Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Bob's Chocolate Flake

My first acquaintance with Bob's Shock-olate Flake was a horror. It was the first time I tried a Lakeland tobacco, and I was not used to this characteristic scent G&H add to most if not all of their blends. I admit I also didn't bother to dry the tobac very well which it definitely required. The result was a disgusting, over-perfumed, nauseating smoke that made me think I had loaded deadman's deodorated armpit hair in my pipe. Think of lighting up grandma's favorite bra if you find the former association too offensive. A horrid experience it was indeed. Long before the glow had reached the middle of the bowl, Bob's Chocolate Ache was out of my pipe, forever I thought.

No wonder I kept away from this product since then. But after gradually getting used to the G&H Kendal soap, I found I could try once more to make sure I did not have a faulty sample. I was told that the bulk version which I tried sometimes can contain a trace of lavsan which can ruin the smoking experience. So be it, one year passed and I have obtained another sample to commemorate the anniversary of Smoking the Famous Bob's Formaldehyde Fake.

The result this time was different. Dried out, the weed lost at least some of its tonquin aroma, and was smokable. I was also more careful with packing, and lightly packed BCF can even be nice. But I really can understand the one-star reviews. I'd have given minus four after our first encounter.

So here are some suggestions for the ones in doubt:

1. Make sure you're really ready to accept tonquin in your pipe. It's definitely not for everyone. If you have not tried Kendal weed before and want to experiment, start with Samuel Gawith production. Most of it has only got notes of the Lakeland scent (be sure not to choose Grousemoor as the first one though as its loaded with the perfume, although more of a grassy than soapy kind, and forget about 1792 for the time), as opposed to Gawith & Hoggarth's blends that I find are bathed in tonquin.

2. If you find that you don't object to Kendal perfume try Bob's Chocolate Flake, also known as the Beelze Bub's Chalklit Make among some of us. Practice shows it can even become your morning smoke.

3. Check the tobac carefully so that your beloved pipe doesn't get traces of whatever G&H use in production, be it lavsan, church candles, panties... I'm sorry

4. Dry it out.

5. Dry it out again.

6. Rub out some.

7. Pack very lightly.

8. Light up and see if the above steps were actually making any sense.

Two gravestones for this zombie as I can only recommend it to adventurers like myself.

I think that people are often caught off-guard by this tasty flake: It is unequivocally an aromatic in that it includes numerous non-tobacco flavorings and scents. But the term "aromatic," as used in the last few decades, come to imply "sweet and candy-like." Since this flake is predominantly flavored with chocolate, which is primarily used in candy, it is only natural that people should expect a candy experience from it. Then it hits them. This is _not_ candy. The chocolate is savory, as in a Mexican mole dish. The significant dash of latakia adds a smokey, earthiness to the experience. Background flavors of vanilla and something florid (lilac?) add complexity. The smoke is certainly sweet, but not candy sweet. This is an English tobacco, both in origin and in style. It is full, solid, and rich. Smoking this is not a delicate or subtle experience--pack it loosely in a large bowl and enjoy it with a strongly-flavored beverage. I have smoked it while drinking several stouts (really, what could be a better combination than Bob's Chocolate Flake and Young's Double Chocolate stout? the flavor profiles of the two are spot-on) and also with strong English tea. Be sure to give it a solid time to dry as it arrives quite moist. Since it's a dense flake, don't be surprised at a significant number of relights. Also, as others have reported, this stuff _will_ ghost your pipe, so don't smoke it out of a pipe for which the residual taste will be a problem since it will stick around for the next dozen or so smokes.

Bob's Chocolate Flake by Gawith Hoggarth is superior tobacco, but it needs to be dried. I cut mine into pieces from small upto three millimetres, rub it out and then let it dry, perhaps leaving a little moisture. Sipped slowly this really is first class, deeply satisfying tobacco upfront with a subtle chocolate/cocoa taste in the background. Doesn't ghost. I always buy in bulk. Highly recommended, just remember to rub it out and let it dry.

Ahh, the soapy chocolate goodness of Bob's Chocolate Flake. The name sounds delicious, and one is left to wonder whether the actual product can deliver as promised.

Not a chance.

Ok, I don't mean that as an insult. The tobacco is indeed quite good, but I can't imagine for a second how the casings can translate into a discernible chocolate flavor. I can detect something approaching chocolate in the tin aroma--it's sweet and gives off hints of cocoa. But when lit, I get that familiar Lakeland signature cleansing variety. It wears off a bit, after the initial char, and doesn't take away from the essential goodness of Bob's Chocolate Flake. Just don't expect a choco-blast of the candy bar type.

