Tobaccos Peretti - London Flake (Flake)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3019)	2013-10-14		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is almost McClelland's #2015. I say "almost" because there are differences between them. The familiar vinegar smell lightly translates into the smoke, but it isn't as obvious as it is in some of the other McClelland blends. The orange and red Virginias offer a lot of tart and tangy citrus, some tangy ripe dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, light grass and sugar, and a floral note. There's less perique here, and it provides more plum and fig than spice as a condiment. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is step past the center of mild to medium. Won't bite or get harsh. Has a few very small rough edges. You will have to dry it some, but once done, smokes cool, clean and a little slow with a very consistent flavor from top to bottom. Leaves just a little moisture in the bowl. Requires some relights. Has a pleasantly lightly lingering after taste, and room note. Not quite an all day smoke. It's really more of a two and a half star blend, but it deserves more than two stars, hence the three star rating.

Update 7-22-2020: The new version has a very similar composition to the “McClelland” production. The orange and red Virginias offer a lot of tart and tangy citrus, some tangy ripe dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, mild grass and sugar, and a small floral note. The figgy, plumy, earthy, woody, moderately spicy perique is a little more obvious here, especially the spice. It’s a secondary player. The light vinegar note is a step less potent than it is in the original, and the floralness is a hair stronger. There is a light sweet topping present, though it doesn't tone down the tobaccos much. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a couple of slots past the center of mild to medium. Won't bite or get harsh. Has a few small rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a slightly slow pace with a very consistent sweet and mildly spicy flavor that translates to the pleasantly lingering after taste, and room note. Barely leaves any moisture in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. A worthy successor to the previous manufacture even though it lacks the McClelland touch. A solid three star blend.

-JimInks

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JB (44)	2014-12-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

First of all, it is not McClelland's 2015...no way, no how. I have both blends on the table in front of me right now. The texture of the tobacco is closer to the old Bengal Slices when you rub it out. It also does not have the ketchup smell (to me at least). It is a delicious VA-Perique blend that hits a great balance between the aged virginias and the perique. I actually like that it does not throw the perique in your face...it's a subtle note here. Just enough of the peppery goodness that you want in this type of blend. Honestly, this is one of the best VA-Perique blends that I've ever smoked.

Pipe Used: Barling pre-trans fossil bulldog

Age When Smoked: just opened the bag

Purchased From: LJ Peretti

Similar Blends: Sixpence.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2015-05-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Focuses on darker browns and a bit more broken than a typical broken flake. Tin aroma was of a diluted McClellands fermented tang, which indicated that they sourced the Virginia from McClellands. That's a huge plus.

I've heard that this is supposedly a rebadging of McClellands #2015. It may start out that way but Peretti does something to it because it neither looks nor tastes the same. This is considerably lighter in flavor and less fully developed. There is less of the familiar tang of McClellands, and the perique is more lightly applied here. I compared the two back to back and found them in the same ballpark but not the same. This is less sweet with a bigger sour note as well as being lighter in body. This is still a very good tobacco but it's not quite up to the 2015 level. This one, however, might be the better choice for someone looking for lighter fare, such as in the mornings. In fact, this might be a quite excellent first smoke of the day. Since I don't often smoke that early, I'll stick with the more robust and flavorful 2015.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	incendio (45)	2018-04-06		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a review for the new London Flake, released March 2018.

Sadly I never got around to trying the old version and that chance has come and gone.

This is obviously not a McClelland product. What is it? I'll bet all my chips that it's a Sutliff Virginia Slices, plus perique. Tastes good. I really enjoy Sutliff slices (I had no idea they made such good flake) and the perique adds a nice fruity-spicy dimension. The Virginia is grass and hay, with a mild Danish-style topping.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (212)	2021-03-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Peretti London Flake - This Virginia -Perique blend has an obvious ketchup tang to it where Sutliff rc515 is all Vinegar and all Virginia. There is some bright leaf hay and grass but more of the fruity tangy red variety Virginia. Bready and a little malt and oats . The Perique is light here but adds some nice plum and a little spice . I enjoy this quite a bit . This is a solid Vaper and I would definitely buy A tin for the cellar . A lot more flavor than the tin I smoked of Elizabethan recently . No bite and light nic hit . 4 star blend

Age When Smoked: Fresh bulk

Purchased From: LJ peretti

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2016-01-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is the fourth of five samples I received from my nephew. All Four of these were VaPers (or variations of the same). This was my least favorite of those four. I see that a lot of people compare this to 2015 and I guess that is apt as all of these blends had traces of McClelland scent and as this is composed of Virginia and perique, It is an apt comparison.

