Tobaccos Samuel Gawith - Winter Time Flake (Four Seasons)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2014-06-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

After seeing the “season” blends have been in the EU for a while, they have finally made their way here to the States. Winter is my first go around with these new blends. The tin note is mainly of Latakia and the flakes appear in typical fashion of other SG flakes with the exception of the fact that they are not as moist as many of the other SG flakes. I have smoked Winter broken in pieces and folded and stuffed. It first light, the Latakia is very present, but there is room for the other component tobaccos to play in the sandbox. I have seen some retail sites describing Winter as a Virginia flake with added Latakia. I think that is misleading as Latakia is a dominate flavor. Also, I think the photo here at TR makes that flake appear lighter than it actually is. I like Latakia, and I find this to be a superior blend to SG’s Balkan Flake which I find too monochromatic. Winter offers a little bit more complexity than Balkan Flake. To my personal taste, Winter is medium in strength and medium to full in flavor. Unlike the new Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake, I don’t detect any topping here. However, even though I generally favor SG blends over Mac Baren, I enjoy the Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake much more. It’s nice to see SG come to market with new offerings and I think many will enjoy this. For me, there are too many others of similar ilk that I enjoy more.

Age When Smoked: new

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipesterJim (47)	2013-12-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I am surprised nobody else has reviewed this one yet. It's good.

Similar to the GH&Co Balkan Flake (it really does exist, although my attempt to add it here under the old management didn't work), the SG version is more refined with lesser quantities of latakia and orientals, which let the quality SG virginias shine through.

There aren't many latakia flakes available in the UK, and a good number of those that are also come from the SG stable. Well, this is better than them. In fact, it is probably the best one full stop. Get some.

N.B. The seal on this tin was intact, but the tobacco within was on just the right side of crispy - still pliable, but quite dry. Not the usual, then.

Pipe Used: Blakemar 'Bash

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: MySmokingShop

Similar Blends: Special Latakia Flake, GH&Co Balkan Flake.

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Adrian B. (29)	2015-01-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is my second experience with a Gawith flake. (The first was Navy Flake. We need not speak of it further.) This flake is extremely flavorful and well behaved. The moisture content in the tin is on the dry side (for SG). I rub the flakes out and let it dry for 15 mins or so and load the pipe. It lights easy and stays lit. I don't know what the percentages of lat to VA are, but the latakia seems dominant and that's fine with me, I love the stuff. You get a nice noticeable sweetness from the VA. This is a really good English flake and would a good first foray into the genre

Pipe Used: Peterson Donegal 999, Ashton Billiard

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: local B&M

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2014-05-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I found this blend at a small B&M not too far from where I am. I find they have a lot of SG blends in stock on the 2 whim visits I paid them. Either the pipe smokers in my neck of the woods do not know a good thing when they see it, or they have not been formally introduced. But I digress. This blend is very straightforward and as such is very good at what it is. The tobaccos used are first rate, as expected from SG. You may need to dry this out somewhat at the first cracking of the tin. Once lit, it is an excellent smoke that produces a very nice helping of smoky flavor and a decent amount of nicotine is forthcoming. It smokes down to a nice ash at the bottom of the pipe. Highly recommended when it is in stock at your local B&M or online store. You won't be disappointed.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peter Piper (41)	2014-01-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

A predominantly dark flake with the occasional bright fleck, tacky to the touch and with a rich leathery smell.

Light it up and bam, you are greeted with the unmistakeable hit of Latakia, creamy yet a touch sour, buttermilk if you will. And then a steady sort of rhythm develops, with that distinctive flavour continuing, but just about kept in check by the Virginia.

There is not a great deal of complexity here, the two principal components perform exactly as you would expect. And as you would also expect from this distinguished blender, the quality of the leaf is unimpeachable. Overall there is something appealing about the simplicity of it all and it does the job coolly, smoothly and with the minimum of effort required.

So an agreeable smoke, but Lat lovers only need apply.

