Tobaccos Samuel Gawith - Cabbie's Mixture

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3022)	2015-12-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Some liken this to the old VaPer Three Nuns, but there are many differences, so I’ll review this for its own merits, and forgo the comparison. The Virginias are bright, red, with a smidgeon of black stoved, which accounts for the light stewed fruitiness. The others provide tart and tangy citrus, mild grassiness, ripe tangy dark fruit, wood, earth, and hint of spice, tart lemon and floralness. Some of those characteristics, like the grass and citrus, are subdued by the deep sweetness of the Virginias. The perique essentially underscores the Virginias throughout the smoke in a supporting role with few raisin, plum and date notes along with a fair amount of spiciness. The strength is medium, while the taste is just past that. The nic-hit is almost medium. The coins are rough cut, and there some loose ribbon present as well. It’s moist out of the tin, and depending upon your preference, you may consider a slight dry time. I did not do that as I prefer a little moisture in my tobacco. Burns a little slow if not dried, requiring some relights, but it doesn’t leave much dampness in the bowl, so it can be burned to ash. The flavors remain very consistent and complex from start to finish with no bite. The pleasant after taste and room notes linger just a bit. Can be an all day smoke for the veteran piper. Three and a half stars out of four only because there are VaPers with more complexity, and this lacks just a little of the depth that several four star VaPers have. For those who want only a mild to moderate dose of perique, it’s an easy four star blend.

Update: 5-27-2017. I detect a floral note that was barely present in the earlier tin I had smoked. It is akin to the essence of Lakeland, but I have noticed this particular note in some G&H Virginias, and as the two companies have merged, it may be the Virginia varietal was changed. Or perhaps, as many of us have observed, the Lakeland essence in the factory may have lightly seeped into this mixture as it has in other G&H products. I lean toward it being the tobacco, but I can't say that for certain.

-JimInks

68 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2015-10-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Samuel Gawith - Cabbies Mixture.

Retyped 20/12/2017.

Every time I smoke this I think ''this could be my all time favourite''. There are a few blends which instil this feeling, and that's the sign of a good un!!

I wasn't too sure what the blends appearance would be like, Dunhill De Luxe Navy Rolls maybe? No, it looks like one of the Mac Baren roll cakes. It's not as perfectly organised in the tin as Dunhill's De Luxe but a mix of more rugged slices of twist.

It's NOWHERE near as moist as is expected from Sam' G'.

Great flavour! There's lots of spice and pepper and the taste never becomes vinegary or astringent. This sits at the sharper side of VaPers instead of leaning toward the bitter/sour, or fruity ones. It's a 'clean' VaPer, if that makes sense? Although there's Virginia leaf present it's a definite subordinate to the Perique. The burn from it's irrefutable, generating a bite free smoke.

Nicotine: Medium. Room-note: pleasant-ish.

Brilliant. Four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson Kinsale XL 12

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

56 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2016-02-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I popped the tin and took a whiff - nope, the smell was not inviting to me. I pulled out a wad and nope, the tobacco was not ready to smoke as it was too wet. Would someone please invent a blow dryer made specifically for tobacco?

After a couple of hours in the smoke filled air of my home office, I deemed the leaf ready to burn. And it did burn well. The Perique is very noticeable, but the quality Virginia base played right alongside the peppery leaf beautifully. Not particularly strong, but not limp wristed either. A Lakeland VaPer that will present something different for Virginia/Perique fans. I've had the pleasure of smoking a lot of fine VaPer blends over the years and Cabbie's Mixture does fit into the mix, especially due to its aging qualities. This stuff is really good!

Pipestud

47 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2016-01-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pretty curls with light, reddish brown and black threads...

Smell is utterly different than St. Jame's or another Va/Per that smells of jam, molasses or pot pourri. It's reminiscent of old uninteresting black tea. I use four curls, I shred them, dry them for a few minutes and light in my first pipe ever dedicated to Va/Pers.

Again here, I thought I'd have hints of St. Jame's, but boy was I wrong. The first puffs are strongly peppery with a taste of grilled aubergines ! Maybe some bell peppers too ? I love it. Perique's presence is strong here. The virginias' role here is to lightly sweeten, soften and round the taste. At around half the bowl, enjoyable slightly bitter and vanilla like nunances develop. No significant difference at the end of the bowl. No Lakeland aromas detected in this blend.

Not many issues lighting and keeping the pipe lit in the beginning. Afterwards, the pipe stays lit, the burning is slow and even. At times I puffed a tad stronger to keep the combustion going.

I find this mélange better than St. Jame's Flake and I salute Samuel Gawith's efforts on this particular blend.

Cabbie's mixture is now one of my favourite Vapers.

Pipe Used: Jean Nicolas Straight Billiard

Age When Smoked: New

28 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-02-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cabbie’s greets the nose with a wonderful smell of stewed fruit. The coins, although rougher, are about the same size as can be found in Three Nuns although the blends have very little in common. As with most of the SG Virginia blends, there is too much moisture for me to smoke right out of the tin. However, it’s not as moist as Best Brown or St James Flake. The Perique is noticeable but not overpowering. The sweetness of the Virginia's is more pronounced in the later stages of each bowl. There are some high notes, but less than I had expected. Cabbie’s offers some spice too. There’s no bite, even when pushed and I found myself enjoying the depth of flavor during the second half of each bowl more than the first half although both were quite good. I struggled a bit with whether or not this is a three or four star blend for me personally. I think it’s a smidgen under four right now, but there is no doubt in my mind that this will be a big four stars all the way after some time in the cellar. Congrats to SG on an exciting new blend that really expands their Virginia offerings!

Age When Smoked: new

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2016-10-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tin was a gift from a friend. He told me he left it open for a while to dry a little. I tried some as soon as I got it, and it was still too damp. It stayed in the tin waiting for the fullness of time and once it got leathery, I started cramming coins in a pot and turning them to ash. I did not rub these out, and I found this packing method worked pretty well. It burned without unusual need for relights and was a medium-slow smoke. Aftertaste is good and lingers.

The Virginias present as yellow and red. This is a pleasant combination of hay, mild citrus and a darker sweet, heavy fruit. This is a very tasty combination of Virginias with a bias to the yellow in terms of the flavor. The taste is medium and trends up toward the end of the bowl without ever getting ashy or harsh.

The perique may contribute to the dark, heavy fruit, and it is well integrated in the blend with just a little spicy edge. It is more evident when puffed. There is the distinctive perique tingle when exhaled through the nose but not enough to irritate my throat after a couple of bowls in a row.

This one is very easy to recommend. It is not something I will buy except as an occasional treat due to the cost per ounce, but it is very good and I think it is something everyone interested in VaPer's should try.

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2016-03-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is like two different smokes in the same bowl. Starts off very figgy and peppery and seems a bit out of balance with too much Per and not enough Va. As the bowl progresses, however, the Virginias start to show their influence in a wonderful dark fruity sweetness that continues to build until the halfway point at which the overall flavor is sublime. The second half of each bowl is about as good as a VaPer gets. Sweet, fruity, and spicy. Very well rounded with about an equal amount of high and low notes. Heaven in a bowl. Always takes a few matches to get going, maybe because I haven't tried rubbing this out yet. I do dry this for a couple of hours. Burns well once started. Smokes the same in briar, cob or clay. Great stuff.

Medium in body. Medium to full in taste. Can't detect any added flavorings.

Pipe Used: Ropp Dublin, MM Mark Twain, MF #4

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Norfolk Pipe (2)	2015-12-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a wonderful tobacco that yields a delicious smoke. I'm generally one for English and Balkan mixtures, but this is a rich and nuanced Virginia and Perique mixture that I will certainly buy again.

In the tin, the tobacco is dark and presented in a roughly cut coin form. It has an appetising scent, and - in my tin anyway - is ready to burn from the off. And very well it burns too, leaving a fine white ash. The Perique is well balanced and its gentle piquancy sets off cocoa and woody notes nicely. Another reviewer chose the adjective 'earthy' to describe Cabbie's Mixture. I believe he chose well.

Maybe the picture of the hansom cab on the tin has gone to my head, yet somehow this tobacco really does evoke the past for me (although, I must admit, so do other Samuel Gawith blends). I can't yet decide whether it's the pastoral mist of Thomas Hardy's Wessex or the foreboding fog of Dickens' London I'm imagining: either way, Cabbie's Mixture lends itself to meditation.

Samuel Gawith continue to warrant their venerable reputation with this new tobacco. I reckon any lover of Virginia and Perique mixtures will agree. And even if you're a confirmed Oriental and Latakia enthusiast like me, I venture to suggest that you may find enough worth savouring in Cabbie's Mixture to justify procuring a wee stock of the stuff, for those times when a change is just the thing one's pipe and palate require.

A more incautious man than I might offer the opinion that this tobacco will become a quiet classic. I would have sympathy for such an opinion; but for now I will be content to recommend it, most highly.

Pipe Used: Estate Dunhill Half Bent Dublin

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ayepuffin (1)	2015-10-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A new release from S Gawith and in my favourite "roll cut" was right up my alley and a couple of tins were duly bought .

The aroma similar to FVF but earthier , almost musky . Appearance like Three Nuns or Mac B's Roll Cake but more moist and not so tightly packed . Packed the bowl very loosely then progressively tighter until quite firm at the top . Lit surprisingly well and stayed lit until near the end , smoked very well despite being so moist in the tin .

Wow ! this is a beautiful smoke ; sweet , pungent , rich and tasty . I can't really fault it . Virginia fans will enjoy it's sweet , hay-like base , while the added Perique gives an earthy richness that separates it from FVF or BBF . For me , more flavoursome than Three Nuns , a more natural sweetness and complexity than Mac B's very fine roll cut offerings . Perhaps a better comparison would be with G&H's Curly Cut which I have not yet sampled .

It's a winner for me !

Pipe Used: various Peterson briars

Age When Smoked: newly released

Purchased From: online UK

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2017-07-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Cabbies Mixture became in instant favorite. It's got everything I love about Gawith's grade A Virginias with their excellent Perique all wrapped up (literally) into one fine twist. I would love if they offered the uncut twist for sale but I'm fine with their sloppy coins as I usually rub them out regardless. I actually quite like the presentation and the sloppiness of the coins adds to the character of this historical company, it shows that they truly still do everything in small batches and their coins and flakes don't come out perfect like the STG giants. Some of their machinery used was purchased in 1792 (secondhand) and still used to this day! You just can't duplicate that in a warehouse, just imagine how seasoned some of those machines are! Anyone familiar with the quality of tobacco that is produced from this house can easily blind buy this tobacco and I'm certain they will be happy with their purchase. Not much to say about the flavors, everyone knows what to expect from a VaPer and if I tell ya it tastes like a bit of grass with some earthy tones it won't help you any, everyone says that about VA's and it becoming a bit clichéd. I will tell you that I don't think this is redundant if you have St. James Flake in your rotation as I have found plenty of room for both. Be careful with this one as it can sneak up on ya and give ya a big slap of nicotine and that's just another reason I love this so much. I open the tin, rub out the entire contents and give it at least two hours of drying time. After that, I just put it all back in the tin and it's ready to go and easy to lock and load any time I'm in the mood. This is up there with the best of them. Most definitely essential!

