Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Rum Flake

G & H produce some fine scented flakes...fine that is if you have the taste for them; Rum Flake almost escapes the base notes of their scented flakes. Almost. It has a wonderfully subtle aroma in the tin or box; rich and chocolatey, sweet and alcoholic...and there's wafts of the same tastes when you light up. For me, they seems to dissipate as I work my way through the bowl, becoming less pervasive and more soapy (as others have alluded to); not that that is a problem as I enjoy the Lakeland scented varities G & H produce. I can see however how this tobacco could dissappoint some folk as the early promised taste doesn't quite last. So from an objective point of view, while I still enjoy it very much, I think in a way Rum Flake falls just short of being a great tobacco...so 3 instead of 4 stars.

Smells of molasses in the tin, with just a hint of anise and maple. Use some imagination and you'll find a drop of rum buried in there somewhere too. The sweet smell in the tin does not fully carry over to the match. The taste is much less sweet, yet full and rich.

Smokers will find the room note pleasant, but for most non-smokers it will be tolerable to okay at best. This tobacco reminded me of a stronger version of Amphora Red, although Amphora has a fresher edge to it as well as a more interesting room note.

Rum Flake is a pleasant smoke for people who desire a medium to strong tobacco flavour mixed with some aromatic qualities. A rich and satisfying smoke. It has a nice kick and I love it for a change of pace from the milder aromatics.

I have been lurking around this site for a few years and just now am getting around to writing my first review. I don't know why I selected this blend as my maiden voyage but I did. Normally I prefer Balkan Mixtures ... BS 759 being my all time favorite. Rum Flake is flavorful, not particularly complex with some nicotine kick. You can taste the sugar in this stuff but I really don't detect any rum flavor .. probably just mellows out the tobacco a bit. As with most flakes for the best result do not over pack it and smoke it slowly or it will incinerate your tongue.

It starts out with the typical soapy, floral taste and seems to develop more sweetness as you progress ... I would have liked a little more tobacco flavor and less sugar but hey, it is what it is and it ain't too bad. This stuff will never be part of my regular rotation it is just to sweet but is is well done for what it is and if you like this sort of tobacco it is an excellent offering. Solid 3 -3.5 stars.

First and foremost it must be said that this is a very good tobacco as are all of the fine tobaccos by Hoggarth.

I find it mandatory to dry the tobacco before proceeding to enjoy it. I?d say it?s a quite strong and heavy tobacco which can be smoked to the bottom of the bowl and all that is left is dry ash and nothing mucky.

It doesn?t give that burning sensation on the tongue and is in fact a quite enjoyable, refreshing and slow smoke. What you eat or drink before smoking is very important as it does not have intense scents but does have apleasant taste. The rum is actually quite subtle as the chocolate flavor does in BCF, but does have an exquisite taste with the maple adding a pleasant sweetness to an already naturally sweet tobacco.

Also note that I found it easier to smoke if rubbed well before.

Nicely flavored blend of different tobaccos.

Not something I'd want to smoke everyday and not my favorite GH Flake but Rum Flake has a taste all its own. Worth a try.

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This came as a suggestion from a pipe/cigarette smoker and I can deffinetly taste why. Not unplesent, quite the opposite, the rum and anise flavoring is deffinetly an interesting mix. I am usually an English man but this blend does right by me so I have to give it 3 out of 4.

A very strange one this! Firstly, I had to import this to the UK from a tobacconist in the US. Following the smoking ban, it is proving next to impossible to get quality tobacco other than from the big two (Dunhill/Orlik or Peterson)so thank goodness for the USA!!

Anyway, this tobacco is unusual. It burns exceptionally well, tastes good and does not bite, The only thing is, and here I seem to disagree with everybody else, I did not get a huge nicotine kick. Now I think that University Flake is mild, so it may be just me but I was not fully satisfied in the nicotine department. Still it may be just me as I say. The other negative is that the aroma upon first opening the tin is strange. It reminded me of Bovril!!

The "Christmas Cake" of all our tobaccos. Makes me want to sing carols just thinking about it. The lakeland special essences with just a touch of your Aunt Bertha's drugstore perfume are combined to make a pretty tasty tobacco. Yo definitely get the licorice, which is good for me, in the first half of the bowl. The rum of course is in the subtle background. This is not necessarily a daily smoke for me but one I will smoke from time to time to break up the palate. No goo here, so don't be afraid of it's description. A moderate dose of nicotine is present.

"The first noel..."

The flake looks like a dark brown block at first glance. As you break it apart, it seperates into the bacon-like stips. Very mild tin aroma, almost undetectable. It is somewhat moist, so requires a little drying. I smoked some as bent flake, causing it to burn very slowly and for a long period; this method produced more nicotine strength than when I broke it out. The room note is pleasant and the flavor seems very similar to Samuel Gawith Kendall Cream flake. It has a cream soda type flavor, however you do get the mild licorice flavor off & own throughout the smoke. It burns to a white ash, has no tongue bite and maintains the taste throughout the bowl.

The only thing is, I could not smell nor taste any rum! This is my second rum tobacco (the other was C&D blockade runner) that does not have the slightest resemblence to rum. However, it is still a very pleasurable smoke. I'll give it 3 stars.