John Aylesbury Dragon Flake

Before seeing this blend pop-up on a smokingpipes.com weekly update, I was not familiar with Dragon Flake or the John Aylesbury company.  As I do enjoy a quality aromatic tobacco, the description offered on the Dragon Flake certainly peaked my interest.  From the tobacco reviews website:

“An excellent aromatic flake, consisting of dark and golden Virginias, double-fermented Black Cavendish and a touch of Burley, flavored with the sweetish-sweet notes of maple syrup, caramel, and vanilla.  A gentle smoke flavor with cooling properties.” 

I’m not sure about those “sweetish-sweet notes,” however, everything else sounds quite delightful and it comes in flake form…interesting.  Let’s take a look at the blend breakdown.

Info & Overview

Brand: John Aylesbury

Category: Aromatic

Blend Components: Virginia, Black Cavendish, Burley

Flavorings: Vanilla, Carmel, Maple Syrup

Cut Type: Flake

Available Packaging: 50g tin

Price: $13.52 USD

 

On to the review…

 

From the Tin: Absolutely top-notch presentation from the tin.  Beautiful, thin medium brown flakes with gorgeous light Virginia and Black Cavendish sprinkled throughout.  The aroma from the tin is nothing short of amazing.  Sweet fruits, plums, figs, vanilla, light cocoa, hints of cinnamon spice, and a distant light hay note are all present.  Flakes are a bit moist and do require about 25-30 minutes of dry time.  Once ready, flakes are easily rubbed out, or in my case, folded and stuffed.

Tasting Notes: Let me start by saying this tobacco is truly a treat.  The tobacco burned well delivering a memorizing room note of sweet fruits and vanilla cream, not to mention tasted great.  Flavors noted during the initial opening of the bowl mimicked that of the room note, sweet fruits and vanilla.  Halfway through the bowl, more complex chocolate and wood tastes tingled the palate and added an interesting layer to the profile.  Nicotine level is low and body is mild to medium.  Although this is not a formal ‘Christmas Blend’ it will certainly become one I reach for during the holiday season as it contains a nice cozy/warming characteristic.

Overall Impression: I must be honest in saying Dragon Flake exceeded my expectations.  I approached this tobacco with hesitation as I wasn’t sure an aromatic flake would be able to prove itself worthy.  Time to own up and eat some crow.  This is an outstanding tobacco that I will most certainly include in my rotation going forward.  After multiple bowls of Dragon Flake, I am still entranced by its amazing aroma and tastes.  I do not think this is a tobacco that will cellar well, however, when it’s this good, there’s no need to put it away.  Grab a tin for yourself and enjoy!

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