Recommended.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2017-02-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

My experience with this flake seems to mirror DK's to a fair extent. The Lat is easily the main player and in the first 1/3 the Virginias add a little sweetness, tartness and a very mild fruitiness. Unfortunately, the Virginias then fade away into the smoky, woody and mildy spicy notes of the Lat and it becomes monochromatic. The Lat is of good quality. It has a nice smoothness and a touch of creaminess. Really would like a little more staying power from the Virginias though.

Medium in body and taste. No additions detected. Needs a few relights here and there even when bone dry.

Pipe Used: MM Marcus, Country Gentleman, Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2016-01-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Blind test #1 and based on about an ounce. I didn't guess the blend but I did guess the blender. I guessed this as Balkan Flake, as I had essentially the same response to this as that one.

Mostly darker thin flakes that was much too wet to smoke without drying. I dried it from "regular dry" to crispy. As usual, it worked better crispy. Latakia was the dominate flavor and it was medium-rich there but the added Virginia brought it closer to mild-medium. This is well named as it would (and did!) work well outdoors in the cold. I found it monochromatic with the omission of orientals or any other condiment. In blends that use just Virginias and latakia, my tastebuds need the Virginias to really pop as they do in McClellands Anniversary, and they just don't here. They provide a base so the blend is not just latakia, but they are completely subservient. I'm not sure what the latakia content is here but it didn't seem all that high... it seemed like the latakia suffocated the Virginia, even though it didn't seem like a lat bomb. And perhaps that's the point. This would be one to keep you warm in the winter, as latakia is often seen as a cold weather blend, particularly a heavier lat blend. If you enjoy latakia that isn't dusty tasting or overly heavy, this might be one to try. Not a repeater for me, however. Then again, neither is Balkan Flake.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tabaco (112)	2015-01-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I rather enjoy the photograph, makes me want to pack an bowl and stroll over that bridge. The tin note is very nice like a peaty Scotch with some smoked brisket, just great.

Moisture content absolutely perfect straight from a fresh tin, not the norm for S. Gawith mind you they're the distributor it most likely was tinned in the Czech Republic by Mostex.

Plenty of Latakia upon first light, the Virginia's arrive mildly albeit later during the first 1/3 of the bowl. Not an overly complex blend; however, there's some interplay if you pay attention; quite creamy and rich as well. Once in awhile I do get something incense-like that comes and goes mostly with retro-haling. It's not topped nor flavoured as far as I know and certainly does not present itself as such, my Upshall Dublin likes this one a lot, likely the briar effect although in my Ashton's it does something similar.

It does loose some complexity outdoors although in cool winter air the Latakia ramps-up and it burns very cool in either locale. Mind you not as cool as S. Gawith Balkan Flake, tastier for sure and more complex, overall deeper Latakia too at least to me, and it burns to a powdery salt and pepper ash very similar to Cornell & Diehl with some apparent nicotine; nonetheless, it's not a one and done blend.

Decent stuff, a few tins will be added to the cellar.

Amended: this blend fades a lot. The first few days of a fresh tin transferred to a mason jar were very good, now a month later it's mute and monotone moving from very full to medium. Occasionally blends do this and no more tins will be added. Sorry folks I have to remove two stars.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wags888 (11)	2015-05-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This flake has improved for me in the few months since I last had it. The latakia was definitely predominant, without much refinement. It wasn't smooth, but wasn't punchy. So, nothing stands out memorable about the latakia. It did bite more than I remember. All-in-all, a good blend, but I'm not going to buy more for the cellar.

Pipe Used: Hackert Pot

Age When Smoked: 6 mos.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Warwick (37)	2014-09-28		Mild	None Detected	Overwhelming	Pleasant to Tolerable

UPDATE 2015-02-01: What a difference four months in a jar makes. I am upgrading it from 1 star to 3 stars. It has transformed into a full, smoky, earthy, Lat-heavy contemplative blend.

The Latweed dominates, but the bowl is generally smooth and sedate - not boisterous or combative. It can seem simple, but sipping and quiet attention reveals intermittent wisps of sweetness and spiciness that enhance its contemplative nature.

