Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Louisiana Perique Flake

This is one of my favorite GH flakes! The pouch scent is mainly of chocolate mixed with the usual raisin/fig smell associated with VaPers. I prefer to let the tan/brown flake dry out some as it arrives moist. I have smoked it folded and rubbed out and I find rubbed out brings out the most in LPF. As others have mentioned, the perique is added with somewhat of a light hand, but really helps to balance out the sweetness of the blend. I am fairly certain that the sweetness is a result of manual manipulation and not simply the result of the Virginia's. I do taste a light chocolate flavor and that along with the well blended tobaccos make for a wonderfully balanced blend. I don't pick up the florals to the extent that others have mentioned, but it could be because I smoke a lot of GH blends with far more floral taste. For those that like to cellar their blends, Louisiana Perique Flake should be a great candidate for long term storage.

Lovers of GH flakes and those looking for a different take on the typical VaPer, LPF should be on your “must try” list. Highly Recommended.

Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Louisiana Flake.

Note: another of my early reviews I decided wasn't too useful so deleted to re-post.

The moisture of this pouch on arrival was good, it needed no time to air at all. In the pouch-note the chocolate is the only added flavour I recognize, I can't pick out any Lakeland/floral additions.

My first piece of advice with this is when ordering don't bother with a 25g pouch, get the biggest you can, it's bloomin' lovely! The chocolate's a notable addition, but never does it become too sweet, or sticky. There's just enough to add another dimension to the smoke, without it seeming 'aromatic'. Although some folks identify a Lakeland/floral appurtenance, this escapes me. The Perique's a lighter variety: enhancing the Virginia with mild spice, but it doesn't take over with vinegary causticity. The Virginia's the prominent tobacco, by a long score. I get no issues with the burn: cool, consistent, and of a medium speed. Nor do I have a complaint about bite: none.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: pleasant.

Louisiana Flake? Highly recommended:

Four stars.

I find myself reaching for this tobacco more than any other I smoke. The quality of the leaf is top notch, and the flavor is perfect. If you're a VaPer purist, you might be a little disappointed. Also, if you're not accustomed to Lakeland toppings, you might be put off when you first try it. They can be mildly "soapy" until you get used to them. Louisiana Flake is no exception. The Lake Sauce, like the Perique, is lightly applied but definitely noticeable. Taken as a whole and unique creation, this is a brilliantly crafted blend. Highly recommended.

Bought this at local B&M, who are growing pipe tobacco part of biz. First non- tinned baccy, 7ish per oz. Long caked flake, nice complex colors, good texture, unsure of what moisture content should be as this was nearly last oz in large jar, moist enough...

Smelled of good powder cocoa, and Virginias. I got no other smells, no whiskey or anything else. Nearing end of oz, as it has dried out its taken on a very peppery taste. I reside in SE Louisiana, love Perique (and all things spicy, fwiw) and this was very spicy.

Orlik Golden Sliced is a go to in my rotation, and as I understand it to be a Danish Vaper, more mild. This ounce -however - would be akin to comparing ketchup to Tabasco. Also, don't know how the tonquin fits in, maybe it adds to the pepper? It makes my mouth somewhat....numb after!? It is very tasty, will try to get several ozs when I catch a fresh batch at the store, see if there's a difference. Won't likely make permanent rotation- of which a Vaper is always present, but if your up for some zip in your pipe, give it a try.

Edit: Having smoked several VaPers since this review, decided this was tasty enough to purchase it by the pound! I missed it that much 🙂

As a big G&H fan, I received this generous sample with great anticipation. While I do enjoy VA/P blends (Elizibethan Mixture by Dunhill is the current favorite) my mindset was that G&H would "perfume" the mixture up somewhat and thus change the dynamic of the pair. In other words, I was expecting a "flower cascade" of flavor on top of a milder VA with a smidgen of perique.

This is NOT what I was expecting. If there is a flavoring agent in this tobacco it is entirely subtle. There may be a tad of chocolate or cocoa in this blend but that's about it.

Brownish and black in color, this flake arrived a whit on the moist side; No problem, I folded the flake up and cut it with scissors into an almost granulated cut. These days I find that this granulated cut smokes best for me.

After letting the tobacco air for a few minutes I loaded up my pipe and applied match; Wonderful! There is a creamy roundness to the VA's (a smidge of burley added?) and the perique is there but it's waaay in the background. Full flavor, quality tobacco which I totally expect from G&H.

What is this similar to? Nothing that I've tried in the line is similar to this. Louisiana Flake is more natural than the flakes that I so enjoy and the perique is applied with a subtle and masterful hand. You get the taste of the perique but without the "peppering" that (say) a blend like Elizibethan Mixture has.

At mid-bowl the blend hasn't changed much but has picked up a little steam, flavor and nicotine wise. While this isn't overpowering it IS full in flavor. And the perique keeps in the background yet I know it's there.

