Samuel Gawith Navy Flake
(3.17)
Storm-tossed seas, a howling wind, a ship with full sail beating into the wind and Jolly Jack Tar at the helm with his trusty pipe. Images which are conjured up whilst smoking Samuel Gawith's Navy Flake. A traditional offering of Virginias, pressed with just the right amount of latakia and flavoured with rum. Medium strength.
Details
| Brand | Samuel Gawith |
| Blended By | Samuel Gawith |
| Manufactured By | Samuel Gawith |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Latakia |
| Contents | Latakia, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Rum |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.17 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 161 - 166 of 166 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 10, 2024 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
After receiving the two tins I ordered, I popped one of the lids and saw two evenly cut rows of a medium to dark flake. As an aside, since SG was taken over/merged with GH, you no longer get the rough looking, sopping wet, mess of flakes that I always experienced in the past from SG; much preferred! I was surprised with the fact that I detected no tin note at all from the contents. No Latakia, no rum, no Lakeland essence.
My first bowl was in a trusty Peterson Belgique. After a moderate degree of rubbing out, I had a lot of difficulty lighting and keeping it lit. The smoking experience was definitely not good. Needless to say, I was disappointed, but took the blame due to my haste in wanting to smoke the stuff.
I left the lid off for an hour or two, still no tin note even after deep inhalation, the flakes looking appreciably lighter than after first opening. For this trial, I took more care with the rubbing out of the flake and loaded it into my Weber Poker. This was a way more satisfactory smoking experience. Oddly, I couldn't taste any rum, Latakia , or Lakeland essence per se, but there was only what I would express as a "umami quality," a mouth feel that was very enjoyable and a smokiness (not Latakia campfire) unlike any other tobacco I can think of. Some would say perhaps, "I must have gotten a bad tin." I don't believe this to be the case. Now, I don't believe any Lakeland essence is part of the recipe, but rum and Latakia are listed as such. I'm sure the magic I experienced is in the expert blending and marrying of the ingredients. I liken this to cooking a nice meal with many ingredients slowly over time, resulting in one sum taste and not the taste of the individual ingredients. I smoked quite a bit of McClelland Navy Flake, Mac Baren Navy Flake, and other similar concoctions with rum, with/without Latakia (I'm thinking Mac's Plumcake and Solvent), and never had such a pleasant experience as with SG Navy Flake. In some ways, similar to SG Brown Flake.
I read in another review that the finish is really nice. I agree with this wholeheartedly. This gets better as you approach the bowl's end, and slow smoking enhances this. I can\'t say that about many baccy's I've smoked over the last 48 years. Highly recommended with 4 stars.
My first bowl was in a trusty Peterson Belgique. After a moderate degree of rubbing out, I had a lot of difficulty lighting and keeping it lit. The smoking experience was definitely not good. Needless to say, I was disappointed, but took the blame due to my haste in wanting to smoke the stuff.
I left the lid off for an hour or two, still no tin note even after deep inhalation, the flakes looking appreciably lighter than after first opening. For this trial, I took more care with the rubbing out of the flake and loaded it into my Weber Poker. This was a way more satisfactory smoking experience. Oddly, I couldn't taste any rum, Latakia , or Lakeland essence per se, but there was only what I would express as a "umami quality," a mouth feel that was very enjoyable and a smokiness (not Latakia campfire) unlike any other tobacco I can think of. Some would say perhaps, "I must have gotten a bad tin." I don't believe this to be the case. Now, I don't believe any Lakeland essence is part of the recipe, but rum and Latakia are listed as such. I'm sure the magic I experienced is in the expert blending and marrying of the ingredients. I liken this to cooking a nice meal with many ingredients slowly over time, resulting in one sum taste and not the taste of the individual ingredients. I smoked quite a bit of McClelland Navy Flake, Mac Baren Navy Flake, and other similar concoctions with rum, with/without Latakia (I'm thinking Mac's Plumcake and Solvent), and never had such a pleasant experience as with SG Navy Flake. In some ways, similar to SG Brown Flake.
I read in another review that the finish is really nice. I agree with this wholeheartedly. This gets better as you approach the bowl's end, and slow smoking enhances this. I can\'t say that about many baccy's I've smoked over the last 48 years. Highly recommended with 4 stars.
Pipe Used:
Weber Poker with re-fitted straight amber stem
PurchasedFrom:
Tobaccopipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 08, 2020 | Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Scheda tecnica: ​Composizione: Virginia e Latakia, Taglio: Flake, Forza: Medio-Pieno, Aromatizzato: Rum
Tabacco particolare, molto virginioso, non troppo latakioso. All’apertura colpiscono i falkes, ben pressati, molto scuri, alcuni con qualche cristallo di zucchero.
L’aroma a crudo è particolare, sono sapientemente mescolati Virginia e Latakia, uno accompagna l’altro anche se chi prende la mano è ovviamente l’affumicato del Latakia.
Per caricarlo, ognuno usi il metodo che preferisce, io arrotolo.
