Tobaccos Samuel Gawith - Commonwealth Mixture

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2004-02-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Upon opening this ripe old tin, you will be greeted by a very oily wax paper cover that protects a dark, rich looking blend with a smattering of sugar crystals all over the leaf. The tin bouquet is enticing and will cause the body to undergo a trembling sensation as you load your pipe. It was not all that easy to pack anyway because the leaf is very long-stranded. At the match, this one provide a pleasant, sweet Latakia flavor with delightful aged Virginia playing in the background. A 50/50 Virginia/Latakia blend that will please.

42 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Otis56 (31)	2014-10-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A real manly smoke. I personally love Latakia so a mixture of 50 percent Latakia and 50 percent Virginia would be a mix made in heaven. This blend is very smoky, leathery, and earthy, has some floral overtones as well. Holds a light. Burns clean and smells ever so lovely and stinky strong. Like I said a real manly smoke. Peace.

Pipe Used: Ashton Bent billiard

Age When Smoked: 1year

Purchased From: 4noggins

30 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CriolloCorojo (18)	2013-08-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

For all you English/Latakia lovers out there, you are really missing out if you haven't tried this one. For those of you who are not fans of English blends, you should stay away. This stuff is awesome. I would give it four stars if they reduced the latakia by 10%, the virginias by 10% and replaced the missing 20% with something else to add some complexity. I would recommend perique. But alas, they would need to change the name to something other than Commonwealth (Acadian English Alliance... no how cheesy). However, if you are just plain craving latakia and virginias, then this is the bomb.

It lights very easily and has the right amount of moisture out of the tin. This is contrary to one of SG's other fan favorite latakia blends, Squadron Leader - which I will review at a later date. Just suffice it to say that I like this blend more than Squadron Leader.

This blend will always have a place in my rotation so long as I am a pipe smoker. There are a few other English blends that I like more (Ashton Artisan's Blend which I will review at a later date will certainly be getting a full four stars), but this one will definitely remain a member of my crew of English friends.

27 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2014-06-29		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Samuel Gawith - Commonwealth Mixture.

The mixture covers the whole spectrum of tobacco colours, right from bright yellow to jet black. The aroma of the mixture is delightful, a very rich and intoxicating blend of smoky Latakia, a touch of raisins and an almost peaty quality. Moisture level is superb with this one, requiring no extra time to dry.

Due to the moisture it lights with great ease, giving a brilliant/even burn leaving a grey ash. I can't find a negative point with the flavour of the smoke, the Virginia gives it a very solid base with the smoky eminence from the Latakia really shining brightly. I don't get any dried fruit as I did in the aroma at all, but what I do get is pure brilliance.

Room note: full, but I like. Nicotine: medium.

I feel that if you like Latakia smokiness then this one is a must for you to try!

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

Similar Blends: Squadron Leader.

23 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteveH (37)	2014-06-11		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Medium cut. Powerful smell. Taste - rich, sweetish, dark, smoky, plum-pudding. Marked liquorice note - not unlike some dark beers, such as Theakston's 'Old Peculier', in that respect, and the two go well together. Despite the high Latakia content, it is well balanced by the Virginia. Pure latakia is strongly-flavoured but curiously lacking in body, as I discovered when I smoked some experimentally. This mixture, therefore, could have been a bit thin - but it isn't. The Virginia has been well chosen to beef it up. This is one of my four S.G. regulars. So far, I have only ever tried it new, but I have five tins of it ageing - 9 months old at the moment - and will open one every Christmas for the next five years, to see what happens to it as it ages.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: http://mysmokingshop.co.uk

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2009-01-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

An unbelievably smooth and cool smoke that is entirely planar -- no depth, no subtlety, no nuance, no complexity -- but it's nonetheless a most rich, full and satisfying smoke.

Others here have commented on the single note of this blend, which is entirely accurate. But if you happen to like that note, which I do -- very much -- then this is a wonderful blend. Single notes can be very pleasant: the sound of wind in the trees, the sound of river water... In this blend it's the timbre of the note that delights, and this is a velvety bassoon.

It's an ambient, terrifically full smoke that may not tease you with its subtlety or depth, and sometimes that's just what you want when all you're looking for is an excellent, smooth, simple, solid, pleasant smoke you can sink your teeth into, a real latakia lover's dream. Not an everyday smoke for me, but definitely in my rotation.

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2016-06-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A 50/50 mix of Latakia & Virginia hardly seems like a novel idea. I would assume that just about every person who has tried their hand at home-blending has attempted something similar to this with a varying degree of success. Commonwealth Mixture could easily be an average smoke, maybe even boring. However, the quality of the leaf, combined with the way Sam Gawith processes their Virginias for optimal sweetness, turns a seemingly simple blend into something that is way more compelling than I would have ever imagined.

The tin note is a full, smoky & just plain wonderful. Like Squadron Leader or Skiff Mixture, the tobacco is cut thin; it's easy to pack and requires very little dry time. When lit, the flavor is Latakia-forward with the Virginia adding a subtle influence of sweetness and there’s a touch of spice on the finish. As the bowl warms, the toasty flavors of the Virginias come forth and begin to harmonize with the Latakia, making for a moderately complex, perfectly balanced and incredibly tasty smoke. As expected, end bowl flavors are spicy, rich and focused.

In my humble opinion, this is a lovely English mixture. The tobacco flavor strength is a firm medium, nicotine strength is mild to medium. I prefer smoking this in a pipe with a wider & more shallow bowl, which helps to coax out some extra complexities. For me, a classic and an instant favorite.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leandro (13)	2016-03-08		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

A dark, rich looking blend of great aroma (Latakia mostly): Very smoky, leathery, and earthy. No Oriental, no floral or fruity notes, no complexity or sophistication... Pure "Good Tobacco" and nothing more. A noble one: Serious and generous. It lights very easily and burns clean. One of my favorites

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2017-02-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The Lat is of good quality offering ample smoke and wood with a mild spice. The Virginias offer no flavor and only a hint of sweetness. It's almost like smoking straight Lat which doesn't do a thing for me. Pretty boring actually. Seems to be a "blend" for Lat junkies only. The quality of this Lat is the only thing that keeps me from giving this 1 star. It'll make a good blending component.

Medium in body and taste. No added flavoring. Burns well.

Pipe Used: MM Little Devil Cutty, Little Devil Acorn, Marcus

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2014-05-18		Medium	Strong	Very Full	Strong

I received a sample of this from one Friend, Brazilian Pipe Smoker. according to him, this was an aged, maturated sample. Since it not haves Oriental tobaccos, is is not a "complete" English Mixture, but a Virginia-Latakia mixture. Despite it not have Orientals, in the smoking, i remember the antique times, the antique mixtures, and i remenbered Engine 99, Pirate Cake and the antique (not the actual ones) Dunhills, as Standard Mixture Full. For me, it is not so strong in Nicotine, but is strong in flavour... Tobacco flavour. I enjoy this mixture. I'm one between few pipe smokers that enjoy both aromatic and non-aromatic tobaccos.

Pipe Used: A Brazilian (Bertoldi) Volcano Shape.

Age When Smoked: aged

Purchased From: received as sample

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	scottyspipesebay (25)	2012-06-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Samuel Gawith Commonwealth Mixture, BULK from pipesandcigars.com: This has a wonderful room note: Sweet and nutty, although the flavor is flat and the VA barely comes across; never-mind the fact that it has a bite and sour taste that is very disappointing. I tried aging some with no results. By adding 1/3 ECR bulk to this it added body and the sweetness it so lacked without it. So, I was able to save it but I won't buy it again. I blend my own Cyp Lat mix that blows this out of the water, but we learn by trying. If you're looking for an excellent English Cyp Lat mixture, please try Balkan Sesieni. You won't be disappointed. Next, don't be taken in by the remake of Balkan Sobraine. You'll be spoofed into paying a lot of money for the name, but you will not get the product you were hoping for. The first 1/4" tastes fairly nice, but then it immediately turns to bitter bitey dottle, and then you know you've been had, while the makers of the stuff are laughing all the way to the bank. Just a word of warning. It's being re-released in small amounts from time to time, but avoid it at all costs. It is NOTHING like to original!

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-07		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I value my wife's opinion when it comes to Latakia blends, because I find that her nose is the best indicator of quality. She calls them my "leave him alone to smoke in peace and quiet" tobaccos because she hates the smell. However she is able to differentiate between them all with uncanny accuracy, for it seems that her reaction to the room aroma of a good stout English blend is inversely proportional to the actual quality of the smoke. She tells me English Luxury is "awful." "Erinmore Balkan is "shocking." Squadron leader "stinks." Frog Morton is "terrible." And she has always despised anything that came from the house of Dunhill. So, after loading my trusty Ashton XX Pebble Grain and setting it alight, I asked the good woman her opinion of Commonwealth Mixture. When she walked back inside the house, slamming the door behind her, I knew I was onto something extraordinary. If you like blends with a lot of Latakia, then Commonwealth is definitely worth trying. To my tastes it is cool, smooth and bite free. A one note song from start to finish, indeed it is, but what a note! Latakia all the way! Think coal tar, steam trains, leather, campfires, blacksmith shops of old, witch hazel, dust and old machinery. It won't save your marriage, but it might get you a bit of peace and quiet. In short, I think it is sublime.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The good Rev. Rizzo (36)	2014-05-02		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

If this is a sample of the stereotypical English blend, count me in. I've heard some horror stories about the SG tins and not being properly sealed. Not the case with mine. My tin aged about 4 years. Upon cracking it open I was met with a strong smokey smell typical of English blends. The tobacco is pressed in nicely and has a beautiful black oily appearance. I felt like this was my stop as soon as I boarded the SG bus. Examining the leaf I found all good quality product. I let a pinch dry for about ten minutes to start. It settled nicely and took a charring light with ease. I was met with a full stout puff of smoke. I tamped and put the pipe down for almost twenty minutes to breath. When I came back to it, I relit and was off to the races. The flavor was creamy and sweet. Somewhat one dimensional all the way through the bowl. I was not disappointed by this as it was just plain good. Before I knew it my first bowl was gone. It burned nice and even all the way through wth a cool heavy smoke. All in all a very satisfying experience for this venerated blend. I smoked the remainder of the tin over a two week period in four different pipes with the same pleasing results. Never once meeting the over powering Lakeland soapy taste. No tongue bite either. It behaved like a perfect travel companion the whole trip.

Pipe Used: Peterson System Standard XL307

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: Allegheny Smokeworks

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CTS (138)	2014-03-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cool,smooth smoke from beginning to end. Maintained with very little attention, burns clean and dry. The right amount of flavor and strength, you don't need to sip or search for the flavor with this one. Nice spicy note on the retrohale. Very well done. 4*.

Pipe Used: Grabow Grand Duke

Age When Smoked: Undated tin recently purchased.

Purchased From: Smokes on Burdick, Kalamazoo, MI

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2002-01-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Appearance: A mostly dark ribbon cut

Aroma: Latakia dominates the aroma of this blend, with only a trace of the Virginia noted. There does not appear to be any Oriental in the blend.

Packing: and lighting The blend packs well and lights easily, although not unusually so.

Initial flavor: The first blast of flavor is almost disappointing, based upon the aroma. The Latakia does not dominate the flavor as it does in Penzance. It is there, but balanced well by the Virginias.

Mid-bowl: Retains the well balanced characters of the sweet and smokey elements, no real layers of flavor. Somewhat monochromatic, but not boring. This can be smoked and enjoyed while otherwise occupied.

Finish: No real change in character right to the botom. As with all SG blends, a beautiful ash.

Summary: A nice enough Latakia blend, but I miss the Turkish.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stinkypipe (155)	2017-01-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A wonderful blend. Just outstanding to smoke. I am a big fan of taste that is wood smoke and sweet hay with the flavor of nuts here and there along with anything else you want to throw in. This blend gives me all that and more. This is Frog Mortin Across the Pond with more flavor and more varied taste. Burns fairly cool needs to be smoked slowly and room note is a campfire. Gosh this is good. It will bite a bit if your not careful and keep it slow and sip not puff a lot. It's in my rotation of damn fine smokes! You should give it a shot.

Pipe Used: Nording

Age When Smoked: Couple months

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	georgariou33 (16)	2016-03-17		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

wonderful latakia...great balance...good taste...i like non aromatics and aromatics so my collection of 105 blends is a mix bag of brands and mixes...this blend is excellent!!!! dont pass on this one

Pipe Used: big ben and stanwell only

Age When Smoked: 70

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: 000.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-05-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very heady latakia scent in the tin, with the color ranging from black to dark brown. Cut was sort of a ribbon with some choppy stuff tossed in.

Tough one to review. I picked this up on a whim without knowing much about it. The absence of orientals in a latakia blend begs comparison with blends like McClellands Anniversary, but I found the two nothing alike in taste. In this one, the virginia was so subservient that any sweetness was so far to the rear and the blend took on a dusty, hazy flavor that was more bitter than I would expect. I didn't find any creamy notes in this one, and it was far from complex. The only differences I found was as the bowl neared the last 1/3rd or so, it gained in intensity. The smoke was sort of chewy and full-feeling and the taste was not bad, but it was missing that complexity that I prefer in latakia blends. Perhaps the heavy steaming that is claimed sapped the sweetness from the virginias, but this one tasted very close to straight latakia except it was not quite as one-dimensional. If you love latakia, this is a blend to try. I can see why it's one of the few SG blends that never seems to be out of stock in the U.S. It's fine for what it is, but it just doesn't have enough going for it to warrant another try. Interesting to note that I enjoyed this one more when I pointed the pipe bit at the roof of my mouth. P-lip lovers may get more from this than I did.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mesh (51)	2016-02-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I like the sweet-savoury balance here, which is IMO slightly more tilted towards the sweet, i.e. towards the Virginias. This lacks Orientals, so it's not a conventional English blend in my book. If, like me, you're predominantly a VA smoker who craves Latakia every so often, you'll get the best of both worlds from CM. For me this is a rich, creamy smoke with an adequate amount of body and strength... after a heavy meal of red meat, you could do a lot worse than a glass of peaty Scotch, somewhere to put your feet up, and a nice big fat bowl of this tobacco.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (89)	2020-02-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

(sorry for the long review, but I always try to be as specific as possible)

The first impressions and first smoke:

I don’t know how old this tin is, because the sticker with the code is not on my tin (and this is not the first time a Sam. Gaw. tin doesn’t have the sticker on. I guess it falls off if it’s not placed correctly, and that’s something Sam. Gaw should take into consideration, especially for the FvF, where age matters a lot. they should print it on the label or find a better solution imho).

I guess there’s a particular scent to Samuel Gawith English blends... I find this same scent in Perfection mostly, but to a little extent in Squadron Leader and now in Commonwealth Mixture too. I opened the tin and I was expecting to be hit be a very smoky latakia, but it’s not very smoky, it’s sweet and smoky. I took some tobacco out and diffused/scattered it to allow its smell to be released, but nothing changed much. So, not very strong in smell as one would expect from a heavy latakia blend.

The color is mostly black and dark virginia. The ribbons are of a medium to small size, unequal, but that doesn’t affect the packing at all. In fact, it packs up easily (like any other ribbon cut).

A bit on the dry side when I opened the tin, so I put it right in a hermetically sealed jar.

First light, one match. A sweet, smoky and creamy taste invaded my mouth from the first sips. First thing I noticed was the sweet and grassy virginia, followed by a bit of smokiness from the latakia.

Second light, second match. Same taste as with the first smokes, maybe a bit smokier. There’s a little spicy, peppery note in it, which is completed by a sweetness from the virginia (a very good virginia it seems!) and woody smokiness from the latakia. I’m surprised! Thinking of a blend that only has virginia and latakia, you’d expect this to be rather monotone and simple, giving a strong latakia taste, but it’s not so. It’s more complex than that, and it doesn’t bother me that much, I actually enjoy it (although I was expecting and wanted my mouth to be filled with a very smoky taste).

It burns very well, no need of relights.

Final impressions:

Well, I’m at my last 2-3 bowls, so I thought I should make a final review, so I’ll grab my Hilson 974 (bent bulldog) and pack it up.

First of, I want to say that this has become pretty much my daily smoke. While I did smoke some Presbyterian since I opened the tin of Commonwealth, 90% of the time I smoked Commonwealth. In the morning, during the day or at night. Perfect for any time of the day.

So, like I do with all my opened tins, I put my tobacco in hermetically sealed jars to keep the tobacco at the same humidity. Another reason is that the scent is being kept better in these jars. If I keep a tobacco in its original tin for more than a month, it will dry fast and loose its scent, especially at the type of tins that Sam. Gaw. has.

I opened the jar and took a deep breath, smelling the tobacco... like I said when I first opened the tin, I guess all these Samuel Gawith English Blends have a particular scent. It’s true. I’ve found it in Perfection, in Squadron Leader and now in Commonwealth. But this is not a bad thing, I actually enjoy it. You definitely detect the latakia smell in this one, but also virginia and that “Samuel Gawith scent”. This time, I find it more smoky but also sweet. Yeah, smoky and sweet tin note.

Took out the tobacco and, well, obviously the color didn’t change but... I wouldn’t call this a ribbon cut. It’s too small to be called a ribbon. I don’t know.. crimp cut? granulated cut? Doesn’t matter. Just not the typical long ribbon. Nevertheless, packs excelent!!!

First light/false light, one match. Latakia comes out proudly, not as sweet as it used to be at first, but smokier this time (which is a good thing for me). So, different from the first smokes I’ve had, when virginia first came out, this time it was a nice, smoky latakia.

Second light, second match. Again, smoky latakia comes first, and a bit of peppery spice (just a bit). Puff, puff, puff, tamp... ok, let’s see. Yeah, woody smokiness, a liiitlle virginia, not as sweet as it was at first and, curiously, not like I felt it most of the times. I thought that, for a Virginia/Latakia blend, this wasn’t smoky enough, it was sweeter than I expected, so I started questioning my latakia experience. I thought that after smoking too many latakia based blends, I got too used to the taste of latakia and didn’t seem as smoky as I detected in the past in other blends. I thought that for me, latakia just isn’t smoky enough anymore. Well, curiously, now it is. My taste buds going crazy? I don’t know. The thing is though, in order to get an even smokier experience, after I get to the middle of the bowl, it leave it alone for a few hours. Sometimes I leave it like that if I don’t have time to finish the bowl and get back to it the next day (some people don’t recommend that. why the hell not?! it’s great!). The experience is sublime, the taste is smokier and for me, better. Heavier in taste.