I did find this different than 2015. The scent was much subdued and so was the smoke itself. It was less tangy. I also thought this was a little stronger in nicotine than 2015, albeit far from a nicotine hammer. I had thought perhaps that it was because it was higher in perique, but I would be definitely in the minority with that opinion as many have explained the perique as very light.

I actually find the perique very light in 2015 as well, so for me it is pretty hard to determine which of the lightweights is heavier. At the end of the day the two blends are just too similar to justify spending more money on this one. Your dollar would be better spent on Number 8, Dundee or Park Square.

By this and a strict interpretation of how heavily I would recommend a blend, this should be a one star. But that just would not be doing the blend justice, so I am adding a star for the quality leaf and a blend that certainly won't disgust anyone who enjoys Virginias. Heck, someone who despises the McVV scent, may enjoy this blend a lot as it is so light that it almost escapes detection in LF.

Similar Blends: McClelland Bulk 2015.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Backwoods Piper (70)	2007-03-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a fine VA flake. This as most tobaccos of this sort is multi-faceted and can please in a variety of ways depending on the rub out or lack of.

Out of the pouch the aroma is reminiscent of Mc Clelland VA's with the ketchup and vinegar over tone in the pouch aroma. London Flake packs nicely and burns well once thoroughly lit. This tobacco is well balanced and has a satisfying VA flavor from top to bottom.

I really like this blend and most likely will add it to my VA rotation from time to time.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2021-11-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

First off, the comparison to the old McClelland red Va is not far off. McC always had a certain touch though, much as Esoterica (Germain) does. Whoever said bengal slices I fear is confused....its not that at all. This is a high quality but pretty simple virginia flake (its honestly not too far off from stuff like Dan Tobacco's Patriot Flake or Hamborger Veermaster). There is perique in there, and you can taste it, though nothing like McClelland used to with Beacon Extra, say. It reminds me a bit of St James flake (gawith, also impossible to procure these days). All that said, its very good -- Im a va flake smoker-- and I buy quite a bit of it. Its not really a dark heavily stoved flake, but its more middle strength in those terms. Nic hit is about what you would expect. Has that lovely hay and stewed fruit quality of fermented viginias. And a bit of a nudge from the perique. I think we should all be grateful Peretti is still around. 3 and a half.

Purchased From: peretti's

Similar Blends: St James Flake, Hamborger Veermaster (but with added perique).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScottR99 (14)	2019-02-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

To me this is THE best Vaper in existence. But imo it needs to be allowed to sit for a few months before it's really, really good. When I'm writing this it has a 2.7 overall rating, and that's shocking to me. When it's ready it's smooth, creamy, tasty, sweet, and a little spicy. What more can one ask for in a VaPer? My suggestion is get a few ounces, put it in a jar, air it out every now and then, and visit it after a few months. If you like VaPers you can't possibly be disappointed.

Pipe Used: DeJARNETT hand carved algerian briar

Age When Smoked: A few months?

Purchased From: LJ Peretti Online Store

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Grovesy (32)	2018-12-06		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Gone is the old Mcclelland sourced version of Peretti's London Flake. If you are looking for that dark, tangy flake that used to be London Flake you will be greatly disappointed with this new 2018 version. The latest rendition of London Flake is a totally different flavor profile than the pre-2018 version. This new flake boasts extreme bready, oat, and malty flavor characteristics. The perique is blended with a very light touch and is barely noticeable even in the retrohale. To me, these flakes taste very young and the virginias possess a rough/harsh edge to them. I cellared my 10 oz and will revisit the blend once it has some age on it. As of this review, I'm not impressed with this new London Flake at all, especially for the premium price Peretti is selling it for.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: LJ Peretti

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StogieBear (20)	2017-03-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

MARCH 2018 EDIT:

No longer able to source the McClelland flake, Peretti recently introduced a new London Flake. This is a loosely packed, 7 inch long flake of lighter colored VAs and Perique and is quite good. It has a certain smell and flavor that have me believing it is British, though they would not tell me who their new supplier is.

The new London Flake is great, and will appeal to smokers who like Cardiff.

OLD VERSION:

I'm convinced this is made for Peretti by McClelland. It has the characteristic texture of a McC broken Flake and the same tang and ketchup tin note. But it's not a rebrand of 2015. Compared to 2015, London Flake is less spicy, slightly sweeter and has a more refined character. If you're a VaPer fan or like 2015 but want something a bit more easygoing, give it a try.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 606ks, 122, 320ks, 315ks

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: LJ Peretti

Similar Blends: Old version: McClelland 2015;, New version: Cardiff, Dorchester.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2017-01-18		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Presentation is a (barely) broken, deep brown flake similar to many MClelland VaPer flakes. Though some have noted this is identical or similar to McClelland's 2015, I pick up none of that McClelland tang and the moisture level is much less than what one expect of a McClelland flake. The tobacco arrives quite dry (relatively speakingfor this style of blend) and is ready to smoke upon arrival. The broken up flakes fold and stuff easily and after a few matches were off to a steady, even burn.

