Solani 639: Tropical Mango Flake

In the tin, one finds two rows of dark, sodden flakes that smell just like the listed ingredients, along with super-sweet orange and a kind of “artificial” scent that usually spells doom for edibles and aromatic tobaccos, alike. The flakes are so crumbly that I never did try to fold and stuff them; rather, I went ahead and spindled them to splinters. The splinters lit and smoked down OK at tin moisture, and the topping tasted its strongest this way, staying well above the tasty VA/Bur/Cav through the whole smoke. The drier I got it, the lighter the topping, relative to the tobaccos, but it remains an aromatic. To me, the sweet orange and mango topping actually smells (and tastes) better when I smoke it than it does in the tin, albeit this blend is monochromatic, to the point of monotony, before I finish a bowl. Smoking it dry lessens the intensity of the topping without diminishing the tobacco. The deep-ish VAs are smooth, rich and nutty, likewise the Burleys. The Cav adds a nice, chewy quality. Strength is mild. Tastes run to medium. Room note is pleasant. Aftertaste is… I’ll get to that.

Solani 639, Tropical Mango Flake smells pretty good in the tin, and it smells and tastes good when I smoke it, too. For this (apart from the whole) I can understand the high ratings, and for a minute there I was ready to rack it up, myself. Unfortunately, TMF also oils my mouth (PG?), whether I smoke it wet or dry, and this is something I just can’t abide. All in all, 2 stars from me, meaning, others might well like it (if they’re immune to mouth oiling), but I’m done with it soon after I started. FWIW, for something similar (but not the same), also better, I recommend Savinelli’s Brunello Flake or Peterson's Founder's Choice.