But now, lets continue.... halfway to the bowl, it became a bit sweeter, but still woody and smoky. Very nice combination of flavours, even though I prefer it smokier. The bowl got a bit warm, but the smoke is always cool, creamy, thick. And I can say again what I said at the first smokes: “Thinking of a blend that only has virginia and latakia, you’d expect this to be rather monotone and simple, giving a strong latakia taste, but it’s not so. It’s more complex than that, and it doesn’t bother me that much, I actually enjoy it (although I was expecting and wanted my mouth to be filled with a very smoky taste).”

This is a blend that I usually smoke almost to the bottom of the bowl, leaving no tobacco “alive”. I just enjoy it so much! It’s not a lat-bomb, it’s not even full bodied like Nightcap or Artisan’s Blend, but damn it’s good! For me, an all day smoke!

It burns very well, no need of relights. Leaves a very nice gray-white ash and very little dottle or moisture.

I would definitely recommend this to any latakia lover.

Pipes used: Savinelli Trevi 320 KS (author shape), Savinelli Tevere 315 KS (prince shape), Butz Choquin Castel 1009 (pot shape), Jean-Claude (prince shape), Hilson 974 (bent bulldog)

Pipe Used: see bottom of description

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Calamiti (86)	2018-04-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Like many other truly ingenious inventions, Commonwealth Mixture is amazingly simple. No fancy mixology, no weird combinations. Just take half top-notch Latakia and half very good Virginia, that's all. The result is a smoke so dense and oily it feels almost like a liquid that you rather drink than smoke. Were the tobaccos of a lower quality, that extra density might well become overwhelming and unpleasant. That's not the case here, however. Both Latakia and Virginia are stellar and make together a true smoking delight.

Commonwealth is in no way a highly nicotinized mixture, it's rather in the "Mild to Medium" range. That's why Samuel Gawith's warning of "Full Strength Mixture" on the tin looks quite an exaggeration. If they mean, though, not Nicotine strength but flavour fullness, then they are right: this weed is really full.

Highly Recommended.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnH (24)	2018-04-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

A very enjoyable smoke straight out of the tin. I'm a fan of Latakia so this 50/50 suits me well, but certainly wont be for those who don't like Latakia.

Strong dominating Latakia hits as soon as I open the tin, smoky, earthy, and I get some almost oaky barrel notes, maybe even a hint of whisky, smells great. The first light is good and the flavor takes off from the aroma, the Virginia carrying the Latakia. It's a good cut, packs and burns well. I've heard some people complain of tongue bite the first few bowls, and they recommend some aging to combat this, but from my experience I don't find this a problem, for me it's a very enjoyable smoke straight from the tin. I could agree with others that some Perique could work with this, but it is a great smoke as is, could be really interesting with a bit of whisky stave in it, a la FM Cellar.

Overall I very much enjoy SG Commonwealth, and would recommend it to English and Latakia lovers as a must try.

Pipe Used: Tsuge The Tasting 23

Age When Smoked: 6 months

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-01-23		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

This blend is no joke!!!high latakia content only for strong blend smokers.when you open it you get a smelling punch in the face!(latakia)woodsy coaly smoky.lights ok and burns nice.moist is absent.very rich latakia flavour and sorry no virginia flavour detected though i could see them.even an english blend fan might not like it due to it's harshness.if you are not sure don't go there it might bite you!!!i suppose this blend has only haters and lovers noone in the middle.

Age When Smoked: When opened!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipenick (28)	2015-04-22		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My favourite Latakia now days.I'll smoke it as regular daily blend(around 5-6 bowls a day).Steamed Virginias keeps it intresting and the Cyprian Latakia gives the nice rich smokiness and strong aroma-as you would imagine a blend with 50% steamed Virginia and 50% Latakia would be dull but I haven't notice such a thing.There's people who'll say that it's one dimensional mixture but it is not.I just bought 3 more tins.No bite,cool smoke with fine Grey ash in the end as Gawith's blends usually has.

Pipe Used: Several Stanwell's, Big Ben's,Savinelli's

Age When Smoked: Straight from the tin

Purchased From: local tobacconist

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipementor (1)	2015-02-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Ready to smoke out of my tin. Tin note latakia woodsy and creosote like. Lit well, char light was very pleasant with some sweetness and much latakia flavor. Burn rate was excellent. Full of rich flavor with not much complexity. Smoke mouth feel was excellent, no tongue burn. Billows of righteous smoke from this blend. My wife would not be present when smoking this great blend, yet commented how well it smelled on my clothes and stache.

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: open tin

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-05-22		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I made a mistake with this blend from the beginning. I thought it was an aromatic blend and I didn't open it. Huge mistake. You didn't know? Couldn't you ask? Probably my mistake was beneficial for the blend, as it was sealed in my “cellar” for 2 years. 50% Virginia 50% Latakia. At times it gave me the impression that it has a very subtle but pleasant scent. It is the first time that I got excited by smoking Cyprian Latakia. Its Virginia is very good and it adds a sweetness and a creamy texture to the mix. Its moderate nicotine strength lets you smoke it pleasantly all day long. It does not contain Oriental, but even though this blend has a well balanced flavor that will surprise you. It is broken flake with very good moisture and a very nice aroma when you smell the tobacco inside the tin.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cakeanddottle (105)	2011-08-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is the one Samuel Gawith tobacco you're likely to find between shipments as it doesn't seem to enjoy the popularity of the rest of the line.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I have had both nondescript and awe inspiring smokes with this one. I have not been able to figure out what made for the good ones, and anyway no tobacco should make you work so hard to play to its strengths.

On a good day, there is a marvelous sour tang to the Latakia here that elevates this smoke into incredible territory. Good luck replicating that experience though. Most bowls are a lackluster, ordinary smoke that you could easily miss if something else in the room caught your attention. This one should age well due to the 50% Va content. Also worth mentioning is that this is pretty tame for a blend that is 50% Latakia.

Update 11/21/2011

I am adding one star. I don't know what it is about this simple 50/50 mixture. I get wildly inconsistent experiences with it. At its worst, it's an ok medium-full blend. Somewhere in the neighborhood of average. But I've had numerous bowls of this that had me singing its praises. I need to narrow down the factors that contribute to making this one sing. If you can dedicate yourself to figuring this one out, it's a great Lat blend.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pencils (58)	2010-05-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

On the back of all that I have heard about the monochromatic nature of this tobacco, I expected it to be somewhat dull.

For what it's worth, I agree that it is monochromatic but neither dull nor monotonous. After every bowl I had the same feeling - "Hmm, that was pretty straightforward. No real highs or lows. Same at the start as at the finish".

I still managed to polish off 50g in less than a fortnight.

Tasty, latakia, relaxing. I liked it a lot.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2009-12-13		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

UPDATE (2016-09-05): Smoking from a stash dated May 2010 (more than six years old). Some say high Latakia blends don't improve much with age, but this stuff is so smooth and tasty I had to give an update. I was jonesing for some big Latakia and i remembered "Hey, don't I have some Commonwealth in my cabinet?" Yup. A pound of it in jars plus a couple tins. Had to crack one open tonight, and so happy I did! It's probably been three or four years since I had it and it's better than I remembered! Strong flavor, a bit tangy on the retrohale, but still surprisingly complex for a blend with only two weeds in it!

ORIGINAL (2009-12-13): Your tastebuds will revolt. They will picket, they'll throw rocks, they'll beg for mercy.

"The Latakia? You can't handle the Latakia!"

If you think you know what a Latakia slap feels like, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

But perhaps I exaggerate. Or not. Your tongue will wonder what it did to make you treat it like this. Then it'll beg for more.

"Come on Baby, make it hurt so good!"

The label says "Full Strength Mixture." No, 'ya think???

Gotta tell you, I don't often write a tobacco review after only one bowl, but this one's a no-brainer. If you like Latakia, GET SOME OF THIS! (sorry, didn't mean to shout...)

Starts off smooth, ends up smooth. Starts off rich, ends up richer. Starts off creamy, ends with an explosion of flavor. Starts off full, ends up FULL. Don't confuse strong flavors with harshness. The quality of the Latakia is amazing, and of course building on a foundation of SG Virginias guarantees the building will stand strong. No way you're gonna forget there's a pipe in your maw.

Gotta order more...gotta order more...gotta order more...

Age When Smoked: 6 years.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2005-04-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Revised 04-14-2005

This was recommended as a replacement for "Raven's Wing" by the good folks at the now defunct Gus's Smoke Shop. While it did not have the same flavor, it did not disappoint at all. It smells like a strong Latakia blend in the tin, but when smoked, was balanced well with the steamed virginia. This blend developed the same type of chocolate, earthy note that "Charing Cross" has but not quite as complex although "meatier" in flavor. It is sweeter than that aforementioned blend too. I have been pleasantly surprised by this blend over and over, and will definitely recommend it to all those latakia lovers out there. I found it to be at the perfect moisture level for my taste and smoke it regularly, especially in big pipes.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	who broke my clay pipe? (70)	2020-04-02		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

50g Tin. A full on English,the sooty Cyprian latakia, its like a good old solid fuel coal fire chimney. Peppery spicy,woody like burning oak, leather and strong yellow English mustard hotness. Bready at times like a toasted french stick. The spice reminds me of lea and perrins worcester sauce. This sauce backs off when the tobacco is dried before smoking, then it gives a darker sooty beefy meaty toastyness. Sweet and piquant as well at moments,sometimes i get hints of burnt raisin taste. No need for perique in this one, its heavy anyway. My jar is from a Nov 2016 tin, its still got its creosote aroma. I think the virginias have rounded and become a bit sweeter in that time. They are so well melded with the latakia that I almost cannot differentiate the ingredients, I just taste the magic sum of the whole.

No bite, burns cool, burns long, tastes consistent down the bowl, no chemicals, stays lit, makes no gunk, burns to a fluffy dry graphite ash, no soap. Tastes more smokey latakia peppery when dried , produces a proper satisfying smoke that I can chew, see and smell whilst smoking. I really like the spicy autumnal bonfire room note this produces.

Capable of being an all dayer smoke, but I find that with all strong Latakias that the first bowl of the day tastes the most potent strongest. then the more i taste latakia the less I taste it so to speak, I only taste latakia best when I give it a rest period as well. A dry dedicated and well commonwealth caked briar is recommended for the maximum pepper factor, reloads gradually lose the special sooty pepperness and it becomes more of a spicy sauce taste. I suppose really I enjoy this best at the end of the day after dark, its atmospherics suit darkness to me. 4 Stars **

Pipe Used: Falcon and Bantam

Age When Smoked: 3 years 5 months

Similar Blends: Night Cap, Old Dublin, Coal Fired Power Station..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Falliver (42)	2019-11-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

After many recent Virginia-letdowns, i decided to opt for sampling something quite different during my last visit to my local tobacco specialist. A sweet, woody, and cool jar aroma led me to try this - and I have not regretted it!

The ribbons are rather long, but presented no difficulty in packing, lot and stays lit easily.

What struck me as rather peculiar about this smoke, is it delivers a thick, cool smoke, but no overwhelming flavours. It delivers a slightly warming spice and cool woodiness, but impressed immensely with its aftertaste! It lingers on the tongue, and is impeccable throughout its stay, with delicious, sweet woody spices and vanillin, cool liquorice, and a slight fruity sweetness. Most prevalent is its woodiness. Not the least sour or ashy (bonfire-ish) as some Latakia blends tend to be. Peculiar and remarkable - this blend is really delicious!

Pipe Used: GL Lillehammer 64 and GL Lillehammer 7

Purchased From: Sol Cigar Oslo

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheAromaticDan (10)	2018-01-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Oh boy, do I love Latakia. Since this blend is allegedly composed of 50% Latakia and 50% steamed Virginias, I knew this would be right up my alley. The Latakia is apparent from start to finish, but never dominates the taste you get from this magnificent blend. The taste is full and doesn't bite at all, though I noticed it could get hot at times. I as a nicotine lightweight have never noticed a significant N hit. As with many Latakia heavy blends, its scent pervades the room for quite some time.

Pipe Used: various pipes without filter

Age When Smoked: 2017

Purchased From: tabak-boerse24.de

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fabryx (1)	2018-01-24		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Bold, strong, full, smooth, deep, and with a strong personality. Obviously, it is highly suggested to people who absolutely love Latakia.

This is what my mind pictures when I light my pipe packed with Commonwealth: it is like smoking your pipe watching a beautiful winter sunset from the top of a silent volcano. Definitely an evocative smoking experience.

Pipe Used: Savinelli - Roma

Age When Smoked: 2 weeks

Similar Blends: Sobranie of London - The Balkan Sobranie.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-03-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

it s wonderful tobbaco for me.very nice english mixture and after smoke i have very nice feel.highly recommended.please smoke alone and relax when smoke.actully very very nice tobacco.i love it and its my favorate tobacco for ever

Pipe Used: stanwell trio

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zofo (2)	2013-12-26		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

This tobacco is one of my favourites. I have to say it's definitely one of the best by Samuel Gawith (at least for me, because to be honest - the other blends aren't that great and not great at all). This mixture has the exact scent of an Englishman after he's had his tea & pipe at 5 o'clock. The combination of Latakia and Virginia is just right - it tastes harsh, but doesn't give you the feeling of wanting to call the fire extinguishers. Unlike some "Balkan" tries of Samuel Gawith this one is worth it.

Similar Blends: Peterson - Old Dublin.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A. Morley (97)	2007-08-18		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Overwhelming

As a pipe smoker you can smoke an English blend or you can smoke a man's English blend. Commonwealth Mixture is a man's English blend. I doesn't for a second try to hide ho unpretentious it is. You want Virginia? Well you got Virginia. Long cut, dark, angry Virginia that would make McClelland wet itself. You want Latakia? Well here it is, sweetheart. It's the other half of the blend. And that's all ya' get! Ha!

This blend is simple, pungent, and damned good. You have the almost unhinged and at times hot sweetness of stoved Virginia and, should you desire a reprieve, a full, meaty Latakia will come and rough you up for a little while. The flavor is full and the smoke is strong. You'll have to take time out to smoke this, because it will not take to the sidelines. You have to treat it with some respect too, smoke it slowly, otherwise it will hurt you.

Take it like a man and you will manage to experience, in equal proportions what fine, heavily stoved, African-grown Virginia leaf can do and also get a dose of the fullness of ashy, meaty Latakia in the process.

'You game, pilgrim?

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-10-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Here's a weird one for ya-- I generally don't smoke latakia blends, but this is one of my favorites. Commonwealth is half Latakia and half Virginias (of which, most appear to be Red Cake Virginias). I don't really know why this one appeals to me while I shun most latakia laden blends, but it does...ahh, the mysteries of pipe smoking...

Maybe it's the Cyprian Latakia that makes the difference for me, but even Cyprian doesn't excite me all that much in other Latakia blends (C&D Englishes most notably).

I can't taste much other than the Latakia here, but for some reason I just love the flavor of the latakia in this blend over that in others. Maybe the Zimbabwe (or Tanzanian etc.-- most Gawith blends use African origin Virginias) Virginias smooth out the flavors of the latakia without considerably adding their own personality. I honestly don't get it, but as far as Latakia blends go, this is one of my favorites (though I don't smoke any Latakia sufficiently often to give this one a "smoke regularly" rating).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MatB (5)	2022-10-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Sweet, citrusy Virginia coalescing with delightfully musky, smokey Latakia. Can’t really mess this up.

However, like all SG blends, I have to wait until they’re in stock, get them, jar them because the tins don’t seal. Can’t stock up because they’re either sold out or retailers have a purchase limit on them…then the tobacco itself is impossible for me to smoke because it’s almost goopy out of the tin, so it has to dry for a bit and then be carefully smoked, or else the bite comes on. It’s too hot, too wet, and just not worth it to me as far as flavor goes. There are other blends from both sides of the pond that are just as, if not more enjoyable, that one can reliably acquire, store, and smoke without the extra drama.

It’s good, just not that good. It’s not worth the hassle and artificial demand. I’m all for slowing down, enjoying the ritual. But the ritual itself has to lead to a fulfilling pay off, and this blend falls short for me. Just like the rest of my Gawith blends—some I love, some I’m ambivalent towards—I’ll smoke it all but probably won’t bother with it again.

Pipe Used: Meers, briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh and five months

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Old Man (19)	2022-04-20		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm reviewing a recent production tin (tin purchased March, 2022). Comes wet in the tin. It's kind of a rough cut with some quite long and stringy VA ribbons and small pressed strips and chunks of Latakia. Best to separate the strands and let it properly dry. Even so, it's tougher to light than say a thin ribbon cut Dunhill mixture. (Consider chopping the leaf into smaller bits for easier packing and lighting.)

In the smoke, there's a delectable touch of sea salt from the meaty Latakia and oddly, sea salt is also in the room note along with some burnt wood and incense. (The aroma is truly fabulous if you fancy Latakia-dominant English blends.) The mouth is coated with Latakia.

For some reason, for me, this mixture triggers memories of Balkan Sobranie - the real Balkan Sobranie. It could be how the Latakia was processed but I'm not sure. At any rate, there's little doubt that this is a superb offering. It's so well done that I honestly don't miss the Orientals or even the (now almost obligatory) touch of Perique that many other contemporary English mixtures have.

This just might be the last of the great genuine English (actually made in the UK) mixtures. Better hurry.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipey duck (50)	2022-01-02		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

This one surprised me by a lot!! Without expecting so much I lit a bowl and wow...A healthy dose of lat of course but the kind used here is more of a incense like varietal which I like better than the campfire stuff. And the VA used here is of a sweet ,malty kind . Together it is even a little complex. Have not yet an aged tin but I expect it ages wonderful. The strength is on the mild side and it is bite-free for sure

Pipe Used: Parker 109

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Gerd Jansen

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2021-03-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

If I were to undergo an exercise of imagination, and think back to what the old timers smoked in old Victorian London, I would imagine this is it. A simple blend, containing what seems to be equal amounts of Virginia and Latakia, starts and ends smoky and sweet. Since there are no mitigating tobacco variatles in the middle, it does tend to be a bit rough, but not unbearable ... I would even call it rustic. The nose is smoky, a tad fruity, a tad grassy, but mostly smoky. The nicotine content is a bit high, but quite bearable. Some people may not choose to smoke a second bowl during the day of this, due to the nicotine content. I did find myself in the past comparing SG blends with Asthon blends, the latest that comes to mind is finding some similarities between Squadron Leader and Consumate Genleman. Here I would compare this to Artisan't Blend, in as far as the smoky/sweetness combination, the later blend being smoother and a bit spicier due to the black cavendish, and the barely noticeable perique component. But I suppose if you like Artisan's, it is quite likely you will like Commonwealth as well.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2021-03-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Preparation & Burn: 8/10 SG blends are notorious for being too moist, but not Commonwealth. No dry time required for me. It's supposedly ribbon cut but it's pretty close to course cut. Packing is a bit awkward because its not as bouncy as I like it though. Burns cool, no bite. Stays lit for the most part. A few more re-lights than I prefer.

