Samuel Gawith - Sam's Flake pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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Skando	04/07/2009	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
New trip to Kendal, it's now the time of SF. In the scale of Va flakes - at least those distributed in Italy, i.e. FVF, BBF and SF - Sam's seems to be in the right place as the milder one. One should have a "golden tongue" (I don't remember the name of the fellow reviewer at TR who coined this beautiful term) for appreciate the subtle differences among them, sure I haven't. In particular, the comparison between BBF and SF is very difficult. I have recently revised my opinion regarding the first, as I have finished the last flakes before they went to bone-dried, and have to say that BBF better opens its heart when completely dry ... maybe the same will happen to SF so I'm also leaving a couple of strips waiting months more (the tin was bought and opened before Christmas 2008). Well, first I would say that I don't trace any sign of orientals or it's a very minimal presence (just like supposed to be into CAO's Patriot Flake, which I find quite similar but stronger). Second: a sense of boredom is felt during the smoke, I really cannot deny. And again, I cannot allow this one more than two stars. EDIT REVIEW OCT05/2009: sorry, Sam has disappointed my expectations. Dry after months in the tin, the three flakes were waiting me for further essay. I knifed one of them into small cubes and stuffed into a group 4 Dunhill. Never experienced a boredom like that. Hot air is the closest thing I can say. I could not go further mid bowl and stop there. The rest went in the garbage.
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Pipe4ever	12/17/2008	Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant
Very mild, sweet dark Virginia flakes, lightly top flavored with some Lakeland perfume, tasty, mellow, extremely sweet, cool burning, truly enjoyable smoke!. I believe there is some oriental in the mix but I could not notice any, for me this is a sweet Virginia with Lakeland topping. Sam's Flake is a delicious Virginia smoke, very mild in nicotine, very sweet and tasty, with some honey/candy note similar to Mac Baren Virginia No.1. This is now a favorite of mine and I will add it to my regular daily smoke.
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Matty	10/25/2008	Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I am a real fan of gawith but for some reason the topping makes me sick its like smoking a pack of big red bubble gum. I smoked 3 bowels in 3 different pipes and can't see myself EVER reaching for it again.
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kenneth	09/12/2008	Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
An interesting flake which I would say is SG take on Condor but more sophisticated. But that initial taste when lit reminds me of the early days when I smoked Condor but don't be put off by that. Sam's Flake has the good points of Condor without any of the bad ones, I really quite like it. I was attracted to trying this flake because it was supposed to be a Turkish blend but the Turkish note is minimal. I have just enjoyed 100 gram of SG Skiff Mixture which has a notable Turkish and Oriental taste with Latikia. This does not compare to Skiff and is a totally different experience. I would say, an old school English dark pressed Virginia with a slightly heady heather note mingled with a hint of St Bruno and Condor. A good mild mannered all day smoke which performs well in the great outdoors. I am now into my third tin of this wonderfully even mannered tobacco and, do you know, I think this is going to be my favourite. I cannot fault it, it is also readily available at my local tobacconists in Leeds (Greens of Leeds). In fact the MD of SG was visiting Paul at Greens today. One myth I should like to dispel and one which I think should be looked at by the forum and that is concerning room note designation. There is no such thing as a pleasant room note and the term is a misnomer. Most most pipe smokers are quite happy in the company of other pipe smokers and tolerate whatever each other is smoking. Non smokers, on the other hand find ALL tobacco distasteful and offensive which I can totally understand so to think that there are brands out there which non smokers will find pleasant is very misleading. Update- Another reviewer commented on the variety in the thickness of the flakes which I something I have noticed and although I gather this tobacco is cut into flakes on a machine and I am mindful of the operators fingers I am not sure it rubs up very well. I am not sure what they can do but I will contact them to see if they can improve this. Sam's Flake, however has now become my main tobacco, I really find it very very good Update 2- Regarding the unevenness of flake thickness I duly received a phone call from SG. They informed me that the machine they use is over a 100 years old and sometimes it misses a gear resulting in thick flates. OK this is the problem but it is not my problem and it is up to the manufacturer to address it's problems and come up with solutions for it's consumers. They did not offer to replace the faulty flakes which I thought was a poor show. Anyway, I will persevere and buy more of this flake but if the problem continues I shall move to a different manufacturer. Update 3- just bought two more tins of Sam's Flake. Same thick flake problem experienced earlier which SG said they were aware of and had corrected so I am afraid it is goodbye Samuel Gawith. I just cannot imagine that tobacco companies can afford to loose customers this easy
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Pseudo Nim	08/29/2008	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant
The strength of this flake strikes me as being mild to medium, yet after finishing a bowl, it feels like medium, yet I could easily smoke another, (which is what I'm doing now) I think I'll jus put it down to pure greed. Taste wise, I'd say it was just a notch up from St James flake, which in turn, is one up from BBF (IMHO) perhaps somwhere around Marlin Flake. A nice well behaved flake, smooth and easy going, rubbed out well, no problem with burn. I must either stop adding these flakes to my rotation, or earn more money. My cave is either begining to look like a small tobacconist back room or a smugglers den.
