Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake

This indeed is one compelling flake. I have not smoked much of it and honestly tried my best not to like it from the start but as others have stated, who enjoy it, there is something that keeps you coming back to it (opiates? good analogy, one wonders). It certainly has a unique character that can not rightly be compared to much else and must be taken seriously if it is to be appreciated.

I am a big fan of SG and G&H Flakes and this is one that I had yet to try so I picked up a couple of tins with my last bulk purchase. Having read the reviews posted here numerous times I could not wait to open the tin and experience the aroma that everyone has had such a difficult time trying to describe. And when I did I understood why. Many thoughts came to mind as I took in the aroma of the tobacco. The first and probably most memorable impression for me was Halloween. Specifically, a pillow case full of candied corn. I could smell the ?vanilla ?like? tonka bean scent as well as anise or sarsaparilla root. There was the earthiness of the tobacco and a musty medicinal quality as well. In the background though was something that another referred to as ?almost offensive.? I concur. Oddly enough it reminded me a bit of Latakia as its burning. Pleasant if you are smoking it but akin to burning manure if you are not. Perhaps there is a similarity in the curing process because it stays throughout the smoke, translates to spiciness and remains well after you finish.

I have gone through a tin of 1792 in a very short period of time recently and have noticed that as I got closer to the end and the drier it got, the better the smoke. No surprises there. As far as strength I did not get the impression that the nicotine content was exceptionally high. (In fact Kendal Cream seems stronger in my observation.)

The room note leaves a lot to be desired however I will say it does smell the same as it tastes and the aftertaste does linger. I did not appreciate this at first but it quickly grew on me. In some ways the Virginia in this blend reminded me of Coniston Cut Plug (unscented). Very earthy, slightly spicey and exceptionally dry in texture. It takes effort and a little time but I can see where this could become a staple for a lot of English blend smokers. Especially those trying to wean themselves from Latakia enough to fancy a quality Virginia. In fact, I wish I would have tried this sooner when I was doing the same.

With that said, would I recommend it? Without hesitation. It has all the fine smoking characteristics one would want in a solid dark English flake and the quality that we all expect from Gawith. It is absolutely four stars worthy. Will it be in my regular rotation? That will have to be determined, more than likely by Cob Plug which I intend to try next. I have a feeling that more of 1792 will be revealed in time spent with the plug version. (Similar to Kendal plug and BB or FVF) Nothing like getting to know a new tobacco, especially one with such a rich history as 1792.

I've tried both the flake and plug form of this tobacco and can easily say that I've enjoyed both very much. This is a rich, dark, and earthy smoke and, on the whole, very well balanced with the velvet vanilla-like aroma of the tonka bean.

I'm so enamored with 1792 that I've decided to scrap my old favorite, Peterson's University Flake, in favor of this one and will purchase a bulk quantity to set some aside for cellaring.

Though my preference is for the flake, many other reviewers seem to favor the plug version. Their argument that the blend looses some of its characteristics after being flaked has merit. Certainly, the plug version affords much more flexibility to the smoker and can be cut into cubes or whatever else he desires. (This process is in itself an enjoyable exercise, though the novelty will eventually wear off.) If you intend to cut it into flake anyway, this versatility may be a moot point. Indeed, the much higher moisture content of the plug necessitates that it be set aside for a length of time and allowed to dry.

One final note: The use of tonka beans (the topping in 1792) as a food additive is prohibited in the US (CFR Title 21, section 189.130) since the seed contains coumarin, a toxic and possibly carcinogenic substance.

I guess all good things must come at a price! But, unless you plan on ingesting your tin of 1792, the trace amount of tonka shouldn't send you to your grave.

My first impression upon opening the tin was that this stuff has a great aroma. Kind of a blend of liquorice and juniper, very rich and dark. The flake was a new experience for me but after a few relights I got the hand of it. I feel that if I had allowed it to air out a little more I would not have had that problem.

I must admit I puffed vigorously trying to get a handle on the flavors. Very rich, thick smoke that starts out a little strong but mellows around the one third bowl mark. A Virginia sweetness hangs out somewhere there in the middle as the tonquin begins to fade into the background. Things got a little moist at the bottom but I attribute that to my voracious attack, the flavor is just THAT APPEALING!

The nicotine started to really kick in about half way through the bowl. Not that I minded but it was subtle as to how it snuck up on me. I had it on an empty stomach but it wasn't so much as to make me woozy.

As for the room note, this one isn't going to be a big hit with the ladies. My wife liked the smell in the tin but didn't much care for it once it was lit.

I like it, will recommend it, and am out to stock up on some more. It's a nice change from some of the heavier latakia and/or perique laced blends.

I just can't seem to get the hang of this blend. It is very well respected in the world of pipe smokers, but for me it just doesn't work.

For starters, the tin aroma is lovely, the aroma of tonquin is quite delicious. It is rather oily and moist so I rubbed it out entirely and left it to dry. It never really does dry out, it still retains its oily texture. It is easy enough to pack, but I just can't get it to stay lit. I am personally not a fan of relighting every couple of minutes and there is nothing I have been able to do to keep this tobacco burning. That is a big mark against it for me.

The flavor is semi-sweet, with that dark fired taste in the background. I don't know what happens to the tonquin once you light it, but it disappears. Overall, I find it to be rather boring, but I also can't seem to keep it lit long enough to find out.