Taste: 17/20 This is not a lat-bomb, despite being 50% latakia. I don't know how, but it is incredibly well balanced. Smooth, creamy. Nice blend.

Mildness: 10/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. I barely detect any nicotine here. Perfect!

Total: 35/40

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (401)	2021-02-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

First a big thanks for the over generous sample of this fine pipe tobacco from a fellow piper. So, this is Latakia and Virginia only. Interesting. This is a nice-looking ribbon of medium/dark reddish-brown tobaccos interspersed with black tobacco which I take to be the Latakia. The tin note reminds me of a nice mild smell of leather. It was really foggy and damp this morning as I sat on the porch with my coffee and proceeded to lite this one up. Maybe it was the dampness but it took me quite a number of matches before I could get this one started properly. We will blame operator error. Mostly what I tasted throughout the day as this was the only blend, I smoked was the Latakia. I am sure the Virginia was lurking in there somewhere. Quite a few of the reviewers mention that this is a 50/50 blend and it may well be but the Lat tends to override the VA. Not sure if this makes sense but throughout the day smoking this felt like the smoke kind of lays thick on the tongue, probably due to the fact I smoked more than normal yesterday which I always seem to do at the club. I did a search on this site out of curiosity and found 79 Latakia/Virginia blends that are listed. If you can live without the Turkish/Burley/Perique/Cav give this one a try. If you buy it and tinker with it by adding your own ingredients you might as well pass as this is a good smoke in its own right.

Pipe Used: Charatan

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2021-01-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

An interesting tobacco for those who like mixtures where latakia is the main ingredient. Tin comes with a fairly high humidity level and at first it will be difficult to keep the pipe burning if the tobacco is not dried beforehand. After a few days, it can be packed directly without prior drying and the pipe can be kept lit without the need for many relightings.

As I have said, the main ingredient during the smoke is Latakia, with Virginia being a fairly silent guest. I was surprised to read in some reviews that speak of the sweetness of the mixture, when the tin that I got was on the dry side in this regard.

If I had acquired this mix when I started out as a pipe smoker, I would surely have praised its qualities, but now, fond of Balkan mixes as I am, I miss some other ingredients, such as oriental or perique. In this sense, I highly recommend Squadron Leader, from the same firm. Or in another case, I would also have liked it more if the virginias brought a little more sweetness, as happens for example in Balkan Mixture by Gawith & Hoggarth & Co.

However, it will give you one more chance, since I have smoked only one tin of this mixture.

09/13/2021: I am updating this review and giving the Commonwealth a star as I have continued to smoke it a bit longer.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	suitou (38)	2020-12-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The first pipe tobacco I ever smoked was Peterson Sherlock Holmes. I remember being surprised by the smell and taste, which was completely different from cigarettes. But the next one I smoked, Commonwealth, surpassed all these experiences. Latakia. This is the blend that showed me the appeal of a nice, earthy, musty, mellow, full-bodied leaf. I still buy and smoke a variety of blends, but Commonwealth is the one I smoke over and over again. There are so many gorgeous blends in this world. The only McClelland I have smoked in the past was Frog Morton on the Town. This blend had a sweetness and depth that impressed me. Commonwealth is always in short supply here in Japan, in the U.S., and around the world, but you can buy it. And you can smoke it. I will smoke Commonwealth for as long as the blend is in production, for as long as my life lasts.

Pipe Used: Blue Room Briars 3/4 Bent

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Yale Mixture.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bigdadz (39)	2020-11-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

A delicious full bodied English mixture where the Latakia really shines without being overpowering.

It reminded me very much of nightcap but without the Latakia being cloying and mild enough to be an all day smoke.

It definitely needs to be dried out before being smoked and burns quite slowly.

Similar Blends: Nightcap.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mariusK (33)	2019-10-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Is this a Lat-bomb? The strong (and delicious) smell suggests it is, but once you smoke it the Latakia is well behaved and the smoke is very balanced. It is earthy and woody without being overly peppery - no wonder since it has neither Orientals nor Perique. The smoke is rich and the taste creamy, without the (in)famous Lakeland soapiness of GH English/Balkan blends. Virginias stay firmly in the background and do not provide too much of the usual sweetness/fruitiness. A full bodied blend that burns well and does not bite. Uniform throughout the whole bowl. For all smokers who crave Latakia, this is one to go for.

Update: I have bought a pouch recently and it was disappointing. No idea why, but I have tasted soap, typical for Lakelands. Now this flavour should not be present in an English blend. I am downgrading my rating by one notch. Will try again, of course.

Pipe Used: Kriswill Golden Clipper, Falcon, Danish freehand

Age When Smoked: New

Similar Blends: Balkan Mixture.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2019-02-09		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The pouch note is all smokey latakia. The cut is a medium chopped ribbon in assorted tans, browns and black. It came at what seemed like a reasonable state of hydration, but the first bowl was hard to light and keep lit. I dried it a little after that, and it was a less temperamental smoke.

The smoke was pretty monochromatic. It tasted of latakia and was a little musty with a bitter edge. I did not get any Virginia notes. I think the only other blend I have smoked containing only Virginia and latakia was Lane's #10 Downing, and that has been a while. The Lane was not so latakia forward.

In terms of strength, this was a mild perhaps trending to mild-medium. Taste was a medium single note. I did not pick up any complexity. I think I miss the Oriental or perique presence with the latakia here. I did not get the signature creamy or chewy that I often get with latakia.

It is hard to give this anything more than a lukewarm recommendation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rafalgdansk87 (12)	2018-04-27		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

This tobacco is good example for that, the sometimes simple is better. Just 2 ingridients - 50 % sweet virginia, and 50% smoky latakia. Smoke is mellow, easy burning, no spiciness, no bite, just full sweet and smoky taste. Great as an everyday latakia blend.

Pipe Used: Worobiec 72

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoke Shop, Gdansk, Poland

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tschenyinkoh (51)	2018-01-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

I tasted some but found the rough edge and flat, if not dull, taste may not be my personal preference. So I rated it as two stars: just smokable.Then I put it somewhere and forget.

After six months, when I discover it, commonwealth become as dry as brittle paper. Surprisingly, it smokes like heaven because commonwealth shows more mellow and smoky aroma, Virginia and Latakia perfectly merge and balance. So I rated it as four stars. In result, I conclude that if you significantly reduce the moisture of SG tobacco and cellar it carefully, the quality of mixture will be glowing.

Enjoy + Require buying + An all-day smoke → Four Stars Rating

Age When Smoked: six monthes

Purchased From: bulk from pipesandcigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bayro (30)	2017-02-02		Medium to Strong	Strong	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Top latakia - virginia mixture! For all fans of real, powerful English mixtures and Latakia lovers , all around the world! This tobacco impressed me from the first bowl, so I immediately order from my US tobacconist 250 grams of this divine ambrosia! And to quote my predecessors; only for true fans of latakia, others - better to avoid! My deep respect, good old Samuel!

Pipe Used: DMP, Danske Club, some old Tanzanian meer pipes

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye, Proper English, Balkan Sasieni.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-23		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

50% Virginia and 50% Latakia for another great EM by Samuel Gawith. Intense, meditative, perfect for a great evening smoke. 4,0/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Stop and Smoke, Milano (Italy)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AlexFullin (6)	2016-08-05		Strong	Strong	Very Full	Very Pleasant

Probably the best English mix out there. And I say probably because I havent tried them all .....yet. Mellow, balanced and powerfull. Round all along the bowl, its mellow and powerful without being overwhelming. An underated beauty.

Pipe Used: Orlik Antique

Purchased From: Local Corner Shop Quilmes Buenos Aires

Similar Blends: Squadron Leader but rounder all throu the bowl..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crazy owl (74)	2016-01-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

It´s curious just now I discover that my most dear blend of every day from 3 years ago,when it arrived at local tobacconist,were not yet reviewed.So simple blend La-Va but married to the top of perfection.I don´t know where from comes the leaf but remains year after year above the rest.Yes,we know the incredible Mc Clelland virginias of heavenly flavour,but they can get the balanced point of mixture with Latakia.Samuel Gawith get it,blessed mistery.Today I,m smoking the cellared stuff,in ceramic jar beside the local very long and hot summers maduration is overpowering,3 years become more than 12 in the tins,and it´s wonderfully different.Both versions,fresh and aged are excellent.Let´s hope the quality keep on the front line of these trustable tobaccos,the last bastion in the brithish pipe world.By the way,if you are looking for complexity obviously you can´t find it on this blend,but depth is another question.Easy to smoke every day,only when trying several pipes,to enjoy bowl variety.Nice cut.I also realize that are people who don´t like Samuel Gawith´s tobaccos as a rule.Taste is free but with Presby found again is ,at present time,my choice.

Pipe Used: all kinds

Age When Smoked: fresh and quite aged

Purchased From: local tobacconist

Similar Blends: itself.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2015-03-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the best in its class (Lat. and VA only). I have smoked several English styles that lack the oriental component and this is one of the very best available. Lat is strong, although it is starting to mellow a little now. Nice smokey, peaty, earthy. The VA's are a little sweeter now too. Although steamed I think there must be a lot of red and browns as I get a sweetness that is malty and of roasted grain/breads but every now and then a note that is different, not citrus but sweet nonetheless. I cannot quite put my finger on it but it adds another element. Should age well I would like to try it at 5 yrs now too.

Age When Smoked: 3.5 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	machinebcon (50)	2012-05-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

It says "Full Strength Mixture" on the tin, but this is not the same beast like Nightcap. Commonwealth Mixture is a light, cool, sweet smoke with a creamy tone. The tin aroma is smokey-sour, the room note drives your wife away, but the pipe is pure joy from the beginning to the last puff. High grade tobaccos, quite moist in the tin, needs drying else you need to relight every two minutes. Apart from that, five of five stars! Everybody who likes Lat should have this in rotation. Definitely recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	maigret fan (76)	2012-01-27		Strong	Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A traditionnal English tobacco, tranditionnal in its taste and in its quality. Good mixture of the Viriginia with a full Latakia addition which will please the smokers who enjoy that kind of blend.

One of the best of the Samuel Gawith range. I was disappointed by the Squadron leader blend, lacking Latakia to my taste. Here is something fully satisfactory. May I say it reminds me of the legendary Balkan Sobranie although I did not smoke that blend for twelve years?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-01-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I know I am missing something here!! The truth is for some un-known reason I just dont get Sam Gawith blends! I want to enjoy them, the description sounds like something I should love! I love full English blends, I live for powerful Latakia kicks.

This tobacco was so wet on opening the tin that it was impossible to light. It smells devine. Once dried out I sat expecting that this one was going to blow me away and end my non-pas with Sammy Gawith blends. Disappointment again im afraid.

I give up!! I really wanted to enjoy this tobacco but unfortunatly this tin is going to join the other Gawith blends at the back of my cellar only to come out when I have nothing else (highly un-likely that will ever happen!!)

There are so many high quality blends out there, this one just cannot compete!!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2009-11-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a very fine tobacco when you're in the mood for Latakia. It's a little one-dimensional, as several reviewers have remarked. This isn't a problem for me, but it's worth pointing out to people who like nuance and complexity that this is not at all a sophisticated or demanding tobacco: no orientals, but a good, stout blend of sweet Virginia and pungent Cyprian Latakia. The two components complement each other in a way that seems to me just about perfect. I don't find that the Latakia, though very much a presence, swamps or overpowers the qualities of the Virginia. Taken as a whole, the package gives a smoke that's smooth, tasty, fairly slow burning and easy on the tongue. Perhaps people will know what I mean if I call it a ‘winter' smoke.

Although it's said to be a full-strength mixture, and although it punches you quite hard on the nose when you open the tin, I don't find that CM has a particularly high nicotine content. To my mind there are two negatives, though not very serious ones. One is that it comes very moist in the tin: it really does need quite a lot of drying. I see that several reviewers have said that it improves a good deal with age; I'm not surprised to hear it. Another negative is its very pronounced and distinctive room note. It isn't unpleasant if you like the heavy, sharp-edged fragrance of Latakia mixtures, but innocent bystanders may well reel away choking.

In terms of my own preferences, this isn't an all-day smoke; I have to be in a Latakia mood, and that doesn't happen all that often. When I am, though, I like CM a lot. On this basis, I think that three stars would be a fair rating.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2009-01-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I thought I would not like this mixture because it has only Virginia and Latakia, and no Orientals. After all, the recipe seemed very similar to the Balkan Flake, which I find quite flat. Well, I was wrong: I was given a free tin from the editor in chief of Smoker Magazine, and I am ejoying it a lot. The trick is that this blend contains a very "greasy", unctuous and rich Latakia, and the Virginia base is equally rich and juicy, with a great natural sweetness. As I said, there are no orientals and at times I feel some spice is missing and that the smoke could use some more body, but it's quite satisfying and licorice-like. Maybe not very complex, but very rich, woodsy, dark and enjoyable, and still very smooth. I suggest letting the tin air for a while before smoking, as this tobacco is quite wet and might water down the taste.

2009 Update: I opened a fresh tin a few years ago, and I was shocked by the bland watery taste of the smoke... no Virginia sweetness, no Latakia smokiness. Then I decided to let it dry in a room with heating (and so, with quite a dry air) for a couple of days with the lid off. Only now I recognize the fine smoke which Commonwealth Mixture can offer! By all means, give this tobacco an extended drying period after opening the tin, or it will be lousy at its best! I can't condone Samuel Gawith's policy of packaging the tobacco with such a high moisture content (I am paying good money for fine tobacco, not for water!!!!!!), but if you are willing to let it dry A LOT it is a nice blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (129)	2008-12-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

First let me say I was going to give this three stars, simply because I will not be hoarding this tobacco, having said that, I have just compared this tobacco with Germain 1820 in a previous review, to which I gave three stars, and comparing the two together, this must surely rate four.

A dark broken flake of quality tobacco's, a good honest English tobacco and well balanced. Packs and lights easy, a well behaved burn requiring minimum maintenance and a good flavour all the way through.

Personally, IMHO, I do not find this to be a full strength mixture, more in the line of medium, a good but by no means, an overpowering amount of latakia, complimented by fine quality virginias. This can make a nice diversion, if not an occasional change from Squadron leader. Most certainly worth a try.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2008-10-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Contrary to my apprehensions the mixture arrived at the perfect moisture level for smoking (the tins were bought in London). The initial aroma was, of course, latakia, but by no means over-whelmingly latakia. The virginias hold their own.

Predisposed to the combination of virginia and latakia only by Balkan Flake, I expected Commonwealth Mixture to be just a latakia heavy version of BF. It is not so: I cannot tell whether the virginias are different or the latakia is different, but BF is a little smokier than CM. Perhaps the flake form concentrates the flavours.

The mixture is very cool smoking and lasts a long time. The virginias continue to hold their own when the pipe is lit, and are not trodden over by the latakia. The over all effect is of a rich and opulent blend, not at all one-sided. (I wonder whether the proportions of the two tobaccos are by weight or by volume, and whether it would make a difference?)

I had described Nightcap as being Wagnerian, and Pirate Kake as a brass band. CM could perhaps be best described as a sonata for organ and trumpet - though I am not sure which tobacco is the organ, and which the trumpet.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2002-07-26		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Desperately seeking?.Virginia!

I believe this one is known as KBE mixture across the Atlantic. One of the moistest Latakia mixtures I have tried (airing recommended). The mixture is composed of mainly black and dark brown ribbon cut strands, not exactly sinister looking?but close. Upon lighting, a full, straightforward Latkia blast comes through. Hmmm, not bad. Toasty and rather sweet, in that incense like sweetness, it immediately affirms itself on the palate. Trouble is, in so doing it deprives other flavours from making their stand.

Way down the middle mark the mixture is still very tasty and dry, albeit only in one direction?. The Cyprus delegation is all over the place, but where is the American leaf? It seems that in this Gawith offering the Tobacco Lords of Scotland have overpowered the Commonwealth of Virginia. This is a good, simple, strong tobacco. By no means it is a contemplative or meditative experience. It burns slowly and rather cool, yes, but there is no subtlety of flavours, there is no regional coexistence of taste spheres. While the zesty, almost salty presence of Latakia is evident, it does seem to lack the understated sour/sweet element of Turkish tobacco, as well as the nutty whiff of other Orientals, and the elegance of Virginian varieties, such as you find them in My Mixture 965, London Mixture or in the Original Balkan Sobranie Mix. To borrow a figure used by the esteemed Eulenburg, it lacks ?ampleur? Other than that, it is a very good, uncomplicated smoke. An excellent companion for cold, windy days.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Albion1956 (42)	2002-01-16		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This tobacco promises a 50/50 mixture of Cyprian Latakia and Virginias, well they are right in that respect, and that is it. I like a good Latakia blend, and I am certainly fond of good Virginias, and in the process of reading up on this and purchasing it I was hoping for more. A mixture of both mentioned tobacco's various Va's etc, made for an attractive blend on the eyes. The smell in the can reminds me of dirt, but well processed dirt. The tobacco was slightly moist, and few minutes in the air took care of that. Charring was no problem, and after the initial light I tasted the latakia with an essence of Va's. Not that the latakia overwhelms, but it predominit, smoking down the bowl offers no variation, except the changing of the lead between the two starters. A pale white ash shows a quality tobacco, but not much else. Bottom of the bowl leaves some dottle, something Mr. Holmes might prefer, first thing in the morning, but well... A well processed tobacco, burns evenly, and leaves one with a sense of did I miss something?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nick Prof. (28)	2022-08-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Well, I started with time getting more positive with this blend. I first smoked this tobacco a few months ago, though i smoked more than half of the tin, I was not so happy compared at least with a number of other blends (Virginias, English, more sweet blends etc) - it was alright for me some Fridays late with a drink, but generally could not be easily a daily tobacco for me. After that, I didn’t smoke the tobacco for more than 2 months, and I re-tried recently (the same first tin I got 3 months ago, having kept it in jar). This time, perhaps because I have increased significantly my experience in different tobaccos, especially English/Scottish blends, I appreciated more this one. To be more specific, I will not buy another tin before the present one finishes, but very likely will buy this tobacco little later (perhaps one tin for ongoing smoking, one for cellaring). I would agree with many folks who described some saltiness of the tobacco, a good interplay between Latakia and Virginia. I didn’t find it however so “one-dimensional” necessarily. I would give 2 stars, not that I don’t recommend this blend (it is very much recommended), but this is in comparison with other blends of this broad type of tobaccos, particularly in relation to its price (other tobaccos within the same budget outperform, yet for a diverse smoking experience I would keep it for more occasional smokes). - strength: it is more fair to say it is a medium-strong blend, i found it “mild” to “mild-medium” over the first couple of minutes, going to something little stronger in the process. Of course this might depend on whether you use filter or not and other factors. In this case i used a 6mm filter, but this is “paper filter”, specifically the same we use for corncob pipes, but this time in a briar pipe (it does allow to understand better the strength and flavor compared with carbon filters). - flavor/taste/room note: of course this is a non-aromatic tobacco, and I found its taste medium with a nice combination of the Virginia - Latakia blending. The room note is tolerable. A small number of relights come into play, perhaps contributed by the coarse ribbon cut of the tobacco, but it is smoked pretty easily.

