Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake

Great insecticide! Ants were gone in two days. For this purpose that'd be highly recommended; for savoring a pipe, only somewhat recommended as it's worth shaking hands with this demon. Be sure not to shake too long though, you might end up without the whole arm.

Like many reviewers advised, a small bowl and good drying are a must.

I admit I got quickly accustomed to the weird aroma and even learned to find it enjoyable, but I don't want to get accustomed to the nicotine+tonquin hit this beast has to offer. Simply not my cup of poison tea. Sorry ma'am.

It is 2017 now and this tobacco continues to amaze me. I let a new tin I just recently opened dry a little too much and the smoke was fierce. I had to slow my cadence down quite a bit. It was nonetheless still superb. I've always tried to smoke it when it is still moist so I can really taste that tonka- when it is on the dry side the dark fired kentucky dominates. I love this blend.

January 29, 2017

---

Eight years later, it is still one of the best tobaccos I ever puffed on. Reading my review old review after all these years only one thing sticks out that is wrong: it doesn't smell like a dead bird out the tin. I just didn't know what fermented Virginia smashed with dark-fired Kentucky smelt like. A dead bird smells like awful hell.

September 18, 2016

---

Smelled like a dead bird when I opened the tin.

I took some out, broke it up evenly and let it dry for an hour or two.

I packed a good amount carefully into a corn pipe.

It's an amazing blend. It's just right: tastes amazing, burns well, and it had a peculiar calming effect like no other.

I'll leave the details to the experts down there, but I will just add that it is the finest tobacco I ever smoked.

I'am smoking some 1792 now. I like it. The tin smell is unique, I can't place it, it smells almost offensive. I do taste the licorice and vanilla. It is very mellow and sweet, no bite. Try smokng this with an Imperial Stout Beer, the compliment is very good. 4 stars

update: Iam smoking some now. This is a damn good tobacco. Iam thinking of trying some xxrope.

6/14/08

Sorry guys, but as a huge fan of Gawith blends, this one just didn't do it for me. After reading the reviews here, I have to agree with the negative stuff about this tobacco blend. The tin smell was questionable, and keeping it lit was a chore. I disliked the flavor from the initial light-up to the end of the bowl, and what I seemed to taste was something akin to a strong Cigar. It took me a while to figure out what the weird flavor was, but for me it was a cigarish taste. Maybe it's the Tonquin, I just don't know, but I know I won't be buying anymore of this stuff. I have a lot of pipes to choose from, so I'll try it in some other models. I have a Calabash pipe, that really lets you get the true taste of tobaccos, without the flavors of the ghost tobaccos smoked previously. I'll be back with a final update, but so far, I'm not a fan of this one!

6/16/08

OK, so I'm trying this again in a St. Claude, large bowled billiard, and my head is spinning like Linda Blair's. Of course I didn't take some of your warnings about smoking it on an empty stomach, so I deserve what's happening to me. The flavor is still not my cup of tea. Cigarish for sure. The room note is stenchy. I'd like to try this without the Tonquin additive. I think I'll stick with my favorite Sammy blend, Commonwealth Mixture. I need to go lay down now, before I puke...

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...