Samuel Gawith Chocolate Flake

I usually don't write reviews on tobaccos if I didn't finish at least a tin (or almost finish). But I need to do this one on a basis of just 10g sample. Thats because I purchased that sample and tried it fresh and it wasn't any good then. But after a year I luckily found that one when I was mooving to another house. Unluckily in the meantime GB quits EU and SG and G&H tobaccos are not accessible here in CZ anymore. A shame. I must admit that I enjoyed the CH Flake (as it is called here in CZ) latter a lot! I think it is a three star tobacco but anytime a tobacco has that special something, something outstanding, I do not hesitate with four stars. This one is exactly the case. It is a good... latakia flake? maybe it should be called a virginia based flake but I'd rather stick to latakia flake for obvious reasons. Firstly, it doesn't resemble a virginia based flake when smoked. The experience was much more latakia-ish and I'm not speaking about flavor ar aroma. Just the relaxed feeling I usually got with latakia blends was present. And the outstanding something special extra that brought the fourth star? First third it's a lakeland type of tobacco and a good one (with a hint of cocoa behind), second third there is a virginia (with a hint of cocoa behind) and the last third belongs mostly to latakia finally (with a hint of cocoa behind). Four stars.

Smoke and Drive: Doable but why? Theres a lot of blends that are more suitable. This one is a little too complex and it is better to let it burn in somewhat more relaxing conditions.

Well, my batch has been cellared a number of years, and it appeared to not help a very average smoke. Note that there is no chocolate taste. The Latakia is almost at the forefront, then some of the other components kick in. It’s not as sweet as I expected, but not a total failure. Perhaps it’s not sweet enough but it doesn’t have a really distinguishing flavour other than Latakia. I really did expect a little more. I do have some Bobs that I shall try. Average all the way down to the dottle.

This tobacco is in my view sensational. To be honest I wouldn’t normally go for a blend with “chocolate” in its name but since it due to EU regulations has been shortened to “CH Flake” I didn’t smell a rat! I’m glad I didn’t. It’s very good, only downturn is it is, as other reviewers have mentioned, exceedingly moist and so has to be aired 30-60 min before smoking. It’s also rather expensive (185 DKK for 50 g in Denmark), making it a luxury item. But once in a while it’s great.

You can smell creamy chocolate aroma from tin after opening with a pinch of smokiness from latakia behind. I was looking forward to pack my bowl and smoke. Preparation is for long, as tobacco need to be dried. Have to say, casing is mayor component, but never hide tobaccos taste. VA is sweet after brown sugar and maple syrup. Latakia act like side dish - smoky, sweet and underline chocolate taste. Need several relight, even you dry it well.

Having recently enjoyed a tin of Ennerdale flake, I opted to try this flavoured variety. Straight out of the tin it is very moist and needs some drying out. This tin was so moist the flakes were bound together as a lump. Some teasing was required to separate the broken flakes.

Do allow some drying time, otherwise you will need a minimum four lights to keep it going.

The chocolate scent is subtle on opening the tin, and not as forthright as I was expecting. On smoking, the chocolate lingers in the nose, and I found it reminded me of those awful chocolate FLAVOUR Easter eggs I was given as a kid - the cheapo ones that contained no actual chocolate, just brown "product"!

The strength is good and the flavouring is subtle, but just remember to dry it out first.

Preparation & Burn: 5/10 Very moist flake. Requires dry time. Isn't fun to rub out like some flakes.

Taste: 8/20 It has a bit of a vague identity. It's not a Va. It's not a lat blend, nor a chocolate blend -- everything is too mild so if you're in the mood for one of those varietals, you don't get enough. I don't think lat and chocolate go well together here, but maybe that's just this particular chocolate topping.

Mildness: 8/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. I barely detect any nicotine here. Perfect!

Total: 21/40

Open tin there is a sweet lake flavor with proper amount of chocolate smell. While the taste is very different with GH Bob's Chocolate flake. After lit, the first phase it shows a good strength with taste like baking bread and a little chocolate taste occasionally comes by, the latakia feeling is very low. From middle phase, the taste is almost the same, the sweet level is low. 劲道3.0 饱满度3.8 室韵3.0 没有什么巧克力味的“巧克力切片” 生闻有着明显的巧克力味，还有着V草的淡淡甜味。点火时候感受到了一些拉草的味道。进入前段，能感受到不弱的劲道，中等的甜度，拉草在很远的背景板，主线味道是烤面包香气，偶尔能感受到一点点巧克力味；中段以后，烟气变得丝滑绵密，劲道减弱，甜度也有些许降低，主线味道有一点点烤豆子香味，木调为主，巧克力味变得很难捕捉。尾调的感受和中段接近。口腔中的余味有淡淡的甜味。这款草从点燃以后，不管是口腔还是室韵的感受都很难捕捉到巧克力味。这款草适合纯英式烟草爱好者。 B站完整视频评测地址：https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1c54y1h7jw/

When I open the can I think those black flakes are saying: smoke me. I like chocolate. I like Latakia. Unfortunately for me, I hardly find the former. Luckily for me from time to time I find a pinch of the latter and at some point I get a very slight aroma of latakia that makes the smoke not entirely boring. Also, I have had to work with this can more than others, in the sense that it dried once, inserted the humidifying stone, dried again, etc (something similar is happening to me with Firedance Flake). I do not know if because the tobacco did not have enough moisture or that I smoked with more anxiety than it should, trying to extract flavors that I could not find, the truth is that when I smoke it, my mouth suffers more than necessary. I only have about two cups left in the can, but I don't think my opinion will improve. I also don't think it will repeat, although I guess any mix should be given a second chance.

Delightful smoke. Puts me back into Victorian times, smells and tastes like something from a bygone era. Whitechapel London, Sherlock Holmes, that sort of thing. Has a woody, chocolate, sweet taste. If you ever had Durian chocolate, this is chocolate mixed with the Durian fruit from Thailand, it reminded me of that. I thoroughly enjoy it and would buy it again.