Samuel Gawith Grousemoor

I wanted to hate it. I DID hate it. I couldn't stand it. But I couldn't stop filling my pipe with it.

I just ordered a pound of it.

What's with this tobacco? Crack on a leaf? God help me.

Another love it or hate it blend from SG, who seem to specialize in blends that so curiously polarize our community. This is one of those blends that I believe once you develop a taste for, you're hooked. But I can also see how many don't like it.

Me? I love it, I was hooked from my very first whiff upon opening the tin to my very first sip. And my infatuation with it deepens with each bowl.

It's a very curious flavor, difficult for me to put my finger on. It's subtle and subdued, yet simultaneously prominent and distinctive. Perhaps A Morley Jacque, in my favorite review on this site, captures it best: "floral and herbal and fruity in delicate balance all at the same time." Sceny, in his review, says "It is very interesting, with many different flavors to enjoy on the palate; I'd call it a 'brown' taste", which seems oddly correct. For me, an aromatic garden in a sun-dewed meadow on a hot summer afternoon comes to mind while smoking it. I'm also reminded a little of Oban, a delicate, complex, slightly floral and fruity aromatic single-malt scotch.

Indeed this blend has more than a few paradoxical qualities: it's a generally bright and hi-key blend that has depth to it; the casing perfectly complements and brings out the virginia flavor rather than masking it; and it's an aromatic that has a remarkable amount of complexity and nuance. Ultimately, it's an aromatic virginia that is somehow both less than and greater than these two components taken alone, but when combined create a unique smoking experience. But this blend will only reveal its delicate mysteries if packed with care and smoked slowly, for it can turn harsh and bitter if you're not careful. (For some reason I find this a tricky blend in which to find a good smoking rhythm, but once I find it I'm nicely rewarded.)

I'll give A Morley Jaques the final word on this blend: "The specific flavor notes of Lakeland aromatic essences serve to heighten and exemplify the nuances of a fine Virginia and even cut out some of the excessive sootiness to be found in many examples of the leaf... The Virginia leaf is not only of the finest quality, but also quite strong. The affect of the top dressing is perfect if approached with an open mind. This is a tobacco for real men, and by that I don't mean John Wayne and Mike Hammer, but guys who truly deserve the title like William Wordsworth and Thomas Hardy."

Well said, A Morley Jaques.

UPDATE: Since writing my review three months ago I can state that this tobacco has single-handedly changed my smoking habit. During this time I believe that more than 85% of my bowls have been this weed. There's something about Grousemoor's flavor that I crave, and which I find *almost* perfectly satisfying to the point of frustration: the flavor is alluring, yet mysterious, always just outside my grasp, like trying to focus on something in your peripheral vision that disappears when you look at it. It's like the coquette who obsesses you precisely because you can never possess her. Never has a topping complemented a leaf so well. (Perhaps that's why it's been around for a couple hundred years.)

I now find, when needing a different flavor once in a while, that I'll grab the straight virginias more than my beloved english, balkan, and VaPers. I attribute this change in taste to this blend.

I hope someday my predilection balances out, since I've invested quite a bit in cellaring english & oriental blends. But for now, I'm very much enjoying my immoderate infatuation with Grousemoor.

Well, I was quite curious to taste a lemon scented tobacco. Lemon is my favourite fruit, lemongrass is among my favouite spices so... I had to give Grousemoor a try! First, the tobacco. I am a regular flake smoker, not used anymore to cut tobacco and it was a pleasant surprise to see a Yellow bright tobacco cut into ribbons easy to pack in every pipe. Moisted, but not too much, it lights up quickly and keeps going without relighting. If some has ever been in a Moor in spring, this is what it would smell. Tin aroma is grassy, flowers and, of course, lemongrass above all. Packing, as said, is easy, so it's lighting up. Puffs are sweet from the beginning to the end, power is very mild, this is an every hour smoke, room aroma is very pleasant. So, if you like aromatics and want to try something different from Ennerdale, give this rascal a try!

EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT! may 27th 2021

What ever happened to this tobacco???? I just bought a fresh tin and tobacco is completely changed! Nothing to do with the wonderful tobacco I used to smoke. First of all, the color is light yellow, very light, probably too light to be appealing, second, the tin aroma. Gone are flowers and citrus, just a (pleasant) smell of red chili pepper and tomato!!! Tonight I will light up a bowl and come back for a full smoking review.

I’ve had a tin of Grousemoor kicking around the back of my tobacco cabinet for ever...I don’t know, eight or ten years. I don’t remember when I bought it except that it was early in my pipe smoking career and I was looking for another tin of FVF but Grousemoor was the only SG blend on the shelf. The tin sat unopened for years, never really drawing my attention until a year ago when I decided to pop it open and have a whiff...

Whew, I thought...this stuff smells like oven cleaner or furniture polish or...what’s it say on the website? Lemongrass? Nope...I think someone else once pinned it as “Eau De Grandma.” I jarred it up, making sure to crank the lid on tight to seal in the noxious “elderly woman who applied to much perfume and is now counting change in front of me at the grocery store and holding up the line” fumes, and once again the blend sat in a back corner of the cabinet, unwanted. I laughed of the image of a hunter and his dogs...”that guy wouldn’t smoke THIS,” I thought.

