erinmore flake...first try

Buying some cigars at a local chain cigar place and discovered the had erinmore flake for the lordly some of 15 dollars for under 2 oz. Never had it though before...so i grabbed it cuz it was there. Not bad. Im having a difficult time classifying it though.

Erinmore Flake is good stuff. I smoke it often.

momus wrote:

Buying some cigars at a local chain cigar place and discovered the had erinmore flake for the lordly some of 15 dollars for under 2 oz. Never had it though before...so i grabbed it cuz it was there. Not bad. Im having a difficult time classifying it though.

Two words: Juicy Fruit Really though, Erinmore Flake is a good smoke. It has a fruity/citrusy flavor to me.

Its good stuff. I just think of it as mild Aero in flake form. Takes while to dry for me and I prefer it rubbed out.

Mixture = Juicy Fruit, Flake = straight VaBur. Stay with the Flake IMHO. I always have a tin on hand as it's one of the BETTER VaBurs out there !!

I still like the current Erinmore Flake a hell of a lot, the post Murray's stuff being actually better (gasp!).  

Here's the thing I grokked about Erinmore Flake that seems to evade some folks' classification:  it doesn't taste like it smells.   Now, those with no disconnect between the major parts of the human palate may disagree, but what we smell is different than what we taste, yet they are connected. Eat or drink your favorite consumable with a plugged nose. Half-enjoyment will soon follow.   I'm pretty convinced Erinmore's sole contribution, besides being a fascinating curiosity, is to confuse the pipe smoking world.

Erinmore Flake is what I've only been able to call a "scented" tobacco.   Wherein Lakeland Old-Granny-Panties and most aromatics are pretty heavily sauced in various juices, flavorings and olfactory burnables (not all of them enjoyable to the masses), Erinmore Flake stands nearly alone smelling like a stick of fruity gum and stopping there.   Don't like it, but dig the tobacco?   Let a fresh tin "gas out" or even leave it open for small periods of time, and the scent will all but disappear, leaving you with some pretty good flakeleaf to set ablaze.  

It's not an aromatic in that classic sense.   Those looking to get away from a sugar high would enjoy it, those into non-aros ought to give it a chance if they haven't.  

Erinmore Flake gets a bad rap IMO. No, it's not FVF, nor should it be. It's good for what it is. I've noticed the Juicy Fruit topping more in Erinmore Mixture than the Flake, personally. That doesn't mean it's not there.

$15 for a tin of the stuff sounds a little steep if you ask me, though.

Kyle Weiss wrote:

I still like the current Erinmore Flake a hell of a lot, the post Murray's stuff being actually better (gasp!).  

Here's the thing I grokked about Erinmore Flake that seems to evade some folks' classification:  it doesn't taste like it smells.   Now, those with no disconnect between the major parts of the human palate may disagree, but what we smell is different than what we taste, yet they are connected.  Eat or drink your favorite consumable with a plugged nose.  Half-enjoyment will soon follow.   I'm pretty convinced Erinmore's sole contribution, besides being a fascinating curiosity, is to confuse the pipe smoking world.

Erinmore Flake is what I've only been able to call a "scented" tobacco.   Wherein Lakeland Old-Granny-Panties and most aromatics are pretty heavily sauced in various juices, flavorings and olfactory burnables (not all of them enjoyable to the masses), Erinmore Flake stands nearly alone smelling like a stick of fruity gum and stopping there.   Don't like it, but dig the tobacco?   Let a fresh tin "gas out" or even leave it open for small periods of time, and the scent will all but disappear, leaving you with some pretty good flakeleaf to set ablaze.  

It's not an aromatic in that classic sense.   Those looking to get away from a sugar high would enjoy it, those into non-aros ought to give it a chance if they haven't.  

I've smoked a lot of Erinmore Flake, 30+ years ago. The taste and smell were similar at that stage. One could taste what you were smelling, sweet smokers bliss.

Then 3 years ago I found the opportunity to buy it again, still packed in the same familiar tin. But what a dissappointment!! The smell was there, yes! But it did not taste the same anymore. It was just another, ordinary tobacco. High quality tobacco but bland in comparison with what it used to be.

SpeedyPete wrote:

Kyle Weiss wrote:

I still like the current Erinmore Flake a hell of a lot, the post Murray's stuff being actually better (gasp!).  

Here's the thing I grokked about Erinmore Flake that seems to evade some folks' classification:  it doesn't taste like it smells.   Now, those with no disconnect between the major parts of the human palate may disagree, but what we smell is different than what we taste, yet they are connected.  Eat or drink your favorite consumable with a plugged nose.  Half-enjoyment will soon follow.   I'm pretty convinced Erinmore's sole contribution, besides being a fascinating curiosity, is to confuse the pipe smoking world.

Erinmore Flake is what I've only been able to call a "scented" tobacco.   Wherein Lakeland Old-Granny-Panties and most aromatics are pretty heavily sauced in various juices, flavorings and olfactory burnables (not all of them enjoyable to the masses), Erinmore Flake stands nearly alone smelling like a stick of fruity gum and stopping there.   Don't like it, but dig the tobacco?   Let a fresh tin "gas out" or even leave it open for small periods of time, and the scent will all but disappear, leaving you with some pretty good flakeleaf to set ablaze.  

It's not an aromatic in that classic sense.   Those looking to get away from a sugar high would enjoy it, those into non-aros ought to give it a chance if they haven't.  

I've smoked a lot of Erinmore Flake, 30+ years ago.  The taste and smell were similar at that stage.  One could taste what you were smelling, sweet smokers bliss.