The tobacco is rather stout for an aromatic, and Gawith puts the blend together in a superb fashion. The American ideal of an aromatic...cheap Burley soaking in sticky goop...is absolutely foreign to the design. I often wonder why we can't embrace the British formula to produce anything better than a cheap imitation, like No. 79.

The list of tobaccos that goes into Bob's Chocolate Flake has me scratching my head a little. There's a small portion of Latakia, which I completely miss, and a healthy supply of Virginias. But this tastes nothing like the Virginias I'm familiar with. As the bowl winds down, I'm left with an amalgamation more unique than I can imagine. I only know that I must seek out more Lakeland examples in search of another fine smoke.

Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.'s Bob's Chocolate Flake is a Virginia flake with a difference. The aromatics from Gawith & Hoggarth are applied with an old-school hand and are all-natural. No artificial additives, chemical compounds, or propylene glycol here.

Bob's Chocolate Flake is predominantly made up of Virginia leaf, so it's sweet--but not a grassy, hay-like, citrusy sweetness. In combination with the cocoa and chocolate flavorings, it has a deep, rich sweetness with a bittersweet edge. Some on the forum have likened it to dark chocolate, while others have noted affinities with espresso. I agree with both observations. For me it evokes a cappuccino with cocoa powder generously sprinkled on top. Nevertheless, the flavor is subtle and is predominantly detected in the side-stream aroma. While it is present on the initial light, and it persists throughout the smoke, it never detracts from, but rather enhances, the native virtues of the constituent tobaccos.

The other defining characteristics results from the addition of Latakia and Burley. While 8% Latakia might seem insignificant, it contributes an important component to the flake's flavor. The smokiness of the Latakia is present throughout the smoke, only deepening as the bowl progresses and adding complexity and body. The Burley grounds the blend, adding body and a nutty undertone.

Much has been made about the supposed "soapiness" of Lakeland tobaccos, and it is present here, but only faintly and ephemerally at the very beginning. Nor do I find what "soapiness" there is to be unpleasant (even in its more extreme incarnations, such as Ennerdale Flake), but rather see it as part of the blender's profile.

Nothing lasts for 150+ years without reason, and when I smoke Gawith & Hoggarth's offerings, I often think about how many others have had basically the same experience for literally centuries. It's really a kind of time-machine.

I waited a while to review this one because every time i tried it in a different pipe is seemed to change a little. Overall the chocolate flavor peeked through 4-5 times throughout the bowl but never stayed constant. The floral presence did stay through out the duration. I assume this is the "Lakeland" flavor everyone describes. The latakia is there but faintly, it mostly shows up at first light. This blend has a good slightly complex flavor. It is very different from anything else i have ever tried. It burns all the way to the bottom without getting nasty or over powering. Not goopy or sticky at any time. I will definitely keep some of this on hand to put into rotation from time to time.

1-15-14 ***UPDATE: I am still experimenting with this blend and the more i mess with it the more i like it. Recently i have discovered if you really rub a flake out to the point it is light and fluffy by rolling it between yours hands and pack it evenly but not too tight you end up getting a VERY solid toasted marshmallow note for the first half of the bowl. I assume this is from the little bit of latakia and possibly some sweet virginias getting some room to breathe. Reguardless this is some good stuff, upgrading to 4 stars!

What a wonderful blend. Bob's Chocolate Flake comes in a beautiful brown flake form with bits of yellow and black (the latakia no doubt) and it has a truly wonderful tin, err, bag aroma (it is available only in bulk, as far as I know). I prefer to smoke this without rubbing it out, just roll the flakes, stick em in the pipe, and lighit up. It lights relatively easily and burns very well. The mild chocolate flavoring overwhelms the tobacco at first, but quickly fades from the dominant taste upon the initial lighting to a complimentary flavor which works well with the naturally sweet virginias and the latakia. I am told there is about 10% latakia in it, which I wouldn't have guessed in million years but can definitely see it now that I know it. There is a very subtle smokiness to this blend which works very well with the the Virgninia base and the added chocolate flavor. Eventually the chocolate dissipates almost completely leaving just the tobacco to enjoy, the strength also seems to kick in a bit at this time. Bob's Chocolate Flake leaves a beautiful ash and I highly recommend this to any VA lovers or even to aromatic smokers who are contemplating discovering the world of virginia tobaccos. But enoguh of that petty stuff- what I really want to know is.... Who the hell is this Bob guy??????

