Virginia Tobacco » Orlik Golden Sliced Tobacco Reviews

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# 19/6/2011
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Review by cortezattic
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OGS: zesty, but sweet and smooth
The taste of Orlik Golden Sliced is what comes to mind whenever I hear mention of straight Virginia flakes. It has the qualities that are associated with, in my opinion, the truest examples of that blend type – a preparation that concentrates or intensifies the leaf’s taste. Due to its popularity OGS inevitably comes up in discussions; and over time it has emerged as a de facto standard of comparison – a benchmark.
My sampling was the square 50 gram tin that holds about 12 exquisitely manicured flakes of about 3” x 1˝” x 1/16”, and at an ideal moisture level for immediate use. The tin note is grassy, and sweet, and promising; and it sets one’s salivary glands on edge. The flakes rub out easily and blossom into a springy clump of ribbons. One-half of a flake rubs-out to fill a group 3 bowl nicely. The rub does generate some crumbs, and I use them for tinder.
On first light OGS produces Virginia’s characteristic grassy taste, with a mahogany sweetness. An agreeable citrus rind flavor emerges quickly and becomes prominent without dominating the blend. As one continues to smoke, there may be nuanced changes in the basic Virginia tobacco flavor, but the one constant will be its sweetness – something akin to cane sugar or turbinado (“raw” sugar). By mid-bowl one senses a hint of something dark, suggesting licorice or fennel – too shallow to discern with clarity, but a key part of this blend’s intrigue. Sometimes on a re-light a mild carob-like flavor appears then suddenly vanishes. As one approaches the end of the bowl OGS is decidedly less grassy and citrus; the sweetness deepens in character if not intensity; and the smoke softens and smoothes out considerably, developing a creamy mouth feel. The finish has a citrus taste that is vague but long lasting.
OGS is in the family of the sharp, grassy Virginia flakes. While it can be a little parching, and it does bathe the mouth in a gentle peppery haze, it does not accost the palate with the vile, hot tasting piquancy for which lesser grades of leaf in this genre are notorious. During my entire experience with this blend there wasn’t even the suggestion of bite – perhaps due to the purported Burley content, which an investigation by PipesMagazine.com* has recently discovered is really Perique. Since OGS delivers a nice volume of smoke, I take particular pleasure in breath-sipping and channeling it from palate to nose and sinuses. In sum I would call this a medium tobacco: in flavor, in strength, and in body. It has a temperament that is zesty enough to wake up your taste buds, but sweet and smooth enough to enjoy frequently, if not all day long (as it seems they do in Europe).
Maybe not amazing, but pretty darn good, OGS belongs somewhere in every Virginia flake lover’s rotation – or cellared in reserve at the very least. It may not be a blend for everybody, but it is a blend that everybody should try.
*http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/kevins-blog/orlik-golden-sliced-update-no-burley-yes-perique/
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# 10/8/2011
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Review by Schmitz Bitz
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A mild, tasty blend that I just can't grow to love.
Upon breaking the seal, the first thing I notice is that the
paper liner is the self-same which is presented by Peterson Tobacco's newer
K&K blended flakes; not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, but
rather just something I found of interest.
Lifting the liner reveals two parallel rows of loosely
pressed flakes, measuring in the vicinity of 3"x1.5"x1/8". The
leaf itself is a melange of hues, bringing bright yellows, golden browns and
tans.. The prevalent aroma is one of freshly cut hay and dusty-barn (think
hay-loft), with very subtle hints of what I can only describe as lemon-drop
candy and earthy, raisin-esque aromas. For any Canucks (or other
Common-wealthers), the aroma is very reminiscent of Dunhill or DuMaurier
Virginia cigarettes pack odour (and, in a pinch, isn't bad as a roll-up
replacement). This blend was ready to smoke directly out of the tin; in-fact,
once cracked, I would highly recommend jarring any left-overs immediately, as
the square tins will not re-seal. I found that this blend smoked the best for me when packed
with the fold and stuff method; smoked in a GBD Prodigy oversized, three flakes
at a time. Unlike other flakes I've smoked, Orlik Golden Sliced does not
require a dozen matches to get going, nor does it require constant attention.
On the false light, I notice a strong flavour of fresh-cut
hay with slight hints of golden-raisin, with a definite creamy feel to the
smoke as it passes across my palate. True light brings more thick, creamy smoke that fills ones
mouth with mild flavours of fresh-cut hay, brown-butter, and raisins, with
hints of caramelized berry-sugar and an almost peppery sensation on the back of
the tongue; not like a hit of perique, but rather like a dusting of white
pepper on tomato juice will bring.
