Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Rum Flake

Another solid flake from G&H. This one is darker in flavor than Glengarry or Brown Flake No. 2 and the floral notes are a bit more noticeable. The tin note is that of spiced rum, prunes, honey and an ever so slight sweet-hay almost oat-like aroma.

Charring light brings forth a swell of flavors and an underlying floral essence. Throughout the bowl the interplay between the tobacco and Lakeland flavor is perfect. The floral notes seem to come and go, making for slightly more complex aromatic experience than G&H's less perfumey offerings. I don't get much of the rum and maple flavors, but there is an underlying sweetness that supports the tobacco flavors beautifully.

Rum Flake has a very refreshing quality to its flavor. It's fairly full tasting yet smoking it leaves a very light foot print on my palate. So far one of my favorite G&H flakes.

If Mac Baren made a 'full' mixture that didn't bite this would be it.

**Updated 08/05**

I've changed the way I smoke this tobacco. I no longer roll the flake; I cut it up with scissors into small pieces and then further rub it out until it's almost powder. The depth of the flavor is more abundant to me when prepared in this fashion which results in a mellow and even more "round" full smoke. I will also let the flake dry on a plate before cutting and rubbing out vigorously.

Oddly enough, this tobacco has a hint of that "soapy" flavor that one finds in many of these Lakeland style flakes. It's not overwhelming, it's kind of charming. I will be smoking the bowl and all of a sudden I'll get an awareness of that 'taste' and then it's gone.

The tobacco burns slow, cool and dry. The nicotine edge that this tobacco has is just right - it's not over the top like Dark Flake and it's a little less pronounced in nicotine than the Kendal Flake is.

A friend of mine in Florida introduced me to this tobacco. He's a former cigarette smoker and has sworn by this tobacco for several years. Once when we swapped pipes he sent me a sample of this and I laughed at him! No way would I put this foul 'soapy' stuff in my pipe! But being an adventurist (and former cigarette smoker) I decided to try it and was simply amazed.

The sweetness of the maple in the tobacco is like Mac Baren on steriods but not in an aromatic way. Rum Flake smokes all the way down, just like it started - a very steady and heady smoke. No wet smoke, just let the flakes dry out a bit before loading.

A buddy of mine (at the Chicago Pipe Show) filled up a pipe with this. He told me that he (a cigarette smoker) had a problem with blends biting his tongue. After finishing the bowl he came up to tell me that this blend was wonderful - and he bought a couple of 'bricks' of it to take home. He came up to me the next day to thank me for introducing this to him.

I keep this on hand at all times, it's highly underrated but it does have a hint of that soapy flavor that so many abhor.

Unique and Thoroughly Enjoyable!

Whether you are a smoker of virginias, va/per, or aromatics, you will probably like this flake. The charactaristic lakeland taste and aroma is nearly absent, definitely unnoticable. What comes through is a fairly sweet, slightly spicy tobacco taste. The strong rum smell present in the tobacco before lighting only just comes through in taste at the beginning of the bowl. After that, it seems simply to add depth to the natural sweetness of the tobacco itself.

I've always been impressed with the quality of G&H, even in their offerings that I didn't particularly care for. There is no denying that the tobacco is of the highest quality. And Rum Flake delivers on this with satisfying taste and aroma all the way to the bottom of the bowl. It will not take the place of my favorite smokes, but is definitely in the lineup for a once a week smoke.

Dang, this is sturdy stuff.

The tin note is actually slightly off-putting. The topping is clearly alcohol, but not classy stuff, more like someone's breath who has a hangover. Its kinda rancid, sour, rough alcohol, on top of some very rich and sturdy tobacco.

Sits in a plastic wrapper inside the tin, odd.

Ships damp, and needs some drying out. However, this is a very good smoke. Its like Irish Flake with some aro elements, so there is a very rich VaBur combo at work at the heart of it, deep and dark VaBur with plumes of rich blue smoke, and the alcohol flavour comes through in brutal fashion. It doesn't hide whatsoever.

