Samuel Gawith - Celtic Talisman pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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babysinister	07/24/2010	Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
Only an inveterate and longtime hater of cherry aros can truly appreciate this cherry-flavored blend from SG. Because there is no tonguebite, the cherry flavor is not chemo-toxic or overwhelming, and allows you to appreciate the fine baseline tobacco, (i.e., not strongly or grossly cased to conceal the taste of cheap tobacco). The room note and aroma are the best in aroland, imo. The strength is accordingly mild to medium, and does not "turn" on you as the bowl progresses. Smokes very smooth and down to a fine clean ash, which in itself is notable for an aro. I normally smoke aros once a month or so, but am developing a hankering for getting deeper and deeper in this new (to me) blend. There are a relatively few aromatics that I consider quality aros: Sillems Black, Dan's Blue Note, and W.O. Larsen's Old Fashioned, 1864 and Signature. Now CT goes to the top of that list.
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kkgtyf	05/17/2010	Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
While this was a very good tobacco, I've lost a taste for it. I might get made fun of, but I find the cherry flavoring to be too subtle for my tastes. The strength knocks me back a bit, but that's because I'm used to weak aromatics. I will continue my search for a cherry aromatic that jumps out more. Nonetheless, this is a very good blend and I recommend getting a tin.
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Gilthoniel	05/17/2010	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant
Bit hard on the tongue for an aromatic, this, but tastes lovely, and the cherry is nice and subtle. Quite moist in the tin, even after a few weeks, so needs leaving out for a while. Needed more relights than is usual for me, maybe because of the moisture.
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pipeslayer	03/14/2010	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
This and Dan Tobacco's Blue Note are my favorite aros. I will probably be shunned for even suggesting such a thing (called a Philistine, lacking in taste and discernment, etc.), but I find the two to be extremely similar in tobacco flavor, body, and strength, the only major difference being the casing. Celtic Talisman has a delicious cherry flavor, which I took to immediately. My wife does not like the smell of anything I smoke, but responded somewhat favorably to this one. It does not taste medicinal or phenolic the way most cherry flavorings do, and in my opinion balances perfectly with the leaf, which, by the way, is of the highest quality, as one would expect from Samuel Gawith. This lights and burns beautifully. I don't have any issues with goop in the pipe, and this stuff does not bite. It is a gentle, and I daresay even sexy, smoke. Great for after dinner. I give it four stars. If this seems excessive, consider how hard it is to find aromatics with such nice, rich tobacco flavor. I think that's worth an extra star in itself.
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cactusboy33	02/12/2010	Very Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant
A nice mild tobacco with a subtle cherry flavour. This blend, thankfully, is lacking the overly artificial cherry topping that some other blends load on. Packs, lights and burns really well but may need a ten minute dry off before hand. A tobacco that is great if you smoke it right and still good if you happen to puff too hard or fast. Plus it won't bite you like the shark hiding in other 'cheaper' aromatics will. A nicely balanced smoke that is a great addition to any collection and I would recommend to the more experienced smoker and beginner alike.
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Loboatomy	11/30/2009	Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
This is quality tobacco. A wonderful experience to experience a cherry flavored tobacco done "right" by a master blender. A delightful amount of "blonde" virginia with some black cav interspersed in a form pillowlike tin pack of ready rubbed tobacco. Like another reviewer commented, the cut is perfect. It was a bit moist, but a few minutes of "on paper over the lightbulb" drying made its moisture level perfect. Not strong at all, and with a bit of difficulty achieving a voluminous smoke, it did occasionally disappoint, but the flavor is there, and most importantly (and most often lacking in cherry blends), one could actually taste the cherry in the smoke, not just smell it. No bite, even when puffing like a madman. Quality leaf, and I'll be smoking more of this.
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BobB	11/12/2009	Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Finally a cherry tobacco I like. I smoke Aro's about 70-75% of the time and have never found a cherry I could grant more than 2 stars to. Very pleasant from the tin and the roomnote gets compliments. If anything this was a little dry from the tin. The cherry is not overdone and stays through 3/4's of the bowl. I don't taste a lot of chemical flavor that I find in most other cherries. Nice gray ash that comes out cleanly and no goop. It's a happy aromatic that's mild and enjoyable enough to be a everyday light-up
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agentlemanfromindiana	10/29/2009	Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant
This is in fact a very mild blend but it is still very tasty. Most impressively it tastes very similar to how it smells in the tin which is not very common among aromatics. Good work S.G. Definitely worth a try; go get some!