Now, I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what force beckoned me to twist open that jar and take a whiff. Like looking up gory pictures online, or eavesdropping on the trashy neighbor’s fight...some guilt ridden activity that just can’t be resisted...I just needed to get another whiff...

Maybe popping the seal and airing out the tobacco before jarring was enough for that scent to dissipate...just enough...to make the blend not only smell tolerable, but intriguing and honesly quite delicious. Maybe that first whiff was that scent, caged and tinned for years, escaping like some mad elephant from a circus tent to rampage my nostrils and make my eyes water. All I can say is that something changed, and changed quite drastically. I loaded a pipe and excitedly headed out on the porch for a smoke.

Generally I’m not a big fan of bright Virginias on their own, but I have to say that this is one seriously pleasing smoke. Truly one of the better smokes I’ve had in some time! Whatever is left of the top note weaves noticeably but not overwhelmingly throughtout, just enough to accentuate the bright citrusy notes and glue the slightly darker grassy and almost buttery notes together into something that pleased me, and I have to say, suprised the hell out of me. From that first exposure I figured that I’d never smoke this stuff, maybe foist that jar on some unsuspecting pipe hipster...but now after ten or so bowls I find that this really is some wonderful tobacco and worthy of a recommendation, although with the added disclaimer of letting the overwhelming top note dissipate.

I am aware that my Grousemoor comes with 8-10 years of age, so this isn’t exactly an unbiased report...I may update this review if I ever purchase a fresh tin and dive into the scent full bore.

Grousmoor seems to be a 'love it or hate it' blend for most pipers... I fall somewhere in the middle... it is indeed flowery and somewhat one dimensional- but it has an odd charm.. not much tobacco nuance to be found, but flavor in abundance... yes it's perfumey.. but in an intriguing old world sort of way. If I was an aromatic smoker this would be one of my go to blends. As a casual admirer of Lakeland tobacco I would tend to go more for ennerdale. Don't think that this is all Lakeland is about. It's pleasant but other Lakelands do showcase tobacco flavor more to the front. It is something to try. Definitely not boring.

OH MY GOD! THIS IS EXACTLY LIKE SMOOKING A PERFUME. Impossible to find any tobacco taste. It is a really strange aromatic Virginia. Inebriating. This tobacco (smell and taste) seems like a woman’s perfume (essence). A wonderful long – lasting fragrance, also for cupboards (believe me). Strong, persistent and highly scented. Flowers? Not only, lemon for example, but it is quite impossible identify the single scented ingredients. When you open the tin you can perceive notes of talcum powder, face powder and cosmetic products (and not lemon grass). Anyway this is not a classic Lakeland tobacco. It is different and it’s impossible to classify it. I’m sure Samuel Gawith wanted to surprise and amaze us and personally I am really shocked from this one. Samuel Gawith is particularly good in making strange and unusual tobaccos (for example Brown No. 4 and Black XX). Unfortunately in my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 3 and only a star because in my opinion smoking pipe tobacco is not smoking women’s perfumes.

My goodness... That's the first thing I thought of when I opened the tin. The smell is strong, pungent, one can smell it from metres away... Molasses, talc powder, flowers (mostly gardenia and jasmine), tangy and I don't know what else.

It scares, it baffles, it intrigues, and oh boy, we're still at simply smelling the product. Do I like the smell? Absolutely... But... for a tobacco... I am not sure.

Looking at the beautifully rubbed tobacco. Blondes and blondes everywhere. Beautiful colour!

Texture? Slightly wetter than I'd like it. So I wait, and dry the tobacco a tad.

First few puffs provide a very odd combination of a déjà-vu with Ennerdale flake (but not as good), and a sort of a throat tickle... Orgeat taste, granny perfume tasting, where are the virginias? This is a SOAPY smoke "par excellence" because it also seems to have a soapy TEXTURE. People have accused G&H flake of being soapy, but NO... This is soapy.

I HATE the soapiness... but I can appreciate the taste, what on earth is happening? Why oh why SG?

This is not for me... What to do with the rest of the tin? Mix it with some Semois for a "perfumy" kick?

2* because need I remind you my dear pipe smokers that nothing is as vile as a Borkum Riff tobacco

Thought I would wade in with a brief review on this one as to many this is a love it or hate it tobacco and I am of a slightly different opinion.

This is an Aero but probably in a more traditional respect than many that are around today.

On opening the smell is very strong lemon grass type smell, quite perfume like. My tin was really moist, certainly I had to dry it out to avoid regular relights. The problem I found was when you dry it to an extent that it lights and stays lit you loose a little bit of the sweetness.

I don't love it or hate it I am of the opinion it is a real summer smoke, lovely with a nice sweet drink with ice. For me this isn't something I enjoy with tea or coffee on a cold day. The first few puffs should not be used to form an opinion as it's not until a little way into the bowl you really get the full flavour.

Worth pointing out it is very low in nicotine but is a quality tobacco that needs to be tried at least once.

I bought a tin of this, after reading the reviews here and after the tobacco came up in discussions, both IRL and on the net.

I will not elaborate on what is in it, other that it is a rather unique tobacco and you really should give it a try. It will be love or hate and I think every pipesmoker should make up his own mind as to where he will place it. Do yourself a favour and try it on for size, or atleast do a joint buy of a tin with friends. I took one bowl, was stunned and can see this finding itself a regular place in the tobacco storage.