One of the biggest marketing lies in the tobacco industry can be found on the Astley's No. 55 tin: “slightly rubbed out flake”. This is a ribbon, bordering on shag. Now, there's nothing wrong with this cut; Gawith, Hoggarth's Birdseye Flake is even finer, and is a decent tobacco. On the other hand, a shag cut with a gold virginia really makes smoking difficult. You have to smoke slowly in order to nurse the flavor out of the tobacco, but the cut makes this an extremely difficult proposition.

The tin note is pure tobacco barn, if you happened to grow up in tobacco country. The flavor, while light is quite interesting, a basic virginia background, with a touch of bitterness that reminds me of licorice. It's a flavor I like, but not one likely to appeal to those who aren't virginia junkies. It's definitely in the category Freestroke would call 'wimpy virginias'.

Bottom line to this one: I really can't recommend it. The cut makes this one a blend that requires careful attention, and while the flavor is interesting, it really isn't special enough to make the frustration of the cut worth the effort.