Samuel Gawith Kendal Cream Deluxe Flake

Popping the top...difficult to isolate the minimal topping flavor positively...a bit of anise & maybe a touch of caramel. 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 good 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. Therefore, IMHO, Samuel Gawith's Kendal Cream Flake merits four ****s!

Very nice burley in this one, and the added essence was mild enough to just top things off, not overpower the tobacco. Another winner from SG.

This review is of a bulk purchase (8 ounces). The tobacco was moist but not overly when it arrived. It is much like best brown burley but with more high notes.

It hasn't burned yet and I am a hot smoker. The pipe seems to get richer and more flavorful as you go deeper in the bowl. If I am smoking on an empty stomach it can give a little light headedness but no problems under normal conditions.

Again my one complaint of SG flakes is that some get so thick as to negatively effect the load and the smoke. Variety of thickness is fine until it gets too thick.

All an all a favorite.

Incredibly delicious tobacco, it gives an explosion of thousands tastes and flavors during the smoking experience, tasty and rich, not soapy at all!

This tobacco is not intended for fast pipe smoke, it has been created for conscious enjoyment, it require you full attention, it is better to smoke this before bed, as your last smoke of the day, because any other blend smoked just after KCF seems to be tasteless .

It works better for me when folding and packing the flake in long narrow bowl, an extremely slow puffing is the only way to enjoy it; this is a wonderful late evening blend, contemplative smoke with your solitude, just laying down doing nothing but smoking KCF, in a relaxing and peaceful silence, wonderful experience!

It works great with sweet black tea, very good tobacco, Truly Exceptional! Highly Recommended!

I'm glad that I waited to review KCF. (saves an edit) Upon arrival I found it strongly scented, and not a very pleasureable smoke. I had the same impression after several bowls. I put the bag away for sevearl weeks, and revisited it today. What a change. The aroma has softened, and the taste is great. Mild, sweet, cool, lots of smoke. Dried, and rubbed out the pack, light, and burn is PERFECT. I will be getting more of this......lots more!Rate * * * *

In the tin, this tobacco looks like 3in long strips of bacon, stacked one on top of the other. It has some dark leaf and light colored leaf in these compressed strips. The tin aroma is very mild & sweet. I've found that it smokes better in a larger bowl pipe (by rolling it into a ball and placing in the bottom of the bowl, with some broken sprinkles on top). It can be a little difficult to get it lit, but once it's burning it puts off lots of billowing smoke. I have not been able to detect the burley, but it definitely has the full, sweet taste of virginia. It burns slow and cool with zero tongue bite. If it has a casing, I cannot detect it. The room note is very pleasant as well. Not as stong in nicotine as the 1792 flake, but it still has some punch. This is a high-class tobacco, very elegant! 4-stars.

8/11/2006 update: After trying a couple of more bowlfuls, I detect sweet virgina upon lighting up, then it settles into what the monograph describes as a cream flavor...very distinctive taste which is hard to describe. Although the monograph does not list Perique, I can detect the same type of spicy note that Perique imparts. The burley is still undectable to my tastebuds. No change in my 4-star rating.

I should have started smoking this delicious blend long ago. I'm not one that particularly likes the Lakeland floral scent/taste. In fact, I hate it. Although this blend is supposed to fit into that catagory, I just don't detect it. If it's there, it must be in very small amounts.

What I do taste is a sweet, creamy smoke that burns cool, smokes dry and does not bite the tongue. Four stars!