Samuel Gawith Winter Time Flake

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.