Samuel Gawith Grousemoor
(2.84)
An original blend from Samuel Gawith, Grousemoor conjures up a vision of the Lakeland scenery with its accompaniment of seasonal scents. Manufactured in the heart of Lakeland for over 200 years. Using a combination of hand-stripped flue-cured leaf, Grousemoor is first steamed prior to being cut. After further steaming, to give Grousemoor its own golden color, the cut leaf is stoved then “rested”. The final stage of production is the addition of a unique melange of flavors. Grousemoor is a ‘must’ for smokers who want their days to have “Spring in the air”.
Details
| Brand | Samuel Gawith |
| Blended By | Samuel Gawith |
| Manufactured By | Samuel Gawith |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | Floral Essences, Fruit / Citrus |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.84 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 73 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 22, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
First Impressions - on opening the tin, the floral topnote is almost overwhelming, and I thought I would not like this tobacco. A couple of pipes changed my mind. The name suggests Scotland, but this is NOT a Scottish blend, rather a unique "Lakeland" blend from the English Lake District. The tobacco is uniform, fine cut and quite damp (humidity 70%+). The taste is neutral rather than sweet, which means it hasn't been "over-Cavendished" if that's a word. The first few puffs confirmed the perfumy topnote, which apparently comes from lemongrass; there is an almost soapy quality which recalls Lemon Verbena more than the eastern lemongrass.
After a couple of lights, my pipe (Carey Magic Inch) burns smoothly to the bottom. After the first few puffs, the lemony topnote is no longer offensive, but delightful, and delightfully different. About half-way through, a butterscotch aroma becomes prominent. The last part of the pipe loses some of its aroma, but remains sweet and smooth.
There is very little tongue bite (much less than some Dutch Cavendishes); I am not sure of the nicotine content as I was taking nicotine lozenges at the time, but I suspect the lightness of the smoke conceals a moderate nicotine kick. This tobacco is gentle enough for an all-day smoke, although I suspect the flavour would pall after a while.
After 3 pipes I really like it. As I say, I would not want to smoke only this blend all day (I like variety in any case), but it is a very fine tobacco. It grows on me! After one pipe I would have given it only 3 stars - just another Cavendish; but after 3 pipes I think it has something unique to offer, which rates 4 stars in my book.
Equally good for the beginner and the experienced smoker, this is a great tobacco to contrast with your usual smoke. Four stars for a unique blend.
P.S. This blend is positively addictive! I have four other fine blends in my humidor, and I keep coming back to this one. You'll either love it or hate it.
PPS. I love this lemongrass topnote so much, I bought some lemongrass essential oil today to ad to my "shitmix" of Syrian & Virgina Bright until I get to my tobacconist Monday....
After a couple of lights, my pipe (Carey Magic Inch) burns smoothly to the bottom. After the first few puffs, the lemony topnote is no longer offensive, but delightful, and delightfully different. About half-way through, a butterscotch aroma becomes prominent. The last part of the pipe loses some of its aroma, but remains sweet and smooth.
There is very little tongue bite (much less than some Dutch Cavendishes); I am not sure of the nicotine content as I was taking nicotine lozenges at the time, but I suspect the lightness of the smoke conceals a moderate nicotine kick. This tobacco is gentle enough for an all-day smoke, although I suspect the flavour would pall after a while.
After 3 pipes I really like it. As I say, I would not want to smoke only this blend all day (I like variety in any case), but it is a very fine tobacco. It grows on me! After one pipe I would have given it only 3 stars - just another Cavendish; but after 3 pipes I think it has something unique to offer, which rates 4 stars in my book.
Equally good for the beginner and the experienced smoker, this is a great tobacco to contrast with your usual smoke. Four stars for a unique blend.
P.S. This blend is positively addictive! I have four other fine blends in my humidor, and I keep coming back to this one. You'll either love it or hate it.
PPS. I love this lemongrass topnote so much, I bought some lemongrass essential oil today to ad to my "shitmix" of Syrian & Virgina Bright until I get to my tobacconist Monday....
Pipe Used:
Carey Magic Inch; Briar Churchwarden
PurchasedFrom:
Goodfellas http://www.goodfellascigarshop.com/pipe_smoke.htm
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 2014 | Mild to Medium | Strong | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
Never write a review after first impressions! Did usual S.G. ritual-open tin,fluff up, let stand 3 days lid off. Tried first pipe- hated it,burnt paper doused in perfume. Put aside 3 more days, lid off, at least it made a good air freshener. Tried again, now 6 days, lid off. Wow , what a difference. Golden Glow on steroids! Not being an Aro smoker, took me a while to come to terms with the floral taste,but soon became intrigued with the duel going on between the floral and the tobacco taste. Unlike other Aros there is a lovely earthy, malty Virginia taste under the floral and it fights to the top from mid pipe on.
