Orlik Tobacco Company A/S Dark Strong Kentucky

Oh man, oh man! The guys at Cigar and Tabac in OP,Ks recommended this to me when I told them I wanted a good strong (but tasty) burley blend that cut right to the chase. I wanted something that would be tasty, long lasting, and loaded with nicotine. This is what was recommended.

I have been familiar with Stokebye tobaccos for quite sometime, being a ryo smoker, and I didn't think this blend would be disappointing. It wasn't. Dark (Stong) Kentucky flakes aptly describes what this blend is.

The tin aroma was strong, but pleasant; none of that overpowering sweetness like I found with MacBaren's London Burley Blend. It was a little like dates, but not like the stewed prune smell I expected. And the flakes are beautiful; nice golden tobacco sandwiched between chocolate colored layers. It's almost a shame to rub it out (or cross cut into cubes, your choice).

This stuff tastes like no other burley/va blend I have tried. It tastes like no other tobacco blend period. It definitely tasted of burley, and there's just enough of the virginia to sweeten it, but it has a nice aged character and aroma. The best way I can think of to describe the smoking experience is that it tastes "manly". And the aroma is manly, in a flannel shirt and pickup kind of way. My wife absolutely detests the lingering odor of it in my truck, but she is overly fond of flowers and girly things.

When I asked the gentlemen who recommended this blend to me what it was like, I was told that it couldn't be described. But, I was assured that it would be good if I liked burleys. I found them to be correct. Dark Kentucky has to be experienced. Buy a tin; put on your best flannel shirt and hiking boots, and tramp out into the woods with a bowl full. But, leave the wife at home.

This is one of those tobaccos that doesn't easily compare with anything else. So for that reason at a minimum, one should try a tin (or share the 100g amongst friends). It is a "oreo cookie" of flake. The dark burley strips on either edge of a virginia core. I tried the newer tinned product labelled as Dark Kentucky Flakes per the new EU laws. The virginia must certainly be from a similar batch as the Capstan flake is made from. High quality, clean burning, and delightful.

The tin aroma is nothing less than pure sundried raisins. The flavour combines the virginia and burley so well with a flavour ranging from nutty to raisin and fig. There is a tartness and sweetness from the virginia, balanced with a fullness and rounding imparted by the burley-- which I don't believe is flavoured much if at all. The aroma emminating from the bowl is not really inviting or lady friendly, but outdoors it is a lovely rich tobacco farm fresh smell, not at all like cigarettes as some plain virginias can emulate. This is a must try for those who favour natural blends with medium-hi nicotine and without Latakia. Definitely a change of pace from plain jane virginias. Not for the aromatic lover or those who need to smoke like a blast furnace, though it doesn't really bite.

My first encounter with DSK was a bit intimidating. A bit on the strong side I thought and fairly difficult to light,etc. After this tin sat in my motorhome for two or three months, it had given up some of the initial moisture. It is still fairly flexible and much easier to rub out and get burning. I normally just fold a couple of flakes in half and push them lightly into the bowl. They fire up on the second light and burn nicely. I detect a nice Virginnia component in this tobacco. That typical sharpness tells your tongue Virginnia is present. The Burley is of a very high quality and does dominate the blend. No bitterness whatsoever. If you puff too hard, you can induce some tongue-bite. Take it easy and you will be very pleasantly rewarded. Don't let the Burley name keep you from trying this tobac. It is only available in a 100 gram tin where I shop so you may want to borrow a pinch or see if your tobacconist will let you try a bowl first. In any event, if you end up with the tin, you most likely will have no trouble getting rid of the remainder if you are one of the few who don't like this flake. I am not a big fan of really strong flakes and I thought this one was great! A relatively unique tobacco. Highly recommended for the experienced pipe smoker. Note: After smoking this tobac. you will not taste any other blend. Not even a strong English!

This came as a very nice surprise. IMO this is an excellent tobacco, flavoursome, spicy, with a discreet toffee-chocolaty undertone (though I wouldn?t say an aromatic proper), elegant, palatable, and exceedingly smooth. It does have a rather noticeable nicotine kick, but other than that this is not a strong tobacco in the sense that Dunhill?s Nightcap, Fox?s Provost Mixture or even Gawith?s Full Virginia Flake are. If anything, I rate DSK as a medium strength dark flake, with a very obvious Burley-Kentucky component, but with enough Virginia to give it an admirable balance and zest.

Tin aroma is very inviting: somewhere in between the bitter sweet and tangy registers. The flakes are beautiful: almost square cut, dark and bright brown striped (rather like petite biscuits), and amazingly easy to break up and pack in. It lights with no problem and it smokes clean, with a velvety smoothness. The Burley and Kentucky components provide a rich nutiness and density which are, IMO, very agreeable.

In terms of quality and ease of smoke, DSK resembles its milder sibling, Golden Sliced. Top grade leaf, unimpeachable attention to detail and an elegant presentation, make DSK a recommendable tobacco for both aromatic and regular leaf smokers.