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Sylvian	05/04/2008	Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable
Sam's Flake is to me the younger and the weaker brother of the Kendal Cream Deluxe Flake. They are both generously flavored, having that controversial but to me not at all unpleasant floral note so often referred to as the 'Lakeland scent'. Sam's Flake started as quite an interesting smoke fresh out of the tin, which was aged for 2 years. It does not have that nicotine kick of Kendal Cream, but is strong enough for me to serve as a satisfying evening smoke. Quality virginia which SG is known for, Orientals are barely noticeable, and a casing which clearly stands out. Gradually though, as it aired out in the open tin, the flake lost practically all of its nice taste that was so pleasant in the beginning, which goes to show that its charm is mostly in its flavoring. Without it, it somehow became almost boring, as opposed to Kendal Cream which seemed only to improve towards the end of the tin. Somewhat recommended, provided you move it to a jar after opening or smoke it very quickly, as within two weeks it's faded.
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smokinj	01/14/2008	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Odd taste for me dont know what it is
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SirLoirn	10/23/2007	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Tin: Vaguely mint floral, SF has predominantly an earthly, grassy, VA aroma, combined with something acrid, like tomato paste. It is quite similar in appearance to SG FVF, like very supple, soft and pliable beef jerky; dark brown, bird's-eyed, mottled and striated with light brown and blonde; only half as long as bulk FVF. SF comes folded in a nice gold paper. Chalky white striations give the appearance of mildew. Dried out, it has a lighter hue, tan overall, and the blonde is much more evident; it is only partly dry after 4 hours, not bone dry. Packing and Lighting: When rubbing the pressed/sheet-cut into smaller pieces, it has a stickiness and is a chore to rub out. It is easy to pack too tight. A two-match light, it does not produce excessive gurgle and pretty much stays lit. Taste and Aroma: It has a grassy floral aspect; someone suggested catnip. It is difficult to distinguish between the subtle contribution of the oriental, versus topping. There is no tongue bite. Nicotine: mild to medium Room Note: pleasant, like the taste and aroma. Overall: Not worth much special attention. 2.9 stars
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Bezoar	08/26/2007	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Works best in its own pipe, or as an occasional change of pace in a straight VA pipe. I tried smoking it in my Early Morning Pipe and it doesnt work well that way. The tobacco taste itself is good and pleasent, but just cant compete with the virginia/oriental balance of EMP. However the tobaccos in this blend are excellent on their own. I merely wish the complexity of the tobacco did not depend so much upon the topping.
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Russell	05/30/2007	Mild	Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
This one comes in strips much like the other Samuel Gawith flakes, which are dark brown with a little black and yellow poking their head out here and there, and a tiny amount of bird's eye. I don't like this one much at all. It tastes and smells like it has something faintly "minty" along the lines of catnip for its topping. Old, nasty, fermented catnip sweetened with honey. While this might be someone's favorite flavor, I personally cannot stand it. The topping is just foul. It reminds me of the flu, because my grandmother would always give me some hot catnip tea to settle my stomach when ill. Stick to Full Virginia Flake, or Best Brown Flake if you want a simple Virginia flake without a minty topping. If looking for a good lakeland flavor get some Ennerdale or Kendal. If you must try it, stick it in a cob. This one is a big ole bowl o' yuck. I tossed the rest of this into the garden. Update A friend mentioned that this is supposed to be scented with geranium oil, and that it marries with the tobacco to create the catnip scent, which he also finds intolerable.
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Darth 69	05/29/2007	Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
I was seriously disappointed with this. A VA/Oriental flake sounds great in theory and is right up my ally. But this to me proved to be a pointless variation that is principly already present in the SG line. For this has the same casing as that of Kendal Cream, which has the impression to me of spice and honey. It is not that sweet in flavor but the aroma has a nagging sweet richness that is too much for me. The oriental componet was'nt that detectable but seem to add a slightly grassy character in the tin aroma. Mild in strength and flavor with very lights sweetness and pointless. If one likes that aroma Kendal Cream is far better.
