enjoy this blend a little more . If you puff slowly you are rewarded with a really nice and tangy perique flavor . I raised it to 3 stars because it is a decent perique smoke though not up there with the really good ones like Escudo and the Mc Clelland blends .

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2017-05-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Beautiful darker brown flakes with a bit of a lemon streak. This comes wet in the tin and the flakes proved a little difficult to separate. I folded and stuffed for best results. Tin nose was a deep and rich tobacco smell with no non-tobacco scents.

As is my custom, I smoked this at tin moisture first and found it much lighter tasting than the aroma or color would indicate. It didn't want to hold a light, either. The overall flavor was bland at the start but eventually a richer taste came through. Subsequent bowls were well dried and the flavors snapped into focus. If you've ever wondered what pumpernickel, molasses and figs might taste like together, this will give you an idea. There was a dark sweetness and a really interesting sour note hung around for the last half-bowl. Every so often I get a fleeting taste of peat-smoke. I couldn't place the topping, if indeed there was one. Somehow it seemed there was, but I couldn't put my finger on it. This covered the lower end of the taste spectrum quite well but the highs were missing. And since it's named Dark Flake and Dunhill also makes a blend that used to be named Light Flake, I got the bright idea of mixing the two. Had to rub it out to do so, however. The LF really improved this one by adding some missing spiciness and high notes. Cool experiment, but as much as I preferred this one with LF mixed in, I preferred LF by itself. So it goes. As a darker Virginia, I wasn't overly impressed with this one, but if you like the direction something like ODF or Lakeland Dark goes but want to back off the flavor, this would be one to try.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BriarWoody (33)	2017-01-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a delicious Vaper -- dark, rich, creamy and fairly stout, with a touch of brown sugar sweetness. I don't detect any toppings and the core tobaccos shine through. It's straightforward but not monotonous, and the dried fruit sweetness is rounded out nicely with earthiness and notes of espresso and baker's chocolate.

Think of Marlin Flake on steroids, and you get the picture.

There also may be a touch of dark fired KY and a pinch of cavendish.

Whatever is in here, I think it is extremely well-behaved and is best when rubbed out. Like all Dunhills, it delivers a satisfying dose of nicotine as well.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2020-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dunhill- Dark Flake

One of the members of pipe club was gracious enough to give me the rest of his tin of this wonderful blend. Tin date is February 2017, and boy does this smoke amazing.

The Virginia’s are hay and bready, while the Perique is sweet but peppery, I’ve had two bowls of this after not smoking for the last two weeks, and maybe that in itself re invigorated my taste buds.

Presentation is strips a little wider than most bubblegum, with a nice dark and lighter VA’s along with Perique. I broke this apart the second time after folding and stuffing the first. This burns cool if sipped.

I truly hope Peterson brings this one back, as it’s a hit in my book.

Pipe Used: Rossi notte

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Gift

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2018-09-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Summary: a nice medium Va/Per flake that will not stand out due to being highly competent at this simple task and a slight bit too wet.

Opening the tin, one confronts a delicious stewed fruit with spice smell, like a good fig jam made with ginger. Upon first light, the scent of the Perique gives away to the tangy lead taken by bright Virginias, but as these caramelize, the darker, stoved Virginia flavors come out and meld with the Perique into what might be described as the same fig jam on barley toast. The flakes are a bit damp, which causes them to start up slowly, but as the bowl progresses, that mellow flavor more approximates molasses and honey over a good wheat bread toast. Like all of Dunhill's blends, this one is like the leader that no one mentions: everything is done to perfection, but because the blend aims for a basic goal, it does not stand out like quirkier options. It reminds me of Capstan "Blue" in its burning characteristics and nicotine level. Like all Virginia flakes, this rewards breath-smoking; if when you were a kid, you sometimes sucked up a straw full of milkshake and then just let it leak slowly into your mouth, filling up on the flavor alone and letting it resonate across all of your taste buds, that is approximately how you want to experience this flake. Wish I'd cellared more of this before the blend vanishes into regulatory purgatory.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-10-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As a Va/per lover i could not resist when i saw a Dunhill blend with my favourite compoments.when the tin cracks a pleasant aroma comes out wich combines dark fruits,ans some spicy plum notes.the flakes are mostly dark with some bright spots,moist.oily and very manageable.i prefer the rubbing and drying method in this blend because if you fold it as it is it won't dry and lighting is difficult.while smoking the compoments taste natural and very pleasing.the red virginias are the main player offering dark fruits,sour sweet and earthy notes.perique comes next giving mostly figs and plums.some spices also come out but i suppose not only perique is responsible for that.some citruses and grass notes also come out rare due to the bright virginias.generally the flavours are very balanced and present till the end.burns cool and slow with some moisture being created.the nicotine level is almost medium and the room note almost pleasant.no chance of tongue bite and the aftertaste is pleasant.an all day smoke.generally this blend is pleasant,high quality and totally recommended!

