Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake

Review based on a 5-bowl sample, so take it for what it's worth.

This came to me very dry which was good and bad. Good because I tend to smoke latakia flakes bone dry anyway and bad because I didn't get the opportunity to try it in various stages of moisture level. But the sample was a freebie - so it's good overall! Many thanks to the pipe buddy that provided it!

I agree with Johnny below in that this was a decent blend but that the latakia overpowered any real personality traits the VA could have brought to the party. The taste was good, with heavy campfire notes, but I would have preferred it just a tad sweeter and perhaps more woodsy-tasting. It behaved very well in the bowl, and I rubbed it out fully. Could not fold, as it was too dry to make the attempt but, again, latakia flakes I smoke dry and rubbed out anyway. For what this is, it's a fine smoke and is worth a try for any latakia fan. 2.5 stars for my taste rounded up to 3 because it's a high quality Sam Gawith product.

I'm smoking it right now, as I'm writing this review. It's not a complex smoke, pretty much balanced, it needs a good amount of drying as every other SG flake tobacco. When dried a bit, goed smoothly, burns down to fine grey ash. I don't know why SG folks pack their tobacco so wet. (actually I know why, but it's not ok). Usually all attempts to make a latakia flake finish with an average and mediocre product, (except maybe Penzance) but this one is pretty good. Not as greasy as Penzance, not a Latakia bomb, strong underline VA body, and nice Latakia presence all the way. I enjoy it, it really is what it says on the description. A cool smoke. Latakia mixtures are like sex. When it's good it's good, when it's bad...... it's still pretty good. About the name "Balkan" flake, well, it is Balkan. I like it a lot. Not my favorite, but still good enough to want to smoke more of it. VA may be cased with some flavor, can't tell for sure.

Well, I'm not so expert in Latakia to provide a contribution to the "taxonomic" discussion Balkan or not Balkan: for me the English Mixtures are an occasional pleasant diversion, and this was particularly pleasant. Opening the tin the smell left no doubt about the composition, very classical and unflavored Va-Lat, as often with the flakes by S.G. the tobacco was covered with crystals sugar (good!) combined with the dark brown to black color, the result is that it looks like slate, very nice! Ignition and combustion are simpler than usual, the smoke is dry and cool, taste and flavor not complex but wide and deep with its unmistakable notes peaty, burnt-woody, zesty, balsamic and resinous, astringent but soft, round and smooth. Latakia here is not a curtain but a “velario”: it dominates the scene but without obscuring the flavors of Virginias always present in the background, discrete but with character. In the best tradition of the brand, only high quality leaves are used here.

As companion a good single malt like a delicate, dry and fragrant 10 years old Laphoroaig.

Balkan or not Balkan I have here an enjoyable smoke with excellent tobacco quality and wonderful flake. Relaxing smoke, deep campfire taste, creamy, earthy, smoky, and soft on the palate and the tongue, easy to keep lit with clean burning properties.

I will finish the tin and will order some in bulk; I highly recommend it to anyone.

Today I'm smoking Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake with a couple years of age on it. It's a simple flake with Virginia and Latakia tobaccos.

It's 9pm. Dark out. 67 degrees with a light wind. A nice night for a smoke!

The tin note is a three way mix of smoke, sour, and sweetness. I broke the flake up and crumbled it. Loaded the crumbs into my pipe.

It took a while to get it lit properly, which surprised me because the flake felt like it was at the right humidity for smoking. Oh well, not much of a bother.

The first thing I tasted was the smokey sour Cyprian Latakia with hints of leather and earth. Then I turned my attention to the sweet, aged Virginia with lemon and hay notes, slightly grassy with very light, barely discernable floral notes.

What mostly stands out though, is the sour essence. It's almost overwhelming. My mouth reacts by watering more than usual. If I didn't know better, I'd think this blend had Oriental/Turkish aspects (although it is missing the spiciness usually accompanying those elements).

Sour, sweet and savory. Salted Lemons and Leather.

It's a delightful, if somewhat simplistic smoke. So I'm enjoying it but I don't have much to say beyond what I've already said.

One thing I forgot to note is the beautiful sugar crystals that had formed on the Virginia stripes of the flake.

The flake burns cool and stays lit. The sour notes turn bitter when pushed too hard so I maintain a slow, easy cadence.

It finishes at the bottom with only minimal moisture in the bowl.

Overall this is a light, fun smoke. Light on the Latakia, medium on the sweetness, heavy on the sours. I think the sourness may turns some folks off, but I like. Just remember to take it slow.

Overall a it was a one dimensional flake that I still quite enjoyed. 3/5 Stars.

A friend of mine at the pipe club gave me the tin with 3 flakes in it. He prefers to jar his tobacco and I like the tins. He opened this one 12-27-18. A square tin with square flakes what could be better. Nice dark chewing gum size strips with a nice deep, rich, earthy smell. Smokes cool and smooth and is very mellow. I have read some reviews where some claim this is 30% Latakia. I could not find this stated on the tin nor on the web description but I will take their word for it. If it is 30% then this is a smoother less Latakiaish (can I say that) tasting blend. I almost thought it had Orientals in it but none according to the description. That is how your taste buds can fool you. I smoked three bowls throughout the evening, one flake at a time, fold and stuff and this is pretty good. Wish I had more to really get into this one but not going to buy any. I like it but I have plenty of other English/Balkan blends to burn through for now. Good quality leaf I might add in closing. As in a commercial, pick some up today, you can’t go wrong.

This would be top notch if it was just a wee bit more flavorful. I get the smoky wood flavor along with sweet hay and leather from time to time. Delicious, I just want more and I just cant seem to get it. Burns cool and the bite is not really that bad. The taste that is what you get, is outstanding but there needs to be more. I wish they would just pump it up more and it would be a dream smoke for me.

This is a review of the SG Balkan Plug which is the same tobacco as the flake. Came as a 10g sample from GQ Tobaccos England.

Attractive dark brown and gold block in which the constituent tobaccos are visible. Quite dense. I sliced and rubbed.

Pouch notes are caramel and pine. I believe there is a tonquin note here as well.

Takes a light well and the latakia and burning pine needles are well to the fore.

Despite the absence of orientals, initially, this tobacco still nudges the acidic side, but the sourness is balanced by the sweetness in the virginias.

The last half of the bowl the virginias come to the front with a pronounced sweetness.

Despite the initial energy of this tobacco, it is, overall, quite light and elegant.

I wasn't going to review any SG blends as, although they make up a significant amount of my smoking, they have mostly been well covered by other folks...Then I thought, "Ah, nuts to it." So here is a review!

Balkan Flake is not one that I crave often, but when I feel the need for a proper Latakia fix it really hits the spot.

I have tried smoking this flake pretty much every way I can think of and my conclusions are that it performs best when it is cut up into wee cubes and gravity filled, and that unlike a lot of flakes, it likes to be pretty moist - not as wet as when it comes out of the tin, but still sticky enough so that the cubes can be pressed together and won't immediately separate.

Inital light up yields a strong waft of Latakia but this is quickly joined by the Va content which, as is customary with SG is top notch. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the quality of the Virginia component is what makes the blend. When the pipe is loaded using the technique described above they really reveal their sweetness and as the bowl progresses they impart a nice toastiness to complement the smokey Latakia.

3 stars as it is a little monochromatic, but nevertheless a very solid smoke if you enjoy your Latakia.