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

I've had this 100 gm tin in my cellar for the last 2 years, but always put it off for something else. Finally cracked it and I've finished over half of it. The 2nd half will be an occasional smoke.

I'm very glad others have mentioned the citrus nature of this blend. Specifically, I taste a huge orange essence with a slight bit of lemon. The VA's take center stage and I can't say with any certainty that I tasted burley, unless it's cased with this orange flavor. The entire concoction tastes like it's mildly cased, as it is the most "citrus-y" VA I've ever smoked, even more so than Mac Baren's Virginia #1, and fans of it should also like this one. The tobacco is presented beautifully in spun form and breaks apart easily for rubbing. It came at near-perfect moisture in the tin and I've experimented with various degrees of dryness. It's a very congenial blend, never biting or hot, always smooth and flavorful.

The only downside - if it could be considered one - is that I could never smoke this all day. The orange taste would wear me out. It never dies down, even when bone dry and even down the bowl. When I'm in the mood for it, this tobacco was a refreshing change of pace. When I wasn't, it became a bit cloying. But it's an excellent tobacco and should be tried by every confirmed VA smoker... and from the number of reviews written here, it has! Glad I finally got to it.

This flake is, besides MacBaren Navy, a must try in the flakes segment for every pipe smoker. It is perfectly balanced and interesting fresh, as much as rounded aged. Like all Virginias it can bite, if pushed, but sipped slowly, develops a wonderful spring like taste. Tin note is like fruity hay, similar to freshly mowed spring grass after a few days in the sun and the taste is quite robust. Fully recommended.

No two ways about it, this is simply a delightful, elegant smoke. A delectable lingering sweetness on the palate, combined with a delicious tangy spiciness dominates the first half of the bowl. The smoke is smooth, incredibly flavorful and has no bite whatsoever. For the price, Golden Sliced is quite possibly the best tinned Virginia flake on the market. It has a sweet, fruity malt-like aroma reminiscent of Stokkebye's Twist Flake. This flake is absolutely marvelous when folded and stuffed into the pipe. Perique? I believe it's there, but it's just enough to amplify and slightly augment the flavor.

End bowl flavors do ramp up and become more complex. The heel of the bowl finishes woody and somewhat astringent but it's not at all unpleasant. As far as performance is concerned, this flake burns so perfectly it practically smokes itself.

Golden Sliced is simply a must try for any fan of Virginia flakes. For me this flake is the chef's pantry equivalent of quality canned tomatoes. It's a must have and for the price I usually double my pleasure and opt for the big 100g tin whenever I purchase it. Hey you only live once, right?

Love at first smoke. In the good old days Golden Sliced was my constant companion on whitewater canoe trips as much as my paddle and vest were. It required the briefest Flick-of-my-Bic to light after a fast Fold-n-Thumb into a capped briar while between sets of rapids or off the river. The Orlik tin kept the Wrigley-like slices of Virginia truly dry even when the canoe dumped or I was tossed. A bonus that a pouch never provided.

If you're a piper who doesn't need to try every new blend on the shelf, one that needs blends that challenge your skills as a pipe smoker, or simply a piper that has his tastes sorted out and knows good leaf is, then I strongly suggest you give Orlik GS a try. It cooperates going into the bowl with a minimum of skill and the burn needs very little attention to provide a slow, gentle, cool and sweet smoke that my senses enjoy right to the bowl's bottom. I cannot think of a better Virginia flake for a newcomer to the uncased leaf.

Orlik Golden Sliced is perfect from 10 AM until dinner and I've never tired of it. It smokes as well now and tastes as soft and sweet as it did over 30 years ago. I must say that although this blend is now rumored to contain some Perique, I have yet to taste it as such. Perhaps it's there but I wouldn't hesitate to call this a pure Virginia. Though I highly recommend this Orlik and it's near the top of my Terrific Ten, it's no longer available in Canada (August 2017) so until a new importer and distributor steps on to the rink, I'll continue to source it from abroad or my southern neighbour.

Orlik Tobacco Co. - Golden Sliced.

From the tin it's a little moist, but nothing too dramatic. I like to rub Golden Sliced, which is a relatively simple task. And then, after an easy lighting, it's on with the smoke.

It's an exceedingly 'bright' tasting blend. Very sprightly, honey sweet, Virginia, forms the prominent part of the flavour. There's some contention regarding whether or not this is a VaPer, and to me there's no actual Perique 'spice', but there is a zestiness alongside the Virginia's.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: nice.

