Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Scotch Flake
(3.25)
A very sweet 100% Virginia tobacco, Scotch Flake is a combination of flue cured Virginias from Brazil and Zimbabwe, augmented with a smaller amount of sun cured to add sweetness and body. Similar in content to Broken Scotch Cake, it's darker appearance is a result of it being pressed prior to slicing into flakes.
Details
| Brand | Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. |
| Blended By | Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. |
| Manufactured By | Gawith Hoggarth & Co. |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | Cocoa / Chocolate, Floral Essences |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, bulk |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Extremely Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.25 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 31 - 36 of 36 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17, 2022 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Very very pleasant sweet Virginia flake. Light aroma almost not worth mentioning it. A great uncomplicated and quite satisfactory smoke. I have my personal ranking with 1. brown unscented 2 . Glengarry flake 3. CR and from 4 to endless all other tobaccos. Where shall I put this? Very much tempted to put it to 3. As perhaps more interesting then the good plain CR. In any case this is another top quality Virginia from the masters.
Pipe Used:
Short stout billiards
Age When Smoked:
1yr
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 12, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
Smoking now:
From a sample bag. Bag smelled sweet, some dark hay aroma but lots of sugar. Smelled nice. Dry broken flakes that were right for smoking.
Sweet, a little hay, not very tart or citrus, some earthy bread, and dry fruits. The sweetness of the topping really mellows out the Virginias. Even the retrohale is easy going. Lots of sweetness without being overbearing or saccharine like a goopy aromatic. Has notes of sugar, honey, maybe rum. It’s light and compliments the tobacco. Virginias can be harsh however this one is really toned down. Some spice, some mouth tingle, but it behaved well. Mellow mouth feel and almost no aftertaste. If you liked Virginias this is very repeatable in a day. An “aromatic” or sweet tobacco for those who don’t like aromatics. Well done .
As far as a Lakeland goes, if I smoked this blind I wouldn’t even know. I hardly detected any floral or perfume flavors. I’m sure it’s in there and contributes to mellowing out the tobacco but if you don’t like Lakeland blends I wouldn’t let that scare you off.
From a sample bag. Bag smelled sweet, some dark hay aroma but lots of sugar. Smelled nice. Dry broken flakes that were right for smoking.
Sweet, a little hay, not very tart or citrus, some earthy bread, and dry fruits. The sweetness of the topping really mellows out the Virginias. Even the retrohale is easy going. Lots of sweetness without being overbearing or saccharine like a goopy aromatic. Has notes of sugar, honey, maybe rum. It’s light and compliments the tobacco. Virginias can be harsh however this one is really toned down. Some spice, some mouth tingle, but it behaved well. Mellow mouth feel and almost no aftertaste. If you liked Virginias this is very repeatable in a day. An “aromatic” or sweet tobacco for those who don’t like aromatics. Well done .
As far as a Lakeland goes, if I smoked this blind I wouldn’t even know. I hardly detected any floral or perfume flavors. I’m sure it’s in there and contributes to mellowing out the tobacco but if you don’t like Lakeland blends I wouldn’t let that scare you off.
Pipe Used:
Briar
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 25, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I really like the presentation of this broken Flake. It’s still possible to fold and stuff for a slow rolling smoke or just as easy to rub out fully with minimal effort.
The taste is wonderful full VA but with that added cocoa note, this tobacco really stands out to me as a fantastic aromatic. I’m not a huge Virginia fan to be quite honest. I don’t always like that hay and grass note of bright VAs as it feels aggressive and not as full and deep flavored as I’d like, but this tobacco blend has hit a perfect marriage between the bready VAs and nutty flavoring. It’s one of the few instances where an added flavoring seems to give a greater depth to the blend. University Flake is similar in this way where the added flavoring truly shines through the natural tobacco.
