Anyway, I found this tobaccy to be quite a pleasant surprise. A very sweet aroma hits me when I take a whiff of the unlit tobacco; something like vanilla cake batter. It is a somewhat bright flake, rather like Orlik Slices or MacBaren Virginia Flake though a little looser resulting in fractured, not broken, flakes; I have a half pound bulk so this typical of the packaging.

I broke up a flake and rubbed it out very slightly; I typically fold and stuff but something about this flake told me to rub. Loaded lightly in Group 2-3 size bowl this took to flame quite readily without needing to dry.

This was my first pipe of the day and it fit the bill perfectly. Solid Virginia sweetness without any trace of the cake batter I smelled on the raw tobaccy. Burned cool and steady with rarely a relight necessary; I was working diligently restoring some pipes so the few relights were my fault anyway. The flavor developed slowly and steadily giving hints of tea, straw and a light nuttiness. Never overwhelming, consistently satisfying, it smoked all the way down to the finest of white ash.

Perfect for when you want something just slightly lighter than usual but don't want to sacrifice flavor or quality. This just might become my favorite before breakfast smoke.

In the 302 MVF shines! My verdict: better and cheaper than Old Gowrie. So while i'm smoking pouches of MVF i'll let my tins of OG in the cellar aging untill MVF is pulled of the market :)

Update: also great in my Barling bent 'system' meerschaum

Try it in different pipes before you give up on this one, a very underrated tobacco IMO.

Update may 2011 What's the matter with this stuff? I opened the pouch in january and now after having been open to oxygen for 4 months it really starts to shine, outclassing everything else i've got lying around...

Updated 12/4/11- After about 9 months of cellaring, a lot of the heat and bite is out of this. I noticed how damp the tobacco still is and I dried this some before loading the pipe. This seems to have helped . The tobacco is more of a Danish style Virginia than an English, it is lighter, sweeter and grassy hay like in flavor.It does remind me more of McB's Virginia #1 than Dunhill flake and it does have a bitter aftertaste that I don't find in other Virginias. After drying it seems to burn very well at a slow sip, although it does have a rather damp dottle. This is a good Virginia but I won't keep it in my rotation.

PS. After reading reviewer, "Tobaccy", above ,and agreeing with his review, I noticed he said that this was a bulk for "Golden Glow" ( although the curing is diffrent,Flue Cured vs. air cured). Reading the Golden glow reviews, I noticed that some are recommending this as a blender. I can see where I might agree with that.

Updated 12/5/11 A great suprise, the wife actually said the aroma was not bad, WOW. I started to pay a lot closer attention to the scent and I detected a very slight "Lakeland Floral" scent and taste. When I say slight I mean a 1 out of 10, but it's there. I really don't normally care for LF but this is very well done, it does not overtake the natural Virginias.

updated 6/2/12- Nope !!! Don't really care for this,now that I can detect the Lakeland Floral. It also burns hot & bity.

I enjoyed it. Stronger, fuller taste than I expected, but good nonetheless. Some reviewers equate it to hay, an observation I find hard to agree with. Orlik's Golden Sliced Red reminds me of hay. MVF? Well, I can't quite put my finger on it. But tasty doesn't require grandiose/verbiose descriptions, does it? My last bowl was in a Jake Hackert Freehand cob, and it was the smoothest smoke I've had with this tobacco. Funny, to me the taste and snork are fairly nondescript(or possibly, hidden from view thanks to the heavy mouth feel), yet the, uh, 'after snork" was excellent. A creamy sweet scent that lingered on the palette for some seconds. I don't think aftertaste is a traditional reason to smoke a pipe, but it works fine here. The room note is quite acceptable as well. I should also add I perceived a slight floral note, almost like the faint smell of carnations in the rain. I liked that.

I only give it three stars because of the persistant mouth strength/feel. It's just a bit more than I'm happy to deal with constantly. That said, I've no problem recommending, or even buying this weed. (Maybe I should, if only to see if I get a more complete picture.)

Shame on you, SG! Bring on the 'Baccy!

UPDATE: changed this to 2 stars (from 3) because I've now experienced Orlik Golden Sliced and it is far superior.

MVF – I speak as a lover of Virginias and Va/Pers – is one of the finest Lakeland tobaccos I’ve come across; and I don’t say that lightly. It’s subtle, certainly: perhaps too subtle for the more demanding palate. You probably have to be in the mood for it, and there will no doubt be times when (say) G & H’s Brown Flake or SG’s Best Brown Flake will suit your fancy more. But when you just want to relax with a pipeful of something that isn’t too taxing, smoke some of this slowly and reflectively in a big bowl. After a gentle start it’ll reward you all the way down with a full, sweet, old-fashioned, natural, pure Virginia flavour that gets richer and rounder as you go on: no scents, no casing, no gimmicks – just tobacco. Despite what some people suspect, I'm quite sure there's no artificial flavouring here. MVF reminds me a little bit of Player's Medium Navy Cut.