I think this easily merits four stars:

Highly recommended.

This is a great Virginia. There seems to be some debate about whether it has any perique. I don't have the most sophisticated palate, but I thought there was a taste of it there. It come out of the tin at a good moisture for me, and I found it easy to tear off a strip (I had the 100 p tin with the long rolled flakes). It is sweet and has a slight orange citrus taste. There is a lot of flavor, and I found it was a great slow smoke in a large bowl. One of my pipes seems made for it, and when the tin was open that was all I smoked in this pipe.

If you think you want to try a tasty Virginia with just a touch of perique, try this. I liked it a lot and highly recommend it.

You can't eat steak and lobster every day, it's just too damn rich. However, you can have a nice sandwich over and over again, at least I can, anyway. Golden Slice to me is that sandwich, it can be smoked everyday and won't leave you too full. It's not a decadent tobacco, it's sweet and mild with hints of citrus and hay. Doesn't really have much perique in it, but it can be spicy at times depending on the volumes of your draws.

This is just my first impression as I'm writing this while enjoying my second bowl. I will later edit it if by the end of the tin any of this review is affected.

First off the blend does have Perique in it. PipesMagazine.com's Kevin Godbee did an article on it some years back and said that the people at Orlik mentioned the Burley was a misprint from an incorrect translation. The blend does not have any Burley in it, but does in fact have some Perique in it.

The tin note I got was kind of a hay and raisin smell. Mostly that of a nice light sweet Virginia.

The moisture level was, to me, just right.

With the fold and stuff method it loads nicely. It takes a char light and true light nicely. After that it's just your normal maintaining of the bowl.

The flavor I'm getting is mostly that sweet citrus and apricot like flavor with a bit of the hay or grassy notes. The Perique isn't coming through too much. I'm not really getting the fig or peppery notes that it's known for.

It hasn't bit me, but as it's a mostly Virginia blend I'm sure it could if you push it.

The nicotine level is pretty low.

Overall, it's a nice light Virginia blend that you could spend a nice sunny summer day puffing on all day long.

If you're looking to get your feet wet in more natural pipe tobaccos and venture away from aromatics give this blend a try. Also, if you're a heavy English, Balkan, or VaPer guy looking for a nice light natural tobacco for a change of pace or a cleansing of the palate pick up a tin of this.

Don’t be fooled by the topping - or good availability, Orlik Golden Sliced is a serious, first quality VA flake. If you are OK with generally-lighter VAs, IMO, the VA tobaccos in OGS are as good as any available today. One great thing about OGS is, you actually get what you smell when you pop the tin: a delicious bouquet of sweet, ripe, fermented, bright through orange VAs topped with orange extract, apricots, and currants, with a slight nuttiness that does not fight for attention, along with faint fig Newtons. I would guess that the tobaccos are flue and air cured, also some stoved leaf, all matured before pressing and slicing into thin, uniform flakes that range from predominately gold to streaks and flecks of medium and medium-dark brown.. The flakes are well formed, and they are easy to fold, spindle, load and light, right out of the tin. It burns down great, concentrating a little, and there is plenty of smoke. I prefer to dry OGS just a little first, then I sip, sniff, and savor it slowly, without re-lights. I find this makes for a truly “refreshing” smoke. Again, it smells and tastes like its tin note, top to bottom, and IMO it sets the bar for the genre. Something unusual about OGS: though its main tobacco scents and flavors are in a “higher register” than some other VA flakes, yet the smoke is rich and smooth, and it comes across as well-balanced. Also, though OGS is fairly mild and very consistent, there is a range of flavors to enjoy. If there is Burly, that might account for the smoothness and a delicate nuttiness, and I suppose that a smidgen of Perique could (possibly…) explain the fig Newtons, although I detect no spices I associate with Perique. Strength builds very smoothly from mild to medium, and the tastes do likewise. Smoked “correctly”, it’s not hot. Room note is pleasant. Aftertaste is either best-of-the-smoke or an ashy version of the best-of-the-smoke, depending on how it’s smoked down.

No holding back, I highly recommend Orlik Golden Sliced to anyone who smokes a pipe, apart from confirmed VA haters or those who smoke for nicotine. Just take it slow and easy, and let the delicate flavors and side streams come to you. Typical of fine VAs, OGS ages well in its sealed tin. Four stars for this venerable flake, and a place on the Classics List.