Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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Nick O'Teen	07/31/2007	Very Strong	Mild	Very Full	Tolerable
Much less busy than it's sibling scented version, Dark Flake is a very satisfying smoke. Strong, yet creamy smooth, with delicious tobacco flavor. I still taste some of that nancy boy perfume that G&H seems to adore but never-the-less highly recommend this one to lovers of strong, full tasting tobacco. * * * *
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dualkarnain	03/27/2007	Extremely Strong	Very Mild	Extra Full	Very Pleasant
I ordered a sampler of various ropes, flakes and other GH blends and I was initially repulsed and fascinated with many of their strengths. The ropes I find hard to keep lit. These flakes burn perfectly. After a month this batch of tobaccos has been growing on me like a brushfire in a field of dry grass. I loaded my first bowl in a meerschaum and fired her up. She rode my Extreme, intensifying flavor gave way to a complexity unlike I've ever noticed before. Halfway through the bowl I notice my meershaum has several distinguishable millimeters of browning. Holy hell, I now know what to smoke to bake the meerschaums!! Fantastico. Images evoked include a nihilistic optimist visiting an undead dermatologist only to happily find out that the beauty mark on his face is, indeed, a benign tumor.
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anixi	01/05/2007	Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable
Strong, but managable. Spicy at the back of the throat, a little less than S.G. 1792 Flake. Stronger than 1792, with less tangy flavor. Burn was spotty, as I did smoke it straight out of the container. I suspect that it could benefit from some sort of drying, for those of you without ADD (I've no patience for some of this voodoo). Overall a very good experience in any size bowl. I do believe it would shine as DGT'ed, as does a lot of VA flakes.
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sasha	12/05/2006	Strong	None detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
An exceptional tobacco, really full and tasty, one of the best Virginia around. It is best smoked if you rub it and leave it dry a little. Even better if you use a small pipe. Although similar in taste to the Samuel Gawith Black XX twist, this one maintains a clear own personality. The taste is smoky, almost cigarish, "dark" and complex, all this with a really comfortable behaviour throughout the bowl; the smoke is easy, cool and dry, really effortless. Really you can't say anything bad about this tobacco, even the price is convenient. Highly recommended
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Darwin	10/22/2006	Very Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
I am a big fan of Gawith Hoggarth tobaccos, but I have always been reluctant to try Dark Flake due to its reputation for strength. I like strong tobacco, but this one seems to be described as strong by everyone, even cigarette and cigar smokers. I filled this beautiful dark flake in my newly acquired GBD apple from the sixties. It's about a Group 2, so it seems perfect for this type of tobacco. I folded a small flake and stuffed it in the bowl. It lit easily. The flavor is a little spicy and strong with a dark-fired flavor like Conniston and Bosun Cut Plugs, but it lacks their traditional British flavorings. In fact, I don't taste any soapy or floral flavors. This bowl required a few re-lights, not due to its burning qualities, but by distractions. Re-lights were easy and flavorful. I would also describe the flavor as smooth - no harshness at all, even at the bottom of the bowl. Based on one bowl, I'd describe this as a superb tobacco and completely satisfying. I'll pick up a couple of ounces the next time I see my tobacconist and report back. My only complaint is it may be just a little too high in nicotine. I felt a slight queasiness in my stomach at the end of the bowl. I'm sure one could develop a tolerance to it over time.
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calavera	04/06/2006	Extremely Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong
I loaded up a bowl in the Kirsten esquire at the wedding of a friend. Put flame to it and breathed it to life. Whoah! I came to pipes from Cuban cigars, Ashton VSG's and various other "strong" cigars. They didn't even phase me. This stuff, however, seemed very rough. I did not want to spend the rest of the dance puking in the woods, so I dumped the bowl. It is now 2 years later, and I have not been brave enough to try it again. Now that it is spring, I will brave another bowl on the deck when I am not afraid to spend the rest of the day puking.
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BostonPipe	01/21/2006	Very Strong	None detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong
A wonderfully strong, stout flake from this fine company. It yields a straight-forward, in your face smoke. One is always aware of it's presence. Care needs to be given to the rate of draw or one might need assistence in getting out of his,(or her), armchair. Although mono in taste, my main attraction is the smoothness and somewhat peppery, cigar-like notes. This is the type of flake that gets my brain humming like an overhead powerline. Not for the faint-of-heart or newbie pipster. ****12/23/2011 This flake is in my regular rotation now.
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Satc001	01/18/2006	Extremely Strong	Mild	Extra Full	Strong
This is a very strong tobacco. I enjoy strong english blends and very full bodied cigars but this is very strong even to me. It does have some nice perfume notes and woodsy taste if smoked slowly however. I would suggest a small bowled pipe smoked extremely slow. Do not buy this if you are not ready for an extremely strong tobacco!