Age When Smoked: Rubbed and left to dry for 1/2 hour

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2017-01-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

After more than 35 years, this tobacco returns to the stores. Even though it say "Dark Virginia Tobacco" on the lid, it's actually a Va/Per blend.

The mottled slices are fanned out in the round tin, effusing the savory, sweetish scent of brown bread with a hint of dried fruits and maybe chocolate.

Using the fold and stuff method, filling your pipe is easy. After a thorough charring light and leveling the ashes, it'll stay lit and burn down evenly on the true light.

Right from the start, there's a full-bodied, malty, creamy taste which lasts to the end of the bowl. There are hints of rye bread, dried figs, and dark chocolate. Throught the smoke, those elements alternate and combine each other, giving you a diversified smoking experience. At the end some dry, medium gray ash and some crumbs of tobacco are all that's left.

The room note is a natural, slightly sweet tobacco scent.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Nr. 95 Silke Brun

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local Tobacconist

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OhioTony76 (59)	2017-04-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I've just finished my first tin of Dark Flake. If you are a straight Virginia smoker, who might want just a tad more spice on certain days, this might be perfect for you. I prefer spicier Virginia’s, so this blend leaves me unsatisfied. But it's not because of the quality of this tobacco, it is top notch. I just prefer fuller blends. The tin note is nothing short of amazing. It's like candied dried fruits. It's hard for me to believe it's a natural tobacco smell, but I love it. Make sure to work on finding the sweet spot when it comes to drying this or it can disappoint. This will really get steamy and flavorless right out of the tin. Too dry and it also goes bland.

Pipe Used: Briar Cob

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2018-05-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Meh....I enjoy Dunhill Flake and many other Virginias for that matter, but this isn’t one of them. Dunhill Dark Flake was bland and pretty one dimensional, I was hoping for something akin to Capstan Blue or Marlin Flake, both of which I adore, but this was flat and boring. I smoked the entire tin before posting this, as I kept hoping to find what so many other smokers have, but the first bowl was boring and the last bowl was equally boring as well as each one in between. Those of you cellaring this will get no competition from me.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Little Steven (76)	2018-03-08		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

In the world of cars there's not a lot of difference between a Ford or a Vauxhall or a Volvo. They're essentially bland modes of transport to get you safely from A to B. But the salesmen hark on about different types of paint, wheels, whatever. But at the end of the day they are Euroboxes. And you can't make your Eurobox stand out by sticking a Ferrari badge on it. Not allowed. Unless Ferrari grants permission. Or, conversely, a brand starts using its name to make inferior products. Look at the ups and downs of Maserati.

In the world of tobacco great names like Fribourg & Treyer, Astleys and Dunhill have sent their names off to Euroland and stuck them on Eurotobak.

And so to Dark Flake Re - release. It's probably virginia tobacco with bottled perique. I don't know what the marketing men are allowed to claim. Good it is not. It is has the thrill of a Ford Mondeo 1.6.

You might want a car with room for the 2.4 kids, the dog, room for the monthly run to the tip. Nothing wrong with that. Equally there's nothing wrong with Dark Flake Eurotobak. It's easy to smoke and basically gets the job done.

Pipe Used: Stanwell billiard.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin.

