Samuel Gawith Golden Glow (bulk)

I've just tried this Samuel Gawith broken flake for the first time. I'm a bit diffident about reviewing it on so brief an acquaintance; but my first impression is so favourable that I'm going to anyway. I'm quite sure that I shall smoke quite a bit of this in my remaining years (or until it too – like so many favourites – ceases to be).

MVF – I speak as a lover of Virginias and Va/Pers – is one of the finest Lakeland tobaccos I've come across; and I don't say that lightly. It's subtle, certainly: perhaps too subtle for the more demanding palate. You probably have to be in the mood for it, and there will no doubt be times when (say) G & H's Brown Flake or SG's Best Brown Flake will suit your fancy more. But when you just want to relax with a pipeful of something that isn't too taxing, smoke some of this slowly and reflectively in a big bowl. After a gentle start it'll reward you all the way down with a full, sweet, old-fashioned, natural, pure Virginia flavour that gets richer and rounder as you go on: no scents, no casing, no gimmicks – just tobacco. Despite what some people suspect, I'm quite sure there's no artificial flavouring here. MVF reminds me a little bit of Player's Medium Navy Cut.

I think it's worth emphasising, though, that you need a long smoke of this in a large bowl to get the full benefit. A short smoke of MVF would be rather a dull affair. I enjoy it hugely in one of my big Petersons; Klio (cat) likes the room note a lot; SWMBO doesn't dislike it, either.

There's really nothing to dislike about this tobacco. The broken flake packs well, lights well and burns consistently. The nicotine content is (surprisingly) high and, like Virginias in general, it'll burn you if you rush it; so take care. Don't rub out more of it than is necessary to get you well alight, and don't let it get too dry. Subject to these warnings, this is a good choice for the smoker who doesn't like or want a heavy casing. Much enhanced too by DGT. First-rate stuff: in my list of preferences, I would put it second after G & H's Brown Flake. Highly recommended; a possible all-day smoke.

Like FVF, this flake tobacco is superb! Yes, it is a lighter flake than FVF, but has its own character as well. A little more "earthy" in taste and aroma, yet builds a wonderful smoke from first light to the bottom of the bowl.

One of my top 10, the only wish I have is that I could buy this in plug form. Otherwise, I see no improvement in this tobacco.

Most often smoked in a group 4/5 size bowl, moist, lightly folded, and rubbed slightly. Depending on one's mood, this is an all-day tobacco, for sure.

Excellent with coffee or hot tea! A winner by any standard.

...a pipe is to be savored...

Found this in a 250g box whilst looking for Golden Glow by the same maker. Like Golden Glow (if it's not the same), I find a superb leaf of broken flake, I broke off a small chunk and part rubbed it out, leaving it to dry for a few hours. The rest remained in the foil bag which I "re sealed" by folding the top and putting it back in it's box. Previous experience tells me that like Golden Glow, I can come back to this time and again over the course of a month and still find a good moisture content.

This splendid golden tobacco, now nicely dried to my preferance, is fully rubbed and lights with a single match, a smooth creamy flavour, slightly sweet and with a touch of saltiness. A very fine "first thing in the morning smoke" or for that matter, come to think of it, an anytime of day smoke.

Medium Virginia Flake seems to alternate between the initial "Smooth Creaminess" followed by the "Sweetness" of the virginia with a little "Saltiness" coming and going. Although MVF is not a complex smoke, I would'nt describe it as monochromatic either. It is what it is, a good, honest, excellent quality virginia, and does'nt pretend to be anything but.