Pipe Used: Gamboni, P. Jeppesen and Stanwell.

Similar Blends: Esoterica Tobacciana - Dunbar.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2016-07-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

There are many coin cut Vapers out there, Escudo taking the grand prize for most smokers. Cabbie's Mixture, in turn, is reminiscent of Three Nuns in its small, partially rubbed out coins and VAPER formula. I can't give you a reference on comparisons, having only smoked the newer Three Nuns which is an excellent VaKen.

Out of the tin, the note reminds me of cranberry juice...it is soft and inviting, as are the coins which were too wet upon opening to pull straight from the tin. After settling in a mason jar for a few days, the moisture content was more suitable to light. I love the novelty of shoving the little coins into the bowl and wish there were more curly cut blends like this out there.

I'm terrible with describing flavors. I don't get citrus notes, or stewed fruits, and I'm not sure what kind of Virginias these are, whether they are golden or reds. The blend seems to have a bit of sugar, and the taste is excellent. I suppose there are what you would describe as grassy notes that begin mildly, and as the bowl develops you will find a medium intensity strength that develops into a wonderful meld with the Perique, average in its distribution.

Some have noted a greater strength, but to me, this is perfectly manageable in terms of nicotine. This is easily a favorite that will have to compete with Escudo's in my smoking rotation. I'll maybe revisit this review after Cabbie's is finished and I open a tin of Escudo's.

Pipe Used: Peterson Apple

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Escudo's and other coin Vapers..

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2016-02-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

At first I was expecting some kind of flake, but then, when I opened the tin, I was very surprised to find out this is rather a spun or twist tobacco sliced up in small little coins with a perique heart right in the middle of it. The tin note has acrid or fermented undertones very similar to Squadron Leader despite the fact there is no latakia in this blend. I have left my tin open in a drawer a couple of days to dry it up as the moist content, as it is customary with all SG's flakes and tobaccos, was rather high. This seems to be a very slow burning tobacco easy to keep lit and get going despite its moist content. I'd say the amount of perique in this blend is rather high and above average, but it does not spoil it. This, in turn, seems to bring cigar leaf undertones the more you progress with your smoke. That is to say perique is the main player here and not so more the Virginia leaf it contains. I cannot detect any casing and the experience seems to be akin to that of an unadulterated tobacco leaf. The only problem I find is that the tobacco leaf seems to be rather fresh, that is, it hasn't been properly aged, so I guess it would benefit from some time off in your cellar. As for the room note just to say there is nothing outstanding about it. Personally, it does not bother me, but your wife might have something to say about it. All and all this is a very good smoke, so I will give it 3 stars.

Edit1 (06/03/2016): this tobacco is better than I thought. I have been smoking it for a week now and it really delivers. The problem though is that it is so different from any other VaPer that I know, but I guess this is why it is so unique. If you smoke this tobacco at a very low pace, it will probably impress you. For a mixture that contains 1/4 parts of perique (that works out at 25%), I am finding it quite balanced. The only thing I'd say is you really need to smoke it in a meerschaum pipe, or a brand new one, to avoid the ghost. I am upgrading this to 4 stars.

Pipe Used: A bent 18mm diameter Moretti freehand

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noctivagant (11)	2017-03-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

This is one of my absolute favorite tobaccos and one of the best Virginia/Perique blends around. For me, the interplay between the aged Virginias and the excellent Perique accentuate the plum and fruit that a good example of the latter should have. This, like every Samuel Gawith tobacco I've tried, is really top-notch.

It can do with a considerable amount of drying, and judging by how fast it gets crispy, it can really be seen that SG isn't using any propylene glycol or humectants. I prefer to smoke this tobacco pretty damn dry, often drying it for two hours or more and it really shines when dry and crispy. It still burns slowly and the interplay between the Virginia and Perique is really magnified. This can also be smoked moist, and to me the dominating Virginias really taste of un-aged Royal Yacht (which I believe is a cased Virginia trying to masquerade as a VaPer, I still adore it, though) when straight from the tin.

This isn't a spicy Perique by any means, and the Virginias really dominate, especially the dark Virginias. It has a moderate spice on the retrohale, but really less than most VaPers you'll come across.

I struggle to define that absolute perfection that this tobacco is. It has become my all-day smoke and really caused me to toss aside so many blends that I regularly enjoyed as dailies. It is never harsh on the relight, and in fact, it can shine under such conditions. It has an incredibly consistent flavor throughout the bowl and takes a light easily. I generally rub-out several coins and layer another few whole coins throughout, this to me is the best way to smoke this wonderful blend.

Pipe Used: Dunhill bent billiard, Nording apple,

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

Similar Blends: Royal Yacht.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2016-04-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

I've been mulling over trying this one for while but have been little apprehensive as SG are hardly reputed for their VAPs. Nonetheless, when I popped into my local b&m a couple of weeks ago and saw this sitting so neatly on the shelf, I decided to plump for a tin.

The tin aroma is a mixture of stewed fruits and hay The tobacco itself is a collection of darkly shaded curls that somehow reminded me of the legendary Strang. I think it's safe to say the similarity by and large ends there, though I did pack the pipe in a similar style, gathering up two or three slices and stuffing them vertically into the chamber, it seems to work a treat. This stuff is a little damp so takes a moment or two to light, but compared to a lot of other SG offerings, this almost qualifies as bone dry. The flavour in the first few smokes comes across as light, sweet, stewed fruits developing into a light earthiness towards the bottom of the bowl, with occasional hints of hay popping in. I found, though, that as I progressed down the tin that both flavours became richer and deeper, if less sweet, reaching quite a full satisfying flavour.

This is one of those smokes that is just a simple yet wonderful experience. A previous reviewer mentioned similarities to GH Curly Cut, I'm tempted to concur in some measure, certainly the earthiness appears born of the same extended family, if not the same mother. It almost seems to me the perfect tobacco to be smoking on a dark October night while reading Edgar Allan Poe by candle light with a glass of port to hand. Don't ask me why, it just seems right. I have long held the excellent if different MB Acadian Perique as my in house VAP - the one to keep in stock at all times - but I think it might have found some stiff competition from Cabbie's Mixture, especially as I have just gone and bought another tin of this stuff, something I've not done before after first trying a tobacco. To me, that single act sums up the quality of this tobacco.

Pipe Used: Barling Guinea Grain

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

Purchased From: Cuban Cigar Club

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-07-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

As I never smoked the old Nuns I can't compare it to them, but if Cabbie's really is similar to the old Three Nuns, I can finally understand what the raving is all about! For a long time I hestitated buying this, because of it's absurd pricing. 16,50€ for a 50g tin...along with the new Three Nuns which have the same price tag, this is the most expensive blend I know of. !

Cracking up the (besides the annoying warning stickers) lovely and old-fashioned tin with an old Cabbie on it revealed some appetizing spun-cuts. I must've been lucky, as my tin has almost all curlys intact. Tin note is bewitching to me. An intensive aroma of stoved- and well-seasoned plums is most noticeable. Fruity-sweet, but with a spicy, almost tangy undertone to it. Unexpectedly rich in spice. A bit of citrusy-sour notes is underscoring the deep spiced-plum scent of the tin note.

Only downside is the insane amount of moisture - like with any Gawith blend. I had a bowlful worth of tobacco laying out for over 12 hours, and it was still too moist to smoke. Leaving the whole tin open for at least 24- better 48(+) will dry it to a acceptable moisture level, so you can open the tin and pack a bowl without having it to dry out for several hours (or even days!) in before enjoying it.

Cabbie's taste is spectacular and well worth the effort of bringing it to a smokeable condition imho! Right away I perceive rich stoved plums, that have a decent spiciness to it. Reminiscent of seasoned (with christmas-ish spices) and then baked plums. The spice is very peppery and a slightly salty quality is also there. Leaves a tingling, peppery mouthfeel. Virginias and Perique are in perfect harmony and the Perique is underscoring the Virginias grassy, citrusy-sweet, bready and fermented fruit notes very well. Medium in strenght and close to being full tastewise.

My tin diddn't have any Lakeland-ish or floral scent nor aroma to it! Guess they got ahold of that problem and finally solved it, as my tin was produced only a few months ago.

An instant, but pretty expensive favorite of mine. That's why I hestitated trying it - I knew this would be up my alley, and I knew it would cost me a whole stack of bills implementing this classic into my rotation. But it's worth every single penny and is a "Top-3 Va/Per" material to me.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Berzerker (28)	2016-08-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This is my 'go to' tobacco. No bite or harshness, lights and burns easy. Good amount of perique, just right. The tin note has that typical Sam Gawith virginia smell, just wonderful. Smells agricultural, natural and earthy. It tastes the same although can, upon first light and puffs, have a slight soapy taste, that's not in a bad way and generally doesnt last long in any case. This tobacco has the most complexity I've ever experienced in a tobacco. It's just right in all proportions. I love it and there could be some man tears if they ever stopped making this stuff. Cabbies Mixture is the reason I smoke a pipe! It truly is that bloody good. This blend is unique and the rural grassy notes are tranforming. Dry it out a fair bit and it smokes easily with minimal fuss. You have to try this one! Only outdone by perhaps Solani 633.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2016-03-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Small moist coins of mostly mid brown tobacco with dark and light pieces throughout.

Tin note is very sweet, with honey, caramel, vanilla and molasses notes. There are also spice notes, cinnamon particularly; the aggregate of which suggests bread and pastry. Definitely not an Aromatic or Lakeland, in case that sounds over the top- these are, essentially, natural tobacco conditioning flavours.

Burns well but requires some effort to get going. I did not rub out or dry the baccy and once underway it burns beautifully with minimal attention.

As per the tin note, this tobacco smokes very sweet and has a fair amount of depth as well. The Perique makes itself aware as a plum and pepper sourness, which tends to build as the bowl progresses.

A well made tobacco, complex and interesting enough for contemplative moments.

Pipe Used: Lepeltier

Similar Blends: St James Flake (Cabbies burns better and is a better tobacco imo), GP Fillmore (Fillmore is atm not as nice as Cabbies but has tremendous ripening potential. Again, imo).

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mesh (51)	2016-02-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

At first, this reminded me a bit of Samuel Gawith's Golden Glow, though with perique, and more strength and body. The first quarter of my first bowl was fairly pedestrian, a bit like how GG feels to me these days. Then the flavour explosions began. As useless as I am at describing tastes, I'll just say that, having gone through most of this first tin, I see no reason for not placing Cabbie's Mixture among the best VA-Pers currently on the market.

For those who enjoy VA-Pers but aren't fans of SG's St James Flake, the latter bears very little resemblance to Cabbie's Mixture, which, to my mind at least, is far more along the lines of blends like Escudo/Dunhill's Navy Rolls (in taste if not in tin note).

As usual with Virginia tobacco, slow sipping brings out the best in Cabbie's Mixture. I'd also recommend smoking it a bit on a moist side - 10-20 minutes dry time out of the tin - a lack of any moisture tending to result in a lack of flavour and harshness with this blend.

