Samuel Gawith Kendal Cream Deluxe Flake

A tobacco I've enjoyed quite a few times over the years, I think it's one of the best scented Lake District baccies. Not sure how I never got round to reviewing it!

The tin contains numerous mid brown slices. These have arrived in various thickness and lengths over the years, and sometimes quite varied in the same tin! I like it when they are very thin, but these rarely arrive excessively thick. Like most tobacco from Kendal it usually comes quite moist. They don't add any humectants, but it's often quite humid up there. The tin aroma is perfumed, ambrosia to my nostrils! There are florals, spice, liquor, perhaps a tiny smidgen of Tonquin... Its a complex bouquet and not one I can easily pick out individual components in, more than the sum of its parts perhaps. I'm told its the same scent that was used on my beloved Bracken Flake, and I think I can believe that. Comes across differently on this slightly milder tobacco base.

It lights without much bother, and has very good burning characteristics, staying lit and not requiring much input, it's a cool smoke and won't bite the tongue. The flavour is rich, smooth and delicious. It's moderately sweet, and the scent blends in well with the baccy, the sun effect being of sweet, toasty, buttery, nutty tobacco with a perfumed edge mingling in. People enjoy the aroma, and I enjoy the sidestream smoke. Strength isn't exactly mild, but it's not a heavy hitter.

Overall its a fine example of the lake district stuff, and I'm sure I'll smoke a lot more of it. I enjoy it when hiking or camping, it's lovely in summer or autumn when out and about. It may scent your pipes, I keep some for similar tobaccos and some for the unflavoured or very lightly flavoured ones.

Only a wizard could have created this stuff! Tobaccocino! This is bonkers stuff, extremely mellow, creamy but be warned it might taste creamy but has a decent amount of old Nic to keep you happy. Pouch note reminds me of faint hot cross buns. Slightly yeasty with hints of spice and dried fruit - in a sort of understated way. I bought a small sample as I'm working my way through the G&H and SG tobaccos. Moisture was perfect from the pouch which I didn't expect from Sam Gawith, rubbed out lightly and took the flame easily. False light, then tamp and a great, even light to get the pipe going. Only one relight required at the final third of the bowl. I took this out on my balcony in the morning sun with a black coffee so I can only guess at the room note which going by the retro hale should be pretty inoffensive. Considering the wacky world of Sam Gawith I was immediately taken aback by the sweet, creamy mildness. No Lakeland florals here, or crazy toppings, this reminds me of a cappuccino. Milky smooth with a very pleasant mouth feel and it stays that way until you reach the mid point of the bowl where the burleys start to come through giving the cream a beautiful nutty edge. From the mid point to the bottom of the bowl the burleys climb in statue to their full nutty richness. Bearing in mind that this tobacco is extremely mellow and milky smooth one is suddenly hit by its strength and I may switch to a medium bowl next time I go for it! Its a damned creeper so be warned! And neither is it an insipid smoke, the tobaccos used are top notch and probably mixed with unicorns milk because this is a very pleasant detour from its heavier stablemates. I wouldn't think of it as a winter flake, warm summer morning for me is simply sublime. I've heard some calling it one dimensional and boring but in my opinion it is a beautiful journey from delicate cream to nutty fullness. I couldn't smoke it all day, and probably not every day because then it would lose its charm. But I will buy more, and use it sparingly when I fancy a change of pace. Don't give up on this one before you reach the bottom of the bowl. Burned beautifully to a fine white ash with no gloopy crap at the end. I'm giving this one a 10/10 for its crazy genius. #2 note. I bought a tin of this and I can't believe that it's the same tobacco. QC at Gawiths has a lot to answer for because the tin I got is next to unsmokeable. I therefore recommend that you buy a sample and if it's good then buy a pound of it. If not then you won't have wasted your money buying a tin full of crap.

Very pleasant smell after opening the sample. Can not say, that cream aroma was strong. Rather to be said that some kind o floral essence was much stronger. Nice sweet smoke for all time. Burned slow and cool. No moisture in the bowl. Medium to strong nicotine hit was too powerful for myself, but somebody could enjoy it. It will be part of my rotation Alongside of Enerdale flake until I will find something more interesting in the field of lake-style.

It's difficult to isolate the minimal topping flavor positively...floral & maybe a touch of anise but the caramel flavor aroma is unnoticeable. This stuff is moist from the tin & requires a bit of drying which doesn't take long & it rubs out easily. Not bad at all & a big bang for the buck. The casing is minimal and doesn't overpower the tobacco.

Room note seems kind of neutral as I didn't notice hardly any tobacco odor or much aroma from the topping...like the tobacco odor has simply been masked. Anyway, the sweet taste & nicotine content in this blend makes stoking any pipe worthwhile. It is easy on the tongue/palate & smokes cool. Easy to keep lit & burns dry all the way to the bottom...smooth & "creamy," as it were. Overall, this is really a good pipe tobacco. Works for me.

