Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Best Brown #2

(2.94)
Medium strength flake tobacco. Blended from the finest Virginia and burleys.
Notes: From the G&H Catalogue: A further variation of the popular Brown Flake. A little casing added to the Virginias. A subtle difference.

Details

Brand Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Blended By Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Manufactured By Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Blend Type Virginia/Burley
Contents Burley, Virginia
Flavoring Sweet / Sugar
Cut Flake
Packaging 50 grams tin, bulk
Country United Kingdom
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

2.94 / 4
28

30

15

9

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 82 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 28, 2012 Medium Extremely Mild Medium Tolerable
The Lakeland essence is hardly present. You do get a light nuttiness, some molasses, wood and earth from the burley. The Virginias sport a lot of earth and tangy ripe and dried dark fruit, a little grass and tart and tangy citrus along with a touch of floral, herbal vegetation. The Virginias are more obvious than the burley. I notice a slight sugar topping, though it doesn't really tone down the tobaccos to any degree. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. Won't bite or get harsh even when pushed, though it does have a few small rough edges. It may need a light dry time, though that seems to strengthen the vegetative taste of the Virginias just a little. Burns at a slow to moderate pace, clean and cool with a very consistent flavor. Requires some relights. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl. Has a lightly lingering pleasant after taste, and stronger room note. Can almost be an all day smoke for the veteran.

-JimInks
43 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 21, 2013 Medium Very Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
I've been enjoying GH offerings as of late (Brown Flake Unscented & Scented, and Rum Flake). I now decided on Best Brown #2. Packed in the typical GH way in the plastic baggie, folded neatly and inserted into the tin. Moisture content was good and not overly moist as with SG tobaccos. Initial tin aroma had no soap smell whatsoever. The tobacco smelled like yeast/unbaked bread and with deep sniffing something I was familiar with but couldn't quite describe. It was not floral in any way. At times it reminded me of a ginger snap cookie, but I'm not sure if what I was smelling was actually ginger. What ever it was, I did like it. There was no pre-light taste detected on the draw. I rubbed it up a bit and it loaded easily. Lighting was no problem and only required a few re-lights along the way due to its freshness. Overall the smoke was very smooth. The Virginias made themselves known but in a subtle, spicy way. There was no taste of the typical Lakeland soap or florals in this one. I would have to say that this is one of the most balanced Virginia/Burley blends I have ever smoked. It was sweet in a natural way, not cloying, but good Va sweetness, and had no bitterness whatsoever. It never burned hot regardless of my puffing cadence. There was no moisture/gurgling issues. Just a clean, smooth tobacco taste with that hint of that Virginia spice throughout. The Burleys were not at all harsh and there were no throat issues either. It is milder than their Brown Flake Unscented - not as full bodied - but also different in taste profile as well. This, for me, is a set it and forget it smoke that is enjoyable from first puff to the last. A well put together flake and one I could smoke more than one bowl a day, each and every day. Much preferred over SGs Brown Flake by way of comparison. My experience is GH smokes are smooth and SG smokes are rough. Highly recommended!

UPDATE 3-25-13: Flakes are drying out nicely in the tin/bag they were packed in. Sniffing reveals a real nice depth in the aroma. Deep like licorice -and in combo with a subtle hint of molasses. Translates into the taste very nicely, too!
29 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 09, 2011 Mild to Medium Very Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
The G&H Lakeland tour continues, and continues to impress!

Nice even brown appearance in the (2 oz) baggie. Just a faint whiff of what has become to be known as "Lakeland florals" but I would regard this as a mostly unscented tobacco. Very similar to my tastebuds to the Brown Flake Unscented that I just smoked but unfortunately, I didn't do a side-by-side comparison. Tasting notes indicate that the BFU was more earthy and rough, perhaps from a higher concentration of burley. This one was creamier - an almost buttery finish to the taste. Milder, but still with a decently robust flavor. Since I've ordered pounds of both, I'll be able to compare them and update this review. As it stands, this seems to be the one to recommend to someone that found DFU just a bit unruly and feisty. BB #2 is a slightly tamer version, without the taste suffering.