Update after the second tin: I don't think anyone has mentioned likewise, but I do detect a very slight Lakeland topping. It's not in the tin note, but in the first few puffs of the bowl, after which it quickly fades away. As a Lakeland fan, it's not a detracting factor for me, and it's barely noticeable in any case.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	maxiRica (8)	2020-03-28		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I am Spanish and I don't speak English, so I use google translate to make this review. This tobacco seems to me a very nice va-per, some virginias very much in line with Samuel's tobaccos, with a herbal and very tasty touch and a slight fermented fruit flavor, spicy, but basically, it is not a mixture with a powerful load of Perique, but it is there, in the background, giving it complexity and depth. Some say that it has a topping that offers a sweet flavor, I think it is part of the virginias. A good tobacco, which has become one of my rotation mixes.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (395)	2019-10-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

I was gifted a nice sample of this some weeks ago. This one at least for me, is hard to come by. Always seems out of stock. I signed up for email notification from an online pipe and tobacco store and I think I am like number 350 or so. Fat chance of getting any I suppose as I lament. Very sweet tin note, which is what I say for just about all my reviews lately. Running out of verbiage, I guess. I gently stuffed this into a corn cob and left the little coins intact. What a fantastic smoke. I tried to smoke this a little slow to avoid any tongue bite and it smoked extremely smooth. If you can get some buy it. On a side note I did not know that Samuel Gawith and Gawith Hoggarth merged around 2015. The two brothers split up around 150 years ago. http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/pipe-news/gawiths-one-big-happy-family-again-after-150-years-merger-confirmed/ I did not detect any Lakeland essence in this blend, thank goodness.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dbl-bbl (45)	2018-01-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Samuel Gawith Cabbie's Mixture ... opening the sealed canister I'm greeted with an appealing & zesty fragrance that's similar to Rattray's HOTW (yet different) .... reminiscent of stewed fruit, dried hay, & raisin bread. This tobac is a VaPer that's not to heavy on the Perique (which I prefer). The small coins (about the size of a dime) are very easy to just drop into & load a group 4 or larger size bowl ... however, it can be a little moist so some drying time may be needed. I truly enjoy smoking this blend for the clean natural tobacco flavor it imparts upon my palate; delivering an earthy, clean flavor from start to finish. Although I really like Rattray's HOTW I can see this perhaps taking a front seat to it. This is an excellent smoke and as such it will now be a part of my regular rotation. I think I'll pick up some extra tins of this fine tobacco for "cellaring" as me thinks this one can/will become even more mellow & tasty given some "jar time". 4 stars!!!!

Pipe Used: Briars & Meerschaums

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

Similar Blends: Rattray's HOTW.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pencils (57)	2017-11-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I love the sour tin note of this blend. Reds and browns, curls and rough cut strands, easily lit and strong peppery flavour. This is extremely enjoyable in both small and large bowls. When dried properly, it is tasty and consistent quality that never fails to deliver the zing that a good VaPer promises. When damp, it tends to lose some of the taste and attraction that draws me to it - dry it out every time! It rarely bites, but it sometimes hovers between bitey and strong pepper, which is interesting.

For me, this is too tangy to be an all day blend, but forces its way into the reckoning to be enjoyed at least once each day. I love the mouth feel and the aftertaste, and would rate it extremely highly. In this case, sour is good!

Pipe Used: Several

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2017-03-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Some coins but most of mine were pretty malformed, which was not a problem since I rub them out anyway. Tin aroma was of grass and dark fruit. Perique-y aroma but not overpowering.

Too wet to smoke fresh out of the tin but not as wet as a lot of SG blends. I did of course smoke it moist and it was typically bland and sour with a weird finish... weird is the best I can come up with. Properly dried (arid but not crunchy), the dark fruit was the star of the show. The Virginias were mostly of a red tang with a bit of citrus. The perique eschewed the pepper characteristics of some VaPers in favor of a sweet fruitiness and perhaps a bit of spice, although that may have come from the Virginias as well. Pretty fair nic hit but not a lot of complexity, although there was some depth. All in all, just not what I've come to expect from Sam Gawith, although it was a fine blend and is recommended. A bit more perique would have done this no harm but if you prefer a moderate amount and a lot of fig-type notes (more bass than high notes here), this one may be for you. And if you don't like your tobacco dry, finish the tin fast or get the tobacco into a ziplock, as it dries quickly if left in the tin.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-02-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was very curius to try this blend due to the reviews.when you crack the tin you see roll cut from virginia and perique mixed with ribbon cut virginias.the smells come more from virginias combining dark fruits,grass and spices.some citruses are there too.the moisture level is higher than needed so some drying time is required for me.packs ok,needs a bit effort to light and some re lights are needed.while smoking the flavours are simple and clear between dark fruits ,grass spices and a hint of citrus.the perique is really on the background almost absent sometimes.the nicotine level is almost medium.burns medium to hot, clear to total ash with a little moisture at the end of the bowl.never bit me even if i went hard.it's an all day smoke though i would prefer a higher dose of perique!

Age When Smoked: Rubed and left it dry for 1/2 hour.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	M.Smolensky (6)	2016-06-16		Medium to Strong	Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought several tins of this, in anticipation of enjoying it from previous reviews here on Cabbie's Mixture. I smoked one tin, and did enjoy it very much. The tobacco was very nice, and there was a piquant taste to it, I guess from the Perique. Then, part way into the second tin, I got hit with the famous/infamous Lakeland floral/tonquin taste. To me, it was suddenly pure soap in my mouth, and I hate that taste. I have seen pictures of the Gawith factory online, and see the ancient two hundred year old plus machines caked in tobacco from years past. The place looks like a dump, and it could be that they have never cleaned their tobacco making equipment since they got it in 1792, They may sweep their floor, but otherwise the place is a mess. My guess is that when they apply the soap to the other tobaccos, it cannot help but spread the soap where it was not intended to go, because there is no cleaning up, and no where else for it to go, but onto other tobacco. Cabbie's Mixture is not supposed to have any flavoring added to it, but I got enough of their soap in my tobacco, to quit this blend. So sorry, cause I started to like it, and still have some left over.

Pipe Used: Ser Jacopo

Age When Smoked: A few months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Other Gawith tobaccos with soap added intentionally..

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	THROATHIT (38)	2016-02-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I come to pen my review on this smoke as it was in my pipe at the time. What amazed me was finding it was a more simple mix than I had imagined. I was expecting some Kentucky or burley in the mix as the taste was quite a rich and interesting. So for that reason I have to give it four stars rather than the three I was thinking of.

The tobacco was light brown caramel in colour and packed with ease after some drying time. Lit and smoked with a standard three stage fill without much bother. The perique is obvious but not to dry to the mouth with its pepper taste. The virginias give a taste just as they looks a good sweet caramel which nears creamy at times but never so much as to become sickly. Overall a full but mellow smoke with vitamin N included. The tea like smell of the product unlit is nice but gives only a flicker of what is to come.

A great smoke that will only grow on me.

Pipe Used: Any

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: g q

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (75)	2017-02-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

For me this is the epitome of the Samuel gawith range.

A fantastic straight up virginia and perique roll cut.

Opening the tin a lovely sweet and sour aroma from the Virginias emanates from the tin, then underneath that the spicy foggy tones from the perique greets us and marries together in a beautiful medley.

(For those worried about the "lakeland" essence, do not worry, none is to be found here.)

Easily rubbed out to the smokers preference, which is what I have done to my four tins for jarring purposes.

This does need drying time as trying to light up straight up straight out of the tin I would imagine it is easier trying to set asbestos aflame.

But with some dry time ignition is not an issue.

In smoking all them beautiful aromas from the opening of the tin transfer beautifully to the smoking which makes for a truly mouth watering smoke.

The Virginias are always centre stage with support and slight muscle from the perique. Although strong it is never overwhelming, and the flavours just keep getting better and better, as you go down the bowl there is a more caramelised note and a creamy after taste and Burns down to a fine ash, with minimal fuss.

This is a VaPer to be reckoned with, using perique as spice tobacco, if over done can lead to disaster, and I find less is more, which is the gawith has gone with this. At only 6% perique, it doesn't seem a lot but it is just right. A beautiful smoke and as already has been said this is the epitome of the Sam gawith range, and I dare say an absolute bench mark for those who like this type of tobacco.

Pipe Used: Falcon international with apple bowl.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop.co.uk

Similar Blends: Orliks Bullseye and the like, although cabbies mixture omits the Cavendish and the coins are a lot small..

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ian K (30)	2016-03-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

An interesting one this....being a bit of a Lat lover I recently discovered VaPers in the form of Orliks golden slices and decided to delve deeper in the form of Cabbies Mixture, each bowl I smoke delivers pretty much the same results as I work my way to the bottom starting off quite peppery and overly heavy on the Perique then mellowing to an interesting (there's that word again) and enjoyable smoke once my mouth becomes accustomed to the spiciness. The retro-hale gives a pleasant tingle to the nostrils with an almost latakian smokiness and hay-ess sweetness from the Virginia. Tin note and room note are both pleasant from the off and the medallions burnt well from start to finish. Would I buy another tin? Probably not right away but maybe one to come back to in my journey

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King UK

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	O'Confrère (40)	2016-02-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This batch of Samuel Gawith Cabbie’s Mixture was tinned on Dec. 4th, 2015.

The attraktive oval slices are about 3/4 x 7/8 x 1/16 inches each, and the tobaccos appear darker in slices than when pulled apart into ribbons, at least to my eye. Looks to be golden and red virginias, maybe a bit of lemon. The perique is also apparent with some broader segments of the leaf showing.

The tin aroma is rich, fresh and fruity, perhaps a bit figgy with a faint perique stench somewhere behind. Detect no topping, but am wondering if an aspect of that fruitiness isn’t a slight peachiness from the casing which is often noticeable in Kohlhase & Kopp virginias. This must be a collaboration, but no problem there. It’s mouthwatering and makes one want to dive right in. You might want to wait, though. The slices are deceptively moist and smoke steamily if not allowed some drying time. I prefer to rub them out and let them dry for some time before loading up, which is then no problem and simplifies lighting up.

The flavor development seems to run along the following lines in most of the pipes I’ve smoked: At the first match CM seems lighter than I’d expected. The brighter virginias and the fruitiness promised in the tin aroma show themselves first, followed by perique spiciness. The fruitiness subsides as the flavor becomes peppery, but the first third of the bowl has me wishing for lower notes which darker virginias might have provided. No problem with the burn. The middle third reveals more depth as the virginias become toastier and earthiness emerges from the perique. The final third brings the elements together and offers more earthy darkness (reminiscent of dark chocolate and/or espresso) as the burley takes over. At the very end a surprising virginia sweetness returns. The aftertaste is almost creamy with lighter woody notes lingering. The mouth feeling is unexpectedly clean (and, perhaps, ready for the next pipe). It’s an interesting ride.

And, it’s an interesting addition to the Samuel Gawith offerings. If you’re a SG buff, or if you are interested in VaPers in general, definitely give this one a go! Am not sure how often I well return to CM, but I will be putting some tins back to see how it develops over time. A three star blend for me at the moment, but it may well be a four star blend for you and exactly what you’re looking for.

Pipe Used: Several, all reserved for VaPers

Age When Smoked: about ten weeks

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2018-05-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

All day smoke if your inclined. Coins load easy in a large bowl. Fit tight in my Stanwell Black Diamond,but smoked fine. Light on the Perique . The Virginia is as expected citrus and hay. Always on hand for me. Try it!

