Samuel Gawith St. James Flake

I am not a novice to the pipe and have been exploring the Va/pers extensively over the last several years and have tried most all of them. I must say that I have narrowed it down to S.G. St. James Flake as being my all time desert island favorite if I had to choose only one. All of the other reviewers that gave this four stars have described this perfectly. I can't imagine anyone doing any better with a Va/Per than S.G. has with St. James Flake. I think it has even the infamous Escudo beat by far. I use a large 3/4 bent GBD pipe with a 7/8" bore and near two inch deep bowl. I allow the flake to just air dry overnight and fold and stuff the entire flake. There is enough room in the bowl that the top of the flake is near even with the top of the bowl and the bowl is large enough that it leaves ample room around the flake for air circulation and heat expansion. I have been able to keep one flake smoldering for an hour and half or longer. Very tasty!

Very nice tasting flake. The Perique seems to have more fruitiness than spice and that's ok here because it taste so good. The Virginias are sweet hay and earth. The end result is delicious. My tin wasn't as wet as I expected from some of the other reviews and did not really require any drying time. This is first class tobacco. Highly recommended.

Medium in body. Medium to full in taste. There may be a very mild sweet topping here. It's hard to tell, but I'm gonna say there is. Burns pretty well. Will need a relight or two. Smoked the same in cob and briar.

UPDATE 8-12-2016

Shortly after finishing off the sample reviewed below, I ordered a 250g box of this. I immediately set some aside to age and had the rest in a big jar that I just finished yesterday. I almost neglected looking at this review because I knew I had already reviewed it and could swear I gave it four stars.

Well, I am glad that I revisited this and I clearly did not have a big enough sample, because this is now one of my favorite VaPers. In general, I must say that Sam Gawith is the Virginia masters, so it stands to reason that a Vaper produced by them would be great. This blend is sweet and it is spicy. It is everything a vaper should be. If there is any criticism, it would be the same common to all SG flakes in that it is a little hard to light. Once it gets going though, it is just fantastic.

Original Review 6-23-2014

I had a healthy amount of this sent to me by a forum member who disliked the blend. This particular person does not like Perique in large quantities. This blend is a little heavy on the perique which suits my tastes well. I find this blend a lot like Fillmore by GL Pease in that regard.

The Virginia is sweet, but can be overwhelmed by the Perique at times. I do like this blend and will likely reorder, but I don't think it rises to four stars as I would prefer to smoke Fillmore or even, Dunhill's Elizabethan to this blend. I think the latter two have much better balance between the Virginia and the Perique.

This blend is definitely not for the beginner or someone seeking a Vaper for the first time.

I’m not a young man. The half century mark looms in just a few years. But as a pipe smoker, I’m something of a babe in the woods.

I’ve smoked pipes before, but I didn’t smoke for a very long time before picking it back up less than a month ago. So I remembered how to pack properly. But I was basically starting over when it came to a proper smoking cadence.

As luck would have it, I managed to find a single tin of St. James Flake at a local B&M shop. Also fortuitous was the fact that I finally got the proper puffing rhythm, although I do still tend to try to rush things. It’s definitely an exercise in patience.

I’ve certainly not made a dent in the list of tobaccos available for consumption, but I’ve made the rounds at many of the usual places: aromatics, then English and then... you know the drill.

Anyway enough back story. Let’s talk SJF.

I’ve found that Virginias and VaPers are my sweet spot. I’ve been partial to Luxury Bullseye Flake for years now, and I’ve gone through a tin or three of Escudo. By the time I finally got to SJF, I’ve tried maybe a dozen VaPers.

But my god, I’ve not lived as a smoker. But having found St James Flake, I feel like Dorothy arriving in Oz, going from sepia right into Technicolor.

It’s that much better than anything else I’ve tried.

Now, my palate hasn’t developed to the point where I can discern tasting notes. That may never quite happen. But I know this: SJF provides better flavor (of the variety I prefer) AND more flavor in each puff than anything else I’ve tried.

