Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Best Brown #2 pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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rramstad	04/13/2010	Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I'd give this four stars except I get some tongue bite from it. It is definitely lighter than FVF, definitely a bit more interesting than BBF in terms of additional Lakeland flavors but lighter in body than BBF. Nice stuff, but I prefer Brown Flake Unscented which seems to have a bit more oomph.
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Phantom55	03/03/2010	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant
I love the taste of a good virginia, but usually can't smoke them because they bite me so badly. This one is tolerable, if I take it very slow. It reminds me of Rum Flake, but it obviously has a higher virginia content as it burns a good deal hotter. This definitely does have a light floral topping, but is the lightest I have experienced in this genre. If this is too heavy for you, don't smoke lakelands. I gently puff this in grp 5 bowls, rubbed out just a bit, and it is creamy and smooth, always wanting to follow up with another bowl. If I have any criticism, it would be it lacks a heavy nicotine hit.
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Pipemanuk	01/08/2010	Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant
What is it with folks who persist in writing reviews on blends of tobacco they clearly know at the outset they will not like. I have no problems with an objective critique...but when you get comments which run like I don't like Lakelands and this is a typical example and then give it 1 star, kinda negates the whole reason for these pages in the first place. If you do not like a genre, then fine, leave it alone and don't rubbish it on TR. Try the varities you do like and write about how you compare them. That way we all learn something :-) Looking at the sensible reviews for Best Brown no.2 then, it would appear that there are two utterly different flakes masquerading under the same name! The Best Brown no.2 that I know is a gentle sweet, slightly rummy and completely delicous flake somewhat reminiscent of its cousin Rum Flake but NOTHING like the Lakeland Florals that some of our friends here seem to be having problems with. Juna Gu is a case in point and to my mind the poor lad's not actually had Best Brown no.2 to review. I agree with him that the Lakeland florals are a difficult genre for some to come to terms with in order to extract the yummy tobacco flavours, but I promise him and the rest of you that BB no.2 is definitely NOT a Lakeland Floral...its a gentle sweet and fresh buttery flavoured flake. Anyone who gets the Lakeland Floral has been sold the wrong baccy. So my friends....read the reviews that match creamy, sweet, buttery flavours and you'll be reading about BB no.2. The others are I know not wot :-)
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Juna Gu	12/16/2009	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable
I bought this and some Ennerdale Flake at the same time. Someone please tell me where I'm going wrong. I just cannot get into them. This one I like the best of the two. My local tobacconist stocks G&H and not a lot else but I couldn't find any of the ones on this site that get good reviews, they only seem to stock a weird bunch of horrible looking/sounding ones (Peaches and Cream?!). I'm not into aromatics, so I eventually persuaded them to get in some Best Brown #2 and I was the first into the 500g box (and it said Best Brown #2 on the box in the same kind of design as the tin shown above). It took a week to dry this out to acceptable levels. Fresh out of the box it is sooo pungent!! Like a bottle of HP sauce or something. And that didn't even begin to quieten down until at least 10 days of being in a tin on a radiator and even then it was still a strong smell and I just cannot believe that there is not casing involved here (hence Strong Flavouring). And again it seems just a little contrived or artificial to me. This was doubly so when I actually tried to smoke the stuff, especially without any drying, the wet runoff from the pipe which I inadvertently tasted (a lot of moisture) tasted so chemically and ridiculously sweet that I just cannot believe it is just from tobacco. Maybe I'm wrong. And as for no tongue bite?! I couldn't get it to stop biting no matter how slowly I took it. At the very end of my packet after 2 weeks I got a couple of decent smokes out of it, so I guess that it really needs some cellaring and drying to get the best out of it, but then it loses a lot of it's weight - I noticed that it didn't last very long; a lot less time than my Samual Gawiths FVF. Kept leaving me with a soured and ruined pallete every time. I didn't get on with it. However I may try again, maybe when the tub is nearly empty at the tobacconists and the stuff has had time to sit a bit. UPDATE: 1st May 2010 So, I bought some more from the same batch that I tried first, after it had been sat on the shelf for 5 months and I am glad I did, as now the flake is much drier and the casing much more in the background. Smokes very well, no bite anymore and a good flavour.