Pipe Used: Stanwell Black Diamond

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jhand45 (13)	2017-09-14		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I try to avoid new tobacco hype but this one kept coming up as being especially great so I thought I'd give it a try when I found it at a B&M. I wish I hadnt bothered. Not that its bad, but I dont consider it anything special. Nice presentation - the coins are delightful and really easy to work with despite being wet (less than normal SG but still wet). The tin note smells to me of stewed apples. But when lit its just, meh. Its not bad, there's nothing offensive going on, its just... meh.

I've heard it ages well so maybe I'll leave it and do an edited review at some point but for now its not something I'll be returning to.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sukan7 (1)	2017-08-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I'll rate this from a new pipe smoker's point of view - about 5 months into pipe smoking. I started off with the usual Aromatics and then to English. Wasn't too happy with the blends I smoked as none had that "I want this everyday" kind of feel/taste. Then I stumbled on GL Pease's Virginia Cream and liked that very much. Moved on to C&D's Autumn Evening, Peterson's Hyde Park and found these last three blends were more to my taste and preference. The common leaf in these blends - Virginia. As a beginner, I've read that we ought to steer clear from full Virginias and Vapers as they smoke hot. But since I now know that Virginia based blends are my calling, I proceeded to get a tin of Cabbie's Mixture based on the reviews here. The verdict? This is pure bliss for me. Smells of dried stone fruits and very moist to the touch. Dried it out for about 10 minutes. Needs a couple of relights in the beginning but thereafter stays lit throughout. Taste wise it's very fruity at the top but towards the bottom of the bowl it slowly changes to a nutty flavor. My favourite at the moment and it's highly recommended. This is definitely something you can smoke the whole day.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Acrobaleno, Chacom Atlas

Age When Smoked: New

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Oldbelt (10)	2016-08-23		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

Soft coins of VaPer. Smells nice in the tin. Very moist. After a brief dry I loaded my pipe. Grassy, boring. No change in character as the bowl was smoked down. Tasted something strange. Couldn't put my finger on it. Few days later I rubbed some up for another go. Dried it out for 20 min or so. Pure soap taste. Couldn't smoke it. It is nice in presentation and feel but man did they get this wrong. I don't understand the reviews that praise this blend, but to each is own. Don't think I would even pass this full tin along. What a shame.

Pipe Used: Peterson bent dublin

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

Similar Blends: Dove, perhaps ivory with a mild dish detergent thrown in for good measure..

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2020-01-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Samuel Gawith - Cabbie’s Mixture

Recently I’ve found myself highly engrossed in the VaPer blends and I’m glad I purchased this one. I originally opened this tin around July 2019, upon first opening this blend it was wet and needed plenty of drying time it’s presented in a curly cut, think much much smaller coins like LBF without the cavendish, it smoked nice but wasn’t quite their yet.

Fast forward 6 months and this blend has had time to dry and age inside a mason jar, and I feel like this blend is truly starting to shine, it’s figgy Perique with a slightly musty note, the Virginia’s have a buttery sort of smell to it.

The mix of Virginia’s and Perique mix well, peppery but also sweetness which blossoms at the right time. I will say, if you smoked this fast it will burn hot, and due to my own negligence I was rewarded with a slight case of tongue bite.

I’m enjoying this thoroughly, this won’t replace Elizabethan for me, as currently that sits on a pedestal, however if this was as readily available as this blend and Peterson stops making them Elizabethan I will replace it with this.

I would say that aging this for a period of time will help make this blend even more enjoyable.

3.6/4 stars

Pipe Used: MM country gentlemen, bones stubby pot

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 6 months

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

Similar Blends: Peterson - Elizabethan Mixture, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Escudo Navy De Luxe.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	½ bowl (103)	2017-02-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Lakeland scent alert! I don't know if it is intentional, or just contamination from being processed on tainted equipment. It is very low intensity, so I suspect the latter case -- especially since other reviewers don't even mention it.

That said, it's a tasty 4-star VaPer -- if you can get past the floral scent. This is about at the threshold of my tolerance for floral scents, so I can still enjoy it and feel OK about giving this a somewhat recommended 2-star rating.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2016-07-10		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I love most of MacBaren's Curlies, so of course had to try this one.

On opening the tin, I get a very strong note of tangerines (sorry, this blend is not a "natural"... it has at least a strong citrus topping). The contents is a Curly made from rolled tobacco (as opposed to a true rope, which has been spun). Mind, that has nothing to do with the quality of the end result; just a note on how it has been made.

The individual slices do not show any of the ubiquitous stems one gets in MacBaren's Curlies, so some more care has been taken in preparing the leaf. The curls are bright to medium brown; folding and gently rubbing them works fine for me for stuffing, and lighting is a bit of a problem from a fresh tin: as usual for SG, it's a bit on the moist side. Drying out for half an hour works a charm.

The smoke as such is nice, sweet, very VA forward (and the Perique noted by some reviewers I really cannot make out; the tin sticker does not mention it either). The burn is a little on the hot side, but manageable: this is a pretty much pure, sweet VA, so it'll burn hot. Puff gently. The room note is nicely sweet, and has very little of the cigarette-ish notes of most other VA blends, so that is a nice surprise for me. The tangerine topping does not come through in the flavour for me... well, maybe a little, so it might be a sauce, but if it is, it is tastefully and gently applied.

Overall, this is a very nice blend, not really out there with the top of the lot but pretty close: I miss spice and depth to make this a four-star affair for me. Still, very much recommended for the VA lover.

Pipe Used: db Mayflower, MM cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh from new tin

Purchased From: DanPipe, Lauenburg, Germany

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Full Virginia Flake, Peterson - Sherlock Holmes, Orlik Tobacco Company A/S - Richmond Navy Cut.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smoking-rob (79)	2016-03-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

All the other reviews sum up this great tobacco accurately but none mention the presence of a whiff of menthol which I clearly detect, in the smoke as well. So, is it like the old Three Nuns? Virginia and Perique in a cut coin, how could it not be? :)

Pipe Used: various Dunhills

Age When Smoked: new

Similar Blends: Three Nuns (original recipe).

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bonneville (52)	2022-03-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I was very excited to try this tobacco. Samuel Gawith Virginia with Perique? St James Flake is one of my favorites, so I had a feeling I’d love this offering.

First quarter of the bowl is a complete pepper bomb, which can be a plus for some smokers, but not for me.

Luckily, the pepper tones down quite a bit and I’m able to enjoy the sweet tangy virginia in the blend.

It really hits its stride halfway through the bowl. Yummy!

This is a fantastic tobacco, and I’d smoke it a lot more if I didn’t have to drudge through the pepper bomb at the beginning of the bowl.

Pipe Used: Peterson bulldog

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Purchased From: Beehive Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fusty the pipe (33)	2020-10-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Happily gone through a fair few ounces of this blend to date.

It’s a coin cut Va-Per, the Perique runs through the centre of each coin like the filling in a chocolate bar.

Pouch note - nothing to get excited about to be honest; I’ve heard it be compared to the floor of a stable and that’s not too far wide of the mark. There is a fermented bile scent going on - not that I have ever smelt fermented bile you understand. The Virginia brings some hay to the party but it’s not one to get your smoking buds going from the smell alone.

As with most tobaccos, it comes a degree or three to the side of moist and it could do with 15 or so minutes to dry out in a warm room, probably less if left in sunlight on a windowsill.

It smokes very pleasantly indeed; no tongue bite, very even down the bowl. It does need a tamp to keep it going but it burns nicely and tastes 100% better than the pouch note would suggest.

I find that the tinned version keeps the coin shape better than the loose equivalent, which can be important, if you are wanting a true Va-Per experience; with the coin being more broken in the loose form, you sometimes need to pick around the jar to get a good Va to Per ratio.

Cabbies is something akin to St James’ Flake but, because of the need to rub each coin out, you can have an interesting bowl as it burns from the sweet Virginia to the fermented perique.

I tend to smoke this when I need a quick smoke - I find that one coin nicely fills my dinky pipe for 10 - 15 minute blast. I also enjoy smoking it all the way to the bottom of the bowl, without having to give my mouth a break, which I can’t say for some other blends.

It is relatively heavy on the nicotine side but nothing to blow your socks off; it’s mild to medium and quite possibly an all day smoke.

The room note’s nice enough - it’s a 1) to a 2) on the wife’s “You aren’t smoking that in here” scale.

It does get more lovelier with age, jarred and ready to go.

All in all, it’s a nice one to add to the rotation.

Pipe Used: Dinky quick smoke.

Age When Smoked: 6 months or so

Purchased From: GQ

Similar Blends: St James’ Flake..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (190)	2020-08-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A tobacco with a different presentation, in small coins mixed with ribbon. This, in some way, already makes it recommendable for its originality in the presentation. In the cold smell, the fermented aroma possibly provided by the perique predominates strongly, and to me personally it reminds me of some cheeses. It is not as tasty as some VaPer or as tasteless as others. That is why I have doubted a lot between giving it three or four stars since there are other more tasty VaPers, something that I value a lot in a tobacco. However, the smoke is nice and if the day is right it can be magnificent. Let's say it's three and a half.

2021/01/31: I have returned to smoke another tin of this mixture. He did not remember the high level of humidity it brings. It burns quite slow and is tastier than I remembered. In my opinion it must have an interesting amount of perique that gives it a marked fruity and spicy flavor. It is perhaps the most naturally fruity tobacco I have ever tried.

Similar Blends: St. James Flake (Samuel Gawith).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pikey Mick (48)	2020-07-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Jar note is very farmyard to me, like turned warm hay and horse dung(not in a bad way) I like farm smells. Rubbing out - OMG! have you ever tried getting chewing gum out of a carpet? Or stripping woodchip wallpaper? A mammoth lesson in zen to say the least. This for me was not so much a rubbing out but an unravelling. For starters this is probably the wettest Sam Gawith that I've ever had so I put it on a windowsill for a good hour and a half before I started messing around with it. The unravelling took another hour as each strand or clump seemed to be long and springy. I was wondering if it was going to be worth the effort as it sorely tested my patience in the extreme. I then put it back next to an open window for another 20 minutes before I found it had dried enough to smoke. However, my patience and effort was well rewarded as it took to the flame on first light with a pungent, spicy richness that IMHO makes it stand alone amongst its peers. Flavour was top notch throughout the bowl with the perique playing a big part and the Virginias were rich and aromatic, woody and herbal. Any sweetness was on the tongue between puffs. I put it down after 2/3's of the bowl, let it rest for half an hour, knocked the Ash out and relit finding that the flavour was as consistent as the first smoke through the remaining third of the bowl. This must be one of the most satisfying smokes I've had to date and I'd put the nic level around medium. Room note was quite nice to me also. Would I buy again? Hell yeah, I need to learn patience anyway and this is a really good quality tobacco if you like your perique to be a major player. If you don't mind taking the time to deal with a soggy mass of extremely springy and tightly wound tobacco then get some and enjoy, but if you're into instant gratification this one will leave you with steam coming out of your ears! 8/10 for the end result as it's a ball ache to prepare.