Alas, there is still a tinge of bite, but sipping slowly evades most of it. Perhaps even more time in the jar will resolve this? The bowl burns well to the end, with the nuances continuing to peek out to the last. The Lat hangs heavy on the tongue afterward, in a good way.

Good for a quiet, restful time, or whilst reflecting on the mysteries of the universe.

===================

ORIGINAL REVIEW 2014-09-28: Perhaps I received a bad tin of this blend, but my results are contrary to the other reviews I see here. I found Winter Time Flake horrible. This is the first SG blend I have ever detested.

The tin aroma is not of smoky latakia or virginias, but is instead the aroma is reminiscent of burning tires. No matter, tin aromas are often misleading.

After a bit of drying and rubbing out, it lights moderately easily. However, the burning tire flavor is now pervasive, and in addition, I am unexpectedly experiencing bite from the VAs.

It improves slightly further in, but it is still unpleasant. I had hoped for something akin to, say, Lancer Slices, but instead it seems like a cruel combination of lackluster latakia, SG Black XX, and a hot VA. The room note is at least decent, but the taste this blend leaves in my mouth is most unpleasant. I will jar the rest and hope time can work some magic.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 316

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Mars Cigars

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2020-09-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The smoky, woody, earthy, musty, fragrantly floral, spicy sweet Cyprian Latakia is the lead component. The Virginias provide a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, plenty of grass, some sugar, bread, mild floralness, acidity, light tangy darker fruit, earth, wood, and a couple pinches of spice. They play a secondary role instead of being supporting players. The strength and nic-hit are a step past the medium mark. The taste is a step short of the medium of medium to strong. There’s no chance of bite, but fast puffing may result in a harsh note or two. Has some rough edges. The flake easily breaks apart to suit your packing preference. Burns clean and a tad warm with a mostly consistent, deeply rich, sweet and sour, floral, savory campfire flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note potently lingers. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights. Not an all day smoke.

-JimInks

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2018-01-24		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This blend waited for several months till the heart of Winter comes.I anticipated for the last blend of the four seasons and finally the time came!once the tin breaks a rich smell of latakia with citruses came out.very natural without topping,the dark flakes have perfect moisture either to rub or fold as they are.the lighting is the typical one that flakes need and some relights are needed.while smoking the flavours are natural,clear and very pleasant.latakias are dominant being sweet,woodsy,spicy with lots of earthy and smoky notes.the virginias are in the backround offering citruses and some sour notes.the compoments are combined very well giving a wonderfull and very natural experience.burns very cool and slow without moisture being created at the bowl.the room note is typical latakia smell wich is no pleasant to others.no chance of tongue bite.the only bad for this blend is the low nιcotine level wich makes it an all day smooth smoke but not an ideal one before going to bed or after a dinner.generally this is a wonerfull blend wich pleased me a lot and i totally recommend it!

Age When Smoked: Rubbed and packed at once

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leandro (13)	2016-05-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a very rich Latakia flake with finest Virginias. Medium strong, easy to light, rub and smoke, and so... Just a good one pure tobacco!

Pipe Used: Old Master Dublin

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bayro (30)	2015-12-15		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I agree with my predecessors. It's no fancy tobacco, rather than simply a great mixture of Virginia and a good portion of Latakia, with a slight addition of Cavendish that mixture gives a certain sweetness, but as an aftertaste. It burns almost perfectly and at the end in the bowl is nothing other than a little white ash. Excellent tobacco - and not just for the winter!

Pipe Used: Davorin Morta Pipes

Age When Smoked: brand fresh, from tin

Purchased From: Dreier, Graz, Austria

Similar Blends: Pirate Kake.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sibeen (10)	2014-08-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I'm a fan of English blends, and this one hits the top of the pops. Beautifully presented flakes, with a moisture content that seems to me to be just perfect. Straight from the tin, an easy rub out, and then a luxurious completely tobacco taste is revealed.

