Orlik Tobacco Company A/S Golden Sliced (Red Tin)

A great citrus note is the hallmark of this "must try" tobacco. Having recently discovered this blend by accident I have purchased several tins for cellaring and plan on always having a modest stash available so long as it remains in production and as economically priced as it currently is.

While the quality of the Virginia tobacco used here is good it is not outstanding and what I enjoy about this blend is in the flavoring and topping which overwhelms any quality and taste shortcomings of the tobacco used.

Supposedly both Virginia and Perique are used in this blend but the Virginia is definitely the more noticeable of the two with a "tin" note reminiscent to me of fresh cut hay, sweet Valencia oranges and tangerines. Its a unique mix of notes and flavors but one that smells very fresh and clean.

Having spent the earliest years of my life in Central Florida this blend immediately takes me back to my childhood as the room note of this tobacco reminds me of the early summertime smells of a humid Florida afternoon just after a passing mid day rain-shower has stirred up the pleasing scent of freshly mowed grass and nearby citrus groves.

As to the technical aspects of the smoke itself I found it best to rub the ribbons out a bit and let dry some before lighting when pulling from a 100g tin (not as necessary with 50g tins as the cut is finer). After doing so the tobacco burns well enough but can be a bit wet when fresh especially in Peterson system pipes or any other with a condenser or filter. The result is a heavy liquid which can condense in the system chamber or cause a filter to be necessarily used only once. If smoked quickly this is definitely a blend which can get hot, especially in humid climates and may lead to gurgle so some care is required to get the most out of this blend.

For myself, still living in the tropics, I find this tobacco fits perfectly with the natural smells of the tropical plants and fruit which can be found here in Hawaii. I can also see how others might find the citrus flavoring to be a bit over powering or simply not for them. Overall 3 stars and I would make it 4 if not for the tendency of the blend to be a bit wet when smoking and for the fact that some may not like the heavy citrus note which for myself makes this blend an all time favorite!

I have enjoyed this flake. The addition of perique gives the tobacco a slight depth. But really, this is a good to great all day type smoke. Lights, burns, smokes very nicely. Good flavor, with faint hits of grass/hay, and as with Erinmore flakes I smell/taste Juicyfruit gum. Not every time, but often enough that She Who Must Be Obeyed also commented on the fragrance. I recommend this as a sub for Erinmore, as an all day smoke and as a departure from other more strongly tasting Va/Per tobaccos. I will be getting more to cellar. Interested to find out if it gets deeper in flavorings.

This is one of those tobaccos that I have found that I prefer to let dry out somewhat before I smoke it.

I find the drier it is the more of the sweet natural flavors come out of the tobacco. I love how cool this can smoke and the room note for me is excellent ( my wife argues with me on that).

a good tobacco for any occasion in my book.

If you're looking for a virginia for a nice long relaxing smoke this is a very good one. In the tin to me it smells of alfalfa and black licorice and I get none of the orange that many talk of, however, having removed the flakes from the tin, and smelling the empty tin a few days later, you can easily detect the sweet orange. I don't use the fold and stuff method, I strip, rip and rub by taking thin strips length wise with the grain, then cross rip half inch sections across the grain, then pinch it together and fully rub out. Then pack as your normally would. If you take your time as you should with this you get a long cool slow burning smoke and quite relaxing as this has plenty of nicotine. All virginias I've tried have a sublte flavor that taste a little darker than this. This seems to have a bit broader range of flavor with some high notes. Good all the way through but at the half way point really hits stride with those broad range flavors melding a bit. The orange cannot be tasted by me,but the hint of topping seems to add a little to the natural sweetness of the virginia. The burley adds a little mellowness. For me, it's the quality of the smoke, the range of subtle sweet virgina flavor, and the long cool burn of a relaxing smoke.

A good virginia/burley flake. Strength is good. A bit bland on the flavour, but nice.

First I'd like to congratulate Pipe Stud on his 1000th review. Where do you find the time; not just for writting but the pleasure of smoking that many blends.

I've been seeing this in stores for years and never could bring myself to purchase it until the B&M was just about out of everything. I don't know if it was the tin color, the logo or the Orlik name but I did myself a disservice my waiting so many years.

This blend smoked cool and effortlessly all the way to the bottom of the bowl. The sugar topping is not over the top and is pleasant through the entire smoke. Could easily be an all day smoke. I'll be purchasing more.

This is just a plainly good tobacco. Nice and mild with mild natural flavor. A good pipe for a relaxing time with a good beer. Definitely worth the occasional bowl full.

This flake is definitely a bargain. This is a mild flavor and strength blend. It is not complex and does not take much concentration but it is good. The brighter virginias and burley play well together and makes for a smooth mild smoke. I tend to enjoy stronger, fuller tasting blends but this is a nice change for when I am in the mood for something lighter and brighter. Recommended.

A real bargain in the Virginia Flake genre.

Nothing earth shattering here....just an enjoyable, milder smoke.

Nice presentation in the tin...burns clean with no bite.

Virginia smokers should give this one a try if only for the quality to price ratio.

A solid ***