Samuel Gawith Sam's Flake

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.

Fresh tobacco smells a bit after fermented plums. Brown flakes was covered by little sugar even I taste sample fresh from same year. Need a dry time before packing the bowl. Taste of blend is nicely balanced. You can taste all components at same time from beginning to end - Sweetness, earthiness, spiciness and hint of toping, which stayed in bowl all the time.

Need a lot of relights especially when you don't dry it well. Burns really hot and need to say it bit me.

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.

Preparation & Burn: 3/10 Moist flakes. Harsh and hard to keep lit. Bites.

Taste: 4/20 Absolutely no flavor. Hot air that bites. If you think it will taste similar to 1792 because it also has tonquin, you will be extremely disappointed as both the topping and the tobacco flavor is completely absent.

Mildness: 8/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Didn't smoke enough to determine.

Total: 15/40

Absolutely stunning blend. Moist brown flake flecked with yellow. Tin note is bread, pastry almost hot cross bun or Danish pastry. Tonquin is very faint. Flakes may be deemed by some to be a bit too moist but I prefer them like this as it gives the best flavour if puffed at a relaxed cadence. Takes a bit of lighting and I prefer to hold the lighter a good inch from the bowl and drawn the flame down rather than hit it close as this can dry the tobacco too much and spoil the topping. Flavour on lighting is exquisite with the Virginia's cradled by the first class Turkish tobaccos and the tonquin marries the two seamlessly. Silky smooth and creamy, with mild wood/spice undertones, giving the palate a milky feel quite similar to Kendal Cream before the QC went AWOL. Pairs beautifully with a black coffee a a great breakfast smoke, and also goes well with carbonated spring water. Leaves a lovely lingering aftertaste after the bowl is done. The tobacco behaved impeccably through the bowl and in the final third the woody spice of the Turkish became more pronounced. Has a nice room note and left a light grey ash at the bottom of the bowl. I would be happy to smoke this all day and would recommend to pipers of all levels. Don't be put off by the tonquin topping as it's applied very lightly and simply serves to carry a sweetness that weaves in and out. Puffed at a gentle pace a large bowl provided me with a generous hour of hedonistic delight! I love Virginia /Turkish blends and this one is pure class. 10/10

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!

Maybe because I had anticipated something great (as with other blends by Samuel Gawith), it somehow disappointed me. But as I smoke it through I find several good reasons for buying another pack - spicy taste, a little bit unusual flavour and pleasant aroma. You just have to get used to it.

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!