I think it's worth emphasising, though, that you need a long smoke of this in a large bowl to get the full benefit. A short smoke of MVF would be rather a dull affair. I enjoy it hugely in one of my big Petersons; Klio (cat) likes the room note a lot; SWMBO doesn’t dislike it, either.

There’s really nothing to dislike about this tobacco. The broken flake packs well, lights well and burns consistently. The nicotine content is (surprisingly) high and, like Virginias in general, it’ll burn you if you rush it; so take care. Don’t rub out more of it than is necessary to get you well alight, and don’t let it get too dry. Subject to these warnings, this is a good choice for the smoker who doesn’t like or want a heavy casing. Much enhanced too by DGT. First-rate stuff: in my list of preferences, I would put it second after G & H's Brown Flake. Highly recommended; a possible all-day smoke.

Well this one is just as advertised for me. A nice medium flake. Medium in strength and in room note. I don't notice much in the way of flavoring though now and then some does show up about mid-bowl. Therefore another "medium" I suppose.The taste however is not a medium but very nice and provides the next step up for me personaly, from my morning smokes which are Louisiana Perique Flake by Gawith and Hoggarth or Perique Flake by Sam Gawith( which incidentially is a bit stronger than the Louisiana Perique Flake). I haven't tried mixing it with any other tobacco and perfer it solo. As Virginia flakes go it is a nice step up toward the fuller flakes like Full Virginia Flake and others. The flavor is very satisfying and the packing is relatively easy. The burn is satisfactory as well after a little bit of drying out. I have not noticed any appreciable tongue bite if smoked like other Virginias - that is to say with a little respect and fairly slowly. The sweetness of the blend reminds me of MacBarens Virginia No. 1 though not as pronounced or nas heavy. All in all a very nice smoke steady and reliable as most of the Kendal-based tobaccos seem to have been for me so far. If as a smoker your choices tend toward Viurginia and other similar Virginia/Perique blends this would be one to try especially as a bridge to or from other blends.

-----The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

One of my top 10, the only wish I have is that I could buy this in plug form. Otherwise, I see no improvement in this tobacco.

Most often smoked in a group 4/5 size bowl, moist, lightly folded, and rubbed slightly. Depending on one's mood, this is an all-day tobacco, for sure.

Excellent with coffee or hot tea! A winner by any standard.

...a pipe is to be savored...

What is unusual for such a light looking and tasting Virginia is the sweeetness of this tobacco. While not hosting the party in my mouth that Full Virginia Flake does, this tobacco exhibits a wonderful sweetness that I am hard pressed to recall seeing anywhere in this category.

Of course, your experience may vary. The size, shape, depth and length of a pipe are all important players in the delivery of taste. That being said, when compared to Old Gowrie, this is definitely my pick. At a significantly lower price-I can't think of a single reason not to stock up!

As a side note, Zimbabwe has experienced rapid declines of late in flue cured tobacco production. While I am confident that the blenders at Samuel Gawith will either secure enough of this for future use or will find acceptable substitutes, I encourage one and all to stock up on their blends.

This splendid golden tobacco, now nicely dried to my preferance, is fully rubbed and lights with a single match, a smooth creamy flavour, slightly sweet and with a touch of saltiness. A very fine "first thing in the morning smoke" or for that matter, come to think of it, an anytime of day smoke.

Medium Virginia Flake seems to alternate between the initial "Smooth Creaminess" followed by the "Sweetness" of the virginia with a little "Saltiness" coming and going. Although MVF is not a complex smoke, I would'nt describe it as monochromatic either. It is what it is, a good, honest, excellent quality virginia, and does'nt pretend to be anything but.

I bought a second 250g box along with this to see what effect a month of "Aging" will have on it. Like Golden Glow, dried out a little, it burns well with only moderate heat in a bulldog, no steam and no bite. For me, this tobacco is a must have.

This was a very good value for the money in the 250g boxes. Good quality leaf, burns well, lots of flavor, etc.

It seemed to have some Burley or virginias that deliver a burley-like qualities of dry, sharp, nuttiness. Some grassiness. This is like Mac Baren Navy Flake but a little better. I would have preferred just a bit more sweetness and a rounder mouthfeel. Won't go for this while there's FVF and BBF at the same price. But it will be down the alleys of many, and is deservedly popular.