Bob's IMHO goes beyond the usual "scent" of GH and into more of an aromatic category. Bob's has a wonderful chocolate smell and unlike many aromatics, the tobacco taste is still forward over the flavoring. Bob's sweet chocolate tin smell carries over to the taste with a medium/mild chocolate taste. I don't detect much of the soap smell that GH is known for in their blends. GH claims that there is Latikia in the blend, but I couldn't find any Latikia flavor. I find Bob's to be a far better chocolate flake than Samual Gawith's. The flake is a bit moist and needs some dry time, but if rubbed out, it will dry quickly. I think this flake with age very well. Highly recommended.

UPDATE: I was able to get my hands on some Bob's from 2008, 2004 and the late 90's and this flake becomes deep, dark and rich with age. Outstanding!

I am updating and upgrading my opinion of Bob's Chocolate Flake after having consumed a bowlfull at a recent meeting of my local pipe club. My first dance with this flake was from a sample in a baggie. This time, I tried it from a tin that had aged for about five months and the results were much better. The tobacco was a little too moist, and that made the rubbing out process a bit difficult. Normally I would let a blend this moist dry for about 12 hours, but, I was eager to dig in. The blend stayed lit well and rewarded me with a semi-sweet smoke that tingled somewhat like Perique when I blew the smoke through my nose. (There is no Perique in BCF. I'm only offering a comparison.) I never tasted the Latakia even though the description says it contains 8 percent of that particular leaf. I did get a wafting from time to time of chocolate and vanilla - but, way in the background and it was expertly balanced in order to provide the smoker with a true tobacco taste.

BCF did have a nice nicotine kick, and that was a plus in my book. I will purchase a few tins and cellar them for several years. I think this mostly Virginia blend will (like Raquel Welch,) age quite nicely.

My review of this is: It feels like you are eating this when smoked.

{Note: i got a sample of long flake. It was not moist, but was sort of "oily". It didn't have any sense of aromatic smell, just interesting.}

I loved it. What a surprise. I do Virginia flakes (with whatever works to taste like tobacco), the more rugged and full of nicotine the better, but this has stuff on it.

It feels on the mouth like you can eat it. There is a sweet syrupy almost oiliness to the mouth feel. Nice taste. Soft smell in the bag that isn't aromatic, yet isn't other than inviting, too.

For me it is a Five Star Flake.

Summary: a mild version of the classic Lakeland flake with dark chocolate flavoring that creates a unique and enjoyable smoke.

Like most classic Lakeland flakes, "Bob's Chocolate Flake" starts out with a burst of rough flavor and then melts down into itself, producing a molasses flavor from the Virginias that melds with the warm Burley backdrop, the smoky leathery Latakia, and finally, a chocolate topping slightly offset by the old-lady-bathroom-mat geranium oil "Lakeland essence" madness. The key is in knowing how to smoke it: these flakes are designed for working men in motion in a cold, wet climate. Loosely fill the pipe three quarters of the way to the sides with the flake, then crumble the last ten percent on top as shake. Whip out your wood matches or trusty lighter and really go to town on it; give it the coal, repeatedly, while drawing in fairly strongly, in order to get the tobacco going like a campfire on a rainy day in winter. Now, sit back and make a seal with your mouth around the pipe, then breathe slowly as if you were fixing a teapot or repelling a Norman invasion. It helps to mutter along the lyrics to "Rule Britannia" or "God Save The Queen." What was at first a ragged stream of smoke becomes a soft, silky, and sweet flow of flavor across the tongue with occasional flashes of nicotine. This may not be a go-to for me, since flavored tobacco is difficult, but it is the closest that the UK has to "Prince Albert" and is quite tasty for what it is, plus rather creative in the use of the Latakia to bring out a dark chocolate instead of overly sweet flavor. This is more like a Tootsie Roll than a Hershey's Bar, and a large bowl will last you for two hours of pleasantly distracted smoking.

I'm not sure why I haven't reviewed Gawith, Hoggarth's Bob's Chocolate Flake before, given that it is one of my favorite pipe tobaccos. I bought a pound of it a year ago to put up but I couldn't help digging into my stash, and now half is gone. Oh well, time to order some more.

