Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Bob's Chocolate Flake

Although the world does not need another review of this outstanding tobacco, I feel constrained to record just how good this tobacco is. Cool and slow burning with all the expected tobacco, Lakeland and chocolate flavors that are blended together so that the whole experience exceeds the sum of the parts.

Lakeland aromatics fill a niche in my rotation. This is my favorite of the bunch. The tin note is unique, and immediately something you will always be able to identify. Flowers, almonds, and a dark cocoa note. The smoke is fairly strong, in both nicotine and flavor. I taste Virginia and a small amount of Latakia. I also taste cocoa and baking spices. I really like this as a change of pace tobacco during the cold season.

At first i did not enjoy this blend to much, it was my first try into the lakeland territory and i was not used to that specific taste, but the second bowl started to sway me to start loving it and now that same lakeland essence that puzzled me was making me really like it. It actually really goes well with that deep cocoa topping and the rich tobaccos. The latakia for me was present in the tin when smelled but doesnt really translate to the smoke that much, after all it is only 8% but it is there. I really love this blend but it surely isint for everyone (judging from some of the reviews here) it gets better and better with age though.

Some of the reviews this, and other G&H blends, gets are rather.... let's say "strange".

1. Despite what a very popular review says there is no tonquin in this blend. None whatsoever. Tonquin has flavour similar to a "deeper and richer" vanilla and is not in the least little bit "floral" or "soapy". Blends that contain noticable tonquin, or nowadays the "tonquin alternative" coumarin, are 1792, St Bruno and Condor, though the last two also contain plant-derived flavours (though not the infamous "Lakeland florals") so for purest tonquin-style taste try 1792.

2. The "chocolate" is more like cocoa powder than a bar of Cadbury's or the sad ersatz excuse for chocolate called "chocolate candy" in the US.

3. Despite some claims there are no artificial flavours in this or any G&H blend. They blend using the limited range of natural flavourings allowed under the old English tobacco purity laws that prevented adulteration with chemicals. Those laws were repealed in 1988 to enable big cigarette manufacturers to use "re-natured tobacco". As a side-effect they also allowed the use of glycol as a humidity maintainer in pipe tobacco. None of that nonsense for either Gawith company.

So. The flavourings here are a small amount of florals, probably including rose geranium (which is one plant not two) and others that were particularly popular from the 1700s to around the 1920s. And vanilla. And cocoa powder.

On smoking the latakia adds just a hint of smokiness and the flavourings blend well with the smoke. The Va and Burley is almost certainly from Commonwealth sources used by British blenders since at least the 1850s, probably from Malawi and Zimbabwe. The leaf is very good quality, but does not taste like US grown tobacco.

I'll readily admit to not liking this blend, mostly because I don't get on with geranium scent very well. It is however a classic of its kind and well worth trying if you are looking for a tobacco that has an aromatic quality to it but one that doesn't make you think you are smoking cherryade or slightly aromatic fog. The presentation is good and like most traditional British/Irish blends loses out if dried too much - it's meant to be smoked a little damp and oily.

Overall I'll give it three stars because while I don't care for it myself it's a popular blend made from high quality ingredients. Many people like it, so might you.

The first time I tried this I wasn't quite sure. Left the few flakes I had at the back of my tobacco cupboard, and forgot about it. Move forwards 6 months and I had a sudden urge to have an aromatic lakeland (I'd been smoking a Lakeland Virginia for the last 2 weeks) . Second round this stuff was Amazing. For me the cocoa comes through mostly on the retrohale. I smoked most of the bowl through the nose. It's as smooth as anything.

The alcohol is a nice background compliment, I almost missed it but it comes and goes mostly in the first half of the bowl. Along with the subtle lakeland essence. That also is more pronounced in the first half of the bowl. An all together nice tobacco. I found it to be more of a morning blend. Good with a cup of coffee. It's not a sweet blend. And in comparison to "normal aromatics" has no sweetness. The chocolate comes across as unsweetened cocoa power.