I'll buy a brick or two of this and smoke it this winter to see if my impression changes. My generous sample has been lovely. For those who like the fullness of G&H tobaccos then you'll like this one. The Perique adds a little zing to the blend without peppering your tongue. Quality and consistency is something that I always expect from Gawith and Hoggarth and this Louisiana Flake definitely continues in this tradition. Very nice and quite a surprise!

I am really enjoying this tobacco the second time around. The first time I smoked it years ago, I was blown away with what some call the "soapy" aroma/flavor. I quickly turned away from the blend. Now that I revisit, I am loving it - especially the tonquin. I love good vapers and am happy with Gawith, Hogarth's take on this wonderful style. I will be buying more for sure.

I smoked this fairly fresh leaving most of the new flake moisture typically found with this blender. (I believe dry tobacco is a crying shame). I thoroughly rubbed it out, just sprinkled it in the bowl until it mounded over the top of the bowl, and then packed it down just below the rim. I lit it, let it go out, repeated, then lit it for the third time which took me to the end of the bowl. Burned cool, and was enjoyed to the fullest. I find it better to pack lighter than I thought possible, and make sure plenty of moisture still resides in the tobacco. Awesome stuff.

I got some GH&C Louisiana Flake mostly to compare it to its ex-pat sibling, GLP Stonehenge. As much as I like the latter, I have to say, I think I like LF better! When I got my bulk sample I promptly put it in a jar that I left alone for a month, based on my experience with Stonehenge. Opening the jar, the moist, gold striated, dark brown flakes smelled like dark chocolate over subdued, stewed prunes, and - surprise – no Lakeland scent. Despite it’s a bit of a pain to smoke wet, I much prefer LF flakes this way, folded, spindled, and loosely stuffed into my Stonehenge pipe. It lights with effort at tin moisture, then, given regular attention, it burns down slowly to some black dottle that I presently toss out and write off as part of the cost of enjoying this fine-tasting flake to the fullest. As pronounced as the chocolate starts out in the jar, it’s barely there over deep, stewed prunes and very deep, exotic Perique when I smoke it. The Lakeland essence is also noticeable, though it’s much less so than Stonehenge. The VAs are pretty stout. They seem to be rich, sweet, slightly musty, air cured browns and deep, stoved reds. GH&C specify that just a small portion of Perique is used. You could have fooled me; I think there is plenty, not so much peppery as generally “spicy”, even dessert spices. Also, though there’s no mention of Burley in the TR blurb, LF smells and tastes to me of dark fired, so deep and so rich is this blend. Perhaps it is the rare, KY Cavendish? Regardless, I find LF to have a perfect balance of earth, brown sugar/molasses, spice, stewed, dark fruit, white pepper, cardamom, paprika and more. It’s darn near as deep and earthy as HH Bold Kentucky, though it’s not as spicy, nor as edgy; rather, it is soft and smooth by comparison. LF is deeper in some ways than HH Old Dark Fired. Finally, LF is deeper, “darker”, and more intense than Stonehenge, which does declare some KY. Strength is medium. Tastes are toward full from medium. Room note is tolerable at best. Aftertaste is a nice, trailing best of the smoke.

I would say, if you like the other blends I mentioned above, try Louisiana Flake. It’s cracking good.

I find this tobacco to be fruity, chocolatey and sweet. Being called Louisiana Perique,it left me wondering where the perique until I read a review saying just enough perique was used to bring out its raisin or plum flavors. As for citrus flavor, to me it's very subdued as is the hint of lakeland. With the riot of plums and chocolate going on I'd have to be looking for it to notice it. If Stonehenge came in bulk, it would be a toss-up between it and Louisiana Perique. I think that I do prefer the Louisiana Flake over Stonehenge. I find Stonehenge more subdued in it's flavors, at least the tin I got. Not having the patience to "rub it out" I usually take a chef's knife and cube it. In the future I'll give it more drying time so it's more easily lit. Without drying it takes three or four times to get it lit. Which may be a plus for Stonehenge, which is a thinner flake,thus easier to light.

I find more chocolate flavour in this particular blend than in Bob's chocolate flake. All and all, it is a better smoke too. The Virginia/Perique leaf is quite apparent and it is all combined in a rather pleasant package that will deliver a very nice and satisfying smoke. These flakes are presented in this sort of irregular well aged format that it is so pleasing to look at. In my personal opinion this is one of the best Gawith Hoggarth VaPers, but the Kendall casing is somewhat missing in this particular blend. If you are undecided due to the fact you are not so much into aromatics, just to say you might like this particular one as the casing does not feel artificial and it won't bite your tongue. There is a huge difference in between English and Danish aromatics and Gawtih Hoggarth is quite representative in this sense. As a matter of fact, I don't regard any of the English aromatics as "aromatics." Rather, I call them "Kendals," for this is what they are.