Age When Smoked: New to 3 months

Purchased From: Local shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MM (12)	2022-07-06		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This tobacco is a testament to SG's mastery. It is an orchestrated symphony of the sweet and incense notes. Some may argue it is not complex or one-dimensional. I agree, it is. But it is an exceptional dimension. Unlike other SG offerings, this one is easy to smoke. If you love latakia, smoke some Commonwealth and you may experience a glimpse of heaven.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Nielsen (2)	2022-04-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

This is my all-time favorite pipe tobacco.

This mixture isn't very complex, and you get to completely familiarize yourself with its flavours the first few times you smoke it. The flavours are earthy and leathery; they remind of brown mushrooms or a heavily peated whisky. It is counterbalanced by the fresher, lighter virginia tobaccos.

The smoke is thick and silky - it induces relaxation and contemplation of the highest order. Non-smokers tend to find the smoke and room-note too powerful or strange for their uninitiated noses.

The only negative aspect of this blend is that it can sometimes tend to become a little bit acrid, or sour-tasting upon relighting. This can be alleviated if you really pack it perfectly, and avoid relighting too much.

I find it smokes best in longer pipes and/or bigger pipes - not great for nosewarmers in my opinion.

4 stars.

Pipe Used: My entire pipe collection

Purchased From: Danishpipeshop.dk

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScienceSmoker (60)	2022-01-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Sam Gawith's Commonwealth Mixture is a potent blend. More and more, I've been enjoying light English blends lately... but I still have a place in my heart, and my rotation, for strong Latakia blends. And Commonwealth is a great example of good strong Latakia blend. The flavor is rich, sweet, nutty, and smokey. It's not too complex, just a solid, pleasant smoke. The Virginias and Latakia seem to meld into one simple, but very tasty flavor in this blend. But simple is good sometimes. It's actually surprisingly sweet. Blends with this much Latakia can sometimes end up being fairly bitter, but not in this case. If you puff too hard and fast, it's true that Commonwealth can be a bit bitter. But smoked at a slow to moderate pace, it's a really nice, rich, sweetly smokey blend.

Bottom line: Really enjoyable smoke. Rich and flavorful. Fans of strong Latakia blends will love it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2021-03-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

If I were to undergo an exercise of imagination, and think back to what the old timers smoked in old Victorian London, I would imagine this is it. A simple blend, containing what seems to be equal amounts of Virginia and Latakia, starts and ends smoky and sweet. Since there are no mitigating tobacco variatles in the middle, it does tend to be a bit rough, but not unbearable ... I would even call it rustic. The nose is smoky, a tad fruity, a tad grassy, but mostly smoky. The nicotine content is a bit high, but quite bearable. Some people may not choose to smoke a second bowl during the day of this, due to the nicotine content. I did find myself in the past comparing SG blends with Asthon blends, the latest that comes to mind is finding some similarities between Squadron Leader and Consumate Genleman. Here I would compare this to Artisan't Blend, in as far as the smoky/sweetness combination, the later blend being smoother and a bit spicier due to the black cavendish, and the barely noticeable perique component. But I suppose if you like Artisan's, it is quite likely you will like Commonwealth as well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2021-03-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

If I were to undergo an exercise of imagination, and think back to what the old timers smoked in old Victorian London, I would imagine this is it. A simple blend, containing what seems to be equal amounts of Virginia and Latakia, starts and ends smoky and sweet. Since there are no mitigating tobacco variatles in the middle, it does tend to be a bit rough, but not unbearable ... I would even call it rustic. The nose is smoky, a tad fruity, a tad grassy, but mostly smoky. The nicotine content is a bit high, but quite bearable. Some people may not choose to smoke a second bowl during the day of this, due to the nicotine content. I did find myself in the past comparing SG blends with Asthon blends, the latest that comes to mind is finding some similarities between Squadron Leader and Consumate Genleman. Here I would compare this to Artisan't Blend, in as far as the smoky/sweetness combination, the later blend being smoother and a bit spicier due to the black cavendish, and the barely noticeable perique component. But I suppose if you like Artisan's, it is quite likely you will like Commonwealth as well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aurorasofautumn (38)	2020-10-08		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Update 03/2021: The honeymoon is over. While I still like this tobacco and find it quite unique, it suffers heavily by a direct comparison with my all time favorites. I'll downgrade this to 3 stars.

This was actually sent to me by mistake as part of an online order instead of "Lakeland Dark". In retrospect this was quite a lucky coincidence as I absolutely adore "Commonwealth Mixture" and would never have bought it in the first place. Why? Because the thought of 50% Latakia seemed so overpowering and the absolute lack of Oriental leaf for me indicated a lack of complexity. Truth be told - I was absolutely wrong about this blend, this baccy is refined yet simple and incredibly pleasing.

Granted, you won't find the complexity of a great traditional English Mixture with Orientals such as e.g. in McClelland's Arcadia or SG's own Skiff - yet you will get something else that is just as enticing in this blend. I'll try to pin this down as exactly as possible even though the magical part of all the exquisite blends I love so much is of course hard to explain. The central aspect of this tobacco for me is that is full flavored without being full bodied, meaning that there is a sweet and gentle VA base (if compared to the fullness of flakes like BBF and FVF) that is complemented by the spicy and intriguing flavor profile of the Latakia that is really showcased in all its nuances in this tobacco. The nicotine content is exactly right - I can even smoke this on cold autumn mornings with a cup of tea. The second central aspect about this tobacco is that it offers an amazing interplay between its components even when it is not the most complex thing on the planet. There is still enough stuff going on to keep the dicerning smoker interested - one can concentrate on the more herbal and the more incense like qualities of the Latakia and the subtle development one get throughout one's bowl.

In other words, Commomwealth Mixture is like chamber music rather than a multilayered symphony. What is so pleasing about it is that it does something magic on the small scale and that it works with less "pomp" while still being absolutely refined.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TobaccoGonSPM (9)	2019-10-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

50% heavily steamed Virginia and 50% Cyprus latakia. So when you open the tin you find equal proportion of brown and black leafs, very silky to the touch. It comes a little on the moist side, like other SG blends. I like this tobacco not so dry, I find it develops better flavor that way. Tin aroma is delightful very smoky, sweet, raisins and earthy.

Once in the pipe and lit, it delivers a velvety thick smoke, very flavorful. 50 % of latakia so latakia it’s in the front, but it´s not overwhelming. The quality of the steamed toasty sweet Virginias in combination with smoky smooth latakia, offer a dense smoke with no rough edges that burns slow and cool. In the last third of the smoke I detect a light raisins flavor, maybe the Virginia. Not a complex blend but with unique flavor very consistent through the entire bowl. Not much nicotine, need some relights, no tongue bite, nice beard note, ambient smoky. One of my favorites

Pipe Used: Clay, Meerschaum, Corn Cobs, briars

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Local Tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2019-09-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Samuel Gawith's Commonwealth is another tocacco that I smoked when it first came onto the market but never took up a relationship with, until now. A tightly packed and well preserved pint canning jar gave me the opportunity to revisit this blend. While I remember my feelings of about thirty-five years ago that it was a little more than just okay, now I found it to be a very satisfying English blend. Assuming the blend has stayed the same, it has to be that my tastes and preferences have matured. As it says in the I Ching - "Perseverence furthers". I don't know how one gets this much varigation of flavors into a binary Virginia and Latakia blend at 50/50 proportions, but S. Gawith does just that. I feel it would be difficult to get this much flavor out of a single Virginia with nothing but Latakia to back it up and I assume we have a mixture of Virginias in Commonwealth. As could be predicted, the Latakia is a dominant factor in this smoke with the Virginia flavors dancing a jig in the near background. I thought the balance and subtlety was magnificent and that this has to be the best of a small subclass of English blends. Commonwealth is the standard bearer and deserves four stars.

Pipe Used: Ser Jacopo 1/2 bent billiard-2002 NASPC yearpipe

Age When Smoked: unknown but not recent

Purchased From: a former pipe smoker

Similar Blends: I reviewed my reviews but could only find one Va/Lat mixture that I have smoked since I started on this site, and that blend is, oddly enough, S. Gawith's Balkan Flake. BF is good, but far less complex and satisfying than Commonwealth.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe&leaf (9)	2019-03-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Age this and you will be rewarded with some of the sweetest Virginias to have ever mingled with Latakia leaves.

It's very balanced. As in, the Virginias and Latakia dance together very well at an even pace throughout the bowl.

Yes. Just, yes.

Pipe Used: Benton special billiard

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	3pipeproblem (28)	2019-03-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

I wish I could say this excited me, but it didn't. On the other hand, I didn't hate it, which I might have predicted before dipping into Latakia. The 50/50 mix of Lat and VA was very full flavored, but not overwhelming. I'm finding that I quite enjoy the Cyprian weed, but so far have not found anything I would like a prolonged diet of. Burns well, no bite, and even the cat can tolerate the room note. I may revisit, but for now a solid 3.

Pipe Used: Dr. Grabow briars.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Harry_Callahan (14)	2018-09-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

My first one here goes to one of my favorites. I really don't know if another Virginia-Latakia can be better than this! I find the Virginia very sweet and grassy, Latakia is there with the right amount of smokiness. Light spiciness only in retrohale for me. I think this could be the right one if your looking for something less smokey and less spicey compared to a classic EM and see no problem for an everyday smoke

Needs some relights even if dried out before packing. Fine ash...I think this means something postive

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerscham Straight Rob Roy

Age When Smoked: weeks

Purchased From: Bollitopipe Turin Italy

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kito (5)	2018-06-29		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

you taste the latakia as it is. strong yet smooth. carrying little mild sweetness to it from the virginia. good aftertaste. overall, it is calming and relaxing. best dry for a day in room temp. burn vry well, when you take it smoothly. from the virgin tin. it smells like a perfectly grill beacon to me. nothing comes close. my room smell great and wonderful. the is nothing i can complain and feel even a bit dissatisfied. to me, it is a master blend. found my love at last. I would give a 6*, if i could.

Pipe Used: ted's imported briar.

Age When Smoked: 2yrs(tin)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2018-04-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

COMMONWEALTH MIXTURE: For all those who love English blends with a great amount of Latakia. It is ideal, it is perfect. There are a lot of prestigious blends in the market with a very very high Latakia content. For example Cornell & Diehl Pirate Kake - G.L. Pease Odyssey - Dan Tobacco Bill Bailey’s Balkan Blend - McClelland N°5110 Dark English Full. But all these mixtures are strongly unbalanced, they do not have a harmonious proportion of the components. I mean that you can taste only Latakia and nothing else. It is like smoking straight Latakia and it is really impossible to detect the flavors of the other tobaccos. Commonwealth is completely another thing, it’s the old English school, precise, balanced, never overwhelming, never cloying. Ideal for Latakia lovers’. Perfect for those who love the right proportions. Commonwealth is an English mixture so well balanced that it does not even need oriental tobaccos. For all these reasons, in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 10 and four complete stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMB (7)	2018-04-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Man oh man. Tasty stuff. Heavy latakia as expected, I can't find much from the Virginia in the smoke. Burnt easily, took one relight, put me half way into a nap, good feelings all around. A very nice room note if you enjoy latakia, expect non smokers to object. A simple smoke, but one that I heartily recommend.

Pipe Used: Billiard Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 2 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lazarus77 (91)	2017-11-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Good blend, no complains, high quality tobacco, easy to pack, burns easily, few relights, no tongue bite, consistent solid flavor, just a bit boring, missing pinch of Orientals... Worth to try it for sure. Recommended.

Pipe Used: Edison old briar

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Local store

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2013-06-14		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's been a while since I've had some SG so I've treated myself recently to three of their offerings, this being one of them. Wasn't sure how this would compare to other SG lats but, with 50% Latakia, it looked promising.

The tin aroma is one of mild creosote, perhaps a little stronger than the smell of, say, King Charles Mixture. Packing was okay but the lighting was a little tricky, this stuff is a little damper than I like but doesn't take a lot of drying out. The smoke itself is very heavily "latted" so to speak, the latakia is very strong. I think the only think stronger in lat terms is pure latakia itself. Still though, I like latakia so it's no real biggy.

To be honest, there's not a whole lot going on here. A good strong lat taste and not a whole lot else. The most interesting smoke I had was after I had popped in some 3 Noggins in the well-ghosted pipe about half way through the tin, the next smoke of this stuff had a little variety in it, some of the ghosting from the orientals and virginias in the 3 Noggins had just nicely ghosted the pipe. Sadly, mixing the two in a 50/50 split didn't have quite the same result. Only the whole then, a good lat hit probably best reserved for first thing in the morning with a stiff coffee, but not a whole lot else. In spite of the lack of variety though, and probably because of the lat-hit, a decent enough three stars in my book.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2011-05-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Well, at the end this monolithic binomial of Latakia and steamed Virginia has revealed to be a solid and pleasant smoke. The smoker who appreciate this blend is the same of the Nightacap (or Old Ironside) league.

Commonwealth needs some drying but please don't overdo that! The smokiness of the black weed keeps the center of the stage all the play long, the mellow dark Virginia adding some buttery-sweet colours. Mild-to-medium, smooth as silk, perfectly cool and refreshing.

Some predictable problems with my SWMBO, I can perfectly understand her …

Three full stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2011-03-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Opening the tin you are greeted with smoky, campfire, sour, musky scents. The ribbons vary from bright yellow, to brown, to pitch black. Loads easy and lights easy enough. It does take some good tamping and puffing to keep lit.

Excellent Latakia blend. Very creamy and smoky with just a hint of sweetness. The first 1/4 of the bowl I detected floral and incense notes and I thought for sure there are Orientals in this blend along with the Latakia. But it dissipates after sometime. I thought too maybe there was some Lakeland essence added to the Virginias. By any means, I was wrong, but it should led to a very flavorful and powerful smoke. The Virginias aren't as sweet as I had hoped, but do keep the smoky, earthy, pungent, sour Latakia in check and balanced. Quite a nice blend and reminds me of a blend that sits in the middle of Frog Morton and Westminster. The nicotine is stronger than I expected, but was just right for the strength of the flavor. It does remind me a bit of other Lat. bombs I've sample, in that it can be bit monochromatic. However, it's well worth a bowl here or there in the rotation.

Pipe Used: Bent Billard

Age When Smoked: New from store - 1-3 months

Purchased From: Jeanie's Smoke Shop

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Star of the East Flake, McClelland - Frog Morton (Craftsbury Series).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-02-11		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

It's a full Latakia blend with a good vitamine N strenght but sweet and silky on the palate.

For Latakia lovers i'd rather say.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Piper@thegates (20)	2011-02-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Commonwealth is an uncomplicated straightforward VA/Latakia blend of the quality associated with Sam Gawiths. I've not seen another tobacco this moist in the tin, which led me to think I would have problems keeping the pipe lit. Actually it lit quite well straight from the tin although it did improve with a little dry time. The taste has been described by many as one dimentional, which it is to an extent but what do you expect from such a straightforward blend of 50/50 VA and latakia? Sometimes the simpler things in life are just what is needed and I really do enjoy a bowl of Commonwealth in the early hours when there isnt a sound to be heard anywhere. If you enjoy Latakia as I do and are looking for a simple, relaxing good quality smoke then I'd recommend this without hesitation. Commonwealth is readily available in the U.K. which means it has a regular place in my rotation of Englishes and so shall it remain. Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2010-12-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

"Bland, boring, weak, steamy. I'm not getting it. This thing is destined to sit on my shelf when the next big batch of Englishes arrive..note to future self, forget your second thoughts." That was the quote found in my smoking notes, having grudgingly gone through half a tin of Commonwealth Mixture.

I had earlier finished up my Balkan binge (Odyssey, Charing Cross, Abingdon, Bill Bailey's, Balkan Sasieni), successfully placing the Oriental leaf I had in the past found so elusive. In the meanwhile, I received a large shipment of Englishes (Quiet Nights, the newly redistributed Dunhills--Nightcap, 965, Standard Medium, London Mixture...and Old Dublin), promptly setting the blend aside.

I found that the Englishes kind of reset my palate from the Balkans, and I was better able to appreciate Commonwealth for its simplicity after having abandoned the initial effort. Now, by the time I returned, my tobacco had petrified to a solid mass, requiring rehydration (Listen here, Gawith: you really need to invest in some better tin technology, your stuff just doesn't work).

Where I had first found Commonwealth unbalanced, I began to understand that going from an Oriental overload to the state of deprivation was unwise...it required an intermediary step, which the English binge had done so successfully. But even on theoretical grounds, I questioned my former opinion. Why should all Englishes require Oriental leaf? I often praise blends that try something different, and it's not fair to rail against this one for doing the same.

There must be trade offs in such a radical departure, and yes, unlike your average English, with a Virginia component hovering around 30-35 percent, the high Virginia content here makes for a comparably sweet blend (test this for yourself to see whether I am wrong) and a meaty, sonorous note, more so than many of the traditional mixtures, at least. The Latakia component, similarly in its hefty proportion, imparts a dense smokiness that will coat your palate thoroughly of its fumacious nature.