I like this tobacco a lot, and it’s sad that it’s been discontinued. Plenty has been said of it’s qualities, but for the life of me I couldn’t taste any of the dark-fired Kentucky in this blend.

My reference for that flavor profile would be G&H Kendal Kentucky, University Flake, and MacBaren Old Dark Fired.

Instead I can taste the citrusy Virginias and the sweet black cavendish, and the brown sugar casing that’s mentioned by other reviewers. And I’m surprised because I’m smoking a tin from 2005.

It’s more akin to the modern iteration of Three Nuns, to my taste buds.

Having said that, it’s a very nice, cool, and sweet tobacco that I can smoke all day. The nicotine strength is mild to medium.

The flavor and aroma is good, it’s not offensive to non-smokers, and it doesn’t bite my tongue.

One of my favorites. Too bad it’s no longer in production.

Gorgeously presented striped flakes that took several relights initially. Rubbing out and giving a brief dry time is all that was needed. The smell was dark fruit and spice which tasted much the same add molasses. The smoke is thick, fairly cool and with a pleasant mouthfeel. A little restraint was required as I did warm up the pipe excitingly puffing away on this. Everything came together well on this one and I will be buying more to both cellar and keep in the rotation.

When opening the tin, you are greeted with 3 neat stacks of nearly 2" long bacon-strip looking pieces of flake with dark edges and a bright Virginia center. The flakes are very hard to separate and like to break apart at the meeting of the VA's and the outer Dark Fired/Cavendish strips... often leaving you with Trident Gum sized pieces of either the edges or center of the flake. This is fine but a pain when trying to put some in a pouch etc. I found it easier to just rub out a whole stack at a time and put it in my pouch. The flakes rub out fairly easily.. not dissimilar to Golden Sliced.

I don't understand the reviews stating that this is all burley.. it most certainly is not as the description states as well as the bright yellow VA you can see in the center strip.

The tin note to me is of molasses, with a sour note given from the Virginias and a tang from the dark tobaccos as well. I get a very slight licorice note but not as much as molasses, and I have an inkling that the licorice note is actually from the cavendish and dark fired and that there is not an anise topping, (though there could be a slight one). The flakes are decently moist from the tin and can stand some age or dry time, though it's not 100% necessary.

When lighting you are hit with a sweetness you don't expect, and a mild smoke counter to the name "Strong". It has a piquant deliciousness that keeps you puffing away... it made me want to smoke it a bit too hard to be sure to take it slow. It smokes cool and has a pretty decently sweet room note, although not light due to the Kentucky. The flavor profile reminds me a lot of Mac Baren Stockton Roll Cake... which isn't available here in the US anymore. 🙁

I didn't have any problem keeping it lit and it doesn't get harsh at the bottom of the bowl, though it does lose a little bit of the sweetness found at the beginning. It can leave a bit of dottle if you don't dry it... but rubbing it out and letting it sit for 15-30 minutes or so does the trick. I will say I found it to work and taste best in a very small pipe... which belies the fact that it is not that strong in nicotine to me.

This is one that truly surprised me and I will certainly be buying more to cellar. I can only imagine it will improve over time. Like Golden Sliced, my wife didn't even complain of the room note.

I admit, I'm surprised how much I liked this. I find Dark Fired to be something best used in minute quantities, so a flake that purports to have a high percentage of it as a main ingredient gave me pause. But then again, I was leery of 35% perique in a blend, and that has become my all-time favorite (Chenet's Cake). Imagine my surprise when I opened the tin to find three very tidy stacks of scientifically-precise striped flakes and a tin note primarily of brown sugar and dark fruit, with just a hint of smoke. This characteristic carried over into the smoke, which was surprisingly quite sweet. Sweet enough that my brain said "There be a healthy dose of Cavendish in there". Checking here after the fact, it seems I was correct. The smoke is sweet, buttery, darkly fruity,and oy slightly Smoky. A true delight.

A

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. Dark Strong Kentucky is among my top five favorite tobaccos. I had the misfortune, as I wanted to try it, to see it become discontinued back in 2005 before I could place an order for it. When it as reintroduced a few years back, I was extremely enthusiastic and quickly proceeded to acquire a reassuring quantity. I have not regretted this decision. DSK is visually pleasant. The molasses, brown sugar and licorice casings smell so good and promise nothing less than a delightful smoking experience. And delightful it is. The casings do not sublimate the tobacco taste and DSK offers a deep, rich and creamy smoke dominated by outstanding Burleys that make me crave, every time, for more. The nicotine level is just right (medium) and, surprisingly, it leaves no ghost in the tobacco chamber. DSK, once rubbed out, smokes easily and leaves a dry bowl. I do not see this tobacco discussed much on the forums and find it regrettable for it is, for all Burley lovers, a bucket list tobacco. You must try it!