Pipe Used: Butz Choquin Mexico full bent

Purchased From: GQ

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeTobaccoReviewer (12)	2020-01-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Tin came with a year on it already, must have been some lost stock or a weirdness shipped over from Kendal. The average bowl, over the course of multiple tastings, seems to be presenting primarily with buttered peppery raisins with a sugar coating. There are herbal Lakeland notes, but a distant cousin to the Lakeland genre in general. Ripe plum emerges at times. The profile can get harsh and mildly acrid depending on the pack and cadence; this doesn’t want to be pushed. However, the harsher aspects can present even when sipped. It’s not a pepper bomb, but it’s definitely not in the stewed fruit camp. Overall a sweet, lightly fermented VaPer profile with a bit of an edge from the herbal Lakeland and perique.

The consistency of profile is moderate; some bowls are better than others, but they all generally follow the same meta profile. It can burn mildly hot, even when babied; very likely the high sugar content. The leaf quality is high and the tin presentation is good. Mild to medium nicotine for your standard VA tolerance; would be considered unnoticeable if you’re used to stronger fare. Repeatability is acceptable, one could smoke multiple bowls a day of this if so inclined, but I wouldn’t put it in the “all day smoke” category. The pepper and herbal edge can get tiresome if indulged in too frequently.

This is a Somewhat Recommended blend based on the 1y tin I received. However, knowing how LBF ages, and with its price point of less than half this VaPer offering from SG, I would feel quite confident in foregoing this blend in favor of LBF if you are budget conscious. Those who appreciate a bit of an herbal pepper edge to their VaPers may value this one highly enough to shoulder the premium and go deep on it. I personally could see taking a very conservative buying position on this and purchasing a single tin, perhaps two, a year. The age potential seems reasonable to good on this blend.

Pipe Used: Sav 802 and 702

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye - Luxury Bullseye Flake (No. 403), Synjeco - Greenodd Rope, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Escudo Navy De Luxe.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2019-11-13		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have finally got around to reviewing this, and I would like to mention that I remembered to do so because I came across bulk. I didn't know they were selling this in bulk, and quite frankly until I lit it up, I thought there was no difference between tin and bulk. Well, in this case, the bulk version sure does seem to have less Perique than the tin, in as far as it seems less peppery to my taste. Overall, it's a good quality tobacco. The coins are less in diameter than what I am used to, well defined, but with some loose strips available also. Now I am not sure if this is what it is originally, but I did receive like so in the green pouch that the tobacconist used - some coins may have fallen apart during transportation in a suitcase. I might add that it is also a tad moist as I have received it. Taste wise, we have a forefront of sweet bright virginia, that resembles a combination of hay, honey and a bit (just a very bit) of flowery something. The pepper complements the smoke to the point it is not an overwhelming sweet, but in my case and in contrast with the tin version (which I have previously smoked and have not reviewed) I think I would have preferred a tad more perique. Over all I find it a very decent smoke, it could be an all day smoke easily for a Virginia lover, not for me though because I cannot easily restock - so I keep it as a treat.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Venere

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Havana House in Windsor, UK

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2018-11-03		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

Va/Pers are a little elusive for me. I find things like Beacon pretty peppery, and I find Escudo a little flat, a little medicinal actually. And a lot of va/pers are like that. Scottish Cake and Navy Rolls tread a nice middle ground for me, with enough sweetness to balance the perique (but both obviously "fuller" than a straight Va).

Not a great lover of the Gawith virginia family, I didn't hail this Cabbie too quickly. More the fool me. Beautiful tobacco. Smells rich in the tin, and the taste follows up with all that promise. Deeply sweet, and just enough perique to be constant, but not overwhelming. There are flavors in this which I can't describe except to say that they are delicious and really represent to me what pipe smoking is or should be all about.

The first bowl I smoked, I detected the "lakeland" sort of sauce not strongly, but there for sure. This was in a pipe that gives that up pretty readily (but which does indeed seem to smoke other va/pers true, Navy Rolls, Club Blend, etc). So I was a little put off. I haven't really had that experience in other pipes - so the cake taste in your briar may be enough to ward the "ghost of sam" or it might just be that with a little air and time, it fades. My last bowl walking the dog with a large Castello Dublin I got nothing at all in terms of the lakeland essence, but I did marvel a bit at how if I pushed the bowl, the spice became dominant, and if I relaxed, it sweetened up again.

Really a top class tobacco. I don't smoke a ton, and when I do I want to enjoy it at a top-flight level, and this delivers. If you see Cabbie's, buy it. It's that simple.

Pipe Used: Castellos

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Rattray - Old Gowrie (British Collection), Park-Lane Tobacconist - Red Paramour.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2018-08-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is mighty fine stuff. No, it isn't a straightforward clone of the 'old' Va/Per Three Nuns, but IMO it's a pretty good substitute. The virginias are sweet - bready and grassy and consistently flavoursome; the Perique is very much present without being at all overdone; the burn is slow, and the moisture level just right. This is a relaxing smoke that suits a big bowl and a long evening. If that's what you want, you really can't do better than this. It's very important not to rush it; it won't give of its best if you do.

I have a sort of superstitious feeling, given the popularity and outstanding quality of Cabbie's Mixture, that it might in the farirly near future suffer a fate like that of Esoterica's Penzance: price hikes driven by artificial scarcity carried to absurdity. Cabbie's Mixture is a first-rate tobacco, and I hope people don't start playing silly games with its availability

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Durham Pipes and Tobacco

Similar Blends: ... the 'old' Va/Per Three Nuns, but by no means exactly the same..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (161)	2018-08-03		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is exactly what I've been looking for.. and after wrestling with bulk st James flake and it's virtual unsmokability (always trying to recreate that one experience where the moisture level was just right) this is a breath of fresh Virginia/perique.. sometimes I like pepper and sometimes I like stewed fruit.. this has both. Right down the middle.. both sides of louisiana.. and it's a little moist but not at all bad.. wonderful flavor.. my fresh tin tastes aged already.. is it worth the hype? Is it worth waiting to come back in stock for a year? Well.. maybe may Be not.. that's up to you.. but it's a fine blend that tastes oddly familiar right off the bat. I almost forgot to mention.. I love the cut.. curly.. roll.. whatever you wanna call it.. it's perfect for me.. not as fussy as a full flake.. yet doesn't burn as hot and fast as a ribbon.. just right.. everything about this tobacco is right down the middle.. my faith in gawith is restored.. Oh yeah.. also faint flavor in the background.. lakeland? Maybe.. but it's not in the least off putting.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	B Short (6)	2017-12-17		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Plummy, figgy, tastey as heck. I like the spice level from perique. The tin note is to die for. The smoke is of quality virginias. There may be a slight topping of something plum like but doesn't take away from the taste of the smoke. One for the cellar for sure. Just a lovely lovely tobac!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OhioTony76 (59)	2017-04-20		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note, appearance, cut, who cares. This stuff tastes great. The Virginia is soft and sweet. The spice of the perique is not pepper, but more like nutmeg. Tobacco is crazy wet when opened. Rub it out good, and dry it out well. It's a high maintenance tobacco, but worth it. UPDATE: I like this stuff but the maintenance is just too much. It just won't dry. There is some kind of casing that keeps it wet. Maybe too much PG. I can set it out for a hour or more and it's still moist, and it's not a new tin. I would like this a lot more if they used less additives.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	initials SG (29)	2016-11-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I think Cabbie's Mixture to be a very enjoyable blend. It is more noble than rough, and quite a friendly smoke. These qualities seem appropriate for the working man's theme of the name and tin art.

The Virginias are primarily a mixture of citrus-y Golden Glow-style brights with lots of more muted and mature reds, and likewise to the first reviewer I also detect just a tiny bit of some deeply matured Virgina that reminds me maybe of a cousin of Brown No. 4. So it has a nice full range of Virgina notes which all come through and evolve to complement the tasty perique, the brights most of all.

It's not too heavy to be an all-day smoke, but I prefer to smoke it in the afternoon and evening.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from new tin

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2016-07-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cabbie's Mixture is a good addition to the Gawith portfolio. It's unique Curly Cut is what initially attracted me to it. Not quite coins of tobacco but more like loose sliced Motzek Strang but smaller.

There is a similar taste profile to other Gawith blends here. It shares the same tangy, earthy, fruity Virginias as FVF and BBF and the rich spicy Perique as St. James Flake. The proportions are interesting here though. The Virginias and Perique wrestle for dominance.

My only complaint here is that it has a tendency to smoke a little hot. No bite but the smoke has some heat. I think age should remedy this.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2016-07-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a mixture that will stand the test of time, in my opinion. The Virginias are of the highest quality and the perique is there for support without taking over the show. My first bowl was not to my liking as I stuffed a few rolled up disks into the bowl, after a little drying time. It was hard to keep lit and the strength was a little too much for my taste. For my second bowl, I used my Cuisinart spice and nut grinder. Three or four one second bursts produced a ribbon cut, which burned beautifully and reduced the strength to medium from full. This is definitely a 3 star blend in my book and worthy of the accolades it has received.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2016-05-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The cut immediately reminds me of the famous Three Nuns, but the flavor is way more impressive, at least than the latest Mac Baren's version. Deep, rich virginia flavor with hay, dark dried fruits with enough perique to give some spiciness without rough edge. It is great from new opened, and I stash some to see how well it ages. Highly recommended!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Light (7)	2016-04-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice tin art, tobacco is sliced similar like escudo or deluxe navy rolls but smaller and not as surgical. A bit of organized chaos if you like, but attractive in its own way.

The tin note is not overwhelming and consists mainly of what I can best describe as the smell of: apple cider vinegar, dark rye bread and decomposing leaves. Not unpleasant at all!

The moisture level is just ridiculous! It’s so wet, I don’t deem it even smoke able before leaving it open to air for at least 3 full days. After that it still is moist and as a result difficult to rub out and pack. I had thought this was difficult to light but to my surprise after a false light and 2 more goes, she was on her way. Along the entire smoke I needed 2 more relights.

Initial taste: Mainly hay, oats and a very light natural sweetness in the background, rounded off by a raisiny taste (the perique no doubt). The VA’s are not your typical bright, grassy and lemony but not the full on earthy stuff either. It’s well balanced altogether. The one thing is does not deliver imho. is pepper, even on the retro hale there is no tingle.

Mid bowl: Finally there is a bit of pepper but at the expense of the sweetness which is now starting to disappear while the perique comes to the forefront. Towards the end of the bowl, the taste becomes darker and at times a bit astringent. The ash burns down to a light grey color with only a little dottle left behind.

Throughout the entire smoking experience I was waiting for something to happen. It was all nice, but no WOW factor. The perique is there to provide some body and round out the VA’s. No matter how hard I tried, this will not bite. The room note is all right but again nothing special. No yeastiness or smell of freshly baked bread. This one won’t offend anyone but won’t make you friends either.

All in all, not a bad smoke. It doesn’t deliver the peppery tones of St James or bright Escudo, not the earthy taste of DNR, not the sweetness of Marlin Flake but is positioned squarely in the middle. This is maybe a good starting point for an adventure in Vapers, to venture out from there to what one craves in a smoke (spice, sweetness,…).