I bought a second 250g box along with this to see what effect a month of "Aging" will have on it. Like Golden Glow, dried out a little, it burns well with only moderate heat in a bulldog, no steam and no bite. For me, this tobacco is a must have.

this is the best virginia i know of in its category: the almost non-pressed-and-stoved flakes. somehow, it is what orlik's "golden sliced" and a lot of other continental flakes pretend and try to be but are not. though it is supposedly made by the same raw tobaccos as fvf and bbf, it is completely different in caracter: golden, broken up, a lot lighter in the taste and flavours.

natural sweetness, natural citrusy/vanilly/woodsy/grassy flavours, easy packing and lighting, dry smoking, lovely room note. what more can one ask?

does it actually contain some sort of artificial flavouring as some seem to feel? i can't say for sure, but i doubt it. true, at the last quarter of the bowl, some "soap" appears, in the form of a very slight lavender and mint aroma. as i see it, it could be all natural, though. and it certainly doesn't take over the bowl, as many artificial flavours will. at times, i've noticed the same phenomenon with fvf and bbf as well. probably a caracteristic of the virginias used, i'd say.

most highly recommended indeed.

On a hunch, my first purchase of MVF was a pound. After smoking one bowl, I knew I?d ?done good.? After a few more bowls, I wished I?d bought two pounds so that I could be aging some while enjoying MVF now.

Reviewers giving MVF more enthusiastic recommendations have said most of what I could say. I?ll add that MVF is lighter in color and weight than Brown Flake, much less FVF. It is not, however, a light blend in flavor or power.

I do not think it is a Virginia/Burley blend or soapy. It seems a 100% flue-cured broken flake of a delicate texture, a middling, rich flavor, lightly sweet, and an aroma in the bag of augmented leaf (maybe cased, unflavored nor scented). Nothing but pure tobacco comes through smoking MVF. This packs, lights and burns very well, leaving a nice, mostly white, dry ash. To me, MVF, as Best Brown and FVF, are just more interesting and tame than Rattray?s wonderful VA flakes (SG really needs a HOW equivalent, BBF being 'tween OG and HOW, FVF stronger than HOW). SG flakes are also so much easier handling than my dear Mc Clelland's offerings.

I am also interested in trying MVF as a base for my own home blends. My first attempt with MVF will be with a little perique and P&W?s black Cavendish.

I?ll try to update this review after smoking MVF aged one year in Kerr ?canning? glass jars. It will be hard leaving it alone even for six months!

I ordered a pound of this before I had ever tried it cause it was cheap. Turns out it was a wise decision. MVF does have a noticeable aroma that I guess is what most people refer to as "soap". I think it smells more like an incense shop or some such thing. I like it. I have also started mixing it with 1792 flake and the combination is one of my favorite smokes. Nice grassy aroma, easy to pack/light, and as others have said, it's pretty!

One of the purest Virginias I have had the pleasure of smoking. Maybe the nicest looking tobacco ever. A wonderful, golden, chunky, chewy semi-flake. Very nice aroma and smooth, mild taste for frequent smoking. Doesn't have the depth of other Virginias, but its simplicity is its charm. I love ordering this at least once a year. After smoking this again through the 2005 holiday season, I am updating this to four stars. The slower and softer I puff on this wonderful tobacco, the more flavorful it becomes.

I only recently tried this, being a fan of FVF. Appearance is like a rubbed out FVF. This one packs & burns easily. In the pipe, the taste is like a milder version of FVF. It's honest, subtle and as another reviewer rightly states, charming. Another plus, it's not as tangy as FVF. This flake is really underrated and overlooked because it lives in the shadow of the more famous SG blends. More fool you if you fail to try it for that reason...I'm sorry it took me so long! I found the smoke very tasty, wanting to puff almost continously. It's quite kind to your tongue too. A delightful smoke.

One of the sweetest all-natural Virginia flakes produced. Made from the same leaf as Best Brown and Full Virginia Flake, it is dry-pressed for two hours, steam cured for only about one hour. MVF is often overlooked by fans of its high-quality cousins, which is a crime. This is a great all-day smoke, rich and sweet. While true Virginia fans will relish MVF's charms, it is also an excellent transition tobacco from aromatics to Virginias because of its sweet, cool-burning characteristics. You owe it to yourself to try this!

Addendum: MVF doesn't benefit from prolonged DGT, though it doesn't become unpleasant.