Peretti London Flake

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcWFlyorCp4

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.

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.