Samuel Gawith B.S. Flake (Brown Sugar Flake)

(3.67)
A Samuel Gawith/The Danish Pipe Shop pipe tobacco called Brown Sugar Flake. Due to new EU laws the name was changed in 2017 from Brown Sugar Flake to B. S. Flake. The main goal was to relive the famous Orlik Brown Sliced, but in a more full style (not strong but more body). It's matured high quality Virginia that is hot pressed with some natural cavendish. So you get a pure flavour with a hint of natural sweetness from the cavendish. To spice it up it has a pinch of burley and Oriental.
Notes: Was launched as Brown Sugar Flake but in 2017 the name had to change due to new EU laws where a word like "sugar" may not be used on a tobacco related product. The new name is B. S. Flake.

Details

Brand Samuel Gawith
Blended By Samuel Gawith
Manufactured By Samuel Gawith
Blend Type Virginia Based
Contents Burley, Cavendish, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Flake
Packaging 50 grams tin
Country United Kingdom
Production Re-release

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.67 / 4
29

7

3

0

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 39 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 23, 2015 Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant
Original review, 4-23-2015: This flake has a pinch of earthy, woody, nutty sweet burley, and woody, earthy, slightly spicy, dry, floral Oriental. I don’t know how much a “pinch” is, but I get minor amounts of both in most every puff, which is likely caused by how the flakes are processed. The cavendish offers a honey note. The Virginia reminds me of a sweeter Medium Virginia Flake: a little grassy, fairly woody, fermented dark fruity and earthy, with mild tart and tangy citrus and minor spice notes. The hot pressing of the tobacco, and a little brown sugar topping adds to the sweetness. The nic-hit is just short of the center of mild to medium. Medium in strength and taste, this is a tad richer than Best Brown Flake, and is sort of like a sweeter, smoother, creamier, slightly less earthier Full Virginia Flake with the same level of nicotine and tanginess and more nuanced variety of flavors. Needs some dry time, but will burn slow with a very consistent taste and a very pleasing, lightly lingering after taste. Requires a few relights, and leaves just a little dampness in the bowl. Can be an all day smoke. Four stars.

Update 4-20-2023: The new production is fairly similar to the first production, which I reviewed in 2015. The differences are that the Virginia is about a notch and a half less deep, which allows the Oriental to be almost a step more prominent. The dark fruit is a tad less obvious, and the burley is a touch more so than before. It isn’t richer than Best Brown anymore, but it’s not far behind it. This is an observation, and not a complaint. The Virginia still reminds me a bit of Golden Glow (formerly Medium Virginia Flake). Some people have complained about the very slow burn rate and constant relights. For this update, I did not dry it as per my custom though your mileage may very on this point. I cube cut the flakes with my fingers, packed very loosely, and puffed at a moderate rate. That cut down the relights a bit. It does burn a notch or two slower than the original version. All other aspects of my original review remain the same. Even with the differences, this is still a four star blend.

-JimInks
58 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 03, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
Sam Gawith/Danish Pipe Shop - Brown Sugar Flake.

I can't put into words my excitement when I found out my favourite tobacco brand and this awesome store had united to create a blend together! When I opened the tin I was greeted by some rather dark flakes that were about half an inch shorter than the tin stacked in two rows. I also note that The Danish Pipe Shop haven't eradicated the usual Sam G' issue, it's far too moist! In fact, if you try to prepare it prior to letting the water abate it actually feels a bit sticky! The aroma from the tin is rich indeed. I find it slightly sweet, a little grassy with a woodsy note being the most prominent smell. The extra drying is a slight pain however once lit it becomes MORE than worth it.

