Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake

Everything with BBF is the same as with FVF but with less aroma, less flavor, less taste, less strength and less nicotine.

BBF shows up its wonderful quality only at the second half bowl, In fact, the first half bowl seem to be a bit bland and tasteless if compared to FVF, but with some patience, the second half is very tasty, deep and delightful.

FVF and BBF are great Virginia and must have for any Virginia smoker. I find the bulk leaf is better quality than the tined one; the flakes are nicely done with wonderful aroma.

A middle of the road Va flake that has zero offensive characteristics. Certainly passable, there are so many better variations on this theme that I have a hard time smoking anything less than outstanding when it comes to VA's. I could start listing the better ones here and also the worse, but to do so would take all night and the lists would be pretty close to even.

Absolutely average.

Seeing as I love SG's Full VA flake, I couldn't wait to try this one out. Oh dear...oh dear...oh deary me, such a disappointment. Why? The infamous soapy taste is overwhelming here, like smoking a bar of Camay soap. It nearly made me retch & I emptied out my pipe unfinished.

Seeing as the Full VA flake has none of this horrid character, what do they do to spoil this tobacco up in Cumbria?

Sorry people, I cannot recommend at all.

Fresh tobacco smells after fruit, hay and have tangy citrusy aroma. Moisture was fine. No need to dry out. But my sample was already two years bought in aluminum pack.
Virginia is full bodied with portion of sugar. Taste is full, very satisfying. Remind me FVF.
No additional flavor was detected.

No tong bite. Burn till end, No many relights needed.

Somewhat similar in concept to to Full Virginia Flake but without the light floral note. I’d say Best Brown just a notch less “full” and a hair sweeter than FVF. This might be a bit grassier. It’s an apples to apples comparison so it really boils down to if you’re in the mood for a straight Virginia that’s a bit fuller and stronger or if you’re in the mood for something a touch lighter. Either way, I imagine that if you like one you’ll like the other. If you asked me which I preferred more my honest answer would be that it would depend on the day and maybe how much I’d eaten before hand.

If Full Virginia Flake is a deep father, then this is a kind mother, Golden Glow is a sunny boy,

BB doesn't have a lot of nicotine, it's very sweet, I can smoke all day, cut it up with a Cigar Cutter and put it into a pipe, it burns very easily, it doesn't create a strange smell in the room.

From all the positive reviews this seems to be the holy grail of virginias, or at least very close to it. And this infuses in me so much self pity for not appreciating it as it supposedly deserves. Its certainly a good virginia flake, medium strenght, dark/light tobaccos, hand made with old historical equipment and so on . But there is a but, how can I keep it alight? Out from the box is soaking, after hours of drying looks easier to start but it is not. Is all this worth full marks? I will insist for giving it 4 stars (as it apparently deserves) still for now 2 1/2 rounded down. Sorry but I cannot understand it.

Very good, well presented tobacco.

Tin note is nice hay and dried fruit virginia.

This one has been temperamental for me, but that is most likely my fault. It is moist but smokable right out of the tin.

I like the fold and stuff method for flakes but I might rub this one out in the future.

For a full VA blend this is easy to smoke and light on the tongue, nice smoke, flavorful high quality virginia. Sweet, light and hayey.

Have 3 tins aging.

I smoked this years ago. It was sold out often, and I was less experienced, so I got into other blends. I think 20 years is enough experience. I was gifted this tin in a huge Esoterica purchase and opened it to the delight of long, mature, beautiful flakes. I was greeted with a non overpowering sweet ripe tobacco smell. Quality of the leaf is exceptional. Slightly moist and damp enough not to fall apart. It rubbed out into fairly lengthy pieces and I used my knife to shorten those pieces. It took a couple light to get going. But once lit with proper tamping stayed lit and cool to the bottom of the bowl. Didn't get hot. But I sip it. Great subtly sweet and rich dark fruit notes. More like a raisin or fig. The flavor builds but seems consistently sweet and rich to the bottom of the bowl. The room note was of sweet dark tobacco. Only good dark Virginia smells this way. My wife is a pipe and cigar smoker also, and commented about its aroma and smoked some as well. Not a beginner smoke as it takes some finagling to get the flake prepped right. But such a pleasurable slow paced experience. Well deserving it's loyal following.