Samuel Gawith Golden Glow

I suppose because SG baccy's have to cross the pond they are deliberately packed extra moist. Golden Glow has to be allowed to air out for a considerable amount of time. The long, rather wide ribbon negates a small bowl pipe otherwise it is all too easy to overpack the pipe.

The tin aroma is damp natural virginia tobacco scent with a hint of citrus. As a matter of fact I could have sworn I was smelling a virginia cigarette had I been blind folded.

Careful loading is necessary. I found it hard to light and keep lit as it really needed more time to air. The room note is quite simply tobacco cigarette, and so is the tastes except for a hint of lemon on the tongue. On it's own, it would make a very mild all-day smoke for someone content to smoke a very monotone baccy.

Too boring for me on it's own so I cut the ribbon shorter and added a bunch of latakia to what I had left. Once I did this, I could swear I was smoking Frog Morton.

No bite, smokes clean down to ash if allowed to thoroughly dry before lighting. I consider this a good "beginner's" blend. I won't buy it again simply because it is just too bland for me.

Having run the full circuit of aromatics decided to try a straight blend of virginia. Was worried it might taste like a cigarette, but it didn't.

Actually it didn't taste of anything very come to think of it. It's not nasty, definitely not a biter and I found it a bit of a bugger to keep alight. Probably something to do with the idiot that rubbed it out.

Very moist, scrummy looking broken flakes to die for in this tin of mine. Pity it doesn't actually taste of anything. Mrs RW comes home tomorrow and so that will be a test of the room note. A note I cannot detect at all.

Still, I can see me reaching for this one time and again despite my grumbles. Just sniff that old tin and get that bouquet is enough to make you fill up a big juicy bowl.

N-i-c-e.

I would rate it with 3 stars but I think I could spend the time with a much more satisfying tobacco, like FVF for example. A high quality and easy to smoke tobacco. Can be smoked at any time of the day. But not enough to satisfy my taste buds. It is too delicate. After finishing each bowl I wanted to smoke something else.

Anyway, a good tobacco and worth a try.

To start, I consider myself mainly a VA/Per and VA Flake smoker (i always chuckle when someone who obviously disdains VAs writes up a review for one and gives it a bad ranking).

Out of the tin, looks like a standard top grade SG Flake, only THICKER. a LOT thicker.

Rubs out just as easy as all the other SG Flakes, packs almost as easy, burns the same. quality work, as always.

Flavor was lighter than i'd like, almost too light. There was some nice VA sweetness and soft tobacco flavors in the background to give it something. I will have to revisit this later, maybe the flavors have developed after airing out a couple more months.

I had to drink this with water or a weak tea, otherwise the drink would've overpowered the flavor of the tobacco.

*updated - not enough flavor for me. i'm not an "english smoker" writing a bad review of a light VA, it is simply the lightest VA i've ever smoked.

It tasted bad and I will never try it again. It smells like dead saliva. It has a sour taste and a bite in the mouth

A very standard straight virginia. Out of the tin it is golden coloured (hence the name) and has a delightful whiff of fresh hay and grass. The cut was fairly thick and easy to pack. This had the tendency to burn slightly hot so some careful cadence was required. A pretty tasty offering, with notes of grass and hay with a little added sweetness. It is a fairly medium strength tobacco and pretty straight down the middle as a virginia. Not as flavoursome as FVF, but not bad at all. I wasn't blown away by it, nor was I disappointed - it is a very standard, very high quality straight viginia from SG. I'll probably stick to FVF however.

Samuel Gawith Golden glow is presented in a somewhat coarse broken flake and is comprised of bright and stoved Virginas. The blend is easy to pack but requires some time to dry; it is smooth, flavorful and pleasantly satisfying for a straight Virginia. The bright Virginias are zesty and sweet, the stoved Virginias are spicy, toasty and robust. Golden Glow is best smoked at a slow cadence and it may need a couple relights as smolders away to a grey ash. Jared away in the cellar, Golden Glow improves with time and is sublime after a few years.

Ottimo Virginia, cone sempre in SG...meno complesso del FVF, meno dolce del Capstan, ha comunque un gran bel carattere. Spettacolare se, come me, siete amanti degli straight Virginia.