005-004-0018Once in while you stumble upon a blend and you fall in love with it. Well, maybe not literally but you give it a five stars on some review Website and you start piling the tins for cellaring or to make sure you never ever run out of the delicious smoke.

For me it was Peterson’s Irish Flake which was a love at first puff.

While trying to find an alternative to compare, and due to a relatively very low budget; roaming the available bulk blends for some Dark-Fired Flakes, I ended up trying Mac Baren’s HH Old Dark Fired Ready Rubbed.

Although a similar aroma and taste to Irish Flake, Mac Baren’s ODFRR is stouter and offers a less concentrated taste than IR.

The HH Old Dark Fired you know and love from Mac Baren in a more convenient ready-rubbed form! Bold flakes of dark-fired Burleys balanced with flue-cured Virginias have been broken up into fine ribbons. Since this tobacco is hot-pressed into flakes before being rubbed out, the robust, earthy flavor of the dark-fired Kentucky still shines through in the taste — promising a deeply satisfying smoke, indeed.

But still, if you’re looking for some budget DFK flake, this blend is the right alternative to Irish Flake. I just get very concentrated when I smoke ODFRR. Nothing else matters. ‘Just loving the taste.

Available in bulk at SmokingPipes.com.