Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Bright CR Flake

Very curious about the taste of this offering especially after reading the ingredients list and seeing the inset photo at Pipes and Cigars.com. I tried to order some but they were completely out which I considered a good omen(must be good if everyone is ordering it and causing a shortage like all wothwhile things) but a bit of a tease. Found some finally at 4 Noggins.com . Ordered a couple of ounces and was very pleased with the tobacco. An unparalled mild,friendly Virgina blend!

As a tobacco it has everything I require in a lighter blend. Easy to prepare and to fill the pipe.Excellent mositure content and light-up-ability and a very remarkable first few tokes. An especially nice morning smoke in one of my "hobbit" (handmade by yours truly) churchwarden and a nice way to greet the very early dawn hours. Great taste with the bonus of a very pleasant aftertaste. A great launch off for the more "serious" fulsome smokes of the day by way of either of the Gawiths or anyone else. Easy steps from Bright CR to perhaps Medium Virginia (Sam Gawith) to Full Virginia Flake(Sam Gawith)to Curly Cut Deluxe and Broken Scotch Cake(Gawith and Hoggarth) and on and on up the more potent offerings from many different suppliers.

All in all a very welcoming and friendly smoke. I am not all that sure about the others coment here about "soapy" tastes or "floral" this and that. I just know it smokes very very well and as a blend and it and I seem to have struck up a good friendship. I have noticed that it also smokes well in any size pipe of any bowl diameter or height. Another plus for me , personally.

It is therefore a very highly reccomended blend by me and very versitile for early morning or indeed as an all day smoke. I'd say order a bunch of it if you can find a suppier with a large inventory since you will probably want more.

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The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

I have a lot of hobbies, and I wish that each of them had so comprehensive a reviewing site as this one. The level of expertise (obviously indicative of the worldliness of the reviewers) to be had here is truly extraordinary. Read enough of these reviews, and you'll develop a keen sense of the particular tastes of the individual contributors. Whether I agree with them, from a strictly subjective point of view, frequently (Tantric, Inquisitor), almost always(Sykes, Eulenberg), or rarely (Pipestud), they, and scores of others, bring a compendious body of knowledge to the site.

Bright CR Flake is another unheralded tobacco that may lack the cachet and recognition of others, but yields little in terms of quality. Perhaps it is a victim of its own balance, as a lack a flamboyance is often mistaken as being pedestrian. Fans of the overtly sweet, heady, tangy, or what have you may have nothing to point their finger at. Rather, it serves as an archetypal blend incorporating many elements in an enjoyable, easy to digest form, along the lines of an Old Gowrie. Anyone who happens across this one should be satisfied, if not overwhelmed.

Update, 8/04- In the year since my initial review, I find myself smoking BCRF less and less, and enjoying it more and more. Perhaps I have too many selections of VA flake available (is there such a thing?), and find myself reaching for moment-specific selections out of habit. I don't know why, since Bright CR almoost always leaves me satisfied, and I find the ever so gentle presentation of the all too often heavyhanded floral component particularly endearing. Good stuff!

Addendum, 10/04- Undoubtedly, the questions regarding the unusual flavors to found in some of the English-style VA flakes are controversial. Some are enamored of the floral/soapy/Nivea components, while others are appalled by their presence. While the Condors,St. Brunos, or stronger expressions of the genre can be atrocious, if not downright disgusting, a light hand can nevertheless be endearing. When these flavors appear as wisps or hints, they can add a mystifying beauty to a blend. In this regard, Bright CR Flake makes for a gorgeous smoke.

Bright CR is a mild, decent virginia flake. Considering its price point, I honestly don‘t get the hype. It has everything you‘d expect from a natural virginia, including tongue bite. I sipped it but it didn‘t quite agree with me. I think it‘s a tad too acidic, leading to „chemical tongue bite“ if you know what I mean.

Burns down well with very few relights.

I‘d probably rate it three stars if it wasn‘t so damn expensive, difficult to come by (EU) or prone to biting me.