Try Scotch Flake if you haven’t found a full Virginia flake that satisfies and try if you like typical “American Blends” a la Carter Hall, classic burley Kake. This is the British cousin of those nutty, no nonsense, lightly chocolate blends. Although this is more suited for a dessert smoke for me, as opposed to its “all day smoke” American counterparts, it’s a fun blend that’s worth picking up if you get the chance.
The taste is wonderful full VA but with that added cocoa note, this tobacco really stands out to me as a fantastic aromatic. I’m not a huge Virginia fan to be quite honest. I don’t always like that hay and grass note of bright VAs as it feels aggressive and not as full and deep flavored as I’d like, but this tobacco blend has hit a perfect marriage between the bready VAs and nutty flavoring. It’s one of the few instances where an added flavoring seems to give a greater depth to the blend. University Flake is similar in this way where the added flavoring truly shines through the natural tobacco.
Try Scotch Flake if you haven’t found a full Virginia flake that satisfies and try if you like typical “American Blends” a la Carter Hall, classic burley Kake. This is the British cousin of those nutty, no nonsense, lightly chocolate blends. Although this is more suited for a dessert smoke for me, as opposed to its “all day smoke” American counterparts, it’s a fun blend that’s worth picking up if you get the chance.
Pipe Used:
Meerschaum, Corn Cob and Briar
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 06, 2021 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Preparation & Burn: 9/10 Good cut. No drying required. Burns cool and at a nice pace.
Taste: 16/20 Nice Lakeland essence here. Mild chocolate in the background.
Mildness: 7/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Not much here.
Total: 32/40
Taste: 16/20 Nice Lakeland essence here. Mild chocolate in the background.
Mildness: 7/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Not much here.
Total: 32/40
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 19, 2003 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
By golly, by gum, I just do not taste any floral notes here in Scotch Flake as noted by other reviewers. Seems like a straight up steamed/pressed Va to me.
All things considered, I prefer the G&H scented flakes and also the black McClelland and Rattray flakes to SF and its close brethren Bright CR Flake. However the last two(G&H flakes) burn cooler and have a different, more carmelish sweetness. It is still possible to get bitten by over-puffing, mind you, but you have to try pretty hard.
SF seems to me a little dryer than other G&H flakes (though those are smokable as is). It crumbles, rather than shreds, and it is easy to get too fine a consistency, as I have just done now. Usually I just "stuff 'n puff, but I thought I might try a finer texture for a change. With this thin a flake, you end up with a fine shag consistency which can be overtamped.
My current sample has only about 5 mo. of aging and I am sure it will just improve with age. I already notice a sronger, sweeter low end.
Given its lack of complexity, I just smoke this on occasion, but always enjoy it when I do.
All things considered, I prefer the G&H scented flakes and also the black McClelland and Rattray flakes to SF and its close brethren Bright CR Flake. However the last two(G&H flakes) burn cooler and have a different, more carmelish sweetness. It is still possible to get bitten by over-puffing, mind you, but you have to try pretty hard.
SF seems to me a little dryer than other G&H flakes (though those are smokable as is). It crumbles, rather than shreds, and it is easy to get too fine a consistency, as I have just done now. Usually I just "stuff 'n puff, but I thought I might try a finer texture for a change. With this thin a flake, you end up with a fine shag consistency which can be overtamped.
My current sample has only about 5 mo. of aging and I am sure it will just improve with age. I already notice a sronger, sweeter low end.
Given its lack of complexity, I just smoke this on occasion, but always enjoy it when I do.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 13, 2003 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I agree with tomobedlam that this is fine smoke. I didn't find the bitterness he did, but I did find the wonderful sweetness that very much intensifies as you go, as well as a very mild hit of the G&H bouquet only upon lighting--it does seem to be lightly scented, but not nearly as much as Kendal or Ennerdale. The tobacco behaved well in all technical respects. My only beef with this particular blend is that it is pretty doggone sweet! Virginias are sweet already, and this is at the high end of the spectrum as far as that goes. Makes for a nice treat, but not an all-day smoke for me.
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