Peterson University Flake

Only began pipe smoking August 2011 with Blockade Runner and with Cooper. This is a mild smooth smoke. Has more nicotine than some but not overwhelming. Did not notice a flavoring. Aroma of a plug of chewing tobacco. Maybe Days o' Work. Smoked a bowl by breaking the flat and packing the bowl, which worked well, rather than rubbing out and got richer taste.

This flake doesn't do anything wrong, it's just not very special either.

It's a bit like smoking Irish Flake when you've got a head cold.

If there is plum then I'm not sensitive enough to find it. If you're looking for a flake with a subtle, sweet flavouring then I'd probably recommend getting some Mick McQuaid plug and a sharp knife.

Not a bad smoke though, just not highly recommended.

Update: I still don't find any plum. Someone described it to me as tasting of stewed apples which seems more fitting. My new tin seems to have wider, thinner flakes than I remember. It's still a three star, but a high three star. I'm sure I'll get this again, but I won't seek it out.

Though neither Peterson themselves nor the present manufacturer, Kohlhause & Kopp, promotes this as an aromatic blend, I wondered where people got that plum from? To me, I thought the UF was not an aromatic blend, but a mixture of straight Virginia and Burley, as it says in the tin. And on their website as well. So, if there was a topping - which I did not get - it was extremely mild and tobacco-like. I did not know about the reason until I read Kohlhause & Kopp's description. Aroma: Pflaume. That stands for plum, naturlich. It is not tagged as aromatic in the table, however. But there is supposed to be a hint of plum in the aroma.

Flakes are nice, clean and not too moist. They're not a mess, but evenly cut. Box linings have been spotless so far. Very nice packing, indeed. Flakes are large as well, more than 4 grams each so you'll nicely fill a small flake pan with one. It seems Kohlhause & Kopp has picked up the recipe quite fast though they cut the flakes in a different way from the previous maker, Murray. I've not smoked these German made flakes until late spring, as I had and still have some old stock, and to me tobacco from this new maker is as good as it ever was. It *is* a little lighter in colour, but I do not notice any major differences with the aroma, burn rate, ease of handling or smoking pleasure compared to Old Irish make.

Let it dry for awhile, however, an hour or so, of course it depends on the moisture conditions you're in. Then roll, bend, twist, a very modest rubbing will do. This way you'll get thick, creamy smoke, a true mouthful. Taste is fresh, nutty, fruity, mellow, but at least to me it is pure tobacco. It doesn't smell or taste of cigarettes, instead it has a sweeter, easy going aroma. Nice, but not aromatic. No wunderbaums in this tin. I get absolutely no topping. Taste is not musty, dry or dark by any means. A very delightful, cool and evenly burning tobacco.

It's effects then, I have had no problems smoking two flakes at a time. However it can take me four hours so I seldom light up more than one at a time. It works very nicely, clears my head and makes it very easy to write.

I've shared a flake or two with a colleague, and he complains about light-headedness after an hour. So you might be aware.

Relights are sometimes needed, sometimes not. Not uncommon to burn a flake to white ash on two lights.

Another fantastic tobacco from Peterson . Beautiful presentation in a small gold square tin - looks distinguished formal and academic . Great flakes - uniform shape and quality. I prefer the fold and stuff method and would recommend using a fairly large bowl. Lights easy enough straight from the tin but I noticed a solid improvement with a little bit of drying out. The plum topping is barely discernable. The flavour is dominated by a rich burley. This packs a real kick and I wouldn't smoke it on an empty stomach. Can give a bit of gurgle but nothing too problematic. Room note is not unpleasant but fairly strong. I love this mid morning with nice coffee. 3 stars .

I found this to be quite a pleasant smoke, if a little on the strong side (but nowhere near as strong as Irish Flake). The tobacco seems of good quality, is easy to light and burns nicely with rich earthy flavors. The plum flavoring was barely noticeable, if at all. This is a decent strong tobacco for the occasional smoke, but not one that I would smoke regularly, but it may grow on me..

Edit: This is not going to grow on me. I now realise, the reason; I can't seem to get on with Burley tobacco...

Well, I never thought I'd be awarding 4 stars to an aromatic blend-but count 'em 4 stars! I historically have been a smoker of English & the occasional cigar blend. The first time I tried this, without checking the aroma in the tin, I thought (per the tin description) that I was smoking a burley & Virginia flake. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste & later discovered that it has a plum flavoring as described above. I picked up the tin from a cigar shop @ my local mall to supplement my monthly shipped order. I've since revisited this offering several times to find that it grows on you! As other reviewers have noted, the casing flavor doesn't overpower. One of the issues I usually have with aromaticss is that they don't taste very much like whatever the flavoring is supposed to be & don't taste very much like tobacco either. Perique has often been described as a plum & pepper taste & I like that in an English or my current primary blend, which is a Virginia- Perique with cigar leaf. Perhaps it's that type of plum-like flavor that appeals to me. In any case, it gets my 4 star rating. Just wish tinned flakes weren't so damned expensive! Update on 7-30-11: On further analysis, I'm downgrading this to 3 stars. Still the best aromatic I think I've experienced ever. However, as others have indicated, the body slam from vitamin N with this blend (particularly in a larger bowl) is just too much to recommend it as an all-day smoke! Still a great change of pace blend for me though.

First experience: 5/5 , but later bowls 2/5

Pros: full of vitamin N, smooth and slow burn. Not really flavorful just as everyone has mentioned almost a not noticeable fruit taste (just the right amount)

Cons: every time has left me nauseous to my stomach particularly if on empty stomach and if you don't start it with matches.

Overall, my first tin is done and as much as I wanted this to be my favorite, the search will continue. If I could replicate my first bowl of this tobacco it would have definitely been my favorite. I might come back later in time to give it another chance.

A nice flake style aromatic. Reminds me of MacBaren's Navy Flake but seems to have a bit more Va. tobaccos in the blend. The tin was well sealed & the product looked like top quality leaf. Don't let the small size of the tin fool you, once rubbed out you'll be surprised by how far a flake goes. For me it seems to smoke best rubbed out & a bit dry. The plum top note is nice, not overpowering. I occasionally get a tarry note from blends w/ Va. tobaccos but not from UF. It has some nicotine & will sucker punch you on an empty stomach. I will buy this again.

This was the tobacco that introduced me to flakes, and I'm very glad it did. A good shot of vitamin N with this one, and a smooth, cool smoke that burned clean down to a nice white ash. The casing flavor is just enough to be lurking in the background, but never overpowering the great flavor of the tobacco. A must try, and a great intro to flakes for anyone that hasn't had the opportunity to try them. I haven't tried it rubbed out, but cube cut, or folded is great!