Though I disagree with the "Full Strength Mixture" proclamation, I doubt many smokers will complain--Commonwealth is easily comparable to Squadron Leader in this regard.

Yes, the blend has its flaws, but I'm sure most people out there will find the smoke satisfactory enough--certainly not bland, boring, weak and steamy. Tobacco snobs will probably disagree.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've had a year of English mixtures exploration and with this mixture I've hit the holy Graal of Englishes.

It excells in every aspect, it impresses, it soothes, it tastes perfect and it's what every other English blend wants to be but not quite lives up to. In short: THE best! Commonwealth is like a buffed up Squadron Leader but with less tangyness and more flavor. It's like a Skiff mixture that doesn't need slow smoking and sherlocking to investigate the flavors. Don't know if I could call it broken flake though. More ready rubbed than broken flake.

For me after one full year of English Exploration I have decided the following: SG Commonwealth is my absolute favorite English mixture. SG Balkan flake and Germain's Special Latakia flake are my favorite flakes!

This is as close to tobacco divinity you'll ever come! (sorry if you think this is sounding like a salespitch)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-11-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Another good SG offering, but not in my true favourite ones.

It has a nice taste (combination of Cyprian Latakia and fine Virgina) and creates clouds of marvelous smoke, but I just do prefer when you have some Orientals in the mixture. I want some sour & tangy taste in my English and Balkans Tobaccos.

Recommended when needing a Cyprian Latakia kick.

And not to be smoked in company of partners who only appreciate Aromatics.

Rdx score: 89 (10 pipes smoked)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ap (57)	2010-11-14		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

A Latakia lovers dream, huge smoky flavour, light sweetness from the Va and a good nicotine kick. Very good

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-10-18		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable

I find myself getting unreasonable irritated when I read reviews from other pipesters carping on about this blend being too one dimensional. Come on guys, you can hardly expect a symphonic eruption of flavour along your palette from a blend which consists entirely of fifty percent Virginia and fifty percent latakia. Judge the blend on what it is, which is a high quality blend with a big latakia kick.

The generous quantity of latakia means this is one solely for the latakia fanatic. All other pipesters should stay well clear. And for those of you who like your latakia large and mean you won't be disappointed. Upon opening the tin you are met with a deep, rich, almost overwhelming smoky aroma. The tobacco is of the usual high quality you expect from SG, however it is slightly on the moist side and requires some drying out before smoking. Once dried it handles nicely, packs without a fuss and stays well behaved. It lit after two lights and stayed light for the reminder of the bowel.

This is a big flavoured tobacco and for best results smoke in a large bowel so the flavours can really open up and engulf you. From the fist puff the latakia takes control and pretty much stays in charge for the reminder of the bowel. The va's add a pleasantly sweet undertone thus ensuring a somewhat restraining hand is placed on the latakia. And don't fret, SG haven't forgotten the vitamin N. There is a very charitable helping of it, easily enough to keep even the most hardened nicotine lover satisfied. The strength of this tobacco (believe me its strong) means that for me it's not an everyday smoke. The heaviness of the blend tends to restrict my smoking of it to the months of early darkness and morning frost and icy gusts when its smoky warmth is much needed.

So to sum it all up, Commonwealth is an excellent full strength mixture. Latakia devotees need apply only. Another classic from SG.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2010-09-27		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This is a very attractive looking blend that seems to use the same high-quality virginias that Sam Gawith is known for along with a heavy dose of Cyprian latakia. It burns well, it burns cool, and it doesn't bite (much). The flavor is typical of a sweet English, and I at times found it hard to believe that the latakia component was as high as advertised.

In the end, though, there was nothing to set this blend apart from countless other Englishes. Like most of SG's mixtures of this type, it was far too mild for my tastes. I prefer full Balkans, and this stuff was positively wimpy (IMO, of course). I don't mean to disparage the quality, however -- I think it's a top-notch blend, just not for me.

Your mileage may vary, of course.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2010-09-04		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I agree with a previous reviewer that this is monochromatic, but what do you expect, this is a 50/50 blend. There is not going to be much of a change of flavor during the course of a bowlful of this wonderful blend. I find that CM will be a very dependable smoke all the way down to the fine ash at the bottom of the bowl. It produces a nice amount of smoke, a nice dose of Vitamin N. It is a very dry smoke with not even a whisper of gurgling. It may not be an all day smoke for many, but for some it will really hit the spot. I will mark it as a tolerable room note because the wife did scurry away shortly after I fired up a bowlful. I would definitely recommend this to those wanting to start to move away from the aromatic blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2010-07-18		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I agree with those reviewers who call this blend "one dimensional," because anything with 50% Latakia and 50% "heavily steamed" Virginia is likely to be somewhat one-dimensional. But what a pleasant dimension it is! (Yes, those who have read the other review I wrote tonight, of Esoterica Pembroke, will note that I described it in the same way.) This is not at all similar in taste, but is somewhat similar in style, in that it stays pretty much the same throughout the bowl, but that is ok, because if something is really good, it doesn't really need to change! My tin is, like the Pembroke tin, about 12 years old. Unlike Pembroke, there is no liquor topping in Commonwealth Mixture. What is similar is the mellowness of aged Latakia. This one has 50% Latakia, and though age takes away some of that lovely smokiness some Latakia lovers crave, I myself like that variety more when it has had time to mellow a bit. My sample of this blend is a joy to behold: when I first opened the tin a few weeks ago and poured the contents into my wooden blending bowl, there were sugar crystals on the mainly black or nearly black leaf, that sparkled when I moved the bowl around or changed my perspective. Changing perspectives in the smoke are more difficult to come by, though I can get some nuances by carefully altering the smoking rate, an art I am beginning to learn after three years of pipesmoking. I cannot get the range of flavors or overtones with this blend that I get with a fine old Virginia (though perhaps that could be attributed to my personal biases; it is true that while I appreciate all styles, I am mainly a Virginia smoker), but the flavor I do get is spectacular, and I could almost go to four stars on this one. Call it a three-and-one-half. There is no hint of bite in this, for me at least, though it does tickle the back of my throat a bit when I puff a little harder. If I wasn't always wanting to try new blends, it could be an all day smoke for me, though I would miss my Virginias after a while. There may be a light topping here, but I can't identify it. It may just be a product of the aging and "steaming," and all I can say is that the nose is somewhat flowery. No matter, I like it!

6-14-11 Finishing this up finally, with just 3-4 bowls left. My opinion hasn't changed, though I wonder if I would like it as much if it wasn't aged. I'm quite enjoying this bowl. I have a thing for aged Latakia that not everyone shares, but I think high Latakia blends like this develop a pleasant mustiness/wineyness after 10 years or more even if the smoky "edge" is taken off. A 50/50 blend of Cyprian Latakia and black steamed Virginia is not going to have a lot of depth, but this 1999 stuff at least is a mellow, pleasant smoke throughout the bowl. I'll miss it!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

I love heavy Latakia blends, and this is a good one. It was missing some "awesomeness", however, and a little one dimensional, but is still a pleasure to smoke. it was consistently good through the entire bowl.

3 stars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Bombadill (121)	2010-06-02		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

If you enjoy latakia/oriental blends this mix is well worth a try. Without a doubt it's the strongest/heaviest latakia blend I've smoked. At first it was almost too strong and I wondered how long the tin would be around before I finished it off. The more I smoked it, the more I liked it. It is certainly not complex. Latakia all the way with a slight sweetness from the virginias. (I am smoking it in rotation with a light oriental, SG Grousemoor and WC Bada-bing.)

It's the kind of blend I like to smoke outside. Also, it doesn't appeal to me as an all day smoke due to its strength. At first, even though I grew to enjoy it, I didn't think I would buy more, but now I'm sure at some point I'll gladly revisit this blend.

Four(4) full strength latakia stars!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

A friend that didn't care for this gave me a tin of this today. Not a complex tobacco by any means but one for lovers of Latakia. A good smoke, nothing exciting or dull. I'll keep it in the cellar & not sure if I will by more of it but time will tell.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-04-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

Good, just very good. Plenty of quality latakia and VA. Too moist, needs to dry out. Maybe not comparable with ex. Westminster GLP but still excellent. A good day smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-04-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

The tin smell is strong of smokey fires. I enjoy it. The taste is another thing. The smoke is creamy and smooth, with no hint of rough edges or bite. The initial light is smokey latakia which smoothes out to sweet mild virginia, then the combined taste begins getting stronger and stronger and stronger. Soon it overwhelms your palate, almost like smoking a strong cigar. Like all Gawith blends it is silky in your mouth with no hint of harshness or bitterness.

Like diving into cold water, the initial shock is invigorating, then you enjoy it for a while, then go numb and it is not fun anymore. That is what this blend is to me, no fun to smoke anymore.

But in all fairness it lives up to its description, and if you want a strong but mellow and smooth blend full of latakia, this is a good one. I personally will never buy it to smoke, but I keep a tin around to smell. Overall, I love the brand.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2010-02-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

For the Latakia enthusiast, the Virginia acts as a filler, not a bad thing. At 50/50, expect a Latakia forward tobacco and fortunately it delivers a dry spiciness, with camp fire notes. The Virginia on the earthy side, completes the taste profile of a somehow monochromatic tobacco that hits the spot for me.

Virginia lover

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-12-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very nice two tobacco English. Not particularly strong, but very mellow throughout the bowl. Many blends have 50% latakia, but in this one, it is not overwhelming. The steamed, probably African, Va does not bite, and provides flavor. A very nice smooth smoke which goes well with morning coffee for English smokers.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-12-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I never thought I would find a blend with too much Latakia, but this is my first. It is somewhat one dimensional, like smoking a blending tobacco. I have ordered some turkish to try to improve it. Edit: I added some Turkish 92OZ TO 8OZ Commonwealth) and let it age for a while. It is better, but still not one of my favorites. I love Westminster and think I will let Greg do the blending for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-12-12		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

Like it's sibling Squadron Leader this needs drying out after popping the tin. Don't waste butane/matches trying to smoke this out of a freshly opened tin + it might bite back.

Some view this as lacking complexity because of the ingredients, you have the virginias and lots of cyprian latakia and that's it. Here the complexity lies in the progression. It starts of with a sharp latakia attack which gradually leads to "soapyness" and becomes creamy and at the same time the sweetness of the virginias starts to surface somewhere at the last third of the bowl.

The room note repels people, but sometimes it's a good thing.

I'd give SL 3.9 and commonwealth 3.6 stars, both losing 0.1 star because of the moisture level in a fresh tin, but I'd rather dry than remoisturize my tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-12-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

I bought this blend from my local tobacco purveyer as I was looking for a new English blend and have let it sit in a pouch for roughly a week. After drying it out (which it does seem to need) I gave it a quick tar and tamp, and began to try this blend.

The first two-thirds of the bowl are creamy and rich with the taste of Latakia which is well grown and robust, much like a good coffee without the heat. The tobacco burns cool and even and has a very enjoyable aftertaste.

The end of the bowl takes on a sweet tone lent to it by the "heavily steamed" Virgina tobacco. This is a very nice flavor as it melds well with the taste of the Latakia creating a great blending sensation.

I prefer to call this a two-note tobacco because of it's robust start, and sweet finish.

Commonwealth is an English blend that is almost sure to please any palate looking for a exceptional tobacco. It is easy to see why it is compared to other big names in the latakia/English families.

The only downside is the room note as it is sure to be offensive to some if not many.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Thorre (27)	2009-11-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Commonwealth is a good straight forward pipe tobacco. Quality Latakia and Virginia. This is the smoke I imagine walking across Middle Earth with. The mountains, the forest, and the plains. Sitting around the campfire at night. Pulling out of my leather pouch, and smoking. Just a simple pleasure.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-11-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Every year after the first frost when the leaves begin to fall from the trees, I get a sweet tooth for some latakia. This is what I'll smoke. All of this latakia is intoxicating. And the virginias used are top notch. While not as complex as some other more traditional englishes, the taste is straight forward and full. One would have to try commonwealth to fully appreciate other reviewers comments about the creaminess of the smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2009-11-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Nicely balanced sweet Virginias and Cyprian Latakia for a solid smoke that will please the Latakia needs of English smokers. It's rather monodimimensional, but the sweetness and mellowness of Virginias make up for the lack of depth.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeterD (91)	2009-07-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This mixture may well indeed be one dimensional, but the dimension appears to be rather expansive. By that, I mean that I enjoy a variety of flavors and taste from the basic components of Virginia and Latakia.

I also keep this mixture fairly moist which I prefer over the dry, but find that as always, moisture plays a significant role, perhaps more than most tend to think about or give credit to.

As a matured virginia plug smoker for over 45 years, I do enjoy some of the heavy Balkan type flakes or plugs and keep them in my rotation. If this were available in plug form it would suit me far more than the "broken flake". I buy this in 1 lb bulk, and I don't see nor have I ever seen a true broken flake with this tobacco.

I smoke this in a group 5 straight billiard. I especially like this in the morning with tea or coffee. In the evening with a smokey scotch. Definitely worth a good try!

....a pipe is to be savored.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	catdaddy (18)	2009-06-21		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one that I can't get enough of - the can that's always near empty. I never buy it in bulk because I'm afraid it wouldn't taste the same as is sometimes the case but I'm content buying tins. Love the richness of this smoke. One of my top 5.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-05-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Kind of a one trick pony - but not a bad trick. You get latikia with this blend. Re-read that last sentence over a couple of times and you have a review. Give it some drying time. No "Lakeland" flavor tasted. I get it in tins not bulk, I like to know what I'm really smoking. This is one of the less expensive tobaccos, you can find tins go for under $7 per 50grams. Not really a flake - more of a short ribbon cut (some of the older reviews called it a long ribbon - SG must have changed the cut). You do not have to over-puff in search of taste - keeps every thing nice a cool. Dry and a nice white ash - you don't have to fight it to keep it lit. A creamy mouth feel. You will get a latikia after taste, but I enjoy that. A bargain -- Enjoyable!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-04-05		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Loved it, creamy goodness at the beginning and then a wonderful latakia finish. As other have said it may be one dimensional but it is an exceptionally good dimension.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	orka (66)	2009-03-29		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Good, straightforward English mixture. As has previously been remarked upon it can be perceived as monochromatic, and I agree to some extent. But I don't see it as any major fault, but rather a part of its personality. A stable no nonsense mixture which perhaps won't grant any profound insights into the mystic world of pipe smoking, but it's certainly not a waste of time either. And it will always deliver exactly what it promises, from the first to the last puff. Grassy Virginia sweetness with a touch of "Lakeland", combined with a mellow, earthy and creamy latakia taste.

I would perhaps suggest this as a good tobacco to try if you want to single out latakia and get a feel of it, to understand what it does in other blends. Or if you simply can't get enough of latakia and don't care about complex spiciness, fruity overtones and bouqets this and that. Simplicity in itself can be a great feature.

As others have also noted, it's somewhat of an overstatement to say that this is a "full" mixture. As far as strength is concerned there is really nothing to fear from Commonwealth Mixture. However, you might want to keep in mind that this is no light mixture either.

Personally I like to pack this in the morning, and smoke it in the evening (or better yet, the evening of the next day). To me it doesn't come to its right straight from the tin as I find it needs a significant amount of time to breathe before putting it to the match.

I do like this mixture. The problem is just that I don't like very often. I struggled a bit with how to take that into account for the sake of rating, and I reached the conclusion that it's how I feel about it when I'm actually smoking it that matters the most, not how I feel about it when I'm not smoking it. And when I do smoke it, it's a 3-star tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-03-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I totally agree with Croaker's review, bellow, and have nothing else to add, except that today I made a 50% mix with Virginia nº1, just for fun, and I´m happier with it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Croaker (13)	2009-03-27		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

Commonwealth Mixture is a full flavored Virginia/Latakia ready-rubbed ?English? mix. It has good packing and burning characteristics and is, overall, commendably behaved. The mixture produces a full volume of pungent smoke without biting ones tongue.

The Latakia in Commonwealth Mixture doesn?t seem to meld well with the Virginian tobacco. Indeed, Commonwealth has a strangely monochromatic Virginia-Latakia flavor without ever achieving a Virginia/Latakia melded flavor. To be fair I?ve never let a tin of Commonwealth age for more than a few months and I?ve never aged a bulk sample: it may be that this Virginia/Latakia blend would ?meld? more if given time.

Taken as a whole, Commonwealth Mixture has many assets one might commend. Nevertheless, it doesn?t distinguish itself in a crowded field. I find Balkan Flake, another Gawith offering, to be a far superior representation of a pure Latakia/Virginia English-style tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	scottbtdmb (4)	2009-03-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Being a newbie on the pipe smoking scene, the past three months have seen me make the classic transition from aromatic to VA to English tobaccos. After initially being turned off by many sub-par aromatic blends, my local tobacconist kept me in the game by turning me onto VA Woods. After falling in love with this blend, I tried other VA blends and nothing seemed to compare to my first love. My tobacconist then turned me onto numerous English blends and I fell in love with Nightcap, 965, and several local Fader's Blends. Just this past week, I went up to Fader's to kill a Saturday morning and was greeted by the extremely friendly staff. One of the tobacconists there commented on how Commonwealth was his favorite English smoke and how well it went with a cup of coffee. As I have also recently discovered a love for coffee, this seemed right up my alley, and I tried a bowl from his tin. Since I have gotten into English blends, I have become a big fan of Latakia and Commonwealth delivered the Lat with a right uppercut! I absolutely loved this stuff from the first taste. The avant garde taste of Lat that I have come to know and love was perfectly counterbalanced with the rich smoothness of the VA's. Better yet, this blend did indeed go well with a cup of coffee. In conclusion, give this a try if you are a coffee drinker and want a nice English to compliment your early morning cup. I also find that it is a nice blend to smoke in the evening with a Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout. The bitterness and coffee-ish taste of a stout seems to really mesh well with Commonwealth. Overall, a nice interesting tobacco that does the job and does it well!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CPT/VSG (72)	2009-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This blend was a surprise to me--I thought the absence of Orientals would result in a rather boring blend but the balance of Virginia and Latakia is excellent. "Creamy" is often used to describe this tobacco and it is accurate. While the blend is not what I'd describe as complex, it is tasty and a nice change of pace smoke for me. While it's not an every day tobacco for me, I do keep some cellared for those occasions when I need a change from my other English/Balkan blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Samuel Gawith refers to this as a Full Strength Mixture. While this certainly refers to the taste of Latakia and body of smoke, it is by no means a nicotine demon.

