Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Louisiana Perique Flake

This was one of the first tobaccos I ever tried when I picked the pipe up nearly 10 years ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

for some reason I always intended to buy more but somehow never got around to doing so. Anyway after a small pay rise at work I decided to chuck 50g into my virtual shopping cart for old times sake and here is my thoughts.

on opening the pack the first thing that comes to mind is fresh bread just out of the oven, digging a little deeper I notice a cocoa powder note albeit quite faint it is there and nice grassy Virginia, but with a heavier note of an almost toasted wheat like aroma. The perique is there that typical plum like note with a hint of spice is easily found, although I think the perique here is not in a massive quantity, it is just used as a condiment like adding pepper to a steak so to speak, it is used just to give that final nuance of taste.

the flakes come in 6 inch long strips, by just under an inch wide and moist, not overly so but I find packing the pack and letting it sit a half hour so aids the lighting. rubbing out the flake is an overall easy affair.

lighting up again the first thing that comes to the pallet is that is that fresh out of the oven bread taste, a very hearty almost yeasty taste, the cocoa powder joins the show in fleeting visits and adds a nice dimension to the taste, the slight tart note of the perique is always in the background, it never overwhelms and adds a touch of plum here and there.

towards the middle of the smoke the plum and spice note rears its head a little more and adds a touch of peppery zingyness to the pallet, although the perique does come foreward a little more, the Virginia's are still the star of the show, it is not a light Virginia in my opinion it's got a bit more heaviness to it but it shouldn't be too heavy to overwhelm, there is a slight sweetness to be had but overall it is a bread like taste that dominates with an occasional touch of fresh grass and I want to say an almost beer like heaviness to it, like the after taste when you drink a propper dark beer.

towards the end the perique does a long slow fade, it's still there but gently and gracefully tapers off, the smoke takes on a gently caramelized note and gives an almost creamy aftertaste. The perique still adds in its occasional appearance of plum, pepper and tartness to compliment the Virginia, while the cocoa works to meld it all together in harmony.

All in all a very decent smoke from gawith and hoggarth, it is often said revisiting the past leads to crushing disappointment, but I have to say I have my trip back in time, and although I won't stockpile this like I do ennerdale and coniston i will keep some around for when I want something less strong and less flavoured.

Those of you seeking a perique heavy and foreward blend won't find it here, it's more of a gentle dip your toes in the water to try perique, strength is around medium and room note shouldn't bother most, it's quite pleasant but may raise an eyebrow or two with the wife. Could be a nice all day smoke and pairs brilliantly with coffee or a dark beer.

Strange tobacco. Slightly spicey from the perique, the virginias appear to be somewhat fermented and lack genuine taste. Leaves a huge amount of pure white ash. Not the best of G&H tobaccos in my opinion. Won't buy it again.

Louisiana Flake is making a nice addition to my VaPer rotation. The Perique is very present with spice, pepper, and fruit. The bright Virginia is very smooth and smokes cool. The floral chocolate topping compliments the blend and I think pairs with Perique much better than Latakia. I would recommend this blend as a change of pace for VaPer aficionados.

Louisiana Flake is the perfect blend for those who want to start with flakes (easy to pack and smoke, in this case), VA-PE and also Kendal scent (with the same (although lighter) soapy note used in Ennerdale. Excellent for a morning smoke. 3,5/5 in my personal rating system.

I was graciously and generously gifted this amazing tabac. I've had my share of G&H blends, but this one eluded me. Thankfully, I have been given the opportunity to light it up. Fortunately for me...it's not just a G&H blend, it's been aged. This tabac was blended in the year 2000! Yeah that's right, seeing that its 2016 right now, well, I'll let you do the math. Now, on to the review!!

So, no tin to talk about, but it was vacuum sealed. The aroma after breaking the seal was very G&H. I always pick up a vinegar and ketchup smell. However, there is also a sweet smell and some kind of alcohol note.

It is a thick, chunky, pressed flake. Nice and dark with thin ribbons of golden leaf. It looks sleek and shiny and as I mulled it over and broke some of the flakes apart, I could see a glorious veneer of those lovely "sugar crystals" and as I saw them...ohhh I got so giddy! It has a great feel to it, ever so slightly moist but a minute out to dry, and its perfect for smoking.

I prepared the flake three ways and have used three pipes to smoke this blend.

