Samuel Gawith Grousemoor

I was VERY pleasantly surprised by this one. I would certainly say it has some Lakeland, but the lemongrass and whatever other aromas marry perfectly to create a delicious, light, yet full flavor. I almost get a note of patchouli on the palate, and the room note I feel is similar. Will not bite, and burns evenly to the bottom. Don't be fooled by it's seemingly "light" profile.. does have a decent amount of nicotine. Puffed way too hard this weekend trying to quickly color a meer (stupid, right?) and because this tobacco is so light without bite I was able to do so. I was then greeted with the sickly spinning head syndrome and had to eat, so beware. Seems moist from the tin, but you will find by the time you pull it apart (sort of a pressed block of shag cut) and get it packed in a bowl it's the correct moisture content... so don't be fooled by appearances. If you pack directly from the tin and loosely on the bottom of the bowl you will be greeted with one of the most interesting (and addicting) flavor profiles in pipe tobacco. A total change of pace, but a welcome one.

edited: Room note may be stronger than it seems to the smoker.. so I dinged the room note one notch for that but still a full 4 stars on this one.

Samuel Gawith - Grousemoor

Archway lemon cookies + gingerbread + the barest hint of ivory soap, both taste and room note.  Grandpa shaving on Sunday morning.  The lemon is far more herbal than citrus.  These essences mostly overpower the natural tobacco taste, although the tobacco occasionally shows some punch.  Attractive looking blonde leaf in the tin, very moist but free of unnatural humectants.  Soft on the palate, no bite.  Not much nicotine hit. This is not the sort of tobacco that comes to mind when I think of hunting. More like tea and crumpets on the back patio around Easter. Straight smokin' the tea.  The topping will subside some with jar time.  Surely a unique blend.

Where can you get Grousemoor plug without importing it, besides England?

From the tin, the smell of floral essential oils greets you. Although it's commonly known that the flavouring is lemon grass the aroma in my opinion is more broad, possibly elements of lily of the valley and various flowers and herbs.

Upon lighting the taste is exactly like the scent, something I found both pleasant and surprising. In addition some of the smoky peaty flue cured virginia. Because of this, I recommend going to your local shop to give it a wiff first, enjoy that, you'll enjoy smoking it.

Later the flavour evolves, with the initial strong taste fading almost completely. This will leave you with simply the virginia which holds its own very well. Although smoking straight virginia would often provide a very one dimensional experience, this particular flue cured leaf has a few subtle flavours that interplay well. It is sweet in the way virginias are, earthy, and offer no acidity that creates tongue bite.

All in all this is a wild card offering from Samuel Gawith, which is at the very least, love it or hate it, worth trying.

This unique blend is superb... I can't find any description truly justified. So simply taste it and enjoy... Be carefull with the pipe that you will chose: The scent remain

A very distinctive tobacco to say the least! Its appearance is delightful: nicely cut bright yellow Virginia ribbons and it smells indeed like a perfume, also delightful. I cannot put my finger on it, but if pressed I would say something like lavender, lime and pine combined with vanilla or tonquin. It is the blondest golden Virginia tobacco I’ve seen and also the softest to the touch- incredibly fluffy!

Because it is so fluffy I recommend not to be afraid to pack fairly tightly, not excessively, but still do not be afraid to pack it some. Packed loosely will burn very quick. And do not forget to tamp. As for lighting and moisture, the tin I got was ‘goldilocks’ and lit easily.

This is different from anything I’ve encountered before, even from other Lakelands because it’s smoother, softer.

Initially one can be taken aback by the intensity of the aroma of the tobacco, but it actually is very close to the tin aroma. Gradually I got used to it and I began to taste the fantastic citrucy bright Virginia with a sweet vanilla-like and floral undertone. It smokes veeery smooth and to the last shred, no harshness or bite whatsoever. I did not think that it could serve as an all-day smoke, but it does not overwhelm me and I can smoke several bowls a day. This stuff is addictive! and room note is quite pleasantly tobbacoey.

Can also be used to scent straight Virginias or other tobaccos (goes very well with Oriental leafs!) even if used in small doses. I also wish I could smoke this fantastic Virginia without the topping, seems to be of the highest quality. P.S. Try to smoke a bowl of a mild English blend right after smoking Grousemoor and you will get all the nuances of flavor that you did not believe could be there in the English!

The story on this tobacco is the VERY unusual scent and flavor. I'm not usually an aromatic smoker but after reading Zulujerk"s, "Out of Body Experience" , I had to try this blend. Well, I have to say, it is intriguing. Upon opening the tin, it smells like a scented candle, OK which one ??? Maybe "Fresh Scent, Ocean Breeze, Linen , well, I guess, "Lemon Grass" ? Upon lighting up, it tastes and smells similar, but leaning more to a "peach apricot cotton candy". That's the best I can do in describing this blend.

The tobacco is very light in color , is cut is a wide ribbon, packs and smokes easy. No bite , doesn't burn hot and it does have a slight bitterness in the background. A well behaved aromatic, for a real change of pace.

I recommend smoking this in a small cob ( I was using a MM Pony) . I really think this will ghost a pipe and it would be cloying in a big bowl. Will I buy again ? maybe, just to have that change of pace once every 3 months . ( wife does like the scent).

Grousemoor is surely one of the more heavily-scented mixtures in the Sam Gawith catalog. I don't get much in the way of tobacco leaf flavor; the grassiness of the bright yellow to tan medium cut Virginia is almost entirely spelled by the topping which is front and center in the mix. The smoke is soft, smooth and delicate with a touch of sweetness. Exhaling gives a prominent flavor of fruit blossom, lemongrass as well as a slight peachy aroma and aftertaste. Grousemoor is not a complex blend. From first puff to last, the flavor is consistent and does not change much and the floral essence of the top note remains through the entire bowl.

If you savor scented Lakeland blends Grousemoor is worth experiencing. Personally, I enjoy the unique essence but it's most definitely an acquired taste. Grousemoor makes for a good warm summer day smoke and it pairs nicely with iced tea or a cold pale ale or pilsner. I smoke this one in a cob because I don't want to dedicate a briar pipe to a single blend.

I love this tobacco. it is such a beautiful golden yellow colour and has an amazing wonderful aroma of honey and wild flowers. Which is also reflected in the smoke. It is a ribbon cut and packs well. A very lovely smoke. Reminds me of summer and the lake and wildflowers at our lake house. I can see how you could love or hate this mixture. It could be little over the top for some. I say try it. It could be. Your new favorite. Peace.

Sam Gawith - Grousemoor.

This is a 'love it or hate it' blend.

The tobaccos, as ever with Sam G', are high quality. But I can't get along with the casing. The lemon causes an extreme bitterness, and the florals are way too perfume like. If you want to try it for heavens sake use a cob, it ghosts horrendously. Because I can't smoke more than half a bowl I won't do it the injustice of a long review.

Two stars.