Commonwealth provides the smoker a great campfire simplicity that develops a slight sweetness toward the second half of the bowl. While producing volumes of smoke this mixture does not burn hot, nor does it bite the tongue or make you dizzy with nicotine.

While the smoking characteristics of this tobacco are fantastic, this is not an all day smoke. Great on a crisp evening, preferably outside. I find that it does require something to sip on, to cleanse the palate. This is characteristic of all Latakia heavy mixtures I have smoked and tea is the perfect companion of this mixture.

In the company of other full strength English Mixtures, Commonwealth Mixture solidly deserves 4 stars. To my palette, however, it can only ever be an occasional smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Duke (41)	2009-01-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I really enjoy this blend. Its simple formula produces an astounding smoke. It has that briny note that I have found and enjoyed in some English/Balkan's. Produces a huge amount of smooth smoke. I'd like more strength. I feel someone trying an English the first time could handle this easily. As with all SG tobaccos the finest of ash is left in the bowl. It is a bit damp first from the tin.

Somewhat Recommended

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

A nice English blend. I don't like it as much as 'Early Morning Pipe' from Dunhill, but nonetheless it is a full blend. A couple of warnings, though: don't smoke this in an enclosed area because the smoke is very strong and it tends to stink.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Commonwealth - 50% heavily steamed Virginia & 50% Cyprus Latakia is an interesting blend and these blenders pulled this off well...darn well! I love this stuff. If your a Latakia lover you must fill a pipe full of this. Commonwealth and Squadron Leader are in constant battle for my pallet for first place...I give the slight nudge to Commonwealth...um um I love this sticky weed. Very delcious to the last drop!

Update from the original 2006 review I did. (removed negative description)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2008-11-27		Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This blend is delightful with morning or late evening black coffee, the Virginia is sweet and tasty, the latakia is deep and extremely smoky, nicotine is medium, the tin need to be opened for 1 day before for complete drying and better smoking.

I like it but I prefer that sexy mouth feel I am getting from Turkish is Squadron Leader.

Quality English tobacco for heavy latakia lovers.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-11-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

First of all, this is my first tobacco review on this site, and I am something of a pipe-smoking novice, as I've only been smoking for two years, so your own mileage may vary.

I smoke this tobacco in a Peterson billiard of average size.

The first thing you notice when you open the tin is the very strong aroma. it's almost overpowering, really. Unless you love latakia, you might be scared to try this stuff, especially since it's billed on the label as a "full strength mixture." The imagination can run wild, with the known British penchant for understatement and the whallop of the tin aroma!

Lighting up is easy enough, though you might have to pick out a stem or two, or break up a piece that didn't quite get rubbed out fine enough for easy packing at the factory. The smoke itself is all bark and no bite. In both ways. I can make this tobacco bite, but judicious, non-greedy puffing will make this a non-issue. When smoked, the flavor is about medium or average, definitely not overpowering. It has a pleasant smokey latakia taste, with a sweet background. Simple and very pleasant. I could see this as an ideal all-day smoke, particularly for when you're doing other things and don't have the luxury to sit down in your favorite armchair in the den and do nothing but savor your pipe.

Nicotine is mild: it gives me a pleasant relaxed feeling, but definitely doesn't make my head spin or anything like that, which is another plus for all-day enjoyment. The tobacco burns with minimal fussiness, though I let it dry out for a bit when I first opened the tin, and I find that it burns down to a fine grey ash, with usually not much dottle left in the bottom of the pipe.

Highly recommended, especially for those who want to get into latakia and English blends. Be warned though, if you've been smoking aromatics, it's likely your wife will turn her nose up a bit if you're smoking in a common area. The room note is definitely tolerable, but it isn't sweet or as pleasant as the aromatics that non-smokers love so much.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2008-11-21		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Whenever I'm pining for some connection to my childhood in the north of the Commonweal, I reach for this classic Latakia bomb of a tobacco. As many reviewers have pointed out, this is very much a one-note tobacco, but if you like that woodsy, cedary note, then it is a must-have.

A well-aged tin (like the one I'm puffing on now) is a marvel of moisture-level-perfection and provides a completely biteless, remarkably cool smoke. Those hot, sugary Virginias are completely dominated by the Latakia both in flavor and in tobacco structure. The cut is fine and packing and lighting are easy as pie.

If there is any reason to complain about this product (beyond its lack of complexity) it is in the occasional inconsistencies in the tobacco cut. Any given pinch might show strands that look like ribbons alongside others that are fine as shag. This particular tin has a surprising number of toothpick-like chunks of golden colored Virginia. If we could still smoke in restaurants, that might be a positive benefit, but here at my desk, I'm partial to floss.

Ah well. Fabulous for Latakia spices, but if it's traditional English or Balkan complexity you're after, you won't find it here.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-09-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Sweet, full, and satisfying with no bite. A "go-to" Latikia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2008-08-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

I hadn't had this for maybe a year and a half. Ordered a tin because I was in the mood for a heavy, easy going smoke. Bingo.

This stuff is fantastic. Very sweet early on, it develops into a massively heavy smoke - terrific density of flavor at mid bowl and beyond. It's not really very complex, of course, in the same ballpark as Frog Morton, with a sweet virginia carrying a smokey smooth latakia. I find FM a bit cloying, though, and this one not so.

What else is there in this oriental-less "English" style - McClelland Anniversary comes to mind, but not much else.

This is a great smoker's tobacco, to be savored amongst the tolerant.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ranger (79)	2008-08-28		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Went through this tin quickly. Large latakia taste, but not overpowering. Hint of sweetness from the virginias and very smooth. Mine burned perfectly without any drying in both medium to large sized pipes. Easy to pack, light and smoke. Great price, great taste, a pleasure to sit back with and relax.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-08-13		Extremely Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Strong

After a tin followed by a bulk pound, I cannot fathom the person who believes this is a "full strength mixture". There is tons of top notch Latakia flavor which is perfectly balanced, almost no nicotine, absolutely no bite, and a distinctive "creaminess" that cannot be found elsewhere. The smoothness of this tobacco is unrivaled. Dried and packed properly it has no equal. This has just barely replaced Penzance as my favorite blend. Although vastly less complex, it's flavor development in a large bowl is just as entertaining as the most complicated English you may find. Buy a bunch, dry it well, and you'll never want to be without it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-07-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Commonwealth mix falls into the Latakia bomb category. If it weren't in fact made in England, I wouldn't even call it an 'English' blend. But I don't really want to start that debate here. (Nothing to debate, anyway.)

I like a big daily dose of latakia (along with one or two of the flower powered flakes) to break up my steady intake of virginia and virginia&perique. This hits the spot. While I do love Pirate Cake and its burley gloved black leaf slap, this is just better. Personally, I don't taste the VA leaf much in Commonwealth. It's there, but just, even if it is half the blend. Taste wise, there is a lot going on here. This is a blend I like to sit with.

Note: I have no idea what the hell the following statement means, even though I am about to author it.

If I had to pick just one blend to smoke only once a day to add variety of the many blends I'd take with me to a desert island, this would certainly be one of the ones I'd like to think about picking.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-07-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you're looking for complexity, subtlety or nuance here you may be disappointed. If you're looking for quality tobacco handled with care that delivers Latakia with a left uppercut and a kiss of sweet Virginia you'll be pleased. I certainly was. There are times when you need that Latakia fix but don't have the attention span to give the more complex, layered flavors of some blends their due. This is just right for those times.

A little damp, so drying will be needed. The ribbon cut packs nicely, takes the match easily and stays lit with minimal tamping and relights. Burns cool considering the Va content and the Latakia, despite the full load, does not leave a creosote film on palate or pipe.

Very good if you don't have lofty expectations.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	qmechanics (7)	2008-07-17		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Commonwealth is a strong English blend not for the mild in heart. The Virginia tobaccos, though not lost in the blend, are not the star of the show. This is Latakia heavy (50%) as the title description suggests.

If you are a cigar smoker who enjoys Pepin,Camacho, La Gloria, La Flor Dom., or should I say strong full bodied smokes, you should give this a try. After giving up pipe smoking years ago I recently took up the habit again. I tried aromatics at first as this was the choice of my youth. Then I learned more about nonaromatics like the English blends. A number of these blends I have tried do not conflict with a good cigar in terms of taste or bite. Commonwealth is among the best of these. And if the Latakia here does not quite hit the spot (lol) you can always buy pure Latakia to add a pinch for a bit of customizing.

After all what is an English blend without latakia ;-)?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sylvian (28)	2008-07-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Extra Strong

Could not get along with this 200 year old guy. For me Commonwealth does not have the wonderful balance and VA - Latakia interplay that SG Balkan Flake offers. A rather 'dirty', uninspired and misbalanced smoke. The impression might change with time, but I doubt I'll buy another tin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillardFan (90)	2008-07-14		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

6/12/08 Out of all of the Gawith blends I've tried, this one has to be the best of the best. Down to the last ash, this stuff rocks. The combination of the Virginias and Latakias is simply perfection.

I'm going to try this in bulk, and I can only hope that it doesn't lose any of the qualities in the tin offerings.

If you're not a fan of Virginia's, and if you haven't made up your mind about Latakia, well then, this one ought to do the trick!

By the way. The tin I purchased was one of three on a shelf in the tobacco store where I shop. But the tin I bought was hidden behind some other stuff, and looked a bit beat up. Paint chipped, the tin itself a bit the worse for wear. But you guys are always saying things about aging, so I was hoping that the tin I bought was still intact, and that it's contents would be fantastic, and indeed all was well. I just wish that the folks at Gawith would date their stuff!

7/14/08 I see what some of you are saying about packaging consistancy. I just opened a new tin of this, and it looks nothing like the last tin I bought. It also doesn't taste the same. It's not bad, but the previous tin I bought had a much better taste. This is my go-to blend, so I hope this isn't a foreshadowing of future tin quality?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-07-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This blend is better than the two star recommendation the problem is that there are a lot of tobaccos of this type that are a bit better. There is a full assault on your senses in the latakia department. I do not think it is the best quality Latakia that I have tasted but it is average. The Latakia overwhelms the VA tobacco and does not leave a lot of room for nuances. The tobacco burns completely and cool, leaving no residue in the heel. The blend is tongue friendly and never got out of hand. It is fairly strong but not like other Lakeland blends. Overall I wish there was a bit more nuances in the blend but it tastes and burns well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cmhpipesmoker (21)	2008-07-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I purchased this blend for three reasons. One, because it has been rated here by some as a heavier styled English blend which I prefer; two, because of the positive reviews and comments posted on this web site about this tobacco; and, finally, the local pipe shop I frequent had it priced where I coudn't pass up trying this tobacco. Based on this, I decided to give this blend a whirl. I tend to stick to those few blends that work for me, typically not veering off of this course.

Boy, I couldn't have been more pleased about this purchase. Upon opening the tin, the aroma is that of the sweetness of the Virginias and the smoky aroma of the Cyprian latakia. If you expect any more out of this tobacco than that, you'll be disappointed. If you take it for what it offers, and prefer this combination of tobaccos, you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Like any tobacco, I closed up the tin and let it sit for about a week before packing it into its first bowl. I wasn't let down on that first smoke. It offers in the pipe what it offers in the tin. A very consistent blend of Virginian and Cyprian latakia aromas. One does not appear to be followed by the other and one does not overpower the other. What I found was that they commingle for the entire smoke.

This evening, I just finished the last bowl of my first tin and the tobacco had started to dry a bit. Whether this is good or bad, I will need to find a better way to cellar my tobacco. However, the aroma and taste of this blend did not suffer, only improving over this course of time.

I don't think I can make enough good comments about this tobacco and not find anything bad about it. I highly recommnend this blend and I will be heading back to my frequented pipe shop to purchase several more tins, adding this to my short list of go to blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-06-25		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Stop 5 on the Lakeland Tour.

I have not fully figured this one out yet. First of all, the tin I smoked has been in my "cellar" (read: closet shelf) for probably 4 years. The tobacco was pretty dry; not bone dry but the only SG tobacco I have ever had to ADD moisture to. Mostly a latakia powerhouse with a significant "base" of very sweet, tangy virginias. As much as people praise aged tobacco, and I among them, this is one I really want to try from a newer tin to see if it has more flavor that way. I'll get to that anon and update. For now, this is definately a classic for latakia blends, and I think probably part of the inspiration for such current favorites like Maltese Falcon. Everyone should try it, at least if you like latakia or want to know what it's all about.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-05-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

If you are new to latakia or just not sure, go ahead and skip this one and find a milder blend with some other tobaccos blended in with the latakia.

This is a full-on latakia assault of the senses! I like this blend and the smoky goodness that is risen from the ash-it seems it would go perfectly with an Islay whisky, and since it is available in bulk, I definitely recommend purchasing at least two ounces to try. That way, if you like it you can purchase more and stock it up your cellar.

The only downside is the lack of complexity, but who knows-pair this with that Islay Scotch and it may develop into a complex experience. The lack of complexity forced me to downgrade to three stars, otherwise it would have been four for the latakia component.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipePaladin (78)	2008-02-24		Mild	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This one is quite interesting but only for the latakia lover as it has loads in it! However the combination of cavedish with latakia is just wonderful! Lightly aromatic as well as i like it! Peculiar staff for peculiar tastes.. I am not in love with it but I believe that it worths a try..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-02-05		Medium	Medium	Full	Strong

Wow!! This stuff is great. I've been smoking a lot of C&D Bow Legged Bear and I think I prefer this brand and blend better. I love how the virgina and latakia work together and this blend is a lot easier to smoke than C&D's. (Sorry C&D) It's got a great flavor and dosen't have a lot of bite like I get from a lot of heavy latakia blends. This stuff has totally changed my opinion of latakia all together. The room note is great. I'm not sure what the date is on my can but when I opened it I was greeted by a very nice aroma and the tobacco was packed tight and moist inside. I put a bowl full on a napkin for a few minutes and then loaded it and fired up and I was really pleased on how easy and mellow it smoked and it's got a nice strong flavor and room note, that I really like.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-01-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

Some blends are presented in tins that tell you Latakia is added in careful measure or with a gentle touch or in just the right amount to add interest.

To hell with that.

Commonwealth is a flavor powerhouse that showcases the best of Latakia. The Virginia, although an equal as far as quantity, serves as the foundation upon which the Latakia heroically stands tall and proud.

You get the smoke, the dry campfire -- common to Latakia. But then, all of a sudden, Commonwealth grabs you by the nostrils and pulls you into a bottomless pit of Latakia lust. You're treated to the herbal elements, the vegetal undergrowth, a pinch of something pine-like, and much more.

The tobacco burns easy and cool, without bite, and with loads and loads of interest from char to ash. Amazing stuff.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a leather wing-back chair and roaring fire sort of smoke. There is a sweetness at first from the virginia that gives way to musky, smoky and sometimes sea salt, notes from the latakia. The sweetness returns now and then but progressively diminishes toward the end. As noted before the blend is quite monochromatic and a slow-burner and for this reason I prefer it in smaller bowls. Despite the 50% latakia I find that this blend does not exhaust my taste and leave my mouth feeling "furry" in quite the way other latakia heavy blends do.

With its sweet, peaty, smoky and salty flavours I find it matches beautifully with Islay single malt whiskys.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A bit 2-D but honest. Not so subtle that you have to suspend all other activity to enjoy this blend. A sturdy and reliable tobacco for the English enthusiast. True 3 out of 4 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fumatore (49)	2007-06-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Here is another blend that is better than 3 stars but not quite 4. What I really like about this tobacco is how it combines strength with coolness of smoke. I have smoked it late in the day after a few trial packs of other blends have destroyed my tongue, but nary a bite from Commonwealth. I love how the steamed Virginias temper the heavy Lakakia to mellow it. Of course, I do like blends that don?t ?Oriental? me to death.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-06-05		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

An excellent offering from Samuel Gawith. Not as full as Balkan Flake but equally as delicious in a different way. The Virginias have an almost McClelland like tanginess to them. The Latakia is smooth and full, but not a kick in the mouth. A nice change of pace for those who appreciate Balkan or heavy English blends Still full and rich but with a unique flavor. 3.5 stars!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-05-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I usually prefer English blends with less latakia, but this one is great. It packs well and stays lit well without ever burning hot. The room note isn't bad for English tobacco, and it leaves my pipes clean and dry. I've smoked about 1/2 of the tin so far, and it's already something I plan on buying more of.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	haredawg (47)	2007-04-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was at this trendy little restaurant a few weeks ago with a sometimes buddy, and he orders something like albino jackalope breast, 27 ala carte, 35 with veg-all, forty with a salad. He says ?Here, try this, it tastes like chicken.? I like chicken, when I want something that tastes like chicken I order, or make, chicken. Not only is it cheap, but it tastes just like chicken.

That?s how I feel about comparing other latakia blends to Penzance, no offense to other reviewers. I like Penzance, I like it a lot, I?m usually sitting on a pound or so. So having something else that tastes like Penzance seems a bit silly to me.

Commonwealth tastes like Penzance the way Duck tastes like chicken, both are bird shaped and made out of meat, but even my jaded palate finds a large distinction between the two. I like Commonwealth a lot and it?s gotten rookie of the year in my rotation (I know, it?s not a rookie, my rotation is) but it?s not a Penzance shadow, not even made from the same stuff, not even cut the same.

Commonwealth doesn?t have the Orientals that Penzance does, in fact the only other latakia Virginia blend I have is the McClelland Syrian special (it?s something like that, I?m not going to dig up the tin to quote the name exactly). The McClelland tastes like chicken. Like chicken in a used Missouri meerschaum slathered in ketchup and lit with a blowtorch. I know, better men than I are huge fans of McClelland ?baccy, and they are ?merican gull durnit, but I can?t get around the catsup thing.

Commonwealth, however, does this blend right. Opening the tin is not like opening a catsup bottle, it?s a earthy dark leathery cocoa type of scent, a little too moist in the tin and I dried it for an hour or so. You?d think a 50/50 Va/Lat blend would taste mainly like a camp fire and the Latakia would overpower the Virginia. Maybe it?s a testament to the fine folks in the Lakeland district, but this mixture is so sublime, the harmonies so tight, that everything flows into one another like a lazy drift down a summer crick.

