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 41 - 49 of 49 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 08, 2003 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Firedance Flake is truly an odd S. Gawith offering. It is truly an aromatic, being fruit flavored and all, but not an aromatic as most people know them. Since this is a strictly virginia blend, it cannot be heavily cased with a sweetner, so the resultant flavor is fruity without being especially sweet. It was uncharacteristically moist for a Gawith flake and needed several hours of being spread out on a cookie tray to dry out enough to not be steamy.
My first bowl of FF was hard to finish. I found the fruitiness almost chemical in taste (OK, everything is "chemical tasting" in the literal sense), kind of like sprinkling rasberry Koolaid on top of the tobacco. With subsequent bowls, however, I found that this flavor quickly receded into the background, with the other scents dominating as the bowl progressed. There seems to be that floral "lakeland scent" hovering in the background, but this may be the consequence of smoking in a pipe dedicated to scented flakes.
The jury is still out in my mind as to whether this is an improvement on Best Brown or a slight degradation. Still, I found it worth trying, though my 2 oz sample will probably last a long time. It will be interesting to see how this blend ages...
My first bowl of FF was hard to finish. I found the fruitiness almost chemical in taste (OK, everything is "chemical tasting" in the literal sense), kind of like sprinkling rasberry Koolaid on top of the tobacco. With subsequent bowls, however, I found that this flavor quickly receded into the background, with the other scents dominating as the bowl progressed. There seems to be that floral "lakeland scent" hovering in the background, but this may be the consequence of smoking in a pipe dedicated to scented flakes.
The jury is still out in my mind as to whether this is an improvement on Best Brown or a slight degradation. Still, I found it worth trying, though my 2 oz sample will probably last a long time. It will be interesting to see how this blend ages...
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2023 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Samuel Gawith Firedance Flake - Popped a 3 yr old tin that had a nice whoosh to it when opened . The flakes were not that wet really . Rubbed a couple out and let them air for 20 minutes. The blackberry and brandy are right there up front but fade some as the bowl smokes down . Can’t detect any vanilla . The Best Brown Virginias are bready grassy and a little floral and citrusy. The toppings seem to negate any tongue tingle I usually get with BBF of late . I detect a tiny bit of floral essense here but hard to tell as SG Virginias all seem to be a bit floral anyways . I like the brandy topping . This finish is more tobacco forward than topping . Not so bad . 3
Pipe Used:
Cobs
Age When Smoked:
3 yr tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 2022 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
needs a little drying time. High quality Virginia flake. being a native of the tobacco region of Virginia it's in my DNA. Aroma is awesome. can bite a little as with any tobacco with alcohol. biased cause I love anything blackberry. an aromatic with some girth. vanilla is light as well as the brandy. a kiss of sweetness. only smoke aromatics on occasion but I do like this one.as an English/Balkan fan herd for me to get one with backbone. this on delivers for me. does need a few relights but that's ok. sip it. can bite Ya if you get rough with her.
Pipe Used:
sherlock Holmes
PurchasedFrom:
tobacco pipes
Age When Smoked:
fresh and aged.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 10, 2021 | Medium | Strong | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
As a newer pipe smoker, I am mainly exploring the different blends (I favor aromatic blends, although I am dipping my toes into the non-aromatic blends now) to find what I like. Opening the tin, what I smelled was a strong berry smell at first, then a bit of the liquer. The flavor I tasted was berry with a small bit of the brandy, I could not really taste or smell the vanilla. I could taste the Virginia in the background. I did have a bit of tounge bit when I first started smoking this. After drying it out, rubbing the flake out and slowing down I did not have this issue again. I was very pleased as this tasted like it smelled and I appreciate this when tobacco prominently states flavor in its marketing.
Pipe Used:
Nording Signature Black Freehand
PurchasedFrom:
justforhim.com
Age When Smoked:
tin was 14 months old when received
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 28, 2013 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
I have just finished a 25g pouch of loose tobacco and I was pleasantly suprised as to how good it was. It arrived relatively moist but was easy to keep lit and was great for a long and relaxing smoke.
The flakes were very thin and rubbed out well. Overall an easy, if somewhat different smoke.
The flakes were very thin and rubbed out well. Overall an easy, if somewhat different smoke.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 15, 2011 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Cotton....brandy???
Yup, reminds me of cotton candy. I like cotton candy, so no problems there.
A quality VA, mildly topped. Can be nippy, but not if you take your time. I enjoyed every last flake.
I would love to find a way to rate this, and other Lakeland scented flakes critically in relation to each other, but I seem to like them all! They all fit my original notion of what I thought an aromatic would taste like. Tobacco, mainly. While I prefer all day weed to be untopped, any of the scented versions make great changes of pace for me...Firedance included. Maybe one day I'll have an epiphany, or grow a discerning palate one. Until that time, I rate Firedance Flake the same as its brethren...
Three tasty stars.
Yup, reminds me of cotton candy. I like cotton candy, so no problems there.
A quality VA, mildly topped. Can be nippy, but not if you take your time. I enjoyed every last flake.
I would love to find a way to rate this, and other Lakeland scented flakes critically in relation to each other, but I seem to like them all! They all fit my original notion of what I thought an aromatic would taste like. Tobacco, mainly. While I prefer all day weed to be untopped, any of the scented versions make great changes of pace for me...Firedance included. Maybe one day I'll have an epiphany, or grow a discerning palate one. Until that time, I rate Firedance Flake the same as its brethren...
Three tasty stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 18, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I purchased a sample of this a few years ago. When I first took it for a spin, I found it to be wet, bitey and over cased. My wife loved the room note. Not all bad. Enter today.... This sample has about 3 years of age on it. It grew those nice "crystals" that sweeter tobaccos can develope. I dried some for a couple of hours and all I have to say is WOW! Age is good for some blends, GREAT for this one. Age it, dry it, smoke it, love it. This blend rewrites the book on what an aromatic can and should be. The VA's shine through, the casing is subdued and married well with the Best Brown. If you like Best Brown, and are in the mood for an aromatic, give this one a try. I plan on adding a half dozen tins to my cellar.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 10, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Best Brown by itself does not agree with my tongue, but this blackberry brandy and vanilla topping sure takes the sting out of it while adding a unique flavor when combined with the unique taste of the flake. Perhaps not something that I would smoke daily simply because of other preferences, but a good tobacco as evidenced by the many positive reviews of real pipe smokers.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 24, 2008 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Smoked a tin of this a while back and must say There wasn't any problems with it.PACK IT AND LET SIT FOR 15 MINUTES(TO AIR OUT?DRY) AND puff away.NO OVERPOWERING aroma, taste,or moisture.Tobacco packed fine, lit well and smoked fine.ALL TOGETHER MY TIN WAS PERFECT,plus the people around me enjoyed the aroma.IF you want a change of pace try this aromatic,you might like it as much I did.
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