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop (nice people).

Similar Blends: Any other Eurotobak..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2017-03-12		Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

I did not know what to expect when I order this tobacco. In true honesty, I did not know whether it was a Virginia, a burley based tobacco, or something else. As I opened the tin, because of the fact it was so dark in colour, I was expecting something like Solani's Burley Flake, but this is a Virginia/perique flake. The Virginia leaf it contains, I dare to say, comprises stoved Virginia tobacco and the tin note is something to die for. I am certain this tobacco will tick all the boxes for all of you Virginia lovers. I like the fact it wants to be sipped, but I am not finding it so complex as to require all of my attention. Also, it does evolve quite nicely in flavour and strength. The moist content was rather high as I opened the tin, but these flakes seem to smoke perfectly fine despite that.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bonneville (52)	2017-01-28		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

A must try for all Virginia lovers. This to me is like a Danish take on Gawith's Full Virginia Flake or McClelland's Dark Star, and actually has a vinegary tin note like many McClelland Virginias. It's a top notch tobacco that I will definitely be stocking up on.

Pipe Used: Peterson x105

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Beehive Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2017-01-18		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dunhill Dark Flake- Yep, it's a "dark FLAKE" , not a typical Dunhill ribbon cut and it comes damp. It needs a minimum of 6 hours open before smokable. Personally, I think rubbing this out gives the best burn rate , but then again, I've never been good with the fold and stuff flake method. This has a light top note of Molasses, not over done, no bite and it does have a slight bitter background. Overall the taste is that of a nice "English style" Virginia ,very Samuel Gawith in style, a sweeter FVF . Not real grassy or hay like , and I feel this would improve to 4 stars with a year of aging.

I never realized that there was Perique in this blend until I read the ingredients, so don't expect a VaPer ? It did taste more like a touch of DFK than Perique.

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: tin open two weeks

Similar Blends: sweeter FVF.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CubishPatriot (14)	2021-12-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I love this stuff. I would love to try old release, but quite pleased with the most recent release. Rich, dark, satisfying. It has tang, spice, bread, earth, hay, all in subtle yet individually noticable proportions. I'm currently looking for a few more tins. I'll try to amass 4-8 tins. It's special enough to try and acquire, yet some people are willing to part with it. Not like the oh so worshipped Esoterica which only Peacehaven I prefer. Try this if you have a chance. You'll be glad you did.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Purchased From: Trade

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2021-03-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

(This review is based on Dunhill's relaunch of a tin dated 2017). I was giving it time and waiting for the opportunity to open the only tin that I could find of this tobacco.

The flakes appear stacked in two columns and are very dark in color (hence their name) due to the ripe virginias and the perique, although there are also some bright streaks. The degree of humidity is quite high so that I would dare to say that this also helps slightly to darken the flakes, but does not prevent them from burning perfectly after a few re-ignitions. Due to this degree of humidity, they rub off easily, leaving fluffy strands. The last flake I had to literally peel off the wrapping paper.

The fruity, prune aroma predominates over other Virginian nuances, and I am struck by the pleasant cellar smell that differentiates it from other blends.

Once the pipe is lit, these aromas are reproduced during smoking. Virginia and Perique are perfectly combined to create a very well balanced duo and with shared prominence. With a mild flavor, the notes of raisins and something similar to wine are the predominant ones. At some point I also had a certain smell of kidneys, which I would say is typical of the Virginias when it sinks too quickly.

A very rich and different tobacco, but which at the time of writing this little review is no longer manufactured. I hope that one day not too long ago Peterson will bring it back on the market so I can get some more tin.

05/13/2022: I was lucky to get several more tin of the Dunhill era to confirm that it is an exceptional tobacco. Without a doubt, one of my favorite vapers ...

Age When Smoked: 5 and 6 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (401)	2020-02-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

I was finally able to score some of this from a fellow pipe club member and a heck of a guy dated June 2018. This was a beautiful flake about the width of two sticks of gum with mottled dark and medium brown color. This smokes really cool and pleasant. A very good blend and I did the fold and stuff method in my Savinelli 2nd Billiard and once I got it fired up the flavor really came through. I can’t dissect all of the flavors and nuances and will leave that to the pros but definitely a quality VaPer. Not sure if this one crossed over to Peterson. I hope I bought a few tins, will have to look. Thanks again for the sample. I also was given some Dunhill flake but will save that one for the weekend and I am sure it will be good also.