Nothing fancy, nothing fine; just pure tobacco at its finest. It's also perhaps the best burning blend I've ever run across. I finish the bowl (in disappointment) and unload the leavings, which nearly ever time is just a fine grey ash, no lumps, no dottle.

What a fantastic blend.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnH (24)	2019-03-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The tin note on this tobacco is absolutely fabulous! Complex aromas of smoke and peat. It really reminds me of peat fires we would have in the house as a child in southern Ireland. There is also very slightly noticeable hints of the Virginia, but the smoky Latakia definitely dominates.

It looks good, clearly a flake, but already somewhat broken in the tin. Not too dry, nor too wet, it rubs out easily and packs ok. The first smoke is somewhat similar to the tin note, but it isn't as strong in flavor as I was expecting, very pleasant, but surprisingly smooth, and perhaps a little lack luster, but don't let that deter you. This is a very good pipe tobacco indeed.

It isn't the most complex pipe tobacco, the latakia shines, with the Virginia there to balance things, and balance it does, a little sweetness comes through at times more than others keeping the spice of the Latakia in check.

Overall I very much enjoy this tobacco. I haven't found a great deal of change in the few months I have been smoking it, it certainly hasn't diminished. I'll add a few tins to the cellar, and it has prompted me to try the others in the seasonal range. Only slightly shy of full marks for this.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Not sure, looked a little aged.

Purchased From: Local B&M

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sound Dude (10)	2016-03-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow - I really enjoyed this one. I just finished off the tin. Lovely smoky tin note. Nice "beef jerky" flakes. I did fold-n-stuff for the first 2/3 of the tin then rubbed out the rest. Latakia is front and center, but I don't consider it a "Lat bomb" (either that or I'm really liking the lat more and more). Room note is hard to ascertain as I only smoke outdoors. I think this is a great outdoor smoke - even on a cold winter's day. I had most of the tin while visiting Boston when it was very cold out. Just has a great "outdoorsy" aroma and feel to it - weird as that may sound. I also like the aftertaste. Take a breath through your mouth within a half hour of smoking a bowl and it's a nice cool feeling - sort of the feeling after having a mint. I'll definitely order this one again - I enjoyed it a lot! Recommended.

Pipe Used: Stanwell

Age When Smoked: Fresh from P&C

Purchased From: P&C

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JuanCarlos (13)	2014-08-23		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

This is an absolutely stunning flake. From the first moment you open the tin a delicious leathery smell makes you fall in love with this labour. This is not a common virginia/latakia flake this is much much more. The smoke is so creamy, flavourfull and rich that, despite it's very slow burning, you want more when finish the bowl. I find the virginias very similar to those used by Master Blender Tony Petty in his english mixtures, maybe i'm smoking argentinian virginias here, who knows? An excellent choice for the flake smokers lads, for the english/flake smokers... heaven!

Pipe Used: Amadeus bent apple

Age When Smoked: new

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KrzysD (24)	2018-04-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

It’s a simple blend.when you feel like something dark and easy to wrap up your day . Burns well once you dry it for a bit the fresh tin was to wet for my taste

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2017-05-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a Lat. forward blend. The flakes came a little drier than most SG flakes and were just perfect right from the tin. On first light I get the smoky, campfire notes that are slightly sweet and a little creamy from the lat. The VA's start in the background but provide a little nuance initially. They do add a little sweetness, mildly tangy but then quickly fall away and the lat. takes over completely. This is a rather one dimensional blend for the most part of the bowl. For me there is no reason to repeat, your mileage may vary.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2020-10-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is the third of the four seasons blends that I have tried. I purchased one of each shortly after they were first released around 6 years ago. From the three I have tried, I believe the theme is that they showcase the Virginia leaf. As Sam Gawith IMO makes perhaps the finest Virginia blends offered today, it seems they are sure to be great. I won't delve into the joint venture with stanislav as I know little of this blending house or who did what. For what its worth, I would not have bought them if SG's name was not on them.

