Eating... er...Smoking Crow

[RoyOdhner]

I'm a big Dunhill fan, but the first tin of Dunhill Flake that I smoked left me less than inspired. I thought that OGS was a much better blend, and about $3USD a tin less expensive to boot. I had bought three tins, and about a year later I smoked the second tin - not much better.

However, I just opened the third tin the other day. According to the sticker I cellared it on 3/25/12. Holy cow! Virginny sublimeness! With over three years of age on it, this stuff rocks! I'm gonna take back all the mean and hurtful things I said about shelling out nearly $10USD for a tin of it cuz this tin is worth every tin of it. (Of course, it's a Dunhill tobacco so I should have known that).

OGS is a great blend, and at about $6USD a tin I think it's one of the best tobacco values on the planet. It's priced perfectly for cellaring, and cellar well it does. However, Dunhill Flake is another blend that I'm gonna be cellaring cuz cellaring well it also does. Both OGS and Dunhill Flake have that wonderful citrusy-grassy-hay like flavor, but the Dunhill offering is richer and earthier.

So here I sit with a Falcon full of Dunhill Flake, contentedly smoking crow and making plans to cellar about 10 or 15 tins worth of it. Damn fine stuff it is.

 

[ftrplt]

DH Flake is made up of lemon and bronze Ginnyweed. These definitely tend to be on the lighter side, both body and taste, with a bit of "spiciness" to them; not quite as sweet as say, red Ginnyweed. At least that's my take on the subject!! I've always loved the stuff. 'Bought the only Ginnyweed I smoked (other than one from Georgetown Tobacco) until a few years ago. I have two tins of the older DH Light Flake stuck away on the shelf. Darn thing is I didn't mark the purchase date on either of them. I got'em at JR's in Burlington several years ago. Put some away every so often; you'll be well rewarded in a few years!!! :cheers: FTRPLT

 

[RoyOdhner]

...Put some away every so often; you'll be well rewarded in a few years!!! :cheers: FTRPLT

Yezzir. Looking forward to it. My short list of favorite VA flake blends was SG Best Brown, SG FVF, and OGS. It now includes Dunhill.

 

[Brewdude]

Age does wonders to 'ginnys. But you already know this.




Cheers,

RR

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

I found Dunhill Flake to be rather plain. I smoked an entire tin straight through hoping inspiration would strike. It never did. OGS & F&T Cut VA Plug, satisfaction from first bowl forward.

 

[RoyOdhner]

I found Dunhill Flake to be rather plain. I smoked an entire tin straight through hoping inspiration would strike. It never did. OGS & F&T Cut VA Plug, satisfaction from first bowl forward.

IMHO, it needs to age a few years before inspiration will occur. That works if you like to cellar, but not so much if you want to just pop a tin and enjoy. This is where OGS beats the pants off DF - and does it for considerably less.

I'm all about hijacking my own thread, so I'll plug OGS. OGS is a monster blend. Back in 1980 I tried a bulk flake blend that the tobacconist called "Copenhagen Slices." There were dark brown, thick, and cut at a funky angle. (I've since learned that Copenhagen Slices were probably Troost Flakes, which were available in bulk back then). The jar note was awesome, but the rest of the experience was so traumatic that I wouldn't go near flake tobacco for over 30 years. I kept hearing how great flake tobacco was, so back in 2011 I finally decided to give flake blends another try. I was up at Tobacco Lane and saw the red tin of OGS. The judge on the label called my name, and told me I was next on the docket. I bought it. The skies opened-up, the trumpets blared, and the angels sang. It was good. Very good. Sublime. I finally understood what Virginny lovers meant by grassy, hay-like, and citrusy.

If you order it on line, it will run you a hair under $7USD a tin. It's awesome right out of the tin, and even awesomer if you let it age. I've had it at the three year mark, and all I can say is wow. Dunhill Flake, on the other hand, needs to age - at least for me. However, even at the three year mark I do not think that aged DF is as good as aged OGS. It's very good, but not as good - and it's 1/3 more expensive than OGS.

Unless you're really into the cellaring thing, I don't know if I'd recommend DF to you. However, if you are then I'd wholeheartedly recommend it. YMMV, but if a pipe smoker is looking for a flake blend that is good right out of the tin, then I really can't recommend it. OGS has it beat (IMHO) in that department, as do SG FVF and BB. If you don't mind a little sumpin else with your VA leaf, then I think that SG Sam's Flake, Erinmore, Pete IF, PS LTF and LNF, and any of the MacB flakes (Navy, Mixture, and ODF) also have it beat. If you don't mind a bit (or a lot) of Kendal sauce, then just about any of the GH&C flake blends have it beat, as well.

 

[Richard Burley]

So much is "subjective," different body chemistry, whatever. I agree completely with your assessment--with the roles reversed. Could never get into OGS. It's OK to me, but just OK. Great write-up, though. Love your enthusiasm. Welcome to BoB.

 

[RoyOdhner]

So much is "subjective," different body chemistry, whatever. I agree completely with your assessment--with the roles reversed. Could never get into OGS. It's OK to me, but just OK. Great write-up, though. Love your enthusiasm. Welcome to BoB.

Which is why I never write-off a blend. I'll usually buy three tins of anything new. I'll try one right off the bat, the other about a year later, and the final at the two or three year mark. Dunhill clicked for me at the three year mark. I suspect that five years worth of age and it will be pure genius. Thus, I'll be cellaring about 10 tins worth - maybe more. That will help serve three purposes: give me some sublime pipe weed in five years, replenish my current stock piles since the current cellar will be dwindling come that point, and ensure that I have some great pipe weed on hand once the taxmen and nannies get the whole mail-order/on-line tobacco bidnis turned into a thing of the past.

I'm sitting here with a straight Falcon Dublin, puffing away on some Dunhill Flake right now, paired-up with a mug of Folgers black. It just keeps getting better and better as I continue to dial it in. It may even come to surpass aged OGS by the time I'm done with this tin.

Sippin' on some Dunhill Flake while enjoying a mug of Folgers black as I get ready for A Fish Called Wanda to come on... damn, defending Western civilization is a tough bidnis!

 

[Richard Burley]

Sippin' on some Dunhill Flake while enjoying a mug of Folgers black as I get ready for A Fish Called Wanda to come on... damn, defending Western civilization is a tough bidnis!

Not as tough as building it in the first place, Roy, but carry on, resolute.