Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Dark Flake Scented

This tobacco should be stickered with a notice reading " CAUTION: SENSORY OVERLOAD".

Although the underlying tobacco is undeniably good, there are way too many added flavorings/perfumes competing for this reviewers palate.

I enjoy a good flavored tobacco but this is ridiculous.

For my money, the unscented version of this is MUCH better.

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This my first review even if I've been smoking baccy for more than 45 years. Firstly, I love all Lakelands and I found this one of particular taste. Strong and scented (as described), not easy to light and keep it light. I'm used to trust my Savinelli flamethrower for it at full power! I smoke it both in small and large pipe bowls. The former are ok to partly avoid its strength, the latter gives you a full flavour of this baccy. Mr. Nik O'Teen is powerful as well as the Geranium/Rose scent. However I love them, not an issue. Mine has rested in a jar for years and took a wonderful leathery, whitish colour. I must confess that every time I smoke it makes my head dizzy and I'm used to very strong Va. Perhaps its molasses? It doesn’t matter, it's still one of my cup of tea. It’s not a daily smoker but recurrent in my rotation. Way recommended for Lakeland's lovers.

I have found Lakeland Tobaccos to be excellent for my taste. This is one of them that has that "Floral" essence that Hoggarth is known for and is somewhat a tradition as their lineage goes back to the 1700's. This is the type of tobacco the old Parliament or high rollers of the old days would smoke.

The flavor is on the strong side same goes for the Nicotine. Would say it is a bit similar to 1772 but with a heavier Lakeland essence.

Bottom line, I find nearly all of the Gawith blends to be decent with top notch quality tobaccos. This is one I plan on cellaring if possible, Just wish it was easier to get ahold of as this 1oz is not going to last long.

This review is for DFS that has been aging for 6 months.

This was my first Lakeland. At first I found this blend to be a little overwhelming, with a variety of new (to me) very strong flavors and nicotine content. It was tough keeping it lit for more than half the bowl and was pretty wet near the bottom. I smoked some of it, then let it marinate for a few months. The aging made a world of difference. The flavors have melded and the Lakeland part has mellowed considerably.

Speaking of Lakeland scent: My grandmother's purse didn't smell like this...it smelled like Luden's cough drops and money. I find the Lakeland essence(?) to be more floral, like Earl Grey tea as others have mentioned. The aftertaste is mild and pleasant, which was unexpected. My gf finds the room note inoffensive, which is surprising.

Flavor wise, I get cigar, mocha, and a subtle sweetness (possibly from maple and tonquin? I'm not familiar with tonquin so I'm guessing). I can't taste liquorice, it must be hiding in the back somewhere.

Initially I smoked this in a medium-bowled MM cob and a similar MM hardwood. This time I used a cheap basket pipe, which has a large bowl, and it smoked better. Very cool, no bite, and not so wet at the end but still damp. I had to relight once about 3/4 through it, but I was ready for a little break anyway. I figure the improved behavior could be a benefit of aging as well.

All in all, this is an interesting and intense blend. The tobacco seems to be of the highest quality and the flakes are of higher quality than others I've tried. It doesn't get more old-school than this, and even if you end up hating it I recommend trying it just for the experience this unique and complex blend offers. Needless to say, DFS is not in the same ballpark as the more conventional aromatics.

I do recommend eating something before you smoke this and/or keeping a beverage handy, particularly if you are used to mild-medium blends. Your stomach will thank you. Expect some new hair on your chest if you can finish a big bowl of it in one sitting.

This was my go to smoke, for about 2 years some 12 years ago. It was by no means an all day smoke. It has a fascinating bubble gum flavor which is the result of the tonquin, maple and licorice topping. I believe this is the direct competitor with Samuel Gawith's 1792 flake, and is vastly superior to it: if you can withstand the nicotine.

Wave after wave of lakeland perfume, cigar-like, and slightly bitter dark fired tobacco assail your senses.

I believe that this one is even stronger than the unscented version, as the additional toppings prevent as much nicotine being burned off in combustion.

This is the place to start with lakelands for the experienced smoker, while glengarry flake or perhaps ennerdale are better for the novice.

Room not is beyond poweful, and should be smoked outside only.

Dark Flake Scented. What can I say about Dark Flake Scented… RESPECT IT or it will lay you out FLAT. Now I’ve been smoking pipes for years and rarely am I taken aback by the strength of a tobacco. I can smoke nic heavy blends like Royal Yacht & 1792 Flake with no problem. But, Man let me tell you on my second time trying Dark Scented after a full dinner and a small after dinner drink. (something I do all the time) I was feeling pretty good. An hour later POW, this mofo slapped me in the back of the head with a frying pan and then in my face with a shovel and sent this hombre to the little boys room puking his freaking guts out. WOW!!!!!! I haven’t puked in years. So.....all I’m saying is heed my warning and show respect to Dark Flake Scented or it will kick your ass hard.