There's the slightest whisper of that Peretti secret ingredient that I believe to be deer tongue on the charring light. But from there the magic combination of Virginia and Perique largely takes over, providing stewed fruit flavor with some earth and leather, a whisp of tang, some pepper, and just a hint of citrus buried in the background. The pepper runs its course by mid-bowl and the second half of the smoke is dominated by rich, though subtle, stewed fruit flavors.

Slow and cool burning, London Flake is an interesting blend in that despite a somewhat creamy mouthfeel, the flavors here are quite subdued and reserved rather than overt. I'm used to so much more flavor and punch from my favorite VaPers that I wasn't sure if I liked this blend. But its incredibly smooth smoking characteristics and deep, rich stewed fruit pushes me into three star territory. Sip very slowly and you'll be rewarded with a unique flavor profile and what might just be the coolest, smoothest smoking VaPer blend out there. No harsh spots. Absolutely no bite. A nice change of pace and strongly recommended for those who are interested in VaPer blends but have been put off by the strength unforgiving smoking characteristics of some offerings.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beano (7)	2014-06-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

First, its not a flake. At least not the stuff I got from the store. More of a broken flake. This is an OK smoke, but nothing to write home about. Very mild perique. Lights and smokes fine. Park Square is better IMHO.

Pipe Used: cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2012-01-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

If you love MC flake (Blackwoods, St James, etc) you are gonna love this stuff...one of my go-to smokes now...great flake done right by the blenders...high quality bacci. I just dry out for a few hours (used to the wait with MC blends) and you are off for pure smoking bliss

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Slow Triathlete (62)	2009-08-27		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I usually live by the creedo of if it looks like a dog, smells like a dog then it usually is a dog. That's why I think this is McClelland's Bulk 2015. Maybe a different Virginia or maybe a bit more Perique added but it is some iteration of 2015.

I find all broken flakes produced by McClelland to usually be more trouble than they are worth. They arrive overly moist and it takes them forever to dry out due to their thickness. And this one was no exception. You'd be better off putting this blend into a coffee grinder to make it a bit more fine so that it dries out easier. Again too much trouble.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dave (15)	2004-04-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This mixture does indeed look like a McClelland Virginia blend both with regard to the cut and moisture content. I would, however, be somewhat disappointed if this mixture were actually made by McClelland as I am told on good authority that Peretti hand blends all of their own tobaccos sold in their store under their name, being only one of two tobacco houses in Massachusetts that still do so. Upon opening the can, the perique content becomes very apparent, slightly burning the nostrils but not overpowering. It is a high moisture content tobacco and I have smoked it both by rubbing it out and as it is in the can. It can be somewhat difficult to light and maintain lit when not rubbed, tending to burn very hot and diminishing the subtelties of the blend. Thus, I would recommend at least a little rubbing. I have found it best to pack the bowl so that a medium draw is obtained- too tight and too much lighting is necessary with the consequence described above. Upon lighting, I find it necessary to light, tamp and relight with frequent tamping necessary throughout the smoke for optimum taste. The very top of the bowl can, at times, be a little harsh and I suspect may be a function of the freshness of the tobacco. This harsheness soon disappears and a good melding of the perique and Virginias occurs in the middle and bottom of the bowl. As with any Virginia flake, slow smoking in a bowl free of the residues of other flavors such as Latakia is necessary. I find it smokes best in a medium briar bowl, slightly bent. I have also smoked it in a small bowl meerschaum but find that the meerscahum absorbs too much of the moisture and full taste does not come through. For me, this blend is a rich smoke, with a "woodsy," nutty taste along with, what to me, is that fruity feeling of perique on the tongue. One of my favorite blends, it is somewhat similar of the old Macbarens Golden Extra when it was a combination of Burley and Virginia, with the addition of the Perique. A very high quality blend without added flavorings or casings.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (84)	2022-09-29		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

Man, these flakes are long!

I tried to find a jar note but there’s none. I smelled the tobacco and all I get is some grass notes. That’s all.

I never smoked any McClelland so I can’t compare them to say “yeah, tastes like McClelland or smells like McClelland.” I only tried Frog Morton, but no other blends from them.