I give Penzance four stars and I give commonwealth four stars, I state, however, emphatically, that they are not the same four stars, though in the same galaxy, like ducks and chickens, far from the constellation albino jackalope.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	constantsmoker (65)	2007-03-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wonderful blend. I never believed that such a powerful combination could be such a smooth, cool smoke...one that you can easily smoke all day. Ranks up there with Penzance, Odyssey, and Old Ironsides. Moisture content is perfect. Lights easily and may only require one re-light per bowl. Rich in Vitamin N, but not over-powering by any means. Extremely well balanced, tasty blend in the English tradition.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JRI (2)	2006-11-30		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ahhh,Commonwealth! I used to think that nothing would hold a candle to Penzance and Margate,until I had the great pleasure of smoking Commonwealth. This has to have the best latakia of any latakia blends out there,very,very smoky flavor easy on the tongue and throat. The virginias used in this blend are also outstanding as they are sweet no bite and do not overwhelm the latakia,this is a prefectly balanced blend. Upon opening the tin and/or the one pound box,the wonderful smokey scent comes through first,then the earthy smell of the virginias. This tobacco packs well and lighting is a two step affair,once going,it only required one relight,the taste remained excellent throughout the entire bowl,vrey pleasant nicotine content,and burned down to a beautiful salt and pepper ash. If you are a latalia lover,you must try this tobacco as I firmly believe that you will not be dissapointed!

Four out of four stars!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-08-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Samuel Gawaith produces fine pipe tobacco and this is one of my favorites. This is a dark and rich [with latakia] but pleasant smoke; easy on the tongue. Strong roasted coffee, Scotch whisky and Commonwealth are for those individuals who enjoy fine but heavy flavors. If you're looking for complexity from your pipe look elsewhere, this is a single minded blend. 8 out of 10 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Miguelaventura (3)	2006-07-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Simplicity is a problem? Not in this case! Commonwealth is a very nice everyday/all-day latakia smoke. The excellence of the components (Latakia + VA) is a guaranty of satisfaction. Commonwealth is a wonderful old-fashioned English blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nonpareil (20)	2006-04-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a pure delight. I decided to try this since I had been impressed with Squadron Leader and I was not disappointed.

It is true that the flavor is not complex and multifaceted, but it is wonderfully smooth and straightforward. The blend required a few more relights than I normally require, but it is very cool and clean burning. The impression I get is of the very highest quality leaf, skillfully blended. This will remind you of why you took up the pipe in the first place.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-03-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

An incredibly straight-forward, comforting, delicious smoke, Commonwealth Mixture is everything that it's supposed to be and nothing it's not supposed to be.

The latakia is quality leaf, the VA is prepared with a skilled hand. And not to belabor the point, but CM is very comforting in its simplicity; definitely a put-your-feet-up-by-the-fire/home again kind of blend.

Very good stuff.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Simenon (20)	2006-03-23		Strong	Extra Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This would be quite a good, solid, blend absent the persistent "soapy" aroma which pervades -- and ruins -- the smoking experience. The flavours of Latakia and Virginia tobaccos are literally covered in a musty, sticky and artificial aroma which gives off the impression of soap! What on earth made this happen? (This is somewhat http://dappered.com/ of the Bowmore FWP syndrome which affected an otherwise great malt whisy). And otherwise, Commonwealth mixture is great. It packs well, it is mild in that the VA are steamed and do not bite, and the latakias are somewhat muted making their percentage less daunting than one would expect... but alas all the above is moot, since the experience is tainted by this soapy flavour. Too bad.

The soapy flavour seems to calm down after a few years... I am writing this 8 years later. Lets reward the passage of time by giving this mixture an extra star!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Update: This gets an additional star. I find CM a pleasant diversion from my traditional English and Balkan mixtures when a break from Turkish tobaccos is desired. I still like McClelland Anniversary Blend more. How this gets an overall "Extremely Mild" rating for artificial flavoring eludes me. This tastes unadulterated to my palate. Oh well...

The tin aroma is peaty, earthy and mulch-like. It is very dark in color and flavor. I found too many stems, about the size of small twigs. The tin I smoked was cellared for one year and just about the right moisture when opened.

This did not migrate in flavor from start to finish, except that the sooty, oily beginning dissipated after 10 minutes or so. My mouth felt coated quite thoroughly for hours after I put my pipe down.

Commonwealth Mixture is invariably cool, easy to light, keep burning and gives a good amount of smoke. Nicotine is generously provided, suggesting a prior meal and enjoying with a palate-cleansing beverage of choice.

Once every few minutes a sweet note from the Virginias pinch hits, but this is not a sweet blend. I have smoked straight Latakia and the 50% VA does provide something of a break from pure monotony, barely. Still, CM has a certain charm akin to a used bookstore smell of mustiness.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

If you appreciate earthy English Blends then by all means get some of this in your pipe. Allowably, this is a latakia blend but the treatment of the Virginias displays the creative touch of a learned blender. Clean burning and cool it fills the room with a note of musky old bookshops and rainy days. An undercurrent of sweetness finds it's resonant note to the accompaniment of a fine latakia. Like a rich tapestry, it has always given me pause for reflection and rest. Any blend that's been around for 200 years must have merit and this one is a fine example.

Meerschaum Man Smoking an Altionk Canadian Smooth

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-08-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a blend that I can take or leave. I enjoy smoking it when I do, but I don't go to the shop with the need for more. I know it is supposed to be a stronger blend than Squadron Leader, but it doesn't hit me that way. Overall, a quality yet forgettable smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-07-07		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

With some orientals added, this could be the perfect blend. The latakia is of an increbible quality and the Virginias are sweet, well rounded and balance perfectly the taste explosion of the black component. Smoking this blend has been a fullfilling experience, my palate was satisfied and didn't ask for more too soon. It comes very damp in the tin, so leave it open for a while: it won't burn easily anyway, but some air helps.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-07-03		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Do not be put off by the star rating. Samuel Gawith's Commonwealth Mixture is a good, solid tobacco. There are a lot of better choices for tobacco out there, however, and this does not compare to my three- for four-star rated reviews. Still, this weed is not without some good qualities. Indeed, it needs a bit of drying, but once that is done Commonwealth Mixture lights and burns rather well. The tin says 'full strength' and that is definitely the case. Those of you who are frustrated with the inconsistencies of Dunhill of late might find Commonwealth Mixture the perfect consistent alternative. (I do not care for Dunhill as a rule.) Samuel Gawith blends quality tobacco and this weed is certainly rich in the tin. It is too strong for my tastes, all the same, and the flavour never quite crescendos. With all of that said, it is worth a try if you enjoy full Latakia blends and feel like giving Dumhill (spelling intended) a well-deserved rest.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-06-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This smells like a typical heavy Latakia blend. However it does have a nice balance with the VA. About mid bowl it afforded a chocolate like note similar to G.L. Peace Charing Cross, not as complex in flavor but definately heavier and sweeter. I definately recommend this to Latakia junkies. Performes best in large bowled pipes.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-01-27		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Commonwealth Mixture Tobacco This full English is a wonderful complex recipe of the finest Cyprus Latakia, It 50% heavily steamed Virginia & 50% Cyprus Latakia blend,It Smoker cool full bodied yet remarkably gentle no tongue bite. The Room Note Aroma was full Latakia/ English. Commonwealth Mixture is one of my favourite English tobaccos.English brand from Samuel Gawith. in the tin or Bulk. I would call truly outstanding. It is full and rich enough to satisfy just about any English blend smoker. I give it 4 Star . I smoke this regularly, and it is definitly ones of my favorite . Sometime a all day Smoke. if you like English Tobacco you have to get some to try Made in England.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-01-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

UPDATE: After a week or so of airing in the tin, and occasional drying - I have upgraded my opinion of this tobacco. This is a nice, smooth sweet and smokey mixture that is in fact quite reminiscient of Raven's Wing. There is an almost molasses or syrup note - yet I don't believe there is any topping applied. It is a fine and cool smoking blend. In a more seasoned pipe, with careful puffing, the bite is reduced to a minimum.

-------

This is an odd tobacco in that I can't quite make up my mind about whether or not I could smoke it with any regularity. usually within a few bowls I at least have a clue as to whether or not I'd buy it. As others have stated it is the more muted end of the English spectrum. I actually find it similar to the venerated 965 but with IMO - considerably more flavor depth (not complexity, just pure dark depth).

It is quite a threatening looking tobacco which initially lets off a sweet/smokey blast of latakia but then evens out to a constant nutty leathery taste. In a relatively new briar I found an almost even interchange between the sweet steam pressed VA and the dark smoke of the oriental leaf.

There isn't the high note of the tangy orientals you may find in EMP or Durbar, but perhaps that is part of the appeal for me. A straightforward ride that indeed compliments a stout beer and a hearty lunch.

The tobacco benefits from some drying time and light rubbing of the flakes and cake. The one off putting element I've found in this tobacco is that periodically there is a tiny bite - no matter how dry I attempt to keep the pipe. And I'm not quite sure this tobacco is that unique as to warrant any continuous attention.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-12-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Bam! You like latakia? This one is one of the best. I believe a tin of this stuff should be in every smokers stash. Gawith has many fine blends but I seem to constantly return to this beauty. The Cyrian Latakia in this blend has a charred cedar note that I have not detected in other mixtures. Wonderfully complex, this tobacco is never a bore. Highly Recommended for the confirmed English smoker.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pounder 5000 (178)	2004-08-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco has an interesting distinction in my collection. It is my favorite pub tobacco. This could be because it burns cool and tastes great, perfect for smoking while doing other things. I also like to think that it goes so well with stout that it might have been made with this in mind(surely not?!!). The smoke is dense enough and the tin moisture is perfect. While not being terribly complex it still draws me back time after time. A must try and a classic in the making if my thinking is correct.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-08-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I had high hopes for this blend. At a 50/50 mix of my two favorite tobacco?s, I thought, how could I go wrong?

This nicely aged sample simply didn?t live up to expectations. The Virginia was weak, not at all assertive. All it seemed to do was to detract from the Latakia, because that wasn?t as flavorful as I had expected either. Surprisingly mild, almost to the point of being bland.

I just couldn?t get excited about this one. I can take it or leave it. Two stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-06-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

If you are looking for Latakia, Commonwealth is where to find it. The same can be said of dark Virginia! There are many fine blends with plenty of Latakia, but this tobacco offers a straightforward simple flavor of dark, rich Virginia with loads of dusky, leathery, smoky Latakia. The taste is neither subtle nor complex, but totally enjoyable for the smoker who knows what he wants.

The tin aroma is remarkable in that it is so faint. I expected a burst of deep, leathery Latakia smell, but none was there. The cut was short ribbons, appearance dark red to black.

Packing was easy, although I would recommend a little airing. Tin moisture is high. This is not all bad, since the Samuel Gawith tins don't reseal very well. Storing the opened tin in a Zip-Loc bag keeps the tobacco fresh.

The first match brought on the Latakia! The flavor is intense but the smoke is cool. After levelling and relighting, this weed smoked clear through without additional relights. The taste alternated between the zingy Latakia and a rich, heavy Virginia without much in between. There are no nuances or side notes, just the two major components coming through side by side. Occasionally one would predominate, then the other. This may be a consequence of the rather small bowl I use to smoke this blend. A larger bowl may bring a more harmonious flavor.

Although the flavor is pretty full, there was no harshness or bite. The smoke stayed cool down to the end. Ash was medium gray with no dottle.

Other blends such as Durbar and Black Mallory have plenty of Latakia in concert with other varieties, but Commonwealth provides the simple, straightforward taste without embellishment. If you like English blends, you'll want to try this. Great on a cold day.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-12-07		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Commonwealth is a medium to strong English blend from an old English firm that knows how to make an English blend the right way. SG also makes Squadron Leader that is possibly the quintisential English blend for the ages. Anyway, back to Commonwealth mixture. The tin aroma is very calling and says behold a true blend worthy of thy pipe. Packing is easy as the cut is just about perfect. The tobacco is a bit moist for easy smoking. Keeping the tin open for a couple of days does the trick. I do this with just about every tinned blend I open so this is sop. Now, the smoking is just fine. I find the taste true of Latikia, with superb high notes from the Virginia. The only problem, the blend begs for Orientels so it can fullfil it's destiny as a Balkan blend. This is a very personal preference and should not deter anyone from smoking CM. In conclusion, a fine English, but not among my first two or three picks, but up there undoubtably.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-09-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Commonwealth Mixture has commonish roots. A 50/50 blend of virginia and latakia, it is the first-generation offspring of a great marriage. Not nearly as complex as the myriad English offerings from Dunhill for example, it is still a well balanced blend with a suitable measure of variety. Like a good dog, it does not bite, is not overly-excitable, but does have a lingering odor that is offputting to others than the master.

It was Commonwealth that made me realize what non-latakia orientals bring to an english blend. How so? Because they are nonexistent in this blend, in stark contrast to London Mixture or Durbar. Now, I like these last two very much, but sometimes the orientals can distract from the simpler interlay of virginias and latakia.And in the present case, simple is just fine.

The tobacco has a variety of forms, from fine virginia ribbons of varying length to nuggets of black latakia.(ooooh!) My tin arrived perhaps just a tad on the moist side, but dried out just fine after opening a few times. Not steamy in any way, just a tad hard to get ignited at first.

Another thing that I like about Commonwealth is that it does not pack the nicotine whallop that comes with most Dunhill blends. I like to go to bed w/o my head spinning, thank you. Commonwealth is, of course, no weakling in the tobacco world- just a tall, dark stranger that is worth striking up a friendship with.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This mixture is strong in flavor and deliciously uncomplicated. Do you like high quality latakia in generous amounts? What about sweet, dark, dry-smoking virginias? A cool, dry smoke? If yes, yes, and yes are your answers, then smoke this stuff, and do not worry about the lack of complexity; it's fine, no one will hold it against you. Pack a big ol' meerschaum (highly recommended) or briar with this stuff, puff away with an imperial pint of Guinness or three at your elbow, and be happy. It's easy. Just be sure to have a napkin handy to wipe the inevitable happy slobber from your delighted, child-like face.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-04-27		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

If you're expecting another Gawith Virginia tobacco, you may be in for something of a shock with this one! 50% Latakia... can you say "dark and leathery"?? If you want Latakia, you've got it; but search elsewhere if you're looking for smooth complexity. The aroma of my sample is very strong with Latakia; it's a leathery, musty smell clear even through the plastic bad. The tobacco itself is very dark, about 50% black mixed with dark and medium browns, and crumbly in feel. The cut is medium to longer, and my sample came in several chunks held loosely together. The moisture level is roughly average, and packing is easy. The leaf takes fire quickly and burns very well, needing a lower than average number of relights during a bowl. I first tried this blend in a large Nording freehand. In the first third of the bowl, the primary initial flavor is the unmistakable leathery, dark taste of strong Latakia. The taste is very strong; it isn't quite overwhelming, but it does leave a bit to be desired in complexity. This Latakia appears darker and lacks the sweetness of many other strong Latakia blends I've tried, and it is also somehow "sharper" on the tongue, though it doesn't bite. There is tobacco here other than Latakia, but it mainly stays in the background, a lesser note that can't break away from the dark, rich flavor. In the second third of my bowl, the flavors are much the same. The Latakia is perhaps a bit more muted, but the smoke is still overall very dark and leathery, without being overly full or complex. It tickles the back of my throat when I exhale through my nose, and I wouldn't call it smooth. I'm noticing a very mild sweetness, slightly more obvious in this part of the bowl than in the first third. The room note is rather strong, perhaps offensive to many non-smokers. There is a bit of moisture during this third, though a single pipe cleaner will usually take care of it. I've also noticed that it is a blend that burns somewhat hot - no Frog Morton, this! In the final 1/3, the flavor becomes a bit more dynamic. The sweetness is stronger, and the smoke is smoother and a bit cooler. The taste is still very dark, however, and rather uncomplex. There is no real bite, and little moisture in the bottom of the bowl. Overall, I would call this a strong, dark, and fairly simple Latakia tobacco. It is not nearly as sweet or smooth as Frog Morton, and has fewer flavors than Raven's Wing or Penzance. Still, I enjoyed it. The only things that bothered me about it were the lack of complexity and the hot, slightly harsh smoke. I will likely reach for this when I'm in the mood for LATAKIA and little else; I plan to order more for that purpose.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-04-03		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Another fine tobacco from Samuel Gawith, Commonwealth is like a luxurious verion of Half and Half being equal parts steamed Virginia and Cyprian Latakia. The tobacco is very dark and sultry and has, as you would imagine, a dark sweet/smoky tin aroma. I purchase mine in the 8oz 'baseballs' which are very tightly packed and vacuum sealed. After breaking the tobacco apart, I prefer to let it air for an hour or so as it is quite moist. It packs and lights easily- though it tends to burn a bit hot, despite the generous amount of latakia. At first taste the latakia stands out but the virginias announce their presence in the next few puffs and neither really dominate the other throughout the bowl. The result is a luxurious smoke which is both sweet and smoky with a nutty undertone and hints of molasses or caramel. This tobacco has a very interesting finish as the flavors become enhanced with almost an earthy effect. It's not exactly complex, but it is a tasty tobacco. I recommend smoking this slow, not only to avoid any potential bite but also to prevent the tobacco from going flat -this definitely requires slow leisurely puffing. It's rooms aroma has been described to me as smelling like 'dirty gym socks', but I'm not put off by it. This is not an everyday smoke for me, but I definitely recommend it to both virginia smokers and English smokers who are looking for an interesting change of pace.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-03-11		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Pouch Aroma: This tobacco is musty and dark smelling with only a hint of caramel sweetness. I can smell the slight leatheriness of quality Latakia and savory dark Virginias. Very nice, and just what I'm in the mood for.

Appearance: This is a dark blend, about 75% dark red and brown tobaccos, 20% dark brown and black and a 5% flash of lighter VA Bright and maybe Turkish. The cut is a fine ribbon which reminds me of Dunhill's #965.

Packing and Lighting: After packing easily into my Charatan long Canadian, the charring light goes perfectly with the tobacco raising a slight crown. The smoke is dense and rich and lacks the sharp spiciness which #965 has at first. I think this is going to be a very smooth, bite-free smoke!

Exposition: The initial flavor is very smooth, mild and smoky with no extreme flavors, i.e. no Balkan-style bitterness nor Frog Morton-esqe sweetness. It's just a mild, middle-of-the-road English blend with flavors tending to the darker end of that spectrum. Thus far it's an alright smoke but nothing to write home about as there isn't much complexity here nor any body to speak of.

The Story: Once I got 1/3 into the bowl the flavors had settled into a light, thin smokiness with hints of brown Virginias and Turkish. It's smooth, sure, but the smoke seems to lack both body and complexity, and could stand to have a more solid base of flavors for the Latakia and Turkish to stand out against. As it is, the condiment tobaccos just taste thin and strident as if the blend wasn't well balanced.