(later)I should have remembered my advice to self : beware of bright yellow tobacco! This tends to burn my delicate tongue, it may not do it to you.
Further update: Due to above mentioned tongue bite, and not being able to tolerate the perfume, but still finding it an intriguing tobacco, I mixed 50g tin with Best Brown Flake- rubbed out. I started with 1 to 1 but have added 25% more FBBV. This is now amazing and been smoking it daily for months now, rotating with Skiff cut with the other 75% BBF to tame it a bit.(see Skiff review)
(later)I should have remembered my advice to self : beware of bright yellow tobacco! This tends to burn my delicate tongue, it may not do it to you.
Further update: Due to above mentioned tongue bite, and not being able to tolerate the perfume, but still finding it an intriguing tobacco, I mixed 50g tin with Best Brown Flake- rubbed out. I started with 1 to 1 but have added 25% more FBBV. This is now amazing and been smoking it daily for months now, rotating with Skiff cut with the other 75% BBF to tame it a bit.(see Skiff review)
Pipe Used:
various
PurchasedFrom:
www.smoker.co.il/[email protected]
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 25, 2015 | Medium | Strong | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I tried this for once and I'm looking for the same taste in every tobacco i try. This one is the real deal, my favourite tobacco. Nice smell, full aroma, medium strength.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli 115 KS
PurchasedFrom:
Istanbul, Underground Tobacco Shop
Age When Smoked:
6-7 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 30, 2014 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
First it should be noted that GROUSEMOOR is indeed a special tobacco, that requires somewhat different initial approach than other SG tobaccos. And that fact is crucial and really important! I think the approach to smoke grousemoor requires a relatively long drying time (much longer than for other SG blends!). By that i mean the tobacco should be really bone dry...BONE DRY. It should be dry to the level, one could think it would simply turn into dust by itself. Grousemoor needs to by dried to such level! I normally dry the whole tin quantity for 3-5 days (i put the whole tobacco on large tray and let it dry). During that period that famous lemongrass aroma evaporated to the extend it is more inoffensive. After 5 days i put the tobacco back in the original tin. EVEN AFTER ONE YEAR (!) the tobacco in this (bone dry) condition is still perfectly smokable. It seem Grousemoor could newer be to dry!
When i first purchased a tin of Grousemoor i of coarse didn't know how initially to process the tobacco. I was disappointed. If You smoke grousemoor that is still wet, the aroma can be a bit overpowering, the natural sweetness of the virginia to much subdued. No fun at all. If grousemoor is really properly dry; one could enjoy the mild, CREAMY, SWEET Lakeland blend at its best!
I think GROUSEMOOR receives so much negative critics because fellow smokers simply don't know how to treat, preprepare GROUSEMOOR. Therefore always bear in mind it should be dried even more than some other SG blends. As all virginias you should smoke Grousemoor in medium sized pipes (MISSOURI MEERSCHAM LEGEND!!!!!), take Your tin, sip the tobacco and enjoy life!
Grousemoor is a serious Lakeland tobacco. The mildest one on market today. The 200+ years of production is indeed a good indicator for a quality tobacco pipe tobacco. One of my all time favourite ribbon cut virginias, that i dedicate for special moments and smoke for almost 11 years.
When i first purchased a tin of Grousemoor i of coarse didn't know how initially to process the tobacco. I was disappointed. If You smoke grousemoor that is still wet, the aroma can be a bit overpowering, the natural sweetness of the virginia to much subdued. No fun at all. If grousemoor is really properly dry; one could enjoy the mild, CREAMY, SWEET Lakeland blend at its best!
I think GROUSEMOOR receives so much negative critics because fellow smokers simply don't know how to treat, preprepare GROUSEMOOR. Therefore always bear in mind it should be dried even more than some other SG blends. As all virginias you should smoke Grousemoor in medium sized pipes (MISSOURI MEERSCHAM LEGEND!!!!!), take Your tin, sip the tobacco and enjoy life!
Grousemoor is a serious Lakeland tobacco. The mildest one on market today. The 200+ years of production is indeed a good indicator for a quality tobacco pipe tobacco. One of my all time favourite ribbon cut virginias, that i dedicate for special moments and smoke for almost 11 years.
