Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake
(3.40)
A firm favourite for the pipe smoker looking for a medium strength, gentle and slow burning tobacco. Manufactured using hand-stripped flue cured Virginias with no flavours added, Best Brown will reward with a cool, sweet smoke with a delectable aroma and good sidestream. Mild to medium.
Details
| Brand | Samuel Gawith |
| Blended By | Samuel Gawith |
| Manufactured By | Samuel Gawith |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.40 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 29 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 14, 2013 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
If you are looking for a Virginia that is perfecly straight, sweet natural and well rounded like a Burley this maybe can be your choice, but it's just tooo much straigh for me: no tones, no colours, no variety. I don't wanna say that is poor, but it's exepensive and for that money I can buy a almost one and a half tin of Capstan navy and this is way better! Anyway I found that the BBF it's a pretty good base for homemade Mix. In particular is amazing with a hint of added orientals and you can also create a very good and perfectly balanced EM by adding just a little syrian latakia, those ideas can be a good way to give it variation and deepness. It's up to you.
Type: Natural Virginia flake ; Contents: Brown virginia (I think) ; Cut: Flake (better rubbed) ; Humidity: Wet and tender with a very good smell of dried fig ; Lighting: Not so easy in the first place, but once lighted constant burning ; Pipe recommended: Rubbed in a bent pipe
Type: Natural Virginia flake ; Contents: Brown virginia (I think) ; Cut: Flake (better rubbed) ; Humidity: Wet and tender with a very good smell of dried fig ; Lighting: Not so easy in the first place, but once lighted constant burning ; Pipe recommended: Rubbed in a bent pipe
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 2012 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
It's Full Virginia Flake with downgraded nicotine content. I've already revised FVF, have nothing to add. The relation pain/gain is too high for me.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 03, 2011 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
This stuff smells like sweet uncased natural virginia in the tin. I really wanted to like this one, but all I get is a undimensional hay like taste that really doesn't do much for me.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 22, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Well...this is the one Sam Gawith tobacco I have problems with. I don't doubt any of the positive comments made by others and my problems with this variety may be entirely due to the 500g box I have been struggling through, but every time I smoke this I get a sore roof of my mouth, EVERY time.
The quality of the flakes is very uneven and there's lots of light striations to them as if there's a lot of sliced stalks in it...that's why I queried whether is a QC issue. Apart from this blend and an absolutely disgusting tin of FVF I had to throw away, I totally admire all their other blends. Other tins of FVF have been fine so I surmise that their QC leaves something to be desired sometimes. On the other hand it may be that the chemistry in my mouth just reacts badly to this particular blend. I have got a feeling someone else reported the same reaction as me so that may be it.
The quality of the flakes is very uneven and there's lots of light striations to them as if there's a lot of sliced stalks in it...that's why I queried whether is a QC issue. Apart from this blend and an absolutely disgusting tin of FVF I had to throw away, I totally admire all their other blends. Other tins of FVF have been fine so I surmise that their QC leaves something to be desired sometimes. On the other hand it may be that the chemistry in my mouth just reacts badly to this particular blend. I have got a feeling someone else reported the same reaction as me so that may be it.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 04, 2009 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
If one is into VAs, this is good but it really isn't for me on a regular basis. If smoking a VA, I prefer something Solani 633 pressed with Perique or something like McClelland Christmas. This is mono-dimensial....however, a no nonense smoke with no casing, bells or whistles...pure VA tobacco. I do like the press which was really firm and offered a nice cool smoke even when thoughly rubbed-out. As a result of the cool smoke, would be a good tobacco to break in a new pipe...sort of neutral taste and cool burning. I would smoke it again but wouldn't rush out to get a tin although it may change as I change and I smoke through this tin.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 22, 2005 | Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I've thoroughly enjoyed the other SGs I smoked (Chocolate Flake, Squadron Leader, FVF), but this one just doesn't come up to their level. I've tried it in a variety of pipes, but each time I wish I'd grabbed another of his blends.
Quality leaf from a quality blender, but give me FVF instead. This one is just too bland.
Quality leaf from a quality blender, but give me FVF instead. This one is just too bland.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 14, 2005 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
Like another reviewer of this blend, I don't think its generally worth smoking a VA unless it is outstanding in some way. For me, BBF does not meet that criteria.
As several have noted, it requires some work to get this tobacco packed right. I've tried it folded, rolled, partially and fully rubbed out. In all cases, the experience is of a decent blend. But while the flavor is pleasant, it is relatively weak, and never really develops a richness and fullness that are present in other VAs. I suppose this could make it an all-day smoke for some, but for me this blend never rises to the level of satisfying. Nicotine content is noticeable but not dizzying.
For me, this blend just doesn't provide the return on investment for the work required.
As several have noted, it requires some work to get this tobacco packed right. I've tried it folded, rolled, partially and fully rubbed out. In all cases, the experience is of a decent blend. But while the flavor is pleasant, it is relatively weak, and never really develops a richness and fullness that are present in other VAs. I suppose this could make it an all-day smoke for some, but for me this blend never rises to the level of satisfying. Nicotine content is noticeable but not dizzying.
For me, this blend just doesn't provide the return on investment for the work required.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 04, 2003 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
I had varied results with this blend and perhaps just don't have the patience and temperment to get everything perfect in order to obtain an enjoyable smoke. My purchase was a tin that contained a tightly pressed, rectangular block of nicely prepared brownish flake with some golden intermixed. However, when separated, they formed some narrow ribbons that made uniform packing difficult or clogged the air hole. Pipe bowl size also seemed to influence the smoke more than other VA flakes with larger bowls bringing a better overall result. Even @ best, the taste lacked the sweetness and intensity that I prefer and tasted rather dull and uninteresting. Although the aftertaste was not objectionable, the blend left my mouth noticeably dry after each smoke. This is a cool smoke without a hint of bite but it's not the 'best' VA flake of any color by far.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 14, 2002 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Very Mild | Pleasant |
An odd one is this. The tobacco comes in 6" flake strips which I found easy to rub out, but I couldn't help but notice how quickly it dried out when in the open as compared to other flakes.
Once the bowl is packed it took a few charring lights to get it going, once lit it burns quite cool if puffed carefully. The flavouring is odd, I can only describe it as natural. The predominant flavours are earthy, perhaps with some nuttyness. There was a a distinct lack of sweetness for most of the bowl, only some slight sweetness was detected near the end.
Strength wise it is quite mild. There was no tongue bite and the nicotine content appeared to be quite low too.
So to sum up I can only describe this tobacco as neutral in flavour and strength. Pleasant but gets a bit dull after a while.
Once the bowl is packed it took a few charring lights to get it going, once lit it burns quite cool if puffed carefully. The flavouring is odd, I can only describe it as natural. The predominant flavours are earthy, perhaps with some nuttyness. There was a a distinct lack of sweetness for most of the bowl, only some slight sweetness was detected near the end.
Strength wise it is quite mild. There was no tongue bite and the nicotine content appeared to be quite low too.
So to sum up I can only describe this tobacco as neutral in flavour and strength. Pleasant but gets a bit dull after a while.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 10, 2012 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a one-dimensional smoke that is very cool with a small amount of bite and burns well once you air it out a while (very moist). I enjoyed smoking it, but I will not buy it again. I gave it three stars due to the high quality of the tobacco, I just wish it tasted better and had more depth in flavor; the hay like taste just does not work for me.
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