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
|
Reviews
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Displaying 61 - 70 of 82 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 03, 2016 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
One of the beauties of buying loose tobacco is that one can buy a small 25g sampler pack if one is unsure whether they will like the blend or not. Thus my last telephone order from Mysmokingshop.com consisted of several, one of which was G&H Best Brown #2.
Upon opening up the bag I was presented with a few mid brown straggly flakes that look somewhat 'distressed'. I stuck my nose in there expecting the famous/infamous Lakeland essence but was quite surprised to find it was not there at all! What was there was a gentle aroma of slightly sweet hay with perhaps a little tartness. It reminded me of the smell of Cabbie's Mixture but there the similarity ended.
I rubbed out the rather long damaged flakes on a tray to allow some air drying time. Once rubbed out the shreds were still somewhat chunky, not the finer cut that I prefer so therefore perhaps not best in a small bowled pipe.
I loaded up a Hardcastle bent bulldog, filled up a glass of cold Bishop's Finger and sat back to see how I fared with this new to me blend.
Lighting was surprisingly easy considering the coarseness of the cut and that it had only aired for a few minutes. As in the packet note, the actual smoke was devoid of any Lakeland essence which was nice. I don't actually mind it if its lightly applied but would rather not have it, preferring to taste pure tobacco instead. This like most blends is best sipped, then the sweet flavours come to the fore though here I did find them to be rather muted but still very pleasurable. Hints of molasses and honey came through with just a smidgen of spiciness thrown in for good measure.
I found this to be a pleasantly mild blend but one that was lacking something. I can't quite put my finger on it but it wasn't as 'wholesome' as some reviews had led me to believe it would be. Perhaps I might have better luck with Sam Gawith's Best Brown Flake which I believe is a straight Virginia.
Writing this review I am smoking it after much air drying in a large Captain Black egg and still find it to be lacking. Not quite bland but rather dull.
Certainly not a completely duff smoke, many folks love the stuff but for this smoker one that I may try again but wouldn't be too bothered if I never saw it again.
Upon opening up the bag I was presented with a few mid brown straggly flakes that look somewhat 'distressed'. I stuck my nose in there expecting the famous/infamous Lakeland essence but was quite surprised to find it was not there at all! What was there was a gentle aroma of slightly sweet hay with perhaps a little tartness. It reminded me of the smell of Cabbie's Mixture but there the similarity ended.
I rubbed out the rather long damaged flakes on a tray to allow some air drying time. Once rubbed out the shreds were still somewhat chunky, not the finer cut that I prefer so therefore perhaps not best in a small bowled pipe.
I loaded up a Hardcastle bent bulldog, filled up a glass of cold Bishop's Finger and sat back to see how I fared with this new to me blend.
Lighting was surprisingly easy considering the coarseness of the cut and that it had only aired for a few minutes. As in the packet note, the actual smoke was devoid of any Lakeland essence which was nice. I don't actually mind it if its lightly applied but would rather not have it, preferring to taste pure tobacco instead. This like most blends is best sipped, then the sweet flavours come to the fore though here I did find them to be rather muted but still very pleasurable. Hints of molasses and honey came through with just a smidgen of spiciness thrown in for good measure.
I found this to be a pleasantly mild blend but one that was lacking something. I can't quite put my finger on it but it wasn't as 'wholesome' as some reviews had led me to believe it would be. Perhaps I might have better luck with Sam Gawith's Best Brown Flake which I believe is a straight Virginia.
Writing this review I am smoking it after much air drying in a large Captain Black egg and still find it to be lacking. Not quite bland but rather dull.
Certainly not a completely duff smoke, many folks love the stuff but for this smoker one that I may try again but wouldn't be too bothered if I never saw it again.
Pipe Used:
Hardcastle bent bulldog/Captain Black egg.
PurchasedFrom:
Mysmokingshop.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 14, 2015 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
A nice tin with a white painted lid applied with a muted but stately sticker. The flakes are long in the English style and of moderate thickness but shaggy and stringy, folded over and stored in plastic. The flakes are primarily chocolate brown with a mat look and have a textured feel, almost gritty. Coming in the bag is important because it is more easily climate controlled. It is somewhat moist and benefits from a little drying. Tin note is straight straw, not even as rich as a fresher hay.
The topping on this muted and lovely. Is it an aromatic? I think by some standards it is, but is not an American or Danish style aro. I think Gawith calls it scented, and that is probably most apt. It is floral, and I tend to pick out rose hips most, but it is fundamentally a Lakeland flavor. It is present throughout the bowl and doesn't fade but never overpowers. The exception is on the match when it is pretty strong. I must note that the first tin was much more strongly flavored especially when first opened but did diminish over time. Please note I slayed Ennerdale on its indiscriminate overuse of flavoring and that is Lakeland plus almond and other components.
This is a VaBur, but burley predominates. This includes the burley hit on the light, that almost sulfurous burst that I have compared to some root vegetables, and the drying and ashy taste lower in the bowl and even a carrot-like quality, but never unpleasant. You also get the dry cool smokes and great tobacco taste. The Va supplies a bit of constant low-level sweetness that very infrequently manifests a quick burst of buttery goodness. Overall a really nice marriage of flavors that really do meld. My final impression is of a soft smoke, velvety, but never weak. Finishes as a talc-like gray ash.
