Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. No. 7 Broken Flake

Gawith and Hoggarth No 7 Broken Flake -I am usually not a fan of Vanilla on my tobacco but it works for me here . This is somewhere between Bosum cut plug and Brown flake . The Virginias are the main player but the nutty burley is spot on in the background. I believe the dark fired is a Virginia leaf . It has that flavor like Bosum plug but less of it . If Bosum plug is too strong , then here you go . I like this a lot and I think it will be a great summer smoke . It is no lightweight though . Another great tobacco from GH . Be careful , once the Lakeland Essence gets a hold you may crave it ! 4

Broken Flakes, quite dry, ready for use, but as this tobacco is sold in bulk, moisture content depends on seller’s storage. Unlit it has a pronounced floral/soapy aroma very typical of the Lakeland style. Actually it smells quite similar to Ennerdale Flake.

It lights easily and smokes slow. Strength is medium and it produces a full flavored smoke redolent with the Lakeland aromas (rather complex, lavender, pine resin, lemongrass - really cannot tell, though I do not get much of the vanilla) on a background of pure high quality tobacco where the dark fired leaf despite its low percentage contributes much leaving a slightly bitter-sweet aftertaste.

Can be an all-day tobacco if you like the style. Broken Flake no.7 is yet another excellent Lakeland flake tobacco.

This is a great smoke. The Lakeland scent fades after a few puffs revealing a great VaBur. The Virginia gives the most flavor and the Burley supports it nicely. There remains just the right amount of Lakeland, a very mild amount, throughout the bowl. Very pleasant and satisfying. Top notch tobacco.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in taste. Flavoring starts at medium and rapidly devolves to very mild. Burns great.

EDIT: Forgot to say that I can't taste the vanilla. Seems to be lost in the mix.

A very interesting tobacco blend, perhaps a new favorite one. Nice and complex smoke, cold and full of natural aromas. Some flowers, woody, and soft vanilla give some sweetness, but they complement the blend. Highly recommended.

Package note of lakeland, mild sour vegetation and spices. Tobacco is a broken flake of dark brown, black and a little light brown. Moisture content is great. Rubs out with a little effort. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. Flavoring is mild to medium, with notes of Tonquin Bean and Vanilla. Vanilla is the first to drop to the background within the first 1/4. The tonquin/lakeland decreases intensity a bit at the 1/2-way point and remain in the middle ground till nearly the end. Taste is medium and very consistent, with notes of tonquin/lakeland, vanilla, floral, sugar, spices, molasses, peaty vegetation, orange peel/zest, bread, wood, mild nuts, tart and tangy citrus, sweet hay, rich earth, an almost herbal lemon grassy background note, and a peppery retro. Virginias is leading with Dark-Fired, Flavoring and Burley supporting. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Today was a good day for tobacco mail. Got some Skiff which is gorgeous and an ounce of Broken Flake No7 which is exquisite. Reminds me of a soft Ennerdale. Has a beautiful tin note and taste lovely drawing on an unlit pipe. I love Ennerdale but I get that it's a bit much for some people; this one is really soft and has a melange of stunning flavours topping the excellent tobacco. Very much in the same mould as Brown Flake Aromatic but the Lakeland essence has been dialled right down. I loaded the Peterson 303 and left it rest for a couple of hours. Took a few lights to get it going and was in heaven for an hour and a quarter. No bite or heat from this one and a beautiful sweetness that is unlike any other leaf I have smoked before with the topping just hovering in the background. A very mellow but tasty smoke, with a decent amount of nicotine to keep me happy. Its probably going to be one I smoke a lot during the summer as it has that sort of feel to it. And the Virginias are haylike and very smooth with no sharp citrus tang that I dislike intently.

Apprearance/pouch aroma:

Very light brown to golden cut ribbons of Va and burley, with some medium to dark brown flakes of the dark fired. Very few flake pieces remain intact in my order, mostly ribbons of tobacco only once pressed into a flake.

Aroma of brown flake and dark fired, along with confectionary vanilla and some lake floral essence.

Packing/lighting/smoking: What remains of the broken flakes rub out nicely, but as most G&H blends this one is the typical moist tobacco. either set out for an hour is you have the forethought, or microwave for 7 seconds if you are looking for instant gradification like I do.

Lights very easily and I am quite impressed!

Initial flavors remind me a bit of Stonehenge, with the Lake essence added. The vanilla really stand out in the smoke and room note. reminds me of butter cream vanilla frosting made with rose water, if that makes sense. 2nd half the dark fired really come to life. A bit stronger, more bold, more strength. I still detect the vanilla in minute quantities, but the florals seemed to have faded. Burns a bit wet at times, but If dried properly, that can be controlled. Another 4 star winner from G&H!

This comes in bulk as a typical GH soft leathery high quality flake. You are greeted with the Lakeland essence, though milder than others in their stable. The tobacco is mostly lighter Virginia with enough darker leaf and burley to leave a medium but noticeable nicotine level. The topping is sweet and their are hints of vanilla. Smokes cool and dry down to a fine white ash. It would be a fine tobacco even without the topping, nice as it is. I discovered this blend by accident at my local B&M. stupid name, great blend. Smoke in a dedicated Lakeland briar, or a cob/meer.

Summary: an excellent Virginia blend with some Burley to give it character beneath the mysterious Lakeland Essence.

Virginia blends require a certain finesse to make interesting because straight Virginia tends to be too sweet (bright), too fruity (red), or too much wheat toast with honey (brown). This broken flake looks like a dead thistle head but lights easily and smokes like a dream, with the sweetness of Virginia given some warmth, breadth, and a little tang of spice from the dark-fired leaf. While the Lakeland Essence haunts my dreams in terror, here it comes across as mild and gives the flavor a little tweak before fading into the background with an incense-like quality. I could smoke this blend all day but its sister blend, "Coniston Cut Plug," would have to feature in there in mid-afternoon for its powerhouse dark fired Kentucky Burley brainhammer. However if you want a Virginia blend that has enough nicotine to keep you paying attention, and a flavor that is internally varied enough to avoid boredom, this is a great find for the all-day smoker.