Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Glengarry Flake

This is the second Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. flake I've reviewed. There are certainly elements common to at least a few of their scented flakes. I have a confession to make before I write my review in ernest: I'm beginnning to like these scented flakes from Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. The first few times I tried them, I enjoyed them most once the flavoring had burned off. Now, I'm actually enjoying that soapy, perfumy flavor. I've long been a straight Virginia or Va/Perique smoker, so this has been quite a change for me (and I'm considering seeking therapy to contend with the changes in my self-image that have accompanied this discovery ). Seriously, while I doubt they'll replace my all-time favorites, such as Escudo and Astley's 109, they have certainly won themselves a place in my tobacco rotation.

Just as with other Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. blends, the tin nose (or perhaps bag nose, in this case) scared me. The perfumy smell sets off warning bells in my head-- this is a scent I associate with cologne, not tobacco. But, in the interests of tobacco science, I steeled my nerves and packed my first bowl of it into an Ashton XX Pebbleshell (I've since smoked more of it, though in the same pipe because I'm a little concerned with flavor bleed-over).

Though the initial lighting took some effort, I found it burned extremely well thereafter. I let it dry slightly before smoking it, though right out of the packaging it certainly would have been smokable (the drying was incidental rather than intentional). Most of the Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. flakes look pretty similar and this one is no exception. The tobacco runs from light tan to dark brown.

Though I found the perfumy, soapy flavor to recede as I was smoking the bowl, it remained throughout in this case (with other flakes from GH&C, I found the flavoring receded more quickly). Of course, now that I've been converted to liking the perfuminess, this is something I'm quite delighted with.

In spite of the perfumy flavors, the underlying virginias certainly make themselves known. There's a heavy, full-bodied-ness here that I've found with all of the Gawith, Hoggarth & Co flakes that I've smoked so far. There's a sweetness of the Virginias that is independent of the flavorings. It seems to reign in the top-note well-- offering a roundedness between the heaviness of the virginias and the clear high-notes created by the topping.

In summation, this is certainly a tobacco that I'll return to from time to time. I doubt I'll tear through the couple of ounces I have, but it will certainly be a welcome change of pace for me a couple of times per week for the next few weeks.

Comes in thick, moist, scraggly flakes that smell like ketchup or Bbq sauce. No Lakeland sauce present on my sample, at least by smell. I usually opt for a generous dry time, but it's far from unsmokable in it's wet state. I always rub the flakes out fully.

The smoke is somewhat monochromatic with just a bit of Hay, wood, and grass and just a touch of citrus and minimal floral essence. The essence reminds me of clover or wildflower Honey. The finish is very clean, leaving you with a somewhat freshened palate, if not a bit of soapy bitterness. No bite, burns slow and cool with a bit of moisture. Medium body, mild to medium strength.

Just a pretty little VA flake with a touch of the "sauce". Easy smoking, good for hot summer days. Ages well, and after a few years picks up some lovely fermented notes and the topping dies down a bit.

On my voyage of British discovery I purchased this when it came out a few months ago. There isn't much to say about packaging since I bought in bulk. When I open my bag there are some nice long brown flakes that smell of Virginia sweetness and hay, mixed with honey. They came pretty wet, so some dry time really helped me. They rub out well and pack well. They take a little extra time to light even when properly dried. I needed a few more than regular relights.

Once lit I taste the honey and Whiskey up front adding maltiness, herbalness, and sweetness. The Virginias are well married to the toppings here. I do taste some of the Virginias inherent grassiness, and hay, as well as some bakery-like flavors. On a really slow draw I taste some of the Lakeland floral notes. The toppings don't make this too sweet. Fast puffing will lead to a hot smoke.

For the taste I give this a medium. It's a nice soft smoke. The strength is a medium too. Not too strong, but strong enough to make me happy. The room note is pleasant and may earn a few compliments. This is a very smokable mixture when properly dried. It could be a repeatable smoke for some.

Glengarry Flake... how to describe this offering from my friends at Gawith Hoggarth? It’s a bit of an oddball in the world of pipe tobaccos, which in itself is a bit of an oddball these days.

Glengarry is marketed as an aromatic... but it’s certainly not an aromatic in the modern American definition of aromatic. No... this is more along the lines of an already-tasty, quality tobacco made even more tasty (at least, that’s the goal) via the addition of various (judiciously administered) flavorings. This was done with a light hand compared to others in the GH line of aromatics.

For comparison’s sake, take Gawith Hoggarth’s Coniston Cut Plug, a sister blend. Please. Please take it. It’s terribly overdone in the flavoring department. It’s so bad, so strongly perfumed, it should probably be quarantined a safe distance from all other tobaccos. I find it hard to comprehend the fact that both blends are products of the same company.

But here we are.

I can’t really pick out distinct flavors with this one. It’s just an appetizing smoke. I don’t see it as an all day—or even an every day—smoke for me. It’s still a little too... what’s the appropriate term here? It’s a touch too artificially flavored for my taste.

I’m perfectly fine with tobacco being sweetened a bit, but the flavoring used here distracts a bit from the natural awesomeness of the leaf. Just a bit... but enough to make it just an occasional treat for me.

I’ll still keep a little on hand... and could see myself restocking in the future. Unlike Coniston. That stuff... well, that’s another story for another review.

This one probably is more along the line of Brown Flake Aromatic, although I prefer the flavorings used in BFA (and DFA).

