Reiner Long Golden Flake -- my first bowl

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jj1015

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Well, I'm planning this weekend to pull the trigger on a tin of Long Golden Flake, a blend which has ridiculously good reviews on TR. I've never tried it before, and I've been saving a tin of it for a special occasion. This weekend isn't particularly special, but it should be rainy and cool (ideal pipesmoking weather) and I'd really like to treat myself. I was kind of hoping to get eveyone's thoughts on this blend, just for the hell of it, before diving in....
This tin is at least three years old, and I just cracked the seal on it this afternoon. The tobacco is a bunch of VERY long flakes that smell absolutely lovely. Visually, this blend appears to be a bit lighter than the VA or VA/PERS I normally smoke (FVF, Blackwoods Flake, Filmore, and Kendal Flake) but the texture, aroma, presentation, etc. are top notch.
I'm planning on letting it dry out a little before smoking it. So -- what are your thoughts/reviews (if any)?
 
Hey there. LGF is easily in my top 5 favorites. It´s one of those blends that simply works. If you like this, try Astley´s 109, you´ll probably like that too.
 
LGF's also one of my favorites. I get happy just think about that long, thin spool of ribbon.

If you like it, C&D Exhausted Rooster is worth a go. The additional flavoring is very different, but the component tobaccos are close cousins.
 
Doc Manhattan":v5ex5dwn said:
LGF's also one of my favorites. I get happy just think about that long, thin spool of ribbon.

If you like it, C&D Exhausted Rooster is worth a go. The additional flavoring is very different, but the component tobaccos are close cousins.
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That bodes well, as I'm a big fan of the Rooster!
 
I just cracked my first tin the other night. Long flake is right! My first bowl was good, I should have aired it out a bit first but the excitement got the bet of me and I just smoked it. I am looking forward to the next few bowls now that the tin has been cracked.
 
I have to admit I'm somewhat disappointed in my first bowl. This is the hottest smoking blend I've had in years -- literally, the bowl on my churchwarden would grow too hot to hold every three to four puffs! I let it go out numerous times and then relit after it had cooled down, but without fail I was unable to smoke for more than two or three minutes at a time due to the heat. The only blends I've had that were THIS hot were some MacBarens .... The flavor, at least what I could detect through the scorching hot air, seemed bland and typical of the ingredients: Va, perique and a bit of burley. Some high notes, some sweetness, some spiciness ... but mainly just heat.
I've got a big tin to go through and plan on experimenting with different pipes, rubs, moisture levels, etc. This bowl was an intact flake in a Stanwell churchwarden with a cutty-type bowl. This flake had dried out for about 24 hours in the bowl and still retained noticeable moisture when I lit it up.
Any suggestions on how to get more out of this tobacco? Maybe I've just gotten spoiled with VAs due to my recent diet of G&H and Blackwoods Flake, but I have a hard time believing that I'm experiencing what other smokers are experiencing here ....
 
I find it a very good and dependable tobacco. Never fails to please me with an enjoyable hour or so of puffing. I'm confused as to why I don't smoke it more often? Perhaps I'm continuing to experiment with other blends, searching for the "Holey Grail" of tobaccos, and know it will always be there when I need it.

Natch

 
Natch":d9zq3c70 said:
I find it a very good and dependable tobacco. Never fails to please me with an enjoyable hour or so of puffing. I'm confused as to why I don't smoke it more often? Perhaps I'm continuing to experiment with other blends, searching for the "Holey Grail" of tobaccos, and know it will always be there when I need it.

Natch
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Are there any preparation tips you can pass along, or do you pretty much just stuff it in the bowl and take off? Like I said, I don't intend to give up on it yet.
 
I tend to smoke most of my tobaccos a bit dryer than most do, so almost any flake will "crumble" when I start stuffing it. LGF is such a thin, almost delicate flake, that I think it would hard to keep it together enough to roll or fold? Now Peretti puts out some substantial flakes that are thick, solid, and can take a bit of effort (bad term, perhaps enjoyable reprieve preparing such lovely flakes?) to pack well.

Natch
 
I like LGF broken up a little, rubbed out, or just ripped up into smaller pieces. Just folding isn´t as enjoyable for me. Also as Natcho says, try letting it dry a little first. Pack it looser than you might pack ribbon cut. It´ll expand when lit, then you can tamp. The harder you tamp, the more concentrated the flavor will get, so go easy until you find the "spot". It´s there. ;)

Don´t give up on this one so soon- you´ll be glad you didn´t. :D
 
Obviously ymmv and all that, but from my personal perspective it is one of my preferred va/pers.

I have on occasion read a couple of reviews/opinions which would seem to indicate that there is some inconsistency from tin to tin, but I have yet to experience that myself.

Having no way of knowing whether or not it is just a blend that isn't going to work for you, all I can offer is tips on how I smoke it:

Loose pack, relatively smallish diameter bowl but average depth (Stanwell shape 113 and Lasse Blowfish to be specific). Sort of a loose ball/plug, rubbed out at the top of the bowl at least if not all the way. Smoke slow and let the smoke hit the tip of your tongue to get the sweetness, rather than fill your mouth or roll over your whole tongue.

I have yet to be dissapointed by LGF and it usually rings my bells. As with most blends I prefer it fresh but it does DGT and perform a little dry better than some others. It also gets better with age.

Good luck, and if you end up deciding you simply can't stand it I'd be more than glad to take it off your hands :cheers:
 
Reiner LGF is one of the best pipe tobaccos I've ever tried.
Worth every penny, & a staple in my humble cellar.
Glen
 
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