Further down, it's getting a little acidic tasting which is actually a welcome addition of /something/ to keep my interest piqued. I think the most disappointing aspect to this is the utter lack of what I call mouth-feel. I like to feel the smoke on my tongue, roll it around and really taste it. I can't do that with this tobacco - I can taste it but I don't get a sense of having something in my mouth. I guess the difference is between walking past a quality bakery and smelling cinnamon rolls vs. actually tasting one fresh from the oven. To use a term coined here on asp, I'd say that it lacks The Cookie' :) The smoke rising from the bowl as I exhale little puffs is quite nice, but not enough to save it.

It does smoke easily, burns well and requires few relights and leaves a nice leathery-smoky room aroma, but I just can't get into it. To venture a guess, I'd say that the Virginias used as a base aren't well-integrated with one another, but a blender I ain't!

Denouement: It's still burning well as I approach the last few minutes of the bowl, and the density is finally increasing a bit and becoming more varied and interesting. It's still not enough to rescue me from my ennui though, and I'm finding it to be nothing more than a last-ditch effort to seduce me out of desperation. I'm not falling for it, either.

The last dregs of the bowl sweeten up and the oriental component mingles with the Latakia in a nice way but the base tobaccos are still nowhere to be found.

Don't get me wrong - this isn't a /bad/ tobacco. I usually smoke Virginia flakes, and when I smoke an English I like something rich and complex like Dunhill (965, Nightcap) or something with well-balanced Orientals like Dr. Truesdell from Hiland's or F&P's 'Silk Road' or Oasis'. This is just an adequate smoke, no more, no less.

Pros: Smooth, nice clean English aroma, burns well and clean to a nice medium grey ash, doesn't require a lot of attention.

Cons: Thin-tasting, very low nicotine, poorly balanced flavors and complexity, no body to the smoke. Even smoke rings blown dissipate quickly in still air! The most telling thing is that, with this bowl finished, I find myself craving a pipeful of Rattray's Hal o' the Wynd'.

(Later) I smoked this again in a small Savinelli #806 Canadian which is very well broken-in and got a slightly richer smoke but at best I'd say it's a competently mediocre tobacco to my taste. I don't smoke English blends often these days, and what I do smoke has to have either subtlety or complexity to hold my interest. This is nice and might be a pleasant all-day smoke for a Latakia lover but it just bores me.

1 person found this review helpful.

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

A tobacco with a lot of latakia leaves the virginias in a lower plane. Full taste but with a medium intensity. Sweet latakia prevails throughout the smoke. A strong but very enjoyable tobacco

Pipe Used: Dunhill - Castello

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (557)	2022-11-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Tin note of mildly sour, tart, and smoky. This brown, tan, black, mostly ribbon cut tobacco is relatively dry and needs no prep. Burns moderately with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and consistent, with notes smoky, earth, floral, leather, spicy retro and some sweet notes. Latakia is leading with Virginias supporting. Room note is tolerable to strong, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: Castello Sea Rock Briar SC 31

Age When Smoked: 1 year

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Megalo Al (38)	2020-11-18		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Anche se diverso, lo associo allo Squadron Leader: una EM amabile, non invasiva, bilanciata e di gusto. Apprezzabile anche da chi come me non ama le EM.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (156)	2019-05-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

A fifty fifty mix of Latakia and hearty steamed Virginia, delightful in its simplicity and bound to appeal to the Latakia fiends amongst us. It isn't too strong but has a rich flavour and pungent aroma.

Tin aroma: Latakia! Campfire smokiness is the predominant feature, some leather and earthiness, with just a hint of the fermented thing.

The mix of long ribbon and shorter crumbs is a little wider than than the dunhill standard and is of ideal moisture content. It packs with ease and takes fire after a charring light very nicely.

The initial flavour is all Latakia smokiness, clean like charcoal smoke. The Virginias give it a full bodied character (pure Latakia is very "thin" if you ever try it), and soon some toasty, bready flavours join the Latakia smoke. There's also a bitterness that is not at all unpleasant, rather like wet walnuts, and as the bowl progresses the dominant theme seems to alternate between this nutty bitterness and the Latakia smoke.

It doesn't demand relights, it's very low maintenance barely needing tamping to smoke all the way to the merest shred of dottle, if any. The aftertaste is very pleasant, like lapsang souchong tea. Nicotine content is moderate, and the room note, while not sweet or crowd pleasing, doesn't hang around a room for long.

All in all, pleasing in its simplicity, but after you've smoked it a few times it might not captivate your attention. Between this and the aforementioned low maintenance characteristics its a good one to smoke when working or having a read. It's also very worthwhile to try this to get an appreciation of the ingredients not used: by smoking this mixture without Orientals, I've gained a new appreciation for what the Turkish leaf adds to a blend. Personally I enjoy the complexity of mixtures with Orientals, making this a nice change of pace but perhaps not one I'll rush to smoke again when the tin runs out. It is of the expected Samuel Gawiths quality: handmade in small batches on ancient machines, by people who care. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum claw, calabash, Briars for English mix

Age When Smoked: 1 year ish

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tucane (31)	2019-02-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

In the tin it looks dark and promising. The scent of burnt wood comes through in the tin note together with something that reminds me of roasted coffeebeans and wet soil.

There is a lot of latakia in this one, enough for my preferences and likely enough for most people. The dark virginias bring some additional strength and character to this stout & smooth mixture, that isn't complex by any means, but very well balanced (50/50) and oh so satisfying. It simply tastes damn good!

Highly Recommended!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sim40 (8)	2018-07-09		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

If Charing Cross is my sunday blend, then this is my blend for the rest of the week. You could compare it to being a DJ at a party. You can't play hit singles only. You need to have less prominent songs in between the hits, both to let the dancers breathe out and just have a good time, and let the hits shine more. In Commonwealth Mixture, I've found my tobacco equivalent of this phenomenon. It's just very good and always stays interesting, while never trying to draw attention to itself.

It's kind of insulting that a blend that's so well-balanced is exactly fifty percent latakia. As if in a fair world it should be 49,8 percent or something. But you can't argue with the result.

I'm always surprised with how quickly a tin of this is finished.

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	Haebar (52)	2015-11-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I received a gift of this blend from a Cigarbum.com forum friend. Commonwealth Mixture has an appearance of leaf with a medium reddish brown color along with some tan and black pieces. Packing the pipe was not without some concentration; the ribbon cut is prone to loading unevenly and I had to load with little pinches, checking the pack after each one. The ribbon cut is not particularly easy to light and, for me, required some relights. The aroma of the bag is very smoky from the influence of the 50% Latakia in this blend. The initial flavor was the creamy, smooth Latakia. A short while later I detected the sweet Virginias. I tasted the very slightest hint of Lakeland floral character, but it could have been my pipe. This Virginia/Latakia blend reminds me of Pirate Kake; Commonwealth is not as rich in Latakia taste as Pirate Kake and adds the grounding of the Virginia taste. In mid-bowl the flavor balance starts to lean more toward the Virginias, their sweetness showing up from time to time. The finish is the same as the mid bowl smoke. The smoke body power of this blend is medium and primarily from the high concentration of Latakia. The nicotine strength of this blend is mild to medium. The complexity of this smoke is simple: Virginia and Latakia. Commonwealth burns cool and dry in the bowl and didn't bite my tongue. I smoked it in a Comoy's Guildhall billiard and an Orlik Captain Black billiard. Both have a good, conservatively thick cake. Commonwealth would be a good choice for lovers of Virginia and Latakia mixtures. I don't know if this would qualify as a Latakia bomb but it is getting close if it is not.

Pipe Used: Captain Black billiard, Comoy's Guildhall billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: a gift

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	samanfromiran (22)	2015-07-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

common wealth was the best latakia for me.its a real latakia bomb.the latakia was the main part in smoking this blend.the smoke was also strong for me.please dont think about this blend if you are beginner or aromatic smoker.its not for you.

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	mnadz (69)	2015-06-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I hate not recommending a latakia blend, but this has no complexity to it. I get that its 50/50, and that might be the problem for me. Yes, it delivers a decent Latakia flavor, but that is where this it ends. I wouldn't be upset if someone gave it to me, but I will never buy this again. It does smoke OK, although like all SG tobaccos, it comes wicked moist. Had to air dry the first few bowl fulls for awhile. After that, it got better because the lid fit was horrendous, allowing a ton of air to get in. For the monry, there are SO MANY other blends out there to satisfy. This is not it.

Pipe Used: Ben Wades

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	Uban (60)	2015-02-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Based on a tin aged 4 yrs: WONDERFUL Lat aroma on opening, I almost wanted to eat it. Easy ribbon cut, packs & lights right up, one tamp & relight and - that great smell of Lat is just barely balanced by Va sweetness to create a near-ideal flavor & aroma. Smokes cool & dry w/ not much change in flavor but for the occasional burst of sugary Va. Highly recommended IF AND ONLY IF you love lots of Lat.

Pipe Used: Meer, cob, clay

Age When Smoked: 4 yrs

Purchased From: ??

Similar Blends: Not many Va-Lat blends I know of..

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	Bluesmoke (75)	2014-11-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

A latakia lovers dream. Very much just a straightforward VA and latakia mixture. This is nicely smoky, but to the detriment of the overall flavor. I cannot detect the VAs as much as I would like. Good volume of smoke, which is essential for my liking a blend/mixture. I like more complexity and balance in my latakia blends, but if you like it smoky with some VA there for support then this would be one to try.

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	Darth Vader (110)	2014-11-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Great stuff. One of my first Lat blends so it took me a while to appreciate. Probably my fav SG lat blend. An easy 4 stars.

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	hubup (14)	2014-08-07		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Very Strong

Nope this one is not for me. No aroma, full strength, bad smell of latakia. Stay away if you like aromatic tobaccos. I tried and dumped it...

Purchased From: Tobaccoshop

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	irwanFahmi (4)	2013-10-10		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is 1 of a good Latakia blend, Very good smoke, Taste was so sweet from the start of the the bow till the end. I enjoy this tobacco and ones of my favourite.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-08-19		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the best tobacco i've smoked and would recommend it to any lover of English blends and non aromatics. It is very stout and and has a great aftertaste. I would also recommend it to any converted cigar smokers on the grounds of its smokey and full flavor. Bear in mind that it is very different from a cigar. It is somewhat unlike my other favorite tobacco, Peterson Irish Flake, but both of which top my list tied for #1.

I would not recommend this to aromatic smokers, beginners, moderate smokers, and Black and mild addicts. But anyone with a taste for strong tobacco I feel would like this.

No bite at all for me. Cant say for you. And if anything is an indicator it is that every time i buy this I buy several other tobaccos and this is gone first and I have to order more. I would recommend this over gawith squadron leader.

Happy Smoking

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-07-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

The latakia bomb from SG. Smokes cool and dry, even straight from the newly opened tin. A very pleasant smoke that burns rather slowly and evenly. For the hardcore English lovers in my opinion. The latakia content might be a bit overwhelming for some. A very oak-y and smoky blend with a great after-taste. The room note is strong and I must say the wife hates it: " Week-old camping gear yet to be aired out" is how she described it if I recall correctly... As I said, very smoky... Good blend nonetheless, I find SG reasonably priced for the quality.

I had a bowl after an oriental meal the other night, goes very well after harissa.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-07-09		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Tricky one to review. As others have noted, this 50/50 virginia & latakia mixture is fairly monotone. Then again, it doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. If you feel like other English tobaccos don't have enough latakia for you then it is worth a try, as the components are of the high quality one expects from Samuel Gawith, but I can't really give it more than two stars.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-06-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

I had found that the SG line of flakes were very inconsistently sized. The cut would be thin for one flake and then thick for the next flake. Also the flakes were a little difficult to rub out. Lastly, I had trouble keeping this stuff lit and producing an acceptable amount of smoke. These flakes had really nice flavor though. Eventually dropped the whole line of flakes due to these drawbacks. Now some of the ribbon mixtures werfe certainly better than the flakes.

This one was ok, but I like a little more than just Lat, and VA.

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	Peter Piper (41)	2013-05-22		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is a proper smoke, it should come with a warning along the lines of: "...do not drive, or operate heavy machinery..."

Does pretty much what it says on the tin, smoky and deep with a good hit. Leaves you very satisfied after a bowl full. Recommended.

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	Demetri (113)	2013-03-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

In my opinion (surely debatable) a Virginia/Latakia blend is the quintessential English. Other blends are English by other definitions and I enjoy more complex ones of those, but at heart a Va'Lat says "English" to me. Hence, from the description of Commonwealth Mixture I should have been more impressed than I was.

I had two complaints: 1) For some reason my particular personal oral chemistry rendered this to be exceedingly salty. 2) For a "heavily steamed Va" I would have expected a more mellow component than the outright bitter tartness rather than pleasant Va tang I was expecting.

When I want a Va/Lat English I will stick with C&D's Yale Mixture, one suitable as an all day, always pleasant smoke.

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	CoolPilot (69)	2013-03-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Good stuff, but nothing special, nothing memorable in this mixture. But the good points are: easy to smoke, some strength, and good taste. Despite the "full strength" this is just a medium to strong, at best. Will buy again if I find nothing else on the shelf.

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	John Frum (19)	2012-12-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Decided to give this one a shot after enjoying both Skiff and Squadron Leader, which CM does resemble somewhat.

My initital ipression based on some half-dozen bowls is that it is an okay smoke for me. I prefer flakes in general, so may try SG's Balkan Flake at some stage. This tobacco deserves its Lat-bomb reputation. No problem, as I like Latakia. Good, earthy incense aroma and dark flavours. Have tried adding a bit of rubbed-out Best Brown Flake (a firm favourite of mine) and it's better for me this way. I can also recommend 50/50 BBF and straight Cyprian Lat, by the way.

Probably will not buy this one again, but I haven't disliked the experience.

10.12.12 Well, this weed is growing on me - am finding that it behaves best when thoroughly dry, say a fortnight after cracking the tin and stirring a bit. This is the case with Skiff and Squadron Leader also, for this smoker anyway. I'm liking the uncomplicated nature of the stuff, the good whack of Latakia, its full flavour, and it seems as well to deliver more of a nic kick than Skiff or SL. I withdraw my remarks about not buying more. Bring it on!

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	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2012-11-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I tried this side by side with Frog Morton, a mixture also consisting of Va and Lat. I can honestly say I liked neither of them, but would put this one ahead by just a bit. This is probably a 2.2 stars whereas the Frog is about 1.75.

As to the good. Quality leaf as to be expected from the blender. It burns slow and cool.

The bad. I just don't really enjoy the flavor! I never got excited about having a bowl of this. Perhaps it is just too heavy on the Lat for me. Also, the tin is terrible as is with all of gawith offerings. Do not let any of their blends sit in the tins for more than two months or else they will get too crunchy. Monodimensional and boring.

Overall, this is smokable for me, but I would rather have some Squadron Leader in my pipe.

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	DrT999 (318)	2012-10-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is pretty much what it says it is: do you want a medium strength Latakia? Nothing else, just that one thing? If so, try this, it should make your rotation. If you want anything else, you won't find it here (or at least I didn't)! I got no bite, either, but that varies from smoker to smoker. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is probably not often.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-08-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

While I enjoy blends with a good amount of Latakia I have to agree with the reviewer who described Commonwealth Mixture as 'monochrome'. The taste is smoky, sour and tangy, and though I can't fault the strength or the quality of the tobacco there is a lack of complexity that leaves me wanting more.

A decent smoke, somewhat recommended for hardcore Latakia-lovers.

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	KahveDelisi (73)	2012-04-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Similar to SG Balkan Flake, Commonwealth is sweeter in taste and requires less maintanence. I like it more than Balkan Flake but not as much to rate it 4 stars.

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	Tumbaki (9)	2012-04-22		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I live in cold Canada, and find this the perfect smoke on a cold day. Not the bwst tobacco indoors with company. Rich and flavourable. A must have blend and recommended highly.

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	cgar (37)	2012-01-14		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Dark rich full flavor blend. Very Creamy with a light sweetness that sneaks in here and there. Overall a fine smoke that provides a nice change up. Could be an everydayer but I think many would say this is just a special treat that is better to have every now and then.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-12-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Deeply rich, full, and creamy. I enjoyed this heavy latakia blend more than Pirate Kake and the Captain Earl blends. This is my go to blend when I need a latakia fix.

Soli Deo gloria!

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-12-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a very good mixture indeed......lots of Latakia balanced with somewhat sweet Virginia. No orientals, but then if you think this blend needs them you have missed the point. Try this blend....top notch.

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	Carlos (21)	2011-10-07		Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Very Strong

It is very specific tobacco. Smell of Latakia is very strong. Also taste. Even when you finish smoking, you can feel this Latakia blend... If you like Latakia VERY MUCH - you should try this one; otherwise, you won't like it. It's not an every-day smoke, it's something special.

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	JackSparrow (16)	2011-09-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

It's a SG, so top quality is unquestioned, but, considering it is an english mixture, it is a bit too monochromatic for my taste (like Balkan Flake). In the first half of the bowl latakia is leading, in the second all VA sweetness comes out and balance the blend. For the lack of orientals i rate it 3 stars (i love smooth and round EM).

I highly reccomend, for all well balanced EM lovers, the following mix: 50% Commowealth, 50% Squadron Leader. Supreme!!!

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	bence (34)	2011-08-18		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I feel home, when i smoke this baccy. Simple proportion of high quality va & cyp-latak leaves. Straightforward stuff. 200 year old recipe. Highly recommended!

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-08-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Appearance is a dark brown rough ribbon. Tin smells of musty smoke. Tastes lightly sweet and moderately smoky, with deeper notes.

Commonwealth Mixture is a nice tobacco, slightly sweet Virginia mixed with a basic Latakia smokiness. Occasional deeper notes creep in. Toward the end of a few bowls there has been something there that reminds me of a nice maduro cigar. I can recommend Commonwealth Mixture, yet it has very little to keep my interest beyond this tin.

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	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-06-18		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Amazing lovely tobacco. This is my favorite tobacco now. I highly recommend it to all the english blend smokers. It's much better than alternatives for example the Macbaren Vintage Syrian. There is no tongue bite and the smoke is full taste and cool. You don't need a filter smoking it and you can smoke it in any pipe. The nicotine kick is strong. Enjoy ;)

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