Drew Estate Gatsby Luxury Flake

I really had no preconceived notions when I purchased this tin. I wasn't expecting anything other than a quality smoke and by itself I think that Gatsby is just that, a quality tobacco blend. It has a sweet fruity flavor that is present but not overpowering or fake tasting. I made the mistake of smoking my first bowl in a pipe I normally reserve for aromatic blends and the subtle flavor of the tobacco was lost by the ghosts of tobaccos past. My second (and subsequent) bowls after that however were in a fresh restored estate pipe and to my surprise and delight the more subtle flavors came out to play almost immediately. I don't know if I would considered GLF an "all day smoke" for myself but I could see how some might enjoy it on a more regular basis. Personally I view it as an excellent dessert smoke. Some tobaccos are more enjoyable when paired with a drink... GLF in my opinion is one that is best enjoyed when paired with a port wine. I found Sandeman Fine Ruby Port to be the most tasty and it complimented the fruit flavor while maintaining the creamy texture of the tobacco itself.

The only reason I gave this 3 stars instead of 4 is because (for me) it is more of a once in awhile smoke as opposed to something I could smoke all day every day and never get tired of it. I reserve Gatsby Luxury Flake as a treat rather than a constant companion.

First review here. On cracking couple month old tin (DE should put date stickers on the tins) the aroma was fig and something I couldn't quite put my finger on, something near a fruit juice but not forward and obvious. Aesthetically, the flakes were a gorgeous 8-9 inch long golden hued baccy. Not overly moist but enough to be very pliable without breaking the flake. On lighting, I got the VA grassiness and thick honey like sweetness. This is not an aromatic, but the honey was hard to ignore. Not an entirely bad thing. I sipped it relatively slow but did get more bite than I'm accustomed to. This could be the moisture being more present than most of my jarred stock . I may be returning to add to this as the tin nears it's end. Not at all bad but there are many others I would be eager to cellar.

Drew Estate pipe blends rarely showed up in my assimilations of other smokers tobacco collections, so, I bought some of each blend for my stash in the year they went out of business. Whatever year that was, that's their age. I opened this tin of Gatsby Luxury Flake to thin down some stronger blends I was working with and it worked satisfactorily. Now, on to smoking the blend itself. On opening I discovered what other reviewers had said about it's resemblance to Orlik Golden Sliced. The flakes were a golden hue with slight light and dark undulations and dotted with canary yellow spots. To my experience it resembles a whole host of Virginia Flakes rather than just one or two. The sniff test immediately separated it from most of the blends we are all talking about as they contain Perique. Gatsby Luxury Flake is a simpler form of Virginia Flake and smokes in a narrower range than many of the blends we are all smoking. Comparing it to English or aromatic blends just won't work. Here the Virginia is the main player with the cavendish attempting to pull the aroma slightly lower on the scale. In this blend it works, but, only to a point. I found smoking Gatsby to be satisfying at times with a rich Virginia flavor and at other times, somewhat flat and thin. I liked it, but, always wanted more. I am in total agreement with reviewer Bonneville 2014-07-30 in his assessment that Gatsby Luxury Flake is worth experiencing but is not exceptional and I recommend it at three stars.