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Plunket	06/28/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This GH offering is far superior to SGs Best Brown and a more exciting melange of virginia and burley flavours. Try as you might, there is no bite with this one - under any circumstances. Wonderful 'tang' and natural sweetness with no toppings and a reasonable nicotine injection. Could suit as an all-day smoke, but I prefer as an evening smoke when relaxing and have the time to nose the full flavours. Bought this one loose and in bulk and it needs some drying. Top grade stuff and definetely recommended.
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eamonclever	04/23/2009	Medium	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant
if I get it I smoke it! I love brown virginia flake tobaccos and this one is a good example how different people smoking the same tobacco might taste it´s amplitude. There is a long story with lakeland tobaccos due to flavouring, meaning this is all about soap. This is rubbish and shows to me that most of the pipesmokers don´t even take their time to smoke a good bowl with excitement and slowly. If they do, they might taste that what they think to be soapy might become a taste made of hay and flowers. Especially #2 is a good example of rich tobacco. I would not mind if most of the reviewers downgrade a bad tobacco because of its taste, but I don´t accept it with this one. It is not a question of good and bad, it is just the taste question which starts the argumentation, but it still is a tobacco of high quality. It has a medium strength an is not a nicotine bomb, but you get a good quantity of this stuff right away. I recommend it to all pipesmokers who are fond of tobacco at first and who are anxious and willing to even taste more different aromas than the sweet danish type.
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frankluke	04/21/2009	Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
this is the only lakeland flake that i enjoy, i guess cause i don't get the soapy aftertaste from best brown #2. this blend is very much like rum flake only less soapy and much easier to dry out.
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lvpipe	12/16/2008	Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I smoked this for the first time from a bulk package over a year old. Moisture level was perfect, it rubbed out nicely. The soapy taste is present especially at first, not in a bad way. Midbowl that is reduced. I usually smoke unflavored virginias but found this a very nice change without getting into aromatics. I can see where this could be an all day smoke for people who like a medium bodied Va. The tobacco flavor is predominant throughout making it a good change of pace or crossover for aromatic smokers.
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Pipe4ever	11/13/2008	Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Good tobacco quality but unfortunately the taste is extremely soapy for my liking, I simply cant enjoy the lakeland soapiness.
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Gilly	06/29/2008	Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

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Pipe-arazzo	06/25/2008	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant
Update 8/10/11 This is the second of the six samples I picked up on a recent trip. I'm only changing the taste rating, up to Medium. I want to reiterate that the tin aroma here is the best I've ever smelled. I know that seems like judging a book by its cover. But I can't get over that. The taste varies a lot, and I can never get a handle on it. This one is not amazing in any particular way, but it gets under your skin. Original Review 6/25/08 This is my fourth stop on the Lakeland tour. First, some interesting differences between this flake (and I presume all G&H flakes) and Samuel Gawith flakes. BB2 came in flakes that were much more consistent in thickness, etc. than the SG flakes so far. Also, the texture/consistency was more brittle or flaky, whereas SG flakes are more, say, leathery. Perhaps because of this, BB2 dried out much faster. Finally, I got more smokes out of BB2, about 20, than the SG flakes (15 or so). We'll see if these differences hold when I smoke Rum Flake later. When I opened this tin, I was greeted by the best tin aroma I have ever smelled. I just couldn't keep my nose out of it. I took one flake out, rubbed it out and dried it for maybe 30 minutes, loaded it and fired it up. At that time the flavor and aroma was very sweet, with notes of rum, licorice, chocolate, and such. I wondered if I had gotten Rum Flake or Bob's Chocolate by mistake. Even when still a bit wet, this is still a nice smoke. Sometimes I would smoke this for about 15 minutes, then leave the pipe smoldering for 20 minutes, and then relight. Those were the best smokes. The burley flavor came through very well, salty and earthy. Toward the end of the tin, this became salty and vegetal in flavor, with perhaps a bit of spiciness. Not great but still good. Very consistent and user-friendly, this one, also in comparison to the SG flakes. However, I don't mind some trouble and for my money I'll still smoke BBF and FVF. If I were looking for a bargain, all-day smoke, I'd buy this by the pound.
