Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Louisiana Perique Flake

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!

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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.