Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. No. 25 Mixture

I've been smoking through some of the offerings of G&H and this is by far the best I've had. Balkan Mixture was nice but quite monotone and the faintest hint of Lakeland toppings (baby powder?) seemed out of place. Scotch Mixture was too light and just lacked any interesting qualities. Mixture No. 25 is a very happy medium that has just the perfect suggestion of latakia along with very interesting Virginias and burley for body and fullness.

At first light this seems like it might be latakia heavy but that quickly fades into semi-sweet, earthy Virginias and a slightly nutty but full burley. Throughout the smoke the latakia feels quite distant and seems to only contribute a creaminess to the smoke along with whispers of salinity. This blend smokes very cool and has the faintest hint of Lakeland essence that I perceive as sweetness and baby powder freshness. As the blend smokes down the bowl I perceive more of the dark Virginias becoming a stronger presence and adding a burnt caramel taste that is intriguing. This is most certainly very high quality leaf.

The cut seems like a thin ribbon cut and it's not quite a shag. It burns easily to the bottom with minimal relights and leaves nothing but a fine ash and very little moisture. A most agreeable aspect to the blend if you base your contentment on such factors.

I find this blend strange in the fact that I usually reach for something with some punch and heaviness to it (e.g. C&D Purple Cow) but, although on the medium end of the spectrum, it satisfies and soothes. It truly does seem like an Arcadia experience and I have quickly ordered a large quantity of this for my cellar. My only caveat is that it will seem like you don't have nearly enough once you start smoking this fine mixture.

This is an exceptionally good tobacco if you like English mixtures: a well-executed blend of Virginia, Burley and Latakia tobaccos, with the Latakia a clear presence, but by no means an overwhelming one. People who enjoy a touch of Latakia but don't want it in large doses will probably prefer this to SG's Commonwealth Mixture and G & H's Balkan Mixture. The Virginia gives No. 25 Mixture a lot more ‘body' than Balkan mixture has, I find.

More than anything, No. 25 Mixture reminds me of a tobacco that went west years ago: W.O. Bigg's Exmoor Hunt Mixture. I wonder if anyone remembers it?* The smoke is cool and creamy, the flavour is full and uniform all the way down the bowl, and it won't bite you. It's not too moist, and lights and burns well. It's a mildish smoke in terms of nicotine content, though, so if you want something that will bring you to your knees this isn't for you. There's no dottle to speak of: only the proverbial fine grey ash; and no sludge.

I'm not sure whether to describe this tobacco as a very fine ribbon cut or a shag. Flake smokers will find that, because of the fine cut, it burns away rather quickly, but this is one of only two negatives I can find; and you can, after all, always come back for more. Tight packing is a good idea, though. The other negative is the inevitable Latakia room note, which is not to everybody's taste; SWMBO doesn't like it at all, and innocent bystanders will probably look at you in a funny way. Perhaps this is one to enjoy in solitude, or outdoors.

In a large bowl (as I write I'm smoking it in a Peterson 312) No. 25 Mixture will give you a longish, tasty and interesting interlude. If you aren't a habitual Latakia smoker, you'll be well advised to have a separate pipe for this kind of blend, because the Latakia flavour lingers long. Try it first in a corncob, maybe.

Nice with a strong black coffee, I find. Highly recommended; a true arcadia experience, and a viable all-day smoke if you want one. A tobacco to relax with, though; sit down and take your time.

* PS: Since writing this review I have come across Gawith and Hoggarth's Exmoor Mixture (reviewed elsewhere), which I'm almost certain is No. 25 Mixture sold under another name.

Gawith Hoggarth - No.25 Mixture.

This is a brilliant blend; simple. However, as this is a review site I'll try to say a bit more!

The un-lit ribbons smell more like it contains the 'Sharp' kind of Latakia, as opposed to how it comes across in the smoke: in this, any of the smoky or indomitable Latakia characters are missing, and instead there's a more nonchalant type of flavour: it's wonderful!

The Virginia and Burley, although they're not such piquant ingredients, give great flavour to the smoke; I'd say, even though there's supposed to be twenty percent Lat' used, these account for a great deal of the smokes taste.

The nicotine's below medium: not miles below, but still, I'll mark it as Mild to Medium.

Strangely, despite the description which implies it's a Lat-Bomb, I find it has quite a mild taste for an English!

Highly recommended.

Another gifted 1 oz sample, this is primarily tan in the bag with streaks of the black latakia. Aroma of latakia, but not heavy. Still it masks whatever other scents might be there. Nice ribbon cut but not stringy - easy to load.

At the match the latakia begins the show. It quickly settles down but is still everpresent. The Virginias are light and crisp with a gentle sweetness and the burley is very nutlike and rich. The combo creates a kind of spicy wheat flavor that is really interesting. Nice complexity here as well, as it pranced lightly from standard English to spicy sweet to bold. But it was not heavy in body or overly heavy in flavor - in fact, it's the kind of blend that really entices me... the lighter body/fuller flavor tobaccos. This struck me as a cross between Rattrays Red Rapparee and Uhle's Bishops Move, both of which are in my rotation. This won't make it but it's an absolutely excellent blend. No florals, either, and enough nicotine to satisfy all but the serious addict. If you like your latakia on the lighter side but don't want it overcome with the other tobaccos, this is one to try. I'm not a huge fan of G&H latakia blends, but this one is a winner. Unlike RRR or the Uhle's, this is one I could smoke all day... if I had to, and only if I had to.