As a straight Virginia this is a solid smoke with excellent character and a good flavour profile with spice, fruit, hay and bread. The flakes from bulk are on the slightly moist side and require some drying out. Tongue bite is a risk as with many straight Virginia's so I use 6mm filters for myself and this gives the best results if the flakes are a not quite in the goldilocks zone taking the edge off any steam or over dry heat. I did not detect any rosewater or soap in the pouch note or charring light. This could be specific to this batch and could vary but for myself no flavours other than good tobacco were detected. If Sam Gawiths Full Virginia Flake is difficult to come by this is a great alternative and certainly worth a try if available. Satisfying and enough depth to keep you interested throughout the smoke.

In 46 years of pipe smoking this is one the best, ever. Mild strenght but a lot of complex flavor and taste. It is sweet but not flavored at all. It is just natural excellent Virginia. Very delicate with many nuances. A lot of pleasure. It smokes evenly and slowly. In a large bowl can last even 2 hours, but the nicotine content is not affecting. In the middle of the smoke you may find some honey tones. I really do not know what may become when aged. It reminds the Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake, but that is rough compared to this. What can I say? I wish I found this earlier... I an a large Castello it may take you to heaven.

This is definitely my favourite bright virginia tobacco.

it is so sweet and full, so satisfying to be smoked, with a nice evolution.

It's creamy, not zesty but more like vanilla kind of sweetness. It is easy to be smoked and full of sugar, it will age beautifully.

Not much to add here, simply one of the best.

A very light VA. Not much nic. so don't grab this if you have a craving. Still this is a very well made flake. The VA's are slightly grassy with light citrus notes. They have a little earthy note that comes and goes and there is a very slight woodsy note as well. Finally, I get a sweet toasted grain note as well. The VA's because of the region they come from do have a very slight floral note but this is not the "lakeland scent" that everyone talks about. All that said, the flavors are very mild overall and it will not blow out your taste buds and ruin any following bowls. I would recommend this one to someone looking to try a mild VA or just getting started on VA's. It was a very nice smoke in the late summer afternoons of August. I do not enjoy heavy blends in the heat and this was a very good blend for that purpose.

This is great stuff but not really my style of virginia anymore. When I first started smoking a pipe about 10 years ago I bought a bunch of bulk tobaccos- mostly english then moved on to McClelland, C&D style virginias. Anyway, I smoked some of this back when I started pipe smoking, enjoyed it but stashed a bunch of it away and forgot about. Now I have about 10 ounces that I jarred up and has 10 or so years age on it. It is awesome now. It's a mild sweet, hay tasting flake (golden virginia taste) with a light lakeland flavor. All of the G&H flakes are scented (the "unscented" are scented but more lightly). The scenting on this one is nice but takes a little getting used to. It's top notch quality tobacco and I love the way the flakes are pressed and sliced. I still enjoy some of the english tobacco on occasion. It's always nice to have some on hand. I enjoy the medium strength G&H lighter scented stuff. Definitely try this if you like virginias. It's been around for like 200 years! It's got to be good.

The sweetness of this flake is remarkable. It is a light, ethereal sweetness that is never cloying, and leaves the pallette refreshed.

I rubbed out several flakes that I have aged in a jar for about three years and loaded a very large Nording freehand. Immediately I was greeted by a sweet, clean citrus flavor. There was just a hint of floral scent. I agree with several reviewers' speculation that any floral notes probably come from the atmosphere of the G&H building. In any case the floral note combines with the superb tobacco flavors to tease my nose and palette with whispers of frankincense. A nonsmoker friend noticed the frankincense effect in the room note. He liked the smell as I puffed away on my balcony.

Even after three years in the jar the flakes were moist enough to drench my Nording. If you live in a humid area, drying is a good idea. Once dried the steamy bite is no longer a factor.

The nicotine seems pretty light to me, but it was enough to keep me comfortable. I tend to puff a little too fast early in the bowl when the nicotine offering is as light as it is in this blend. If I am not careful this can cause bite which would not otherwise be a problem.

This flake is a great chance to enjoy the exotic tropical tobaccos G&H uses without the distraction of floral topping.