Need a little help with Bob's Chocolate Flake

[Dave_In_Philly]

So I added an ounce of G&H Bob's Chocolate Flake to a recent order. I smoked it for the first time last night. When I smelled it in the bag, two things immediately jumped out at me: (1) I couldn't smell chocolate, (2) I couldn't smell Latakia. After smoking a rather a large bowl, I could not detect the slightest hint of Latakia, and only the faintest whiff of chocolate. In the end I found this stuff to be remarkably similar to one of my favorites, G&H Louisiana Flake. I know they are close cousins, and that G&H uses their Brown Flake as base for several different blends, but this bowl was so reminiscent of Louisiana Flake that I'm wondering if I got the right stuff.

My question to those of you who have smoked both Bob's Chocolate and Louisiana Flake is: how close are they?

 

[Puff Daddy]

I believe they are very similar in makeup, but with distinctively diffrent personalities. Louisiana flake and BCF taste like they have the same base tobacco, probably the same flake but with different condimental tobaccos added before pressing and processing. Louisiana flake has perique and BCF has latakia, albeit in modest amounts. BCF has cocoa, not a thick synthetic chocolate topping like you'd expect in a true aromatic. I think the small bit of latakia and the cocoa is what gives BCF it's earthy, almost chocolaty nature. If you're not sure what you've got PM me your addy and I'll send you some BCF, I have a bunch

 

[docwatson]

There's no mistaking the aroma or flavor of Cocoa in Bob's Choc. Flake. At least not in the pound that I have here. And I do not get any aroma from the Latakia at all either. It's a great aromatic IMO. Can't give you any particulars on the Louisiana Flake as I've not tried it. When it comes to Perique my go to blend is Escudo.

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Thanks PD, I may just take you up on your offer.

Doc, Louisiana Flake is supposedly flavored with with tonquin bean, but I smell a more chocolaty smell than anything else. I don't pick up the Perique when I smoke it.

I'm starting to suspect these are just very close cousins.

 

[MisterE]

I'm starting to suspect these are just very close cousins.

I agree with you, the Perique in Louisiana Flake is very subdued, as is the Latakia in Bob's Chocolate Flake. As a matter of fact, the first time I tried BCF I had no idea there was actually Latakia in it, and the only palce there was any chocolate was on the label. It's still a good blend, even if it's main attributes aren't very obvious.

If you've ever seen the G&H production area, it's a surprise all of the tobaccos don't taste the same. There's tobacco dust and pieces of tobacco all over the place which results in a lot of bleedover between blends. Something like Brown Flake Unscented, which is supposedly essence free, is often quite soapy because of it.

Somewhere around here there are some images of G&H and it's production process. It's surprising how tiny the place is.

 

[Blackhorse]

I don't think L Flake is flavored with tonquin bean. I've never heard that - if it is I'll have to stop smoking it! lol

I've got some Bob's that has a nubmer of years on it and the choco-Lat nature has totally gone out of it...as the scents do in those Brit flakes mostly after a year or two.

You know, it's only an ounce! If you like it, just keep it. I can hardly tell there's any cocoa scent or Latakia even in new Bob's, it's so slight. And on occasion, they send out batches that are 'different' somehow.

In the L Flake I get a definite scent of the Perique and can absolutely taste in when I smoke it. One of my favorites, though I've kind of gone away from Bob's over the years, only because I favor others more highly and would rather put my pennies into things I like better...that plus I still have the old stuff.

If you want one of their flakes that has a definite cocoa aroma, don't try the SGawith Mayor's stuff...there's one of the Scotch Flake varieties that has it in spades...really a good smoke as well.

And, while I'm here and writing already...I don't think it's 'right' to call these things aromatics, as they're not. They're 'scented' which is a whole different process. As I undertand it, aromatics have the smelly stuff sprayed on after they're done...the Gawith scented stuff has it in there before they press it, etc. The resulting smoke is quite different, IMHO.

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

I don't think L Flake is flavored with tonquin bean. I've never heard that - if it is I'll have to stop smoking it! lol

I'm just going by the TR description. I wouldn't know a tonquin bean if it jumped up and bit me. Though, Dr. Google tells me its similar to vanilla.

I like this stuff and I'll happily smoke through the remaining once. I'm just wondering if its really Chocolate Flake, or if maybe they sent me Louisiana Flake or something similar by accident.

 

[Blackhorse]

Tonquin doesn't do anything vanilla for my taste buds. I've heard it more accurately described as a bubble gum type of flavor and I agree with that. If you've ever tried 1792 Flake, it's the flavor in that.