The company is so steeped in tradition that they steadfastly refuse to rush their processes in increase production, and that kind of integrity is apparent in every bowl of Samuel Gawith tobaccos. That said, if you like stout blends and enjoy other dark-fired offerings, this is a must-try. This is a dark flake, somewhat thin with a nice earthy smell to it. It smells really nice, both in the tin and when lit. Not with this particular tin. Just enough to make the aroma very nice. *Note these are not pressure sealed they have a heat seal band on them from Samuel Gawith* Related products. Thank goodness I found the last two tins in Canada at a brick & mortar in Toronto that I will cellar for as long as I can. Give us a call at +45 3312 3651 - if you need help or information By mid-bowl the sourness has increased and also the alkaloid taste of the Dark Fired Kentucky.The fruitiness/muskiness of the tonquin topping moves to the background. The flakes break up with ease, and I find it works best just lightly rubbed. Cause They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore. Simple in design, and complex at the same time. Flakes break up fairly easily, but unevenly. For me, seems to gurgle a bit. This smokes to a dark, dry, powdery ash. That is not far off. It's not something I reach for every day. I like it. It comes quite moist & needs to be dried out for a while. Bracken flake ghosts your pipe big time. I recommend a try, it is a very pleasant smoke. I will need to order more for aging this is great tobacco and doubt the 2nd tin will get more than a couple months on the shelf. But there are times when I want a strong, sipping smoke. Apart from their burning characteristics and fire cured leaf they are completely different. But if you don't do those, you fill find a sweet taste on the tip of your tongue. 12/22/12 Update I kind of like it now. You must be of legal age to purchase tobacco products or smoking accessories on this site. Samuel Gawith St. James Flake Pipe Tobacco, Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake Pipe Tobacco, Samuel Gawith Perfection Mixture Pipe Tobacco, Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader Pipe Tobacco, 44621 Guilford Drive Suite 130 Ashburn, VA 20147. Samuel Gawith Cob Plug pipe tobacco is the unsliced plug version of Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake. The presses and cutters used by S. Gawith are of Robert Legg manufacture, a company founded 1849 and became the major player powerhouse in providing heavy industrial machinery to the UK tobacco industry -- especially notable for pipesmokers are Robt. Black, broken tarry flakes with minute crystals. Even though i had read some bad reviews about this tobacco, i went ahead and bought it. This tobacco seems too moist to me, and after my first bowl I decided to air it for at least hour before smoking another bowl. This one did not burn as readily for me as several of the other Gawith flakes. When i smoke at the first time it looks like 1792. It can also get temperamental if rushed and since I usually feel the same way, no problems there. A strong and scented brown-black uneven flake tobacco. Whenever one of those appears here on tobaccoreviews.com, that usually means it is a stout tobacco. All rights reserved. This is a strange tasting tobacco. Try it in a clean quality pipe and toke gently. Once lit, seems to need a bit more draw than other flakes. Takes at least two charring lights to get it burning evenly and well. It's not sweet (at least not overtly), it's not bitter (at least not overtly), it's not musty, nor like decaying flowers (at least not overtly), it's just dark, like some exquisite subtle liquour the essence of terra. as the famous or infamous SG "1792", but still a full tobacco treat in terms of body and taste. I taste the topping on the back of my palate but, surprisingly, it is not nearly as strong as the tin aroma smells. It simply isn't my cup of tea. This tastes nothing like 1792 whatsoever, I dont know why thats part of their description?? Put side by side with Condor (another classic English scented flake) they smell very similar. Not my favorite. I mean: I like dark stoved Virginias, but only when they are smooth, leathery but still with a nice sweetness. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Press J to jump to the feed. I find it has a much better burn this way and makes for a long enjoyable smoke. Imagine tobacco with no flavor..just strong and really unpleasant. I was surprised to find very little taste reminiscent of the smell, the taste was, to me, pure tobacco. When you give us your Personal Information we use it only to fill your orders and to communicate with you. It is rather 1 dimensional but very enjoyable. Age When Smoked: Unknown (No date on Samuel Gawith tins). Yet I love it. Infact the next time you reach for your pipe, it will still be smelling like it was just out of an extreme yoga session. I detect the fruitiness in the topping when smelling the flake which is similar to cherry as well as anise. Quite a bit of the old stuff I have today is from what I bought. I tried Bracken Flake a long time ago, early in my life as a pipe smoker. Highly recommended. This is an encouraging thing to me as Condor is not available in the USA anymore. Bracken smokes best in a medium to large bowl and not finely rubbed out. I dont think its any stronger than Irish flake in the nicotine department. It took a match and burned without drama. An idea came up to mix these two to get a balanced taste and more complexity, it works well, and more interesting when change the portion of Bracken. Not as strong (in the nicotine or woozy dept.) Really nice blend. It is earthy, a little sweet and slightly spicy. I was lucky enough to procure one tin from my local B&M, not knowing that this tobacco had been discontinued for years already, even more lucky considering it was a blind buy based solely on the fact that i wanted to try something from the house of Gawith. It takes a light with no difficulty, and burns long and slow. Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I find that it becomes more intense though never overpoweringly so. If you find a tin around, buy it and try it. Once you get it lite it's quite good. Because Bracken Flake, when treated respectfully with a small chamber-size and some patience, is a one-of-a-kind experience. I don't think this was due to nicotine since I've had some powerhouses in the past (pipe and cigs). I might get it again, but it won't be something I'm craving after. The tins seem to be pretty damp, so a good bit of drying time should be expected. Both are done conservatively in my estimation and exploit both the tanginess of the Virginia as well as the spiciness of the Kentucky respectively; brilliant blending from a great tobacco house. Email address. Im not in love with the taste or room note but I do like the nic hit and the flash back of when I smoked a gitanne. The taste is a little closer to full than it is to medium, and its strength straddles the line between medium to full. They just push their "house" blends around here which are really Altadis and Lane stuff. After most of my first tin (and more tins shall follow), I can make out the chocolate/aniseed flavouring. The tin odor is funky, in a pleasant way. BF burns slowly, even when bone dry, and there is no tongue burn. http://www.4noggins.com/samuelgawith-tobacco.aspx. I detect none of the tonquin others have noted. I was first given a tin of this from a friend who thought I might like Bracken Flake. I got a tasty, easy to smoke, non-Lakeland flavored, fairly powerful weed that, while it didn't seem to develop much down the bowl, smoked "earthy-sweet" from rim to dottle. I've been seeing more comments lately about these variations in SG's flakes. G&H's are as strong. As a traditional blend type this is an excellent choice that any Enthusiast should try. It starts out very spicy, and stays that way throughout the bowl, albeit the second half mellows somewhat. Unfortunately we cannot ship tobacco outside of the UK. STRONG!!! First, it is strong. Yes there are some similarities as they are both dark flakes that contain a nice dose of nicotine but thats about where their similarities end. The Virginias are uniquely Gawith and don't pull punches. Also the flakes were a little difficult to rub out. The rest of the flavour's robust: earthy, woody, bold, and fired. Pipe Used: Bent billiard, straight apple, corncobs. Not perfectly cut and portioned flakes as with others. Old world deep and rich flavor comes pouring out of the pipe in delightful waves of spine tingling enjoyment. This flake was little too much for my taste. Definitely one for smoking in a small bowl. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. On to the smoking. I have the best results when I smoke this outdoors. In 1930's Samuel Gawith's expanded further, taking over the Penrith based tobacco firm of Messrs William Nevinson, who had their snuff machinery in an old mill at Eamont Bridge. I should have smoked it in a smaller bowled pipe. Samuel Gawith once again show how an ostensibly simple base blend can be made so much more than the sum of its parts. From April 2nd 2021 we comply with new Danish law that prevents us from showing pictures of tobacco products. Strong yes, but nothing disturbing here. Beware, and be amazed. It is too strongly flavoured. From the start, Bracken has a hint of some type of Lakeland essence with a stout and rich Virginia flavor that deepens as the smoke progresses. Quality tobaccos with weird flavouring added. Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and while I wouldn?t call this mixture particularly complex, the topping or casing gradually fade completely into the background but never leave the scene. It's just too good. A shame this is no longer in production, I think at the time I tried this my palette was simply not ready for the stronger tobaccos with the more robust flavours. And this stuff is aggressively flavored. In the right circumstances, with a bit of caution, Bracken satisfies like few blends can. I'll check my local shop to see if they have any and grab some if they do, I wish there was one.I had a local tobacconist that I saw 1 tin of Bracken Flake at one time. I just got out of church, where I sing in the choir. This page may contain sensitive or adult content that's not for everyone. The bowl settled down to an easy,strong and unflavorfull smoke.The tobacco burned dry to the bottom leaving a grey ash. There is no way this is likely to bite but its no shrinking violet either. The smoking experience is singular. What a mistake. Similar Blends: 1792, Kendal Cream Flake, Cobb plug, St Bruno, Condor. Age When Smoked: However long it's been at the store. Highly recommended for the fan of Lake District dark flakes. I acquired a small sample of this (3 large bowls) from an estate tin dated April 2006. For a full, dark tobacco taste, it is hard to beat. Braken Flake is an old fashioned fire cured tobacco, best as an evening blend for a small pipe. Recommended for those that enjoy a medium to strong tobacco. Perhaps he knows what makes Bracken Flake taste the way it does, because the tin aroma is medicinal. Lurking in and out you get a periodic Virginia tang. Why are most Samuel Gawith blends completely out of stock? The topping or casing is immediately there and while a bit odd at first becomes a nice compliment to the fine quality leaf underneath. On first light you get an immediate creamy smoke with a spicy sourish taste coupled with a light fruity/vanilla/musk undertones that come from the tonquin topping. The sweet scent (be it dark cherry or whatever; certainly no strong "bean" flavors here) is just slight to make the dark toasted leaf smoke sweet. It is definitely a dark taste, leather and oak. This is a bit heavy for an early in the day smoke but makes a great after dinner puff. While I haven't completely given up on Bracken Flake, I hesitate to recommend it to Virginia tobacco lovers. Some reviewers noted the inconsistent thickness of this flake from tin to tin: it seems i got a ''thick'' one. I had no problem with it funking my pipe though, or leaving any goop in the bottom of the bowl. Initial flavor: Very full, smokey taste from the dark fired leaf. Flavoring is mild to medium. Live and learn. It might have been many years ago, when I enjoyed Gitanes cigarettes (the ones with the black tobacco). United Kingdom. ALL images are Copyrighted and NOT for open use. I met his wife as she was selling his cellar to a local brick and mortar. it reminds me of old lady perfume counter smells. Some tobaccos are not really for inhaling. Smells like a porta-potty caught fire and burned straight to the ground. I love SG stuff, usually, and daily smoke FVF, Best Brown Flake, Golden Glow. The taste was fairly strong. This works very well in a briar or a meeschaum. There is enough to maintain interest and not so much going on that you are distracted by it. Please confirm that you are over the age of 18 to continue. Which makes me wonder how long this tin has been sitting around for. It too is very dark on my palate, almost cigar like. I'm going to try it again but I don't get it. Celtic Talisman. Samuel Gawith Pipe Tobacco The Samuel Gawith Company has been through many iterations, but one thing remains the same -- a tradition of excellent pipe tobacco blends. Unlike, say, GH Dark Flake, Bracken Flake is darker, earthy, lacking the brighter vegetal notes of DF, yet darkly sweet (i.e., molasses/caramel-like). But certainly SG's dark entries are winners too, in the # 1 and 2 categories IMO. (And SteelCowboy is right, it's an absolute must try for Lakeland explorers) It's not a flavor that all will enjoy, to be sure, but those who do will be glad they found it. I smoked two pipefuls of it. If you like Lakeland style blends with their toppings youll like this. Enjoyed the bold taste. 