Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Dark Flake Scented

Now we're talking. I am an unapologetic Lakeland fan, but edging towards dropping the "Lakeland" label as all "Lakelands" I've smoked are very different from each other so they shouldn't be lumped together in terms of taste, only in terms of origin.

This one smells extremely strongly of geranium (the flower) for me, and I know this smell very well because it's common in Greek gardens. A similar-smelling plant (Pelargonium) may be what the actual source of the scent is, but I'll call it geranium because I can't be sure of the names. Geranium, come to think of it, has a heavier and sweeter smell than Pelargonium, which is more lemony and tangy - Pelargonium may be it!

I can't pick out anything else in the flavour of the smoke, only the room note seems to allow the various flavourings added to somewhat separate and be distinct.

The presentation is typical Gawith, thick cut very dark brown flakes, heavy and oily. Strangely enough it catches straight from the tin, but as you progress to smoke it it will need a relight for every puff at the end of the bowl.

I frankly don't detect tonquin, liquorice or maple in the smoke, or any discernible tobacco taste. It is all geranium: tangy, spicy, not floral or herbals, sweet but balanced by the inherent tangyness and underlying bitterness of the geranium. There's depth here and a fair amount of nicotine, but it is smooth and 100% consistent to the very end of the bowl. It is reasonably strong, but far less than Lakeland Dark or 1792 flake.

The real magic for me about this tobacco is that it really takes AGES to burn down, half a flake can keep me occupied for 1.5-2 hours, and the taste never wavers. It never burns hot either, does not bit. It just needs relights every puff if you're committed to finishing every last strand of tobacco in your bowl.

Very very satisfying smoke, if I hadn't had 1792 already it could have made my top 5.

This flake is truly a wonderful experience. It is as described——a full flavored and strong tobacco designed for the experienced smoker who wants a more traditional British flake with a Lakeland essence. Although not an all day smoke it deserves a place in any serious smoker’s stash.

This is probably as bold as any tobacco I have smoked in a pipe. It stands apart from the pipe tobacco crowd like the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 or La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero do among cigars. Sit down.

I gather it is only available in bulk. My order came drier than most GH flakes. In the bag the aroma is pleasant and inviting. Scented, but not "soapy". I have not tried folding it, but I will. Rubbed out it stays lit, if you want it to.

In the bowl it is pretty much as described by GH. At first cool and sweet with hints of maple and licorice, then I noticed the tonquin flavor, and then the very mild floral flavor. I smoke a lot of Lakeland essence tobaccos, and I allow that mild to me may be different for you. The toppings are dominated by the Malawi and Indian leaf, smoky and cigar-like. Yet, it retains its sweet VA character. It is strong, but not harsh to me. In fact, the bottom third is pretty darn mellow. It burns cool and dry to a powdery, white ash.

I give it 4 stars because I enjoy it very much and with full knowledge that many will not. I can highly recommend it to ligero cigar smokers wanting something comparable in a pipe tobacco.

I'm not sure how fair this review will be, nor how others may take my meaning. I wish to convey to the prospective purveyor of this particular flake that it is in every way a high quality tabac. It is also a very pungent, very full flavored flake that should be approached with caution; hence the "somewhat recommend" rating. If you are a fan of lakeland flakes, you may take this as a "recommended", but with a little caution.

The flake is dark, real dark. And leathery. Opening the sealed bag it came in brought forth a scent that literally made me dizzy if I inhaled too deeply; and this is before lighting. I'm not sure what to make of all the scents that inhabit this flake, but the strongest one that stood out reminded me of Copenhagen snuff (the kind we in the midwest use as chew, and refer to simply as "cope"). It definitely smelled spicy, and detergenty.

Lighting this tended to be a chore. First off, getting it packed in the pipe was harder than I expected, as the tobacco kept springing up out of the pipe. When trying to get the char the tobacco would kind of come to life, and start peering up over the edge of the pipe bowl just asking for a firm tamping. The initial taste was actually very tasty, not at all as soapy as I expected. But it was very strong. As strong as the flavors are, you can still taste the tobacco.

