Samuel Gawith Firedance Flake

This is one of the best flakes I have ever smoked. You can actually taste the blackberry brandy in this one, all the way down, which is never sticky, never overdone. This has a lot going on in every puff. Vastly superior to most other blends on the market. Made for ladies but mostly smoked by men? I think so. This tobacco reminds me of the old lord of the rings blends. It is an otherworldly smoke.

I was browsing through the reviews on this blend and was surprised to see that I never reviewed it despite finishing off a tin quite some time ago. I liked this one, but more so after it had some time to shed off some of the topping.

The flakes arrived in the tin not unlike FVF or BBF, but with a heavy fruity, berrylike topping. I really don't pick up any floral/soapy notes on this one at all. The topping was not bad, just too much for my tastes. Otherwise another fantastic Virginia. Also, like the two aforementioned flakes, it was very moist upon opening and required some dry time.

As these SG square flake tins offer such a loose seal, my standard MO is to just leave them in those tins til near crispy and then transfer to a jar. This strategy worked well for Firedance as it also allowed some of the topping to flash. As the topping got lighter I really enjoyed it more.

As an aromatic it is nice. When properly dried it will take a light just fine and perform well to the end. It smokes dry and even after some of the topping has flashed it is still a refreshing aroma offered up by the topping. The closest thing I could compare to would be Solani's Tropical Mango Flake even though the toppings are a little different. In all other ways the two are very similar.

Overall I liked the blend. I don't think this rises to the level of my love for Dan's Sweet Vanilla Honeydew or C&D Interlude, two similar types of Virginia Aromatic blends that I have awarded 4 stars, but it is still a little better than 3 stars in my book.

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.

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.

Bought my first tin. Popped it open was really impressed with the tin note of blackberry and brandy can't detect the vanilla but not disappointed about that. Too the flake fold and stuffed in my pipe and enjoyed the bowl.

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.

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!

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

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!