BRAVEDIGGER
About Me:
german nicotine junkie addicted to pipe smoking

Orlik - Golden Sliced 100g
a top notch belnd!
holy smoke - how fitting ;) ... but thats the best words for this melange imo ... quality-wise comparable to the escudo ... simply awesome and a must try if yer into straight tobacco delight ... i wud actually give it 6 stars if possible ... this is an out of rating range "wow"baccy!!!

Capstan - Flake Yellow 1.75oz
one of my go-to and gotta-have
the perfect smoke for the early morning pipe ... delicious flavor and not too hard on the nic ... easy to pack, easy to smoke, easily savored any time of the day ... the light sibling of the blue capstan ... and still great

McClelland - Personal Reserve: Blackwoods Flake 50g
fan-tas-tic stuff
upon opening the tin i already knew it is a top blend ... stuffed only of my Koziolek pipes and loved every puff of it ... a tad too mild for me, but well balanced and no bite to the tongue at all ... love it ... and need a new tin soon ... splendid baccy and a must try for virginia lovers

Peter Stokkebye - PS403 Luxury Bullseye Flake
Awesome stuff at a bargain price!
ok, my first choice would be Escudo, but this is a great 2nd choice ... no, that sounds unfair ... but on the other side i enjoy the depth of Escudo, so a little cutback on the taste ... but serious? for that price you get a purrfect smooth smoke with a rich flavor and no bite at all ... great deal and great tobacco

A & C Petersen - Escudo Navy Deluxe 50g
OH MY!? out of stock?
argh! i have only 1 and a half tin of it left! THE vaper ... and sure as *oops* one of the best belends of all times ... this awesome smoke is a real must and true keeper ... when will it be back in stcok?

Peter Stokkebye - Burley
Surprised me
i must admit i bought it for blending my own, but i also tested it in various pipes without adding other tobacco(s) ... i was pleasantly surprised because it is very mild and burning evenly and i really enjoyed the nutty touch it had towards the end of the bowl ... and yet ... i love it most in a 1:1:1 blend, of PS Virginia, PS Natural and PS Burley ... a delicious and mild smoke :D

Capstan - Flake Blue 1.75oz
after just one bowl yer hooked
luckily always available in germany hehe ... this is THE tobacco for pipes with a bigger bowl - you won't get enuff of this hot stuff ... i always keep a good supply in the closet ... you dont want to miss this sweet sensation!

Mac Baren - HH Mature Virginia 100g
very close to a five star rating
i am impressed ... MB has a few tobaccos i have in the rotaion, but this is by far the best they made imo (so far, i am still wating for the HH ones to be on sale here in germany) ... very mild and no bite to the tongue at all - even with a harder pace of puffing ... the taste is a bit simple, but very enjoyable ... great choice at a bargain price ... i'd recommend it to a beginner because it is so mild ... 4.8 on a five finger scale :D

Former - Straight Grain Flake 50g
very nicely balanced and close to perfection
i wish it was in stock again already ... i finally fouind the time to have a bowl of this and i must say i am absolutely delighted ... there is no big HELLO of a tin aroma, but a nice straight tobacco scent greeting me ... the humidity is just perfect and so i stuff my newly acquired, not yet broken in, M. Koziolek pipe (medium size bowl) ... it packs easily and seems to welcome the lighting ... and boy, for thast price?! the first puffs - hmm, escudo? but a bit lighter and somehow a bit richer in taste - this could easily become my morning baccy ... definitely a tobacco i'll order again (if/when its back in stock)

Peter Stokkebye - PS403 Luxury Bullseye Flake
More than four ... great tobacco
this stuff is simply a must - just like escudo this one is a real lpeaser, to the nose, the palate, bystanders, but this one also pleases the wallet ... cant wait for my next 8oz to arrive :P

Cornell & Diehl - Exhausted Rooster 2oz
Very nice
opening the tin = bingo! my nose was pleased and i was instantly thinking about Orlik Golden Sliced ... but this one is more on the ketchup side and a lil moister ... a bit too moist for me - nothing half an hour of drying cant fix ... and - i was rewarded with a rich and very close to perfect vaper experience. note to myself: next time - order 8 oz and cellar some - or at least TRY to!

