Samuel Gawith Sam's Flake

Really liked the aroma of the oriental/turkish tobacco in the blend. It gives the essence of spice. I also tasted a little bit cinnamon when I was smoking this blend for the first time. From the moment of my first bowl this tobacco became my daily smoking tobacco. I also smoked it in a room with nonsmoking people and the feedback was really good. Some said the smell is like a spice tea or something like that.

This tobacco blend is my daily to-go blend.

I've been sampling many of the Lakeland blends because I actually enjoy the Lakeland essence. Sams Flake was much milder in the essence/aroma than I anticipated, but overall this was a very nice blend of Turkish, Oriental and light Virginias.

I guess its about medium in its strength. I was looking for something to set it apart, but in all honesty I couldn't really find anything. It is a very well balanced top shelf tobacco with a slight Tonquin note and sweetness. Yes, it needs some drying and requires a few lights, but I don't find that as big a deal as others - I have a pipe lighter, so whats the big deal.

Bottom line: Its a very nice blend, but don't expect a flavor bomb or heavy Lakeland Essence - Top quality tobacco that provides a very nice balanced smoke.

As always, beautiful brownish flakes, tin aroma is, well, at first you get the plain virginia, after a few seconds plums, and concentrated tomato. I don't detect tonquin if not after some more time. Easy to pack, well moistened as all sg are, smoking it fresh from the tin is a bit challenging. But overall taste is good, still no tonquin at all, I'll try to leave it in jar for a forthnight or so.

I have tried this one several times before writing about it, in different situations and pipes. This is the beauty of pipe smoking, always changing.

From the thin, the aroma is fruity, sweet and a bit earthy.

The creamy fruity aroma is constant and the apricot topping is very subtle but present during the whole time. This blend is not complex.

I would recommend tearing the tobacco apart and let it dry for a while.

Although tried on several pipes, meerschaum, corn cob, in my case, the best is on poker briar, maybe because of the amount of humidity. It needs several relights

Marinated with some fresh raw vegetables brought very nice contrasts and new flavours emerged..

Very pleasant aftertaste.

I liked this blend. Once rubbed out, I had no trouble keeping it lit and it burned all the way to the bottom. The flavor was of a light fruitiness and complimented the tobacco well. This blend is not in the fuller class of flakes like FVF or the BBF that I love, but was none-the-less a nice smoke.

Soli Deo gloria!

2 tins aged for 3 years. Very impressive fermented note opening the tin, I wondered if I should smoke this or eat it. Quite humid, it takes a couple of hours to reach the right packing humidity. It should not be overly dried. The first time I let it dry near a heater and it became very dry, resulting in a smoke I had to ditch. I wanted this to be a replacement of Orlik Brown which was my favourite VA/Oriental, but it's not. The orientals are there but it needed more of it or another type. The flavoring I didn't find to be too prominent or objectionable as others here. All in all, this is a very good VA flake with a twist of something. Smokes dry and cool and picks up strength towards the end. I wouldn't call it monochromatic, it has quite some nuances. Last, it doesn't DGT well, it starts to get bitterish if left for some hours, so for me it has become an evening smoke watching a movie. The room note was approved, great relief!

An interesting flake which I would say is SG take on Condor but more sophisticated. But that initial taste when lit reminds me of the early days when I smoked Condor but don't be put off by that. Sam's Flake has the good points of Condor without any of the bad ones, I really quite like it. I was attracted to trying this flake because it was supposed to be a Turkish blend but the Turkish note is minimal. I have just enjoyed 100 gram of SG Skiff Mixture which has a notable Turkish and Oriental taste with Latikia. This does not compare to Skiff and is a totally different experience. I would say, an old school English dark pressed Virginia with a slightly heady heather note mingled with a hint of St Bruno and Condor. A good mild mannered all day smoke which performs well in the great outdoors.

I am now into my third tin of this wonderfully even mannered tobacco and, do you know, I think this is going to be my favourite. I cannot fault it, it is also readily available at my local tobacconists in Leeds (Greens of Leeds). In fact the MD of SG was visiting Paul at Greens today.

One myth I should like to dispel and one which I think should be looked at by the forum and that is concerning room note designation. There is no such thing as a pleasant room note and the term is a misnomer. Most most pipe smokers are quite happy in the company of other pipe smokers and tolerate whatever each other is smoking. Non smokers, on the other hand find ALL tobacco distasteful and offensive which I can totally understand so to think that there are brands out there which non smokers will find pleasant is very misleading.

Update- Another reviewer commented on the variety in the thickness of the flakes which I something I have noticed and although I gather this tobacco is cut into flakes on a machine and I am mindful of the operators fingers I am not sure it rubs up very well. I am not sure what they can do but I will contact them to see if they can improve this. Sam's Flake, however has now become my main tobacco, I really find it very very good

Update 2- Regarding the unevenness of flake thickness I duly received a phone call from SG. They informed me that the machine they use is over a 100 years old and sometimes it misses a gear resulting in thick flates. OK this is the problem but it is not my problem and it is up to the manufacturer to address it's problems and come up with solutions for it's consumers. They did not offer to replace the faulty flakes which I thought was a poor show. Anyway, I will persevere and buy more of this flake but if the problem continues I shall move to a different manufacturer.

Update 3- just bought two more tins of Sam's Flake. Same thick flake problem experienced earlier which SG said they were aware of and had corrected so I am afraid it is goodbye Samuel Gawith. I just cannot imagine that tobacco companies can afford to loose customers this easy

Works best in its own pipe, or as an occasional change of pace in a straight VA pipe. I tried smoking it in my Early Morning Pipe and it doesnt work well that way. The tobacco taste itself is good and pleasent, but just cant compete with the virginia/oriental balance of EMP. However the tobaccos in this blend are excellent on their own. I merely wish the complexity of the tobacco did not depend so much upon the topping.

As others have noted, extremely moist straight out of the tin. I've found it takes exactly two lights to get it going -- the first, huff it just a bit to crisp it -- then tamp it down and then it'll light fine.

A very pleasant taste, not my favorite, but absolutely nothing wrong with this delightful blend. It has a "headier" flavor than my usual Va and VaPer flakes, but that doesn't mean "stronger".

Recommended for those who like Va's but could use some bass notes in the blend.