Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Best Brown #2

I'd give this four stars except I get some tongue bite from it. It is definitely lighter than FVF, definitely a bit more interesting than BBF in terms of additional Lakeland flavors but lighter in body than BBF. Nice stuff, but I prefer Brown Flake Unscented which seems to have a bit more oomph.

Update 8/10/11 This is the second of the six samples I picked up on a recent trip. I'm only changing the taste rating, up to Medium. I want to reiterate that the tin aroma here is the best I've ever smelled. I know that seems like judging a book by its cover. But I can't get over that. The taste varies a lot, and I can never get a handle on it. This one is not amazing in any particular way, but it gets under your skin.



Original Review 6/25/08 This is my fourth stop on the Lakeland tour.

First, some interesting differences between this flake (and I presume all G&H flakes) and Samuel Gawith flakes. BB2 came in flakes that were much more consistent in thickness, etc. than the SG flakes so far. Also, the texture/consistency was more brittle or flaky, whereas SG flakes are more, say, leathery. Perhaps because of this, BB2 dried out much faster. Finally, I got more smokes out of BB2, about 20, than the SG flakes (15 or so). We'll see if these differences hold when I smoke Rum Flake later.

When I opened this tin, I was greeted by the best tin aroma I have ever smelled. I just couldn't keep my nose out of it. I took one flake out, rubbed it out and dried it for maybe 30 minutes, loaded it and fired it up. At that time the flavor and aroma was very sweet, with notes of rum, licorice, chocolate, and such. I wondered if I had gotten Rum Flake or Bob's Chocolate by mistake. Even when still a bit wet, this is still a nice smoke.

Sometimes I would smoke this for about 15 minutes, then leave the pipe smoldering for 20 minutes, and then relight. Those were the best smokes. The burley flavor came through very well, salty and earthy.

Toward the end of the tin, this became salty and vegetal in flavor, with perhaps a bit of spiciness. Not great but still good.

Very consistent and user-friendly, this one, also in comparison to the SG flakes. However, I don't mind some trouble and for my money I'll still smoke BBF and FVF. If I were looking for a bargain, all-day smoke, I'd buy this by the pound.

I had to wait several weeks and try a several times for this new blend to be posted, and other reviewers have beat me to a punch. Nevermind, after two full tins in a large bent Don Carlos, this is a good, trusty, but full Lakeland flake, almost all natural in my book.

I too like G&H flakes, including Brown Flake and Rum Flake. Best Brown no. 2 is very close to G&H's Brown flake (unscented) in my book, but not quite as robust in my opinion. Don't confuse the two, as some have. I don't really compare it much at all to the floral scented flakes (Ennerdale, Brown flake aromatic, or SG Best Brown, etc.), which have varying degrees of extra sweetness added.

This is just a tad, and I mean tad lighter than the full bodied G&H's Brown flake. It may have more portion of virginia than burley than in Brown flake, and has just a hint of sweetness more so.

Overall it starts creamy, builds by mid-bowl to full, and ends nice and round-like. Its sweetness may be just from the sweet virginias added. Any scenting is musty and minimal. It is earthy but a little sweet nonetheless. (It is not sweet in the sense of SG's Kendal Cream Flake.) It is not a light smoke by any means.

It smokes dry and steady. Easy to rub out (I do just a little). It feels like a good cigar in body (but no cigar leaf is added). It leaves a strong room aroma.

I can compare it most to Germain's Brown flake, but it is fuller than that (with a touch of sweetness). It also has some similarities to University flake but is fuller and better in my opinion.

I don't know whether I like Germain's Brown Flake(which can be smoked more as it is not as full), G&H's Brown flake unscented (which is even more robust), or this variation better (the mid-full ground). They are all variations on a theme of earthy, fuller flakes. Still less full than darker flakes. Highly recommended to fuller side flake lovers, va. or burley or both, but a little milder than most dark flakes. Not necessarily for those who prefer lighter or sweet golden virginia flakes.

The tobacco has the color of stained oak. The slicing of the plates from the bag is sloppy and crumbly, like most Gavich flakes. The tobacco is quite moist, which affects the smoking. It smells of molasses with a slight scent of wormwood, a bit of saltiness from dried fish, the classic earthy scent of Burley and a bready hint of Virginia. Lakeland doesn't overpower the overall scent, but rather sets the stage for this complex flavor. It took me quite a while to identify all the nuances. I know that some people don't like the smell of molasses (treacle). I can recommend drying the tobacco outdoors, the base of the odor is easily weathered.

