Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. No. 12 Mixture

(3.04)
A blend of flue cured bright Virginias from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Brazil and latakia from Cyprus. With this blend you not only have to like latakia, you have to positively "crave" the taste as this blend contains 45%. This is the best selling mixture in the US, by a comfortable margin.

Details

Brand Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Blended By Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Manufactured By Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Blend Type Virginia/Latakia
Contents Latakia, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging Bulk
Country United Kingdom
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.04 / 4
9

8

6

1

Reviews

Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 24 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 04, 2017 Mild None Detected Mild Very Pleasant
I believe that people misjudge this blend under the assumption that it ought to be dominated by Latakia.

This blend is a perfect, extremely well-balanced medium English blend. The Virginias are sweet and floral, and counterpoint famously with the dry, smoky Latakia.

The quality of this blend shows through when it's sipped and, to the contrary, don't expect this blend to "knock your socks off"--it won't, nor is it expected to. The very high quality ingredients, combined in exquisite proportions, make this an amazing medium English.

The flavor and aromas of this blend quite remind me of Germain's (made for Smoker's Haven) In-B-Tween Mixture, which I adore.
13 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 26, 2014 Medium Extremely Mild Medium Tolerable
The Virginia is grassy, slightly earthy with a little citrus. I remain skeptical that this is 45% Cyprian latakia, because it doesn't come through as I anticipated. It is mildly sweet with the smoky, woodsy characteristics you expect it to have. No Lakeland scent present. The nic-hit is mild. Won't bite. Burns moderately and cool with consistent taste, but it lacks the dimension of flavors that should be here. Needs few relights, easily burns to ash, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Not quite an all day smoke.

-JimInks
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 10, 2017 Medium None Detected Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Am I smoking the same blend that other have reviewed? Did I stumble on some grace-struck batch? This was purchased loose in Lugano CH. It’s plain fabulous.

My sample is a little wet, so a little drying may help, but it’s not mandatory. It burn slow, amazingly slow, and cool. Sweet and without any bite. Virginia sweet, but definitely a latakia bomb, it is not the usual EM and it is a cry far from being flat. Rather than being smoky, it tastes like incense, the one we burn in churches here in Italy. Personally, it triggers memory of me being a kid attending mass, or of me as a teen trying my first pipe. Could it get any better than that?

Getting more in the future? You bet it...
Pipe Used: Volpe Squat Rhodesian, Volpe Capt. Warren
PurchasedFrom: Two Lions, Lugano, CH
Age When Smoked: Fresh from counter
8 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 21, 2011 Medium Extremely Mild Medium Tolerable
I am a fan of many of the Gawith Hoggarth blends but #12 is lacking for me. Unless my aging eyes (and taste) are deceiving me, I find it hard to believe that there is actually 45% Latakia in this blend. Number 12 Mixture has the same underlying distinctive taste that is found in other GH English blends. I am not referring to the soap taste found in many of the GH scented blends. There are a lot of taste similarities in #12 to GH's Balkan Mixture but it lacks the full flavor of Balkan Mixture and it's not just because of the absence of the Orientals. Considering the claimed 45% Latakia, #12 lacks the full, smoky flavor of similar blends. IMHO if an English blend is going to rely on just two tobaccos's it needs to be superbly done (think Lancer Slices) and in this case #12 falls short. It's not a bad tobacco, there are just too many ones that are better.
7 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 14, 2016 Medium Medium Medium Very Pleasant
who cares how much latakia it has...in the end it is a very nice smoke with good balance, tasty and good flavor...i put this blend among my collection of over various blends in the top 10...dont miss this one
Pipe Used: big ben and stanwell only
PurchasedFrom: pipes and cigars
Age When Smoked: 70
6 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 01, 2012 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
Boring and forgettable, this Latakia mixture feels wimpy and uninspired. Its thin, shaggy nature (although proclaimed a coarse cut) yields an unconventional presentation, but adds nothing to improve the smoking characteristics of the blend. And the tin description is overly optimistic regarding the included ratio of Latakia, which, as many have suggested, falls quite lower than the stated 45 percent.

Also indicated by GH, the inclusion of only bright leaf, with an absence of red, and abiding by the plethora of golden strands in the sample, you'd expect this a sweet smoke, which it is--you'll get mostly high notes here.

But more surprisingly, there is no mention of Oriental leaf. Are the authors being vague here, or is there really no leaf? My initial smokes don't seem to detect a pronounced spiciness, and picking through the tin I could not discern any sparkly, coarse and almost fuzzy textured leaf that I associate with the Oriental component, so I wouldn't doubt it.

While on my low to middle list of favorites, I'd take the strictly Virginia and Latakia mixes of Balkan Flake and Commonwealth Mixture any day over No. 12--there's a sort of flare about them that No. 12 lacks, Commonwealth with its steamed Virginias, and Balkan Flake in its beautiful presentation. But No. 12 is too subtle for any showing off.

Taken together, No. 12 is a hell of a lot of bright leaf, and maybe 35 percent Latakia, which explains its boring nature. You would assume with the high degree of Virginias, at least, that No. 12 would have a hefty kick, missing the low nicotine laden Orientals, but that's not so, it's on the lower end of medium.

In the end, No. 12 demonstrates that top notch leaf will not necessarily grant one an excellent blend. There must be something more, if not skill then at least inspiration, both of which this blend lacks. If you consider yourself the average sort, I'm sure No. 12 will impress you with its mediocrity.
4 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 02, 2016 Mild to Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant
A lighter and more "oriental-oriented" version of the GH Balkan Mixture, with the Kendal soapiness (as for Balkan Mixture, I think it's the Coniston' soapy note). An outstanding balance, a great delicacy. One caution: smoke it slowly. If it is true for every tobacco, it is even more for it. 4,5/5 in my personal rating system.
PurchasedFrom: Synjeco, Brissago (Switzerland)
3 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 21, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a straight forward, honest virginia/latakia mixture. I am not too sure this blend actually does contain 45% latakia as it claims, but this of course doesn't stop it from being very enjoyable. From the bag, it smells absolutely beautiful; Pungent latakia with the tiniest hint of a virginia twang. While smoking, there is a beautiful sweetness accompanied by a cool burn. It has no bells or whistles, and the burn can go astray on you, but this stuff is just damn good. You do have to get on with latakia to enjoy this blend, but don't let the description deter you. Give it a go!
Pipe Used: Stanwell 32
Age When Smoked: Fresh
3 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 26, 2006 Medium Mild Medium Tolerable
This tastes like it is made up of about 25% to 30% Latakia (not the claimed 45) that's been scrubbed with a sea-foam loofa and bath gel.

It's tasty but soppy.

Images evoked include the elephant man french kissing his romantic interest after semi-successful minor cosmetic surgery.
3 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 15, 2001 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable to Strong
This blend is a mixture of several virginia's, and 45% Latakia, Cyprian, I would gather. The nose is of a typical English, in that the Latakia jumps out at you. The tobacco arrived rather moist, so taking time to let it air dry would be to your advantage. The charring light burns the tobacco well, and I have found myself after tamping it down not having to relight. The tabacco has a sweet taste, not a casing but the Virginia's and a superb blending job. The Latakia is there, and by 45% you would think overwhelming, this is not the case, the Virginia's blended with the Latakia make for a fine smoke, one that does not grow sour at the bottom, or towards it, as is the case for some English blends. Another note is some Latakia blends I've tried have an amonia type smell, to the smoker, at halfway, I didn't detect it here. In conclusion ;a well blended English, I would have thought there is Turkish here, but the description doesn't mention any, that burns well to the bottom, and pleases the palate. Well done!
3 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.

target="_blank"