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. Again, this is the variance in thickness of the flakes. Join over 18k members to reviewexclusive content. If you've never had it, it tastes exactly like the tin aroma on the finish. Samuel Gawith has stated that they stopped producing this blend because they could no longer source some of the necessary ingredients. Thus I feel confident in stating with a degree of certainty that the width of the flakes has a decisive effect on the flavor of this blend: the thinner the flakes, the more the unique essence of Bracken comes through; thicker flakes are more difficult to smoke, and are not as flavorful. It does have some similarities to GH Dark Flake as well. Those who love Virginia & Burley Flakes with full body and big flavor like Walnut Flake and St.Bruno Flake may like Bracken Flake as well. You are using an out of date browser. Samuel Gawith - Bracken Flake Edit this tobacco Favorite Wishlist Subscribed We have blended a carefully balanced selection of Kentucky & dark fired leaf to give this medium to strong flake. Due to the "board" reviews here, I chose to sample Braken Flake before giving 1792 Flake a try. 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. This must have been about 6 or 7 years ago. 1/25/07: I read somewhere that Ed Kolpin, the founder of the original Tinder Box in Santa Monica, California, was/is a pharmacist. Finish:. Quick Specs View. It brings about memories of fall leaves and pulling out what you thought was a blow pop from your week old candy bag, wondering to yourself, "How did I miss this?" If I had to guess I would say the base tobaccos are the same, but the topping is very different. The nic-hit is just past the medium level. No thank you. Strong yes, but nothing disturbing here. The initial aroma is of Dark Chocolate just like the tin aroma, maybe just a hint of something fruity too, it slows down after the beginning of the bowl though & becomes just a delicious, very dark Virginia flavor. The history of tobacco in Kendal starts here, with Thomas Harrison bringing from Scotland not only the secrets of snuff manufacture, but 50 odd ton of second hand equipment all by horseback back in 1792. It can get bitter in the last 3rd and I don't usually get good DGT results with this blend. The tobacco was too moist in all three tins. That being said, if you like 1792, you should try this too. Lighting:. First, it is strong. It's hard to gauge the strength of this flake. I also recommend reading the other reviews for this blend. In the tin, this smells like Kendal Cream Flake; whether this is a similarity in the essences or in the constituent tobaccos I don't know. Samuel Gawith Perfection Mixture Pipe Tobacco. It is a blend that needs to be smoked for a while to be fully appreciated, especially since it's so full-flavored. Try it in a clean quality pipe and toke gently. Since I'm relatively new to pipe smoking, I tend to rub out my flakes. I HIGHLY recommend this blend if you don't shy away from full- bodied, full-flavored tobacco. Nicotine is there but I do not find overpowering. It doesn't quite taste like soap, but it is definitely a unique tobacco. Esoterica's Stonehaven may be a winner here, slipping in between Bracken and 1792, with burley and virginia and a very slight scent. Email Us | (888)366-0345 Account Login Create Account . 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. Email address. I love a good traditional English flake. MSRP: $19.35 $15.99 Out of stock Compare Quick view. Model: Navy Flake. The taste is quite full and strong on the palate, earthy, with suggestions of cherry fruit and Brazil nuts. 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. That is not to say that it will bite, I've never experienced tongue-bite with this blend. I'm not going to relate this to 1792 because I haven't tried it. I smoked two pipefuls of it. The room note is a little like shoe polish aroma so you won't win any fans when smoking it but it is a good smoke and can be smoked outdoors. The virginia tobacco is in front, the rum based topping is high sugar and makes that lovely candied flake we all enjoy. Country of Origin. The first couple of pipes were quite a novelty, but after a good few (half a tin) I can only somewhat recommend it. They just push their "house" blends around here which are really Altadis and Lane stuff. It is more comparable to a fruitier Irish Flake than it's Lakeland brothers and sisters. As I have understood it this blend was discontinued because of a shortage of the leaf required, but if that is the case how come 1792 and Lakeland Dark are still in production? Smoking Frequency: Weekdays - 3 to 4 pipes per day. I had no problem with it funking my pipe though, or leaving any goop in the bottom of the bowl. Two of four stars. Purchased From: Gotteftermaten.se in Sweden. Categories: Samuel Gawith, Tobacco Tins. It works very well to scare off non-smokers if you so desire though. Out of stock Add to Wishlist Name-Brand Favorites Brown Number 4 Finest Kendal Twist $ 14.85 - $ 47.88 Select options Sale ! 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. If only this came in a "lite" version. I have recently reset all my reviews because I feel that only now I really know what blends I enjoy and now have the experience to accurately give an honest review based on my personal tastes. I was recently gifted a healthy size sample to try again and found myself moving through the entire sample in very short order. The biggest difference is the lack of Tonquin Bean essence in Bracken Flake. As others have said, it does need a little drying to bring out the best. I suspect it was intended as premium smoke for the one-blend smoker. This deep, almost black dark fired flake packs some punch. A buddy of mine said it tasted like good tobacco and the best tasting shoe he had ever smoked. 