Samuel Gawith Special Flake No.1
(2.83)
Notes: From Synjeco: To me, this is the most exotic SG tobacco! If you like "soapy" tobaccos, here is the one for you. The smell was a bit shocking to me; it smelled like the "Camay" soap, very perfumed. The color range from light to dark, with light brown dominant. The cut is rather medium, and I find the flakes to be easy to rub out. The taste is almost identical to the pouch aroma, esp. at first. The "perfumy" smell gradually dissipates, without disappearing. This is definitely a tobacco that require exclusive pipes for its use.
Details
| Brand | Samuel Gawith |
| Blended By | Samuel Gawith |
| Manufactured By | Samuel Gawith |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | Alcohol / Liquor, Other / Misc |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | bulk, 50 grams pouch |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Strong
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 20, 2007 | Medium to Strong | Strong | Full | Very Pleasant |
Yet another distinguished Gawith flake, this one in particular is a masterful example of a lakeland floral which is piquant, but not overly cloying. The unburnt flake has a heavenly aroma, like an expensive incense from India. You will note that I never say "pouch aroma" because I rarely ever keep tobacco in a pouch. It has been my experience that pouches do not preserve the integrity of any tobacco, and the moisture content dissipates very quickly. If you care about your tobacco, don't use one. Especially if you intend to keep it for more than a day. I keep this and all other bulk tobaccos in sealed Ball jars. If you like Special Flake #1, you will probably like #2,3,4,5&7. They could all be considered variations on a theme. This dandy most likely contains cheviot, ginger and a multitude of other delicious spices that I can't even begin to imagine. Surprisingly bite-free. If you gave this secret recipe to a danish tobacco company, using predominantly danish and/or american grown tobaccos, you would have a flake that would singe your nostrils and burn through your toungue like napalm. It is a shame that the Gawith family keep their lips so tight about what goes into the creation of most of their products. Their brother company, Gawith & Hoggarth, doesn't seem to be the least bit shy about disclosing parts of their recipes. At least G & H gives us some idea as to what we're getting into. But nevertheless, SF#1 is virtually garunteed to please aromatic lovers and the company they keep. Fanciers of virginia flakes should give this one a fair shake as well, because I suspect at the root of this blend lies the famous Full Virginia Flake. I cannot settle for giving this tobacco a lesser rating than 4 stars, because of the impeccable smoking characteristics it presents. So stong and yet so pleasant. So spicy, but not the least bit volatile. Impressively flavorful without yielding a gurgle or dottle. A miraculous blenders masterpiece.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 06, 2017 | Medium | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Flakes are very thin and pliable - very similar to Special Flake #4 - and quite reminiscent of St. Bruno. You can shred or rub out very easily and you can also fold and stuff. They are a little moist but if you rub out you can smoke directly and in any case they do not need any more than a few minutes of drying time. (None of the fussiness of FVF here!)
Tin aroma is quite intense –but less so than the overtly aromatic Special Flakes #2 & #5. It is mildly perfumy with herbal notes (something like lavender, pine), some fruity notes as well (remind me of apricot marmelade) and I can detect a sweet something which could probably be tonquin or vanilla and maybe some honey as well. A hint of liquor as well? It is slightly floral but not very similar to other Lakeland scented tobaccos. I would not call Special Flake #1 soapy or whatever else some people call Lakeland tobaccos.
Once you get the charring done and tamp it takes to light easily and stays lit. Mechanically it behaves perfectly. It burns to end to a fluffy white ash. Strength is medium to strong and the smoke is exceptionally smooth! It is more potent than Special Flake #4 packing a good amount of nicotine. Not an all day smoke I guess.
The tobacco has a mild underlying stoved Virginia smoky quality. It’s not particularly sweet and scenting translates to the smoke without being overwhelming or completely masking the tobacco. What I do like a lot is the excellent counterpoise of the mild botanical aromas (pine/lavender/lemongrass style) on the one hand, to the heady sweet aromas (peach/apricot marmalade and tonquin let’s say) on the other upon the smoky background.
In the smoke I think I detect a hint of licorice as well. In general flavors are towards the dark end of the spectrum and towards the very end they become a little ashy. It’s a tobacco in the same vein as St. Bruno but better in every way. I also find it similar to J.F. Germain’s Rich Dark Flake and I really prefer #4 to it. I would call Special Flake #1 a mild aromatic.
Another excellent tobacco from Samuel Gawith. Actually it seems like their best tobaccos are those sold only in bulk…
Tin aroma is quite intense –but less so than the overtly aromatic Special Flakes #2 & #5. It is mildly perfumy with herbal notes (something like lavender, pine), some fruity notes as well (remind me of apricot marmelade) and I can detect a sweet something which could probably be tonquin or vanilla and maybe some honey as well. A hint of liquor as well? It is slightly floral but not very similar to other Lakeland scented tobaccos. I would not call Special Flake #1 soapy or whatever else some people call Lakeland tobaccos.
Once you get the charring done and tamp it takes to light easily and stays lit. Mechanically it behaves perfectly. It burns to end to a fluffy white ash. Strength is medium to strong and the smoke is exceptionally smooth! It is more potent than Special Flake #4 packing a good amount of nicotine. Not an all day smoke I guess.
The tobacco has a mild underlying stoved Virginia smoky quality. It’s not particularly sweet and scenting translates to the smoke without being overwhelming or completely masking the tobacco. What I do like a lot is the excellent counterpoise of the mild botanical aromas (pine/lavender/lemongrass style) on the one hand, to the heady sweet aromas (peach/apricot marmalade and tonquin let’s say) on the other upon the smoky background.
In the smoke I think I detect a hint of licorice as well. In general flavors are towards the dark end of the spectrum and towards the very end they become a little ashy. It’s a tobacco in the same vein as St. Bruno but better in every way. I also find it similar to J.F. Germain’s Rich Dark Flake and I really prefer #4 to it. I would call Special Flake #1 a mild aromatic.
Another excellent tobacco from Samuel Gawith. Actually it seems like their best tobaccos are those sold only in bulk…
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