My normal rotation has a noticeable lack of aromatic blends but there are a few out there I do enjoy. Having been a fan of Pete’s Uni Flake I was excited to take Wallace Flake out for a spin as TR reviews all noted the similarity of the two blends. While not exact copies of each other, I believe close cousins fit the bill here. Wallace presented itself as a darker flake and just a hair wider in the tin, beautiful presentation. The tin aroma on opening was a deep intoxicating fermented smell, heaven in a metal box. The blueberry (I don’t get the plum labeling, plum is commonly used but often isn’t a static taste to me), wasn’t an isolated smell, I got more stewed fruit/fermented VA than anything.
The real treat here was the first light. With more Va than burley compared to the Peterson offering, I found this to be very smooth. I’m realizing I can be sensitive to VA’s even when sipped at a snails pace. These Va’s are friendly and don’t rough up my tongue like brighter ginny leaves. Moisture level is normal to me. While it can and does do well with some dry time, it’s not required. Best results for me is to pre-load a bowl to be smoked hours later, not a fully exposed dry time but enough to get a nice burn going. The topping does stick around longer than with UF which I do enjoy. While I’m not a big Aro fan, I find the background aromatic blends like this excellent for a change from full latakia blends. As the bowl progresses the flavor stays rich and full flavored without ever becoming overbearing or turning sour/burnt. This is a steady, easy smoke all the way. My favorite bowl for this is my new H Weibe Radiator Chimney (Thank you Neil!!) as the tall narrow bowl concentrates the deep VA flavor and makes for an effortless smoke. Price wise, you’re going to pay a dollar or two more for the tin than UF but for the ease of use and better taste throughout, it’s worth the investment.
I plan on trying another Rattray’s flake, Stirling, very soon. Being a cousin to Pete’s Irish Flake, I have hopes that Stirling will soar above IF like Wallace does to Uni.
Link to H Weibe pipes site :
http://www.hwiebe.com/
pipe review w/ pics coming soon.
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