G&H flakes are without peer. If you want to try one without a lot of the extra flavors/scents they put in their blends but still want one that is mild, here is a good start.
22 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 02, 2018 Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant
Gawith Hoggarth - Best Brown #2.

Quite a surprise initially: often as not flakes can be a bit too damp but this one has an incredible level of moistness. I always rub my flakes and getting this rubbed is totally straight forward: it only needs a light rubbing, not the heavy ordeal that some need. I know this includes a few floral/Lakeland attributes but I find this to be very vague from the un-lit aroma; all I really detect are the tobaccos.

Once lit it's easy to form my opinion, do I like it? Yes. There's a slight floral/Lakeland addition but this is only really made available via retro-haling the smoke. The tobaccos are superbly balanced giving a full Va-bur taste. The temperature isn't too warm, but below medium. The burns consistency is faultless.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: mild Lakeland.

This would be an excellent regular smoke.

Four stars.
Pipe Used: Various
PurchasedFrom: Various
Age When Smoked: Various
18 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 26, 2010 Medium Mild to Medium Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a great lakeland flake. It is the epitome of English tradition. I've always said that the flavor of anything can be reduced to terms that carry negative connotation. McClelland flavor to Ketchup, Lakeland to soap and flowers, etc. The problem with this is that our tongues can only detect a limited number of flavors, and we can reduce anything down to a common term such as "ketchup" or whatever. Someone can say that a delicate Merlot tastes like "grape kool-aid with too little sugar added" if they seek to "reduce to absurdity", if you will. Ignoring the subtle delicacies that play upon our palate to "sweet", "sour", "bitter", ignores the subtle combinations.

I wonder how Lakeland was described before the masses had "dove" soap, or whatever folks are calling the Lakeland flavor these days. Most people in the 1800's didn't know what modern day soap tastes or smells like ... especially men. To these populations, this Lakeland tobacco was probably described as having a "buttery" flavor married with a "blackberry wine". Perhaps our modern day industrial society has produced so many artificial flavors along with condiments with preservatives that we begin to identify everything we taste by common foods, condiments, and toiletries that are mass produced.

If we want to reduce what would otherwise be experienced as enjoyable flavors in our wines, tobaccos, teas, etc. Then we may be missing something. I've heard those with developed palates say of many things, "you have to develop a taste for it". Caviar is one such experience (though I never have developed a taste for sturgeon eggs... salmon .. sure.. but not black or green caviar). "Bitter" is another "developed taste" (English beer .. heavy on the hops). What if someone said that John Adams beer tastes like raw Kale? Would that be accurate?

I won't say BB#2 it tastes like soap and flowers. Instead I'll say that It renders subtle flavors of blackberry and buttered brandy. The nutty flavor of Burly comes through and Burly is further tamed by the Lakeland flavor. The Virginia offers a subtle and natural sweetness.

For those of you who don't enjoy a "full-on" Lakeland flavor, aging takes the Lakeland down considerably. After a year, The Lakeland is better than half of what it was when fresh. Also, the Virginia comes through better over the Burly. Be sure to dry it a bit before smoking (I fill my bowls the night before smoking).

For those who don't want any flavor at all ... try the G&H Best Brown Unscented.

One final note: The Lakeland flavor/aroma is something for which you have to develop a taste. 🙂 3 stars
14 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 19, 2014 Mild to Medium Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Wow, from reading the previous reviews, this is one highly controversial pipe tobacco! I almost wonder if the quality control at GH could be causing such a wide gap in takes on the added flavoring? Inconsistencies during processing maybe? I can't believe everyone is tasting the same tobacco with such wide gaps in opinions on strength of flavoring, etc... My tin smelled more like a sweet iced tea with lemon! None of the Lakeland type essence as in Ennerdale Flake.