Age When Smoked: Almost 2 years.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Voyaging (80)	2020-01-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Based on a tin of unknown age. If I had to guess it would be at least two years or more. The presentation is neat and acceptable. The flakes were a little messy. The flakes were smokable but could use some drying.

This is a sweet flake. There was very little spice and and a roundness in the flavor profile. I think there is some stoving or some Cavendish in the mix. There were notes of brown sugar and cinnamon notes, bready notes, some tangy fruit notes, some raisin and molasses notes I found enjoyable. There are also some earthy soil-like notes (in a good way). Pretty deep.

The strength was on the mild side. The nicotine was unnoticeable. The taste was maybe medium.

I found this flake to be too sweet, plain and simple. It lacked anything I find loveable. Nothing that stood out. It's not like an Escudo, which is really superb. It's not like Cabbie's Mixture. It's certainly not like Bayou Morning Flake, which I also really like. Nevertheless, the quality is there and for those that like a smooth, Virginia and Perique mix, this is for you. Two stars.

Pipe Used: Canadian, lumberman

Age When Smoked: Unknown

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2018-11-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My local pipe shop had 2 tins available. Due to Dunhill being discontinued, the mark up was a little more then what I want to pay for a blend that I don't know about. I managed to get it for $10 off the asking price. Honestly I wasn't sure if I even wanted to try it because of it being discontinued. I feared I might like it and would never get the experience again if I did.

The tin aroma is dark fruits and bread like. Loaded up a bowl after rubbing it out. I get a plum from the perique and no spice. That was consistent all the way down. The Virginia was toasty, bready with hardly any sweetness. This also was consistent all the way down the bowl.

I understand some blends take a little time to develop ( much like cigars do). This never did. I have smoked it rubbed out partially, fully rubbed, and folded in all my pipes. Nothing changed. There is hardly any sugars left in the leaf of the Virginias. It does smoke cool and dry but due to the lack of sweetness, and heavy toast flavors, this is a blend that I won't be going back for and won't be a blend I will miss either.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2018-09-02		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

When the 3 star reviews take multiple paragraphs you know it's a 4 star blend.. period. I'm just trying to create a stir amongst seasoned smokers.. and I will take flavour over smokability anyday.. it's good. It ain't (yes I used that 'word') your typical va/per.. and i kinda suspect a casing.. interferes witg the burn.. but it works.. and I will not give Dunhill a free pass.. not impressed by brand names.... but this has a wide flavor profile... dark fruit, barnyard, chocolate, spice.. sour in a good way.. the answer is yes.. just watch your cadence.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2018-03-17		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I was still a student when I discovered Dunhill tobaccos, and they became a decadent pleasure for me, something I could ill afford, but the name alone was a virtual guarantee that I would get maximum satisfaction with minimal effort. And this Dark Flake redux is deja vu all over again. It’s not much to look at by Dunhill standards, just a short stack of moist, variegated, dark-ish flakes that are loosely plopped into an over-sized tin. Typical of the marque, the tobacco performs well when it’s smoked straight from the tin. The tin note reminds me of plum pudding, but just barely; there really isn’t much wafting up from the tin. Lit and puffed, it’s another story. The mix of VAs is quite rich and fragrant, and the soft Perique is barely present, with parallel tastes of dark fruit leathers, fig, and meadow grasses, along with faint loam and tannin, and some vague, Middle Eastern dessert spices. If you prefer your flakes folded and stuffed, as I do, you should allow time for a long, leisurely smoke. IMO, this one is worth fussing with going in, to get a solid char and a thorough light. This way it finally opens up and gets more interesting down the bowl, adding lighter bread and floral notes to the end. I tend to wind up with some dark dottle that I would rather throw out than struggle to smoke, because the aftertaste is better if I toss it. The strength of this blend is more mild than medium. Tastes are more medium than mild with long, slow pulls. Room note is pleasant. Aftertaste (sans dottle) starts off slightly metallic and ashen before settling down to an aftermath of the best of the smoke.