11/19 Update - I tried it again. They compliment and at times overtake the Virginias a little. BF burns down to a fuffy white ash and leaves no dottle to speak of. It would serve well in this way. I don't get it. This blend can get away from you if you are not careful with technique. I picked a tin up while on the road without knowing anything about this blend. It said Samuel Gawith found a few remaining tins, had badged them with a simple white label (due to the previous artwork being redundant), and My Smoking Shop bought the lot! Appearance: A mostly black with some brown and tan mottling leathery flake of varying thickness. Weekends - 6 to 8 pipes per day. Still it is a pretty strong tobak. It might smoke better if dried a bit; it took several re-lights to get it going. The second thing was a sweetish, artificial tin aroma that immediately transported me to my childhood, when my parents forced a cheap cough syrup on me. Comparisons to 1792 are apt, it's in the same vein. Its still tastes the same but now I can appreciate the dark earthy air cured and dark fired tobaccos more. Created with Sketch . Update: If you want to know what SG brown rope tastes like without having to fuss preparing the rope for pipe smoking, try Bracken Flake. Having been cellared for so long it burns well, no tongue bite, took about two or three charring lights to get it going tho. Very moist out of the tin, you may prefer a little dry time, although I did not do that. Although experience is limited to individuals this one seems a little extreme. I bought a tin wanting to try a Lakeland style back in 2009. This is a very dark, almost black, flake with a pronounced fragrance. I don't know how else to explain it: details are much easier to see when colors are bright, whereas they must be hunted for in a dark composition. This is REAL tobacco!! I prefer 1792, as it has more robust tobacco flavor and a sweeter topping. Dark, stoved tobacco, in very handsome flakes. As someone else here as correctly stated "this is for lumberjacks". This was my first try of a dark flake. I'm amazed I've not yet reviewed this flake, which may be my favorite tobacco of all time. The smell in the tin IMO smells like pine tar or cedar oil.The taste of the smoke is quite different however and I (almost) like it,though I tasted no black cherry. First of all I take theses dark brown and thick . Samuel Gawith Cabbies Roll Cut Mixture Pipe Tobacco (Loose) 4.49. I really wish this came in a light version, just too much for me. Phone/Office hours are: Monday-Friday 9am-4pm est. We are committed to providing our services only to people who are of the proper age, and to protecting our youth as best as we possibly can. DaniDom Shaving Brush Review | DaniDom History | An interview with DaniDom, A Band of (Briar-)Brothers - a short story. That tradition continues today and it's evident in every bowl. I'm not sure if my opinion here is accurate, but I had trouble keeping this lit. This stuff was strong, even stronger than 1792, in my experience. There is a bit of Virginia involved here, not providing much in the way of sweetness to this cigar-like, shreds-of-tar spice factory. Company No. The strength builds gradually to the strong side, with plenty of body. No bite what so ever. Ive had this in my cellar for over a decade now. I once got a slab of the stuff uncut from the factory, painted with the magic formula and bagged up: what a treat! Samuel Gawith 1792 Dark Flake Pipe Tobacco (Loose) 3.99. Smoked, this was very good. Actually, it may be slightly less intense than 1792 in the nicotine department: it IS strong, but in a small bowl it doesn't make me sweat or my heart race madly like 1792 did. But I do know experienced pipe smokers who enjoy this very much. (Is there a hint of talcum, as Beer astutely noticed?) It is from the same gentleman that passed away and have mentioned in other reviews. I will say that mid bowl when the flavor really starts to culminate it tastes a bit like a good cigar. With some floral notes from the heavily stoved dark fired tobacco. The nicotine was a little over the top for me and detracted from my ability to enjoy the tobacco. I'm finding that these Lakeland flakes have their own unique appeal. This should be tried by anyone who wants to explore the dark Lakeland flakes. A down right good dark lakeland flake. At this point I was about ready to trade it off, but decided to give it one more try in a couple of days. Dating all the way back to 1792, British Samuel Gawith is among the oldest brands in the world of pipes and tobacco. Lighting, tamping then re-lighting gave a steady smoke that burned to the bitter end. It has lots of depth, lots of flavor, and it is just all round pleasant. 