Nording - Hunter Blend: Retriever 50g
Delicious - simple as that
well, i am no big fan of flavored tobacco, but every now and then there is one that stands out like a sore thumb in an ocean of fingers -- lol, in a positive way ... i just smoked it in a handmade M. Koziolek pipe and must say this tobacco rocks. the first puff was a promising mix of tobacco, mingled with cacoa and coffee, latter some nutty notes came into play ... very satisfying smoke and light on the nico side - a very nice all and everyday smoke - room note is bystander approved (female and male went "yum, delicious")

Former - Cross Grain Flake 50g
yeah, ripe and ready
upon opening the tin i first thought "ugh?! orlik golden sliced?" ... a pretty similar smell ... hmm, matured - i guess so, coz the flakes were kinda loose and broke apart whithout rubbing them out when i filled my test pipe (vauen admiral, with 9mm filter) ... puff puff, aaah, really nice VA with a subtle sweetness on the tongue and a slight touch of hay ... not too mild, straight tobacco without any BS ... very good for a bargain price -- i'll surely order it again (when back in stock lol).

Former - Bird's Eye Flake 50g
surprise surprise - a german tobacco with depth
funny enough, i am from germany and never saw this tobacco for sale in a shop ... anyhow, i grabbed a danish royal shape 11 and stuffed a bowl with this (rubbed up) flake ... to my surprise and despite the low price this stuff is delicious ... the first puffs gave me a slight hay flavor, but working down the bowl it got a bit sweeter and somehow nutty ... hehe, good that i got my former tins before it went out of stock ... bottomline: a very nice smoke for a bargain price.

Newminster - No.403 Superior Round Slices
good choice for a good price
this stuff is really nicely balanced ... a smooth and satisfying smoke ... is it just me or does this blend resemble the john aylesbury "curly cut"??? not only the look, the taste is very similar as well ... anyhow - a perfect smoke for a very good price

McClelland - Collector: Beacon 50g
fun-tas-tic smoke
well, it has that typical "cats-up" smell of a McClelland blend, lol, but what a taste ... this - is - by - far - the - best - vaper - i have - ever - had ... and i am smoking pipe for over 25years now ... absolutely a must have for any vaper lover ... and this my impression of a fresh from the tin smoke - i wonder how it would be with some age? i guess i'll have to cellar some hehe ;)

Nording - Hunter Blend: Pointer 50g
simply delicious
upon opening the tin, a wave of fresh coffee odor hit my nose ... and a kick of cocoa; the strong one for adults ... hmm, i am not really into flavored tobacco so i was a lil insecure ... but to my surprise - this stuff is delicious! it really keeps the promise the smell makes - it has a nice coffee taste with a whiff of cocoa ... pretty mild and no bite to the tongue ... this scented stuff could become one of the chosen few - of the aromatics i smoke ... both thumbs up

Peter Stokkebye - PS400 Luxury Navy Flake
very pleasant smoke
very mild, no bite to the tongue and sweet somehow ... a hint of nuts here and there ... sweetness increases down the bowl ... a more than nice smoke for any time of the day :) 4+

Peter Stokkebye - PS400 Luxury Navy Flake
very pleasant smoke
very mild, no bite to the tongue and sweet somehow ... a hint of nuts here and there ... sweetness increases down the bowl ... a more than nice smoke for any time of the day :) 4+

Mac Baren - Mixture Flake 3.5oz
one of my all times favs
well, i am smoking pipes for 25 years now and this is one of my all time favs ... i think it was the first flake ever but my ol' feeble brain oh well ... i love it for its mildness and slight touch of nuts ... a true any day any hour smoke ... oh, i always cellar lots of it ... none of ones i smoke is less than a year old, so i dunno about fresh from the tin :P

Mac Baren - Navy Flake 3.5oz
one of my all times favs
well, i am smoking pipes for 25 years now and this is one of my all time favs ... i think it was the first flake ever but my ol' feeble brain oh well ... i love it for its mildness and slight touch of nuts ... a true any day any hour smoke ... oh, i always cellar lots of it ... none of ones i smoke is less than a year old, so i dunno about fresh from the tin :P ... hehe, and only just yesterday i opened my vintage blend of it with skandinavik mixture ... every 1st of january i mingle 100g navy flake with skandinavik mixture and let it sit for a year ... the outcome is awesome to say the least :) a very mild smoke with a kir and apple taste ... very delicious ;)

Mac Baren - Navy Flake 3.5oz
one of my all times favs
well, i am smoking pipes for 25 years now and this is one of my all time favs ... i think it was the first flake ever but my ol' feeble brain oh well ... i love it for its mildness and slight touch of nuts ... a true any day any hour smoke ... oh, i always cellar lots of it ... none of ones i smoke is less than a year old, so i dunno about fresh from the tin :P ... hehe, and only just yesterday i opened my vintage blend of it with skandinavik mixture ... every 1st of january i mingle 100g navy flake with skandinavik mixture and let it sit for a year ... the outcome is awesome to say the least :) a very mild smoke with a kir and apple taste ... very delicious ;)