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Greybeard	10/04/2007	Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant
Reading through the previous review notes I am amazed at the inconsistancy of some of the observations and ratings on this very good blend. Some reviewers are too ready to stigmatise all G&H blends as being floral.This is certainly not the case here, or I am smoking a different blend!! I have been smoking Best Brown #2 for several years now, I find it a great mild smoke,it is one of my everyday regulars.Easy to rub out and takes a light almost immediately without too much fuss. I have no hesitation in giving it four stars and a highly recommended.
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Lancelot Gobbo	06/11/2007	Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
My stock of Best Brown #2 is now nearly two years old and I visited it again recently. I'm so glad that I did! The Germolene-antiseptic cream scent is much milder, to the extent that if a pipe is packed and left for an hour before lighting it is hard to notice. The tobacco now has a rich 'tang' on the tongue and palate without much tendency to bite. Truly delicious! Edit 13 June 09: This flake continues to grow in my estimation. Rich, strong tobacco with just the combination of flavours and scents that make the whole process worthwhile. It is one of the few tobaccos that would make me happy if I could have no other for the rest of my days.
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RCUSElder	05/12/2006	Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This blend is definitiely a classic G&H blend. Appearance and Tin Aroma: It looks like a fine stoved VA flake, smells like one too, but also smells like a fine English style tea! Packing and Lighting: It comes in a rectangular tin and is in a plastic bag within the tin. It is pretty moist upon opening. I recommend rubbing out a bowlfull and letting dry out a bit before packing. Once dried out a little, 2-3 lights max. Initial Flavor: Classic Lakeland flavor, but restrained compared to the other offerrings by the same blender. Cool, but flavorful. Mid-Bowl: The scenting does not build up in strength, the Va is in the forefront, the Burley is for body, sometimes I get a flavor hint from it. Round, mellow, gets ino the zone easily. Bottom of Bowl: Strength does not build up too much, this is definitely a all-day medium blend. Ends with a dry, fluffy-grey ash. Leaves a clean taste in your mouth, not sooty at all. Overall: This is a classic scented VA/Burley flake. Not something I smoke regularly, but will keep on hand for an ocaisional treat. This will flavor your briar, you have been warned! I have pipes dedicated for Light, Medium, and Full scented blends. This one falls into the "light-scented" category. Give it a try, it is a high quality offering from master blenders G&H, enjoy...
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smoke'n joe	07/28/2005	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Well, I must agree that this tobacco can taste like both soap and flowers, but there is a way to make it very delicious. I first tried this tobacco a few months ago when my buddy came to visit me from Knoxville. (we like to share our tobacco findings) Anyway, when I tried this blend the first time I was in love with it. I must admit that I was suffering from a few libations, but never the less this was a great smoke with only a hint of something "Zesty" in it. In fact, I thought it was so great that I purchased a pound of it, which is a big investment for me as I normally favor Latakia blends. Upon recieveing my order I jumped right into my pound of beautifully cut leaf and started smoking. WOW! It tastes like someone just jammed a bar of Dove in my mouth and then lit it on fire. It did burn well, but this is not the tobacco that I remember. Upon talking to my friend again he told me that he let his tin age in his car under the sun, in effect restoving the tobacco. Being as I didn't want to waste a pound of tobacco I figured I would try something. I placed all of the tobacco in a glass jar, covered it up and threw it into the oven at aboout 175 degrees for about 2 hours. After that I took the lid off and left it in for about another 10 minutes to get rid of some of the moisture. The next day... WOW AGAIN! This tobacco rocks! The soap and flowers taste is almost nonexistant, and the natural tobacco taste was great. The only reason that I don't rate this tobacco higher is because before it was restoved it made me feel like I was going to vomit daffodils and dove. But if you're into tobacco chemestry give it a try.