In the meantime, I’d give Glengarry two stars. It’s okay, but not exactly my cup of tea.

Update: 15 June, 2021 After careful consideration, I’m bumping this flake up to 3 stars. Since my initial review, I’d jarred my small stash of Glengarry Flake, socked it away, and forgotten about it.

But in the interim, I’ve been smoking Gawith Hoggarth flakes almost exclusively. I’m a GH man, at least at the present time.

And, while I’m still trying to come to terms with the more heavily “Lakeland-ed” flakes in the family, I’ve definitely gained a new appreciation for this one. The couple of months in the little fruit jar probably helped improve it too.

Strength-wise, I still lean towards things with a little more kick. And I also prefer a little more complexity/depth of flavor.

But this one is perfect for the times when I want to smoke, but don’t necessarily have the time to focus on what I’m smoking.

It’s definitely not in danger of being part of my regular rotation. And it’s not one of the flakes I fret over being out of stock. But I’ll likely order it again, and enjoy every bowl… even if I’m too busy gardening or reading or whatever to focus too much on it.

What a nice blend. This is kinda like a lakeland-lite. It is definitely a lakeland, but has nowhere near the potency of other lakelands (like my favorite ennerdale). If you are not a lakeland fan, don't immediately turn away from this one. You may be pleasantly surprised.

The tin note (or baggie note) is sublime. It is soft and light, but not in a weak way, in a reservedly delicate kind of way. I get honey, a floral lakeland smell, and a smell that vaguely reminds me of another favorite lakeland of mine, grouse-moor.

For such a delicate smell, the flakes are not delicate at all. These come in big, long, scrappy, scraggly flakes. Mostly dark with some light speckled in.

This one does not rub out easily, as the strands of individual tobaccos are surprisingly long. This also was a challenge to pack. Not impossible, but not easy.

These flakes are damp, even on my sample which has four years of age on it. Do yourself a favor and give it some drying time. Once it is packed, it was a little stubborn on the light, but once it is going, it functions just fine.

I really like the flavor here. On a lot of G&H lakelands, the topping is very prominent on the light, and fades away at about half bowl. For me, this tobacco does a nice job of balancing flavoring and tobacco all the way through. I really like it. All G&H tobaccos are of good quality, whether the flavors agree with you or not, they never produce a sub par product.

Give this one a shot. It is different than most lakelands, and a true pleasure.

Received a generous sample of this one from a dear friend as I refused to try Lakelands for a long time.

The flakes, cut rather big, broad and pressed solidly are from a dark brown color with brown and golden filaments giving a nice structure. The cold smell reminds me of freshly baken brown loaf with a bit of Grandmothers soap way in the background.

I rubbed it out a bit more thoroughly as the flakes are pretty hard, stable and of perfect moisture. If folded it's probably better to use a large bowl or a pan. Packs well and takes flames better than expected then burns cool and very slow.

In the first half there's a dominating floral (can't really detect) but not too soapy taste underlined by the sweet Virginia notes. A bit too much of that for my taste. As the smoke continues the tobacco flavors begin to gain the upper hand and a natural almond sweet Virginia taste comes through more and more; also some citric notes by the VA. You can taste the great quality leafs even if there's still a floral sometimes slightly bitter touch to it. No acidity or tongue bite in this one.

Glengarry might not become my all day but it's a nice and high quality Virginia Flake topped with interesting floral notes. Quite an exciting smoke - can't deny that.

Having enjoyed other popular G&H blends, I thought this was worth a try. It is.

Lakeland caveat: I have a feast / famine relationship with these blends. And I find them fussy, the amount of "perfume" seems to vary with moisture content. They take some work but there's something in these G&H products I like a lot when the mood strikes.

So Glengarry sounded like something I had to try: a Lakeland on the mildest side of the spectrum. That's an accurate description, there's just the faintest amount Lakeland aroma present, almost akin to smoking a straight Virginia in a Lakeland ghosted pipe. As far as the VA goes, it's pleasant, rich, and hits all the right notes. Although like some others have mentioned in this total combination of leaf and toppings it is a touch rough. Not horrendously so, but I did find myself reaching for the companion cup of tea / coffee more than normal.

In the end, this isn't bad at all. A little sweeter than a normal straight VA flake, with the faintest complement of Lakeland. Really, I wish I could get some of the other G&H products with the flower aroma this far dialed back. The VA is 85% great, the slight harshness is what keeps me from calling this an excellent mildly scented VA flake. As I experienced it, I say it straddles good / great, 2.5 stars.

This has some great burning characteristics, but the strenght and scent of it are a bit much. I still smoke it 3-4 times a week because it is unique. Can't do it every day, but I still like it. It's Virginia with a medium/strong scent. Still quite good.

G, H. & Co. Glengarry Flake, has a jar note that is floral, sweet, and has notes of hay. The smoke itself is somewhat Lakeland-forward, the floral notes of it are present from the start and stay with you through the entire smoke. The VA's have notes of fresh-cut grass and hay with citrus here and there, there is a sweetness present that only VA's can give. Behind this are notes of earth, wood, and just a hint of toasted wheat bread. The strength and nic are just touching medium. The taste is solidly at that level. The finish lingers just a little. The room note will not please anyone in the room with you. A nice middle-of-the-road Lakeland flake that should not put anyone off, unless you just hate Lakelands in general. A solid 3 stars and may well be repurchased.