Does pretty much what it says on the tin, smoky and deep with a good hit. Leaves you very satisfied after a bowl full. Recommended.

I had two complaints: 1) For some reason my particular personal oral chemistry rendered this to be exceedingly salty. 2) For a "heavily steamed Va" I would have expected a more mellow component than the outright bitter tartness rather than pleasant Va tang I was expecting.

When I want a Va/Lat English I will stick with C&D's Yale Mixture, one suitable as an all day, always pleasant smoke.

My initital ipression based on some half-dozen bowls is that it is an okay smoke for me. I prefer flakes in general, so may try SG's Balkan Flake at some stage. This tobacco deserves its Lat-bomb reputation. No problem, as I like Latakia. Good, earthy incense aroma and dark flavours. Have tried adding a bit of rubbed-out Best Brown Flake (a firm favourite of mine) and it's better for me this way. I can also recommend 50/50 BBF and straight Cyprian Lat, by the way.

Probably will not buy this one again, but I haven't disliked the experience.

10.12.12 Well, this weed is growing on me - am finding that it behaves best when thoroughly dry, say a fortnight after cracking the tin and stirring a bit. This is the case with Skiff and Squadron Leader also, for this smoker anyway. I'm liking the uncomplicated nature of the stuff, the good whack of Latakia, its full flavour, and it seems as well to deliver more of a nic kick than Skiff or SL. I withdraw my remarks about not buying more. Bring it on!

As to the good. Quality leaf as to be expected from the blender. It burns slow and cool.

The bad. I just don't really enjoy the flavor! I never got excited about having a bowl of this. Perhaps it is just too heavy on the Lat for me. Also, the tin is terrible as is with all of gawith offerings. Do not let any of there blends sit in the tins for more than two months or else they will get too crunchy. Monodimensional and boring.

Overall, this is smokable for me, but I would rather have some Squadron Leader in my pipe.

A decent smoke, somewhat recommended for hardcore Latakia-lovers.

Tough one to review. I picked this up on a whim without knowing much about it. The absence of orientals in a latakia blend begs comparison with blends like McClellands Anniversary, but I found the two nothing alike in taste. In this one, the virginia was so subservient that any sweetness was so far to the rear and the blend took on a dusty, hazy flavor that was more bitter than I would expect. I didn't find any creamy notes in this one, and it was far from complex. The only differences I found was as the bowl neared the last 1/3rd or so, it gained in intensity. The smoke was sort of chewy and full-feeling and the taste was not bad, but it was missing that complexity that I prefer in latakia blends. Perhaps the heavy steaming that is claimed sapped the sweetness from the virginias, but this one tasted very close to straight latakia except it was not quite as one-dimensional. If you love latakia, this is a blend to try. I can see why it's one of the few SG blends that never seems to be out of stock in the U.S. It's fine for what it is, but it just doesn't have enough going for it to warrant another try. Interesting to note that I enjoyed this one more when I pointed the pipe bit at the roof of my mouth. P-lip lovers may get more from this than I did.

Here's an English blend that Greg Pease must love, because there's enough Cyprian weed to deliver a deep, smoky wallop to even the most galvinized tasebuds. CM is dark and acrid. It starts out nicely balanced with delicious Virginias adding a counterpoint, but the whole thing transforms halfway and it gains considerable weight and intensity, much like some of the fuller creations from the aforementioned blender. If you're looking for subtelty or finesse, then step down to Squadron Leader or Skiff in the SG line.

But you knew that already. To me, CM is a bit ponderous, and I prefer more complexity, but that's not the point with this one. I get only an occasional wisp of Lakeland essence, so if that's not your thing, don't fret. Add a star if you love Latakia or need a fix. (And who doesn't on occasion?)

One of the best of the Samuel Gawith range. I was disappointed by the Squadron leader blend, lacking Latakia to my taste. Here is something fully satisfactory. May I say it reminds me of the legendary Balkan Sobranie although I did not smoke that blend for twelve years?

I was with friends when I finally opened the tin. The tin note is more than a little remeniscent of Dan Tobacco's Holly's Discovery; going by the descriptions of the blends, that is not the only similarity: both are approx. 50/50 Latakia/VA blends.

Damp as it is out of the tin, the dark brown to black leaf of Commonwealth still lights up readily. Lots of smokiness and toast from the beginning, spice and full- tilt sweetness. Mind you, I love Balkan blends with their abundance of orientals and their layers of depth and variety in taste and texture. But this is the stuff I had been searching for until I found Holly's Discovery -- the full VA sweetness with the full amount of Latakia toast and spice -- only in this case as an easy-to- stuff ribbon.

What can I say? My friends also had a go at this, and both (one of them a Lady pipester) found it to be quite good and satisfying. Four bloody stars, already. Goes well with Islay and Orkney Single Malts.

Soli Deo gloria!