Fluff and fold Roll and go Standard Rubbing out

There are minute differences, but the fluff and fold really pulled out the intensity of this complex blend.

It took to flame very well, initial char and re-light. Initial flavor I picked up was...like waxy chocolate. It had all of the other usual G&H flavors, but that waxy chocolate came out and totally brought back memories of Bob's Chocolate Flake. I smoked butt-loads of that in Laughlin while getting smashed on White Russians, it's kinda hard to forget. However, unlike Bob's Chocolate flake, it doesn't have that bitter sweet and smokey aspect. Now, I don't want you to think its some chocolate gooper, no no no, it's weird, the waxy chocolate is mildly sweet and it works with the sweetness of the Virginias. So, this weird mix of flavors just totally caught me off guard, after-all, this is supposed to be a Va/Per. Well, yes it's definitely a Va/Per as the Perique rears its head and adds that plum/fig flavor and it dances around the first part of the smoke to the mid part of the smoke.

By the middle part of the bowl, the sweetness of the VAs kick up. At the right time the other notes calm down. I was really happy about this because I really wanted to get to the Va and Perique and leave the G&H flavorings behind. The perique is a little more noticeable and it started to pepper up and get a tiny bit spicy. Snorking here really pulled out that great marriage of very mellow VA's and mildly spicy Perique. It became very very mellow by this time. It was just so smooth and sweet and silky. It remained this way lasting until the very end.

It burned down to a dark grey and black ash with tiny bits of dottle. Not goopy in the pipe and had no weird smell afterward.

It left a very nice, but waxy aftertaste. Seeing that I smelled some kind of alcohol-like aroma, I was surprised that I got none of that in the smoke itself. When it comes to Perique, I personally taste a plum or fig like flavor, this was more sweeter, on the plum side, and surprised me when the spice came on rapidly as if it was delayed.

Room note, it was weird, my brother didn't particularly like it. It was kinda...floral, sweet and musky all at once.

I had a hard time pairing drinks with this, seeing the complexity of flavors, it made it hard to match or compliment cocktails. I ended up finding the Dark n Stormy to be a nice drink with this, the dark rum and slightly spicy ginger beer really work well with this blend. Irish coffee also worked well for me. Most of the time coffee works just well with any tabac, but seeing that this is such a mosaic of a blend, I think coffee of some sort would be the go-to for most.

All in all, this is definitely on the list for most unusual Va/Pers I've had the pleasure of tasting. To be honest, smoking it is definitely a ride, going from very complex to exxxtremely smooth, it was sinfully smooth. The chocolate flavor was a fun touch. I'm a bit of a perique nut, I'm not sure if it was the amount, or just age, but the dancing around was a little too sparse for me. I was expecting a little more of a kick, but I was happy at its quick hit of spicy towards the middle and end of the bowl.

All in all, being so unusual for my palate, it actually blew my mind. I'm happy about that. Deciding to smoke this blend was definitely a good life choice.

Louisiana Flake has not secured my interest to the point where I would buy it again. A major flaw was its tendency to be hard to keep lit, even when the tobacco was on the ideal dry side. I could make out the chocolate casing without any problem. Being very pleasant, the issue with it was that it was the only thing I could make out both when smelling the pouch aroma and smoking it. The casing is not strong by all means but it seems like it was enough to smother any tobacco taste. It had enough nicotine for my liking (medium) but I have serious issues smoking a tobacco that does not taste as such. The result is that I always tend to puff harder in order to get some taste out of my pipeful; and this always creates some tongue bite. This is unfortunate.

I love this flake but I sort of admit its not in the classic category of Kendall Flake or Coniston Cut Plug or Boson Cut Plug. its not as strong, firstly. The nic hit is a tad over medium so its hardly a mild blend. But its not excessively strong. The taste is one dimensional, with cocoa and Perique dominating. If you like that cocoa taste with a little spice then youre going to love this. I find that I reach for it more often than I might expect. Its great stuff, if you like GH flakes. And I do. But i cant quite give the full four stars. Call it 3 and a half.

Sorry to those who love this tobacco. I am currently going through a VaPer journey and thought this was worth a go. Once lit you get the usual topping like ennerdale flake but not as strong. Next there was a very strong sour taste and that was all I got. No sign of any Virginia or hints of chocolate just topping and bitterness. Plus a nasty aftertaste that almost made me sick. I will stick with SG St James flake or Halo the wynd which IMO are far superior.