1 review. This tobacco is 5-year aged, so its appearance is dark with shiny specks in it, in a full flake form. Country of Origin. Appearance: Dark brown to black with brownish streaks, a moderately densely pressed 6" flake, topping is evident. I know it's a discontinued blend so a part of me was thinking about putting it in the cellar, but you know, the first thing I ended up doing when I got home was opening it up and having a smoke with some strong, black tea. Well, I think that all pretty well sums up my opinions of this flake. I can't fold it; it falls apart. Can you hear me, Samuel Gawith? It takes some sitting down and really focusing on it, as this dark blend simply won't let the smoker off the hook until it is finished. It is very deep and smooth but powerful. I rubbed out a goodly amount on paper and let it dry for about 30 minutes. Probably over-the-top for a lot of people. Rattray's Stirling Flake 50g tin $ 15.95 Add to cart; Samuel Gawith Commonwealth Mixture 50g tin $ 15.00 Add to cart; Rattray's Wallace Flake 50g tin By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I heard from a guy on a pipe forum that his local B&M just got a supply of SG tins of the following. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Bracken Flake contains no noticeable tonquin. And I definitely preferred folding to breaking it up. Please bring this one back! Unknown production) and looked every bit like something brought over on the Mayflower. This is definitely a close relative of 1792, but far less assertive. I is very full bodied and strong, yet it does not give any tongue bite at all, and does not produce a lot of smoke. It tasted like I was smoking pure Bull dung, not that I've tried bull dung before. This damn flake makes me nauseated just as 1792 does. It is more comparable to a fruitier Irish Flake than it's Lakeland brothers and sisters. I promised my wife I'd quit before she got home from work and I don't want to expose her to it being pregnant and all. It is a whopper of a strong tobacco too. Not my all-day smoke, but something worth having in normal rotation. The smoke is definitely strong and a strong tea or high quality highland single malt would go hand in hand with this. Luckily, the moisture and the thickness of the flake helps a lot to maintain a slow and cool combustion (although it may require some rubbing out otherwise it won't get lit at all). This turn of events might be due to the fact that its pretty dried out. No bite with a noticable nicotine content.not much if any flavor. Boy what a difference! A full strength, full flavored pipe tobacco. This could be an all dayer as opposed to the heaviness of 1792. Unlike SG's FVF where I prefer to smoke the flakes whole,the Bracken smokes better for me if I rub it out well.Upon lighting, the fire-cured and a hint of the topping work nicely together to deliver a somewhat sweet but stout smoke,after the first third of the bowl the topping gives way to the burley,and the taste becomes a little creamier and fuller.Its at this point if I puff too fast my tongue gets peppered with nicotine and an unpleasant hot sauce taste,easily remidied by slowing down. The smoke is tasty, albeit somewhat monochromatic, but in a fashion I enjoy. I do not detect the "intimidating" aroma in the pouch (a curious word, that, to use in promoting a tobacco!) I sampled a few draws before lighting but could not discern the taste which was very slight. Samuel Gawith are still famous for producing some of the best and most popular pipe tobaccos in the world. SKU: LIMIT 2 PER CUSTOMER. Quick Specs View. This is a little stronger, a little darker, and the casing a bit more obvious, but for me a similar type. The tobacco business and other premises were not kept but the mill was kept for snuff production. Free shipping! Still my number one by some distance now. I saw the new tin and had to try it; I'm glad I did. I let it dry for about 15 minutes and proceeded to smoke. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Hard as you might tug on this tobacco there is no bite. I thought this was an excellent tobacco and I'll certainly be smoking it again. At the room they dont like it. A tremendous value in bulk and a great smoke! Most all of my usual sources now have S. Gawith in-stock!! Although this has been discontinued, I stumbled across some tins for sale from My Smoking Shop U.K.. It reminds me well, of bracken! The burley helps round it out too (but not as round as SG Kendal Cream Flake). Sun: 12pm-6pm To me that tastes just as full flavored but with a more pure tobacco taste. (Don't microwave it, since that seems to compromise the fragile oils and alter the flavor characteristics.) I would hesitate to give up on a S. Gawith tobacco, 'cause the others have been so pleasurable. Today, they still produce a huge range of flavoursome blends whilst still implementing the same traditional methods and, some of the original machinery from 1792. Loaded with nicotine! No other way to put it. The tin obviously had some age already, with some nice sugar crystals. UPDATE (a day later): No, I have to give it four stars. A high quality flake for the seasoned piper, recommended. Sadly there's no way of knowing what width of flake you'll get when you open a new tin, but I hope for my sake -- and all those who want to experience Bracken in all its glory -- there will be nothing but thinly cut flakes from now on UPDATE 04/28/15: I learned back in November ('14) that SG has removed Bracken from its inventory. This particular tin contained varying sizes with the shared trait that they need rubbing and drying, how much depending on the flake in question. It is a fine tobacco who wants to experience a tasty and satisfying smoke. It doesn't smell nasty like some orientals but it has a pretty heavy tobacco presence. I fully understand the 1 star reviews for this. The nic-hit is just past the medium level. I recommend this blend to those who like 1792, ropes and fire-cured Kendals. A good deal darker (in looks and taste) and fuller than Rum Flake, I find it equally as sweet, but in a different way, and as strong or stronger than Rum Flake as well. Not an endearing trait. Samuel Gawith: Brown No. They burn cool and slow, they offer a healthy nicotine dose, they smell and taste kind of funky, and offer a satisfying pipeful. Either that, or the flavouring is so well matched that it seems to not be overwhelming or floating atop the taste of the tobacco. and five minutes later biting into what you thought was gum and turned out to be a disgusting balled up Tootsie Roll in the middle. Therefore, IMHO, BF merits four **s! The scent is heavenly: coumarin jumps off the top, with other medicinal aromatic scents. The first thing I noticed upon cracking the tin is the beautiful dark brown flakes lined neatly in double-rowed stacks. By half-way the Virginia sweetness is there too ? As I went through the tin the darker flavors receded leaving a creamy toasty flavor and more prominence to the topping, whatever it is. It seems to have a good deal of nicotine, which is not all bad. Aroma: Black cherry, cough syrup, lemon curd, bitter collard greens. The shiny specks are the carbohydrates in the tobacco, which over time, have broken down into sugar, and is probably also due to the addition of sugar water. The company originated in 1792 with Thomas Harrison, who was a notable and popular maker of snuff tobacco. Indeed, there's something elemental about this flake, redolent of the humus of a dank forest floor, that I find immensely compelling. We have blended a carefully balanced selection of Kentucky & dark fired leaf to give this medium to strong flake. Samuel Gawith are still famous for producing some of the best and most popular pipe tobaccos in the world. 50 g tin. It is one of the few that sometimes benefit from judiciously dumping the ashes from the first half of the bowl in order to re-invigorate the last 3rd. With a good rest in the bowl the tobacco will light with relative ease. info@ronscigarstore.com (647) 887-7088. Perfectly balanced flue & dark fired tobaccos of the highest quality. This has to be considered as a very robust smoke. I find this reminds me more of the various black rope tobaccos than of 1792. Gawith blends in particular benefit from drying out, in my experience. The topping on this beast is very unique and hard to pinpoint but I definitely pick up on some rose. Join our email list to receive product updates, discounts & more! I could smell a somewhat cocoa aroma. Related Products Customers Also Viewed One of my tins had what looked like in the sunlight sugar crystals. I don't know, this just wasn't for me.