If you wonder why Dunhill would re-release another VA/Per (a tough category) when they already offer DNR, then give this Dark Flake a try. IMO it holds its own in august company, and I’m pretty sure it will age to become even better. 4 stars, walking away.

Pipe Used: Group 5 briar pot

Age When Smoked: fresh to 2 months

Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tschenyinkoh (51)	2018-02-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

On Dark Virginias side: Dunhill - Dark Flake; Marlin Flake; Dunhill Navy Roll.

On bright Virginias side: Dunhill - Flake; Solani - 633; Hearth & Home - Viprati; Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning; STG version Dunhill - Elizabethan Mixture.

So in its category, it is a high quality all day smoke.

As JimInks said: "Reminds me a little of a toned down Dunhill Navy Rolls."

Three and a half stars.

Age When Smoked: nearly one year

Purchased From: 50g tin from pipesandcigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	natibo (169)	2017-10-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I might be in the minority, but I did not find anything special about this flake. With so many better flakes out there (Peterson's Irish Flake), I can't see why I would bother with this. It buens hot and the nic hit is less than desired.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2017-02-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A flake/broken flake in the tin. Dark scents. Mostly dark and some bright leaves.

Heavier, of course, than Dunhill's light flake/flake (new - hay like or older version -sweeter).

Easy to load, pack. Moisture level o.k. to smoke out of tin to me.

Flavors I get are brooding, stoved Virginia, but spiced up with some Perique (more than a pinch). Not bite but spice. I get little sweetness from the brights. DGT a little and I do get some of that prune taste.

Not as smooth as Stonehaven, but near that range. I don't think this has KFC but it could have a touch.

Overall, a tasty(dark toast) near full blend, but not over the top strong.

Pipe Used: small Wilke apple

Age When Smoked: new tin

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

Similar Blends: Little like Frog Morton (but flake here and no Lat.), little like Burak's Picadilly (but Oriental there)..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2016-12-13		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A touch peaty with remote hints of dark fruit from the Virginias, the latter reinforced along with a touch of spicy tang from the Perique -- altogether, an easy smoking VA flake, darker perhaps in appearance than in flavor. May be even an all-day smoke for those who really enjoy this category, although for me more of a change of pace.

Edit: just finished a tin bought at the same time (now 4 years later), and the taste was a bit darker and 'peatier', the taste now medium-to-full.

Pipe Used: briars, cobs, and meers

Age When Smoked: soon after it arrived

Purchased From: Danish Pipe Shop

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (221)	2022-07-09		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

Peterson Dark Flake- I get mostly dark fruit like plums and raisons . Very smooth . A bit of sour fruit and molasses . Very sweet . The Perique is light in this blend but at times it hits with some of the nicest notes I’ve ever puffed from a vaper . No hay grassy citrus notes to be found . Sometimes it is like tart cherries topped with cocoa . Hard to describe . Very unique . It is too bad I can’t seem to find anymore anywhere . Even checked The German websites and nothing . Good stuff if you can find it . My tin is 5 years old though . 4

Age When Smoked: 5 yr tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (89)	2021-04-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Tin note: Tangy, dark fruit notes

Presentation: Wide flakes perfectly cut. Very moist when I opened the tin. A lot of brown and black leaves with only few golden spots here and there. Lucky enough to have some sugar crystals too.

Taste and flavor: Well, it took me a month to finish this tin, and in this month it changed its taste and flavor, but not much.

At first, it was sweet, bit peppery, dark fruit, dries plums, a little bready at times.

Not very spicy, I was expecting this to be heavy on the perique, however the old virginia is sweet and just a little bready taste, while the perique is tangy but calm. Only when retrohaling do I sense a tingle from the perique.

The interesting fruity notes, I don’t know where they come from but are welcome nonetheless.

