Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Grasmere Flake

A beautiful smoke. This tobacco is really, really good. I highly doubt that there is any other flake out there that tastes and smells as unique as Grasmere Flake.

Grasmere is also very much an acquired taste and if you are the slightest bit put off by the Kendal floral ambrosia (the subtle soapiness that comes through in Bob's Chocolate Flake, or Rum Flake), you may want to steer clear. And while Grasmere is not as pungently scented as products like Ennerdale Flake, it still delivers a distinct verdant/herbacious flavor on the finish.

Grasmere is very well behaved, slightly honey-sweet & floral. All of this is accomplished by Gawith & Hoggarth in the most organic, natural tasting way possible. In other words what you are tasting is not some curious chemical additive.

Like the natural oil of clove flavor in Bosun Cut Plug, Grasmere's flavoring is that of actual rose geranium. The tobacco flavor & added essence taste seamless. The rose geranium scent is soft yet precise, rounding out the edges and providing balance to some relatively strong tasting tobacco.

The flakes are nicely cut and they do smell somewhat like Turkish Delight. I like to smoke this on warm afternoons in a Country Gentleman cob pipe that I have reserved for scented Kendal products.

If you admire scented Kendal blends (and obviously I do), this is one to pursue.

This is one of the easiest flakes I've ever smoked. The bulk package I received was the perfect moisture straight from the box. In fact, I rubbed a flake out, loaded it, and smoked it as I was putting the rest away. I'll preface with the caveat that I my rotation is dominated by Gawith Hoggarth blends, but I did not find this to have an overpowering soapiness. It was there, but it played a supporting role. I did get a strong sense of the rose and geranium. I like what they add. They impart a sort of sharpness or slightly sour taste and feel. The constituent tobaccos were the main players, and they were toasty and sweet and very high quality. My enthusiasm has settled somewhat since I first smoked it, but it has a prominent place in my weekly smoking rotation. I've spent several Saturdays smoking little else all day. If you're a Lakehead, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try. Highly recommended!

The long flakes are of a mixed light and darker brown color interspersed with some brighter spots – (you can see how the flakes look like in the pictures above). I received them in just the right moisture for packing straight away without any drying. Their scent unsmoked is not very intense, they actually smell of tobacco with a hint of rose water (Turkish Delight candy) and exotic spices, cardamom maybe, and others.

It rubs and takes to light easily. My first impression is that it not only belongs to the same genre as Ennerdale Flake but it is actually quite similar, especially as regards the tobacco used, yet not as intensely scented. The natural taste of the underlying tobaccos is really great and you can taste it from the beginning. Sweet, mature hay-like Virginias and earthy Burley. I also get hints of dried rose petals, a little something coniferous which gives the blend freshness and cinnamon maybe as well. The scenting is complex but subtle and it tastes natural. This is not an average aromatic, Grasmere Flake tastes of tobacco, scented tobacco, but tobacco nevertheless. There is some sweetness which I guess comes both from the casing and the tobacco but it is mild – very far from being cloying.

Strength is medium and flavor is full but not overwhelming. Nicotine-wise while not strong it is quite satiating. Room note is much more tolerable for non smokers than most. Grasmere Flake is a very high quality tobacco and I recommend it not only to Lakeland aficionados but also to lovers of Virginia flakes.

I just finished my first 1/2 pound and Grasmere Flake is very akin to Kendal Flake in scent and aroma, but less perfumed. The addition of Burley affords more natural tobacco flavor. Lights easy, burns cool and dry and delivers a consistant medium bodied smoke that developes throughout the bowl. Nice vitamin "N" content but never overbearing. A great choice for those who enjoy Lakeland style Virginia/Burley flakes.

Little brother of Ennerdale. I like the English Rose and Geranium smell. And has a mild taste, not intense. Very enjoyable smoke. Easy to light and stays going to the end. The flowers sense and taste is always in background. Like it better than Ennerdale.

update:

I've turned back to smoking this again, in my old age and in the warm weather. I like it better than Ennerdale because it has some underlying strength . The fact that the flavoring in Grasmere is dominated by Rose (Geranium) is second to the balance of flavoring/strength. Where Ennerdale is mild to medium, this is a solid medium, and the burley can be detected in the taste and smell, but not to any great extent. My main objection is still that the flavoring is too intense in the first third of the bowl, but I just overlook that. Nothing is perfect.

I had to update this review as I've found the intense Rose scenting of this one to be just too much, too overpowering and the underlying taste isn't there for me either. Had me fooled and I reviewed it too quickly. However that doesn't mean that I do not recommend it to someone trying out some of the floral Lakeland flakes. I put it in the same group as Kendal, Rum, and possibly Bosun Cut Plug in terms of strength.

Another great flake from Gawith, Hoggarth. This one is scented with mainly floral aromas and is quite an excellent smoke. I haven't decided if I like this one more than Kendal Flake from the same manufacturer, but it's definitely near the top.

This one is a bit more full bodied, which is definitely a plus for me. It still has the light Virginia flavor along with the satisfying burley strength. As I've stated before; GH tobaccos are really good, quality tobaccos, with just a little something else on top. Well, with the exception of Ennerdale, which is absolutely over-the-top. Though, I do really enjoy Ennerdale from time to time.

The only problem I have with this blend is that it's frequently backordered at smokingpipes.com, which has been the only retailer I've been able to find it. If you enjoy Lakeland-style tobaccos (and I certainly do), this is a fantastic choice. If you're curious about Lakelands, this would be a good place to start, along with No. 7 Broken Flake. But, if you despise the Lakeland aromas, steer clear. Most of Gawith, Hoggath's offerings have some of the perfume on it. I don't know if that's just their signature or there's no way to keep it out of the other tobaccos in the factory. Even the "unscented" tobaccos still have a faint whisper of the famous Lakeland sauce.

Dark v pliable flakes, with lighter colors interwoven, in the bag modest rose notes. Pre-lighting in the pipe, the rose scent/taste was certainly there (reminding me of various rose-flavored sweets). Smoking, the essense was a bit stronger than Glengarry Flake, but nowhere near the levels of some of the other GH scented tobaccos, probably between Glengarry and SG Kendall Cream Flake, maybe (for me) around the level of Louisiana Flake (which I also liked). The room note (well, car note) when I went to check was more of a straight darkish VA, with just a hint of rose that might have been my imagination. The N-level was strong, but not overwhelming.

Another high quality, robust but fragrant flake from G, H & co.

The added flavouring (which can be tasted as well as smelled) is, to me, like a good Turkish Delight (the rose essence). I do mean a good one though; the stuff you get dusted with icing sugar from a proper confectioners, not the cheap, chocolate coated stuff you get at a newsagent/petrol station/supermarket.

Other than that, it's just what you'd expect from this blender; high quality, flavoursome & reasonably strong