Pipe Used: Stanwell dublin 9mm, Gamboni Bo-dog

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Granny Smith (29)	2016-04-15		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a full bodied virginnia and perique mixture with the sweetness of the virginia being at the forefront. The taste is rustic and I'm sorry if that makes no sense but that's the way I would describe it -a clean taste of the great outdoors. Very creamy with a nice peppery tang in the background that delights the tongue. I think this is one of stronger blends Samuel Gawith have ever produced, and more power to them. This truly is a wonderful smoke with a good dose of Vitamin N.

update - Smoking this blend after the tin has been cellared for six months gives an even tastier smoke. The flavours really come out with a bit of age on the tobacco, and what started off quite excellent becomes an absolutely essential smoke for anyone who liked full flavoured, full bodied blends.

Pipe Used: Big Ben

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theosprey247 (73)	2016-03-12		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Good overall blend. Alternating sweet with spiciest, but mostly sweet. The coins rub out easily, or you could fold n stuff it (or if you smoke a large pipi just plop them in). Does require several relights tho even with a dry time of 30 minutes.

Pipe Used: Nording and Peterson bulldog

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leaflet (2)	2016-03-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Let's keep this short and sweet........Smoked through the tin within a week. Me thinks, this will be a bought at very regular intervals. Need I say more....................

Pipe Used: Butz Choquin

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tobacco shop in soho

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (178)	2016-03-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Fantastic coin cut, but not intended to be nor is a new Three Nuns (original sweeter).

Just grab few coins, rub a little, and puff. Cool and tasty if you like Perique. If no, stop reading.

The Virginia is soft and mild (my guess is medium Virginia Flake or Golden Glow-type). The Perique is not as strong or KFC like as is many heavier vapers. (Nor is this blend as strong as St. James Flake.) However, the star of this blend is no doubt an always present, sometimes spicy with tendrils of pepper, Perique leaf. It dances on top of the lighter Virginia leaf.

I don't find any particular Virginia sweetness that dominates the blend, but its softness allows the Perique to carry its flavor maybe beyond its content. Still it is a little more on the bitter side than sweet side to me (maybe a hint of Latakia?). Maybe some time will adjust that.

It rubs, packs, and burns easy for me. Not hot or wet. Good for several bowls without being bowled over. I smoked a tin and have several in the cellar. The Caviar of blends. Enjoy.

Pipe Used: ashton achievement, max kapps

Age When Smoked: new tin

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: King Wilbur from Bennington, Kingfisher (with burley), and St. James Flake (heavier).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Train (118)	2016-02-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This seems something a little new and different in VaPer blends . It is a great looking blend in the tin , cut and color are very inviting . The tin note is interesting and unique , I have not seen anything like this before . The usual high quality of Gawith tobaccos is clear from the start . The smoke might have been one of the most interesting VaPer smokes I have had . I could not make up my mind if it was Virginia forward or Perique forward so skillfully melded were the tobaccos . This is really a perique smoke with sweet Virginia highlights . Amazingly , the tobacco was not too moist to smoke though it still took some care to get it lit . Over all , this is a totally different new tobacco , a skillful blending of high quality tobaccos . I doubt that the cabbies of London ever got to smoke anything this good . 4-6-16 . After smoking an entire tin I now believe this is even better than when first smoked . Cabbie's is a dynamite after dinner smoke that is to be savored . The quality of the tobaccos used here are extraordinary . My compliments to the cook . WARNING !!! 11/14/17 Trouble in paradise . Some tobacco genius that needs to justify his existence has blended in an aromatic element which now permeates the whole blend . This is some kind of added topping that destroys a great blend . Some kind of a perfume worn by Paris street walkers from the left bank , not the right .Why a quality house like Gawith would stoop so low amazes me . They already make aromatic blends for the young smoker that leave one breathless . Hey Samuel , you had the best new blend made in the last 5 years here . Don't let some young fool working in your factory tell you this is what pipe smokers want today . I say NUTS to that .

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (212)	2022-03-07		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Samuel Gawith Cabbies Mixture-Smells like raisons and apricots in the tin , nice . I have smoked a few Virginia blends that had a slight caramel taste , this one has it in spades . More fruity and spicy than grassy . Some floral notes and bready . The usual for a red- bright Virginia blend with Perique . I am enjoying this quite a bit . Can be a little bitey if pushed and not dried some . Too bad it is so hard to obtain in the states nowadays. 4

Age When Smoked: Almost 2 yrs

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Calamiti (84)	2021-12-22		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Cabbie's Mixture is an excellent new addition to the Samuel Gawith products line. Although being another VaPer in their range, it doesn't compete with St. James Flake at all. It's quite different: drier, lighter and spicier than SJF. It packs a bouquet of enticing flavours: figs, raisins and wood without much sweetness. A great blend, I like it a lot.

I'd buy much more of it if it was sold in ribbon cut or in flake/plug form. Qualitywise, it doesn't differ substantially from SJF, however garners a hefty premium price just for being a sliced twist. I rub it into ribbons from which I get a heavenly smoke. Well, Samuel Gawith know what they do, and perhaps ribbon/flake/plug forms would have been suboptimal for storing this blend.

I decidedly recommend this blend to all VaPer lovers and especially to those who like St James, as I do. Cabbie's Mixture is a very interesting, fresh and distinctive twist on the same concept.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sir John Moore (27)	2021-10-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

When you open your pouch or tin you will see a mix of coins and broken coins semi rubbed out. The smell is a fantastic mix of earthy hay and stewed fruit. There isn't the musty vinegary scent I associate with lakeland VaPers in Cabbies Mixture yet the tang from the perique is present from the charring light and consistent throughout. There's a great sweetness that underlines the experience which manages to not be cloying or artificial.

In terms of the mechanics due to how the coins come semi rubbed out the ratios of the blend can vary from bowl to bowl depending if you rub out the whole coins or take a pinch of the loose ribbons. Personally I like that you can mix things up a bit but I can understand why that would be a negative aspect for some. There is some significant drying time required due to the nature of spun rope tobaccos but nothing too crazy. There is often quite a bit of moisture with the odd sodden ribbon or two at the bottom of the bowl.

What this VaPer does that many others don't is the mix of strong sweetness and strong pepperiness from start to finish which remains consistent throughout with subtle grassiness and earthiness which prevents this blend from being boring. The type of smoke you want to keep going all day.

Pipe Used: Peterson 306, Corncob, Falcon

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: The Black Swan Shoppe

Similar Blends: All VaPers.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	John_B (33)	2021-07-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Yet another Va/Per that I have been very keen to try. I got 50g from GQ tobaccos to give it a very fair go. Without doubt I wish I got more ! I bought mine loose to jar but I think I will smoke it before much ageing occurs and that is praise indeed for a "new to me" blend. This review is more than a first impression, which is just as well, as my first bowl was less than stellar as I hadn't dried it enough. 2 hours seems to do the trick and more time wouldn't hurt any.... About 6 bowls and I now have this somewhat dialled in. The initial pouch note is an awesome affair with rich Virginia fruit and breadiness and also a hit of the sweeter side of Perique. Raisin and dried fruit is the overall impression and some spice also which is very impressive for untopped tobacco ! The broken curly coin is a new presentation to me and I fully rub it out and allow 2 hours for the renowned Gawith moisture level to come down to a manageable level before using the Frank method to fill a bowl. Any less and it can be steaming your tongue and hard to keep lit. It lights so well and stays alight all the way down. A very even burn with copious clouds of smoke or just a whisp or two if you sip gently at it. Either way it ia bite free and very well mannered. Strength is a medium with nicotine levels that make it an easy all day blend. The taste starts out very peppery from the ample ammount of Louisina Perique, but after the initial blast, it fades to more of a sweet smoke, with a zesty tingle on the retrohale. I love the sweet nature of its complexity and its raisin bread sweetness and I pair it with a green tea (mango and passion fruit) and this complements it well. Room note is very nice with a delectable side stream adding to my enjoyment. I can see me buying in bulk and jarring this blend as it is really good now, and a year or two in a jar should make it truely stellar. A good addition to your rotation if you like Va/Pers on the sweet bakery side. A worthy 4 stars from me and an instant favorite ! I feel like I need it in my life.

Pipe Used: Blakemar Briars "Moffat".

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

Similar Blends: Petersons Deluxe Navy Rolls..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (139)	2021-06-03		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The 100-gram pack was fresh enough to look at, though it had the 2016 excise tax. The bouquet of smells left no doubt that I was in front of a real VaPer mix: a bright wine and fruit, similar to raisins, and at the same time spicy with a slight sourness aroma of perique is difficult to confuse with anything else. Of course, Virginia notes were added to this smell: sweet citrus, baked pear, and a bit of stale hay. The color of the tobacco is reminiscent of baked fruit, but the cut is worth a special mention.

Cabbie's Mixture, according to the manufacturer, has a "coin" roll cut. In this case, semi-dry tobacco leaves of different varieties are rolled in tight bundles so that in the center are leaves with perique or other bright smelling and tasting tobaccos, and they are covered with Virginia leaves. And everything would have been fine, but Gawith approached the slicing as usual - "through their sleeves". For this reason, the harnesses were chopped as they were, and some of the "coins" simply collapsed, breaking into ribbons.

However, if your pipe does not have a very wide bowl, you will still have to crush the coins before smoking. And here another surprise awaited me. Despite its relative age, the tobacco was quite moist. The moisture was literally left on my fingers. Perhaps I should have dried the tobacco before smoking it. In spite of this, it was softened and smoked easily enough.

The tobacco smokes fairly smoothly, with a noble flavor of red wine with a touch of plum, as well as a fair amount of spice - oddly enough, I felt a taste of sweet paprika. Virginia tones it down with sugar and bread. The strength is medium or slightly higher, which shows the relatively small amount of perique in the blend. A nicotine kick can only be had by smoking this blend from a large pipe. The tobacco burns slowly, doesn't bite, but leaves a lot of moisture. About halfway through the pipe I put a filter in it, however, even that couldn't handle that much water.

The flavor of the tobacco does not change, leaving a bright pleasant aftertaste. The ash is not much, it is loose and shallow.

The smoke from the tobacco hangs briefly in the room, creating a pleasant spicy-fruity atmosphere. It's not the spicy spiciness of orientals - rather, there are sweet hints of turmeric and paprika.

Overall, I can recommend this blend for those interested, as an introduction to this type of tobacco. If you like it, you can get something stronger with more perique (like St James Flake or St James Plug from the same Gawith or other blends).

Pipe Used: Peterson 306, Mark Twain,

Age When Smoked: 2016

Purchased From: Online

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sangagor (77)	2021-06-01		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

Fresh tobacco smells like dry fruits, mainly figs, a bit citrusy, hay like aroma. Not bad at all. Good for spring time. Standard broken coins in my sample was too wet to pack. Half an hour was enough to dry it. Burns good with accurate cadence without moisture. Taste is earthy, fruity, very tangy. Could cause tongue bite. Overall, this tobacco leave very specific experience, but too much spiciness is not for me.

Pipe Used: BPK, Stanislaw, cob

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: etrafika.cz

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aduana Taylor (29)	2021-04-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Un gran vaper. Me gustan mucho los tabacos de esta casa que he probado hasta ahora. El cabbies que yo fumé venía cortado en monedas. Me pareció excelente. Los virginias son amables, el perique sabiamente dosificado, las monedas (roll cut) en la que se presenta nos hablan de una vieja prosapia marinera. Me gustan estos tabacos sin estridencias dónde uno se olvida que está fumando.

