Solani 639: Tropical Mango Flake

Is sure is a Mango flake! I live in a tropical region and Mango is a hot weather seasonal fruit and when it comes it's call King of the fruit. But then all tropical region mangoes doesn't taste the same but still Mango is a Mango fruit and it'll always carry the taste. I bought Mango flake as it carries the name and I'm happy that it didn't disappoint me a bit. Very good quality Tobaccos and topping is very well balanced every puff carries the Mango taste it diminishes towards the end but burleys take over from there still with the hint of topping. I lightly rub my flake leaving some chunks packs bowl easily burns evenly needed couple re lights. A very enjoyable change of taste smoke. I'll definitely but again.

Got more of a coconut taste out this rather than mango. I love mango, and bought it for that reason. Contrary to some other reviewers, I found that it did bite, and burned hot. It's not a great blend. Very so so. Plus, it's not strong enough for my taste.

This is a very good aromatic for non aromatic smokers. I have been trying to find an aromatic that I enjoy or can at least tolerate because my wife loves the smell of aromatics and hates the smell of everything I smoke. I don't like the taste of most aromatics but this is one of the better ones I have had. Don't be confused, this is definitely an aromatic and has plenty of sweetness but you still get some natural tobacco flavor. The burley really stands out and is very similar in flavor to Solani aged burley flake, not the typical burley you find in most aromatics. You will obviously taste the black cavendish but the virginia helps add natural tobacco sweetness and flavor so you don't just taste cavendish. The mango topping is subtle and after the initial light it really only shows up on the after taste which I really appreciate. It allows you to taste the tobacco then gives you the flavoring after. The chemically aftertaste that I usually find in aromatics is very minimal on this which is another reason why I like this blend. It smokes slow and is not overly goopy. I also appreciate the fact that it comes as a flake. It allows the flavors to meld and tastes much more rich and full than most other aromatics I have tried. Interestingly enough it also ages well. Just like aged virginias the natural sweetness and complexity builds and it has a nice deep bready flavor. Like a dessert pastry. However the mango flavor completely disappears and natural sweetness is all that is left. If you are a non aromatic smoker in search of an aromatic you can tolerate give this a chance.

I don't know if I received a wrong batch of this tobacco but it came in very strange condition(vac was ok). It seemed too dry but the very dark flakes were stuck together and I couldn't get a single flake out without destroying it (so no folding possible). When rubbed, it crumbles very much so that I had to watch out for the pieces not to get too tiny. Hardly any smell in tin at all besides a slight hint of mature dark BC smell. Didn't burn as hot as expected, relighted two times with crusty dark ashes inside the bowl. Taste was like sour card box with a hard to detect fruit flavor. From start to end no change in taste just flat earthy note. No "tropical" taste but some fruit(?!) only nasal. As the price is very high I decided to give it another chance after a week of rehydrating in a jar with almost same results. I even gave it a third try and at last I mixed it with a pure Virginia what made it a bit more bearable but it still didn't unfold any nice tastes. At least no tongue bite. I can hardly believe that my taste is that much different from most of the reviewers but this one is not my cup of tea.

The good: 1) the packaging is quite attractive 2) the flakes are nicely cut, layered, & stacked in the tin 3) the tobacco is neatly wrapped 4) the tin note is delicious 5) the aroma of the lighted tobacco is slightly sweet.

The bad: 1) this stuff is expensive 2) the tobacco is rather moist & a little difficult to get a char light 3) the taste is rather bland.

Conclusion: I'll dry this out a little to see if things improve. I'll even attempt to mingle this baccy with something like CB Gold or straight burley to see if I can make it more palatable to my liking. I typically like to fold, roll, and stuff my flakes ... maybe this stuff will be more enjoyable if I rub it out. Bottom line ... in my opinion there are many more delicious Aromatics available straight from the tin (e.g. Cult BRM, all of Boswell & Gatlinburlier Aro blends, CB Royal, CB Red Sky, etc...). I'm just really not inclined to go overboard to make this stuff work for me ... especially what you have to pay for this stuff ... but I said that already! Didn't I?

A pleasant tropical aromatic, light flavors of mango and passionfruit are present in every puff without obscuring the tobaccos too much. Sweet, spicy virginias and rich nutty burleys interplay harmoniously with the malty, tangy, fruit steamed cavendish. Burns at a moderate pace. A touch above mild nicotine strength. I tend to smoke this blend slowly as it can burn on the hot side. May require a few relights when on the moist side. Pleasant finish and enjoyable tropical room note.

I don't always smoke aromatics... But when I do, I prefer Solani 639.

Fresh briars my friends!

Unripe mango, with a sour bitterness. The tobacco mild and ashy with no flavor, like smoking a flavored cigarette. I've smoked a lot of hookah's from heaven to please kill me all over the middle east. I put this tobacco as the very worst of the 'good' tobacco i've ever had. It really saddened me because it smelled so good, just like one of my favorite sheeshas I only get to smoke when I am in the middle east. It was so bad I had to eat a bowl of kimchi from a local Korean family to rid my mouth of the taste. I will age it a bit more and try it other pipes so look for updates. I really hope it gets better.

I first tried this on my 33rd birthday and wasn't the biggest fan. I tried it again this May (5 months later) and discovered how much it had grown on me. It's sweet and slightly sour simultaneously. The first taste I had was burley, but it was quickly followed by the taste of virginias. I was wondering where the mango was, when suddenly moments after exhale I had the hint of mango in my mouth. It was quite delicious and this blend has grown on me significantly. Had a decent nic hit and a full body taste.

Tropical Flake is the second aromatic I have opened in a row that suffers from the same problem; overzealous application of the aromatic component in the blend. The first was Grand Central by Drew Estate and, now, Tropical Flake by Solani. In a free society, we can have Apricot, Mango and any other flavor our hearts desire. I feel if the application rate was cut in half, these blends would still be very solid aromatics and you could find the qualities of the base tobaccos more readily. I had a lot of trouble in the top thirds of both of these blends figuring out just what it was I was smoking; the odorants on both were that dense. Only in the middle thirds of each, did I find tobacco flavor. Their respective odors persisted right on down into, and through, the bottom thirds. Prolonged air out times cured this situation, but, that also dried both blends out quickly. As to the Tropical Flake experience, I liked the tin presentation; darkly marbled slices in a bundle and wrapped in smooth white paper with perforated tear-away sections. Mostly dark-colored tobaccos with a very dense aroma and an average moisture content. Once aired-out, I thought the blend smoked like a typical solid Va/Bur with the Burley in the lead. The Black Cavendish added a smoothing touch to the smoke. I learned early on that you don't want to pull too hard and too many times in a row. Tongue bite was a lurking problem in all top thirds I smoked and lessened toward the middle of the bowls. Yet, in all that, I wound up liking this blend in it's thoroughly aired-out version. Tropical Flake worked well as a blending component and, all in all, I recommend it to the reader at three stars.