I’m reviewing this as the only tin (almost ten years old) I’ve got in my hands, received as a gift from a dear friend. Before that, I had just some three bowful trial from a generous tobacconist, and I knew this is not the kind of blend in my preferences. And I have to confirm.

When talking of Gawith’s we are always in the top notch quality. Due to the decade the tobacco came in a perfect smoking status. It took me at least five bowls to take the measure, but at the end this VaBur (or BurVa ?) composition, with a mild flavour (some whiskey? Some tonquin?), has not seduced me at all. A matter of personal preference. I felt it bitter, and a bit too much for my smoking habits, with a non-distinct/muddy flavour. Instead, I did appreciate very much the strength... but that’s not enough for this smoker.

Three for the quality, two for my personal taste. I will not buy it again.

I'm coming back to this one with a new love after a several year hiatus. It's rich and (you guessed it) creamy with a very mild floral note (maybe rose?). The Virginia and Burley work mighty fine together to give you a very satisfying smoke. The nicotine is a lover not a fighter, but it ain't no wimp either, if you push it, it will push you back. This one reminds me of the late, great Velvan Plug (RIP) so if some of you are mourning the loss of VP ya might want to check this one out. I can almost guarantee that you will like this one if you like VP. The floral note I mentioned is just that, floral, not perfumey, not soapy, just a nice rose-like top note that is far from overbearing. I just recently finished a tin that had at least 5 years of age on it and the flakes had wonderful bloom and had turned to a lovely dark brown color. I believe this one will cellar with grace and still come out tasting lovely. Come to think of it, this kind of reminds me of Erinmore Flake minus the fruity flavors, they both have a very similar floral casing with a nice base of Virginia and Burley tobaccos.

This stuff is really becoming a favorite of mine and I agree with those who describe it as tasting like tea with milk and honey with a splash of rose water for good measure. This one doesn't get much hype in the forums and I'm okay with that, this is one of the few Gawith blends that is most always in stock.

I adore this tobacco!

ESSENTIAL!

The essence on Kendal Cream is most obvious during lights and relights, after which that nice floral note will sneak in and out briefly throughout the smoke. Most of the time it's totally dominated by a very good Virginia/Burley mix. Tobacco flavor is always right there.

The folks at Synjeco say Kendal Cream is based on Best Brown Flake, but it's a good deal darker ... maybe it was pressed a second time? It comes out of the tin pliable and ready to smoke, and never gives me trouble with moisture or gunk. Out here in the desert, 15 minutes on a table will make it start to feel just a bit crunchy, and I certainly wouldn't leave it out to breathe any longer than that.

This is one of those blends that reminds even a dedicated Virginia smoker like me why Burley exists - it rounds out the flavor of a good VA so well. It also has real nicotine in it, so Kendal Cream doesn't make my list of breakfast smokes even though it's got the flavor for that sort of thing ... far better for me to leave it 'til lunch.

Three stars, easy. Anyone who doesn't curl up into the fetal position and cry at the first whiff of Lakeland flavor should give this a shot.

A darker colored flake with a sweet and slightly smoky tin note. The burley adds good strength, a chocolate note and a nice amount of depth to the smoke. Mid bowl flavors are nutty, earthy, bittersweet and a bit cigar-like. There are no floral or herbal flavors, although I do get hints of tonquin, especially on the finish. Compared to other Sam Gawith aromatic flakes (1792, Mayor's Chocolate, Fire Dance Flake) the topping on Kendal Cream is quite mild.

Altogether, this is smooth, cool, bite-free smoke and it's definitely “creamy.” Kendal Cream Flake is well blended and strikes an excellent balance between sweet and bitter. Furthermore, don't be fooled by Sam Gawith's “aromatic” labeling of this flake. As others have mentioned, there’s some nice nicotine and flavor strength to be found here.

And while I enjoyed smoking this tobacco, my tin of Kendal Cream Flake seemed to have been passed-over by the Gawithian quality control department. Typically I would overlook such a thing and chalk it up to charm, but the flakes in my tin were so inconsistent in thickness, length and press that it made preparation difficult and as a result, some bowls smoked great, while others burned poorly. Some of the flakes were perfect for fold & stuff, (which I prefer), while others were so thick and dense that rubbing them out or cube cutting them were the only reliable options. Perhaps I was unlucky and my tin was filled with end of batch remnants... Needless to say, this was a bit disappointing.

hands down my favorite tobacco in the universe. creamy, rich, cool smoking. hints of cocoa, leather, sweet grass and a subtle kick of something.

flakes are gorgeous and the smoking is superb....as with most SG flakes.