The flavour profile remains fairly mono-chromatic throughout
the bowl, however, at the two-thirds point, the brown-butter flavour undergoes
a change into what I can only describe as buttered white toast.
As I progress though the heel, I notice a somewhat ashy flavour
begins to creep in, followed by an almost salty, acrid bitterness...but
somehow, this isn't actually a bad thing. While the flavours are certainly
there, they meld beautifully with the natural sweetness of the leaf, making the
heel actually the most satisfying part of the bowl for me.
This blend does not take to the Delayed Gratification
Technique very well. Upon relight, a strong sour, dirty flavour will prevail
for around 7-10 puffs before the blend settles down.
The room-note on this blend is what I can only describe as
the "classic" pipe-tobacco smell - hints of hay and citrus intertwine
with leather and an underscoring nuttyness in the creamy blue smoke.
Any smoker will find themselves satisfied with this blend,
the nicotine is comparable to what one would find in a standard cigarette....however...
If I have any one complaint about this blend, it is that it
too much resembles a Dunhill Special Reserve cigarette in both flavour and
aroma. Not only does it make me crave the real McCoy, as someone battling a
cigarette addiction, I strive to avoid the flavour of the brand that got me
hooked!
All in all though, Orlik Golden Sliced is a tasty, mild
blend, and a great way to wet ones feet with Virginia forward blends. The price
point makes it even better. Although I tend not to smoke OGS, I would have to
recommend the blend.
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# 28/11/2011
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Review by brewshooter
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A Shrewd Judge Indeed!
Tin Aroma and Appearance – The aroma has the grassy character I might expect, but not a dry straw smell, a wetter, fresh mown thing and there is a definite fruity/sweet quality to it. It reminds me a little of raisins, but it does not dominate the aroma. The large yellow/brown mottled flakes are perfectly packed. I feel like I'm opening a Christmas present with this tin.
Pack and Smoke – I broke off half a flake, dried it for about thirty minutes and smoked it in one of my smaller bowled pipes. I used a fold and stuff method and, in retrospect, it could have benefitted from rubbing out, as I had a few relights. However, in general, it burned well and produced a fair amount of smoke. I can also see that this one might have a tendency to bite if smoked hot and fast.
Flavor – Clean and sweet, WOW! I'm almost tempted to leave it at that. It does have a subtle grassy/hay character, but it is subtle and not as pronounced as some other blends I've tried. I'm sometimes put off by an overpowering grassy character and this blend didn't do that. At times I also pick up a citrusy note. It's not as sharp as a lemon. I think orange is closer. I'm a bit of a nicotine lightweight and this smaller bowl didn't seem to effect me negatively.
Overall – I was surprised by this one. I picked up a fresh tin so that I could continue to age one I already had in storage. I'm glad I did. I don't smoke a lot of VA heavy tobaccos, preferring aromatics and English/latakia blends. However, I do enjoy Tilbury and LBF quite a bit and I think OGS may be on the top of my list. The clean, sweet flavor is simply delightful!
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# 2/4/2012
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Review by The German
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Good VA flake
I first met this blend when I was looking for a replacement for my then-favourite Richmond (medium) Navy Cut, which was not available with local tobacconists at the time. My trusted tobacconist recommended OGS as a replacement, and so I bought the 100g tin.
Opening the tin, I was reminded in no small way of Earl Grey Tea: the topping on this blend is, definitely, Bergamot citrus, and it is not applied sparingly. Whether that is a good or a bad thing I guess the individual smoker has to decide for her- or himself; I find no fault with it.
In the 100g tin, the leaf comes in long strips of flakes; I tried both tearing off enough for a bowlful and folding and rubbing out. Both ways give me a very much above-average smoke for a straight VA flake; I get sweetness and hay-ish notes in the room, and this stuff is pretty easy to maintain, with very little condensation in comparison with other notable VA flakes.
So, if the shrewd judge mentioned on the tin is judging VA flakes, yes, he should be smoking this. It is an excellent tobacco and smokes very well. However, I have had better blends both before and after, and so, while I do occasionally smoke a tin of this, I tend to stick with those others--among others Samuel Gawith Full Virginia, Poul Ilsted's Own Golden Flake, and Dunhill Flake, all of them being VA flakes with less topping, and IMHO just as good or better.
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