PurchasedFrom:
https://pipe-shop.net
Age When Smoked:
needs to be dried first!!!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 23, 2014 | Mild | Medium to Strong | Medium | Very Pleasant |
This blend is an assault on the senses from start to finish. Upon opening the tin, it seems very damp, as seems to be the case with SG. The lemongrass is immediately noticeable, but nothing else really comes through until you smoke it. It's certainly not unsmokably wet straight out of the tin though, so that's what I did. Loaded up a clay tavern pipe, for fear of ghosting a briar if I didn't like it.
Didn't take to light immediately, or stay lit constantly at first, but it certainly wasnt impossible to get going. Again, the lemongrass comes through instantly, but not so overpoweringly so. It is, surprisingly I found, reminiscent of heather covered moors, and I even got a whiff of leather, cream, and vanilla. The good woman noticed heather, but I didn't so much. It's not half as perfumey as it smells, and smokes wonderfully.
All in all, this is a lovely tobacco. The room note was lovely, to the extent that the good woman consented to let me smoke it inside. I wouldn't smoke it if I was walking on the moors, but for sitting in the morning with a nice cup of tea, it was absolutely perfect, and even affected the taste of the tea, but not unpleasantly. I could smoke this day and night and not get bored of it. The only downside was the very end of the bowl was rather bitter, this is the only point the tobacco got overly lemony. Not much nicotine at all either, but I have other tobaccos for that. Will certainly be buying more.
Didn't take to light immediately, or stay lit constantly at first, but it certainly wasnt impossible to get going. Again, the lemongrass comes through instantly, but not so overpoweringly so. It is, surprisingly I found, reminiscent of heather covered moors, and I even got a whiff of leather, cream, and vanilla. The good woman noticed heather, but I didn't so much. It's not half as perfumey as it smells, and smokes wonderfully.
All in all, this is a lovely tobacco. The room note was lovely, to the extent that the good woman consented to let me smoke it inside. I wouldn't smoke it if I was walking on the moors, but for sitting in the morning with a nice cup of tea, it was absolutely perfect, and even affected the taste of the tea, but not unpleasantly. I could smoke this day and night and not get bored of it. The only downside was the very end of the bowl was rather bitter, this is the only point the tobacco got overly lemony. Not much nicotine at all either, but I have other tobaccos for that. Will certainly be buying more.
Pipe Used:
Clay tavern pipe
PurchasedFrom:
Pipeshop.co.uk
Age When Smoked:
Straight out of the tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2018 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The sealed tin I received was from 2015 so it had a few years of age on it. The tobacco is a beautiful bright golden color; significantly lighter in appearance than many other golden Virginia blends that I've smoked (this aged tin was a little on the dry side). I'm not sure if a newer tin would arrive with more moisture ... guess I'll have to pick up a new one to find out.
Me thinks the flue-cured Zimbabwe leaf is most likely the main star here. The age-old top note that SG uses is purported to be a 200+ year old family secret ... and I can attest that I've never tasted anything quite like this before now. Nonetheless, in my humble opinion the top note does not overly sublimate the tobacco yet promotes a cool, clean, & fresh smoking experience. Others have described it as lightly fruity, citrusy, lemon grass, perfume-like, soapy ... to all this I say "yeah". Sure I've smoked & enjoyed other Lakeland Floral blends ... but this one is uniquely different and lightly done. The flavor nuances come out best when smoked slowly. If puffed like a freight train I think you'll miss the unique flavor profile this one intends to deliver.
All said, if you can handle Lakeland Florals I'd recommend giving it a whirl. I myself am an old American upland bird hunter ... so what's not to like about the brace of English Setter bird dogs on the tin cover? It takes me back to youthful & simpler times ... I've enjoyed the companionship of many a good bird dog ... boy do I miss 'em!
Me thinks the flue-cured Zimbabwe leaf is most likely the main star here. The age-old top note that SG uses is purported to be a 200+ year old family secret ... and I can attest that I've never tasted anything quite like this before now. Nonetheless, in my humble opinion the top note does not overly sublimate the tobacco yet promotes a cool, clean, & fresh smoking experience. Others have described it as lightly fruity, citrusy, lemon grass, perfume-like, soapy ... to all this I say "yeah". Sure I've smoked & enjoyed other Lakeland Floral blends ... but this one is uniquely different and lightly done. The flavor nuances come out best when smoked slowly. If puffed like a freight train I think you'll miss the unique flavor profile this one intends to deliver.
