Samuel Gawith English Summer Flake

Upon opening the tin you will be greeted by a very discreet hey aroma, typically for Virginias. There are *no* topings, additives or flavourings in this flake, what you smell is just how Virginia does smell incl. the citrus like aroma some make out in it.

The flakes came perfectly conditioned right out of the tin, even a bit on the dry side, which is a first for Samuel Gawith but is common for DTM who actually makes this fine and limited tobacco series. So, packing and especially lighting is a joy. Once lit it burns on its own and very, very hassle free.

The taste is that of hey-like Virginia with some slight sweetness to it, that also carries on in the aftertaste, so no surprises here. The aroma is delicate yet very faint. You need an already trained palette to get the most out of it and it that regard it is not for the beginner. Also if smoked too hot it quickly looses the already light aroma and only hot air remains. Which, in my mind, is an awful trade for a summer tobacco. When the temperature is above 30°C its rather hard to keep your smoke cool.

Towards the end it loses what little flavour was present and only very fine, white ashes do remain. Also this flake is not for the filter smoker, hardly anything gets through if you use them.

Strength is on the very weak side, but that's a good thing for a summer tobacco. Also, it reminds me too of the current incarnation of Dunhill Flake, both in taste as well in flatness and one-dimensionality.

Room note is that of pure Virginia but on the cigarette side.

Do i recommend this flake? I somewhat do. But only in the summer and only if you really are into very light (both strength and taste) tobaccos. For any other season this flake is just too weak and dull to satisfy. I did like it, and for its purpose i give it 3 stars. Else i only would give it two stars for the reasons above.

A side note: i got this tin without the Samuel Gawith logo on it and containing only 40g. I guess this is for tax and/or import reasons for the Austrian market.

This is a really light Virginia flake with sour lemon topping. It is amazing, because I didn't know you could make Virginia flake offer hints of sour lemon. I didn't notice a lot of sweetness, which in this case was fine.

Normally I despise any kind of a topping, but this is a wonderful tobacco. In the heat and humidity of the Gulf Coast the whispers of sour lemon, with nothing thick or cloying, is very refreshing indeed.

I love smoking this stuff while sipping hot tea with a squeeze of lemon. Earl Grey seems to have been made for this flake, and this flake for Earl Grey.

This flake has a very light flavor profile overall, so when you sample it just remember that it is supposed to be super light on the pallette. If I am looking for lots of flavor I smoke C&D Opening Night, or Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake. This is for hot afternoons.

This is the 3rd of the 4 seasons line that I have tried so far. As with the others, this one will need some drying time before some would even consider putting fire to it. YMMV on this point. Upon opening the tin you get a very nice tin note and the flakes are nice and thin for easy rubbing out. This lights and stays lit with little effort once properly dried. The weed used is the usual quality from SG. The nicotine level is on the lower end, so it should be no problem for those with a lower tolerance. Burns down to a nice ash at the end of the bowl. Definitely recommended whenever it is available.

ENGLISH SUMMER FLAKE This is the classic traditional English Straight Virginia. Bright Virginia (not matured Virginia), natural Virginia (no flavoring) in a flake cut. The taste of once. Completely different from straight Virginias composed by ripe Virginias, red Virginias, stoved or steamed or toasted Virginias. This is English taste. Not Scottish or American taste. Not too sweet, little aromatic, such as a pure young Virginia. It doesn’t bite. A slightly citrusy taste is perceived. Medium strength with the right nicotine content. Room note not so good, anyway tolerable. A straight Virginia without frills, as it once was. If you are looking for a straight Virginia, English school, absolutely natural, this is certainly a perfect one. Only one flaw: it lacks complexity. All in all, a good summer smoke, as the name suggests. In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 8 and three stars.

One blend from very successful series. Four seasons. Not as full as Scottish Autumn flake but more fruity and fresh. After opening nice flavor of fruits. Burning is good without moisture. Flavor of fruits and citrus is present all the time during the smoking. Sometimes it overpowers the sweetness I would expected more. More-less duty for all pure VA pipers.

I'm growing rather fond of this series. I'm yet to try the Scottish Autumn, but the others have been very enjoyable.

Whilst this isn't particularly exciting, it is still a nice, very solid virginia. I don't enjoy it quit as much as the other two I've tried, but I'll probably still buy a few for the cellar if I see it again.

It has a definite citrus note and a little spice, and basically what you'd expect from a virginia. Overall well worth a try for the Virginia lover, but probably won't please others quite as much. 3 to 3.5 stars

Very nice "Gawith looking" flake. It screams "made on old equipment the old fashioned way". Tin note was interesting, pretty standard straight VA in the background, hay and grass with sweetness but a hard to place citrus smell. Orange/lemon like but not quite, kind of reminds me of Aperol. Taste is slightly sweet, crisp and refreshing. The predominant flavors that I get are lemon zest, slightly grassy with a mineral finish. I don't get the Dunhill Flake comparisons I have read. This to me is quite different. It is a bit sharp and has a tang on the retrohale. Nice aftertaste. I wish I had grabbed more than one tin.

This is IMHO the best of the special seasonal offerings from Gawith. Hard to find and in theory no longer in production -- BUT clearly a number of places still have an ample supply. This is a very tasty lightly stoved virginia flake. Those people who describe it as nice are missing the real quality of this smoke. You have to sip it..HAVE to. If you smoke too fast you lose the fragrance and under notes of this tobacco. There is a wine taste to it when you slow down. Its a cool smoke, and strength wise is closer to FVF than to, say, best brown. Like the Irish flake in this line English Summer Flake is full of interesting notes. Not just wine, but a kind of subtle orange flavor, but also that of nuts or bread at times. Its a wonderful flake. The nic hit is close to medium ...if not actually at medium. If you can get some, do so.

Yes, I suppose it is OK, but it is rather complex and difficult to approach. The tin note is almost imperceptible, but the casing is definitely in there, though difficult to describe. I'd say it has sort of coconut notes, or chocolatey if you like. Also, it can smoke hot in your bowl if you don't pay any attention. To end on a positive note, I can detect sort of a citrusy note to it and the flakes will crumble easily and are easy to pack. All and all I'd say it is not a bad smoke, but it is not as good as to keep it under my radar.