I certainly loved the English Summer Flake and actually purchased more of it because it was so good. It was a straight Va which certainly fits the season. This also does well to fit the season as the cold weather of winter makes me and, I like to think most pipers, think of Latakia.

To my knowledge and perception there is nothing but Virginia and Latakia in the blend. The components made me think immediately of SG Navy Flake which also has Va and Lat with a touch of rum. SGNF is one of my favorite blends by SG. This is different from NF in that the Latakia is more prevalent yet it never overwhelms. There is no way one could characterize this as a Lat bomb.

I have been slowly losing my attraction to the lat heavy blends that I used to love, but this one was quite good, because there was enough virginia sweetness to carry the latakia for my tastes. IMO this does not rise to the level of SGNF, but it is pretty good. I liked it, but would not buy more as I did with the English Summer Flake.

Age When Smoked: 5 years 5 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Teodor (4)	2020-06-16		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Excellent blend!It is 50/50 Latakia-Virginia blend.When you smoke it very slow it is giving a taste like lakritz bonbons!Highly recommended!It is simple but very tasty! It is limited edition and not everywhere in stock!

Pipe Used: Mr. Brog

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sangagor (80)	2019-12-03		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Recommended. Nice smoke for long winter evenings. Go outside with small hip-flask full of scotch and walk around the snowy park.

There is only one issue with this flake I have learned. Always melt a moisture in the end. Pity, the latakia inside is too smoky for me

Pipe Used: Stanislaw

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: etrafika.cz

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RonR (85)	2019-04-16		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

3rd guy

I absolutely love this blend. Have a few dozen tins in the cellar. Has the best tin note and tin art I have come across in awhile. I have only had this and the Spring Time Flake so far of the 4 blends in this series. I have the other 2 in the cellar.

The 2 components they blended here just work in such a harmony I wish it was easier to obtain. If you are a Latakia lover put this on your radar. Leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

Still for sale in Europe so find a shipping buddy overseas which is what I do.

Pipe Used: Meers

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Overseas

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2019-02-03		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This may just be me but I do not believe that there is such a thing as a "complex" Latakia Flake. I have read a bunch of the reviews of this blend and the chief complaint seems to be monochromatic, or that it lacks complexity. Of course it doesn't! It's a Latakia Flake (and I love Latakia Flakes btw). Brebbia Latakia Flake, HH Latakia Flake, Germain Special Latakia Flake (may be the one slight exception)....all good but none overly complex to me. Maybe it is my palate or that I haven't had the right one, but that is my 2 cents. Hopefully that is acceptable to the reading public. This is a nice Lat Flake. It is sweet and smokey and creamy. It comes a bit wet but I left the open tin (opened so well the lid wouldn't stay on tight) overnight and it was perfect to jar and smoke, I did dry the flake for an extra 5 minutes prior to smoking each time). The smoke like the tin note is Latakia, as one would expect. The tin note does have some "other" scent from a topping that I cannot identify, but it is nice in both scent and flavor. The sweet and slightly floral topping is only detectable to me on the relight, which are moderate for me...I tend to have a problem keeping flakes lit from top to bottom of the bowl, most likely from my inattention, A puff or two after the relight and you are back to the core flavors. I would describe the Virginia's as bready and it works wonderfully with the creamy Latakia. The VA sweetness seems to marry with the Latakia sweetness, really nicely. Very consistent in flavor. Hard to find and I have no idea what the dating was on this my tins came in an ugly box from the UK with the faces of death all over them, BUT the tin inside was beautiful with NO other info on it or any type of stamping or stickers. I like the balance the struck here between the God awful tobacco laws in the UK and preserving tin art. Kudos to SG, DTM and Stanislaw on incurring the extra expense! I wish this was easier to find and/or available in the US.

Pipe Used: Briar’s and cob’s

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2017-10-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Samuel Gawith - Winter Time Flake.

This was one of my early reviews a few years back, but given the time that's passed since, and a lot of tins smoked, I wanted to re-post.

The tin holds a set of dark, slightly mottled, flakes. As usual, these arrive quite damp. I've found the moisture can vary, some tins are horribly wet, yet others are acceptable. Acceptable: don't expect perfect, this is, after all, Sam G'!