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RCUSElder	01/02/2006	Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong
This reminds me much of Dark Birdseye in both flavor and strength. In fact, I'll venture to say that this is probably a flake version of that venerable blend. This is a straight forward tobacco tasting blend with just a touch of the famous "Lakeland" scent probably due to its environ while being made. It is a very high quality blend, but is just too potent for this piper. It smokes cool with plenty of flavor (no tongue-bite). This would probably be a good blend for someone trying to kick the cigarette habit and/or who likes cigars. Enjoy...
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tomobedlam	01/01/2006	Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
So I have this pipe that I got off Ebay for like $10, a Peterson Killarney straight pipe that has a little chip out of it, which I don't care about at all, because rather than being the sort to collect beautiful pipes(which is a perfectly decent pasttime, don't get me wrong), I tend to just smoke them and don't care too much what they look like. This one had soured though, to the point where it was well nigh unsmokable. I say well nigh, because if there was nothing else around I'd smoke it, and have. So I wished to sort out the sourness and have noted the salt/alcohol treatment posted on various sites, and have had it in mind to give it a shot with this thing. The problem is that I don't have any Everclear, don't drink alcohol, and really don't want to go buy a whole bottle of the stuff just for a couple eyedroppers worth. I mean, what am I going to do with the rest, make a Molotov cocktail? Well, the only two things in my house that contain alcohol turned out to be mouthwash, and vanilla extract. Neither of these options seemed particularly wise to me so I put it off for awhile. The other day though I threw caution to the wind and used the Vanilla, because the worst that could happen is that I'd ruin the pipe, and well, no big loss. Ok, so now onto the Dark Flake. This is my mainstay smoke, I only have a pipe or two a day, usually at night, and this is my regular. It has a full, agreeable flavor, packs a nicotine wallop, and doesn't burn my tongue. Thats really all I ask for in my tobacco, these flakes come in bulk, have that Lakeland essence, whatever it is, and are just a decent smoke, nothing fancy, just a workaday, time tested leaf. I decided that the dark flake would be a good thing to test the vanilla/salted pipe with, since it has a straigtforward flavor that I'm quite familiar with, and any deviation or sourness or vanilla blast would register immediately and overwhelm any wishful thinking, etc. I lit up with some trepidation, fully expecting a salty-vanilla-nightmare. You know what? It worked! Not even a slight whiff of either vanilla, salt or the tire-fire toxins that inhabited it previous to the treatment, just pure Dark flake. I swear to you, its like a new pipe. Now, I'm not going to be responsible if you try this with your $2000 pipe and it tastes like an ice cream cone here on out, but if you have an old junker that needs refreshing, give it a shot, what the heck? I highly recommend this blend to anyone who wants a basic proletarian smoke with a nicotine punch. Maybe not if you have a demanding, complex palate though. Which is also a fine thing to have, it's just not everybody.
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NapaWineLover	09/18/2005	Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant
Just for clarity - I'm rating the Dark Flake (Unscented) I didn't see that description in the listing so forgive me if I've erred. This tobacco has a number of things that I like. First off it has a dried floral taste up front during the char light that I enjoy very much. Herbal in fact. The smokiness of the aged stock that I purchased this from is subtle and it represents IMO a unique style of tobacco that I know of very few in the genre. I will enjoy discovering others. I like to rub this tobacco out instead of smoking it in flakes as I do others. The aroma is very pleasant to me and so far to any nearby when I've smoked among the unenlightened. It's my selection on weekend mornings with the second home brewed triple latte.
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bigblends	05/05/2005	Extremely Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
There's something to be said for a tobacco that's 98% nicotine and 2% flavor: Don't bother. Dark Flake is rope-like in strength and, like the ropes, delivers little in the way of interest in contrast to the nicotine it carries. As I said in my review of GH Dark Birdseye: Slow, gentle puffs are necessary to get the real flavor; otherwise, it can be harsh, harsh, and harsh with a slight cigar-like undertone.... Having a tobacco dictate pace, volume, taste, and other facets of the smoke to this degree is a real turn-off. If you smoke part of a bowl, set it down for a few hours, and expect to enjoy what's left, be aware that you've set a stew of nicotine on the back burner to simmer. Nasty.
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Spike	03/24/2005	Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong
I am a big fan of this companies' tobaccos especially their flakes. So far of the many I have tried, this is my least favorite. It is a quality flake and if other tobaccos always leave you wanting, give this one a go.
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Dizz	03/21/2005	Extremely Strong	None detected	Extra Full	Tolerable to Strong
At first, this tobacco seemed harsh and bland. If you react this way too, just give it time. I found myself returning to this blend more than I would have expected considering my initial reaction--perhaps because of the nicotine. But I also learned to appreciate it more as I smoked it more. The harshness is still noticable in the first few puffs, but quickly mellows into a dark, creamy, no-frills smoke. A simple and unabashed nicotine-laden smoke. Ex- or current cig smokers wanted. Nico-wimps need not apply.
