Samuel Gawith Golden Glow (bulk)

500 gram box that's been sitting in my cellar for a couple of years. Review is based on about 1.5 oz. They tell me that this is the bulk version of Golden Glow, and I can believe that although I don't know for a fact that it's true. Same golden color, although the flakes here are much longer (then again, so are the flakes in a box of FVF as opposed to the tin), same lemon-citrus, grass and hay high notes.

This one was a textbook version of a light lemon Virginia, unlike two I recently smoked (F&T CVP and Butera Golden Cake) which reached heights this one can't match. It would make a good all-day until dinner smoke, when a richer, more complex blend would probably work better. This would also be a nice hot weather outdoor smoke and I'm saving the rest of my box for when and if winter ever decides to end! Perfect for smokers that find OGS too fruity, as this tones down the "marinated in orange peel" taste I get from that one. Overall I find this one worth a visit but not destined for my rotation, as I find it leaning heavily towards "ordinary". But I'm revisiting this again this summer, as I think it might improve... and speaking of improving, this one should age nicely. And I wouldn't puff this one, as she's prone to biting. Nice and easy on MVF to get the best out of her.

Back when I bought this 4 years ago, it was called Medium Virginia Flake and golden glow was sold in a tin. Although I knew they were similar, I didn't know they were one and the same. Well, at least so much as a SG tin and Bulk can be the same anyway. I reviewed my review of Golden Glow and it appears this will be yet another SG product I prefer bulk rather than tinned.

In my review I said BBF was better than the golden glow. Maybe it is just the 4 yrs. of age on this, but I would prefer to smoke this to BBF, although it is not by much as both are great Virginias. Ultimately though, IMHO, FVF is still the king. This is consistent with my take on Virginias. I just tend to prefer them to be fuller and golden glow is a little lighter than I prefer. Still it offers some very nice Virginia sweetness as should be expected being a Virginia produced by SG. It just doesn't come with the gravitas that FVF brings. I would think those who prefer Capstan Yellow to the Blue would really enjoy this one.

This is a great tobacco. I like FVF and Pease's Union Square better, but those are in a little different category. This is medium, mild to middle of the road for flavor and strength, but a classic clean Virginia that every Virginia fan must at least try. Even if it's not your favorite, I think you will probably still enjoy smoking it. There is nothing offensive here, just a pure Virginia experience. Not nearly as oily as FVF, which suggests to me they use a lot less PG in this blend. Their website doesn't show Medium Virginia Flake, but I have heard that it's the same as Golden Glow.

Of this one I have smoked well more than a kilo, during a couple of years.

Is it an artisanal product: YES, absolutely ! Enough to say that I’ve found packings containing true flakes, just loosened; others container ready rubbed tobacco in perfect form; one other containing something rubbed near to ribbon; colours varying from golden to lemon. All of them good ones (just a bit less when near to ribbon).

Golden Glow is a perfect companion to the Virginia lover. It has not the complexity of say FVF, or the smooth as silk body of Best Brown Flake, but a sturdy “citrus & hay thing” with a trace of sweetness. The strenght is half step below the medium mark, the body is mild-to-medium. No flavouring. Low propensity to biting and burning hot, but You know… pure Virginia is hardly an all day smoke. That’s why I usually add a small portion of Lakeland Dark, and get a perfect balance of strenght & flavour.

Absolutely recommended.

I had been put off of this blend for a long time simply because of the name. With SG offering so many great full flavored blends why would I want something described medium. Perhaps it's good that they label it as Golden Glow for the tins; it probably helps it to sell.

Anyway, I found this tobaccy to be quite a pleasant surprise. A very sweet aroma hits me when I take a whiff of the unlit tobacco; something like vanilla cake batter. It is a somewhat bright flake, rather like Orlik Slices or MacBaren Virginia Flake though a little looser resulting in fractured, not broken, flakes; I have a half pound bulk so this typical of the packaging.

I broke up a flake and rubbed it out very slightly; I typically fold and stuff but something about this flake told me to rub. Loaded lightly in Group 2-3 size bowl this took to flame quite readily without needing to dry.

This was my first pipe of the day and it fit the bill perfectly. Solid Virginia sweetness without any trace of the cake batter I smelled on the raw tobaccy. Burned cool and steady with rarely a relight necessary; I was working diligently restoring some pipes so the few relights were my fault anyway. The flavor developed slowly and steadily giving hints of tea, straw and a light nuttiness. Never overwhelming, consistently satisfying, it smoked all the way down to the finest of white ash.

Perfect for when you want something just slightly lighter than usual but don't want to sacrifice flavor or quality. This just might become my favorite before breakfast smoke.

This broken virgina flake seems to bridge the gap in style and character between SG's Best Brown and Full Virgina Flake. Upon opening the tin, the aroma reminded me of some of Rattrays virginas that I tried years ago, slightly fig fruity with another vapor-like element present that I could only seem to liken to perhaps menthol. I suppose it's due to the degree of steam pressing. It has a mild but significant natural sweetness that Best Brown lacks while being noticeably milder in strength on the palate and relatively bite free even for a golden virginia of this type. It smokes slow in it's ready rubbed cake form that I would recommend not to rub out further. Despite it's milder virginia character I found this to be a more full tobacco in nicotine that only allows me to smoke about half a pipe at a time. An excellent virginia that some might find a bit rich as I do.

This is a good Virginia tobacco in bright golden broken flake cut, naturally sweet, mild with some floral and Lakeland note, somehow bland with "metallic" taste that would please some palate no bite, inexpensive and can improve with age.

It is good VA, but not the best of mild Virginias out there, I prefer Mac Baren Va#1 or PSB luxury twist flake

Another pipe club sample that I got to try. This one consists of wide ribbon with a medium blonde color. The tin note was very light with wisps of grass and hay. Smoked great in my Meerschaum with a pure Virginia taste. It also lasted longer in the pipe than what I thought it would due to the width/looseness of the ribbon and the dryness. A really great mild blend but would definitely smoke this with a lighter tasting drink as anything strong would drown out your smoke. Thanks to “M” at the unofficial Saturday pipe club.

Basing this review on a slight one ounce sample I pilfered from a recent forum box pass.

I enjoyed it. Stronger, fuller taste than I expected, but good nonetheless. Some reviewers equate it to hay, an observation I find hard to agree with. Orlik's Golden Sliced Red reminds me of hay. MVF? Well, I can't quite put my finger on it. But tasty doesn't require grandiose/verbiose descriptions, does it? My last bowl was in a Jake Hackert Freehand cob, and it was the smoothest smoke I've had with this tobacco. Funny, to me the taste and snork are fairly nondescript(or possibly, hidden from view thanks to the heavy mouth feel), yet the, uh, 'after snork" was excellent. A creamy sweet scent that lingered on the palette for some seconds. I don't think aftertaste is a traditional reason to smoke a pipe, but it works fine here. The room note is quite acceptable as well. I should also add I perceived a slight floral note, almost like the faint smell of carnations in the rain. I liked that.

I only give it three stars because of the persistant mouth strength/feel. It's just a bit more than I'm happy to deal with constantly. That said, I've no problem recommending, or even buying this weed. (Maybe I should, if only to see if I get a more complete picture.)

Shame on you, SG! Bring on the 'Baccy!