The flavour? Mmmmmmm! Again, like the aroma, it's quite complex. The Cavendish gives its sweetness in a very delicate fashion, so gentle I wouldn't describe the taste as candied in any way. I find the Burley easy to pick out, giving a good nutty quality to the smoke. The Orientals/Turkish give a noticeable spiciness to the mix and really liven it up with some character almost like there is a pinch of Perique in there. The Virginia appears to be the basis of the smoke, giving it substance and a hay like dominance. I have smoked this both ways, rubbed out or folded/stuffed and the difference I notice is either way there is a lemon type of freshness however if I use the latter this becomes stronger. The burn is steady and even, giving a mid temperature smoke. I get no bite from this, not even if I really suck hard. Nicotine is very much in the middle, the sort of strength to suit most kinds of pipers. At the end of a pipe there is hardly any dottle in the bowl, all that remains is mainly light grey ash.

I said at the start how excited I was to smoke this and it's properly lived up to my expectations. Highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Peder Jeppesen
PurchasedFrom: The Danish Pipe Shop
Age When Smoked: New
30 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 24, 2016 Medium Extremely Mild Medium to Full Very Pleasant
Okay, we're still unanimous on this one - a 4-star rating; but only because there isn't a No. 10 button on this site. Holy smokes! This might just be the best combination of full strength with richness in a Virginia based blend that my tongue has ever been blessed to bathe in. I loved the strength (probably helped along by the Burley), and even some sweetly spicy Orientals played peek-a-boo with my palate.

To the individual who gifted me this tin; may God bless you, pardner!

Pipestud
29 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 26, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium Very Pleasant
What an amazing VA flake! the first thing I noticed, apart from the great tin note, was that for a SG blend, this is only half as moist as all the other Gawith Flakes out there. it still required a little bit of drying time but it sure beats having to plan your smoke around how long a flake will dry - looking at you, FvF 🙁

The cavendish (in the English sense, not the American goopy aro cavendish we're used to) really cools the VA down and adds a really nice smooth character. There was no bite at all.

Flavor-wise: I thought it was somewhat similar to Germain's Brown Flake, at least similar enough that I could reach for either or if I'm craving a great VA flake and be perfectly happy.

Rubbing the flake out is similar to how Stonehaven rubs out; it's not as easy as some but it's not a hassle either and it burned all the way down to a powdery ash.

my initial knee-jerk reaction is: this is the best VA flake that Gawith has put out so far and I absolutely can't wait to see what SG and the Danish Pipe shop comes up with next!
Pipe Used: Eltang Cutty
PurchasedFrom: The Danish Pipe Shop
Age When Smoked: fresh
20 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 16, 2015 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant
This is yummy! Bought 5 tins from the Danish pipe shop in Copenhagen.A little pricey,but,to me ,worth every Kroner.Very easy to break and crumble.Packs beautifully. A lovely tobacco that gives great pleasure from start to finish.Absolutely no bite whatsoever. Creamy,rich and yes,sugary.Have my mind set on another 5 tins.
Pipe Used: Savinelli
PurchasedFrom: Danish pipe shop
Age When Smoked: New
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 09, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
I waited for Brown Sugar Flake with great anticipation! I like the taste of this blend and it does offer a nice brown sugar flavor. I won’t get into the already well covered nuances of this blend, but will say that the reason it loses a star for me is that it can very easily burn hot. I have a pipe in my mouth most of the day and seldom get bit. While this didn’t bite me, the heat level made it less interesting over time. I have smoked it in different bowl sizes with different cadences, and at different moisture levels and yet the heat remained. As I said, the flavor of BSF is tasty, more tasty and complex than Best Brown (which I love), but I found myself less interested in this as a regular smoke while into my second tin after the constant battling the heat offered up by this blend.