Rich, creamy, sweet, spicy, tangy clouds encircle my head as I force myself to keep the cadence slow.

It’s the first tobacco I’ve truly fallen in love with.

And I’m halfway through the only tin I know of. None online. None within an hour’s drive, as best I can tell. Just my luck.

Here’s hoping that changes soon. I’ll be able to manage with the likes of Bayou Morning, Fillmore and the aforementioned Escudo and LBF, as well as the various other non-VaPers I keep on hand for a change of pace. But Saint James Flake is perfection in a bowl.

For me, at least.

Great VaPer here even fresh. I got a 250g box jarred up the bulk of it to age and kept some for now. The flakes are big, moist and thick. The flakes need to rubbed out and dried out a bit before packing your pipe other wise you have a big sticky tobacco ball in your pipe that you will never be able to kept lit. The tin note is of fresh cut grass, hay, sugar and plums. With age I am sure a more fermented tang will also develop. The smoke is clean, fresh and not over-powering. I get earthy sweetness, slight tangy fruit notes and a tiny bit of pepper. The perique level is perfect for me. With age I suspect it will become more full and creamy. SG St James flake is not a smoke to rush through. It is best to smoke it slow to savor all the flavor. No hint of bite at all and leaves a nice after taste. For me this flake produced one of my top 10 Nirvana smokes. A great relaxing awesome smoking experience. Good Stuff

I don't know why it's taken me so long to write up my thoughts on this flake but sometimes I just forget to sing my praise of some old favorites. This one is definitely a favorite and I consider it to be one of the finest VaPer's on the market. This will give you low base notes with some sharpness from the Perique. It's of the yeasty bready kind of flavors rather than the light hay like notes you would find in lighter VaPer's. I enjoy dark flakes and low notes and this one satisfies on every level. The flakes are packed ready to smoke, especially in the box and that is usually uncommon with Samuel Gawith tobaccos, I've smoked a lot of this and have never had to dry it before I load up and I like my tobaccos dry because I get a lot more flavor that way. These flakes will age with grace but require no cellar time to produce an amazing smoke. Nicotine level is just about medium so this is perfect for all day smoking. I just can't praise this one enough!

Essential!

This flake is unique!when you open it you get spices, pepper and fruits.has a bit moist but once i dried it it became flat.so rub it and light it instantly with a little effort.the spices are dominant and they are presented with sweetness and a bit grass.very balanced taste burns medium.the nicotine level is low to medium so it's an all day blend to me.definitelly amust try for va/per lovers!

If you're into VaPers, you definitely should try this one. Rich mature red Virginias combined with a good amount of Perique for a full taste, robust smoke. High on the Perique side, SJF is not too bitter nor too sweet, a nice balance for those who enjoy Virginias and VaPers.

This review is for the bulk version. Very nice, medium dark-brown, leathery virginia - perique flakes, which show the sparkle of tiny little crystals if held in the sunlight. Can burn down consistently to a pepper and salt ash. Smoking characteristics depend on packing and smoking style. Rubbing out the flake and smoking at a relaxed pace works best for me.

Rich, tasty and spicy aroma with sweet undertones. Hmm, undertones is an understatement. It can get pretty sweet at times and I get the impression of flavours like anise, liquorice and honey. I am wondering, how it would go along with a glas of anise liqueur.

The perique presents itself tingly, peppery and nicely, without being overwhelming, or obtrusive. High in nicotine. Soothing and very satisfying. No tongue bite, no gurgle.

In my opinion a honest and delicious smoke, if you like sweet virginia-perique flakes and know how to smoke them. The smoke get's harsh and bitter easily, if you are in a hurry, so it has a somehow educating effect on me. It says: "Slow down, relax, enjoy!"

This flake definately is something to be savoured.

Edit: After almost 9 years I am smoking a bowl of this in a Vauen 526. Still great!