Samuel Gawith - Best Brown Flake pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 141 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
acyv	09/01/2010	Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Pleasant
Very nice "man tobacco", I liked it very much, the taste on my palate is very good...
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Rafer Janders	08/23/2010	Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I'm a very recent convert to the art of pipe smoking having enjoyed cigars and this is my first review, although it isn't my first tobacco. Having journeyed a little along the path of tobaccos and being guided by the reviews on this site, this is the first leaf I have felt compelled to review. I have to say that this is a very pleasant smoke. Like other Sam Gawith flakes, it has a lovely moisture content and feels great to rub out or fold. It seems to burn well enough without needing to dry it out. The note from the tin is of raisins and nuts, like fruit cake. In fact an aromatic smoker friend of mine felt that it was the most pleasant non-aromatic he'd smelt. It packs and lights well, and although it doesn't have an overpowering aroma or flavour, this goes in its favour because one never tires of it. A good every day smoke I think. I found FVF too high in nicotine to make it a regular. It took me back to smoking Luckies, although I would rate it highly too. The bowl of my Big Ben billiard smells great afterwards too. All in all, I am very impressed with this and will probably make it a staple. Truly a Best Brown Flake.
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Judge Adams	07/17/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
After 45 years of pipe smoking, I just might have settled on THE one. Yeah, I still love a big, bold English. And sometimes I am romanced by an aromatic until I get that yucky stuff in my bowl and my mouth. A simple, high quality burley flake (Wessex or Solani ABF) is always pleasant. But this Best Brown really is the best brown! Soft and simple, a blend of the very highest quality Virginias. Nothing else. Nothing. And it just purrs along for hours, leaving not a trace of gunk in the bottom of the bowl. Yes, it can get monotonous. What wouldn't after something like 10 bowls a day in all seasons? But its purity and simplicity is second to none. Of course, I've read the dozens of reviews praying at the alter of Full Virginia Flake. I respect them. That's why I tried it. Yet, for whatever reason,it seemed sour and the nicotine blast almost knocked me off my feet. Sorry. My wife likes the light "pipe" scent of BBF. Noone at work or elsewhere has complained. And my every day is blessed with this constant companion. You can't do better than that.
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WillardFan	05/28/2010	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable
After hearing so much about this blend, I decided to give it a try. This is one of the best tobaccos I've tried in a long time. Very smooth, no tongue bite, and in a Virginia blend, I found this to be an exception. I don't rub this out, I just pinch off little bits at a time till I have enough for a bowl. Takes two lights, a Char-light and a relight. Burns well, leaves very little dottle. In my opinion one of the best Gawith blends I've ever smoked. R.W.
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duke269	05/06/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
If I didn't have Full Virginia flake to compare it too, it would be much better. Just not as good. Flatter in flavor, no little nuances. Still, I'd pick it up given the opportunity. My only beef with it is that my tin had some really thick flakes. Maybe just a one-tin thing, no one else I've seen has said anything about it. Kind of a pain in the butt trying to rub it out when you're studying for finals.
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ivycap	04/08/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Didn't get much at first light, but as it calmed down and I began to relax, this weed sang for me, and it was a pretty song. A cool smoke with some natural sweetness and a full taste. Aged, flue cured Virginias are a dream.
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ned	04/03/2010	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
interesting toba, well made, to change habitude.
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rramstad	03/07/2010	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Earlier in the day I smoked some Kendal Plug as a contrast. I have a lot of problems with light VA and bite, especially things like Coniston Cut Plug and MacBaren Virginia #1. BBF unfortunately bites me quite a bit, on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst, I rate it a 4. (For reference, 5 would be something I'd smoke very occasionally because I like the flavor enough and am willing to put up with the bite.) The taste profile on this is a bit thinner in body than Kendal Plug, and also somewhat more monochromatic. It's a nice flavor, but doesn't really change or develop down the bowl as much as other offerings from Samuel Gawith. FVF is still my favorite in this line, along with Squadron Leader.
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ProdigalWeb	01/16/2010	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a great all-Virginia flake. The tin aroma is to die for. That great Virginia aroma of ripe figs and raisins. The flavor is very nice but very plain Virginia. I'm getting used to a little more spice from perique or orientals. I'm sure SG makes these too. The tobacco is a little wet out of the can, so I'm experimenting with what is the right moisture. I'm also experimenting with whether to smoke it as a flake or to rub it out. I'm having better luck with rubbed out at the moment but my flake technique is improving.
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Prior Wrath	01/10/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is my everyday smoke. Exceptionally great virginia flake with myriad of nuances. No rubbing necessary, I just like to fold it so it just fits into the pipe. Keep it very slow.
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Easter Egg	01/06/2010	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
My first pure virginia without added orientals, and also my first attempt at a flake. Took the flakes and tore them into narrow strips of about 2 cm (a bit longer than 3/4 inch for our non metric friends) then let them air out for 5 minutes. Packed in a churchwarden with medium size bowl. I think next time it might need a bit more drying next time, I had to relight quite a few times. Great cool smoke, fabulous taste, no tongue burn, just the right amount of Nic for my liking. Next time i might have the courage to try the packing method as explained on the Mac-baren website : http://www.mac-baren.com/TopMenu/Expert-Knowledge/Flake-Tobacco/How-to-fill-a-pipe-1.aspx Will let you know later on how that turns out. After this first bowl, I am pretty confident BBF will come into my rotation together with Squadron Leader.