I find the title fitting, it makes a comforting winter smoke. The Virginia's added to a lesser degree, the Latakia has more tenure in the smoke. Although the Lat' dominates, it doesn't seem overly smoky, or asperous, there's cedar and smoke, but it isn't in the same league of astringency as something like Sam G' Balkan Flake. The Virginia isn't overshadowed completely, it's definitely present: refreshing the smoke, with a grassy, fruity, note, toning down the Latakia. I detect no added flavours, it's a natural tasting blend. The burn's steady, cool, and requires very little maintenance.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: traditional.

Not a Lat-Bomb.

Winter Time Flake. It's been in my rotation for years, so it can't get less than four:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Various

Purchased From: Various

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (203)	2017-04-05		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I am surprised, I must admit, for these flakes seem to be so easy going and forgiving. Not that I did not enjoy things such as Navy Flake, Balkan Flake, and so on, but what sets Winter Time Flake apart is this apparent lack of complexity and the fact they are so easy to approach. I can detect some sweetness here and there, and the latakia side of the argument is rather mellow, creamy and so soft on the palate. And the fact they are so easy to crumble due to its thinness and consistent cut will tick another box. Also, I cannot detect any tongue bite and they don't seem to smoke hot in your bowl. In true honesty, I wasn't expecting it. I think I might buy again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2016-01-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

WTF is one that I purchased impulsively right before Christmas. I was at the local B&M buying McClelland's Holiday Spirit as I have for the last two years, neat little tradition and as I was checking out I see this gorgeous snow covered tin. Take note tobacco companies: as with all colorful labels or anything with the words "Autumn, Winter, Haunted, Spooky, Christmas, Halloween, Strong, Scary" Etc. Young Piper is and always has been a sucker for pipe Marketing :-) it was a must have for my collection regardless of contents. I was certainly not disappointed when I got home and looked up reviews on the blend. My tin required a couple of days drying until two notches below crunchy which is perfect for this blend, folded and stuffed is my preferred method for WTF as rubbed out it burned a tad hot. I have enjoyed smoking WTF as a before bed smoke and its quite nice for a strictly Virginia / Latakia blend but honestly I do prefer Orientals providing some complexity in my smoke. I think those that enjoy Lancers Slices or Commonwealth would also enjoy WTF since they are all very similar with light nicotine and in the Medium English category (IMO). No bite, smokes cool and no real complaints on room note but certainly not going to win non smoking friends. Worth buying just for the tin art, high quality tobacco's, recommended, but not a favorite for me.

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Commonwealth Mixture, Charles Fairmorn - Lancer's Slices.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Flakesmoker (1)	2023-05-22		Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco is the best pipe tobacco I have tried so far; it's my absolute favorite. The moisture content upon opening the tin is perfect, with no drying time needed. The flakes are easy to put in the pipe, and the smoke is cool, causing no tongue bite at all. Additionally, the tobacco burns very well.

Now to the best part: the taste and effect. The first time I smoked this winter flake, I was sitting in a chair, trying to relax. After a few puffs, it put me in a very relaxed, almost meditative mood. The experience is so enjoyable. The nicotine is strong, and the tobacco is of excellent quality. As I've stated, this is my favorite pipe tobacco so far.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2022-01-26		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

WINTER TIME FLAKE: Excellent partnership between Samuel Gawith and Josef Stanislaw. For this season, Gawith and Stanislaw suggest a classic: a Virginia/Latakia flake, an English blend with a lot of Latakia and a sweet and gentle high quality Virginia. Latakia fits perfectly with the winter season and this is a good choice. WTF is a medium strength flake, with an intense and smoky flavor. Persistent taste. Not a great blend, but a very good one. Personally, I would prefer a little less Latakia but all in all this is a balanced flake with no defect. Not as complex as other English mixtures. Anyway a little gem for Latakia lovers. But if you don’t like Latakia stay away! In my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 8 and three complete stars.

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