Other than that little set back I loved it!! The flakes are dark and thick and needed a bit of drying out before you can smoke this blend. Rubbed out is best and it still required quite a bit of relights. Next time I’ll wait closer to and hr to let it dry out. The tin note is very, very Lakeland. The first thing that hits you is the very floral soapy scent. You have to let the tobacco dry out and breathe before you can detect the tonquin, maple and licorice. This is a full british lakeland aro. I just love the way all the flavors mix and meld together with the tobacco. The smoke is full flavored and delicious. The tobaccos are of good quality of course. Just smoke it SLOW and not in a huge pipe.

Let me start this review by stating that I could have sworn I ordered Dark Flake Unscented and not the scented variety. Perhaps the Scouser on the other end of the telephone was a little hard of hearing?

I first realized something was amiss when I opened my package containing six new to me blends, the smell that emanated from the box was one of heavy perfume and as five of the blends were in tins the only culprit could be the single plastic wrapper. Sure enough I had 50g of Dark Flake Scented and I was not best pleased!

It was a few weeks afore I got around to trying it out so I did my usual routine of rubbing out and drying for a couple of hours. The somewhat straggly, still damp and very dark brown flakes rubbed out ok but were very sticky and somewhat coarse. The scent by the way was pretty overpowering. I loaded up my McQuade bent bulldog and attempted to light the stuff. My goodness, this has to be the most awkward blend to take a light. Finally it got going with the coarse shreds coming alive and climbing out of the bowl. Huge plumes of smoke confirmed I had a burn going.

Initial flavours were nothing but perfume, no tobacco taste whatsoever though I had read that they tend to kick in mid bowl. Why oh why would someone go to the trouble of blending a tobacco only to soak it in perfume? The mind boggles.

I persevered and after countless relights the perfume did start to recede but was always present. Come mid bowl I could indeed taste some tobacco but what tobacco I couldn't really say. As for the maple and liquorice flavours noted by many reviewers they were simply not there for me.

Fast forward a few weeks and I am now smoking this in a smaller L. Roux poker after giving the already rubbed out tobacco a fleeting blast in my coffee grinder and very little has changed. Still many relights are required and still that damned perfume spoils what could have been a good smoke had I got what I originally wanted i.e. the unscented version.

This blend certainly has its adherents but I am not in that particular club and nor do I wish to be. A 2/10 score is a generous one.

Rather worryingly and perhaps stupidly I have since ordered some Ennerdale & Grasmere flakes, both of which appear to be drenched in the very same perfume as DFS is, the latter being the strongest.

This here tobacco trialling game is a fun one but just occasionally one gets it hugely wrong as I clearly did here.

I am tempted to think that as a pipe maker will rusticate a flawed stummel, might not a tobacco blender pour perfume all over a blend that didn't quite turn out as expected? I honestly cannot think why else they would do this. Flavoured tobacco does of course have a place in the market and I have enjoyed many, but this is way OTT.

Now for a bowl of Condor to put things right.

This flake tobacco is not as strong as Dark Flake U/S, or so it seems, but it is pretty strong in its own right anyway. The casing is mostly Lakeland and the tin note foretells this. It smells just like some old lady's perfume, or baby's talcum powder if you like. Not sure if you can buy this in a tin, but it is freely available in bulk anyway. The moist content is really high, so be advised to let it dry for a day or tow before packing your pipe with it. The taste is pretty strong, but I am not sure if it contains any Kentucky in it. I'd say this tobacco comprises mostly virginia leaf along with some burley to soften it round the edges. So, even though the taste is full, it does not overwhelm you like Dark Flake U/S might do. However, I am not sure I would smoke these flakes in the morning. I think of them more as a late afternoon/after tea kind of thing. I am not quite sure how they have achieved this, but I think they are worth trying. I am going to give it 3 stars this time as I like Dark Flake U/S more than this particular one, but I am not trying to imply it isn't any good. As a matter of fact, I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

While I found the unscented Dark Flake to be a little too much, I was surprised by how the topping altered the experience of smoking the scented version, making it more rounded and smoother. Not something I would reach for as an all-day, indoors kind of blend, it still packs quite a punch, but I will get more of this.

It should be noted that going by the reviews here, either people experience the topping differently or, more likely, there is variation from batch to batch. A little frustrating.