At any rate, I found this tobacco to be highly pleasant, sweet and medium bodied. Very cool burning, no bite at all, and great to the bottom of the bowl. Very consistent throughout, satisfying, and a solid three star blend for me. I really like the stuff, and don't get any of the Lakeland flavor many have mentioned. Slightly sweet rum in the taste, with a tin aroma of sweet iced tea with lemon. Who knows!
Pipe Used: Large bowl Nording briar
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 08, 2010 Mild Mild Mild Pleasant
What is it with folks who persist in writing reviews on blends of tobacco they clearly know at the outset they will not like. I have no problems with an objective critique...but when you get comments which run like *I don't like Lakelands and this is a typical example* and then give it 1 star, kinda negates the whole reason for these pages in the first place. If you do not like a genre, then fine, leave it alone and don't rubbish it on TR. Try the varities you do like and write about how you compare them. That way we all learn something 🙂

Looking at the sensible reviews for Best Brown no.2 then, it would appear that there are two utterly different flakes masquerading under the same name!

The Best Brown no.2 that I know is a gentle sweet, slightly rummy and completely delicous flake somewhat reminiscent of its cousin Rum Flake but NOTHING like the Lakeland Florals that some of our friends here seem to be having problems with. Juna Gu is a case in point and to my mind the poor lad's not actually had Best Brown no.2 to review. I agree with him that the Lakeland florals are a difficult genre for some to come to terms with in order to extract the yummy tobacco flavours, but I promise him and the rest of you that BB no.2 is definitely NOT a Lakeland Floral...its a gentle sweet and fresh buttery flavoured flake. Anyone who gets the Lakeland Floral has been sold the wrong baccy.

So my friends....read the reviews that match creamy, sweet, buttery flavours and you'll be reading about BB no.2. The others are I know not wot 🙂
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 20, 2013 Medium Mild Medium to Full Pleasant
First up, yes, there is some sort of essence used in this. However, I don't believe it is any sort of floral or herbal essence or combination of them, so I wouldn't really call this a 'Lakeland' in the sense that Grasmere (foral) or Ennerdale (floral & herbal) are. Looking over all the comments, I wonder is the idea of it being a light rum might not be correct. I also wonder if most GH base tobaccos aren't produced in some way that give some smokers a mouthfeel that they identify as 'soapy' even when there aren't any extra flavors added. (Or perhaps I am just too used to Lakelands now.)

In any event, this is a nice slow-burning flake, the combination of VA, Burley, and whatever flavor it might be making it a somewhat complex easy-smoking mixture.
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 29, 2012 Medium to Strong Mild to Medium Medium to Full Tolerable
My first experience with anything Gawith and I am impressed. In fact, I don't think I have finished any tin as quick as the 50g I purchased from P&C. I will definitely need to buy much more and in bulk.

As to Lakeland/floral/soapy, there is back and forth as to whether this blend contains any. I am by no means an expert, but I must add that I tasted something that definitely resembled what I frequently see described as Lakeland essence. I enjoyed it, and started noticing that the same scents that I was smelling did smell an awful lot like perfumes of ederly women who happened to cross my path, so I can certainly now see why these aromatic toppings are often compared to these perfumes and soaps.

Aside from this the base tobaccos (Virginia and Burley) were more than evident in this and the topping/essence was light and by no means overwhelmed the leaf. The virginia and burley really mesh together to give a nutty sweetness that plays well with the sugary/floral aroma. This is also a very forgiving flake to smoke. You can puff away like a choo choo and barely heat up the bowl; nary a chance of a tongue bite with this one.

I am anxious to immerse myself in Gawith and think I will start with an order today.
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 14, 2011 Mild Medium Medium Tolerable
Best Brown. #2 … Once you get by the third world tin presentation, you will be rewarded with a smooth, mild and bite free smoke, with outstanding burn characteristics, complimented with a unique mild bar soap, aroma and taste, with few familiar Virginia flavors present. After so many years of smoking the likes of McClelland, C/D and a splash of Danish Virginias, I have come to expect a certain flavor profile from my Virginias, not found in this blend, this stuff is to strange for my taste.

But in all fairness, just because I don't like anchovies on my pizza, does not mean you won't, some love it that way, and some will love Best Brown #2, just not me. Guess there right, you can't teach an old dog anything new.
8 people found this review helpful.
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