Decent smoke. You get the sweetness of the Virginias with a slight twang of perique. Could do with slightly more perique. There is a hint of Lakeland essence, not as much as Bob's chocolate flake but it is there, if that puts you off. I am a Lakeland fan so for me the more the merrier. Surprisingly little drying time required and was easy to rub out. Burned cleanly and evenly in the bowl.

This one is nice. Its kind of like Ennerdale, but with 75% less Lakeland Essence, and with the correct proportion of Perique. This is arguably my favorite Va/Per. In my lifetime I've had roughly 10 bowls and each exceeds the last with a wonderful balance of Toasty Brown Va's and LA Perique. IF I haven't been clear enough, the perique comes in with the perfect amount of bravado.. it is just right! One encounters notes of Chocolate, Raisin and Fig. Do yourself a favor and get some.

At charring light there is a blip of sweetness along with just a tiny bit of spice. There’s also that certain flavor that’s uniquely Gawith & Hoggarth as well as an indicator that you’re in for a different kind of smoke. Gawith flakes from both houses are notorious for being overly moist and this one is no exception. However, once properly dried this is a loose enough flake to allow for folding & stuffing.

Louisiana Flake is not in format with other tobaccos typically found in the VA/perique phylum. It does not boast the archetypical vaper flavors that I enjoy, which tend to be brighter & sweeter, well nuanced & peppery. Instead it has much darker & murkier tone, as well as a certain gritty, unpolished flavor quality.

The perique is noticeable but does not have an overt pepperiness to it, nor does it provide any of the mouth-watering tanginess that I prefer. As far as the topping is concerned, I don't get anything floral or herbal from this blend & frankly, I don’t taste the tonquin or the whiskey. I am however smoking a relatively well-aged sample.

Lousiana Flake burns very cool but unfortunately it also has a certain harshness to it that becomes more & more unpleasant as the bowl progresses. The mid to end-bowl experience is not at all to my liking and the flavors taste much more muddled than married. Altogether, the more I smoke this tobacco the less I like it.

Thankfully Gawith Hoggarth produces so many excellent tobacco products that running into one that I don't care for is no big deal. A somewhat disappointing smoke from one of my all-time favorite blending houses.

Testing with my meer pipe.

This is my first VA/PER tobacco and I have to say if the other VA/PER blends I bought are half this good, then VA/PER has to be (so far) my favourite tobacco blends for pipe smoking.

Some hints of Bob's choc flake, however the perique gives it such a boost in taste and the good old vitamin N here is felt much more I dare say.

I can't feel bean or whiskey (maybe because I am drinking white wine while smoking), but I can definitely feel a very mild cocoa flavour, akin to bob's choc flake.

I will update if I feel anything different with my other briar pipes. Recommended!

---------

Update:

Seriously, anything tastes better in a briar pipe. I am not sure if it's because I have a small bowl meerschaum, but the briar really mellows and ages a tobacco.

A handsome flake tobacco that is just a bit darker than Kendal flake. The tobacco smells like fermenting hay, or silage. To really enjoy most G&H flakes I have to completely rub them out and I mean completely. At first light I sense the faint florals that smell and taste so light and wonderful. After the fire has caught, the perique comes in sending the taste deep. The perique seems like a cauldron of stewed dark fruits. The Virginias are softened by the perique and given bass notes. If there is chocolate here, I do not detect it. Another very fine offering by G&H that is hearty, spicey and tangy. My Favorite GH.

Update; This is my choice of the best G&H Flake tobacco they produce! Absolutely amazing!

A good medium smoke, all things considered. The Lakelands are there for me throughout the bowl, but they aren't overwhelming at any point. I must say, I didn't get of the chocolate/nutty overtones, but they weren't missed. The Perique is v light. Not the easiest light, even after some drying, but it stays alight pretty well and the Va keeps up throughout.

Stout but surprisingly smooth good flavoured tobacco. The perique adds a good sprinkling of pepper, but it's nicely seated in the mix, (I found it a bit like a good curry). Not particularly sweet but a good bran/cereal taste, turned a little sour mid- bowl but mellowed towards the end. Rubbed and packed, it stayed well lit, and had moderate nicotine. Definitely one to revisit.

I think GH&Co have justifiably taken the number one slot as my favourite blender. I like the fact that they are from the UK and I like that they have history and tradition behind them. But most of all I like the quality of their unique tobaccos!