What I find so enjoyable about BCF is it's depth of flavor and dark notes. From chocolate to coffee to burnt sugar and molasses, it's one of the richest tasting tobaccos I know of. While it doesn't have any cigar taste, the closest experience I can compare it to is smoking a really good Nicaraguan cigar, like a Padrón Maduro.

This is definitely a burley blend, and I mean that in the best sense. Like any good burley, the taste is nutty, earthy, rich and creamy. The relatively small amount of Latakia is definitely in the background, but adds to the depth of flavor without hijacking it. The virginias are not very noticeable, other than to provide some sweetness (along with the casing, no doubt). There is also just the barest hint of Lakeland essence, which adds to the experience but is so subtle that even those who don't like Lakeland won't be offended.

BCF arrives a little on the moist side and therefore benefits from some airing out. It will take you a couple of lights to get it started and may require a relight or two, but it will burn completely to a dark gray ash and taste good to the bottom of the bowl. Given the quality of the tobacco, at a little more than $50 a pound it is a real bargain.

If you like rich tasting tobacco, you owe it to yourself to try BCF.

Tin note is very nice, it smells of yeasty tobacco with an added whiff of cocoa, whisky, almonds and a touch of vanilla or tonquin. Comes in broken flakes which can either be folded or rubbed out. They need some drying, but moisture is surely not excessive.

The tobacco lights easily and from the start there is a light floral Lakeland touch which intermingles very nicely with the, also light, cocoa flavoring. Latakia might very well contribute some smokiness to the taste but it is virtually undetectable per se. The Virginias are what I get most from this blend. Dark and yeasty but with grassy tones as well. Strength is just about right for an all-day smoke. What is more the smoke is smooth and cool. This tobacco for me has it all, it has flavor, it has complexity, it has excellent tobacco taste and the flavoring is only mild and very congruent with the tobacco flavors and delicious. It also leaves quite an agreeable room note and smokes to a very fine ash to the last shred of tobacco.

For me Bob’s Chocolate Flake is a fantastic medium strength tobacco that is so full of flavor that you cannot miss! A high quality and very well-crafted product with potential to mass appeal. Highly recommended to Viginia smokers. Could serve well as an introduction to the Lakeland style.

I, too, struggled with this blend. Trying to do too much is often not a good thing, and I can only categorize this tobacco as an attempt to bridge smokers of widely varying tobacco styles. The latakia was unnecessary but what I found the most offputting was the Lakeland florals. Sorry to be so trite but it tasted like soap to me for the first third of the bowl - like I had sucked on a dryer sheet.

I got the strong impression that without the florals and the latakia, this would be a very strong offering from G&H. But then it wouldn't be Bob's Chocolate Flake, would it?

All in all, I found this to be a blend of high quality tobaccos blended to a somewhat tragic end. It's something I think most people should try, however, as there seems to be differing opinions - and strong ones on both sides.

I just finished my first tin of this flake that I have been wanting to try for so long. Overall, I liked it as I do most GH offerings. There is a common thread with all GH tobaccos. They don't bite, no matter how hard you push them; they use top shelf ingredients and they all have a tinge of lakeland aroma that distorts the tobacco and/or topping tastes.

With the other things being plusses across the board, it is only that last thing that can really cause me to dislike these products. If you abhor that lakeland aroma/taste, you would be wise to avoid any GH blends; however, if you are like me and enjoy a light lakeland essence, say somewhere south of Ennerdale or Grasmere, you should enjoy this one.

BCF is no Ennerdale, nor is it some chocolate brownie type American aromatic. Truth be told, if it wasn't written on the tin, I would have never figured it as a chocolate topping at all. I do taste the Vanilla and the latakia though and would say their presence, albeit also very light, is more easily perceived than any chocolate taste to me. As an added bonus, I noticed no ghosting in any pipe this was smoked in, so most bowls were smoked in briar pipes.

Overall, it is nice and the taste that stands out the most to me, is the Virginia leaf, which I believe to be mostly bright leaf. It has a very nice citrus sweetness to it. The other favors play well with this. I could easily smoke this one all day and have a few times. I usually smoke two to three bowls a day, so it is not that big a feat. This is also nothing like the GH aromatic twists in that you can smoke a whole bowl without shaking and getting the cold sweats. It certainly isn't weak on nicotine, but it is not heavy by any means.