From the first puffs I get a weird but interesting taste, I don’t know what it is, but tastes good. I think it’s a topping of something but I can’t put my finger on it. It could be a bit of McClelland ketchup, but very mild. Now some clear taste notes! First of all, it tastes a lot like fig. Plum, like JimInks said? I’d say more like dried prunes. It’s a just bit tart, has some hay notes, The spiciness is medium to strong, you really get your mouth spiced up and you feel that well when retrohaling. I see people are saying the spice is not that big. Maybe for me it is, or maybe just in this particular one I got, maybe it’s a batch with more peppery spice. But nevertheless, by the end of the bowl it mellows down. I don’t really know what orange virginia is. I tasted red virginia and golden virginia, and this tastes like somewhere in between. At times it gives me the impression that it has some burley, because of some nutty notes and cocoa, but apparently it’s all in my head.

The room note is... unnoticeable. I tried to smell something but I couldn’t. I puffed and went out of the room for 1 minute and came back. Still nothing.

Anyway, all in all, good blend! It’s not something super special, so I’ll give 3 stars out of 4.

P.S.: Review on the spot here

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DaveR (6)	2020-10-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a review of the new London Flake; I previously reviewed the old version under "DaveR." I see no similarities between this and the old version, but that doesn't mean that it's not good in its own way.. The "flakes" are much longer, but also much thinner. I would call them borderline between a ribbon cut and a coarse flake. The tin note is milder and sweeter. A very slight topping that I cannot identify is noticed. A little rubbing, and the flakes, if one could call them that, break easily into string like parts. Lighting is a breeze. The old version took three or four lights; this version one, two at the most. There is less body to the smoke, and the taste is much milder, sweeter, and less woodsy that the old version, but there is a hint of "woodsiness." The perique is barely noticeable but you can tell it's there. On occasion, I get just a slight hint of the taste of Escudo, which of course is heavy in the Perique department. The new version burns much quicker than the previous. I get about a half hour from a medium size bowl of the new version whereas I got about an hour from the old version. There is much less bite in the new version, and I can well see that this could be an all day smoke. Overall, I prefer the old version for its body and woodsy flavors, but I am beginning to like this the more I smoke it, and it might appeal to others who found the old version of London Flake a bit strong.

Pipe Used: MT Natural, Algerian briar

Age When Smoked: Off the shelf

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BostonPipe (84)	2020-09-30		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I have been getting my Tobacco from LJ's since the early 80s. This blend reminded me of Three Nuns but on Steroids as far as the Perique. The previous sourced from McClelland's was smoother from the get-go. However, I am smoking a fairly recent tinning. The peppery taste overpowers the sweetness of the Virginias With some aging I imagine it would smooth right down to a milder peppereness (?) which I would include in my regular rotation. Easy to rub out, a false light, then off to a meditative state.

Pipe Used: Bonfiglioli's Charatan's

Age When Smoked: less than a year

Purchased From: L.J. Peretti Boston

Similar Blends: Three Nuns (Heavier Perique).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2018-12-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

No experience with the pre 2018 version so this is a standalone review for the post 2018 flake. Tin note is sweet with some caramel and molasses like aromas. Grassy and a sour note as well. Not a particularly flavorful smoke for me. Very young is my overall impression, I will likely put this down for awhile. The smoke is extremely light and grassy, earthy and vegetal. I do not really detect the Perique at all, except perhaps in the mouth feel. There is a tannic element in the smoke that I think comes from the Perique. The smoke did not change from start to finish. As a young leaf this may just need time to develop, or maybe this one is just flat and light as a blend. As smoked now this is a 1.5 for me but it is quality leaf so I will bump it to 2...for now.

Age When Smoked: <1 year

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2003-05-14		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

The smell in the tin is the typical vinegar or catsup of McClelland Va., but slightly muted. I suspect that it was prepared for Peretti's by McClelland because it is almost if not identical to McClelland's #2015. However, it does seem to be a bit smoother and a little less nippy. This is a beautiful Virginia/Perique tobacco. There are no artificial flavors or sweeteners that I can detect. The dominant flavor is the sweetness of a McClelland Virginia flake combined with the tang of Perique at the back of the tongue. If you like Virginia/Perique tobacco and you like McClelland #2015, you will probably find this tobacco a step up. It requires slow, typical Virginia puffing and burns evenly all the way to the dottle with very little tending. However, if price is a consideration, I think you will find #2015 just as satisfying. Paddy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jason09 (5)	2023-01-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It was through this tobacco that VaPers really clicked for me. I don't know if it was my cadence, my mindset in the moment, à build up of the experience of my pallet, or a mix of all of it but all of a sudden I was able to pick out seperate tastes. The bready yet grassy Virginias, the at times spicy or plummy periques. Or I could take a step back and enjoy the flavours as a whole. I've almost come to the end of my two ouce jar which is too bad since I think I've just only now fully awoken to the flavours of the blend. This blend will always be the eureka blend that took my tastes to a whole new level.

Pipe Used: Blatter&Blatter bent billiard

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Lj Perretti

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