On a side note I ordered the plug because I heard that it is was an altogether MORE variety than the flake. My G*d, I opened the pouch and I actually had to stop myself from biting into the plug. No word of a lie. The salivation was out of this world. Can't wait to smoke it.

I got this in bulk, so maybe it tastes differently coming from a tin. A friend who lives nearby is on the local search & rescue team. Some day I've got to find a way to get him to get the team out to see if they can find where the chocolate that is supposed to be in this tobacco ran off to.

Dry out! Dry out! Dry out! It takes a forest fire to light if it is not dried out. It's not a strong as I hoped it would be. The Latakia ads to the bitter sweet taste of the chocolate flavoring. It's a clever blend, I would have to say that it's an acquired tobacco. It takes time to acquaint ones' self with the unique and subtle qualities if this tobacco.

My first review here, and it's certainly all been said already, but here goes nothing eh? It's my favourite 'aromatic' (and I hate most aromatics).

This blend remains constantly in my rotation. But I find it suits autumn and winter best. I also find it needs to be dried.

First, a warning - This comes pretty 'sticky' and with all that stoved Malawian Virginia and Burley, it has a sweetness. If not dried out it can smoke quite hot and there's a risk of tonguebite. I've read in previous reviews that this diminishes with age.

From experience, the flavour profile of this blend can change quite a bit if you rub out as opposed to fold and stuff. I definitely prefer it folded and stuffed.

EDIT: I'd cellared that original pound since 2008, and I finally got to those cans in 2019 (after much more experience). It's aged to a crystal-coated black crumbling flake with a texture similar to sliced dark chocolate brownie. I'd say it's improved with some age. Definitely less cocoa, and more forward with the floral Lakeland essence and rich nutty burley. But still a creamy smooth smoke.

This is in my opinion a stand-out, unique blend. Somewhat characteristic of other 'scented' offerings from G&H (Dark Flake Scented etc). But nothing like the sticky/gunky "American Aromatics" that they offer (Black Cherry etc.).

For my palate, this is a solid five-star smoke. It has hints of cocoa, but the main focus is the natural tobacco flavours. It's like being in close proximity to a cup of old fashioned cocoa.

The taste through the bowl starts out quite light (I'd agree to others noting slight smoky marshmallow). A little floral sweetness with hints of dark cocoa and vanilla. It builds and morphs into a full-bodied, deep and creamy smoke. At the mid-way point, I can only taste and smell hints of the cocoa and the casings have burned away,

At the end of the bowl, the taste concentrates further toward a rich, strong, nutty cigar-like flavour. Here you can most detect the Latakia, with hints of dark-roast espresso until you are left with nothing but fine white ash.

The smoke texture is of voluminous, smooth, smoky cream. The room note is pleasant and inoffensive, no hint of the floral essence remains in the smoke - mainly mild cocoa, vanilla and quality tobacco.

This blend matches well with good strong English tea (with milk and sugar) or a smooth mid-roast coffee (black or with cream or maybe a tot of baileys).

I have wanted to try GHs Bob's Chocolate Flake and SGs Chocolate Flake for a good while now. Well, for starters I went with Bob's Chocolate Flake. The tin aroma was definitely perfumy - which was tolerable before I lit it up. The initial light was all soap; as if I put a bar of Ivory into my mouth! Not pleasant whatsoever. I persevered and found the "Lakeland essence" never diminished. Occasionally, I got hints of chocolate - very minimal, however. The overall tobacco flavor was too hidden by the lakeland florals for me to taste and enjoy. The blend seemed to be overpowered by this Lakeland presence, and I didn't enjoy it at all. 1 star.

UPDATE 4-20-10: How time and aging change things! I let this one sit in its tin since my original review and 1 star rating, and decided to re-try it. Well, there was still the presence of soap in the tin, but much less than previous. Lighting produced a much fainter soap presence than previous which stayed very much in the background and fading nearly to nil by bowl's end. I was actually able to taste and enjoy the tobacco flavor - a mix of good tobacco and chocolate. I couldn't, however, taste the Latakia which was not off-putting in the least. I knew it was there by the way Latakia always nips at my tongue in a very unique way for me. A very nice background sweetness and flavor was the final reward (like chocolate milk). I now can appreciate all of the 3-4 star reviews of this blend. I will re-visit from time to time, but if I ever get through my tin and order more, I'll need to open it and let some of that Lakeland presence dissipate off long before smoking.