I recommend it but will keep it to three stars as it does not rise to the next level for me.

It is a little disconcerting that the review that was found useful by the most people is so misleading. I wonder how many people may have never tried this blend based on an incorrect description or the repeating thereof.

This is not a tonquin flavored mixture.

Ill say it again, as this faulty review seems to equate the lakeland aromatic effect with tonquin - this is not a tonquin flavored mixture. Everyone is free to love or hate BCF on its own merits, but don't warn people off due to tonquin, when there is no tonquin.

It is impossible to say with certainty that this has 0% tonquin, because they apply an aromatic casing in addition to the chocolate and vanilla, which might, but probably doesn't, contain a tiny bit of tonquin. What can be said with certainty is that the result does not taste like tonquin, tonquin is not to any appreciable degree present in this flake, and the lakeland scent and flavor are not synonymous with tonquin. Warning someone to avoid this flake if they do not like tonquin or are not ready to try tonquin is misleading because this in no way shape or form tastes like tonquin or, per the mixture description, has any. Gawith 1792 flake tastes like tonquin, because it has tonquin. Tonquin to my palate tastes like a pungent cross between earthy liqourice and vanilla. Smoke 1792 and then see if BCF tastes anything like that - you will see that it does not.

The description also alleged that it had whiskey as a casing, which it does not contain either.

As for the lakeland essence, yes it is present to a light degree in the background. Again, not a tonquin predominant flavor or smell, "lakeland" is something different. It is floral and mildly soapy (but not in a bad way, if such a thing is possible). Some people hate it, others love it. Here it is very mild and very much rounding out the flavor, not forward in the mix like a true lakeland flake.

To my taste this smokes like a nice VA flake. I really do not get latakia at all, but I take them at their word that it is in there. The chocolate is present in the tin, but I really do not get the flavor when smoking. The vanilla is not very forward either. This smokes like a sweet, cool pressed VA flake with a little lakeland action happening in the background.

Gawith's chocolate flake is the 4 star iteration of this style flake. IT has far more complexity and flavor, and more chocolate flavor to boot. BCF is a fine, affordable flake that can be enjoyed in its own right, and deserves a full three to three and a half stars.

Gawith Hoggarth - Bobs Chocolate Flake.

Note: I reviewed this a few years back but upon reading it recently I vehemently disagreed with my past opinion. As it's recently become one of my favourite blends I decided to delete and re-write my review.

The pouch has a brilliant chocolate smell to it. This is the story the whole way through: chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!

I like to rub my flakes and as these arrive loosely pouched they're nicely hydrated making rubbing a doddle. This also makes ignition easy too, it only takes a short touch of the flame. And then, as I implied, it's a chocolate lovers dream. The smoke is prominently chocolate and any whiskey goes completely unnoticed. I struggle to detect much of the Latakia's smokiness or the Burley's nuttiness; what I do get is a superbly sweet and chocolaty smoke, making it a PERFECT dessert smoke! The moisture quantity made the igniting easy and it also makes the burn impeccable; it goes steady, consistent, and the smoke's cool. I'd say the nicotine's about mild to medium but for it to become medium it requires a hearty puff! Finally, the room note also carries a hefty waft of chocolate!

Due to the loose packaging Bob's Chocolate will become as brittle as a twig and un-smokeable in no time at all so it has to be put into a mason jar.

This is a fantastic tobacco and I regret my previous negative review.

Highly recommended.

You won't find any of the Lakeland casing here. Rather, the tin note, and this shows in your smoke too, has this touch of chocolatey aroma that gives its name to this blend created by Gawith & Hoggarth's master blender Bob. This tends to wane as you progress with your smoke, but I am finding both the Virginias and Burleys quite satisfying in their own right. Not a complex tobacco by any stretch of the imagination, but the fact it is easy smoke and that I cannot detect any tongue bite means this might as well be something to cut your teeth with if you are thinking venturing into the world of aromatics for the first time. As I light up my pipe, I did not detect any Latakia in it, and in true honesty I am still puzzled over it, but it was quite apparent to me it was showing in the room-note. Every now and then I'd get this hint of spiciness so characteristic in most Latakia based tobaccos. I found this to be a very interesting feature. Highly recommended.

It's all been said. Good stuff. The Latakia and lakeland touch is very soft, which works superbly well. Really its a VA blend, burley blend, lakelands blend and an English blend all mixed together and it still pleases. Nice.