At this point, I wish to reiterate that this is a very tasty tobacco, and very high quality. However, whether it is the tonquin flavoring, or something else, I couldn't tolerate the tobacco. Withing a few minutes my mouth and throat became very dry feeling, and I felt a bit of a sourness in my stomach. Then suddenly, I had to make a run for the toilet to be sick. I strongly suspect that there is something about the tonquin flavoring that disagreed with me. And even now, just thinking about the scent of the tobacco I get a little queasy.

So if the idea of a strongly scented, traditional lakeland flake tobacco intrigues you, go for it. It is a good tobacco. But eat a huge meal beforehand, and if it comes up afterwards, don't say you weren't warned.

If you ever wanted to know what the term "Lakeland" meant, you should give this a try. If you like Lakeland blends then this is one of the poster children blends.

Tonquin bean and Rose water(? or carnations? or?? well, some kind of flower) dominate the flavor. It says there is Licorice too but not to me. Maybe a little citrus.... Make sure you are using a pipe dedicated to Lakelands or heavy Aromatics because this tobacco will take 4-5 bowls of other stuff before you won't be able to taste it.

Don't get me wrong. It's good. It's VERY good but I find myself being able to taste in my head for days after. It has a haunting incense type aroma and taste that is hard to forget.

A good rubbing and a loose pack will make this blend behave better in the bowl. I found it needed a lot of attention while smoking to keep it burning.

It's not an everyday smoke for me but one of those nice changeup blends to break away from my usual suspects. Try it!

3.25 stars from me.

To be clear, this is, for me, an everday smoke. Not all day, but everyday. Along with maybe four or five other tobaccos (so you get an idea of my taste...that usually means Bosun cut plug, Lousiana Flake by G&H, St james Flake by samuel gawith, and F&Ts Cut Blended Plug...and often Long Golden Flake and Hal o the Wynd...even Solani's Aged Burley Flake and GL Pease's Triple Play). So..given thats my taste coordinates, you can gauge how this might work for you. I simply love this tobacco and while yes, its pretty strong, it is not insanely strong like Brown Bogie for instance. i dont even think its as strong as Irish Flake. But its strong, yeah. Smoke it slow and you will get all the flavor and there is a LOT of flavor. Nic hit, as stated, is above average. But I say less than Irish Flake. Rub it out a bit, it requires less relights and even rubbed out it will smoke very slow. It is pungent and rich, with an earthy sweetness. There are a lot of flavors...vanilla in places, cocoa, raisons and cloves and something like dates. Some people like this in a small bowl and i get that, but i like it in a big bent ODA size bowl. But thats me. G&H are the pinnacle of pipe smoking tobaccos IMHO. And this is one of their classics.

Whoa this powerhouse flake smells like roses and lavender. This is a love it or hate it flake being that the aroma is so strong. I didn't like it at first, kinda made me gag in that old lady too much perfume in an elevator way but its grown on me. Very full, strong nicotine wise and tasty. Flakes are huge soft and pliable, easy to rub out or dry and stuff whole for a long cool smoke. Be warned though this stuff is very aromatic, stinky or delicious depending on your preference but extremely aromatic....

Beautiful flakes of dark tobacco with excellent jar smell. Too strong of a casing/topping for many smokers, however it is a great blend once your pallet adjusts. I prefer chocolate flake, brown flake and rum twist over this, but it is still a tobacco in a category of its own. Try the unscented dark flake and compare the two, both are excellent as is most Gawith & Hoggarth tobacco.

Best smoked later in the day with some food in your stomach. Works well in a dedicated pipe due to an overwhelming ghost, but you could dedicate a lakelands pipe and do just fine.

Overall 3 star blend due to Gawith & Hoggarth having better tobaccos in their lineup. I will keep 4 oz of this around but won't be buying pounds.

A top grade Va flake flavored with strong lakeland floral scent, licorice and tonka bean oil, tasty, strong and full bodied. this blend is highly aromatic in the British style. the tobacco flavor is close to Peterson Irish flake, the floral topping is strong and yet very elegant.

overall this is a very good Va blend, but not as good as SG 1792 flake.