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Ranger	07/10/2005	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant
I've had two of these tins stashed away for two years now and thought it was time to sample one. I don't know what some of the other reviewers were sampling, but I find very little of the typical odors or toppings that can be associated with G & H or SG tobaccos. Also, this is much better than Brown Flake in my opinion. A delicate flake that needs little rubbing out and very little airing. The burn was perfect and the taste was incredible. Sweet, sugary with good body, and I mean sweet from good Virginia tobaccos, very minimal from toppings. I've been rotating Cairo and King Eider lately and BB#2 is a nice change of pace
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tavancleave	07/01/2005	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
I decided to try a tin of Best Brown #2 because it looked lonely on the shelf at the store. I recalled seeing the tin a number of times so I decided that I would give the good old college try. (I'm still a Master's Candidate.) In the car on the way home I opened the tin so I could smell my investment. To my suprise it smelled like soap and flowers. After I got home I loaded up my Large Ben Wade and started smoking. The tobacco burned well and did not bite my tongue. From beginning to the end it tasted like soap and flowers. I was dissapointed but I wasn't ready to give up on it yet so I threw it in the car based on a suggestion of Steve Monjure and other well seasoned pipe smokers. After spending about a week in the car I tried it again. The soap and flowers taste had become a side note to the delicious tobacco. It's worth a shot but beware the soap and flower taste will be in your pipe for the next 5 or 6 bowls. Taste buds love it....your pipe will pay.
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port_and_pipes	02/10/2005	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I suspect the previous reviewer ended up with one of this flake's topped cousins. Best Brown #2 is most definitely an unscented offering from G&H, in my opinion any lingering odours are from packaging and not from the making of this fine virigina flake. Admittedly, there are more complex VA offerings out there, there are stronger, there are sweeter, but for BB#2 has the right combination of a good strong flavour, reliable burning and taste characteristics and it's not too strong, sweet or anything else. If I want a light, sweet VA flake I'll go to McConnell's Scottish Flake or Glengarry Flake. If I want something that's dark and strong in the way of VA I'll turn to one of the ropes maybe. But if I want something I can puff away on when out walking in the daytime (my favourite time to smoke flakes - just stuff them in the bowl and the breeze and the slow-burning characteristics of un-rubbed flake cancel each other out) and enjoy a reliable and consistent smoke.
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Thatcher	01/19/2005	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
This basically tastes like Bob?s Chocolate Flake sans the chocolate (though Bob purports to add a dash of latakia to his flake). A nice Virginia/Burley flake, but with a fairly strong ?floral? or soapy taste that I just don?t care for. For those who like flakes and don?t mind the soapiness, I?m sure this will be enjoyable. Might also be a good introduction to natural flakes for those who prefer light aromatics.
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BostonPipe	07/19/2004	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Back to my "Gawith" run. After taking a short break from all the Gawith blends I have smoking and trying over the past several months, I decided to start back with this particular blend as a first time try. Well, I was delighted. I grabbed a tin of this to try on a three-hour car ride to Connecticut to visit family over the weekend. What a nice trip down and back! Easy pack in a old Charatan favorite, a couple of false-lights and tamps and I was off to some excellent, mesmerizing downtime. The taste runs consistent the length of the bowl. It is a wonderful sweet, (throughout the background), smoke, creamy in texture and it burns to a coarse grey-white ash. If I have any complaints, it is a tad moist when first opened. Next time I will air it out a little bit before smoking. A very satisfying experience, highly recommend.
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