Pipe Used: International

Purchased From: 2020

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gchiaram (12)	2020-07-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was finally able to buy this new Var / Pe. As soon as I opened the can I suffered an attack of acetic acid that softened, giving way to a leathery and bittersweet aroma, between raisins and dried figs. It's my first experience with rolled tobacco like coins, and I loved seeing those rustic earth colored threads, some yellowish and some reddish. I haven't let it dry, since I like moist tobacco better. The first puffs were of cold, woody smoke, where the virginia took the initiative. I was expecting something strong and closer to St. James Flake, so I was surprised not to notice too much citrus or a more robust smoke. Nor notice those echoes of pastures of certain clean and young virginias: perhaps it is the Perique that is playing there. Anyway, I begin to think that the virginia of SG fit exactly what I want from tobacco, because they always have a certain complexity, and here modulated by the Perique that is not out of line. I am in my second bowl in the morning, burning even, cold and without having to relight. Nor does any moisture attack the bottom, and the blow is medium. I think the choice of the pipe was the right one: a Savinelli Oscar barely curved. Pe gives me a nice itch in my nostrils. I think it's going to become my main Va / Pe (I'll let a St. James Flake mature for a couple of years). I brighten it with a long and not too heavy coffee, while I see the flames burning in the salamander.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Oscar Aged Briar 122

Age When Smoked: I brought it home and opened it immediately

Purchased From: https://www.franciscodemiranda.com/

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Davedmn (17)	2019-08-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

On opening looked like rather loose discs: they had unravelled a bit. So some loose bits.

I packed it by stacking discs vertically and adding some "kindle" on top.

It took flame well with some re lights.

I could taste the sweet taste of the virginias and a quite pronounced pepper taste. This I took to be the perique. Overall an extremely good smoke. Needs some care not to puff too much as it can bite if you do. As I got used to how to smoke this the depth of taste was truly amazing. In fact I had to stop myself having bowl after bowl(I'm a one bowl a day man at most)

If you like VAP. Get some. You will love it

Pipe Used: Bewlay full bent

Age When Smoked: At purchase

Purchased From: On line GQ tobacconist

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Simon.c (20)	2019-08-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Most people seem to love this stuff but in my experience for the price you pay it's just mediocre at best and hot air at worse.

Fresh out the tin it's a lot like most SG tobaccos, it's sopping wet and near unsmokable. It'll bite terribly and require many relights.

After drying, a young tin is just bland. No flavor really comes forward, it's just a muted hot air.

After leaving a dried tin to age for about 2 years and there's some improvement but really nothing to write home about. The virginia gives a little sweetness the perique gives some sour stone fruit and pepper. But at the end of the day waiting a year or two for mediocrity is just beyond the pale.

I see no reason to buy Cabbies again when there's so many better VaPers that are great right out of the tin, age or not. Solani Virginia Flake, SG St James Flake, Germains Royal Jersey Perique, Reiner Blend 71 to name a few.

Age When Smoked: New and 2 years.

Purchased From: GQ

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-06-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Cabbie's Mixture: A Very, Very Good VaPer

This is probably my favorite SG blend and here is why: The tin note is exquisite. It is sweet with a slight plum aroma. The Virginia varietals are some of my favorite. They are earthy, sweet, with clear undertones of dried fruit. There is quite a bit of perique in this blend. It adds a hearty dose of spice and fermented fruit notes, which I really enjoy. Cabbie's is a game changer for me in the world of VaPers and it might edge out Telegraph Hill in my daily rotation.

Similar Blends: Esoterica Dunbar mixed with Dunhill DLNR.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LtCdrStabbington (11)	2019-06-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The first English style mixture I tried, the coins of Virginia and Perique give a initial smell reminiscent of blends my grandad smoked. Very little noticeable dampness when packing my pipe. Upon lighting my first bowl I was in love with the grassy lightness of the Virginias and the peppery, almost spicy hit of the perique with a fantastic billow smoke cloud giving a very pleasent room note. One that's going into my rotation.

Pipe Used: Falcon AN7 with a Billard bowl

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Cigs n Papers, Exchange Street, Norwich

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Voyaging (80)	2019-04-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The presentation is rustic, and simple. There are a mix of coins, and rubbed out, stringy parts. The coins themselves are similar to Mac Baren’s roll cakes, and Wessex Sovereign Curly Cut. You can pack this a number of ways. There was some plume on some of the coins. I find Samuel Gawith, and Gawith & Hoggarth flakes often have plume. I love it. The tin note was sweet, but sweet in the way that Lakeland Virginias tend to be. There is no Lakeland flavoring in the smoke (maybe a hint, but not enough to ghost your briar), to my taste, but the smell is always there because of the machinery, and the fact that all of the Lakeland tobaccos are produced using the same machinery. I got a similar smell upon opening a tin of Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake, but it dissipated after some time in the jar. There is a good amount of moisture in the tobacco. Before smoking, I give this some air time, and it burns just fine. No tongue bite. I usually take some coins and put them together and stuff them into the pipe, adding some of the ribbon pieces on top for kindling. How you orient the coins can vary depending on the diameter of the bowl on your pipe. You just have to make sure your draw is easy and enough air can pass. The bowl starts off with dried fruit notes, and farther down the bowl I get bread and pastry notes, cereal and honeyed grains, cinammon, dates, raisins, lemon cake, plum skin, actual plum tastes, prunes. I guess you could say there is a raisin bread note as well. I also get this fermented Belgian brown beer-like note (I mention St. Bernardus Abt 12 in my review of Escudo). I also got some cocoa notes and hint of nuttiness.

tobacco strength is maybe medium. The nicotine is there, but it’s not overwhelming. I would say that’s medium as well. The taste is medium. There is a lovely fullness and richness to this blend, but it’s not a continual thing throughout the bowl. I found this smoked and tasted best in narrow bowls with chambers of straight sides (Canadian, Brandy, Apple, Lovat).

The downside of this blend is the availability. It’s hard to get. It’s often out-of-stock. The price isn’t terrible. I think it’s worthy to mention that I find the taste to be similar to that of Escudo, and Escudo is always available, and produced with equal quality. I don’t think you need to go out of your way to get this blend, but if you see it in-stock somewhere, try it. You won’t be sorry. It’s delicious. I don’t know if I would ever get it again, but I would certainly recommend it. If you enjoy Virginia Perique blends, it’s an all-day kind of blend.

Pipe Used: canadian,lovat,bent apple,bent brandy

Age When Smoked: ~7 months

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Escudo Navy Deluxe, Dunhill Navy Rolls.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Randy Tuggle (46)	2019-02-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

When opening the tin, you'll detect a ketchup-like aroma. Ignore it. This tobacco is packaged in the tin a bit on the moist side - so dry it out for a few minutes prior to loading your pipe. As far as flavors, this one seems to be Perique-forward in flavor with a subtle sweetness from the dark red Virginia tobaccos. After getting a third of the way through the smoking, the Perique seems to get even more attention as the sweetness starts to fade away. I would call this a one-dimensional smoke. Might be interesting to mix some Burley with it just to see what else it can do for the palette. I'll keep the rest in the tin and revisit this one in the future.

Pipe Used: Algerian briar

Age When Smoked: Cellared 2 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KahveDelisi (73)	2018-09-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin aroma is reminiscent of those vinegary McClelland Virginias. However, this particular one smells like no other. If you want to get a glimpse of it, then I suggest mixing some vinegar with fermented tomato paste. Put on the stovetop and bring it to a boil, now bend over and take deep breaths. You will faint for sure, don't panic. When you gain consciousness again, you may think the Red Army passed through your kitchen without their boots on. And you'd be right because the tin aroma is unwashed sweaty feet.

That said, I simply rub all SG flakes before I pack them. It's better as Samuel Rub-it rather than losing time & nerve trying to smoke them in a flake form. This one was no exception. Packed the pipe, introduced the flame, and my first 20 minutes was one dimensional, bland, hot smoke, hot chamber, hot everything, and challenging to maintain. I was hardly able to take it under control. The curious thing, even though the size of the ember was too small to keep it lit, the amount of hot smoke coming through the pipe was enormous. I was about to give up due to bland taste and hot steam, just received a call, and eventually gave up smoking for 15-20 minutes. Upon relighting, it was surprisingly Escudo. Baffling but seriously, it tasted just like Escudo (well, I was never a fan of Escudo, it was an "acquired taste" type of smoke for me). After 20 or so puffs later I started thinking what else it reminds me of, because you see, now the taste was not as spicy as Escudo. Then it hit me, Mac Baren's Club Blend and Dark twist roll cake (I call them fake VaPers).

Take out the spiciness of Escudo, insert in some roll cake and Club Blend there, slightly sugary but all over very YOUNG, almost like this unripened/raw taste. All that is said, I am 100% sure this will benefit from a long rest (minimum a year) then some more airtime after aging in a tin. I can see myself buying another tin or two for the future, but not for smoking now. Also, just in case you're wondering, it has nothing to do with st James flake, not even close, no similarities at all. SG st James remains as my no 1 VaPer.

Similar Blends: Escudo, Dark Twist Roll Cake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokingHawk (54)	2018-08-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

First charing light was burst of sweetness from good quality Virginias very pleasant then the spiciness of Perique takes over till upto quarter to half of the bowl then it settle to a well balanced mix of spicy and sweetness which remain till the end. A quality product from Samuel Gawith house! Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Plum's Bent Dublin

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: GQ Tobacco UK

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	arpie55 (77)	2018-08-09		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is good! Was suggested as replacement for McClelland's St James Woods but it did not have nearly the sweetness to be a good sub for SJW. I would put this on more toward spicy than sweet, it definitely has some VA. sweetness but just not the level that I look for. Somewhat on the darker side for a VA. as opposed to the brighter. Moist out of the tin, rubs out easily, packs well, lights easily, smokes to the bottom of the bowl if allowed some drying time before smoking.

Pipe Used: Various Italian Briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: The Briary

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2018-07-30		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Before and after opening the tin, I couldn’t do without thinking that Cabbies is something to re-create the Three Nuns of old. The recipe and the look are both there. But that’s all, and since my self confidence in my memories is quite low, I don’t want even to attempt any (un)objective comparison.

After the first of two tins I can say that this is bit strange VaPer combination. The Virginias are kinda “dry” in the sense that sweetness is pretty much subdued. The Perique adds a small dimension, more on the piquant-spicy side than the ripe fruit, which on the other hand can be mildly found in the tin aroma. The result is a herbal, slightly fruity, salt-and-pepper flavour. No trace of Lakeland essences. Mildly piquant to the nose.

Cabbies is good, and I could see myself smoking this all the day. It’s a consistent smoke that does not go tiresome, and has an appropriated nic hit. Plus it smokes cool and no way to be bitten . But, no sparkles here…

Pipe Used: Castello's

Age When Smoked: one year

Purchased From: received as a gift

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mariusK (31)	2018-07-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend seems something for Virginia lovers. The fruity, acidic/citrus note of Virginia is enhanced by the peppery notes of Perique. But if you are a lover of Perique-rich blends, Cabbie's Mixture might leave you somewhat disappointed and I would recommend you choose something like St James Flake instead. A pleasant thing is that the taste changes mid-bowl - it becomes less fruity, more full-bodied, and, as one of the reviewers has mentioned, rich in vanilla-like notes. The tobacco burns evenly, even when packed straight out of the tin, with nice white/gray ash.

