Time to review the first pipe tobacco for this blog!

Brand: Peterson
Blend Name: Irish Flake
Blend Composition: Burley, Kentucky, Virginia
Flavoring: None added
Smoking in: Peterson System Standard
Note: I chose this pipe because I just finished cleaning/refurbing it for my personal collection. It had nothing to do with the fact they were both Peterson products.

Pre-Light
I popped the tin to find the beautiful layers of the beautiful flake. I was immediately greeted with some serious hay smell. It was nicely moist but did not feel overly humidified. The moisture content was pretty much spot on for how I personally prefer my tobacco to be. I started rubbing it out so that i could pack my pack. I used the three-part method to pack.

Lighting & Smoking
I lit the pipe with my Corona pipe lighter. It took a few puffs togged it going well. A light tamping and the bowl was going well enough to kick back and relax. I suspected from the pre-light smell that I would get a great deal of hay but that was’t the case! I did pick up notes of hay but it blended well rather than being overwhelming. I picked up some undertones of cream as well.

I read some comments on this blend before, most saying that it is strong blend. I must agree with that! It certainly does pack a punch! Although it does have some strength to it, there was a slight bit of sweetness to the smell.

About halfway through the bowl went out. A quick tamp and re-light, the bowl was going strong again. I found myself enjoying the blend so much that I had been sipping quickly. That caused my pipe to get a little hot but that is certainly no fault of the blend!

The last quarter of the bowl really brought back the hay taste to the forefront of the tongue. It was a rich and complex blend and it definitely has a maturity to it. Hay, cream, and a tiny but of nuttiness on the back end were the most dominate flavors. If I were to smoke this blend a few more times, I am positive that I would pick up even more notes because of it’s depth.

Final Thoughts
It’s not for the faint of heart! It is indeed strong and would not be a blend I would smoke before breakfast. This is a blend I look forward to smoking again as I unpack the hidden flavors. I would definitely purchase a tin of this again in the future. If you like rich, complex, heavy on the nicotine, and creamy, this would be a good blend for you to put to the test!

Stay Smokey!