Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Louisiana Perique Flake

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.

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.

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.

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.

Flakes are fast becoming my choice of smoke.This being a perfect example.Perique and choclate an odd combination but very tasty.Ive noticed a floral taste at first light as with Bob'sChoclate but it soon disappears.The perique and virginias act in harmony never outdoing each other,but strolling hand&hand together.The flavoring intertwines I believe making its self noticed in the background never jumping out and hiding the tobacco flavor.

Well, I have been an ecclectic smoker for a few years. No one blend has WOWed me enough to sit down and smoke it on a regular basis. Well, so long to that idea. I have smoke 1000 grams of this since I got my first taste of it in the summer of 2004. This has become my "go-to" blend. In fact, if I smoked nothing else, I could finally be content.

This blend is flavorful, has a room not that makes my sons happy, and delivers a bold spicy kick of perique with rich, deep, sweetness.

I have enjoyed Escudo for years, this is smoother and richer.

Some have talked about a similarity between this and Bob's Chocolate Flake - I don't see it. I like BCF, in fact, it is part of my rotation and makes up a good part of my cellar. This is something different entirely. Also, I have balked at many Lakeland blends which sport either the soapy or floral notes - I do not like them. This has neither.

This blend gets a full 5 out of 5 halos. Wonderful stuff.

I should disclose that I have only smoked about ten bowls of Louisiana Flake. I'm a GH fan and a lover of VA/perique flakes, so it figures I would enjoy this blend, and I do. Of course, it's presented beautifully. Louisiana Flake comes in a brown and black rectangular plug that is sliced into thin flakes. It comes too moist for my tastes, so I allow it to dry quite a bit before smoking. I prefer to smoke the flakes as intact as possible.

The initial flavor is that of semi-sweet chocolate or cocoa. Initially I thought this was the natural tobacco flavor, but now I'm convinced it's a mild casing that is extremely well done. Perhaps this is the same casing used on Bob's Chocolate Flake. The initial flavor dissapates quickly and then just appears periodically during the smoke. The predominant flavor is slightly sweet and somewhat tart. It seems most like Bright CR Flake, but the perique really sets it apart. What strikes me is the smoothness of this blend, and I credit the perique and the casing. The strength and flavor is medium, so LF could be an all-day tobacco.

I am very impressed with this blend. It smokes great right out of the box after some drying, but I think it would improve with aging. I've already sealed 500g of Louisiana Flake in a Mason jar for long-term aging while I enjoy another 500g of the fresh stuff.

To my knowledge, this blend is Gawith and Hoggarth's first attempt to include Perique in a Virginia flake. Not surprisingly, they've done it to near-perfection.

I've been smoking it outdoors in a GBD apple and a small Saseini patent apple. I don't rub it out; just fold the flakes into the bowl. It burns slightly hot at first, and takes several relights. Once going well, however, it stays lit and cools down. About a third of the way down the bowl, the deep flavours kick in. I wouldn't describe the flavour as chocolately (see above); I don't detect any added flavouring or floral notes. I think "nutty" and "buttery" best describe the flavour. I can make out the Perique just slightly here, but it's more of a complement to the other flavours; it doesn't stand out on its own. It burns very cleanly to a fine, powdery ash.

I love both Virginia/Perique blends and the Lakeland flakes, and Louisiana Flake combines the best of both. I've added this blend to my regular rotation. Highly recommended!

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Revisiting this review after smoking several more bowls in each pipe, to correct one statment I made. There seems to be a slight floral note after all. It's not at all unpleasant, and much more subdued than in many Lakeland flakes, but it is noticable.