However, the taste fades and eventually becomes a virginia with some hay, grass and bready notes that smokes cool and dry, but nothing spectacular. Somehow reminds me of Orlik Golden Sliced.

After a while, since I said the taste changed, this is what I detected...

First smokes begin with sweet, fruity, little bready and hay notes and no perique at all. As you smoke, the sweetness fades away and gradually becomes bready and hay like,

If you leave the burnt tobacco in the pipe for a while, there will be a sweetness and a peppery note especially when retrohaling. The more you leave it, the more peppery it gets

By the end of the tin, after I left the tobacco to dry more, it eventually became what it’s supposed to be. A VaPer. Sweet virginia balanced by a decent amount of perique, delivering a cool smoke, very tasty, with some bready notes as well. I wish it was this way from the start.

Smokes at a slow pace, burns very well, delivers a cool and dry smoke, doesn’t bite or get hot and stays lit without much effort. If smoked as a folded flake it will require some relights, especially if it’s not dry enough (obviously) but does deliver more taste.

Mild to medium in flavor and also in strength.

Has a very low room note, barely noticeable.

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Similar Blends: Orlik Tobacco Company A/S - Golden Sliced (Red Tin).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	John_B (35)	2020-10-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I have wanted to try this revered blend for a long while, but it became unavailable when Dunhill withdrew from smoking related products. My curiosity peaked when it was re-introduced by Peterson and as I had tried the Charatan Black Flake match blend, and really liked it, I was eager to try the original product. On opening the tin, it had the usual folded paper insert containing neatly arranged dark chestnut brown flakes and the tin note was like a fruity malt loaf. I could detect the Perique aroma and although my tin has only 7 months of age on it, the potential for cellaring is immense. I loaded a Falcon Hunter with a small Bantam size Bulldog bowl and set to enjoying it. It lit after 2 charring lights and immediately released a wonderful taste of bread, dark fruit, raisins and sweet malt loaf. Perique is evident, but in a perfect measure. My body chemistry will not tolerate a heavy hand with the Perique, but here it works in perfect harmony with the Virginias. Strength is medium and the taste is on the fruity bready side of the spectrum and there is no danger of tongue bite. Room note is pleasant and shouldn't offend. There is bound to be a comparison with Charatan Black Flake and if I am honest I actually prefer the Charatan version in some respects, as it lights easier and literally smokes itself. This might simply be moisture and some drying time might remedy that as the Peterson flakes are slightly thicker. Very close call though and both get 4 Stars. Good stuff and could easily be an all day smoke.

Update:-

I can't help feeling that this is very fresh tobacco and it needs some age to truely give of its full potential. I was going to say I can't wait to try it with some age on it, but I guess I will have to.

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: 7 months

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

Similar Blends: Charatan Black Flake. Marlin Flake..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mutantear (1)	2018-11-11		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Even with so few components, the flavor balance of this blend is sublime. If you've not smoked it before, buy one to smoke fresh and buy several to cellar.

Pipe Used: Royal Danish 910

Age When Smoked: No discernable production date / fresh?

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: A McClelland is tickliing the tip of my brain ... ? Doesn't matter. Let the others compare to this..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2018-09-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Synopsis: A dark molasses-like Virginia flake with a hint of perique spiciness that produces a rich and complex smoke—one of favorites.

The dark Virginias come to the forefront of this blend in the tin-note and the smoke. They are rich and dark with hints of molasses and an intensity more pronounced early in the smoke. The perique is present, but to a lesser degree than Escudo or Dunhill Navy Rolls. I find that the flavor develops the further down the bowl you smoke. It seems to get richer and with stronger-sweet notes and sways to delightful piquant notes from the perique.

I typically fold and stuff flakes. However, DDF (Dunhill Dark Flake) burns a bit slow and I find myself having a few more relights than my average. When rubbed out, I find I get a more consistent smoke.