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lycus	04/16/2009	Medium	Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant
While it smells quite nice, I can't help but to categorize the taste of this blend in the same vein as I would perfume. It's quite soapy and I don't taste what I smell at all. It's got a chemical taste to it. Perhaps I got a bad batch?
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SMOKETSES	03/22/2009	Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
I bought it after my friend?s Desperado suggestion, and I don?t regret it at all. I opened it and smoked it in Karpenisi . Whether it was the nice surroundings, the clean air, or smoking my pipe was the only entertainment up there, I was forced to adore this smoke. I think highly of Samuel Gawith. It is a ready-rubbed tobacco that requires a drying process for a day or two. The cherry liqueur that comes off after the first lighting (there is a slight difficulty in this stage) is particularly nice and it lasts for quite a while before it changes places with Vanilla and Black Cavendish. It is generally a good smoke for the aromatic lovers. Thank you Desperado.
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Chimney1966	03/06/2009	Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
Since a long time, my first re-encounter with Samuel Gawith products. During early 1990s I found three of Samuel Gawith products in their line excellent value for money (one which was Commonwealth Mixture although too strong for beginner, another was more suitable, the Squadron Leader, and third was a fairly flavoured one). Then I thought, Samuel Gawith tobacco is always worth of the money and never let you down... (If they had done the same way last 200 years, they certainly can not be wrong) Some time ago I heard that they had new tobacco, and finally local importer got some of it, the new Celtic Talisman... Old memories about excellent quality tobacco, kept expectations high as I opened the tin... Indeed.., high quality tobacco and high quality cut, British certainly know how to cut the tobacco (instead of Scandinavian's too thin "shag"), and that contributes a lot to excellent burning characteristics, as will not burn too hot. I found the tobacco in fresh tin too moist (as had also been the case with other SG products nearly 20 years ago), and had to let small amount of tobacco to dry for sometime. About 10 minutes after handling the tobacco, the cherry casing reminded about its existence, and although mild, fairly persistent... I used my Peterson 303 system pipe (one without filter) to assess this tobaco, and first notice was that pleasant tobacco to handle, and easy to pack into the bowl. First layer loose, second more dense and third layer firmly pressed. Lighted with first match (but needed after a while another flame to relight), although tobacco was still bit moist, did not have any attempt to bite, and not temperamential at all. Really well behaving tobacco, and remainded truly pleasant smoking experience... Afterwards.., I noticed that from first impression of relatively mild taste and feel, turned out later with fairly good nicotine kick, and that occured about 15 minutes after had finished the bowl... Later experiences... Noticed that Celtic Talisman did not leave any sticky substance in the bowl of my 303, but fairly persistent "cherry perfume" appeared to 303 while finished the whole tin, and needed several bowls of another tobacco to be used before faded away from the pipe. The Celtic Talisman tobacco should be allowed to dry slightly, as it improves while keeping it in tobaccopouch for while, moist tobacco fresh from tin will not burn well, and might even pack too tight into the bowl, if not careful. Ladies liked the room note, although I mainly prefered to smoke outside. Apparently this is the type of tobacco with satisfies both the smoker as well as the others. Nowdays a certain way to get a favourable attention... But one thing to remeber..., dedicate some aromatic pipe for this tobacco, as it really remains in the pipe some time afterwards... Excellent high quality tobacco, neat tin and good value for money. This is the pipe tobacco which can be recommenned to those who like to impress ladies with "good taste" in selecting pipe tobacco. It is tobacco which never let you down... One additional masterpiece from Samuel Gawith... Full four stars ****
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ChevySpoons	01/18/2009	Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
I was't sure what to expect from this tobacco. It was a bit of an impulse purchase--I was looking for something aromatic that I hadn't tried before, and the tobacconist suggested Celtic Talisman. So I tried it. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. It is a little wet when the tin is opened, but left to dry out for a bit, it packs nicely and takes a light easily. As for the smoking, the topping is there, but not overpowering. There is enough tobacco flavour to satisfy, and the room aroma is agreeable to friends and family. The description of this as a "dessert tobacco" is apt, though I could see this as a nice "morning tobacco" as well. Recommended.