UPDATE 3-16-13: After smoking a good amount of GH Rum Flake, Brown Flake Scented and Unscented, I truly have come to love the Lakeland flavor. A recent revisit to Bob's Chocolate Flake was very pleasurable, but since I am not a big fan of Latakia, this will hold to 3 stars for me.

Very Nice Dark chocolate 🍫 note through out! I picture my self as a kid coming in from the snow with hot chocolate... melted down from scratch with a vanilla bean mixed in at my grandparents house with all there old cooking books 📚 this blend blew my mind with all the other tobaccos coming and going... light walnut casing from the Burley and that iconic zestiness from the Virginia! I have multiple backup tins now! I folded the flakes 2x and packed light to medium! Get them while you can!

Ambrosia, pure ambrosia. A fabulous dessert blend. My bowl lasted the best part of two hours and it was a transporting experience. Smooth, flavourful, no bite. When the bowl ended I was tempted to reload and start again. Fruity, chocolaty goodness through and through. The latakia is there, but right in the background.

I've yet to taste a bona fide chocolate blend, this one's not it, and my tastebuds are not as refined as others' here. The appearance is thick broken flake of dark brown tobacco.

Smell from the pouch is primarily almond, vanilla, perhaps some milk chocolate in the distance, and occasionally a small whiff of Latakia.

Taste starts with a Lakeland blast as other blends of this style, which very quickly subsides to the background, bringing the strong tobacco on top, and stays consistent to the end. Overall the flavouring is not very strong at all here, but it's always there for 3/4 of the bowl. Chocolate does not come out for me, neither does the 8% Latakia, but it doesn't matter because whatever is in this blend works very well. It's sweet in the Lakeland style, more sweet smelling than actually tasting.

This is a great introduction to Lakeland blends, the Lakeland essence is there, but it is very subdued allowing the quality tobacco to come forward. I'd strongly recommend someone wanting to try Lakelands to start here, as it will give a good idea about what they're like without being overpowering, made me a Lakeland lover for sure as once I understood what they're about I wanted more!

The flake is dense and rubs out well, into chunks. Light early and requires some relights throughout the bowl. A flavorful rich smoke, not overly sweet. The topping is mild and to my palate rich like cocoa powder or dark chocolate. It smokes fairly slowly, dry and won't get harsh or bite you. The flavor is consistent throughout the bowl. This is on a short list of aromatics that I enjoy.

While I don't have the discerning palate of some reviewers on here, I would say that this has the perfect percentage of latakia for my taste. I don't really get the chocolate or whisky but I do think it is a beautiful smoke and is so well behaved however you pack it. I folded and stuffed half the bowl and rubbed out the top half in the Oldenkott. The first half had a more pronounced latakia taste so maybe that's the way for me to go with that pipe. In the Bewlay which is smaller I had folded and stuffed the whole bowl and the smokiness was there throughout. I appreciate aromatics,vapers and english blends and this seems to have an element of all of these,it's a very good quality blend indeed. Hats off to Bob!

Not sure where to start with this one. Tin description sounded good. The 8% latakia sounded interesting. Ive been wanting to try a chocolate tobacco. Tin note wasn't bad. Comes in long thin flakes. Grabbed a few and rubbed them out. I did let it dry for a half hour or so then loaded up my savinelli 673. I have never had a Lakeland tobacco. I have heard of them, but never payed no mind to them. And had no idea this was one until I put my zippo to it. I got about three or four fuffs and dumped my pipe out. I couldn't get past the soap flavor. After reading reviews of lakelands, and watching some youtube videos I decided to give it another shot. This time I loaded up a cob. I pushed through the initial soap flavor, and gave it a chance. WOW. This stuff turned out to be amazing. Now I cant seem to get enough of it. I don't detect much chocolate, but a very satisfying smoke. Now I'm curious about other lakelands.

