Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Rum Flake

This was a great tobacco. It was complex in flavor and yet simplistic in body. Every smoker could enjoy this. It is an all day smoke. The room note is pleasing to those around, it does not smell like cookies and cream but does not offend. Right out of the tin, it is ready to make any smoker happy. Highly recommend.

Probably my favorite gawh, nice n sweet all day smoke with great va taste, this blend is perfect for a introduction blend to gawh, the floral tones are nice and soft. Top broken flake.

This is another fine tobacco from GH. This one is for burley puffers, not Va smokers. There is very little Va in this one. It is a full bodied, medium strength blend that smokes dry to the bottom with no bite at all. Initial taste and smell to me is of cotton candy, which diminishes down the bowl. The latest tins say it is topped with licorice, rum and vanilla. I give it a light rub out in a grp 6 bowl, and it burns well enough, maybe requiring one or two relights. Stays good tasting down to the bottom. This is one of my regulars,and highly recommended.

strongirish said it best below. "How anyone could not like this is beyond me". I almost passed on this because of some of the reviews I read here. His convinced me to give it a shot.

Am I ever glad I did. This stuff rocks! I've smoked through a 2 OZ sample in just a few days. It just keeps getting better.

Despite the rum and maple sugar toppings this is not at all an aromatic. It tastes like I want a a VA to taste. It's the thing I keep trying to coax from many VA blends

I typically avoid burley because it bites me. But this doesn't' bite at all. In fact it's almost soothing to the tongue.

It comes a bit wet and like most flakes benefits from drying. I rub it out and pack it with a sort of hybrid air pocket/Frank technique. It burns amazingly well. I typically seem to have several relights through a typical bowl. Not with this. I won't roll out the cliche' "fine white ash". But it burns down to the bottom of the bowl with no fuss.

I buy very few blends in quantity to cellar. Only if they rock my world. This will be one I buy several pounds of. It has immediately made my top 5.

I like that description, "Christmas cake" because thats the scense I got upon popping open the tin. Absolutly wonderful fragrance of Rum, brown sugar, licorice and spice jump out of the tin. The flakes themselves glistening with sugars secreting to the surface like a light dusting of snow. Can you taste the drama ? I can. Best of all, it all seemed to transfer into and meld with the smoke perfectly. As an added bonus this is a fairly robust smoke with quality tobaccos. Not your standard mild Cavendish type of aromatic (which I also like). On the other hand its not a knockout type of after midnight power smoke known as Sweet Rum Twist (rope) (I like it too). I would put it in the catagory of "Top shelf afterdinner smoke". Thats when I find it most enjoyable. I've found it to smoke best in flake form, fully dried out to were the flake starts to break up a little when folded and loaded. Then you can take those little pieces that broke off and sprinkle them on top of the bowl for an uber easy lightup. Drying it out is the key for a bite free, powerfull, yet smooth as silk smoking experience.

And to think, I used to believe that life was only about Food, Sex and Breathing.

I pick up a couple of ounces of Rum Flake with a recent order from Peritti's. I usually don't smoke aromatics, but based on the reviews here, I decided to give it a try. This is an excellent rum flavor VA/burley flake with licorice & vanilla. Upon lighting, your first get a burst of licorice flavor. By mid-bowl the rum flavor takes over, but you can still taste the excellent tobacco. Yes, it has that Lakeland soapy/flora taste, but I enjoy the flavor. No bite or goop like most aromatics. This is a great tobacco to smoke around the holiday, with a room note that won't offend anyone.

Highy Recommended

It might be unfair for me to comment on this brand since I don't have a huge affinity for the Lakeland florals; but I keep thinking that a taste this soapy surely must have some antiseptic value! A quality tobacco for sure, but not for me.

Update:

I recently took another run at this tobacco and I'm glad I did. This experience was completely different from my first and I don't know if I got a bad batch or whether my taste buds were slightly off during my first try. The floral taste is definitely present, but it now seems to add rather than detract from the experience. I like the strength and the transition of tastes.....can't wait to order more.

I must confess, I love G & H tobacco's! But when I first recieved this and smoked it in a briar, I found it bland and unimpressive. After letting it age a few months, I broke some up and filled a "Tavern Pipe" which is a long Churchwarden type Clay Pipe. And BOY, what a difference! I think this blend is going to be destined to be smoked out of these pipes from now on! The flavor is amazing, although I must confess, all I taste is a very pleasant Licorice, which is one of the flavorings. And it is so smooth and relaxing from start to finish, with just enough nicotine to make me sink down a little into my chair. My Partner says the roomnote also smells like Licorice, which he finds to be very pleasant. Give this one a try, and if you have a Churchwarden or a Tavern Pipe , you may discover EXACTLY what I am talking about!! Highly Recommended!!!!!

First of all, I think I'm going to change my screen name to 'ReviewRace'. That's classic! (Please see Pipeline's review of Pipeworks & Wilke Rumcake;-} I was looking at rum blend reviews.

Anyway, this is Gawith's Rum Flake. o.k. First impressions, this is not a good driving tobacco. It is way too subtle and filled with tastey goodness to be ignored while watching out for local idiots on the road.

I had been waiting to try this stuff for a long time. I finally did last week on my drive to work. Where's the sour flowers? I wondered. Is this really a Lakeland product? Well, yes. You can certainly taste the dark air cured leaf, application unmistakably Gawith. And there is the teensiest of hints of Lakelandness once or twice during a bowl. Yes, teensy. But mostly it's a medium to strong virginia/burley flavor with a touch of maple sweetness (and I mean a small touch). It has a smooth spicey round body, and, like my wife, an outstanding room note. It also has a healthy supply for your Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin N.

Note to Charles Schultz: Happiness is a sack of Rum Flake and a pipe to smoke it in.