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tonalsmoker	10/14/2008	Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a very nice aromatic!One of the few imports I keep a healthy stock of.The taste seems full and slightly dark but in a nice way,not bitter at all.The tobaccos are nicely nut and this aromatic features a cherry liquer that's very unique from other cherry flavored aromatics-has a luxurious flavor to it.With a name like Celtic Talisman,it's tend to throw people off with the name don't be fooled though..goes nicely for a dessert tobacco.
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jeffo	08/27/2008	Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Strong
i am working through sam gawith's i have tried a few and i have just opened a tin of this and what a beutifull smell it was a bit damp so i said to my wife ill let it sit for 10 mins no could not wait i had to try it what a great smoke no tounge bite stayed cool to the end of the bowl thats it the cigs are out of the window not what i think is an all day smoke but a good start to the day
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Pipe4ever	08/26/2008	Mild	Very Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Certainly, the tobacco quality is good, but the casing is not, this blend tastes like strawberry chewing gum, I regularly smoke and love heavy aromatic blends, there is some balance to be respected when adding fruit syrup to tobacco, this blend is, IMO, completely imbalanced and was a waste of money.
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varg winter	08/16/2008	Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is one of the best quality aromtic tobaccos I ever smoked. This is quality stuff. A mild blend, delicious taste!
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cigarman43035	08/05/2008	Medium	Medium	Medium	Strong
This is the first Gawith tobacco that I tried and I like this one. As you open the can of this tobacco you can smell cherries and it is moist. It takes a few times to light it. The room then fills up with cherry smell. This tobacco can bite a little if you are not careful! Once lit you can taste sweetness and a slight cherry flavor. I like this blend! The next one I am going to try from Gawith is the full virgina flake so stay tuned for that review!
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Rabid_Dog	08/05/2008	Medium	Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
This review is of 50g. tin of Samuel Gawith's "Celtic Talisman". Years ago I did smoke aromatic tobaccos and thought I'd pick up another one to try when my girlfriend, family or friends are around. I initially thought it would be good for nights around the campfire or on the deck when others would be smelling the smoke, now I'm smoking it for me. Description: "Aromatic Mixture" Appearance: Tobacco in tin is very moist upon opening and needs to breathe 2-3 days to smoke well. Ribbon cut light brown, medium and deep brown. Aroma: Pop the tin and you're nearly floored with the smell of a very nice sweet cherry liqueur. I don't believe this is a casing it smells like a generous amount of liqueur. When the tobacco airs out this smell fades and does not dominate the smoking experience. You can also smell the Cavendish and a nutty vanilla. Packing: Packs well, burns best packed a little loose. Lighting: Burn consistently, no or few relights when let to air out 2-3 days. Taste: A potpourri of taste sensations, full aromatic flavor. My Impressions: While I really enjoy this tobacco I found straight out of the tin it was too strong an aromatic taste to smoke a whole bowlful. I have since started cutting this with 2 parts Prince Albert and have found a smoke I can really enjoy. By blending Celtic Talisman with Prince Albert I still have a wonderful aromatic room note and toned down the blast of aromatic flavor to a very enjoyable smoking experience. The side benefit is that a 50 g. tin with last much longer this way. I really enjoy this tobacco and feel it deserves 4 stars but since I find it too strong a flavor right out of the tin I am knocking it down to 3 stars.
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jankoez	08/05/2008	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
It is good and pleasant tobacco for almost every occasion. When tin is opened, it has rich and tempting aroma, but when smoked, its aroma is not to strong. Maybe it is not my favorite style - I like more stronger, spicier tobaccos - however, from time to time this blend is excellent change.
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rhapsodyofmetal	08/03/2008	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
My least favorite of SG aromatics. It has that lakeland smell like a candle and tastes as such. It was their for my craving and now it tastes like incense.
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