Subjective: I like the flavor very much, but considering it is such a pain to keep lit and does not produce a great amount of smoke, I will pass on this flake.

Aromatics probably are just are not my thing, but I much prefer Peterson University Flake.

This is one of SG's flakes that has a smidgeon of Latakia, but not really enough to be considered 'The Full English'. The other one is Navy Flake, which is topped with rum rather than cocoa. That one has no Burley component and more Latakia (to my tastebuds); I like it much better than this.

Upon lighting there is a distinct cocoa flavouring, but I didn't find it all that wonderful, and once it fades you are left with...not a lot.

This was always a bit of an experiment for me. Nowadays I prefer stronger baccy, so a blend that doesn't have a pretty healthy dose of Vit N has to be something really special to get me excited. This one doesn't do it, although I will still give the GH&Co Bob's Chocolate Flake a try before I give up on this style of baccy altogether.

As with all SG blends, the actual quality of the tobacco is top notch, but I won't buy it again. I can see that it could be a good choice for someone who likes cocoa and hasn't become accustomed to the heartier blends out there, so it gets two stars.

Would pair well with a light roast coffee, black.

After smoking a tin of Bob's Chocolate Flake last year, I expected a similar batch of dryer sheet flavor from this one. I was dead wrong. Fresh from the tin, the chocolate flavor and aroma is more intense... that is to say, it's noticeable. The latakia takes a backseat and really only pops in on occasion, but it definitely enhances the experience. Moist, this smokes like a lightly flavored aromatic but the tobacco flavor overcomes the cocoa flavor. This experience was consistent down the bowl to the bottom.

Smoked very dry, this becomes a classic burley/virginia flake with a more prominent latakia taste... that is to say, the latakia is more noticeable, but nothing approaching an equal partner. The cocoa flavoring becomes more faint and appears as the same wisp that the latakia does when the tobacco is at tin moisture. Again, this experience is consistent down the bowl.

So this is actually two tobaccos depending on how dry it is smoked. I thoroughly enjoyed it both ways and, assuming SG tobaccos ever make it back to the U.S, I plan to stock up on it in bulk and store half dry and half moist. I found the lack of Lakeland florals in this one made it far superior to Bob's Chocolate Flake made by G&H. This one was more naturally flavorful but also a bit more chocolatey when moist. In other words, it did everything it's supposed to better than the G&H and also kept out the soapy flavor I abhor in Lakeland blends. Well done, SG!

You know that this has been treated in some way, yet it is a tobacco taste of high quality. I am bummed out because it is hardly available anymore.

For those who are still reading, know I was led to this one through SG Full Virginia Flake, SG Kendal Cream, Bob's Chocoloate, Esoterica Aged Burley Flake. If you have experience with any of those, you will likely be very pleased. To me is hits the 93% mark.

My wife is annoyed by the room note. Also, once you puff this strenuously, you will smell like a tobacco factory She always says, "you smell like a pipe." Oh, the nicotine feels high. I also think for some reason the N is getting absorbed rapidly. Addictive. So take care.

As previously stated, the chocolate flavor is subtle, certainly not in-your-face as some aromatics can be. It's apparent that the leaf used to produce this blend is first-rate, as noted in the leathery feel of the flakes, as well as the smooth, rich smoke. I have begun to pack using a fold/roll/twist action, sort of a hybrid MacBaren method; it seems to work pretty well for the larger Hackert Billiard I've now dedicated to this tobacco.

I get plenty of favorable responses on the room note when I smoke this, even when I'm smoking it at my local tavern on pool night! It's now solidly in my rotation.

But it was not. I have had the misfortune of falling on molded tobacco once and the tin aroma was sickening.

These dark flakes are extremely slow burning and do combine the taste of Latakia, VAs and dark chocolate. I do not detetct any Burleys in here.

The tin aroma is Latakia and bittersweet chocolate, not necessarily in that order.

One of the most original flake I have smoked, I believe it is not for everyone.

But it's not exactly bad either.

It is very smooth and I like the subtle wet soil of the latakia and the delicate dryness of the dark cocoa (not chocolate) but there's very little else on offer. The core tobacco flavour is notably unremarkable. Oxymorons aside, the taste available here is not bad, it's good infact, but it is a bit one sided and monochromatic.

The flakes in my tin were carelessly piled, partly broken with raggy edges and of vastly differing thickness which I didn't mind at all. I mention it purely as I am used to seeing flakes presented very neatly when tinned.

As others have mentioned, this flake is leathery; not just in aroma but in feel. Even with considerable drying time it is difficult to rub these out fully. It also produces a lot of moisture and is impossible to avoid relighting it every couple of minutes.

I really liked the idea behind it and, I guess, overall I liked the taste of this tobacco. I just thought that, given a bit of fruitines from the virginias and maybe some interesting orientals it could have worked so much better.

I love flakes -- the process of rubbing out a flake somehow makes you feel more involved with the tobacco. I rub this out into rough strands and pack into a larger bowl. You'd need to rub this out to smaller pieces for smaller bowls.

It takes some effort to get this tobacco lit (at least the way I rub it out), but it seems to stay lit just fine. It can get hot if pushed too hard, like most aromatics.

The payoff? A great, high-quality virginia-burley flavor. It's a little sweet, and a little like hay. The chocolate flavor doesn't seem to come through so much on the palate, but it's present in the aroma, making this a great blend for those of us who like the taste of tobacco, but who need to smoke something more sociable.

I highly recommend this aromatic!

This tobacco had to grow on me, at first I could't keep it burning nicely when folding the flakes. The taste was very 'leathery' at first too.

After giveing the tin some air, and somking it a few times outside I started to like the taste better. There is indeed a faint hint of bitter chocolate powdering. The Latakia is noticeable but the Burley dominates the blend in my opinion.

Not on top of my list but defenitely a nice variation.

The smell from the tin is one of the best I've ever tasted, and that doesn't change when the smoke hit the taste buds. If you enjoy the tipical floral taste of Lakelands tobaccos, Latakia and chocolate, then you really need to try this one.

However, back to Sam Gawith. I purchased this blend not knowing it had Latakia in it. Now if you want to totally ruin a smoke then put Latakia in it! This Flake would actually be nice if it didn't have Latakia. It smells good (unlit and lit) and tastes mild and burns really very well. Clouds of smoke to boot.

For those of you who can tolerate mixtures then this is worth a smoke. For those of you who really like Virginia as it is "supposed" to be - don't buy this stuff.

I get the best satisfaction out of this tobacco by rubbing out the flakes, letting them air dry for four hours or so, and plugging a small bowl suited for flake tobacco. Similar to the method described in the Mac Baren web site for smoking flake tobacco.

When smoked in this fasion, it is a smooth burning tasty tobacco with some tang to it. It comes off a little bitter at first but the palette adjusts. As others noted, there is a hint of chocolate. The after taste is very pleasant and lingers for hours.

I doubt this will be a go to tobacco for me but it is definitely a keeper. Something to relax with on a cool fall night with a good book.

Lights easily, and stays lit. It has a generous smoke and satisfies my nicotine needs. The chocolate sweetness is a shade which covers the nice flavors of the mixture. This is the only disadvantage of the blend for me. Lots of other pipe smokers can find this unique particularity unbeatable. For me the excellent VA, burley and the latakia touch mixture might have the priority.

Even if it is dried well you may have steam problems. Try to smoke very slow, and keep some pipe cleaners nearby.