More realistically a 3.5 star blend that is subject to increase, but one that also has some inconsistencies in terms of flavoring. This I think is a virtue in general. Large scale productions are based on consistency over quality, dependent on processing a tobacco within an inch of its life or over. Artisan and hand crafted products can't achieve that and should not.
The topping on this muted and lovely. Is it an aromatic? I think by some standards it is, but is not an American or Danish style aro. I think Gawith calls it scented, and that is probably most apt. It is floral, and I tend to pick out rose hips most, but it is fundamentally a Lakeland flavor. It is present throughout the bowl and doesn't fade but never overpowers. The exception is on the match when it is pretty strong. I must note that the first tin was much more strongly flavored especially when first opened but did diminish over time. Please note I slayed Ennerdale on its indiscriminate overuse of flavoring and that is Lakeland plus almond and other components.
This is a VaBur, but burley predominates. This includes the burley hit on the light, that almost sulfurous burst that I have compared to some root vegetables, and the drying and ashy taste lower in the bowl and even a carrot-like quality, but never unpleasant. You also get the dry cool smokes and great tobacco taste. The Va supplies a bit of constant low-level sweetness that very infrequently manifests a quick burst of buttery goodness. Overall a really nice marriage of flavors that really do meld. My final impression is of a soft smoke, velvety, but never weak. Finishes as a talc-like gray ash.
More realistically a 3.5 star blend that is subject to increase, but one that also has some inconsistencies in terms of flavoring. This I think is a virtue in general. Large scale productions are based on consistency over quality, dependent on processing a tobacco within an inch of its life or over. Artisan and hand crafted products can't achieve that and should not.
Pipe Used:
Various
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 23, 2015 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
My review is about the bulk version. Best Brown # 2 is a tasty semi – aromatic mixture. Certainly in this blend there is flavoring, and you can notice the particular seasoning typical of Gawith, Hoggarth & Co, a sort of identification mark. Really I don’t know if it is “floral essences” but it is good. Ultimately this tobacco is an interesting Virginia Burley mixture slightly flavored. In my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 9 and three stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 09, 2015 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Nice meaty flakes that smell of uncased Burley in the pouch (bulk). The first time, this tobacco was quite moist and the defining taste was of a flowery perfume and a soapy finish. After a few weeks of drying, the burning qualities are highly improved and a light Burley nuttiness appears while the aforementioned taste of perfume comes and goes. It packs and burns perfectly, no bite and no gurgling, this tobacco would be perfect if it were unscented.
Virginia lover
Virginia lover
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 10, 2014 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
An interesting flake, this offering! Sadly, at first, the tin was unsealed - I verify each tin individually upon receiving my tobacco orders - but it was not dry. So I believe my impressions will be accurate. BB # 2 reminds me a bit of the Drum RYO in terms of aroma, but with the sweetness much more up front and the spiciness very faint. I detect no Lakeland aroma whatsoever (probably beacuse the tin was unsealed?), this tobacco does not seem to have even a mini topping. This is confirmed at the lighting up, combustion and characteristics of the ashes stages. The burning is even, the tobacco slightly sweet with a definitive tobacco flavour. BB # 2 is not complex, but it is still a good tobacco. The nicotine level is lower than Ennerdale Flake.
If you're in the mood for a nice pure tobacco flavour moment, this one could be for you.
If you're in the mood for a nice pure tobacco flavour moment, this one could be for you.
Pipe Used:
Morta, Ropp and Corn Cob
PurchasedFrom:
4noggins.com
Age When Smoked:
Freshly purchased
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 20, 2012 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Lakeland in BB#2 ? I think not my friend, or so very little as to be undetected by me. Nope, all I get is a pleasant Burley Virginia smoke of medium strength. no bite
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 02, 2012 | Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
This is a fine Virginia burley flake with a subtle hint of Lakeland flavouring. I cannot understand the people who give this wonderful tobacco a one star review simply because they don't like Lakeland flavouring – Which in this is so subtle as to make it scarcely noticeable. Simply saying I don't like it is only a review of your personal proclivities not the tobacco itself. This is a solid three star blend which smokes cool and without bite, steamtrain puffing not withstanding. The Virginia base is rounded out nicely by the burley and the medium nicotine level combined with the luxurious texture of the smoke never fails to satisfy. If VABUR's are your thing and you aren't prejudiced against the merest hint of Lakeland flavouring, like some of the Pavlovian one star reviewers here, you will love this stuff.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 23, 2011 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
All in all, not a bad tobacco. It is presented in nice dark flakes with a light floral note in the tin. Upon smoking, the light floral note comes through which I rather liked. My biggest complaint is that the flavor just isn't bold enough for me and becomes boring after awhile. Other than that it is a decent flake deserving two and a half stars in my book.
Soli Deo gloria!
Soli Deo gloria!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 27, 2011 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Lakeland flavour is disgusting. What a bad idea to buy GH tobacco tins, this is the second one I must give away after the Rum Flake.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 24, 2011 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
So far not so good - hot burning (burley?), not so pleasant aroma...maybe this is a pipe, but i didn't think so....still keep trying...
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