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hagen	05/22/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
appearence: very dark, supple, leathery, humid, finely sliced flakes. tin aroma: well matured virginia plus a hint of earthiness from the turkish. no topping detected, must be added very sparingly. rather hard to light, as it's so moist, but 3-4 matches plus tamping gets it going. taste: this is wonderful! delicious! onctueux! a rich, semi-sweet taste of stoved first class virginia, with the tanginess subdued by the rather neutral, earthy turkish. a huge amount of cool smoke, very satisfying, and a good deal more strength than reported by others here, imo. dgt reveals some more turkish, and even more of the deep rich va notes. must be one of the best tobaccos i've ever had (and i've never tasted anything similar). it brings the best of two worlds together: the earthyness of mixtures and the sweetness of virginias, without too much of the va tang nor the dryness of latakia. sam gawith has done it again!
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lisztman	03/31/2007	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
As others have noted, extremely moist straight out of the tin. I've found it takes exactly two lights to get it going -- the first, huff it just a bit to crisp it -- then tamp it down and then it'll light fine. A very pleasant taste, not my favorite, but absolutely nothing wrong with this delightful blend. It has a "headier" flavor than my usual Va and VaPer flakes, but that doesn't mean "stronger". Recommended for those who like Va's but could use some bass notes in the blend.
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kilted1	12/13/2005	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
I have lately been exploring Lakeland Scented Flakes. It is a fascinating journey. Sam's Flake is the latest in this genre. Appearance: A mostly dark brown with some light brown and tan mottling leathery flake of varying thickness. Tin aroma: Sam's Flake is that it is fairly lightly scented, and not one that most American pipe smokers would likely call ?soapy?. There is a faintly sweet aroma of maybe lavender or some other floral essence, it is very hard for me to tell. Some typical hay-like tones of nice ripe Virginias and a very slight hint of Turkish There is an underlying sour almost citrus scent as well. This tobacco seems too moist to me, but I find that it generally performs well straight out of the tin. As with most flake tobaccos I simply take several flakes together, fold them in half and insert them length-wise into the bowl trimming off the excess. I find it has a much better burn this way and makes for a long enjoyable smoke. For this review, I?ve chosen a Lannes Johnson semi-churchwarden. A first light is brings billows of rich white smoke, followed with a brief visit of the tamper and then a tamping light. The topping just there, a nice sweet compliment to the fine quality leaf underneath. I can only just detect the topping and really have no idea what the flavor really is, that said I do like it. Some have said the room note or aroma remind them of cinnamon toast and I think that's a fair assessment. There is a nice inter working of Virginia sweet 'n sour and Turkish mustiness. This is a fairly sweet mixture owing partly to the Virginias and to the topping/casing agents. As is fairly typical of English flake tobaccos when smoked un rubbed it takes a bit to get this blend going; once there though it smokes with minimal re-lights. The first third of a bowl is fairly uneventful, just kind of simmering along at a nice steady pace. Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build getting rounder and building in complexity. The topping or casing gradually fades completely into the background imparting a steady and lasting sweetness to the bowl. The Virginias build in depth and character while the Turkish slowly builds and begins to assert a deepness and rounder quality to the Virginia. The over-all taste reminds me of some more well known offerings, though direct comparison is not really there completely. It seems to fall somewhere between Rattray's Marlin Flake and SG Full Virginia Flake in over-all flavors and strength. If one takes the time to smoke this slowly and methodically a sweet, rich and flavorful voyage is there for the taking. Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I find that it becomes more intense though never overpoweringly so. This blend never reaches the strength of some other SG offerings such as 1792 or Bracken Flake. It is more subdued and mild by comparison. The Turkish never really does anything greater than fill in the gaps. Deep and resonant forest, leather and sweet tones emerge from the heart of this blend. The sweetness and topping/casing are more of an enhancement and have matured and ripened into a fascinating mixture of stewed spiced fruits and rich adult pleasures. Overall this is a mild to medium bodied mixture of outstanding quality and flavor. Supplemental Notes: This is very likely to become a regular part of my rotation as a something to be reached for when a heavily scented flake is desired without the strength of similar offerings. ***1/2
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emmbee	11/21/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
So far, nothing Gawith makes puts chills up & down my spine. Sam's flake is no exception. It's a lovely flake with occasional spots of birdseye & a soft bamboo-like texture. It rubs out into large, spiky strands, though I don't recommend merely folding & packing. It has occasional moments of woodsy taste & nutty aroma, but by the time you recognize it, the pleasure has fleetingly passed, like a hazy dream during a catnap. If you're into flake, don't bother with this. Instead, enjoy the softer, pleasingly aromatic Dunhill Light Flake, the rich, though hot Stokkebye Luxury Twist Flake or the profound & complex McClelland Dark Star. And, if you can find a tin of the no longer imported Troost Slices, indulge in its decadent lusciousness. Gawith is simply too hot & monochromatic to merit time & attention. One and a half of five stars
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Black Dog	09/06/2005	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant
Sam's Flake is quickly becoming my favorite Virginia tobacco. It's got the depth of quality VA flavor of, say, Best Brown Flake or Old Gowrie, with a secondary citrus-y note from the Orientals. The topping is gentle, probably something along the lines of honeydew. I do not detect any flavor from the topping when smoking. I concur with the other reviewers who suggest making sure the flake is dry, and to use a large bowled pipe. I break up most of the flake directly into the bowl, and then rub out a little as "tinder" on the top of the bowl. My wife commented that she likes the room note of Sam's Flake, something she rarely does. Well recommended.