UPDATE: I do want to mention that now after multiple tins, that the flakes are quite different from tin to tin. My first tin had just 5 or 6 very thick long flakes, much too thick to fold and stuff, while others had flakes similar to St James or Best Brown.
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 16, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Hi there , this is a fresh new blend from Samuel Gawith and in coperation with the little great world wide known tobacco store in Copenhagen The Danish Pipe Shop. It´s an beautiful tin to look at and inside it smells wonderful of dark brown perfectly cut flakes. Before smoking you need to air dry the tobacco because like every lake district tobacco it´s fresh and a little bit wet. When that´s done you will meet a deep little earhty taste of high quality hot pressed blended virginia and quite a bit of burley spice with little sweet cavedish and oriental turkish. It smoke cool and slow and it´s a very well balance blend with excellent body and taste. Not as strong as Orlik brown sliced but just as tasteful. I have to say that this blend certainly will stay in my every day sortiment.A high quality new blend at the market just as good indoors as outdoors , in the forest on the moutain you name it even on the sea if you manage to fire it up. This tobacco is an must try for every Samuel Gawith fan and every others who love slow burning cool smoking a´la Lake district of Cumbria.
Pipe Used: Savinelli , Brebbia
PurchasedFrom: The Danish Pipe Shop,Copenhagen
Age When Smoked: 2015
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 14, 2016 Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant
StevieB sent me a tin of this in a trade before it was being sold in the US and I'm just getting around to it. Thanks for going to the trouble, Steve.

I first smoked this in a briar and found that it was just a little too grassy in the first half for my taste. In the second half I got more of the Burley and Oriental and it was more to my liking. In fact, I liked it a lot. The sweetness was perfect right from the start. Just the right amount and it leaves a very nice sweet aftertaste in your mouth.

The cob came next and it knocked my socks off. Near perfect balance from the first puff on, Every component readily identifiable and in sync. I find the Burley and Virginias up front giving nuts, grass/hay, and citrus with the Orientals, a minor but important player, providing a little sour spice. The Cavendish adds it's wonderful sweetness. A lovely smoke. If you haven't tried this in a cob, I highly recommend it.

Medium in body and taste. I believe there is a little added sweetness which is very mild. Burns very well dried and rubbed. A great tasting flake.
Pipe Used: Chacom cutty, MM Little Devil Acorn
PurchasedFrom: acquired in trade (Thanks Steve)
Age When Smoked: fresh
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 23, 2015 Medium Extremely Mild Full Pleasant
Some of my favourite tobaccos are from Samuel Gawith, Full Virginia Flake and Best Brown Flake especially, so when this new offering became available, I had to try it. Wow, this is truly a wonderful creation from the collaboration between SG and the Danish Pipe Shop!

Full, delicious and sweet taste, yes brown sugar nuances for sure. Only requires about 30 minutes drying and then burns nice and slow with minimal relights. This looks like being promoted straight to the top of my favourites! Highly recommend to new and more experienced smokers.
Pipe Used: Ardor, Ferndown, Dunhill
PurchasedFrom: The Danish Pipe Shop
Age When Smoked: Fresh
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 28, 2015 Medium Extremely Mild Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
I love this stuff! My only regret is that I only bought one tin to try it out. The flakes are of a beautiful brown and they look yummy. You can smell the brown sugar scent coming from the tin. Ah, the good part. After considerable drying time, the charring light, and about an hour to mellow, the first flavor I get upon lighting is that hay-like flavor and the nutty from the Burley. The grassy, vegetal taste (green for lack of a better term) takes a back burner. There is a brown sugar sweetness in the background that harmonizes with the hay-like flavor and comes to dominate the smoke as the bowl progresses. The Cavendish gives you a little sweetness, but not too much. Everything here is very well balanced. My preferred method of packing is to wait until it gets fairly dry and break it up into little pieces akin to a cube cut. Load, pack lightly, and toss some of the 'dust' from the tin on top to light. This yield a slow-burning, exceptionally flavorful smoke. No matter how much I heat this up, I get no bite despite an increase in the spice flavors. This one also stays pretty flavorful when smoked quickly.

Room note: Girlfriend approval achieved!

Pipe Used: Dunhill Cumberland
PurchasedFrom: Danish Pipe Shop
Age When Smoked: 2015
6 people found this review helpful.
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