Then 3 years ago I found the opportunity to buy it again, still packed in the same familiar tin. But what a dissappointment!!  The smell was there, yes!  But it did not taste the same anymore.  It was just another, ordinary tobacco.  High quality tobacco but bland in comparison with what it used to be.

Haven't found many things to be " ... what they used to be" but that's life !! Enjoy things for what they ARE NOW, and let memories be just that, memories   The Flake is a nice tastey vaBur that does not taste like Juicy Fruit IMHO

I just cracked a tin of Erinmore Flake and it smelled great and tasted even better.
Didn't really get much of a fruity flavor but, the Virgina's were sweet and the burley nutty and combined very well together for a smooth full flavored smoke. Gona have to get some more!

Cartaphilus wrote:

I just cracked a tin of Erinmore Flake and it smelled great and tasted even better.
Didn't really get much of a fruity flavor but, the Virgina's were sweet and the burley nutty and combined very well together for a smooth full flavored smoke. Gona have to get some more!

...Sounds like Ron has found a baccy to replace his Escudo....!

Stick wrote:

Cartaphilus wrote:

I just cracked a tin of Erinmore Flake and it smelled great and tasted even better.
Didn't really get much of a fruity flavor but, the Virgina's were sweet and the burley nutty and combined very well together for a smooth full flavored smoke. Gona have to get some more!

...Sounds like Ron has found a baccy to replace his Escudo....!

Not likely, I like it but, nothing will ever replace my first love

Ron,

I never would have pegged you as the fruity type!

taharris wrote:

Ron,

I never would have pegged you as the fruity type!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's always a smart ass in the group

Cartaphilus wrote:

Virgina's were sweet and the burley nutty

This reads like a John Denver lyric but is also a compelling argument for this tobacco for me.

Think I have a tin of the Flake around here somewhere. Need to get a round tuit.


Cheers,

RR

taharris wrote:

Ron,

I never would have pegged you as the fruity type!

He didn't smoke the Mixture which IS fruity, he smoked the FLAKE which is just a straight VaBur !! You guys !!

deathmetal wrote:

Cartaphilus wrote:

Virgina's were sweet and the burley nutty

This reads like a John Denver lyric but is also a compelling argument for this tobacco for me.

I like John Denver and also wish I had his money.

monbla256 wrote:

taharris wrote:

Ron,

I never would have pegged you as the fruity type!

He didn't smoke the Mixture which IS fruity, he smoked the FLAKE which is just a straight VaBur !! You guys !!

Yeah, And I keep reading reviews that it's strong, where the hell does that come from?
Heck, Dunhill Flake is stronger then this.

I recently picked up a couple of tins of the flake. I used to smoke this one a lot in the '70s but drifted off to explore other blends and left it behind. I never got the juicy fruit gum reference personally. Anyway I found the new version to be darn reminiscent of the old, and maybe actually a little better than I remember it to be. I'm quite happily enjoying Erinmore Flake again and will definitely be ordering more. It seems to like my old Peterson Donegal Rocky a lot so I suppose it's found a home too.

I think I put a post up about my experiences of Erinmore Flake before?

My mum recently shared with my that it was the choice baccy of 'Pa', her father. I have vivid memories of him smoking a pipe and even as a youngster enjoyed the smell. I found it to be incredibly comforting to be around Pa when I was a nipper.

Armed with this new found info I decided to grab a tin, took it home and then read some reviews (back to front I know). I have to say I've never really got the whole juicy fruit thing, just a really satisfying and easy smoke. Although it doesn't suddenly whisk me back to those halcyon days with Pa, it does somehow help me to closer to him. For these reasons I'll always have a tin on the go...

I haven't smoked Erinmore in many years, and it just so happens that on my trip to North Carolina I stopped in at JR Cigars and picked up a tin of flake. I'm letting it dry out presently as it's very moist. From the scent and nice dark flake I'm gonna love it. Like I need more tobacco!!!

I agree with Monbla, it is one of the Vabur's I really like. And like Stick said, just a really satisfying and easy smoke. I can't understand why this baccy gets such bad reviews. It doesn't deserve it.

Had a few bowls of the Flake yesterday, and while I enjoyed it, I couldn't say that it would become a favorite in my rotation. The quality of leaf looks to be exceptional, the aroma out of the tin delightful, but it was just lacking in something for my palate. I certainly wouldn't degrade it in any way, just not a favorite and I'll enjoy the rest of the tin. I do know one very prominent tobacconist that uses this as a condiment tobacco in their blending recipes and I think I may do that with some of this fine flake tobacco.

docwatson wrote:

Had a few bowls of the Flake yesterday, and while I enjoyed it, I couldn't say that it would become a favorite in my rotation. The quality of leaf looks to be exceptional, the aroma out of the tin delightful, but it was just lacking in something for my palate. I certainly wouldn't degrade it in any way, just not a favorite and I'll enjoy the rest of the tin. I do know one very prominent tobacconist that uses this as a condiment tobacco in their blending recipes and I think I may do that with some of this fine flake tobacco.

Doc, My first bowl in a cob was very good but, when I smoked it out of one of my briers it did become rather ho hum and lacking something as you stated. I think I'll go back to the cob to try and recapture what I first tasted in it. Still I think it's a fairly good smoke, just takes the right pipe to bring out it's true flavor.
As time goes on I find many tobaccos like this that need the right pipe to enjoy fully, I don't know if it's just me or I just been smoking Escudo to damn long.