Three stars even if you're not a Lakelands/lavender fan. (If it's an off-putting style, don't bother, but reviews are for the tobacco, not your own preferences IMHO.) While this will sound like a Dos Equis commercial (and I am light years from The Most Interesting Man in the World), I don't often smoke Lakelands fragranced tobaccos, but when I do I smoke this very pleasant chocolate flake. Good underlying mix of base tobacco, more than a hint of latakia that comes through mostly after the first third of a bowl, no aftertaste as from a bad aromatic, and a shockingly pleasant degree of "masculine" smoking satisfaction. Chocolate is unobtrusively present but easy to forget it's around. Great lighting and burn characteristics. Had it in tin and bulk. Equally good. Like it very much in my smaller flake pipes.

Sitting across from me, Slugworth slid a plain brown briefcase across the table, wearing a sly grin on his face. I hesitated; I didn't trust his face, but I opened the briefcase anyways. It was full of money. I quickly closed it, glancing around to make sure nobody saw what I had just seen.

“What is this?” I asked

“Its simple really” He said from behind his thick glasses. “You have access to a place that I cannot go.”

“The chocolate factory…” I muttered.

“Right. Your golden ticket ensures your entry, giving you access to what I've been seeking for so long.”

I looked back at him, “You want me to get the Everlasting Gobstopper for you, you crook.”

“No! Forget the damned Gobstopper! I want you to bring me Bob's Chocolate flake and kill Willy Wonka!” He said, face red with frustration. "Forgive me," he said, "I want this flake. This is half of the money now", pointing at the briefcase. "The rest you will get if you complete the job."

I looked at Slugworth, then back at the money. Pondering my own ethics and whether I could pull it off. “Deal.” I said. It would change my life forever.

********* There I found myself, standing over Mr. Wonka, gun at his head. He stared up at me, face half fear, half disgust. Blood was streaming down his face from a where I had sucker pistol whipped him at his stupid half desk.

“You'll never get it from me! EVER!” He spat.

“We'll see about that” I said. Wonka had no idea what I had in store for him. “I'll do whatever I need to do to get the Flake, Wonka. You think I got this far without getting my hands dirty?”

With frightened eyes, he tried to force a response, lips trembling. “Whaa…”

“Fool Wonka. You think I'm here by accident? You think what happened to all those kids was by chance? Wrong! Augustus Gloop, Mike Teevee, Beruka, Voilet… I killed all of them, ensuring I could get this close to you.”

His eyes shook as a solemn tear ran down his cheek, “You murderer…” he whispered.

“Bingo, you Fuq. And you'll be numbered among the candy saints too, if you don't give me what I came here for.”

Just then, Wonka's eyes shifted to something behind me. He telegraphed what shouldn't have. We weren't alone anymore. Turning, I saw 3 Oompa-Loompas in full body armor, standing inside of the doorway. The two on either side wielded sharp Samurai swords, and the one in the middle, an MP-5 sub-machine gun. In mid turn, I quickly lifted my pistol and blasted the Oompa on the far right, hitting him between helmet and Kevlar vest, blowing his neck out. The MP-5'er responded by spraying a line of bullets in my direction, which I avoided by jumping to the side, dropping my gun in the process. At this point, Wonka had moved from where he was, to the far corner, rummaging through his desk. I knew what he was trying to do. But my priority lay with dealing with the midgets in my midst. The Oompa with the MP-5 had stopped firing, reloading his gun, struggling with the clip. That was my moment. Just then the remaining swordsman came at me, sword raised, his little legs carrying him quicker than I had expected. His height gave him the advantage to out maneuver me. Once he came in range, I dropped to my knees, and as he thrust his sword at me I let it slide by, avoiding the sword, grabbing his hands and pulling him forward to me. The sword wiggled wildly behind me shoulder, striking my side multiple times with small cuts. I quickly torqued down hard his arms down and he dropped the sword once I had broken BOTH of his arms. Arms broken, and helpless, I lifted him into the air by his throat and launched him at the remaining Oompa, who was just pulling back the action on his gun to start firing again. This stalled him long enough for me to pick up the sword that lay at my side. As the Oompa regained his composure, I hurled the sword at him. The initial shock showed on his face, as the sword went through him and drove him against the wall, pinning him there as if he was a fixture of the room. I watched the light go out of his eyes as he tasted failure and defeat. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my back. Turning, I saw Wonka leaping back from me, with the look of a frightened coward who had just stabbed a man in the back. I took the object out of my back and examined it. It was a candy cane dagger complete with a handle, hilt and blade; deep red blood was dripping off of the sinister sweet treat as I threw it aside.

