Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader

There isn't much that I can say about this tobacco that hasn't already been said in previous reviews. It is one of the most perfectly balanced English blends that are out there today, and all of the hype is most definitely warranted. I am not one to jump on a bandwagon, but when it's good, it's good. This stuff is AWESOME. No tongue bite whatsoever, even if you get a bit too crazy with the puffing. The latakia is present but definitely not overwhelming. The other tobaccos have plenty of room to make their presence known. It is a wonderful candidate for an all-day smoke. If you like English blends at all, you want this in your pipe. Buy more than one tin, because a single tin just isn't enough.

My only regret with SL is that I didn't try it before, as my taste buds took a real pounding from all the heavy Latakia mixtures. The best way, for me, to try Latakia light English tobacco is to stop smoking for a few days, a reset of sorts and then smoke slowly. The tin artwork is great, the smell in the tin is of subdued Latakia some sweetness and an exotic bouquet. It lights easy and burns to a white ash. The mixture reminds me a bit of Presbyterian Mixture but with more Latakia and stronger Virginias and Turkish. A balanced smoke, that I consider an Oriental/"Balkan" mixture.

Virginia lover

A medium-strength Latakia mixture, also containing perique. The smell is fruity and floral. The taste is unique - dry and dark, with a hint of fruit and spice, no doubt from the perique. It is well balanced, and medium-bodied. This is in my regular tobacco rotation.

I'm somewhat of new pipe smoker transitioning away from aromatics and all-Virginia tobacco to English blends. I made the mistake to start of my English blend experience by sparking Dunhill's Nightcap (a VERY good tobacco but way too much Latakia for my taste). Anyways..

So here's my thoughts, as I opened the tin, I noticed that the tobacco was a bit moist, not "wet" as some users described to be. Upon light, I immediately noticed the virginias with a bit of the Latakia as an undertone (like a seasoning). My description was a nice sweet, tangy, hay or glass-like flavor (which was quite tasty actually) with a bit of spiciness, pepper, and saltiness from the Latakia. Everything complimented each other (like any other good tobacco). As I started moving to the mid-bottom of the bowl, the Latakia definitely became more pronounced, the tobacco started giving me stronger flavors of oak, leather, pepper, with a subtle sweetness to it. The vitamin N definitely started hitting me at the near bottom of the bowl. The tobacco smoked all the way through, leaving me with all white ash (although I had to relight a few times).

Overall, it was a very pleasant experience, a great introduction to English blend tobacco. If you're curious about trying English blends, I would definitely start with this one. It's very gentle smoke with lots of flavor. She is a bit hard to keep lit (at least for me), so maybe a little drying might work for this one. I experienced absolutely no bite, it was very cool smoke. I can definitely vouch for all the great reviews of this tobacco and keep this one as one of my "favorites".

EDIT [By the end of the tin, I was hungry for more. Gonna have to up this one to 4 stars]

I wanted to do something special for my 300th review, so I decided to finally pop open the much revered/hyped tobacco with a soaring biplane on the tin. In my case, this tin marked the one year anniversary of buying it in Japan, which at the time was the only place that had any!

Cracking the warning seal in a language I couldn't read, revealed some distinct vapors of a smooth English tamed with sour Virgina raisens, that all came together into what I would describe as soft cured leather. The tightly packed, slightly damp ribbons, pressed nicely into my pipe, took a second to light, but smoldered for a good long time. What came next was a very smooth smoke that was unable to bite and delivered a modest nicotine burst. The flavor was fairly one note, yet certainly enjoyable, retaining that previous leather profile.

If you are looking to take a break from a heavy Latakia, charcoal forward English like Nightcap, this may be the perfect plane to board and take your maiden voyage into relaxation. Squadron Leader certainly lived up to the hype and is understandably hard to find, though the product isn't so unique, you shouldn't feel bad if settling on other fine imports of a similar ilk.

*While in Tokyo I visited a few tobacconists, and I definitely recommend a trip to Ginza KIKUSUI. It was fully stocked and staffed by extremely knowledgeable English speakers who came across as traditional butlers ready to serve your every question and need.

I am quite a Newby. So please forgive any errors! This is an English blend in fact it seems to be the quintessential example of that group. I've tried early morning pipe and red rapparee but I prefer this. As it seems less harsh. I can taste the Latakia and I believe the virginias. It burns slowly and did not bite me.

Sadly SWMBO hates the smell so I only indulge when she won't be round for awhile.

First I should point out I am new to a pipe some views should be considered naive that is to say I am unable to talk abou they types of tobacco tasted.

First being a fan of WW1 if I can say that without glorifying war. That packaging is amazing who doesn’t want to see a bi plan on the tin.

Initial smell reminds me of a well peated single malt , much like a Talisker.

The initial light is easy and smooth took a single false light then a proper light . The taste reminds me still of talisker , large earthy notes with a pleasant aroma.

Smokes on a. Lorenzo spitfire

Squadron Leader is one of the benchmark English tobaccos for a number of reasons. First, it is actually made in England by one of the very few remaining English tobacco houses. Second, that same house has been around for more than 200 years and uses much of the same equipment to produce this fine mixture, which itself has been offered for a very long time. Third, it sits at the middle point in almost all respects of what an English blend is and can offer- no single tobacco dominates, and it is not too strong or mild with respect to either nicotine or flavor. This makes it ideal as an all-day smoke or with coffee each morning. I personally smoke it almost every day after breakfast, and it goes great with good coffee.

The tobacco itself as described above is a base of Virginias with latakia and orientals. Everything. It is a nice ribbon cut that is easy to pack and light. I like to let it sit for five minutes or so, it should be dry to the touch but not crumbly in any way. Too dry or too wet and it becomes harsh and a little sharp, but there is a wide grace zone where it smokes just fine. It is easy to light and only takes a few false lights to get it going, and once lit will require few relights.

The flavor itself is all about balance. While different pipes will accentuate different flavors, overall the effect is one of harmony. You get not too sweet VA, a little oriental spice, and a light, creamy smoky base from the latakia with every puff, and they are cohesive and harmonious. It is lovely in this sense and a true indication of the blender’s skill; this level of smooth harmony is hard to find from other houses. While the flavor is uniform throughout the bowl I never find it boring or cloying.

This does not have to be your favorite English, and you will find many, including others from SG that have more of this or that. You will be hard pressed, however, to find a more balanced and enjoyable moderate English, and this is an excellent reference point for branching out into the genre. When you can get it in bulk it is a very good value also for the quality provided. A home-run blend in every sense, and it provides you the chance to smoke a piece of history.

Whenever I thought I can no longer be impressed by an English Blend, here comes this weasel. It's simply amazing, and the most amazing fact about it is its simplicity. Nothing fancy, a constant mellow sweetness from first light to the last puff, with a whisper of latakia (so yeah, for all you lat bomb fiends, this one ain't for you). I was thrown off at first, as when I read the review a while ago, before actually trying the baccy, Latakia was listed first in the blend composition so I figured that would have been the dominating note. In fact, this is a Oriental/Turkish forward blend, that is very well balanced by the Virginia with a fantastic consistency of taste all throughout the smoke. No bite, regardless of how hard you try to punish it, right moisture out of the tin, sweet mellow nose in accord with the taste (hardly any smokiness, also hardly any dark/black ribbon visible to the naked eye) ... shoot, I may have found my golden tobacco. Ask me again in six months, but if you find me having the same opinion of the Squadron Leader, I may reduce my winter rotation by half next year ... unless I over do it, smoking it to the point I really get tired of it, it has happened before