Ashton Brindle Flake

I don't know who McClelland's thinks they are fooling. Between their catfood-like tins and the aroma of tomato paste that whafts out when they are opened, no matter the tobacco therein contained, I could identify one of their blends if it was in a tin with a white label that said 'tobacco' on it in large block lettering.

Nevertheless.

I liked this flake moreso than nearly all others I have had from their line, which would be about all of them. With so many of their other flakes, I have noted that there is a basic McClelland's taste, just as there is a basic McClelland's smell, which asserts itself with different levels of intensity from one offering to another. In Brindle Flake we are given something more: it has that well known combination of tang and smokey musk that McClelland's does so well and seems that they will never give up, but with varying notes of fruit(peach, blackberry, whathaveyou), along with an occasional buttery, caramel--butterscotch--that's what I'm looking for--type of note.

All of these elements fail to present themselves in any great force above the basic tobacco undertone, and the experience is rendered just a tad boring as a result. Steve Books of Rich's Cigar Store, Portland, OR had a limited supply of a hand cut, deep red Virginia Flake which he called Stonehaven, I believe. This was, far and above, the finest flake I have ever had. It served to further fix my notion that Mr. Books is the best we have in, quite possibly, the world today. Some of the everpresent but everchanging elements of taste that I picked up on in that Flake of Flakes I noticed in Brindle, once again, though, there is not enough of the expected complexity therein for me to get all too excited about it.

Regards,

A. Morley Jaques

Just like Orlik's Long Golden Sliced Flake except for the price...an online retailer has it on sale for five bucks a can. Don't worry, the tin aroma (burning tires, cat puke) will go away with all the extra moisture... The elegant, re-cycled plastic lid is a nice touch by Ashton...

a really old sasieni

A typical middle of the road McClelland-made Virginia, a bit drier than usual but with the usual great fruity/sour smell in the tin. It burns well, doesn't bite the tongue and has a nice delicate taste. Not as spectacularly tasty as some other Virginias by the same brand, but pleasant and OK for all-day use.

Based on the vinegar aroma in the tin, I would have suspected this as a McClelland blend in a blind test. The flakes in my tin were partially broken up and not so neatly packaged as other VA flakes but certainly not heavily rubbed out. An ideal moisture content permitted easy packing and lighting without further rubout. It smoked cool and without relights in various bowl sizes and required little attention. The taste is rather common to the McClelland 2000 & some of their Personal Reserve Series + some of the Butera's that are also McClelland products: slightly sweet and zesty. Overall this is a rather unremarkable but still enjoyable tobacco. I'd choose either the McClelland bulk blends due to price/# or Butera's Blended Flake that I find more interesting due to the added Perique and Orientals.

Brindle Flake is a very fine virginia that needed just a bit more rubbing out to suit my tastes. It is not overwhelmingly sweet, indicating no casing. It will provide a very pleasant smoke for virginia fanciers. A bit darker in flaver that an unstoved virginia, don't expect this to be an all-day smoke.

It lit very well, was easy to keep lit, and provided the usual ample, yet airy smoke of a virginia blend. It was not at all vinagery in taste or smell. Just a delightful smoke.

By the way, I smoked this blend in my XXX Ashton Pebble Shell...and I'm sure that made the blend smoke even better! Blimey, what pleasure!

The following review was the result of a blind taste test:

Sample A arrived dry and required additional moisture in order to adequately rub out or pack. The tobacco was partially broken upon arrival. The component tobaccos range from blond streaks through medium and on to dark brown. This tobacco smells like a McClelland to me, with the characteristic vinegar nose.

My first bowl of this was in a medium sized Castello billiard, where I found it to be much too hot and caustic to enjoy or even really pick up any of the flavor other than thin heat. Within a few days, I came down with a cold, and it is possible that the lack of flavor could be attributed to that. I generally find that I have tongue bite problems with McClelland VA products and this was no exception.

My second bowl was smoked in an older Lane Era Charatan poker that I have used only for VA and VA/Perique blends. This developed a good burning character once it got started, although it is still a bit hot on the tongue. The flavor is well developed, particularly in comparison to the thin flavor that was shown in the first bowl.

Early bowl flavor character is bright with a citrus sourness. It is accompanied by a slightly metallic flavor and moderate body. While there is some sweetness, this is not a really sugary virginia.

Mid bowl flavor has intensified and has sweetened considerably. There is a tendency to burn hot. At times, very hot. The tongue bite reduced considerably midbowl despite all of this.

The third and final bowl of this was smoked in a gourd calabash and it really shined here. Early tongue bite was still present, but the richness of flavor was exceptional and the smoke temperature was acceptable. This was DGT?d overnight for the bottom third or so, and suffered no bitterness as a result. The flavor was muted, however, although smoking characteristics were good.

The moderator asked that this be tried in flake and rubbed out form, with which I was unable to comply. I am rarely able to smoke flakes without rubbing them out, and given the difficulties that I experienced with the first bowl, I was unwilling to try and feel like I was going to be able to review.

Given that I tend to stay away from McClelland products, this was a nice change of pace and o decent experience. I think that I may try additional flakes in the gourd, where the cool characteristics may do the job for me.

I generally smoke about 15-20% VA or VA/P flakes, and tend to go in streaks of smoking and not smoking this type of tobacco. This was richer tasting than most that I have experienced for the type. Overall, I would rate this 80/100 for flavor, 50/100 for burning characteristics, and 60/100 overall, with deductions for the heavy tongue bite.

February 2003