Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky, 50g, year 2020

This is the American version: the label states "Sale Allowed Only In The United States," the manufacturer is listed as Scandinavian Tobacco Group Assens A/S, Denmark, and the importer for the USA is Scandinavian Tobacco Group Lane Ltd. The can has the code 2007050228; this indicates the year 2020.

Today, it is more of a collectible / hard-to-find tobacco. The base of the blend is Virginia + Dark Fired Kentucky, pressed into cakes and cut as flake. Flavor-wise, it is sweet-smoky, dense, but not as nicotine-heavy as the name "Dark Strong" might suggest.

It is not a classic "fragrant aromatic," but it is also not a completely dry natural flake. TobaccoReviews lists it with flavoring of licorice / molasses. Reviewers often mention molasses, brown sugar, licorice, maple sugar, and sometimes even a "candied tobacco" impression.

TobaccoReviews states that Dark Strong Kentucky is "No longer in production." Smokingpipes has it listed as Sold Out.

It has disappeared from the market once before, reappearing around 2015–2017 in 50g tins for the American market, and around 2020–2021, it stopped being commonly sold again.

It is a peculiar tobacco in that it combines dark, fire-cured Kentucky with sweeter Virginia and rounds it off with a sweet topping. Kentucky tobacco generally gives blends a smoky, earthy, and stronger flavor; due to fire-curing, it is darker and denser than regular Burley. However, in DSK, this "roughness" is not dominant, as it is tamed significantly by the sweet Virginia and the molasses-licorice character.

It is more of a sweet dark-fired Virginia/Kentucky flake than a brutal powerhouse. Those expecting hard, dry, smoky Kentucky may be surprised by the sweetness. Those who enjoy molasses, licorice, dark sugar, a light BBQ tone, and flake tobaccos understand why a cult has formed around it.

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