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. Contact us for further information and photos, all taxes included. I will venture a guess that the name, Bracken Flake, comes from Bracken Co., Kentucky, USA, the birthplace of White Burley and still the home of all things Burley tobacco. Well, I think that all pretty well sums up my opinions of this flake. However, I don't think I want to pay 15.00 a 50g tin for the cheaper ones. I don?t detect any Tonquin. My only complaint with this blend is that it can get bitey on the finish in the summer. My favourite being BBF I went for something that had "cocoa-chocolate", a bit stronger than BestBrown. Doing so may be difficult, though, if you like that nicotine wallop. I recommend a try, it is a very pleasant smoke. I liked it; my wife did not like the way it smelled. With a good rest in the bowl the tobacco will light with relative ease. I just got out of church, where I sing in the choir. I agree that this is a strong tobacco however I find it more than manageable if smoked as intended. That is not a bad thing. Not perfectly cut and portioned flakes as with others. The flavoring is not overdone, nor is it the same as in other Gawith blends. A beautiful VaK flake, moderately scented in the purest Lakeland tradition. I love rich taste with equal mildness and this hit the spot. 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. It can also get temperamental if rushed and since I usually feel the same way, no problems there. I might just throw the pipe I smoked this in, into the fire place. On to the smoking. 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. You chaps who like this tobacco, my hat is off to you. Still glad i got a tin before it was too late ! You can burn it to ash, though you may have to stir up the last quarter of the bowl depending how much or if you gave it any dry time. "They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore". The Virginias build in depth and character while the Kentucky slowly builds and begins to assert dominance. It is a fine tobacco who wants to experience a tasty and satisfying smoke. Whereas 1792 is loaded with this essence, Bracken has a dark sweetness to it, much like burnt caramel or molasses. 14 16 16 comments Best Add a Comment utahestatesales 5 yr. ago But certainly SG's dark entries are winners too, in the # 1 and 2 categories IMO. If 1792 is too much but you still kinda like dark flakes, try this one. The flakes are a beautiful dark brown, and the pouch note is earthy and a heavy sweet with a hint of fruit. The only things I'd add are, first, that the tin aroma is definitely "intimidating," as the blurb puts it. Easy to fill, burns also nice, but: it is like heavy lifting with the chest. The difference is that I love the flavor profile of this weedabsolutely fantastic. After proper preparations it is a dry and biteless smoke that will require some relights. Absolutely essential (if you can find some). I saw the new tin and had to try it; I'm glad I did. I almost get the same sensation on the back of my throat with BF as I get when enjoying pure maple syrup though I would not suggest that this tastes like nor smells like maple. Takes at least two charring lights to get it burning evenly and well. Burns slow, to a fine gray ash. If you like deep, earthy smokes then you'll really like this (and 1792). United Kingdom. After a suitable drying, it breaks and packs well enough, staining my fingers with greasy goodness. 1792), located in Kendal in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, grew their business apart from sibling company Gawith Hoggarth, but now the two are united once again under one roof. Hopefully their tinning issues have gotten worked out and they will get their production back to normal soon. I am pleasantly surprised at its consistant fullness and love the 'plain jane' feel of the smoke. Purchased From: Friend personal collection. We have been in the business for many years and our care and adherence to tradition guaran It srcambled my taste buds, and made me ill. A heavyweight with a lot of body. Phone/Office hours are: Monday-Friday 9am-4pm est. I tried "Z" stuffing and hand rubbing. (Don't microwave it, since that seems to compromise the fragile oils and alter the flavor characteristics.) Once lit, seems to need a bit more draw than other flakes. I have tried Petertson's Irish Flake and that is what this reminds me of. I would score it higher, but it is a little too strong for my tastes. Smoked slow, as it is intended I believe, this tobacco shows more hints of its complex nature. Otherwise, I like this more than 1792 (which I have not had for years). Otherwise, it hits you with no forgiveness and becomes more acrid too. Really nice blend. I once got a slab of the stuff uncut from the factory, painted with the magic formula and bagged up: what a treat! A medium bodied-smoke that is easy to enjoy all day. It should probably be noted that I am a fan of 1792 and Lakeland Dark and thus a fan of Samuel Gawiths dark and bold blends in general, but whereas some reviewers find this blend to be harsh I rather find it to be well rounded.