It's Presidents Day, 8:30 p.m. and the snow is falling furiously. Washington D.C. has been buried and my prayer is that God will do the same for Springfield, Massachusetts. Nothing should make me happier than to wake up for work tomorrow morning only to discover I couldn't pull out of my driveway. I'm thinking the predicted 25 inches of flake might be just the perfect amount to send my sorry butt back to bed for a few extra hours. Thereafter the rest of the day off would be properly wasted by reading, writing and puffing a pipe.
So, in anticipation of a short term reprieve from gel hell (I mix medical gels for a living) I'm already lighting up a celebratory bowlful of quite another kind of flake.
University Flake is by far Peterson's best tinned tobacco. The blend, consisting of "Mahogany, Burley and Kentucky" leaf burns beautifully no matter the moisture content. Dry as dust or damp as the dew, it won't get unbearably hot. However, either way a slight bite may ensue. In the tin there's an aroma reminiscent of a Christmas fruit cake. Under the flame the smoke remains sweet smelling and pleasant.
As a fishing tobacco, University Flake excels. I first tried this blend late last summer on the Swift River downstream from the Goose Pen pool. It raised thick bluish clouds of bug discouraging carcinogens, and proved to be tasty without being a distraction from the main task of catching trout. The point is important, at least to me, because some flakes are flavorful enough to demand the entirety of my attention.
Good tobacco, and recommended.
©copyright 2003, Perry S. Fuller