Accenderlo, merita il giusto tempo, ma poi dai primi puff sia il latakia che il rum vengono usati come vero e proprio condimento, lasciando visibilissima e intatta la base di ottimo Virginia che è sempre dolce e levigato. Proseguendo con la fumata il tabacco cambia registro e alla dolcezza e pizzicore del Virginia si associano i sentori di cuoio e stallatico del latakia (quasi fosse un Kentuky) e quella componete dolce del Rum svanisce.
Insomma un tabacco molto buono di buona persistenza, molto piacevole tra il dolce/liquoroso e l’affumicato.
La forza da me percepita è media.
Giudizio complessivo 4,5/5
Tabacco particolare, molto virginioso, non troppo latakioso. All’apertura colpiscono i falkes, ben pressati, molto scuri, alcuni con qualche cristallo di zucchero.
L’aroma a crudo è particolare, sono sapientemente mescolati Virginia e Latakia, uno accompagna l’altro anche se chi prende la mano è ovviamente l’affumicato del Latakia.
Per caricarlo, ognuno usi il metodo che preferisce, io arrotolo.
Accenderlo, merita il giusto tempo, ma poi dai primi puff sia il latakia che il rum vengono usati come vero e proprio condimento, lasciando visibilissima e intatta la base di ottimo Virginia che è sempre dolce e levigato. Proseguendo con la fumata il tabacco cambia registro e alla dolcezza e pizzicore del Virginia si associano i sentori di cuoio e stallatico del latakia (quasi fosse un Kentuky) e quella componete dolce del Rum svanisce.
Insomma un tabacco molto buono di buona persistenza, molto piacevole tra il dolce/liquoroso e l’affumicato.
La forza da me percepita è media.
Giudizio complessivo 4,5/5
Pipe Used:
DonFlorian Savinelli Brebbia
PurchasedFrom:
Tabaccheria Solari, Genova, Italy
Age When Smoked:
2
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 19, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Buonissimi tabacchi per una mistura di livello. Come quasi sempre (Celtic Talisman escluso) Samuel Gawith non sbaglia. E poi con un veliero in etichetta hai già vinto :). Consigliatissimo!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 05, 2020 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is the premier Navy Flake to which I compare all others. I purchase this in both the 50 gram tins and 250 gram boxes. I note that because the 250g boxes contain longer flakes while the 50 gram tins have flakes that are sized perfectly for the fold and stuff method if that's how you like to prepare your flakes. The 250 gram boxes obviously offer the more economical choice and the extra preparation required is of minimal concern to most of us, I'm sure.
As with many blends, this one benefits greatly from drying prior to smoking. I try to give myself at least 15-20 minutes of drying time before lighting (and often up to an hour). Failure to do so typically means I struggle to get the blend lit. Adding some rubbed out "kindling" on top can help with that though. Once lit, however, it's very easy to keep lit and burns cool so long as you don't puff like a freight train.
It doesn't happen every time, but I've had several of those "nirvana" smokes with this blend. Highly recommended if you can find it on the internet shelves.
As with many blends, this one benefits greatly from drying prior to smoking. I try to give myself at least 15-20 minutes of drying time before lighting (and often up to an hour). Failure to do so typically means I struggle to get the blend lit. Adding some rubbed out "kindling" on top can help with that though. Once lit, however, it's very easy to keep lit and burns cool so long as you don't puff like a freight train.
It doesn't happen every time, but I've had several of those "nirvana" smokes with this blend. Highly recommended if you can find it on the internet shelves.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 08, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
Update: I bought back an envelope packaged in Argentina. When fresh, citrus aromas and just a leather background predominate, with the sweetness of rum just playing at the bottom of the nose. Once lit, the flavors of mature Va are present with just the right latakia to round off a barely sweet smoke, but where Va plays the main role, from start to finish. A good combination to get away from Va / Pe, but ultimately staying in the spheres of Va, ideal for the lovers of Va. Step to 4 stars.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli common billiard
PurchasedFrom:
https://www.patagoniapipes.com/tabaco-en-sobre
Age When Smoked:
Fresh, from a newly purchased envelope.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 07, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Jar note is smoky with a barely detectable rum note. I rubbed it out lightly and it took a few lights to get it going. It reminds me of Army and Navy sweets with a smoky undertone, but I'm failing to taste any rum topping. Burns nicely with no tongue bite whatsoever. Smooth, dark Virginia's are present from the first light throughout the bowl with the hint of Latakia giving it a mild creamy edge. I find that the room note is quite ashy like cigarette smell. Smoking this makes me zone out quite a lot because the whole experience is bewitching. A great fishing tobacco I would say IMHO. I think it could be improved if the rum was a bit more apparent. Nearing the last half of the bowl the flavour deepens considerably but in a good way. For me this is better smoked outdoors where you can chill and watch the world go by. The aftertaste in my mouth is still those Army and Navy sweets.
I couldn't smoke this all day but I will certainly keep it in rotation.
Damn, the aftertaste is soo good!
I couldn't smoke this all day but I will certainly keep it in rotation.
Damn, the aftertaste is soo good!
Pipe Used:
Mr Brog churchwarden
PurchasedFrom:
GQ
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