“Time to finish this, Wonka.” I said, as I started over to him. When I reached him, I saw in his shaky hand a small, golden tin, with a brown and red label that read “Bob's Chocolate Flake.” I reached down for it, as he cowered against the wall by his desk.

“I'll take that.” I said as he reluctantly loosened his grip on the tin.

“Please… don't…” he stammered.

“It's over, Wonka.” I said as I placed the tin into my pocket. “There's nothing to be said.”

“No… you don't understand!” he pleaded “The world is not ready for this tobacco. Not yet!”

“You can tell that to Slugworth, Wonka.” I said, lifting the barrel of my gun to his head. “In Hell.”

And I pulled the trigger... with that, I opened the tin and took in the aroma. It was fabulous. I stashed one flake away for safe keeping, and if Slugworth had something to say about it, then he could suck my dick. I earned it.

I write this from the Island of the Dominican Republic, where I have chosen to live my life out as a wealthy man in exile for my crimes in the United States. In the end, it was worth it for the money, the fame and the smoke. Good stuff.

Egged on by Jim and Michael the cunning tobacconists of Durham City, England (may they live for ever), I tried this for the thoroughly childish reason that Bob is my forename.

You'd think that a chocolate flavoured tobacco would be pretty dire, wouldn't you? It isn't, though. I like BCF when I'm in a Latakia mood. It's a good quality flake with a pronounced but not overpowering Latakia presence. It's cool and slow-burning and consistent all the way down the bowl: those are the three main things I look for in a tobacco. Fold and stuff or rub it out: it doesn't make much difference, though it is improved by a little drying time. Its sweetness can cloy if you smoke too much of it, but it's all right as a change from the usual run of things. The chocolate flavouring is not all that pronounced, but I suspect this tobacco would be better if the flavouring were left out and a little more Latakia added. Very recommendable, but not, to me, an all day, every day smoke.

Well then, this was a smoking life changer. I shied away for awhile because of the "chocolate" in the name.

I don't mean to get all hyperbolic on ya'll but this is simply the best damned thing I ever smoked. I have just bought several lbs to sock away.

Tin: Or in my case baggie as I bought in bulk. Mmmmmmmm. Nuff said.

Loading: Excellent A tad wet. I rub it out and dry for a few minutes, or longer if it's humid. No issues. Typical flake. Then air pocket in a avg. 3/4 X 1.5"+ bowl.

Light and Burning: Top notch. Char it. Light tamp. Fire it up and off you go. A few relights but I always have a few.

Taste: Flavor: Omagod. Wow this is some good stuff. Just a hint of Lakeland on the char. Then it's really good tobacco flavor with a nice rounding of sweetness. This ain't Hershey's folks so don't be concerned about the chocolate. In no way "aromatic". But it's not some sort of stiff lipped "English Blend" either. There's some latakia there but it only sings back up. You gotta try it to understand.

Bite: Not one bit of bite for me and I'm a little bite prone. Zero and I do mean zero.

Room Note: Must be OK the wife doesn't flee.

General Comments: If you haven't tried this invest 5 bucks and get an ounce in bulk. I think nearly any pipe smoker will find something to like here whether you're one of those cherry jubilee, whip cream mocha surprise types, a latakia reeking English Blender, a Virginia sipping "sophisticate" or even a good old codger burley drugstore cowboy.