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Tantric	07/22/2005	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I find this flake somewhere in between McConnell's Scottish Flake, and Ashton's Old London Pebble Cut (the English version). There may be no Burley (i.e., Kentucky) or Perique in Sam's Flake, but the Turkish element makes it, in my opinion, somewhat closer to those two blends (after all, the Lake District is in between Scotland and London) than to Gawith's own Full Virginia. Sam's flake is slightly richer than McConnell's, but milder than Ashton's. The Turkish and Virginia combine for a somewhat subdued smoking structure. A surprisingly smooth and mild flake, with a slight sweetness, it comes rather on the moist side. In my experience, it was difficult to light and keep lit. However, the flavor is nice and quiet, and the room aroma is not heavy at all. This can be regular smoke through out the day or, in any case, a nice change of pace for the Virginia smoker.
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UncleGar	07/22/2005	Mild	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant
Although I've found many excellent Virginia tobaccos available (McClelland, Rattrays, F&T), somehow Sam Gawith puts a spin on them that I find irresistable. The only thing that keeps me from grabbing Sam's flake every time is the incredible moisture content. I actually have to plan a day or two ahead of time to get it to be ignitable (same with Chocolate Flake). Ah, but the steam is delicious when I finally succeed! Don't go too dry. Unlike several other reviewers, I find this to be every bit as sweet as MacBaren's VA#1 and Marlin Flake: pseudo-aromatic, almost. The label even admits to a bit of topping; I find it spicy and fruity, sort of a mincemeat taste. Yummy! Cinnamon toast aroma? I'll second that. Pipe: big. Go big and prepare the flake by rolling it around in your palm so that it is not entirely broken up. In a big pipe, I get a wonderful easy draw through it and (once finally ignited)it practically smokes itself with no bite. For a LONG time. Nicotine is mild enough that you won't be swimming. Prepare for moisture either with a reservoir pipe or with pipe cleaners. This changes my idea what turkish tobacco tastes like. Maybe it's the VA's or the topping, but there is none of the leatheriness I associate with them. Highly recommended to smokers of flake Virginias who enjoy them sweet and rich. A good companion to Gawith's FVF.
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NEWMAN	06/08/2005	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant
I ordered this blend in a 50g tin and the nicely prepared,very pliable flakes were like the chewing gum I used to buy in my youth and ~ 3"x1.25"x1/16". None were damaged in processing or shipment which fit perfectly with my SOP of no rubout. The color ranged from black on the edges of the original cake to redish and brown with even some golden included. The intial mositure content was higher than my ideal and with my packing technique resulted in a difficult initial light and numerous relights. Even with drying, this was problematic. I sensed a hint of the Lakeland soap in the tin aroma but that wasn't present enough to spoil the tobacco taste for me. However, it smoked cool and without any bite even with the relights. It was not as sweet as my preferred straight VAs probably due to the Turkish add but still is worth a try by any flake lover.
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Paddy	05/01/2005	Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant
As described by others, it is very siimilar to Full Virginia Flake in texture and appearance. The aroma of the tobacco in the tin reminds me of cinnamon toast. The smoke is quite mild with the natural taste of Virginia slightly spiced with Turkish. There is light, sweet element in the taste but none of the cinnamon aroma comes through. This is not a typical Lake District flake; no typical English flavorings interfere or complement the taste of tobacco. There are no "soapy" additives here. All in all, this is a nice Virginia and easy to smoke with no bite. Well recommended. Paddy.
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