While Escudo and Navy Rolls are also in my normal rotation, I enjoy the dark Virginias in DDF that give the blend a more unique character in a sea of Va/Pers. The perique content is similar to that of Comoy’s Cask #4, but DDF is much more of a richer and complex blend with less citrus flavors and more hints of figs and molasses. I do not understand how some reviewers describe this tobacco as soulless or one dimensional. For me, Dunhill’s Dark Flake is a hidden gem of a blend.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AJS2323 (32)	2018-08-02		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My palate is not as refined as others as I am new to the hobby but all I can say is that it tastes like tobacco smells. If you smell the flake when it is out of the pack that’s it only a little sweeter. Very cool dry smoke from the top to bottom, flavour is the same all the way through. Very nice indeed.

I used my Erik Nording Compass which was a good choice as the bowl diameter and height are quite modest so it uses about 3/4 of a flake with keystones. You get a full flavoured and nice smoke but it was acceptablely short and absolutely no bite.

Pipe Used: Erik Nording Compass

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My smoking shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Optimist (6)	2018-07-04		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

This was quite horrible - bitter, soulless and dank, without any pleasure to it at all. I bought it with some excitement to follow a tin of Dunhill Aperitif, which I loved. I had almost no money at the time and had to save up for a tin - even so, after two bowls of this I left it on a wall in the street for whoever wanted it. Don't believe that it is 'sweet' - it couldn't be less so, or that it has an interesting flavour profile. Avoid.

Pipe Used: Stanwell poker

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bangalbhuut (7)	2018-06-28		Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

tried a lot of things but could not anything other than hot air. and i ended up with a sore tongue, but to be fair that was probably just me. this first tin will almost certainly be my last.

Pipe Used: apples and brandies

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (129)	2018-06-15		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Of the recent batch of (new to me) tobaccos I've tried, this is one of the better ones. Presentation scores nil points, huge can, tiny packet rattling around inside, wrapped in gold foil that was obviously meant for the much smaller square tins, the flakes fall apart as they are taken out, if like me, you like to remove and rub out a single flake at a time, you'll need a surgeons care as the flakes fall apart. Once rubbed out and filled in the weapon of choice, for me a straight medium sized billiard, a nice pleasant but not memorable Virginia comes across. As far as Virginias go, and that's all I smoke now, this is good, but there are too many far superior Virginias to warrant stocking up on this.

Pipe Used: Various billiards

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: GQ

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillardFan (90)	2018-04-02		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm in the minority on this one. I like it. Kind of a Prince Albert in a Dunhill tin. Now it doesn't taste like P.A. but it is rather one dimensional. There are times when this type of blend works for me, and this one is it. Slightly sweet, a little woodsy. Burns well, nice amount of smoke. Doesn't goop the pipe. It's a mild blend, and for a Virginia tobacco, it's amazingly gentle on the tongue. I don't really taste the perique. I would order this again, to me it's that good...

Pipe Used: Captain Black Yeoman

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Nothing I smoke really compares to this one. Maybe a milder version of Stokkebye Navy Flake?.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jw62 (8)	2018-04-01		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I do not agree. This baccy was very bland. Nothing from the first light. Later on still nothing. I was smoking hot air. Dunhill was always a staple in tobaccos. I guess everyone and anyone is entitled to one boner. Prince Albert has more flavor than this hack.

Pipe Used: did not matter

Age When Smoked: off the shelf

Purchased From: smoke shop

Similar Blends: water.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2018-03-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Fantastic Tin note. One of my favorite tin notes of all. Rich figgy and Raisin like. For the amount of perique I am kind of surprised at the tin note, but the bready and sweet, dark Virginia's may be contributing to the great aroma more that I had initially given credit.

The flavor is very straight forward and pleasant. Earthy and toasty Virginia's. A hint of Perique that provides a nice peppery quality to the smoke. Not a heavy hand with the perique but you know it is there. Very nice Virgini'a in the blend an the nice thick slices rub out easy. I prefer them on the drier side. There is more sweetness in this blend and less citrus then regular Dunhill Flake. Great smoke for the Virginia lover.