Addendum to my review: this blend is more peppery and it has more punch than I have written. The taste is sweetish and fruity. An excellent blend.

I recommend to let it dry a bit and stuff the rings into the bowl without rubbing. This blend burns very well this way.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie, Barlings

Age When Smoked: new

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	denholrl (22)	2018-06-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

I first tried Cabbies Mixture a year ago. I smoked one tin and liked it, then put away a few tins and recently have revisited this blend. It's a wonderful Va/Per. Certainly one of my favorites and I would rank it right up there with McClelland No. 24 and Dark Star in terms of consistently rich flavor, smoothness and satisfying smoke. Clearly, the Virginias were carefully selected and were nursed properly from picking to tinning. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Mastro 3B billiard, Connoisseur Oom Paul, & others

Age When Smoked: 2017

Purchased From: sp.c

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2017-07-18		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice artwork, nice smell of figs and tea and the coins are quite moist. No matter how you smoke it, the first part is a strong Lakeland essence experience as in soapy. By mid bowl, the dominant Virginia is grassy and hay with some pepper and dry prunes from the Perique. Strange as this was advertised as no flavoring, I guess it could be because of bad quality control from SG. The only positive thing is that I only ordered one tin of this.

I don't mind the British flavorings, I even enjoy them from time to time but as far as "natural" tobacco goes, this is a failure. Two stars as advertised as an unflavored tobacco, four stars as a Lakeland aromatic.

Virginia lover

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_dalai_lama_himself (43)	2017-06-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin held the slightly messy roll cut coins along with some loose ribbon virginias, mostly golden pieces. Starts off pretty smooth, figgy and stewed fruit which evolves quite a bit and is enjoyable. Also some grassiness and citrus.. further spice from the perique, and I get this toasty almost bread like quality which touches on caramel or molasses. What keeps this blend at 3 stars is the floral / soapy like flavors that come in and out during the bowl, which tend to morph into a more enjoyable flavor that would make you swear some type of burley is present... definitely calls for drying time, I enjoy the blend a good VaPer with a nice sweetness but due to the soapiness (that I cannot stand, and an element that is present usually in aromatic blends) I am skeptical and it is not as good as I'd have hoped...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KAJ (9)	2017-02-19		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Little coarse-cut mini-rolls or 'coins' with a nice level of moistness that could stand a few minutes drying time after being rubbed out. A Va/Perique blend but it seems to have a little something extra... it has a tin aroma like figs or stewed prunes that give a little added fruity sweetness to the spicyness of the perique. Not bad at all.

Pipe Used: Stonehaven

Age When Smoked: 3 months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leeboy (20)	2017-01-31		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Simply amazing. This is the best VaPer I've tried. I was almost done with SG due to the moisture being a pain in the ass however this can be smoked straight out of the tin which is great. For me this smokes best without any rubbing out. Slight lakeland taste from time to time but I enjoy that and it doesn't distract from the natural tobacco. The perique is just right, bakery sweet VAs, no bite and good Nic hit. I'm on my second tin and think this should have a place in every VaPer lovers rotation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bud_Harold (24)	2017-01-24		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Dark fruits, citrus, and virginia sweetness abound in this blend. Burns well after some dry time. Love the small coin presentation. Tin note of mint chocolate chip...Very interesting and inviting.

Another gem from Samuel Gawith! Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Wally Frank Huntleigh

Age When Smoked: 6 mos

Purchased From: Smoking pipes .com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2016-09-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is sort of the neglected blend from Gawith. And I think that's too bad. It comes in curly disks, and is medium strength in all regards. Though that doesn't really do it justice. Its a rich quality blend.The perique is clearly present but not overwhelming. It provides a nice bottom spice, but doesnt take away from the Virginias. Like all Gawith tobaccos the quality is top notch. It bears some comparison...slight...to the old 3 Nuns. But this is a bit more rustic and with a tougher edge to it. It is also comparable to Dunhill Navy Rolls, but richer and deeper. I really like this blend. It is a good all day tobacco in fact if you like Perique. It is maybe not a classic but I think should age well. A little dry time is advised. 3 and a half stars.

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Dunnhill Navy Rolls, Paul Olson My Blend Big Coin..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	William H. Hardy (93)	2016-07-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I'm a fan of Virginia/Perique blends and I always like to try something new, so Cabbie's Mixture made it's way into my pipe. I bought the 50 oz tin and cracked it open. The aroma was fantastic and was too wet to smoke, as I had figured. My first bowl of Cabbie's was great. It was something new and interesting, however, it got to be a bit of a chore to smoke it after the first few bowls. Cabbie's has the bright notes of Virginia, but much more of the dark Perique. In fact, I would say that it has too much Perique for the amount of Bright Virginia it contains.

Cabbie's is not a bad blend, by any stretch of the imagination. It would be just so much better with less Perique. At least, for my tastes. I'm not one to shy away from Perique, as Bayou Morning is one of my favorites. I just think that there needs to be more balance between, brights and Perique. Bayou Morning contains a good deal of Perique, but the Virginias used are Red and stoved Red. Escudo has brights, but does not contain overwhelming Perique; there's a good bit, but not at Cabbie's levels.

At any rate, Cabbie's Mixture is worth trying. It may be your desert island tobacco. But for me, it just contains too much Perique for the Virginia constituents that are used. I vacillated between 2 and 3 stars, so 2.5 will be the final verdict.

Pipe Used: Peterson 120 Irish Army

Age When Smoked: Unknown

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (439)	2022-10-30		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Tin note tart stewed fruit and spice. Tobacco coins are black with a little brown and dense, rubs out with effort. Tobacco needs a little drying time. Once started, burns slow with relights. The strength is med and nic is mild-med, both getting stronger toward the end. No flavoring detected. Tobacco taste is full, notes of sweet lemon raisin, grassy and quite peppery. Virginias and perique are neck and neck mostly throughout, maybe perique leads in the beginning and Va's in the last 2/3's, but I'm more inclined to say they are working well supporting each other. Room note is non offensive, and aftertaste was excellent.

Pipe Used: 2016 XX Ashton Pebble Grain Lovat

Age When Smoked: 7 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (192)	2022-04-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoking now:

Jar from 2019 that sparkles in the light.

Aroma of sweet and tart Virginias. Lots of barn yard hay. Dark fruit and vinegar. Delightful. Soft broken apart coins. It’s a SG blend so expect this to be wetter than a whale in a rain storm.

The taste is sweet tangy citrus Virginia. A helping of yeast bread. Dark tangy fruit and a pepper spice especially on the retrohale. The perique is pronounced enough to add some depth, strength, and flavor. There’s pepper spice but it is not overwhelming. There’s a decent amount of stewed fruit, plum, fig, ect flavor to this. It’s medium in its flavor. I was expecting this to be a fuller body and flavor vaper but it’s very doable and repeatable. Not a sweet vaper per say but it does have a bit of more sweetness to than others. There’s also some floral elements to it similar to a Lakeland. It’s no where near Ennerdale levels but it is slightly noticeable in the background. I don’t mind it but I could see how this would be a deal breaker for some.

Little aftertaste and little mouth tingle from the perique. Does need more relights if not dried out. Drying this like all SG blends helps. It’s a decent vaper blend with lots of stewed fruit flavor. Would recommend to vaper fans especially if you like perique.

Age When Smoked: 2019

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (317)	2021-11-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is good! The red and stoved VAs marry nicely with the Perique, bringing a natural sweetness with hints of dark fruit and a hint of smoky goodness. V well balanced, easy packing, easy lighting, easy smoking, with enough nuance that it's good for multiple bowls -- too bad it is now so difficult to get in the US. I only wish I had bought a few more tins.

Pipe Used: cobs

Age When Smoked: 6 years

Purchased From: smoking pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MacDaddy (8)	2021-09-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My first Va/Per. A quite delicious blend that won’t let you down. When compared to St. James Flake, there is a clear difference. Cabbie’s has a lower amount of perique and a more fruity flavor, while St. James is the opposite: more perique, more of a robust, spicy flavor. Cabbie’s mixture has an ace up it’s sleeve, however, and that is the nicotine level. While it’s hard to initially notice, cabbie’s is slightly stronger than St. James.

Edit: After deep consideration, I will step this down a star. I like it, but not to the extent of Kajun Kake, St. James Flake or Haunted Bookshop. Just my opinion and you should still try this and see what you think.

Pipe Used: Mr Brog Bent stecker no.22

Age When Smoked: New

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith St. James Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (149)	2019-11-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

By golly this is some awfully good tobacco! The tin is full of little raggedy coins of russet brown leaf, a beautiful sight. The aroma from the tin: dried figs, hay, bready Virginia, Perique pong.

You can rub it out with ease, it also works well with the coins rolled into balls and stacked, or even just folded and crammed in. With a bit of "kindling" on top it lights with two matches and burns well, with a couple of relights, to a pinch of dottle.

Flavour is lovely, rich, sweet, bready Virginia with a strong figgy taste and progressive spice from the Perique. There is no bite, and the smoke is rich, full and satisfying. Nicotine content is medium.

There isn't much more to say. This is an outstanding Virginia & Perique tobacco, I motored through the tin in no time at all and have ordered more. Samuel Gawith have concocted another winner: recommended in the strongest terms.

Pipe Used: Northern Briars Liverpool

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Turmeus Liverpool

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MJR (2)	2023-03-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've only been smoking for 16 months so still finding my way, but I find virginias & VaPers rather bland. So I'm not going to be a big fan of Cabbies. I dont detect the soapy flavour that other reviewers have. I just find it a bit boring overall. Probably good for a lunt, where you're concentrating on walking & not all the complex flavours, because I don't detect much. I've not tried many VaPers or full virginias but Petersons De Luxe Navy rolls is a better VaPer than this one.

Pipe Used: Blakemar De Luxe

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Gauntleys UK

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	claudiobande (31)	2023-01-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

An enjoyable tobacco, but for my palate it is not the best vaper. I think it is overrated, and I find the St. James from the same brand or the Marlin flake from Rattrays more satisfactory.

Pipe Used: Dunhill - Castello

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tobaksrøg (53)	2022-09-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

One of those tobaccos you can write an essay no one will read about. Is it the best tobacco I've ever tried? Maybe. Will anything ever surpass it? Possibly. Is it a 4-star, incredibly tasty, beautifully cut treasure of a blend? Definitely.

Age When Smoked: New

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HuffPuff (6)	2022-08-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

So here I sit after finishing a bowl of great tobacco blend. My brother purchased the tin for me in Spain and it sat through the COVID-19 lockdowns in Barcelona waiting for a chance to come all the way to South Africa.

Boy oh boy was it worth the wait!

Tasty, easy to pack, light and keep going. Zero tongue bight, flavourful from start to finish.

The virginia leaf leads the flavour with the perique doing a great job of rounding off the smoke. Its smooth and pleasant and leaves a good aftertaste.

I am so going to get more of this.......

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: unknown

Nobody has rated this review yet.