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Samuel Gawith Sam's Flake
Blend: Oriental, Virginia
Flavoring: Tonka beans
Nowadays, it is packaged in round tins. The fatty, moist flakes, traditionally cut unevenly, were clumsily stuffed into a round tin that was clearly not suitable for this. Initially, they emitted a distinctly unusual aroma of tonka beans, unlike anything else. After "airing out," the flavoring almost disappeared, and sugar crystallized on the flakes, even though they had only been aged for three years. The flake itself is dark, with rare light specks; it's not too easy to crumble, and there's quite a bit of tobacco debris and overly thick, stiff ribbons left, which makes packing difficult. Overall, this tobacco is very difficult to handle. I was only able to learn how to work with it towards the end of the tin.
Start: almost exclusively a grassy profile. The taste is sweet, very mild, almost rounded, but despite its delicacy, it is quite full-bodied. Against the backdrop of a slightly stale hay flavor, there are subtle notes of anise and cloves, with creamy tones mixed in, and all of this is accompanied by almost imperceptible flavors of oatmeal cookies and sunflower seeds, characteristic of aged Virginias. The flavoring seems too assertive at the beginning of the smoke, but soon fades almost completely, reminding you mainly in the aftertaste, and also in the thick, chocolate-nutty aroma of the smoke. It fits into the overall palette of flavors exceptionally well.
The tobacco is not easy to light, and it doesn't burn very evenly, but it burns coolly, and even if you puff it too hard, the smoker won't be penalized with a hopelessly ruined taste. Combined with the overall richness of the flavor and the pleasant aroma of the smoke, this makes the tobacco an excellent choice for casual smoking "on the go."
*
By the middle, the flavor loses a lot of its clarity. It becomes heavier, more tobacco-like, with rye bread and grassiness at its core, *hints of chocolate emerge, black pepper gains strength, and the tobacco leaves a dry and spicy aftertaste. By the end of the bowl, almost nothing remains in the taste except this peppery note, but it doesn't become tiresome and is perceived more as an interesting dynamic than an intrusive sharpness.
*
A very unusual tobacco. Difficult to prepare and easy to smoke, *spicy without being harsh, rich and yet somehow ambiguous in taste – it is precisely this that, for some reason, turned out to be the tobacco that I am willing to smoke at any time: in hot and cold weather, in the morning and in the evening, outdoors and at home, with wine and tea… Very complex – in terms of understanding, not because of the richness of the aroma bouquet, but it has a bright taste* with an unusual dynamic and a solid, six-out-of-ten rating, which makes it an excellent choice for everyday smoking. In addition, I personally love the herbal-spicy palettes, both in tobacco and in cigars, and even in wine.* Overall, it's a very unusual experience; you won't find another tobacco like it, and therefore it is recommended for everyone to try. In general, I really like Samuel Gawith's products: their tobaccos always have a unique character, strong flavors, and a kind of eternal, carefree negligence, in their uneven cuts and inconsistent quality. There is something unrefined, genuine, and slightly crazy about it – just like in the story of this charismatic, balding man with sideburns, a simple Kendal worker who once married the mayor's daughter, and then was himself elected mayor and turned his father-in-law's modest business into the most recognizable and beloved tobacco brand among Russian pipe smokers. I bought another tin as a backup – it's from the 2015 excise batch, still in a rectangular tin, and I have a good feeling about it.
16/20
Blend: Oriental, Virginia
Flavoring: Tonka beans
Nowadays, it is packaged in round tins. The fatty, moist flakes, traditionally cut unevenly, were clumsily stuffed into a round tin that was clearly not suitable for this. Initially, they emitted a distinctly unusual aroma of tonka beans, unlike anything else. After "airing out," the flavoring almost disappeared, and sugar crystallized on the flakes, even though they had only been aged for three years. The flake itself is dark, with rare light specks; it's not too easy to crumble, and there's quite a bit of tobacco debris and overly thick, stiff ribbons left, which makes packing difficult. Overall, this tobacco is very difficult to handle. I was only able to learn how to work with it towards the end of the tin.
Start: almost exclusively a grassy profile. The taste is sweet, very mild, almost rounded, but despite its delicacy, it is quite full-bodied. Against the backdrop of a slightly stale hay flavor, there are subtle notes of anise and cloves, with creamy tones mixed in, and all of this is accompanied by almost imperceptible flavors of oatmeal cookies and sunflower seeds, characteristic of aged Virginias. The flavoring seems too assertive at the beginning of the smoke, but soon fades almost completely, reminding you mainly in the aftertaste, and also in the thick, chocolate-nutty aroma of the smoke. It fits into the overall palette of flavors exceptionally well.
The tobacco is not easy to light, and it doesn't burn very evenly, but it burns coolly, and even if you puff it too hard, the smoker won't be penalized with a hopelessly ruined taste. Combined with the overall richness of the flavor and the pleasant aroma of the smoke, this makes the tobacco an excellent choice for casual smoking "on the go."
*
By the middle, the flavor loses a lot of its clarity. It becomes heavier, more tobacco-like, with rye bread and grassiness at its core, *hints of chocolate emerge, black pepper gains strength, and the tobacco leaves a dry and spicy aftertaste. By the end of the bowl, almost nothing remains in the taste except this peppery note, but it doesn't become tiresome and is perceived more as an interesting dynamic than an intrusive sharpness.
*
A very unusual tobacco. Difficult to prepare and easy to smoke, *spicy without being harsh, rich and yet somehow ambiguous in taste – it is precisely this that, for some reason, turned out to be the tobacco that I am willing to smoke at any time: in hot and cold weather, in the morning and in the evening, outdoors and at home, with wine and tea… Very complex – in terms of understanding, not because of the richness of the aroma bouquet, but it has a bright taste* with an unusual dynamic and a solid, six-out-of-ten rating, which makes it an excellent choice for everyday smoking. In addition, I personally love the herbal-spicy palettes, both in tobacco and in cigars, and even in wine.* Overall, it's a very unusual experience; you won't find another tobacco like it, and therefore it is recommended for everyone to try. In general, I really like Samuel Gawith's products: their tobaccos always have a unique character, strong flavors, and a kind of eternal, carefree negligence, in their uneven cuts and inconsistent quality. There is something unrefined, genuine, and slightly crazy about it – just like in the story of this charismatic, balding man with sideburns, a simple Kendal worker who once married the mayor's daughter, and then was himself elected mayor and turned his father-in-law's modest business into the most recognizable and beloved tobacco brand among Russian pipe smokers. I bought another tin as a backup – it's from the 2015 excise batch, still in a rectangular tin, and I have a good feeling about it.
16/20
E si sui vius, er mi grans benananza,
e si ieu muoir, er mi grans deliuriers
e si ieu muoir, er mi grans deliuriers