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Pounder 5000	01/31/2005	Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable
A darker stoved version of Brown Flake, this stuff is cool and packs a nice bit of nicotene. It does have a taste of the cigar now that others mention it and is certainly too strong for all day consumption. I have to say that I prefer Brown Flake and Its cousin Best Brown #2 to this, although it is still good. Very little Lakeland Floral here as well.
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fourshephards	10/21/2004	Strong	None detected	Full	Strong
When I asked the fellow behind the counter about this dark and forboding looking flake, he told me that it was an "austere smoke". When I think of the word "austere", my first grade teacher comes to mind - scowling, tight lipped and serious. I gave it a try anyway. Dark flake, as far as I can tell, has no flavoring nor floral agents. This has the kick of 1792 flake sans the tonquin. This is rich, dark and not sweet. My son says it smells like a fine cigar mixed with old socks but the palate-filling rich smoke is almost intoxicating when smoked in the chill of an early evening. Dark flake satisfies in the same way that dark chocolate would satisfy my wife. Dark Flake is austere, but not in the scowling first-grade teacher sort of way. It starts off rather sharply but settles down into a spicy and rich smoking experience. Smoked slowly, Dark Flake is a rich and rewarding experience.
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PT	02/29/2004	Very Strong	None detected	Extra Full	Strong
Lights easily, has loads of nicotine, extra full taste (almost peppery after first half), no tongue bite. Must be smoked preferably in small bowls. Not for inhalers, unless you have lungs made of iron, not for new pipe smokers unles you already smoke stout cigars or cigarettes. Also not for those who enjoy only delicate tasting tobaccos, this will bland your taste for a while. Although I enjoy stout blends, I cannot smoke it every day, may be one bowl a week.
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Noorrmm	07/30/2003	Strong	None detected	Very Full	Tolerable
A small fine cut flake, very dark with some lighter flashes. The aroma is sharp, with a smokey tang, and reminds me of Dark Birdeye (I wonder why?). The slices are so thin, that when rubbed out, it is almost a shag. It lights easily (when rubbed out). yielding a very full flavored smoke, almost cigarish in character. There is definitely a major fire cured component here. The flavor is monochromatic, but has enough character to keep my interest. I find it burns slowly enough, even when fully rubbed, but will not burn worth a darn when rolled and stuffed (which I usually prefer with a flake). Compared to DBE, (which I think is more Burley than Virginia), this seeems to have more Virginia. Both types are grown in the Malawi and Mysore regions, but Virginia is usually flue cured. Burley is more often air, or fire cured. It burns to a clean gray ash, paler than the ash from DBE. This is a change of pace tobacco for me, not an all day experience. For the newbie, too much nicotine.
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Paddy	07/24/2003	Very Strong	None detected	Very Full	Pleasant
I keep a stash of the G&H and Samuel Gawith dark tobaccos on hand next to my big chair. I usually smoke Dark Flake in the late afternoon with a Guinness or in the evening with a cup of black coffee. It is a treat to look forward to an evening that starts out with Dark Flake and then moves on to Dark Birdseye, Sliced Brown Twist, Sliced Black Twist, and then finishes up with SG 1792. As a variation you can substitute some of the G&H dark scented flakes. Dark Flake rubs out easily into almost shag form which is the way I like to pack it. It lights easily and burns beautifully. The smoke is mild with no bite. It does have a flavor that resembles that of a dark maduro wrapper, but the smoking experience is definitely that of a pipe tobacco rather than a cigar. The tobacco flavor is relentlessly intense. I believe it has been treated with a light, neutral sweetener which gives the smoke a bitter sweet quality. Dark Flake also provides a nicotine kick that you can feel on the tongue. Because of the strong flavor, it is necessary for me to clear my palate regularly. This is not an all day smoke or one that I smoke every day. But once or twice a week, it is a treat. Highly recommended for those who occasionally like a trip to the dark side. Paddy.
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Pipestud	05/05/2003	Medium	None detected	Extra Full	Tolerable to Strong
My sample arrived dry, just a tad short of crisp, in fact. It was easy to load, pack and light. WOW! This stuff is unique. I needed only two or three puffs to be taken back to my Boy Scout days. Puffing reminded me of burning wood and campfires. Not a hint of sweetness here. I also was reminded of cigars -- which I do not normally smoke because I don't care for the flavor. I can withstand blends packed with nicotine because my favorite blend is Dunhill's Royal Yacht, which is loaded with the stuff. So, this G&H Dark Flake did not give me a buzz. It just plastered my palate with an unpleasant taste that only got stronger as I worked my way painfully down the bowl. Okay, I admit it. I chucked the final half. I'm a wimp.
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