Samuel Gawith Commonwealth Mixture

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.