Skiff by Samuel Gawith

@AndyCAYP sent me a sample of Samuel Gawith's Skiff Mixture to try. I'm a fan of Samuel Gawith tobaccos but had never tried this one. It's a colorful array of brown and black shades of leaf, from light tan to black. The ribbon cut is easy to load into a bowl and lights readily, depending on how dry you allow your portion to get before smoking. The initial flavor was of Turkish/Orientals in a big way with a secondary influence of Latakia. The Latakia was never a big factor in the flavor of the smoke but still makes its presence known throughout the bowl. The curious thing is that in the second half of the bowl the Virginias step up to exert more flavor and the Turkish/Orientals tame down somewhat. The smoke body is of medium intensity and depth. Moderately complex, Skiff intrigues the palate with the variety of Turkish/Orientals, Virginias, and Latakia. The nicotine strength of this blend is mild/medium. For me, the high point of the bowl is in the middle when the influence of the Virginias becomes more apparent and the balance of flavors with the Turkish/Orientals evens out. I don't know why there is a shift in the flavors but that was what I tasted. A Sunrise Canadian was the pipe I smoked this blend in; it has a medium-sized bowl with a modest cake.