Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake

You spin me right round baby right round like a record baby right round round round?..

I ordered a tin of 1792 simply to top off a SP.com* order to hit the free shipping minimum. I like to order my bulks and then at least one new thing to try each time. Selected simply by the ingredient listing on this site and the overall rating, without reading the reviews. It sat around for a couple of months waiting for me to crave something new and the craving hit me this morning? 11am, empty stomach? on a break from a task requiring multiple trips up and down a ladder?. Oh my !! Shoulda read the reviews first, Ed!

But I love this strange taste? this is my first non-latakia English-Oriental blend, and I?m slowly moving away from latakias. Initial tin scent hit me as licorice-like (I was hungry remember) and though it took many lights to get things rolling, roll they did.

Guess the rest of that job can wait until this afternoon? whooopeeee! I love this stuff!

Good pleasure/price ratio, smooth gentle draw, no bite whatsoever and it defers quite well if allowed to sit and go out for a few minutes. But do eat first!

From Utopia, TX? hava goodun!

*top kudos for smokingpipes.com for consistent quick shipping and precise orders, never once delayed or shipped short because of inventory problems.

SG 1792 Flake is full-bodied and POWERFUL! It actually tastes like "tobacco" instead of candy or potpourri. No detectable casing.The nicotine kick that others report is real.

You will want to dry this in the sun for about five (5) minutes or 30-40 minutes indoors before attempting to light. If left in flake form instead of rolling out, you will have no problem lighting and keeping it lit.

If you like this, but it is not quite right or perhaps smooth enough, try Peterson Irish Flake instead. Everything good about the SG 1792 flake is even better in the Peterson Irish Flake, which I think is the world's best pure tobacco-flavored flake.

Mmm bliss! This is one tobacco that you can easily get yourself lost in.

Sadly it does take some effort to get it into a fit state to smoke.

I've found that when it's fresh from the tin, 1792 requires a whole box of matches and a selection of pipe cleaners tackle its moistness. Being very moist and the thickest cut I've come across in a long time isn't the best combination for the impatient smoker. Although, once it's been left open overnight it becomes much easier to handle. Though it does loose a lot of the tonquin casing.

When first opened, it smells and tastes like a chocolate flavoured cereal. Luckily, when it has been thoroughly aired, this characteristic fades and its medicinal nature begins to shine.

If you enjoy strong flakes -like Peterson's Irish- and want a lighter break from the fruity and floral, then this is a tobacco for you.

Just a brief addition to the many interesting comments.....

Smells and tastes are notoriously difficult to classify, so I won't try too hard. Tonquin, doubtless like many other aromatics, strikes a positive note with some and not with other tasters; I'm one of those people who like the aroma. Likening it to the smell of rotting garbage may have been fun to write, but it really didn't help me (but I must say I did enjoy the anticipation of getting my hands on such a notorious tobak...)

I took the plunge and bought half a pound - anything that arouses such passions has to have something to commend it! My package arrived, but the flakes were surely too dry - almost crumbly. Certainly not the wet slices I'd read about. Nonetheless, I lost no time in rubbing out a hapless flake, filled pipe, applied light, and....was surprised to be somewhat underwhelmed. Strong enough to keep me interested, sure, but a little one-dimensional, and a wee bit hard to keep evenly burning (never a problem with Irish Flake, or SG's Brown or Black plugs). A few pipes later, I still was less than ecstatic.

I believe that I came up with a rather effective solution, although it might be specifically effective for me given that I tend to smoke slightly smaller pipes (Group 4's and 3's). I re-hydrated the tobacco the old fashioned way: with pieces of cut-up apple, and left the 1492 for about 3 days to see what happened. Well, as you might expect, the tobak took on a very faint apple hint, but now it felt right; pliable, and somehow more organic. This made the rubbing out much easier - I now believe this flake behaves best when very fully rubbed out. Result - Heaven! Delicious, slow burning, cool, satisfying, one pipeful leaving me wanting another.

A marvelous tobacco, not for the inexperienced no doubt, but full of rewards if treated properly. Highly recommended!

Whoa! This is some strong nicotine content....not for the timid! I can only handle about 1 bowl, but it is an excellent dark flake of pure unadulterated tabac. I detect no artificial flavoring, but it is loaded with full natural tobacco taste. Being a non-aromatic, the room note is not as pleasing to bystanders, but is still tolerable. It loads easily by bending a chunk of flakes in half and stuffing them in the pipe with some sprinkles on top and gives a complete burn. It's too strong for me to smoke while doing any chores, etc (not an all day smoke). It also has a tendency to irritate my throat. I'll give it 3-stars.

I am on my second tin and the only thing I can say is that sometimes this one hits the spot and then other times I want to dump it soon after it is lit. The nicotine is not overwhelming to me, but then again, I am also a cigarette smoker.

The one thing that is consistant is that this stuff seems to always stay cool. When I do smoke it, I find it enjoyable to produce copious amounts of smoke. Most blends I sip, but this one I go at with a little more verve. It is good with a cup of coffee with a splash of Jameson whiskey or Kahlua.

Mild enough to smoke first thing in the morning, but there is enough nicotine that your stomach needs the steak and eggs first. I feel that like old Iron sides from CAO it smokes cool, but don?t be deceived if you smoke it fast you will get a head rush. I prefer a bit less of a kick even thou I am a recovering cigarette smoker, but the mild taste keeps me coming back for more. It has a slight peppery and nutty taste more maybe earthy but it is mild and the smoke comes out like silk.

Although I considered myself an exprienced smoker of flake tobaccos, I had put my pipes away for many years smoking only cigars. However I missed the range of flavors available via the pipe, as well as handling the many briars and meerschaums I accumulated in the 70's and 80's. This was one of the first tobaccos I tried when I picked up my pipes again and I was at overwhelmed by it's strength. I smoked in a large billard meerschaum (a Paul Fisher) and several smaller briar pipes.

I love the look and feel of this flake and it's aroma in the tin. After my first smoke, I let it dry out for a day and tried it again. It begins very peppery, but settles into a range of nutty flavors. It burns cool and to a white/grey ash. But it is a powerhouse, and gave me thoughts of dropping it from any rotation of blends.

Then it dawned on me to do a little "aftermarket blending." McClelland's Dominican Glory is a rather bland blend in a ribbon cut I thought would mix well with this flake. Rubbing out 1792 and mixing it 50/50 with Dominican Glory produced what I was looking for -- a mild to medium smoke that knocked the power of 1792 down, but imporved the taste of Dominican Glory. This was also a great solution for the several tins of McClellands I had sitting around.

Oh boy...!!! Prepare for a very... very... hard ride!!! For hardcore smokers only!!! Not my bowl of weed for sure...!!!