All said, if you can handle Lakeland Florals I'd recommend giving it a whirl. I myself am an old American upland bird hunter ... so what's not to like about the brace of English Setter bird dogs on the tin cover? It takes me back to youthful & simpler times ... I've enjoyed the companionship of many a good bird dog ... boy do I miss 'em!
Pipe Used:
Briars & Cobs
Age When Smoked:
3 years old
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 2017 | Mild | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
I am a huge fan of Lakeland tobaccos, GH better than SG. Even among those, Grousemoor is still one of a kind. It’s rather mild in nicotine content and its perfume is light and fresh, unlike my favorite Ennerdale which I would classify as dense. This makes Grousemoor a very good all-day smoke. As with the best blends, the result is more than the sum of parts. Apart from the evident Virginia and floral and citrus notes, I also feel tea and chocolate (in the way a good Assam tea reminds of chocolate). I found some variation from tin to tin, sometimes more pungent and sometimes less. As with many SG tobacco it is worth letting it dry a little, but not too much, or it may lose some of its flavour.
Pipe Used:
Mostly Capt. Warren
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 16, 2016 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
When I was a kid, I spent many a spring and summer at the family property outside of Honesdale, PA. There were two waterfalls on the property, with lots of woods surrounding them. Moss, ferns, old leaves, clean mountain air, rich earth, fresh running water, Mountain Laurel, trees, lichens - typical Pocono mountain terrain and fauna. Put all that in a pipe, add some lemon grass, and smoke it - that is my take on Grousemoor. A more simpler analogy might be Earl Gray tea. No matter, either way you get a great approximation of this venerable smoke. Wonderful stuff.
It's a Lakeland blend, but in the earthy sense of Samuel Gawith blends - not the floral sense of Gawith, Hogarth, and Company blends. I got the SG version right off the bat, but the GH&C version took me a bit longer to appreciate - and Grousemoor was the first SG blend I ever tried. That was about four years ago, and I've had a few tins of Grousemoor in my cellar ever since.
Some people recommend letting it dry for quite some time before you smoke it. This is a good idea, since it really allows the quality of the top notch Virginia leaf to shine. Let it dry less, and the wonderful mossy/earthy Lakeland essence shines. Both of these approaches have their merits, but I kind of prefer to let the mossy/earthy notes to come peaking through. Either way, though, I enjoy this bend very much and I can see how it's been a classic for 200 years now. I could smoke it all day, every day, and be a happy camper. However, I prefer to just smoke a tin every now and then so that it never loses its special appeal and becomes just another smoke.
It's a Lakeland blend, but in the earthy sense of Samuel Gawith blends - not the floral sense of Gawith, Hogarth, and Company blends. I got the SG version right off the bat, but the GH&C version took me a bit longer to appreciate - and Grousemoor was the first SG blend I ever tried. That was about four years ago, and I've had a few tins of Grousemoor in my cellar ever since.
Some people recommend letting it dry for quite some time before you smoke it. This is a good idea, since it really allows the quality of the top notch Virginia leaf to shine. Let it dry less, and the wonderful mossy/earthy Lakeland essence shines. Both of these approaches have their merits, but I kind of prefer to let the mossy/earthy notes to come peaking through. Either way, though, I enjoy this bend very much and I can see how it's been a classic for 200 years now. I could smoke it all day, every day, and be a happy camper. However, I prefer to just smoke a tin every now and then so that it never loses its special appeal and becomes just another smoke.
Pipe Used:
MM Mark Twain (Bent)
PurchasedFrom:
4Noggins
Age When Smoked:
Cellared 2.5 years ago
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2014 | Mild | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
I can see how this could be a "love it or hate it" smoke. Personally, I love it. It's not something I could smoke on a daily basis. Frankly, that is a good thing, in my book. It's certainly got a pronounced lemongrass flavor, with no bite for me. I think smoking it every day would cause me to eventually get sick of it. Instead, I appreciate it once in a while for a nice change of pace, even though my tastes range widely (from super-sweet aromatics to the heaviest English blends, and just about everything in between). There certainly isn't another blend out on the market like it. In fact, the closest thing I can think of is an Earl Grey blend I make for a small B&M cigar and pipe place my wife and I own, and even that blend is a good distance apart from this fine blend. Grousemoor is simply one of my favorite pipe smokes of all time. My compliments to the chef.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 24, 2013 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
This stuff is gorgeous and addictive (and I don't mean the nicotine). A taste of summer. Hay, slightly floral, citrus and lemongrass as many have said before me. It's not offensive at all in my opinion. Delicate and divine. I can definitely see why this is still being produced 200 years later. My new favourite and a keeper.
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