Manufacturer Description:
Pressed, blended Virginias and Perique. A truly traditional Flake. Medium strength. "The Kendal Mayor´s Collection"
Characterisation:
The tobacco is rather thin, in dark-brown slices of about 7 x 2 cm lined up neatly in two piles in the tin. A few bright parts indicate the various Virginias. The St. James Flake exudes a peaty smell but one can also notice the fresh smell of hay from the Virginias. Although the slices are fairly thin, the flake is stable. The individual slices feel smooth not over wet.
Plugging:
The St. James Flake offers by its firmness and flexibility to plug the complete slices. Therefore so many slices are bent in lengthwise as just loosely fit into the tobacco chamber. By screwing this “plug” loose into the bowl a uniform filling will be reached. To simplify light up a few small tobacco crumbs out of the tin should be used for the top layer. (If the bent Flake is too long protruding residues could be plucked generously.) Alternatively, the flake of course could be rubbed off between the fingers and stuffed as a mixture. In any case, make sure not to plug too tight, as the tobacco when smoking is expanding significantly.
Light up:
When the tobacco was stuffed with the first method, it is advisable to light up the top layer evenly with one flame, then let the glow go out, level the surface with the tamper and relight with one or two more flames. Rubbed off and stuffed as a mixture the St. James Flake could be light up uniformly with one or two flames.
Smoking properties:
As the St. James Flake is rather compact it glows down slowly and evenly. Nevertheless, one should always take care not to smoke the tobacco too hot, otherwise it couldn’t unfold its subtle nuances! Smoked slowly and cool one can clearly taste the peaty Perique and slightly less intense the fresh, somehow sparkling taste of the Virginias. The St. James Flake glows down good-natured, but the ash should be compressed regularly. The tobacco develops less condensate and a residual medium to dark grey ash remains.
Redolency:
The redolence of the St. James Flake is pure tobacco. A fresh aroma of Virginia and a subtle, slightly sweet-tart smell of Perique. The redolence is pleasant and unobtrusive. The St. James Flake should be welcome everywhere, where smoking is allowed.
Conclusion:
The St. James Flake is a dark brown, firm but thin cut flake with a few bright tobacco shares. A peaty smell indicates Perique as soon as you open the tin. The handling in relation to the plugging is varied by the consistency and invites one to experiment. Once stuffed and light up the tobacco glows down good-natured without much condensate. It develop both in taste and in the redolence a mixture of peaty, sweet-tart and fresh Perique and a similarly to hay smell of Virginia, what pleasantly harmonize in combination. The St. James Flake is at least medium strong and it’s recommended after a good meal or to let end the day comfortably. Due to the diversity of the St. James Flake, it’s more suitable for advanced smokers, but also more experimental and patient Beginners should give the tobacco a try.
Copyright © 2010 by TECON GmbH
with friendly support of Heinz-Günter Döteberg