I bought a half pound of No. 25 Mixture after reading the reviews here, (thanks DrDyson!) on TR and my love of GH’s Balkan Mixture. At first look, it seems hard to believe that there is as much as 20% Latakia in No. 25 Mixture as there were just a few pieces of Latakia in my bag. But it really isn’t important because this blend is absolutely bursting with flavor. The Latakia fills the supporting role perfectly. Although the flavor profile isn’t similar, the condimental use of Latakia in No. 25 reminds me too of the blends of old. It also reminds me of the great way Steven Books’ uses it in his Irishman’s 5 O’Clock. The combination of the Burley’s and Virginia are allowed to stand out, offering a bit of sweetness and backbone in a way that makes this a full flavored mixture. Great Stuff!

GH&C No. 25 Mixture is what I would call a classic English blend. The sweet and tangy Virginias are the star of the show. The Latakia plays important, albeit backup role, ever present but never upstaging the Virginias. The burleys are a supporting cast player, enriching the taste with notes of molasses and burnt toast. The sun-cured (Turkish, I presume) tobaccos appear from time to time to provide floral notes. While the blend apparently does not contain any top dressing, this could easily be considered an aromatic tobacco.

The Latakia provides most of the aroma of unlit tobacco. As delivered, the moisture content is a little on the high side. The cut is more rough than ribbon. No. 25 Mixture packs and lights easily but requires a relight from time to time. It burns to a dark ash and leaves the bowl dry.

While I enjoy Lat bombs, as someone who mostly smokes straight Virginias and VaPers I really appreciated the delicate hand that blender used to balance this smoke. This would be an excellent English for someone who was wanted to transition from aromatic blends to something more sophisticated and complex. It will not bite no matter how hard you puff, although a slow and steady smoking cadence is required to really enjoy all the flavors this blend has to offer. It also has enough flavor to stand up to any beverage, from a cup of strong black coffee to a pint of Guinness.

Given the moderate nicotine content and priced at about $50 a pound, No. 25 Mixture would make a great all day smoke. I think it will appeal to anyone who likes sweeter tobacco.

UPDATE:

The more I smoke this tobacco, the more I like it. I tried an experiment the other day -- I rolled a cigarette with No. 25 Mixture. Aside from the fact that it was a little hard to light and keep lit (I'm sure this could be corrected by drying out the tobacco a bit), it was fantastic. Very reminiscent of the original Gauloises.

This is an excellent blend, and well-deserving of the high marks it has garnered.

I won't belabor a complete review, as others have said enough, except to mention that I generally dislike Burley. Too many blenders use low-quality, harsh--garbage, to be blunt--Burley. The Burley used in this blend, however, is light and floral, and its contribution to the blend is not unlike that of a delicious Oriental.

Enjoy!

Summary: this light English blends uses the sweet Virginias to make the Latakia stand out for a spicy, herbal smoke.

For those who love "Early Morning Pipe" and "Presbyterian," another light English comes along which might serve as a decent substitute. Gawith Hoggarth does Virginias better than anyone else on Earth, and in this blend, the mixture of sweet bright Virginias and rich brown Virginias produces the bulk of the flavor, framing the Latakia and allowing it to zoom to the forefront. Consequently, you taste the Latakia swimming in a sea of sweetness, producing the sweet-and-sour tang for which English blends are famous. In my view, you taste more of the Latakia and get more depth of flavor this way. Essentially however this remains a Virginia blend, tamed to cool smoking by the other ingredients and perfect for smoking over the course of a day.

This is an exquisite, mild and classic English mixture with a simple recipe that delivers a balanced smoke with subtle character. You could smoke this anytime and all day, if desired. (It has negligible nicotine.)

Interestingly, almost all of the reviews presented here of this mixture strike me as very, very accurate so the consistency of this blend over the years is remarkable - a tribute to the blender!) My review really doesn't add much but it is another perspective...

My leaf arrived a bit moist so I dry it about 30 minutes before smoking. The thin, almost shag ribbon cut consists of mostly bright leaf with some darker leaf and small pieces of black Latakia. In appearance and cut, it reminds me of Germain's King Charles Mixture. Due to the thin cut, you can pack this mixture firmly.

In the smoke, there is an extremely slight soapiness and sea salt - it's actually lovely, if not a bit exotic. The sweet bright leaf is slightly dominate with some nutty butter from the dark leaf. The Latakia is noticeably reserved but it does add a smokiness character to the mixture. There is minimal aftertaste.

In some ways this reminds me of a milder Dunhill Standard Mixture - Mild (minus the Orientals if that makes sense!) and that's not a bad thing.

Far from boring, this is a classic. And, this would be a great springboard to Latakia blends if you are a newbie or primarily smoke aromatics.

The result is, believe me, absolutely noteworthy: a tobacco that lovers of the kind "natural" and propensity to Latakia I must definitely try. It is a different experience from those offered by most of the mixture "English" or "Balkan" difficult to describe. Already raw the product offers important promises: the component of Latakia is sensitive but not predominant and lets perceive the other aromas of a complex and truly singular mixture. The cut ribbon offers a good inclination to charge and combustion even if the tobacco at the opening is, as almost always in the products of Kendal, a little too humid (at least for me). I smoked the product without any rest and maturation in glass jar. In the next few days I will prepare at least another 100g of this tobacco for a few weeks in this mode. Based on my experience all the complex natural mixtures (with rich recipe) benefit from this practice if properly managed. The smoking is quite easy, the entrance is sumptuous with sweet notes (Virginia) and aromatic (Latakia). With the continuation of the smoked the sweet (one perceives more the citrus) of Virginia is maintained and marries with a "body" given probably by the Burley which becomes increasingly present. The Latakia there feels but does not hang over like magic of the blend absolutely guessed. I highly recommend to smoke if possible after lunch at least the first time because the nicotinic component is definitely felt. It's not a tobacco for everyone. I was very impressed from this mixture.