Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake

I have to admit that I tasted this baccy due to his high rating in this forum - I am in the middle of the box, and the leaf is still wet, but insofar I am not thrilled - maybe too mild for my taste, and without the nuances I noticed while smoking other similar blends - I 'll upgrade this if necessary pipi

This is what men smoke good tobacco flav love the real tobacco sidestream screw what anyone else thinks I like it all over my clothes and beard like a real viking thats how good it is. Goes well with a cup of black sumatra mandehling or grandpas whiskey. This has personality through the bowl perhaps I should order another pound or five. Once I see sugar chrystals developing through the mason jar it's ready. Do not be an agressive violator smoking this very slowly develops skill, character, and your palate. Enjoy!

Well, I feel this completely blows away what seems to be everyone's favorite, Full Virginia Flake. I just think this has much more sweetness and flavor than the FVF. Just got a small sample, and it's honestly what I've been going for lately, but it's very nice, simple, tobacco without a trace of casing or flavoring, which is important to me. Might have helped that I first tried this in a new cob, but it was deliciously sweet and just slightly spicy. Nice one, Sam...

Samuel Gawith's quality control guy must come to work drunk half the time, but when this stuff is on, it's on. Tastes like honey, wheat toast, hay, heather, and the tiniest hint of mint. Dry for a while, then fold 'n' stuff. It stays consistent throughout the bowl, even if it isn't always consistent from tin to tin. Aging helps. This is in my top 5, despite the quality issue.

This one of my favorite flakes - gentle and sweet with enough nicotine to satisfy but not to overwhelm. This is my go to Va and you could not do better. Smokes great in narrow, tall bowls. I buy this in 1lb boxes and it always arrives nice and moist through the mail. I rub it out fully and dry for a little before smoking. Never a whisper of tongue-bite.

UPDATE: have i gone crazy? am i the only one to feel that this blend has gone downhill during the last 6 moths? it is now a pale grey-brown, it's loosely pressed, there's almost no smell of fermentation, and to me, it tastes grassy with much less depth than before. there's still a variety of flavours here, but it doesn't compare with my first encounter with bbf. has sam gawith run out of zimbabwe leaf? whatever the reason, i've downgraded one star :END UPDATE

"made in england", indeed. like the ancient true rattray's, there's not that much tin aroma (but very fine it is). i take that as a sign of high quality, really.

bbf is the best, straight flue cured i know of, very well suited to go with a cup of espresso late in the day. like its big brother fvf, it is quite heavily stoved - only not quite to the same extend, so that there's a good deal of tang and zest left. exquisite!

as usual with samuel gawith tobaccos, don't smoke it in a very narrow bowl, and let it dry out well before smoking.

BBF is another good flake by Samuel Gawith. When compared to the flavor is more user friendly than FVF. FVF has to be controlled to yield marvelous flavor. BBF the flavor is just open and apparent. Both flakes are offered in the same format, stacked flakes that need a little drying.

When I want a casual smoke, a no brainer, than I will go with BBF. I reserve FVF for moments of rare solitude, when wife and kids cannot interrupt.

BBF gives me a straight forward virinia flavor. Burning sweet grass such as wheat, barley, or hay, are the prominent flavors.

This is my new favorite VA flake. That's it, really. It's just really good.

I know this probably doesn't need to be mentioned for most of the people who post on this site, but a reviewer below mentioned that this was "Zimbabwe" tobacco and not actually "Virginia." The word "Virginia" to describe tobacco simply means "Virginia broadleaf" or "brightleaf" tobacco. It's a breed of tobacco, and has nothing to do with where it's grown. This is a "Virginia" tobacco grown in Zimbabwe, one of the top tobacco-producing countries. A lot of the "Virginia" tobacco made today is not grown in Virginia or even in the US. Europe, India, Russia, many African nations (including Zimbabwe), Brazil, all produce "Virginia" tobacco.

It's the same as the distinction between "Cyprian" and "Syrian" latakia. Both are made with the same breed of tobacco, Oriental "small" or "dark" leaf, but are grown in different places.

Samuel Gawith is one of my favorite blenders. This being said, BBF is my favorite of thier flakes.

After trying a couple of 50 gram tins, I have bought several pounds of this in 1 pound boxes. As with most flakes I find that considerable drying is a must to enjoy. After drying I give this flake a full rub out. This makes packing, light, and burn effortless. Being a Virginia, to avoid bight, I sip, and enjoy this blend. I will not say that this is the "best tobacco" that I have ever tried, but I will say that I have put more of it in my cellar than any other blend. I am never disappointed with a bowl of this blend, and IMO this is one of the best "all day smokes" to be found.

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