McClelland - 5100 - Red Cake
strange somehow
well, the first puffs have a strange overtone to me ... resembling the 888 blend of john aylesbury - and not meant in a pleasant way ... but, working down the bowl, this mixture gets a bit smoother and loses that "metallic" (i dont know how else to describe that strange touch in taste) ... not bad, but that overtone drives me off somehow ... i'll cellar my stuff and give it another go in 6 months ;) a straight 3 on a 5 finger scale so far ... maybe more after some aging? who knows ;)

Sutliff - 707 Sweet Virginia
alone, ok - blended, perfect!
kinda ok smoke for me ... very light and without any edges ... works good as a first pipe in the morning tho, just to get going ... but now to blending it: mixed 50/50 with McClelland Bulk 2015 - Virginia / Perique Flake it makes a truely delicious blend

McClelland - 2015 Virginia-Perique Flake
fresh from the bag ...
i just got my first sample of this great stuff ... smoked a bowl of it in a lorenzo spitfire and made a note to myself (next time, 5oz) almost instantly. delicious fits best. sweet and no bite to the tongue. but, i like to test blends, so i mixed it 1:1 with the Altadis 707 Sweet Virgina and filled a big Poul Winslow ... dunno if its the combination of pipe and tobacco, but i think i have found the perfect marriage :)

Mac Baren - Navy Mixture 100g
very nice navy blend
i think this is the best (or one of the best) blends by mac baren ... kinda raw, but easy to smoke and noce to the tongue ... me lickey :D

Rattray's - Marlin Flake 50g
one of the few i like better with a filter
a little too tough for me without filter, but a real delight with an ACF ... gets really sweet by the end of the bowl ... delicious mixture!

Rattray's - Old Gowrie 100g
another one of my top three ...
it is ... simply awesome! very complex, a little harsh on the first puffs, but getting smoother and sweeter while burning down the bowl ... a delicious blend and a must have for me ... out of stock? WAAAAAAAH!

Rattray's - Hal O' The Wynd 100g
actually 6 stars on a 5 scale for me
this is one of my top three (it shares rank #1 with old gowrie) ... absolutely superb smoke with a nice sweet touch ... this stuff helped me quit "aromatic" tobaccos ... three thumbs up for this awesome blend :D

John Aylesbury - Classic Flake 50g
one of my first flakes back then and still ...
great flake in my book ... smooth with/or-out filter and nicely balanced ... one of my everyday smokes ... thumbs up ... recommended for beginners as well because it is not too hard on the nico side and just sweet enuff to forget those scented tobaccos ;)

Orlik - Golden Sliced 50g
always thought that screaming orange was ugly
dont judge a book by its cover ... serious, when i first saw this tin is was like "yikes, a curare frog!" ... but last week i got a whiff of it in a bar, not knowing what it was and then saw what that guy was smoking. right the next day i got myself a tin if it and now i hate myself for not sampling it earlier. one pipe of this rich flake was enough to convince me. i'll make sure i always have a supply at hand from now on.

Wessex - Gold Brick Virginia Plug 100g
well, not bad for a german plug
ok, germany is surely not the country one thinks off when it comes to tobacco ... but hey, actually, germany is a (per capita) pipe smoker "kingdom" ... but back to the tobacco ... it comes as a fat block (plug, mind you) ... ok, whetted knife and chop-chop ... some cubes into the bowl and ... hmm ... an ok virginia ... no big ups or downs, just plain virginia ... its good, no doubt, but i am missing those "sapikes" ... it is somewhat sweet on the tongue and burning nice and evenly but without the certain "peeks" it missed that *gotta get some more to cellar a brick* ... on the other hand, it is pretty light and could be a good everyday smoke ... really, not bad at all

A & C Petersen - Escudo Navy Deluxe 50g
just one word: AWESOME!
this is by far the best blend i have come across for a long time ... it is not on sale in my country, so i wondered about the reviews i read about ESCUDO ... now i KNOW why it is praised ... its ... DELICIOUS! fresh from the tin; it smells like bread (serious, come to germany and smell some handcrafted bread!) with a slight touch of leather (distant) ... ok, rubbed ub the smell only gets better - a touch of fruit adds itself to the flavor ... bowl filled ... first puffs ... oh my ... so mild and somewhat slightly nutty ... no bite to the toungue ... after half of thew bowl the taste gets a lil more intense and -- only better ... three thumbs up for this superb blend !!! account bad english to my german roots, D'OH!

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