The other disappointment with this tobacco is that not only is it tough to keep burning, but every relight features an acrid taste that is absolutely not enjoyable. There is a fair amount of nicotine, but compared to Dark Flake by G&H and Peterson's Irish Flake, I find this pretty manageable. It is slightly stronger in nicotine content than Nightcap.

This certainly isn't a tobacco without quality and it is obviously well crafted when examining the leaf in the tin. However, I just can't find a reason to waste my time trying to enjoy this when I haven't gotten it to work for me over the course of the past month.

If you are big into the strong lakeland tobaccos created by Gawith or Gawith and Hoggarth, give this a try. If not, don't pick this tobacco to try the genre out.

Ugh! I like a good natural tobacco flavor, so I don't know what possessed me to try this. All I can say is "blah!". But tastes are subjective, and if you like flavored tobaccos, this may be the ticket for you. Unfortunately, I have a full tin (minus a 1/2 bowl) of this stuff that I have no idea what to do with. Maybe I'll try leaching the tonquin out with water as a previous reviewed did...lemonade out of lemons...

No amount of reading the reviews or being warned of the tin aroma can actually prepare you for this blend. There are no words that I can find that I feel accurately describe it. My first thought was that there is no way that this is going to be enjoyable to smoke. My initial thought when I light the first bowl was Kendal Cream on steroids. The tonquin dominated the Virginia and Orientals through the first half bowl then they only made a small guest appearance. Being a former cigarette smoker I very much appreciated the nicotine levels of this tobacco; it?s among the strongest that I?ve smoked. It took about half a tin for me to really appreciate this one but after that I really enjoy this as an occasional smoke. This is definitely an acquired taste but one worth well developing.

This is the most unusual tobacco I've ever smoked! Upon opening the tin, your greeted with an odd smell like nothing I've ever smelled before. I was hesitant to try the tobacco but I said, what the heck! I lit it and you could smell the tonquin flavoring. Tonquin is a vanilla substitute and a lousy one at that! The first third of the pipe wasn't all that pleasant. Other reviewers have said this flavoring reminded them of Gallahers Rich Dark Honeydew. Well I'll make it clear, it's nothing like that! Any blend that's labled Honeydew, tastes of well....Honeydew! I kept on puffin though and the second third of the bowl changed. I tasted vanilla going in, and chocolate going out. A hint of clove semmed to peek through here and there. An opium aroma and taste was also surfacing. I wanted to put the pipe down, but for some reason I kept on smoking. The only flavor I didn't taste was tobacco! I think I should have went with the Bracken Flake or the Full Virginia. I'd much rather smoke McClelland's Black Shag or Honeydwew. As far as stregnth is concerned, I don't think this is all that strong. In fact, St. Bruno Flake is stronger and much more pleasant and sweet like raisins and prunes. Petersons Irish Flake blows this away in stregnth, taste, and aroma. I have two tins of this 1792 stuff and Im looking to get rid of them. Give me a straight up VA anyday! This stuff is terrible.

I am on the fence with this blend. Out of the tin I found it rubs out very nicely, and packs easily. It smokes a bit wet, so a short drying period wouldn't hurt. The smoke is full and creamy and when it's hot it taste quite delicious. It's the moment when it burns cool that this blend tastes a bit nasty to me. Perhaps it's the tonquin flavoring, but it tastes unnatural and contrived. Not a great experience for me. However getting this blend smoking and fairly hot produces the most delicious smoke. I just find this too much of a chore to smoke. It's not unruly and can easily be tamed in the bowl, it's just not worth the effort in my opinion.

An occasional smoke for me, but once this tin is done I won't be buying more.

First of all this has the most marvellous aroma on opening the tin. Stronger than Cob Plug for sure, though to be fair that may vary from tin to tin. My dad used to smoke something that had the same tin aroma of tonquin back in the 1950s and 1960's..I have racked my brains as to what it was, but the only tobacco tin I can remember of his was Gallaghers Rich Dark Honeydew and I don't think that had tonquin in it. As an aside I'm desperate to locate a tin of that I can buy on Ebay and get back to the good old UK:-) Anyway, back to 1792; it's a full strength dark rich tobacco, one of the very finest you can smoke...full of dark creamy flavours with the tonquin giving a lucidity to the overall effect. I rate it on an equal strength to the Brown Rope though of a completely different taste. I know that the traditional "English smoke" is widely accepted in the States as being something like GLP's Westminster; but maybe I am being heretical here but in my experience of my grandfather's generation of pipe smokers...he was born in 1890 and died in 1959...and my father's generation...1914 to 1979..this type of tobacco, with no Latakia etc, is the traditional English pipesmokers type of baccy. My great, great uncle...born in 1868 was still alive when I was a lad and also smoked the same straight tobacco; so I think this phrase has grown up and been accepted as gospel with a somewhat dubious historical pedigree. 1792 is one of the traditional English tobaccos' and thank heavens that such a great house as Sam Gawith is still with us....even though their product quality (see my review of FVF) has sometimes left a lot to be desired. If you want to experience the very best of tradition, to taste the authentic pipe smoke that generations of Englishmen have enjoyed then you owe it to yourself to visit this one.

By the way, for those of you who have struggled with the tonquin, here's a tip...fill a couple of pipes with 1792 and leave them out for a day or so. When you come to smoke them you will get all the flavour of a well made baccy and the tonquin will have subsided into the gentle background.

Lastly, I share the sighs of those who try to give reasoned, helpful reviews for the benefit of fellow pipe smokers and to have to put up with folk who admit they don't like this type of blend and then give it a 1 star. This adds nothing to anyone's knowledge or appreciation. Please don't do it!