Pipe Used: Briar's and cobs

Age When Smoked: <1 year

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ahmad Othman (51)	2017-06-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I haven't had a chance to smoke the original, and probably wasn't even around when it was being produced. So this review will be an independent review of this current iteration. The main role here is played by dark virginias, and I dare say the sole role. This is a monologue of tobacco rather than anything else. And that's not a hindrance. It is quite good for what it is. A monotonous, single dimension, virginia flake. It is dark, rich, bready and yeasty in flavour. It is consistent and rich throughout the bowl. From the point you open up the newly designed round tins you are greeted by a deep, aroma of virginia before you are welcomed by a complementing view of dark, well packed flakes with a hint of darker, nearly black perique. And the latter doesn't seem to play much role in the tin aroma and even less role in the flavour palette. As with all Dunhill line, it is at perfect moisture content, though it doesn't harm to give it 2-3 minutes of dry time. It rubs easily and packs well. It burns evenly and consistently till the end of the bowl and leaves little ash and no moisture behind. It is an excellent all day smoke and I can easily see it in my daily rotation provided we can have Dunhill tobaccos stay in the market.

Pipe Used: Peterson Donegal Rocky XL02

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Peterson - University Flake, Dunhill - Royal Yacht.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_dalai_lama_himself (43)	2017-02-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Definitely a Virginia perique, no Dark fired at all.. I kinda get a cavendish vibe but it's probably just the perique they use. It's sweet a tad bit of spice through the retrohale. Virginias give off some dark fruit, hay and slight citrus/woodsy notes, with some earth and spice from the perique. Cool smoke, no relights needed for me. Rubbed out and Let dry the flakes for a half hour and didn't get much moisture or any dottle, a nice balanced blend easily an all day smoke.. kind of a mindless smoke but shines through the retrohale and has some depth.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (556)	2023-02-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Dunhill version; Tin note of stewed sour plums, spices and hay. Tobacco is dark brown and black flakes. Moisture content is great. Fakes rub out with a little effort. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and moderately consistent, with notes of very bready, spicy, leather, spices, very woody, hay, mild plums, floral, mild orange peel/bitter, dark stewed fruit, acidic, tart citrus, dry earth, a lemon grass background note, and a peppery retro. Virginia is leading with Perique supporting. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 1992 Ashton Sovereign XX Billard

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-06-11		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dark Flake: It's MMMMMMMM Good

The flake seems to be made of mostly dark Virginias with some lighter varietals present. They are pleasantly sweet, earthy with some fermented grass flavors. The perique offers a little spice and adds some complexity to the other fermented undertones. I picked up on a slight molasses casing. Altogether, the smoke is smooth, sweet, and complex.

It is my favorite morning blend with a cup of joe.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (156)	2019-05-27		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Reviewed based on a single bowlful cadged off a stranger. I'd normally not review a blend until I've nearly finished the tin, but I'm unlikely to see this one again, so will record my impressions.

Lovely looking dark slices, tin aroma of dates, sultanas and leather. Rubbed out easily and gained a lot of volume in doing so! Took three matches to fire it up, but maybe I packed it a little tight. Lovely rich tobacco flavour with natural sweetness, the flavour built as the bowl progressed. No obvious casing or flavoring, and I didn't detect a great deal of spice from the Perique: must be just a dab in here. No need for relights, burned dry in the falcon, and smoked all the way to the last smidgen. The nicotine dose was satisfactory not but excessive. Lovely stuff! Knocks the socks off Irish Flake.

Pipe Used: Falcon

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2018-11-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

For a Virginia I found this to be quite enjoyable. Without any added flavoring, your nose gets an appetizing whiff of moist raisins (likely the Perique part) on top of the typical barn/hay Virginia smell. It smells of natural sweetness (think Wheat Germ) creating considerable depth of character without the need for additives.

Not sure the best way to package flake cuts in a round tin, but I found the paper envelope thing with a sticker inside annoying to deal with. Aside from that very small quibble, the flake broke apart beautifully and had a perfect moisture content. The smoke is hardy, a hair above medium intensity, but never head swimmingly intense as the "Dark" name might imply.

One of the fullest bodied smokes I've encountered that wasn't English or some gross cigar tasting affair. A well deserved 3 stars for this Aromatic fan (others may find an easy 4 star blend here).

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.