Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Rum Flake

I picked up a tin of this a couple weeks ago, was quite excited to get into it. Alas expectation causes some suffering. I really did not like this one. Tin note had a bit of recoil affect, not rum, but a hangover from rum kind of smell. The cut was interesting. Smoking it was not. Had a bit of a perfume (my wife tried it and claimed it tasted similar to the way "old ladies perfume" smells. I have to agree though I would have simply qualified the taste as perfume or soap? A low rating from me but I am no expert and it may have been a bum tin.

I read some favourable reviews of this flake and eventually tracked it down to an online shop in Leeds, England. My first impressions on the nose and visual senses were equally as favourable, and if the smoking experience had followed suit, it would have been a rare beast to boast about.

Out of the packet, this loosely-packed tobacco looks and smells delectable: 6"x1.5" dark, golden-flecked, moist flakes that rub - and dry out - extremely easily. For once, the aroma matches the description faultlessly: I get a good dose of the maple sugars and a nice rum note from what is evidently a tobacco of quality.

However, the smoke itself was, for me, a big a disappointment as was possible. Undoubtedly, this was single-handedly down to the casing, which manifests this taste like lavender soap. And I don't mean merely "soapy"; it's just too strong to ignore as a passing sensation. Furthermore, it follows until the end of the bowl, creating a very one-dimensional and ultimately disappointing smoke.

To give this tobacco its dues, it's better when circulated through the nose, which gives this blend a sweet-cum-petrol aroma, and if you're one of those people who enjoy the smell, whilst filling up the tank of your car, then this might just redeem itself. I tried this in both a regular Peterson and a churchwarden, and received the same experience, even with the later addition of a filter.

I am in no rush to try this again in a hurry and sit on just shy of 50g of this 'Fresh New Hell,' which I would happily trade right now for anything, with anyone living in the UK.

September 2004

Like Bob's Chocolate Flake, this is a quality tobacco, but also like BCF, I just can't get past the soapy flavor that seems to dominate everything else.

G & H has done a great job in preparing this brown flake in ~ 6"x2" bands. I didn't rub them out but still obtained excellent lighting and smoking characteristics. Probably due to the casings, the room aroma received compliments. However, as with other G & H flakes, a soapy taste was present thruout the smoke. In this blend it is not nearly as intense as with their Ennerdale or Scotch Flake, but in my view it is still enough to spoil my pleasure. After some drying due to the high initial moisture content, the soapy influence was reduced. However, I did not detect any rum taste as might be expected from the name. If your looking for a high nicotine, lite soap, tobacco this may be the answer but this blend is too costly for me to purchase and not really enjoy.

my years of pipe smoking experience,i have tried this tobacco three times over a length of time.i must say that i found it very harsh with tongue bite and the flavour seems to weaken with that tangy lakeland soap.if you like a rum flavor tobacco,try samuel gawith navy flake,which is laced with rum.this is much better and well worth a try.

Tasted like plastic. At first I thought it was the match I lighted it with so I continued to smoke it. The overwelming taste of plastic never ceased. I threw the rest away.

I get really ornery when someone says they're going to do something and then doesn't do it. Similarly, I don't have much patience for a pipe tobacco that claims to be one thing and then shows you a totally different side. Rum? Nowhere to be found. Licorice? Whatever. Vanilla? That's a good one.

I wish I had spent my money elsewhere rather than monkey with Rum Flake. This will be the last time I dabble around here, thank you very little.

I found this blend to be very flat in tobacco kick and tasteless and the toppong was crap. I felt cheated by Gawith and Hoggarth on this blend and I actually threw this blend out,one nice thing I can say about it...it lights very well like all Gawith blends I've had.

Good leaf, well-intentioned, well-behaved, and targeting a market of which I am not a member.