Samuel Gawith - Special Flake No.1 pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 4 of 4 reviews of this tobacco
dallaspipehead	11/20/2007	Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Very Pleasant
Yet another distinguished Gawith flake, this one in particular is a masterful example of a lakeland floral which is piquant, but not overly cloying. The unburnt flake has a heavenly aroma, like an expensive incense from India. You will note that I never say "pouch aroma" because I rarely ever keep tobacco in a pouch. It has been my experience that pouches do not preserve the integrity of any tobacco, and the moisture content dissipates very quickly. If you care about your tobacco, don't use one. Especially if you intend to keep it for more than a day. I keep this and all other bulk tobaccos in sealed Ball jars. If you like Special Flake #1, you will probably like #2,3,4,5&7. They could all be considered variations on a theme. This dandy most likely contains cheviot, ginger and a multitude of other delicious spices that I can't even begin to imagine. Surprisingly bite-free. If you gave this secret recipe to a danish tobacco company, using predominantly danish and/or american grown tobaccos, you would have a flake that would singe your nostrils and burn through your toungue like napalm. It is a shame that the Gawith family keep their lips so tight about what goes into the creation of most of their products. Their brother company, Gawith & Hoggarth, doesn't seem to be the least bit shy about disclosing parts of their recipes. At least G & H gives us some idea as to what we're getting into. But nevertheless, SF#1 is virtually garunteed to please aromatic lovers and the company they keep. Fanciers of virginia flakes should give this one a fair shake as well, because I suspect at the root of this blend lies the famous Full Virginia Flake. I cannot settle for giving this tobacco a lesser rating than 4 stars, because of the impeccable smoking characteristics it presents. So stong and yet so pleasant. So spicy, but not the least bit volatile. Impressively flavorful without yielding a gurgle or dottle. A miraculous blenders masterpiece.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
DrDNA	09/17/2005	Medium	Strong	Full	Tolerable
Notes: I tried this with hopes that it would be similar to the old Condor Flake, but it is not. I smoked about four ounces of this in several pipes. I prefer it in a Meerschaum best, but it was also quite good in my Lakeland-dedicated briar pipe. Appearance: A moderately tightly pressed, steamed dark chocolate brown flake with abundant topping coating it like confectioner's sugar. Aroma: Surprisingly mild, for a scented flake, but undeniably floral. Camay soap, dishwashing detergent, Unripened cherry, rose, geranium, basil leaf. Taste: A surprising smoky presence, barbeque flavor, bordering on a Balkan-type experience (well, that would be stretching it, I suppose). Strong, dominant Camay and Ivory soap flavor, accompanied by rosewater and cream/milk. Rather velvety mouthfeel. Comparisons: Not as smoky as Balkan Flake, just as soapy as Grousemoor or Conniston (but with a different flavor), not as piquant as Condor Flake. Bottom Line: For Lakeland/scented flake lovers only! Each blend has a unique flavor. If you are looking for a mildly smoky, rosepetal dishsoap flavor, you will be quite happy with this one.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
jerrygarcia72762	03/08/2003	Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant
Pouch aroma - When I opened the bag, I was completely surprised by the perfumed smell that greeted me. The color of the flakes ranged from light to dark brown, with light brown being the primary color. I completely rubbed out the flakes which I usually do with scented flakes. I smoked this in a pipe with a 9mm charcoal filter, which are the standard pipes I use for scented tabaccos. The taste was like soap. It burns to a pale gray ash and the aroma stays with the pipe so you may want to use only certain pipes for this tabacco. If you like "floral" tobaccos this might be for you, but it's not for me.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Buddy	01/18/2003	Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I received my first parcel of this tabak last week and am basing this review upon half a dozen bowls, split between a meer and a Tinsky which have both been dedicated to "florals". In the package, #1 smells less "Camayish" than G&H Kendal Flake, and more like a straight Va. blend with just a hint of that pineapple fruitiness associated with some of the more notorious U.K. blends. The flakes are rather moist and sticky, and needed a few minutes drying time after being rubbed-out. Upon ignition, the taste is close to a mild Va/perique such as Esoterica Dunbar. This surprises me, as I expected a "floral curve" similar to Kendal Flake (my staple floral), which is "blast of botanicals, tapering to pure tabak by the last third of the bowl". The floral in #1 then builds in over the next few puffs, never becoming as dominant as in KF, and lingering to the finish. I don't know if this stamina is due to the flavoring agents, base tobacco, or the restraint one must use smoking it (which may be retarding cook-off of the flavoring agents)? "Why the restraint?", you ask. Because 1) this stuff is quicker to bite than KF, and 2) because it has a peppery element in the smoke which again reminded me of perique. Not the taste of perique, but the sensation in the back of the throat and in the nose. Mercifully, there is never a hint of pineapple as the tabak burns. #1 burns to a dry, medium gray ash. It also requires an occasional pipe cleaner during the bowl - not for moisture, but for the tars which I find load-up rather quickly with the Lake District florals. I found it to smoke slightly better in the meer than the briar. I will keep this on hand to complement Kendal Flake. Those looking for a real floral kick may be disappointed, but experienced Va. smokers could find it to be a good initation to florals.
Showing reviews 1 through 4 of 4 reviews of this tobacco