Louisiana Flake is not what I was expecting - it's better. My sample has quite a bit of soapiness. Perhaps it got an extra dose of whatever magic sauce the blender uses to create this effect, but that is no bad thing as far as I am concerned. The chocolate casing is subtley present throughout and the perique increases in prominence down the bowl until it seems to be matching the lakeland soap for dominance of the blend. This probably sounds like an awful mess. In fact, everything works in perfect harmony, creating a flavour that is certainly not typical VA/Per, but which is smooth, fullsome and very tasty (provided you like lakeland soap).

What is most surprising is the vitamin N content. For some reason this one seems to punch above its weight for me. Certainly strong enough to be an evening smoke and an indulgent treat if enjoyed during the day.

I have come to the tentative conclusion that I prefer most GH&Co flakes at least partially rubbed out, but this one seems to work just fine with a good old fold, twist n' stuff.

If you are a VA/Per fan who doesn't like Lakeland flavours then this isn't going to ring your bell, but if you are a devotee of GH&Co then this one deserves to be near the top of your 'to try' list.

My wife and I recently took a trip to northern England from the west Highlands of Scotland where we currently live. On this trip I picked up 6 15-gram samples of G&H tobaccos, 2 in Glasgow and 4 in Carlisle. These samples were enough to get me 5 or 6 bowls of each, enough for a rough review. I will smoke them in order of how much drying they need (they were all very wet for my preference). Luckily, this will also allow me to work my way up from to the nicotene powerhouses, because they were also the most moist.

Louisianna flake is mostly a light brown to yellow color, with dark, reddish brown to black streaks and clumps. When I first smelled the aroma in the tin, my first thought was: chocolate! That was by far the dominant aroma. After some drying, I smoked a few bowls. This has a medium nicotene content, just perfect in my book. The first few puffs give you a distinct lakeland floral taste and aroma, but this soon recedes leaving a nice sweet rounded and earthy flavor. I dried it out some more, and then the chocolate flavor came to the fore. This flavoring is never overbearing and compliments the tobaccos.

This is marginally better for my taste than the other G&H flakes I have tried so far. It has more flavor and a tad more nicotene than Best Brown #2, and a better flavor than Rum Flake. Nothing really outstanding, but a great anytime smoke that is easy to work with. Definitely worth a try.

This is another excellent flake from G&H. I will admit that I stayed away from it for a long time because the thought of chocolate and Perique just didn?t seem quite right. But as others have mentioned it does work and quite well. I like smoking this in warmer months as it is not too heavy and the aroma reminds me somewhat of Grousemoor. Not that the two should be compared as far as taste but they both produce for me the same sense of relaxation that goes well with a warm climate.

In my experience this flake does not compare to Bob?s Chocolate regardless of other descriptions. BCF is one of my favorites and I am waiting on a pound of it right now (review to follow). I completely agree that they are on different ends of the spectrum with Bob?s being a darker tasting fuller bodied flake in conparison. I love the aroma of LA flake and the creaminess of the smoke once it settles in. And yes at times there is a mild nuttiness that evolves. I also detected a subtle floral aroma in the background that was, in my last batch somewhat subdued. I really enjoy the floral notes of Gawith flakes so more of this would have been even better for me. The Perique does its job nicely adding body and rarely if ever comes to the forefront. Mainly there is a straight forward brighter tasting Virginia that is semi sweet to sweet. And of course the presence of chocolate is there too in the right amount throughout the smoke making for an interestingly pleasant combination.

This could easily be an all day smoke for those so inclined (like me) and is a regular in my rotation. As with all of these types of flakes it takes time, a little solitude and a dedicated pipe or two to appreciate the quality of blending and the nuances they produce.

LA flake teeters on complex or better yet contemplative at times which most of the time I was not expecting. This one worked well for me in smaller bowls for some reason but it smoked well any clean pipe that I used. If you like English flakes in the Gawith tradition, this one is well worthy of your attention. I think this is one of G&H?s better flakes that no one is giving much attention to which makes my cellar quite happy.

Mmm, a chocolate VaPer that actually works!

This is a nice well-balanced flake that skilfully manages to weave a slight cocoa note into a VaPer blend. And though it is a little on the mild side for my liking, it still manages to hit the spot and hold its flavour after smoking the strongest tobaccos.

If the mentions of Bob's Chocolate Flake may put you off, then don't worry. The two are at completely different ends of the scale to one another.

Well worth a try.