Returning to Old Favorites

The Haddo's Delight is gone, and recent budget constraints prohibit me from purchasing another tin. So instead of pining over the 16oz can the could be mine if I wanted to give up eating I've taken to emptying my jar of Chocolate Flake.

I'll save us both the semi-erotic (not my wording) praise that I have lavished upon blends in recent history and make this a quick post. After all, 6 weeks is an awfully long span of time between blog posts even for a procrastinator like myself.

Let me start by saying that I have not tried Bob's Chocolate Flake, and error I hope to soon rectify. I have tried MacBaren's Honey and Chocolate, though, so I can give you two ends of the spectrum.

Where Honey and Chocolate attempts to give the smoker the impression that one is vaporizing actual chocolate Samuel Gawith's Chocolate Flake instead is a Virginia blend with a nice amount of latakia and a subtle hint of baker's cocoa. It is very much in the background, not overwhelming or even immediately obvious. The tin aroma reminds me of a cigar shop humidor, sweet and only slightly smokey, with a chocolate cake baking in the oven.

The flavor itself is mild, and one has to search for the cocoa aspect while smoking. Even the latakia is understated, allowing the Virginia to come to the forefront. It's a sublime combination, and one of the few blends that leave my office smelling almost as if I simply left the tin open by accident.

Both tin and bulk packages come moist, so prepare for a long, slow smoke or suffer the wrath of tongue bite. I like to let a few flakes sit out for half an hour or so before rubbing it out for maximum flavor and reduced smoking time. I have equal experience with folding and stuffing the flakes but doing this in a big bowl results in two hours minimum. While this method might make the smoke more well-behaved it also seems, in my experience, to reduce the flavor and aroma.

Luckily I have just under eight ounces in my personal stock so I won't have to go hungry or without an enjoyable pipe.