Samuel Gawith Bothy Flake

I have quite recently restarted to smoke a pipe once or twice a week. This is after a 45 year break. So I hope my notes help someone who is also a novice.

On opening the same packet from GQ a musty alcoholy pleasant aroma was present. A mix of something like full Virginia flake and an Islay malt whiskey. It was wonderful!

I found the flakes too damp. So an hour on a paper towel sorted that. I roughly rubbed it out (broke it up really) and packed. It took several relights. Nice medium density smoke. I tasted the latakia and a hint of the whiskey all on top of a high quality mild Virginia flavour. Similar to best brown flake.

I really enjoyed this flake and will order more. As a side note buying a sample really helps. One can establish what you like at a reasonable price. And at a couple of bowls a week I don't need large quantities at once.

I highly recommend this. Try it. You will love it!

Before I begin my review of Bothy Flake I want to offer a word of thanks to the powers that be who sponsor this sight. Over the years, Tobacco Reviews has provided me with hours of informative and sometimes entertaining reading. If one takes the time to read through the various reviews one will discover some interesting story lines. Some blend threads read like mysteries - does this really have Latakia in it? Some read like love stories - I've hoarded enough of this to last me till it die! Some read like hate mail - what were they thinking when they put this blow torch in a tin! All in all great stuff! Now on to my review. I saw this lonely tin of Bothy Flake sitting on the shelf at the local B&M so I decided to give it a try. I've smoked several other SG flakes so I was prepared to have to deal with hastily stacked, soggy flakes. Surprise, Surprise, these flakes were neatly stacked and at just the right humidity. And yes, the tine was properly sealed. Others have provided good descriptions of this blend,so all I will say is that the whisky, which was faint in my tin, does a nice job of adding a bit of peat to the Latakia smoke and give a bit of lift to the Virginia sweetness. I find that I am reaching for this more of the time, especially since the weather has turned cold. Bothy smokes well in all my pipes, but as is often the case, it shines in a dedicated pipe.

Can I say, oh hell yes!? Bothy Flake hit the spot for me. I went hunting for a new flake and when I read the description I thought why haven't I tried this? A flake designed by true pipe smokers who know what they want out of their tobacco. This is a rich FLAVORABLE tobacco. Isn't flavor the point? Imagine a rich dark brown flake of aged flue Va's blended with premium smokey Latakia. (awesome already right?!) Then top it off with a nice Scotch Whisky. Then have it made by a long standard quality company like Samuel Gawith and you have a great smoke. How can a piper go wrong? The smell from the tin is rich and sweet and gets my mouth watering.

The tobacco does come to moist to smoke right out of the tin. You MUST set some aside. Here's why. Yes, it's wet so that means, It won't light and if you finally get it lit it will go out again and again, you won't be able to get it going. (I was impatient and tried one day).

So I sit some out at night for the next day. Perfect. Bothy Flake does have a decent nic kick so newbies be warned. I highly recommend this flake to seasoned pipe smokers who love a favorable premium smoke, especially with a great drink, or two, or three. Smoke it up!

The tin note smells like whiskey and that shows in your smoke. It is somewhat similar to Navy Flake, but the liquour flavour seems to be more apparent here and I dare to say it is packed with less latakia. In true honestly, it is giving me hard time to keep it lit, but the moist content is quite high. Despite this, these flakes are quite rich and full of aroma, so I don't recommend drying them all out. The smoke is quite mellow and tongue friendly with sweet and spicy undertones whereas the latakia it contains seems to bring a woodsy dimension to your smoke. I am finding the smoking experience quite complex and satisfying in so many fronts. I think this tobacco deserves 3 stars.

To be honest, I didn't like this much first out of the tin. As one reviewer stated, it had a very strong and not necessarily pleasant odour upon opening. Not peaty scotch, not tobacco, more like fermented meat. However, I rested this in the tin for ... a few months, and now not only is the moisture content much better--it was far too moist before-- but the acrid smell has settled, and I smell a nice Virginia flake here. I tried rubbing it out, and I think this is the way to go for this flake. It burns cool and smooth with a delicious and unique flavor profile, unlike anything else I've tried. I cannot detect much in the way of Latakia, however that could be me--I'm a big fan of heavy Lat blends and may be a bit desensitized to it, but now after some time, it's a very pleasant experience! BTW, here's a tip--with these flake tins--if you take the lid, and slightly bend each of the four sides in a little bit--so you can just get it back on the tin itself, it improves the seal of the tin and the air tightness considerably.

As with most of Gawith's flake it is simply too moist directly from the tin but rubbed out and then let to dry for ten minutes or so pays dividends. There's a sweet virginia smoothness, with a delicious whisky taste and a peppery latakia hint in the background. It hits the sweet point about mid bowl and then gived such a rich taste that the mouth waters - velvety, creamy and with just the rights amount of tang. It's not exactly a nicotine powerhouse but it is not weak either, there is plenty of body on this beast. I'm adding to this review after the tobacco has had a few months in the tin....It's even better. Smoother with the whisky taste really coming to the fore. Man, this is a nice smoke.

Yesterday I purchased a tin of this tobacco. Right now I'm smoking the second bowl and I am enthusiastic. After giving one hour to dry, the smoke is cool and tastes like a good virginia with a faint whisky aroma and a little bit of latakia in the background. Thanks to SG for this!

From a sample bag that came to me already dried. So I was able to smoke it without laying it in the sun to dry. SG blends are notoriously wet. Bag note was Latakia and sweet hay Virginias.

Similar to Navy Flake this is mostly a Virginia flake with some Latakia in it however instead of Jamaican Rum it’s Scotch Whisky. The whisky subdues the tobacco just the right amount for me, but maybe too much for you, while imparting a slight flavor of its own. It makes this mostly Virginia flake rather smooth, much smoother than FVF. I like sweet tobaccos however I wouldn’t call this tobacco a sweet blend or an English crossover blend. There’s sweetness to it but what I would expect from a fine Virginia tobacco. Less so then if it were topped with rum. The retrohale is fine indeed. I detect mostly grassy, vegetative, earthy, malty hay, slight citrus Virginias, a small amount of musty herbal smoke, and something unique that I’ll say is the whisky but I’m not sure.

Hay, sweet bread, wood, earthy, malty Virginias with a tiny dash of Latakia. Along with a unique highland malt gives this flake a welcome depth and flavor. Smoked well once dried. No bite, mouth tingle, or bad aftertaste. A Va/Lat with Scotch Whisky: this is a braw of a tobacco!

This tobacco very satisfy to me . You can tasting sweet virginia and woody latakia same time . Flavouring wisky giving so relaxing a taste . Ly down a chair and spread your feet enjoy the Bothy !