Branzig Flash 5: Samuel Gawith Tobaccos
This is a little different than my usual review format that I use. In this format I will pick 5 blends of a certain tobacco company and give some impressions of each. This is more geared towards people who just want to know some quick flavor profiles and basics of a tobacco, not every little nuance.
Quick Note: Any of the following reviews that are of the flake variety will require substantial drying time! I usually pop a tin of Samuel Gawith flake tobacco and let it sit in the tin for 3 weeks before jarring it up. If fresh, I will leave out for 24+ hours often before smoking it.
Full Virginia Flake: Hands down my favorite full Virginia tobacco. It was the first tobacco that I "got" in the pipe realm, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. Great tin scent of fresh fig, hay, and raisin notes. This tobacco burns like a dream and has great robust, tobacco flavors. Excellent sweet Virginia flavors with that awesome creamy hay undertone. To me, the pinnacle of SG tobaccos. Ages marvelously. So much has already been stated about this tobacco that I wasn't going to include it on here, but I just couldn't leave it out. A must try.
1792 Flake: This is another one of those "Big Boy" tobaccos from SG, as in it has a fairly high nicotine kick to it. It isn't as strong as their rope varieties, but it will still leave you buzz'in. The tin note is kind of on the "woody" side of the Virginia spectrum, and of course there is the famous tonquin bean in there as well. The tobacco burns well and has some interesting flavor profiles. I find it rather harsh from the get go with a bit of a metallic flavor to it. Once it warms up though, the sweet Virginia shines through and mellows everything out. The tonquin bean is hard to place, it puts a sweetness in there, but it is an acquired taste I would say. It is something you really need to try to see if you like. For me, it is a "once in a while" tobacco. Oh, and another thing about that tonquin bean, it will ghost the heck out of a pipe...so cob it first! :ghost:
Navy Flake: The thing that makes this Navy Flake stand out is the added latakia. The tin note is that of a smokey sweetness. I don't know if I should smoke it or eat it. The latakia is very present from light up and throughout the bowl, but it is by no means overpowering. I would say the front note is quality sweet Virgina with light rum topping, and the latakia bringing up the tail end. The latakia really rounds things out and makes for very smooth and quality Navy Flake. A great addition to any cellar. This is another one that will ghost a bit, but it will smoke out within 3-5 bowls so not a huge deal. :ghost:
Firedance Flake: This is classified as an "aromatic" but I don't put it in that category. I would say it is more of a topped offering, much the same way a lakeland blend is topped. Not a gooper, but a quality Virginia with some added pizazz. The added offering in this case, is a tasty berry topping that makes for a delightful and mellow smoke. The "Best Brown" flavor is really center stage here, with the berry topping flavor supporting here and there. If you like Best Brown Flake, then you will probably like Firedance Flake. Once again, it is a ghoster :ghost:
Squadron Leader: So many people love this English blend. The tin note is very latakia forward, as is expected, but upon lighting it up you find that it is actually very mild. I personally found it to be very lacking across the board. Not enough latakia to make it smokey, not enough orientals to make it interesting, and not enough Virginia to give it depth. I can see how an all day English smoker may like this blend for a morning to afternoon smoke, but to me it is just far too uninteresting. This is one of the few SG offerings that I just don't care for. As a matter of fact, I couldn't even finish the tin. I ended up trading it off to another forum member. If you are looking for a more bold and robust English from SG, I highly recommend Commonwealth. Squadron Leader has latakia in it, so it is yet another ghoster :ghost:
One more for good measure...
Kendal Cream Flake: Oh yeah! Sweet, nummy, Samuel Gawith Lakeland offering! SG's lakeland offerings are different than the typical "lavender soap" of GH&Co blends. To me, SG lakeland's topping is more of a sweet, tonquin beany-lotion taste. Yeah, to some that may sound disgusting, but I love it. This blend is super smooth, great nutty burley flavor and some sweet Va hay tastes as well. As the name implies, it is a very creamy smoke and the topping just makes this flake pop to me. I would say this is a step up in the topping flavor from Grousemoor, and it also has a higher nicotine kick than Grousemoor. Another great SG addition. Oh yeah, and it will.... :ghost:
Well there we have it, a primer for some distinct Samuel Gawith blends. Anyone who is looking at getting into some delicious SG tobaccos will find something on this list that will make them happy. I almost guarantee it! :encouragement:
