Samuel Gawith Firedance Flake
(2.69)
Developed with one of the U.S.A.'s lady smokers, FireDance is Our Best Brown 6" Flake subtly flavoured with a combination of blackberry, brandy and vanilla. The smoke is a mild, cool experience with the blackberry the predominant flavour, the brandy in the background and rounded off with the vanilla. A mild and fruity smoke with the strength of Best Brown and a very pleasing room aroma.
Details
| Brand | Samuel Gawith |
| Blended By | Samuel Gawith |
| Manufactured By | Samuel Gawith |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | Blackberry, Brandy, Vanilla |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, bulk |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.69 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 49 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 03, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Digging about in the tobacco chest turned up this tin I bought some years ago, back when it was first released. So, maybe about 2009?
Pop the tin and the aroma of blackberry jam and booze wafts about the room. Vanilla was no where to be found.
With age the flakes were loaded with blooming crystals and sparkled in the sun light. A bit leathery and moist to the touch, the flake rubbed out easily to a nice pile of ribbon. I gave it 10 or 15 minutes to adjust its humidity.
It loads and packs easily enough. A bit springy and takes to the flame easily.
At first light I can't find the topping. The leaf is mildly sweet, subdued, and gentle. The smoke is lightly creamy, a bit toasty, bringing to mind biscuits and scones. Maybe graham crackers. Basically, it smokes like SB brown flake. That's not a bad thing.
What I was hoping for was that great SG flake cross bred with some of the fruity ari kick you get from University Flake. That wasn't the case. Uni Flake will stand up to coffee, most likely due to the VaBur nature and heavier topping.
A little tamping at mid bowl concentrates the flavors of the tobacco and it still hasn't needed a relight. No gurgling either. Bowl temps have been easy to control, there is zero bite, and it is a pleasant smoke. I thought there would be more vitamin N.
End of bowl experience is without drama or fuss. Still narry a gurgle. Not bitter or ashy, not hot, and no bite. Leaves a tidy grey ash and no goop.
I want to give it a big 3.5-4 star rating, because it is great tobacco and smokes great. It will only garner a 2.5-3 star vote because it is intended to be a flavored/aromatic Flake, but doesn't really deliver that for the smoker. Room note is tough for me to discern.
Maybe this needs to be fresher?
Totally worth a try if you have been a heavy aromatic puffer and would like to venture off into British flakes.
Pop the tin and the aroma of blackberry jam and booze wafts about the room. Vanilla was no where to be found.
With age the flakes were loaded with blooming crystals and sparkled in the sun light. A bit leathery and moist to the touch, the flake rubbed out easily to a nice pile of ribbon. I gave it 10 or 15 minutes to adjust its humidity.
It loads and packs easily enough. A bit springy and takes to the flame easily.
At first light I can't find the topping. The leaf is mildly sweet, subdued, and gentle. The smoke is lightly creamy, a bit toasty, bringing to mind biscuits and scones. Maybe graham crackers. Basically, it smokes like SB brown flake. That's not a bad thing.
What I was hoping for was that great SG flake cross bred with some of the fruity ari kick you get from University Flake. That wasn't the case. Uni Flake will stand up to coffee, most likely due to the VaBur nature and heavier topping.
A little tamping at mid bowl concentrates the flavors of the tobacco and it still hasn't needed a relight. No gurgling either. Bowl temps have been easy to control, there is zero bite, and it is a pleasant smoke. I thought there would be more vitamin N.
End of bowl experience is without drama or fuss. Still narry a gurgle. Not bitter or ashy, not hot, and no bite. Leaves a tidy grey ash and no goop.
I want to give it a big 3.5-4 star rating, because it is great tobacco and smokes great. It will only garner a 2.5-3 star vote because it is intended to be a flavored/aromatic Flake, but doesn't really deliver that for the smoker. Room note is tough for me to discern.
Maybe this needs to be fresher?
Totally worth a try if you have been a heavy aromatic puffer and would like to venture off into British flakes.
Pipe Used:
Unbranded sav second
Age When Smoked:
7-8 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 24, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
This is a unique blend that I really enjoy. It tastes exactly like what it is. The presence of Best Brown Flake used in this blend is very evident. The topping is very much blackberry and vanilla. Simply put, it is exactly what it claims to be. It requires a bit of drying, but it provides a positive pipe experience. If you enjoy a good aromatic made from quality ingredients, this would be a good pick.
Pipe Used:
Briar, Meerschaum and Cob
PurchasedFrom:
Just For Him
Age When Smoked:
6 months to 1 year
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 02, 2016 | Mild to Medium | Strong | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This one is in between a raisin and a mudcace. There is several round, spicy tastes, on this aromatic tobacco. They are hard to pull together here. Warm, pleasant, rich smoke. Perfect with a black coffee and an ice cream. Very good snack. Salty too.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli 2614, Danish billard (Holtorp)
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 06, 2016 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
In the immortal words of Thomas Pynchon: "Friends, she bit him."
Psyche!
Nah, the bite potential is there and it did nip a tiny bit when puffed hard, but didn't bite.
Anyway, their description cited on this site is spot on. And it works. Best Brown is the perfect base, it delivers oomph and a great tobacco taste that compliments these kind of flavors. Plus just the right amount of nicotine for my constitution. Finally, an aromatic that I can enjoy! Good stuff!
Psyche!
Nah, the bite potential is there and it did nip a tiny bit when puffed hard, but didn't bite.
Anyway, their description cited on this site is spot on. And it works. Best Brown is the perfect base, it delivers oomph and a great tobacco taste that compliments these kind of flavors. Plus just the right amount of nicotine for my constitution. Finally, an aromatic that I can enjoy! Good stuff!
Pipe Used:
various
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from new tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 07, 2015 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Full flakes of lush, lightly pressed tobaccos that will leave you impressed. Firedance is a must in any pipesmokers arsenal with its lighter flavouring. Darker in nature than its appearance, and complex, but also subtle. Quite a soft aromatic, Very light rubbing to lightly bruise the strands will improve taste and texture, but greatly lower combustion, meaning that a brief drying may be of assistance. I always love showing pipe newbies this variety to showcase different cuts of tobacco, always astonishing those who view its full flake size and uniformity.
One that leaves the smoker entrigued and the witness curious, A brilliant all-rounder and great with a fresh cup of tea, it is one for companionship, and best enjoyed with friends.
Happy piping
One that leaves the smoker entrigued and the witness curious, A brilliant all-rounder and great with a fresh cup of tea, it is one for companionship, and best enjoyed with friends.
Happy piping
Pipe Used:
Hand-made bent aged briar, no filter
PurchasedFrom:
Tobaccoblends.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 25, 2015 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
While a fan of Lakelands, I am not a fan of traditional aromatics, but I thought I'd give this a chance. On opening the tin, the blackberry is quite strong, and the vanilla is hinted at in the background. While not the easiest flake to get going, it's not bad compared to 1792. Once lit, the vanilla only adds a touch of sweetness, but the main flavors are the blackberry and the VA, usually in that order. To my surprise, they balance each other fairly well, so that the fruit doesn't overwhelm the tobacco flavors after the first few puffs. While I am more likely to reach for a floral Lakeland or GH's Rum Flake when looking for a flavored or sweet smoke, I wouldn't turn this down. Of course, if you dislike blackberry, stay far away from this!
Pipe Used:
various briars
PurchasedFrom:
4 Noggins
Age When Smoked:
1 month after purchase
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 14, 2015 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
First the good news.A pleasant, inoffensive smoke. BUT- it is built on Best brown and IMO does not add to it and actually detracts from BBF's delicate tobacco flavour. I will smoke what I've got, but I'll wish it was BBF
Pipe Used:
various
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 04, 2015 | Mild | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
I must warn you that I'm not a great fan of aromatics. Well, usually it's enough for me to have just one of them ready at hand. My main interests are VA/VaPer and Latakia/Oriental blends. But I've come to really like this one.
Like so many other SG tobaccos, it usually comes too moist in the tin. Just let it dry out a bit. Once you get used to it, you'll have no trouble with packing and lighting. It comes in the form of really thin, often partially crumbled just like their Best Brown. So it's easier to rub it out than other SG or even Peterson flakes. Once lit, it might take a few matches to relight. But don't worry, it behaves good enough unlike many other blends that need much more effort to pack correctly and keep lit.
The taste is basically that of a light fruity VA flake, much sweetened. Casing, though quite prominent in the tin aroma, does not interfere a lot, producing a pleasant room note. It seems much more natural and neutral than in most popular Aros out there, letting all the beautiful nuances of the base tobaccos come through. Never had any troubles with it like tongue bite or unpleasant sourness which some other blends tend to produce, especially when overheated. Nicotine content is well below average, might seem not quite enough to you FVF or University flake smokers.
Overall, a pleasant, light, sweet blend. Matches well with tea. Goes well on a summer walk in the park. Or can be a go-to light morning smoke. Three stars not for being something overwhelming or revolutionising, but because it posesses most of the merits of aromatic blends, but little to none of their drawbacks.
Like so many other SG tobaccos, it usually comes too moist in the tin. Just let it dry out a bit. Once you get used to it, you'll have no trouble with packing and lighting. It comes in the form of really thin, often partially crumbled just like their Best Brown. So it's easier to rub it out than other SG or even Peterson flakes. Once lit, it might take a few matches to relight. But don't worry, it behaves good enough unlike many other blends that need much more effort to pack correctly and keep lit.
The taste is basically that of a light fruity VA flake, much sweetened. Casing, though quite prominent in the tin aroma, does not interfere a lot, producing a pleasant room note. It seems much more natural and neutral than in most popular Aros out there, letting all the beautiful nuances of the base tobaccos come through. Never had any troubles with it like tongue bite or unpleasant sourness which some other blends tend to produce, especially when overheated. Nicotine content is well below average, might seem not quite enough to you FVF or University flake smokers.
Overall, a pleasant, light, sweet blend. Matches well with tea. Goes well on a summer walk in the park. Or can be a go-to light morning smoke. Three stars not for being something overwhelming or revolutionising, but because it posesses most of the merits of aromatic blends, but little to none of their drawbacks.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli, L'Anatra, corncobs... pretty much any
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2014 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
If you are looking for a strog tobacco that has a slight topping to it, ths fits the bill. The flakes are a good size. It has a nice "blueberry" flavor to it. I would not smoke it all the time, but once in a while is OK.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 30, 2013 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Not a lot more I can add to the already great reviews on this tobacco A very nice virginia using one of my favourite tobaccos as its base Best Brown Flake, if you like Peterson's university flake or other virginia's with a light casing but with the beauty of the virginia you will love this one
Drying out, lighting & staying lit - As everyone has already stated it can be a fiddly tobacco to master & like the majority of samuel gawith's flakes no 2 tins will be the same, my love hate relationship with FVF is no secret
Drying times, from baking in the oven to open air drying I have tried them all, my experience with this flake is to not let it dry out too much, too dry and you can have a battle with tongue bite, too wet and you battle with it staying lit
There is a sweet spot where this flake comes to life, too dry and you will lose the lovely flavors, I air on the side of caution and would rather have it more towards the moist side and relight more often, I also deal with the goop gurgle by simple running a pipe cleaner in & out to remove any moisture buildup & believe this is a small price to pay to maintain a fuller flavored smoke
Drying out, lighting & staying lit - As everyone has already stated it can be a fiddly tobacco to master & like the majority of samuel gawith's flakes no 2 tins will be the same, my love hate relationship with FVF is no secret
Drying times, from baking in the oven to open air drying I have tried them all, my experience with this flake is to not let it dry out too much, too dry and you can have a battle with tongue bite, too wet and you battle with it staying lit
There is a sweet spot where this flake comes to life, too dry and you will lose the lovely flavors, I air on the side of caution and would rather have it more towards the moist side and relight more often, I also deal with the goop gurgle by simple running a pipe cleaner in & out to remove any moisture buildup & believe this is a small price to pay to maintain a fuller flavored smoke
Pipe Used:
Parker Super Bruyere
PurchasedFrom:
Smoke King UK
Age When Smoked:
2 months
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