Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader

This was my first foray into English and it wasn't all terrible. I pretty much stick with aromatics and really black cavendish tobaccos but after reading about this blend for so long decided to give it a shot. I suppose my palette is not as advanced as other smokers but it was a nice smoke, nice change of pace definitely. I guess I am not a big Latakia fan as it is noticeable in the blend but not too strong. I really dislike the aftertaste in my mouth it causes. A nice blend with a cup of strong coffee though, it works quite well together. Not an everyday smoke for me but not something I am gonna dump. Worth a try for sure.

I really want to like this tobacco, but I don't. It's just too mild for my taste as an English blend. It's a full blown English, not a mild English, but I agree with those who find it bland. It just doesn't do anything for me, and I've been dipping into a stash for a year and a half to see if it improves. Not in my book. I'm not a big fan of mild Englishes, either, but I prefer Boswell's Countryside over SL. At least Countryside has some interesting side notes from time to time.

SL is made from fine tobaccos, is well blended, burns well, produces beautiful white smoke, burns to a nice white ash, etc. It's high quality stuff, to be sure. I just find the taste and combination so subtle as to be, well, bland. Smoked it this time in a Savinelli Estella, and that made no appreciable difference. (Just about everything smokes well in that pipe).

Others mileage will certainly vary. I'd trust their tastes over mine. Too many people love this 'baccy. Makes me wonder what I'm missing. I'll chalk it up to inexperience and try again in another six months...

I don't get why people seem to think that this is a strong evening smoke kind of deal. It's pretty mild if you ask me.

Very similar to Old Dublin, but a lot blander and weaker. That said this is easily an all day smoke for lovers of light English blends. I smoked SL and then OD one after the other. OD had more richness and depth, whereas SL was a little bit like smoking air at times.

Still I do like it, and it's a great morning toke with a coffee.

Yet another tin of empty promises from Samuel Gawith. I was hoping for a nice mild but still complex English as advertised. This mixture came up way short.

The quality of tobacco was not bad, but there just was not a whole lot going on in this blend. One of the joys of smoking a pipe for me is to pick apart the tobacco in each blend as it makes a brief appearance throughout the smoke. Unfortunately in Squadron Leader I got mediocre flat Virginia leaf with even less exciting Latakia. All the way through the bowl this continued.

When I read the tin description I was expecting something similar to Early Morning Pipe. Not even close. EMP was complex, interesting, and kept me thinking. This mixture was boring, bland, and unfulfilling.

There was no nicotine kick to speak of. I understand this was supposed to be a mild blend, but mild to me at least gives me a nice buzz when I am finished smoking it.

I would maybe recommend this to folks who are experimenting with pipe tobacco, or to someone who likes to inhale his pipe smoke. Other than that, I can easily find other blends which satisfy much more.

Bought a can of this stuff, that seems pretty highly rated on here.

Tin aroma is old leather boots. Tobacco is very very moist and needs a good drying out before going anywhere near the bowl.

Fortunately the leathery smell didn't manifest itself in the smoke, which was really not unpleasant at all. I can see why it's so highly thought of here.

It was an absolute bugger to keep alight. Mrs RW lets me smoke aromatics in the office but she grumbled about the smell. Like a cross between burning hay and old men's boots she declared.

SL is now off the menu unless I want to smoke in the freezing garage. I can't say it was outstanding enough for me to brave the elements and the dark inner sanctum of our garage, so, with a slight reluctance I'll go back to aromatics, which will please She Who Must Be Obeyed.

I would like to state for the record that this not my faverite baccy.It is however ok that is I can smoke it.It is just not heavey enough for my taste.I am more into fuller english tobacco.Mostly I smoke viginia tobacco but for change once or twice a day I will smoke something else.But as stated I can smoke it.

I am reflecting on my first experience with SL and can understand why there are comments such as "too mild and too bland" or "not enough flavor".

My first go at SL was from a freshly opened tin that sat semi-open for about 8 hours. The tobacco still seemed "moist" but considerably drier. Long story short: 9 relights and about 3/4 of the way down I gave up. I could slightly detect the spicy woodsy flavor. When it stayed lit I could smell the latakia burning. No bite at all and there was a pleasant aftertaste. Overall, nothing memorable like the first time I smoked McClelland's British Woods.

I must say that the pipe I was using has been a finicky fellow and that might have added to the "dull" experience. However, I feel that the tobacco was too moist and I intend to let this thoroughly dry out before giving it another go. Also I intend to try another pipe as well.

The aroma from a freshly opened tin is "heavenly". The woodsy, leathery of the Latakia dominates a kind of sweetish background (Virginias).

I am giving SL 3 stars right now because my experience was about a 2 and I give the additional star because I know I did not experience the full potential of this blend.

Bad pipe plus too moist tobacco will not yield the best results with SL.

UPDATE: 2/3/09

The tobacco has been sitting in a jar semi open since last review. It dried a bit and the result was a better smoke in the same pipe I was using.

This few times around the smoke was more voluminous and I was able to see and taste the potential of this blend. I cant seem to keep this lit! I had to relight several times to keep it going. The tobacco definitely has more taste and has more enjoyable smoke after the relight. After it simmers down it has a tendency to flatten out and become bland.

After the smoke I was left with a ashy slight tobacco taste in my mouth. I was left generally unsatisfied. All I could think about was getting my hands on another tin of McClelland's British Woods so that I could salvage this unsatisfying English smoking experience. With British Woods....it takes at most 3 charring lights and you are in business....clouds of smoke billow from the pipe and fill the room with a wonderful aroma. BW provides the silkiest, smoothest, richest, and spiciest smoke for my tastes. It smells and just tastes wonderful.

Sadly, I just dont think Squadron Leader is for me right now. Maybe down the road my tastes will change. But for now, I am sticking with British Woods or Frog Morton. They are so easy to smoke and they pack tons of flavor to boot.

Downgrade to 2 stars.

I love blends containing latakia, but but I've had a very difficult time finding a straightforward mixture that I can enjoy on a regular basis. Either the Virginias scorch my tongue(Westminster), there is some indefinable yet nauseating flavor that repels me (Penzance or anything made by Dunhill), or the blend is just plain unexciting. Squadron Leader falls into the latter category: there just doesn't seem to be a lot of flavor and what flavor there is strikes me as unremarkable. It has the same basic profile that typifies the genre of medium English tobaccos, only the volume seems to be turned down compared with most other blends I've tasted. Bluntly put, I think it's boring.

Technically, however, this is a superb product: it looks great in the tin (which is itself pretty neat), it burns well, and it doesn't have a bite in it. Tastewise, I don't think it deserves more than 2 stars, but it arguably deserves 3 in recognition of its pedigree and painstaking quality. In the meantime, I'm going to keep looking for an all-day English blend to fit into my rotation (Westminster minus the tongue bite would be my ideal). Recommended for those traveling the road in search of a "classic" English tobacco that suits their taste -- even if you don't end up staying here, it's pretty much a mandatory stop.

Squadron Leader is an interesting smoke due to the fact that the tobacco just doesn't stand up to the tin aroma.

When I cracked open my first tin, I was excited by the smell and carried high hopes.

Unfortunately, they weren't met.

It's a finicky blend that requires slow smoking, but not with disregard. It needs tending to in order to keep its flavors alive as I imagine they were intended. Once they come through, it is painfully subtle. It's a peculiar taste, but one that is much more prevalent and enjoyable in other blends.

I keep a tin on hand during the summer. The only time I enjoy Squadron Leader is in the blistering heat because of it's lightness.

Two stars are all I have for this smoke.