Peter Stokkebye Luxury Twist Flake (No. 402)

As with the LNF, this was a small sample received from a friend. I wasn't quite as taken with this one as I was LNF, but this is still a very worthy VA. Beautiful presentation - almost artistic.

Very well behaved VA which is lighter on the citrus but with some added sweet casing. The casing was not intrusive but I would like to try this without it. Even so, this was a good tasting flake, easy to prepare, and with no faults. I prefer stronger VA's as a rule but this was a fine smoke with decent complexity that really shone during the last 1/4 bowl or so. Then it became expansive and richer.

Recommending this one, as with LNF and LBF, is a no-brainer. Some folks may prefer other VA's but there is nothing to dislike here. I may buy some more and play around with some additional blending tobaccos, as this has a very solid base.

I like this one. A nice simple Virginia with a light pleasant topping in a most amazingly complicated looking flake. The looks of the flake make it a wonderful tobacco to take with you on the run as the very shape and appearance of these squares will leave onlookers spellbound. They will ask how is that done? You will respond, Hell if I know. lol

Stokkebye puts out great Virginias and their luxury line is no exception. The trio is a bargain, particularly for what you are getting. I highly recommend having jars of each stashed in any cellar. They are both distinct and this one would be the aromatic option. The topping, to me, is a light honey type topping that is very complimentary to the taste of the bright Virginias.

I bought a pound of this a few years ago. I put away a couple of ounces that I intend to age and just finished the rest yesterday. I got a feeling this will be really special with 10 years on it. I am giving this three stars, but am very close to four stars on it. It is good.

The first half of the bowl is like smoking raisin bread. Wonderful flavor. I think it even has a touch of cinnamon spice to it. The topping is sweet and I'm not sure what else. It doesn't seem to be over applied to me. The second half is more fruity, the bread notes nearly gone at this point. I wish it would remain as that's my favorite part of this flake. All in all a very nice smoke.

Mild to medium in body and flavor. Burns very well.

I was gifted about 4 oz of this by a friend. I tried it cubed and rubbed out. I think the cubed was better and smoked most of it this way. I found it a little moist out of the bag, and it needed a little air to dry. My daughter commented that this tobacco was less stinky than what I normally smoke, so it gets a pleasant in the room note.

The topping is pleasant and sweet with a hint of vanilla maybe. There is a sweet fuit taste and some honey. It was hard to identify the flavors exactly, but they were good, and a subtle addition. I could taste the virginias, and I was not overpowered by the topping. The flavor profile overall was pretty mild for me, and the greatest hazard for me is puffing it too fast to get some more flavor out.

If you are looking for mild and lightly topped Virginia, this is good. The price is appealing as well for what you get.

Jar note is typical grassy African Virginia that was totally overwhelmed by a fruit casing: tropical, citrusy, plum, mandarin orange. The casing reminds me of Juicy Fruit - akin to Golden Sliced, but more intensely flavored. Erinmore Flake comes to mind.. I was completely unprepared for this level of flavoring agent. From charring light through the first third of the bowl, I picked up none of the honey or vanilla mentioned in other reviews. As the bowl progressed, the flavors mellowed a bit. But the flavoring agent remained dominant. That's not necessarily bad, but as a big fan of the other PS "luxury" flakes, I simply was not prepared for this level of fruit casing.

The flakes performed well, with no bite or excessive heat. So the casing is well done and doubtless applied to the same fine Virginia that makes up its sister flakes. But the final third of the was a bit ashy, with the remnants of the flavoring agent distorting the Virginias.

I was a bit disappointed relative to my expectations, though this would be a great choice as an all-day smoke for fans of Erinmore Flake, OGS, or even University Flake. As always, a great value from PS, though regrettably not to this reviewer's taste. The fruit casing was simply overdone. Though my opinion is obviously in the minority of reviews and should be taken as such. It pains me to give a PS flake a two-star rating given my love of this label's other flakes.

I'll jar this one for a year or two and see what some time does for it.

Update June 2014: I opened the jar and gave this blend anther try. As is typical with Virginias, a little time has worked wonders. The overt citrus casing has mellowed considerably. I now get delicate mandarin orange with hints of honey and sugar and framed by light plum and grassy Virginias - as opposed to the in-your-face citrus fruit flavors of the fresh product. Can get a bit ashy at times, and smokes a tad hot, another characteristic of African Virginias. But overall a pleasant smoke and a nice change of pace. Would make a good crossover blend for aromatic smokers looking to expand their tastes.

My recommendation to those who have acquired this blend, whether you like it or not, is to jar it and let it think about itself for six months or a year. You'll be impressed, and find a more delicate, subtle flavor. As such, I'm raising my review from two to three stars.

Update: I have downgraded this from three to two stars and then back again to three. The caramel topping had become cloying, but after some time away from this blend I always find myself craving it.

Original review: One of the more interesting Virginia tobaccos. The taste is of caramel with a hint of citrus, black currant and anise. This tobacco delivers a sweet, bite-free VA smoke with just a hint of fruity, minty freshness. Unlike most other blends it leaves a remarkably pleasant (fresh) smell in my pipe the next day. Room note is very pleasant for smokers (half the reason I enjoy smoking it) and, on average, mildly pleasant for non-smokers.

This is a delicious, amazingly nice looking Va pressed square Flakes that smell truly wonderful from the pouch and will give you an outstanding earthy/creamy and semi-sweet Virginia flavor with a permanent earthy bass note, the burning is particularly cool and biteless for a Virginia, the smoke is mild and enjoyable, the burnt caramel and hay-orange casing used on it is absolutely delightful.

Try Astley's No.109 Virginia Flake if you prefer the same flavor as this one but more natural and with no casing

This is a wonderful flake. I think it is ready to smoke right off the truck, and I smoked through my pound so fast that I don't know what age does to it. My pound was perfectly dry right from the bag, and I just folded and stuffed it into all manner of briars, though I admittedly prefer big, thick walled briars for everything. The flavor is smooth, creamy and evolves into a bit of caramel to me. The flakes are beautiful and uniform. No tongue bite, easy to deal with, delicious. This is not really a late night contemplative treat smoke, just a steady, dependable good smoke with volumes of creamy smoke. Try it if you like Virginia flakes - I think you will like it. I just talked myself into ordering another few pounds.

I began purchasing this tobacco early on in my pipe smoking in 24 ounce boxes whenever pipes & Cigars had a 20% off sale. I packed it away in 1/2 pint Kerr jars. After then discovering McClelland Virginias that I liked a lot more, these 8-10 Kerr jars went to sleep deep in my hall closet "cellar." I am here today to report that I just dug down and popped the lid on a jar that has been slumbering and fermenting for 2 years. The lid opened with a swoosh, as it had bulged out. I really can't tell you just how this tobacco has changed with age, I only know that it has, and it's a great improvement. Some of the other reviewers have said that fresh, there is a sharp citrus quality, and my memory seems to remember that. That citrusy flavor is no longer detectable and I am really enjoying a big bowl full of this as I write this review.

I have to agree with PipeStud's assessment on PSLT. I does lack in the flavor department. Its extremely mild and there is little depth to it. But it is made from quality Virginias so for those that prefer a milder Virginia with a light topping of caramel, it's perfect, and quite affordable in bulk.

I have to change my original 4-star assessment to 3