Tobacco is well kneaded due to the crumbly cut. When smoking, the tobacco gives a flavor of nutty, sweet molasses with flour - very similar to the taste of gingerbread. As you smoke it adds the typical dry earthiness of Burley and a grassy hint of Virginia. The strength is medium. It doesn't bite, but there is some harshness in the smoke - not even harshness, but more of a roughness. The blend burns slowly and cool, sometimes fading. Smoking is moist if you do not dry the tobacco - so I recommend a pipe with a filter. The aftertaste is pretty much the same as smoking. The smoke is medium dense, but fairly persistent in flavor.

Overall, I'm not a fan of Burley-based blends, but I find this tobacco quite good. can only be faulted for quality control, where the tobacco in the bag can be overly moist or flavorful.

The mixture of Gawith’s fantastic Virginia leaf with African burley makes for a tasty smoke. The VA tobaccos are earthy, sweet and grassy, while the burley adds depth and fullness to the smoke. The sugar casing is mildly applied and accentuates the flavors of the VA leaf. There is some residue Lakeland essence: I would put it as a one or a two on a Lakeland 0-10 sauce scale. I can taste the ghost for a smoke or two afterwards in my pipes dedicated to VA blends. Overall, Best Brown #2 is almost perfection and easily recommendable.

There is a little “lakeland essence “ in the taste of Best Brown #2 . I did not like the floral topping at all at first but I am kinda getting used to it somewhat but still don’t love it . There is very little in this blend . The Virginias are hay and citrus right off with a little baked bread . The Burley is very subtle but adds a little nuttiness and body . A citrus sweetness is the main flavor to me overall. I get no soapiness from the lakeland at all . It is a decent smoke . 2 1/2 to 3 star blend . Don’t regret trying it but wouldn’t buy it again .

(In relatively cold weather, 6-8℃) I've had this tin for about a year, but the Gawith & Hoggarth and Sam Gawith blends seem to be pre-aged. This came in long flakes and there were tons of crystals and plume on the flakes. It had a touch of something floral in the smell, but I don't think this is intended to be one of their scented tobaccos. It mostly had a sweet, tangy, wine-like, earthy, and slightly leathery smell.

The flakes are moist and could definitely use some drying to aid the combustion. I've tried it without drying and I had to re-light many times.

The taste was somewhat tangy and sweet, developing into some bready flavors and wine-like tangy flavors. It unfolds into a round, creamy, nutty taste with some woody (sometimes cigarish) accents and floral accents. It's really good in its unique way. The only negative with this blend was the moisture out of the tin. I also think it does ghost briar pipes.

Strength is mild to medium, and so is the taste. The nicotine was mild, for me.

I recommend this to Virginia lovers, Burley lovers, and Lakeland lovers. Also, anyone that likes an easy-going blend, and you don't mind prepping. It could be an all-day blend for someone that likes mild strength and flavor. It's totally enjoyable. Three stars.

The VA's lead the way here. They have a slight grassy note, along with toasted grain, a little yeasty at times and a dark fruit note and a very light sweet spicy note as well. The burley is earthy, with a slightly nutty nuance here and there. The topping is sweet and adds to the overall sweetness of the blend. The lakeland essence has been added but with a light hand. It comes forward when lighting, and at subsequent relights but otherwise remains in the background. The nic is closer to mild-med and there is a creaminess to the smoke. Overall, I would place the total strength at the bottom end of med. Needs a few relights but worth the effort. Smoked slowly all these nuances can be tasted smoked quickly the lakeland essence seems to be more forward. This would be a great entry into the lakeland genre for those who are hesitant to try them.

Beautiful multicolored flake in the bag. Perfect moisture content. When sniffed I get earthy, bready, dark and deep fermentation (slightly sweet), with hints of slight tang. Didn't detect any floral notes right from the bag.

I was gifted this from my local tobacco shop during a pipe night. I just now have been well enough to give it a go. Rubs out easily and packs just fine. Took a bit of lights to get it going, but easy to keep lit (rubbed out) with slight tamping.

I'm not too familiar with burley and burley va mixtures. I've been trying my hand at them recently to get a grasp of what they are about. I think this is a fine example of what can happen when you blend those two tobaccos together. The smoke is plentiful and not too harsh. The VA's provide a very slight sweetness and tang while the Burley gives some nuttiness and maybe even some dark fruit notes, but ever so lightly. The two flavors balance each other nicely and create quite an enjoyable and satisfying smoke. The floral notes are there, but not in great supply. Just a hint here or there, which is fine by me as I don't care for too much floral of soap essence.

This is an interesting smoke and is quite enjoyable. It's probably not one I'll invest much money or time into, but it was a great experience along the way. I would recommend this blend for sure as it is high quality and satisfying.