It torches up pretty well and stays lit with little effort. The taste does have some of that Lakeland taste but it clears up pretty quick and you are left with straight tobacco taste which is on the mellow side. Aroma is nice and the smoke seems pretty heavy in the old car driving to and from work this week. I suppose if some of the stouter offerings make you weak in the knees this maybe the one for you.

I do remember being a kid. Once I sat and at a friend's behest, smoked a sun-dried yellow breath's worth of stalk. That was it. One breath, one stalk. It was some sort of West Coast 1970's actual, from the earth growing, mowable grass. It wanted to propagate. We wanted to do something fun. So we smoked it and damned if we were not but 6 years old.

Straw-plucking fire sucking fun. Mmmmmmm Medium Flake. A blast from the past.

That's Not my review.

But, now that you've mentioned it, some have these Gawith Virginias have some hay about 'em. This one in particular.

As a long time fan of FVF, I told my importer that he should try the medium variety, as he doth tend toward the lighter fair.

Striketh me down, did say he, I do believe we've found me my smoke. I've smoked quite a bit, a pound or two, since then, and I still stick to the full flake from Gawith. But, Dear old Daddy, he likes this stuff, and not only will I withstand it's cigarette room note and lack of what I would kindly call "flavor", I will on occasion, (that being when I must) smoke it and enjoy.

Heck. T'aint so bad, that smokin hay.

Really its sometimes good, even if it's a little ugly on the side.

It is good VA, but not the best of mild Virginias out there, I prefer Mac Baren Va#1 or PSB luxury twist flake

I as of late have gotten away from the heavy latakia blends and have been exploring the world of Virginias and Burleys. This was my first experience with a Gawith product. I was very excited after I found it on sale for a very reasonable $30 for the pound.

The reviews may not have been as glowing as the ones for the Full Virginia Flake but non the less most were still 4****. Well after giving it a try in several different pipes of various sizes, I am thoroughly disappointed. Very bland , weak and boring with none of the Virginia sweetness that I so much love. The only reason that I am giving it 2** is because it doesn't bite and the aroma is okay. I've since used it for blending purposes just to use it up.

I hate having to disagree with so may distinguished members here whose opinions I so greatly respect but it is what it is.

Yep, It's funny this thing we call 'pipe smoking'.

It's described as a FVF lite & most likely won't be a favorite of those who like stronger blends. But what it may lack in strength, it more than makes up for in flavor. This is one of my favorite VA blends, a light smoke, especially in the nicotine department.

The flakes are the thickness of a standard flake, but cut into 4" long, 1/8" square strings that are flexible and soft. Upon inspection, the medium to light brown tobacco looks to have been stripped of stems. The sample I bought was moist, but not sopping or oily. Just enough to be flexible, supple.

Preparing to fill, I dry it using the oven method (60 seconds in a pre-heated oven, 200 degrees). I then bag it up & let it cool in a Ziplock bag. Then I break the strands into 1/2" strips & fill the pipe. Normal packing works well for me.

Upon light up, the pleasant oats waft is apparent & welcome. The light semi sweet taste is so nice with a cup of sweetened Joe in the morning. The blend remains constant down to the last crumb and leaves a white fluffy ash. Only clue it's the end of the bowl is when it's hard to relight. Speaking of which, I required a couple re-lights mainly due to a lack of attention to tamping (requires a little more so than most). I've yet to get any bite from this blend, even when puffing like a loaded freight train.

** 5-15-08 update **

Still the same fine smoke as when first reviewed. KEY: Dry it just shy of crispy, I use the microwave for small batches (20 seconds on high spread on a paper towel).

VA's are like a Colibri butane lighter, persnickety to say the least. They favor certain pipes, require the right humidity, and can burn when worked too hard. I find Medium VA Flake to be like an Old Boy, a reliable performer, consistently good flavor. Many VA's are in my cupboard, this one gets the most attention.

natural sweetness, natural citrusy/vanilly/woodsy/grassy flavours, easy packing and lighting, dry smoking, lovely room note. what more can one ask?

does it actually contain some sort of artificial flavouring as some seem to feel? i can't say for sure, but i doubt it. true, at the last quarter of the bowl, some "soap" appears, in the form of a very slight lavender and mint aroma. as i see it, it could be all natural, though. and it certainly doesn't take over the bowl, as many artificial flavours will. at times, i've noticed the same phenomenon with fvf and bbf as well. probably a caracteristic of the virginias used, i'd say.

most highly recommended indeed.

Not a very complex blend, but certainly a fine smoke when I need to pay attention to other matters.

Update: Maybe it's because I'm finding lighter tobaccos more to my liking these days, that I'm upgrading my recommendation with this review.

What's interesting is that Golden Glow, the same tobacco in a tin gets more favorable reviews. Gp figure.