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DrDyson	12/30/2009	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
This is a nice, mild, gentle Virginia Flake: nothing fancy, with a sweet flavour and an unexceptionable room note. The tin note is ‘warm’ and natural, with none of the ‘Lakeland’ chemical properties that so many people dislike. It gets off to a humdrum start (the first few puffs taste like a strong cigarette, I find), but the flavour builds to a pleasant fullness after a few minutes, and you get a slow, cool, civilized smoke: no bite and no bizarre flavours. Enough nicotine, but certainly not too much. I don’t, to be honest, notice all that much difference between BBF and SG’s Medium Virginia Flake (aka Golden Glow), though BBF is possibly a bit milder: a tad too mild for some palates, perhaps. Like flakes in general (IMO), it’s better folded than rubbed out. When you first open the tin (you can also buy it loose, I believe) it’s a good deal too moist. This is a problem endemic to SG’s tinned tobaccos, and BBF, like so many of its companions, is best dried a bit before you light it. Apart from the minor drawback of excessive moisture, BBF is an excellent smoke for those who like VA flakes. A good all-day smoke, and a good tobacco to relax with; though I can imagine that some people will find it boring after a while, and want to turn aside to something a bit meatier.
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Thunderchunkie	12/21/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
This one makes me wonder why I smoked ciggarettes for so many years. I would consider myself a complete idiot if it were not for the fact that I had enough sense to pick up a tin of this, lol. Toasty, Brown, slightly nutty tasting, almost malty. Very mild, smooth and gentle on the tongue, this is what tobacco should taste like. Being the first flake I have tried, preparing it was an adventure too (finally got it right on the 3rd bowl, hahaa!) Definitley damp out of the tin, needs some drying or it prob wont stay lit, didn't for me. baccy baccy num nums!
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Walkman	12/09/2009	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Best Brown Flake is one of my favorite tobaccos. It’s a medium brown Virginia that’s naturally sweet, nutty, and smooth. BBF doesn’t bite, requires few relights, and provides a nice volume of smoke. Highly recommended.
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kg0mz	12/08/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is docile for a VA flake, not at all harsh on me billy goat. I like to rub it into a ball, poke it in there, and top it off with the crumbs. Steamy and grassy at first, but sweet like toasted bread by mid-bowl. Smooth and creamy. No bite and never bitter. Burns like a champ. Adequate strength. Not as bold as FVF, but not as astringent. I like both, but this I can enjoy as often as I please.
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babysinister	12/05/2009	Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant
I like the sweetness level in this mature Virginia. The sugar doesn't screw up the Virginia; burns well, just a little on the hot side but no drawbacks there, as it has no bite, which is a good thing in a straight Virginia. Perfect flake cut that is easy to fill and loves you a looong time. I just fold and insert in the bowl using the air pocket method, which works really great in a Dublin. Don't evade the sidestream, for it delivers a tobaccoey aroma that is nutty and redolent of a field of sweet hay on fire. And to put this review in perspective, I primarily like English/Balkan blends. Or at least I did up to now. Yes, this could be a realigning experience. Time will tell.
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dk-piper	11/30/2009	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
delicious flake. tobacco smells like citrus, orange, sweet. Very intense smell. Once lit, the tobacco reveals nutty aromas. Sidestream is just wonderful...roasted almonds and caramel come into my mind. Similarities to FVF are there. The best way to describe this baccy is..."the simple things/tobaccos in life are the most enjoyable." BestBrownFlake is a down-to-earth-tobacco. Very honest, very pure in taste. Smoke is gentle and smooth as silk. Mr. Gawith did it again! :)
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John W	11/19/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
My favourite tobacco to date! I have for many years smoked aromatics and only in recent months ventured into pure Virginias, and also into flakes. The most notable thing is that unlike aromatics which in my experience tend to taste nasty in the final third of the bowl BBF smokes to a fine ash with no deterioration in taste at all. In fact while subtly changing the final third tastes easily as good as the first puff. I've mixed it with SG's Firedance when smoking indoors as the aroma seems preferable to my wife, but quietly yearn to retreat to my study for an experience uncontaminated by any topping at all. I enjoy it dried out a little or even straight from the tin, a flake or two simply rolled and stuffed, and it stays lit pretty much throughout. If you haven't tried it yet, order a tin!
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Rehfeldttw	11/12/2009	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
This is an excellent flake tobacco. It has a earthly/smokey taste with the strength being medium. Very mild sweetness to it which I have to look for carefully. Otherwise it is difficult to find that VA sweetness. Sip this blend and try not to puff too hard or you will get a bite. I recommand drying the tobacco for 10 to 15min per side. Overall a good tobacco to have in rotation.
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Morgoth	11/09/2009	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Very natural Virginia, that is mild in taste and strength. The subdued flavour is of molasses and toasty oats...and is faultless for that ‘contemplative’ smoke. This blend does not have the minuscule sweet-spot that Full Virginia Flake seems to only rarely (IMO) reveal. Highly recommended. A companion infusion: a cup of java.
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 141 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >