Savinelli Brunello Flake

Smoking now:

The bag note is very sweet like honey. I’m surprised it’s not topped. Honey, raisins, fruit, fermented hay. It’s very nice.

My sample bag was completely broken apart flakes that packed well although a bit moist. The taste is mild. Slightly sweet and sour. Notes of nuts, a little vegetative, earth, wood, that was very mild and cool burning. An all day smoke without any harshness. Something that could be smoked anytime with anything. The tobaccos do harmonize well and it was hard for me me to pick apart specific notes. Smoked well even when pushed. The retrohale was easy with notes of sourness, nuts, wood, and earth. Flavor improved the more of the bowl I smoked. Hardly any aftertaste and no bite.

I urge every one still in possession of these flakes to give the tin/jar a sniff, I think I know what it is topped with, strawberry! Smells like a strawberry fruit roll-up. Counter intuitive as this may be, I think it is. It also seems natural enough and adds to the tangy sweet thing this has going for it. This is not a Strawberry aromatic though. I air dry a flake for 10 to 15 min till it has faded a little in color but still pliable. It has a narrow Goldilocks, i.e., too dry = burns too hot = bite. Too wet = steam = bite. Not much more so than most flakes, it's a trade off for the fruit juice (strawberry?!) This one seems to like folding and stuffing. The only complaint was in reading the list of contents, I thought I would notice the Macedonian Oriental and was looking forward to a Virginia/Oriental Flake. As it is, if your looking for a nice Euro style Virginia flake with a tangy topping it makes a good change of pace. Looking for a More natural/neutral option stick with FVF, or Union Square. Or smoke all three, you're allowed!

Lovely plummy/straw tin note, but unlike others I really don't get much more than straigthforward, somewhat bland VA in the smoke. The only reason I would have thought there was burley in the blend is because it's slightly bitey. The flakes are thin and easy to fold in or rub out, and it lights easily but smokes a bit on the fast side for a flake. It's possible the blend might come together better after the tin is open for a few more weeks.

Like many, this blend benefits from some air time. Freshly opened I was not all that crazy about it. Over the two weeks, it took to work through this tin, the blend got better and better each time I opened it.

The tin note reminds me of a sweet cereal. However, it is not as strong as Newminster Superior Navy Flake. They are more like cousins. The flavor is tangy, at times creamy, and there is the lingering presence of a gentle spice. This is not monochromatic and at the same time not complex.

I like this blend but I do not love it.

On a side note, I do not trust the rectangular tins they come in for longterm storage. This newer tin was already showing signs of rust on the corners.

A typical Macbaren product. A lot like Navy Flake but a bit more complex. Macbaren is never really all that exciting, and this is no exception. That said, its a very pleasant all day sort of light smoke. Better than Navy Flake by a wide margin IMHO. Virginias....very mild, a touch of an oriental leaf, but no idea what...there isnt enough of it. Burley ....the typical MacB variety. And a fair amount of topping added in./ probably fruit essences, maybe a touch of vanilla, and a cocoa. All told its quite balanced and the room note is very nice. Not much nicotine and potential for tongue bit if smoked too fast. I dont know...i get why people like it. And i might get more...down the road. But its nothing particularly special.

The tin note of Brunello Flake offers up some type of fruity note but does not overwhelm the blend & adds a tasty flavor to the smoke. My palate must be more sensitive than others because this seemed to bite a little bit initially but tamed down after a few tokes. I don't get the strawberry aroma that some have mentioned but definitely some type of fruit topping... I don't have a strawberry handy to compare. However, my olfactory glands might require a little maintenance or fine tuning. The top note is very lightly applied but noticeable while smoking & there's a mild taste of honey in the blend... reminded me a little of Bit O' Honey candy.

Virginia is the lead guitarist in the group while Oriental plays second fiddle & Burley plays a little rhythm & at the halfway juncture, the trio was in perfect unison & started playing better as the varietals melded together and the tobacco flavors began dancing to the beat as Topper started hitting the minor notes. At that point, any single flavor of the varietals became indistinguishable and the band played in perfect harmony.

Brunello Flake requires a number of relights & burns fairly cool & slow. It can be a relaxing all day smoke. It is quite tasty & leaves a lingering sweetness on the palate & I think Brunello Flake is a pretty darn good "semi-aromatic" tobacco. It is much better a couple of months after breaking the seal. However, after a few years of age, I feel it will bring out more sweetness, less harshness & without doubt, will be a smoother, more enjoyable smoke. I bought one extra tin to cellar. Three & one half stars.