Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake

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!

I was very curious to find out what tonquin smelled like so, I was tempted to buy a tin. The smell , once I opened the tin , scared me at first: I cannot find a smell I could identify with ( maybe some cosmetics?). The smell is quite strong, and the fact I could end up smoking something like that ... well, I was aprehensive. The flakes wouldn't come out in flakes, but it was more like peeling off, due to the humidity in the tobacco . Leaving it dry out for 15 minutes, and after filling the pipe with the "fold and pack" system ( and allowing some room for the expansion of the tobacco), I proceeded to light it up. Hey, nothing like the stuff I smelled in the tin. This is a strong tobacco, with the hint of the tonquin/tonkin/tonga blending in the background: actually, it is very nice. It is a strong smoke, you can feel in the back of your throat : not harsh, but strong. Very nice smell and smoked nicely to the bottom, without having to relight. I like English style blends, not very fond of "aromatised" ( aka heavy casing) tobaccos, but this one is just spot on.A break from English and Balkans. Give it a try, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. P.S. I cannot say about room note as I smoke in a very well ventilated loft, and only me has access to it ( no second opinions about the smell).

1792 Flake is a love it or leave it tobacco. The tonquin flavoring is very noticeable upon opening the tin. I have to admit the first time i had this i didn't like it, but it grows on you. You need to run the tobacco through the pipe a few times before the flavors begin to come out. THe first third of the bowl is a bit strong but mellows out toward the second third. Notes of licorice and a gentle harshness noted. When you get right to the middle of the bowl it goes from harsh to a very smooth and begins to taste similar to a VA flake. The tonquin really begins to stand out here. The last third is just the same at the second third, but my pipe begins to get wet here, most likely because the pipe is lodged into my teeth. I recommend smoking this tobacco slowly and in a pot. Very well worth trying.

I find it hard to believe this is sammy best Selling!

This flake is a must have for all serious collectors of pipe tobacco. Among the hundreds of different types I own, this one stands out and demands to be noticed. The mere heritage behind it commands awe and respect. To think that this recipe and process remain unchanged for over 200 years is quite an amazing thing in itself. The Gawith history is what drew me to this brand in the first place. As a marvel of antiquity, its staying power is unquestionable. It stood the test of time. From a period in which a great many tobaccos were rumored to have modeled themselves after this legend, only it survives. 1792 was to be my first experience with a tonka bean flavored flake. Upon the tins first opening, I could only sum up the fragrance explosion with two words: Holy crap! It was unlike anything I had ever smelled before. I was intrigued. I had nothing to compare it to, and after the eventual trying of its relative blends(Cob Plug and Bracken Flake)I am still at a loss as to what other blenders might offer in the way of these unusual creations. I was intimidated at first. I cautiously rubbed a flake out, not knowing what to expect. After stuffing a Bjarne billiard with the age old oddity, I found it surprisingly easy to light and keep lit. I held back from drawing full puffs at the beginning, for fear that I might be sent reeling. Remembering my pipefulls of Gawith's Brown Rope, I waited in anticipation of a similar nicotine butt-kicking. It never came. The scent was mystical and the flavor, alluring. It was as though there were some manor of opiates involved in its concoction. I tried to set it down, but I was drawn back again and again like a mindless moth to a flame. Ever since then it has left me with an insatiable desire for more. I have cellared quite a bit, but I dare to think it will never be enough. It is all too clear to me now, how 1792 developed its inexhaustible popularity. 4 stars can't even begin to describe the quality. If you don't have some already, go grab a tin and get hooked. You'll be forever altered.

I bought a tin locally about 6 months ago... Had a bowl, noticed the "in your face" aroma when i opened the tin, didnt finish the bowl and was absolutely disgusted the next day when i tried to relight. In that 6 months the wide flakes are still somewhat moist and benefited greatly from additional drying time. The aroma while still noticable has dissapated greatly and the "floral" taste while still showing up occasionally mingles much better with the other flavors in the bowl without killing them. I liked it.. I will give it some more time and probally buy a few tins to shelf until i can commit to it fully and then celler some pounds if it all works out