Its somewhat similar to Sextant without the Lat, the richness is not hard to find, and the furnace brings out a lot of nuance and deep flavour.

I really liked it, however, its also responsible for the first time I was put on Weird Street, and after smoking a massive bowl of this in an XXL Billiard sitting down for almost 90 minutes, I was very green and ill for almost 2 hours, ending up not smoking again for about 2 weeks. The strength of the tobacco, the volume and richness of the smoke, the big and loud alcohol aroma, this is not for the feint hearted and if you are not ready for it it will knock your socks off in brutal fashion.

Big yes, but be cautious.

I actually did not like this blend the first time I tried it, but now I consider it a favorite. It starts off a bit harsh and too floral. Then the foreground Lakeland influence begins to relinquish some of its prominence to the musty perique-like maple and (almost undetectable) rum about ¼ the way down the bowl. (Don’t misunderstand me, I like Lakeland blends, but not when they are too heavily stated.) Pull slowly to enjoy. Stays lit. Sweet spots are treasured and interplay delightfully with the acrid. The harshness progressively transforms to the smooth and creamy. Last third of bowl it becomes more fruit-berry like and the nicotine gets stronger. This smoke can dry your throat out, so have a drink handy. The blend goes through a metamorphosis in taste and PH as you work down the bowl, but the integrity of the tobacco is maintained throughout without the taper off that so many lower quality tobaccos exhibit. If you like the prospect of smoking an aromatic tobacco that is a step up from the typical fare, then this blend with its stoutness of character and medium nicotine should qualify.

Comes as a pressed block with delicious sugar crystals forming on the outside. Smokes rich, deep and sweet with a sublime room note. THIS is why I took up pipe smoking...

I don't know how this could be rated only two stars! Absurd! This is one of the best flakes ever! Don't smoke this first if you are planning on trying any other tobacco that day! It is so flavorful it would overwhelm any other smoke that followed. If it has any fault it would be that a small pipefull seems to last forever! Really good stuff! "Non-Flakers" need not apply!

Update 11/26/04:

One of my pipe-buddies new to the game (a former big bucks cigar buyer) says this is as good or better than any of the $10 cigars he used to buy. He is not saying it tastes like a cigar, rather it gives him similar satisfaction.

A tobacco description that is absolutely spot on. The taste definitely makes me think of a slice of spiced Christmas cake with rum drizzled over it. It is fuller of taste but not so strong where I would be grabbing a small bowled pipe. I smoke it in a standard size billiard. I don't get Lakeland floral at all but since I smoke Ennerdale and Kendall flakes perhaps I'm less sensitive to it and miss it in it's most minute addition. I highly recommend you try this if it sounds at all interesting to you. personally, I smoke my flakes dried significantly and suggest if you have an unsatisfactory smoke with this tobacco, dry it more and try again before moving on.

I'm really glad I gave this one a try.. it is my new favorite GH blend and possibly my favorite 'aromatic'.. I'm a fan of navy style blends and like a little rum flavoring.. but this as other reviewers have said is quite unique.. My tin, purchased new, did have some sugar crystals so there may well have already been some age on it.. it is very stout and the flavors are quite upfront.. the Virginia is a minor player compared to the burley.. as you go down the bowl the burley really starts to shine and the maple comes out here and there.. it does have a little strength to it.. not a powerhouse but stout.. the rum is very subtle and seems to be a darker rum.. the ingredients all work together beautifully and the aroma while smoking is amazing.. I didn't detect much Lakeland essence.. maybe it is different in bulk as many others seem to pick it up.. it has a decidedly sweet and creamy character.. I could see this appealing to many different types of smokers as it crosses over many genres.. it has plenty of natural tobacco flavor.. it is by definition an aromatic.. it is a burley.. and it does have some Virginia (though kind of in the background it is there) highly recommended