Samuel Gawith: Balkan Flake 50g Pipe Tobacco

Product Number: 003-059-0015

Samuel Gawith was the son-in-law of Thomas Harrison, a snuff manufacturer who moved his trade and equipment to Kendal, Cumbria, England from Scotland in 1792. Gawith inherited this equipment from Harrison, and the company has been crafting premium tobacco since, with one of Samuel's two sons continuing the brand while the other joined with Henry Hoggarth to establish Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Though offering separate blends, both brands remain forever linked and still share the same manufacturing facility in England's Lake District, utilizing processes and techniques that date to the brands' 1792 roots. In many of their mixtures, Samuel Gawith maintains the standards enforced by the United Kingdom's strict purity laws of the 19th and 20th centuries — such laws dictating how much and what type of flavorings could be added to pipe tobacco and ensuring that sub-quality leaf wasn't hidden under the veil of exorbitant toppings.

Marked by a distinctly smoky flavor profile, Samuel Gawith's Balkan Flake pipe tobacco combines Virginias and Latakia for a English mixture that forgoes Orientals to highlight the natural sweetness of Virginias and the campfire essence of Latakia.

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Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

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Components: Virginia, Latakia
Family: English
Cut: Flake

Customer Reviews

Overall Rating:

3.7

27 reviews

Sort Reviews:

Henry Thomas

January 07, 2025

Product: Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

I generally prefer Vapers, and don't smoke English blends much, but Samuel Gawith's blends are consistently among my favorites, and I think their quality is unparalleled, so after reading some glowing reviews and thinking I should expand my horizons a bit, I decided to give this a try and ordered ten tins a few weeks ago. After finishing my first tin, it now ranks with Gawith's St. James Flake and C&D's Steam Works as my favorite tobacco, and it's a whole lot easier to get one's hands on than either of those. It comes from the tin nicely moist, but not too, and it rubs out somewhat less easily than C&D's broken flakes such as Steaam Works - about par with St. James and Full Virginia. It usually takes a couple of lights to get it going, but then it smokes well, with minimum relights, and what a terrific flavor. It doesn't have the acrid quality I associate with a lot of Latakia blends, and is smooth and cool. As always in a Gawith blend, the Virginias are top quality. A great tobacco....Read More

laundry detergent

October 15, 2024

Product: Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

i read alot of reviews about this not many describe it as having a predominate soapy old lady perfume essence going on, was at a gathering ,here is a plate for you i was eating away, how's that ? i taste soap ... oh that's cause i don't rinse was the reply .. my first and only time for that .. its like the cleaning crew at the Gawith factory didn't rinse .. i hope it gets better with age ..PS reviews for grousemoor seem accurate for this aand apparently its normal for lakeland varieties to be like this i was trying not to buy any of those .. oh well...Read More

A journey in flake form

November 08, 2024

By: Woodswalker

Product: Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

When I opened this tin I wondered if it had gone bad. It had a funk like you wouldn’t believe. After a few months in a mason jar it has acquired sugar crystals, and smells much more pleasing. As with all Gawith flakes it is very wet and I generally let it dry for 6-8 hours. It is simple straightforward yet subtle. Sweet and citrusy yet earthy and peaty. Aftertaste is just wonderful....Read More

Perfect in every way.

November 24, 2023

By: Davey Jones locker

Product: Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

This is one of the most sublime smoking mixtures I have tried this year. Satisfyingly smooth and piquant. Earthy, leathery, smokey and
Mellow.

Quality

March 05, 2023

By: whiskeymite

Product: Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

I have trouble rubbing this one out, even after some good time drying. A bit tough to light but stays lit fairly well. Some stubborn pockets still resist burning.

The flavor is outstanding. As with any Gawith tobacco I’ve smoked the quality is obvious. Very sweet virginias with a sort of floral latakia which, nonetheless, seems to step on the Va just a bit to my palette. Interesting, though....Read More

I don't reach for it often, but its good

November 19, 2022

Product: Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

Tin notes of sour and smokey. Flakes are mostly black and dark brown, not too moist, rubs out easily. Burns a little slow, once lit, relights were minimal. Strength is medium, nic is mild and no flavoring detected. The taste is med at most, with notes of smoky wood, leather, slight sweet grass, and peppery in the retro. Seems like the latakia leads with Virginias supporting. Room note is tolerable, and has a good after taste...Read More

Excellent Flake

July 05, 2019

By: • Adam •

Product: Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

Samuel Gawith manufactures quality tobacco blends and this is no exception. This is a more straightforward Balkan blend consisting of just Virginia and Latakia. No orientals here, and that’s fine with me. The dark flakes come quite most and have a wonderful smoky note as we would expect. Folding and stuffing flake tobacco is my preferred method of use and after 15 minutes of air this one burns quite nicely. I’ve just finished a bowl and filling my Peterson 408 gave me an hour and a half of pleasure. Mild flavor. Not too heavy. Easily an all day blend. The floral notes of the Virginia's really do well with the smoky, wood flavor of the delicious Latakia. Absolutely no tongue bite. Samuel Gawith blends come in stock about once or twice a month so do not fret if it takes you a while to pick this one up....Read More

what?

February 19, 2018

By: Jung Pil S.

Product: Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

I received a tin with the lid open and burned the most garbage tobacco in my life. tobacco was over dry and powdery.

Excellent VA/Lat English Blend.

December 26, 2016

By: Swiss-smoker

Product: Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

Scrumptious scent of Latakia and natural tobacco-sweetness on opening the tin. Dark brown, almost black, quite thick flakes. It is a chore to fully rub out and it needs a whole lot of drying time. The reward is an outstanding, delicious (English-)Latakia smoke. It is difficult to pack and light. Once properly packed and lit, you get a slow, steady, and very cool burn. However, a few relights might be necessary sometimes. The “secret” of getting the perfect burn is finding the ideal point of moisture. Too dry does not necessarily lead to a better burn. The flavourful, more campfire-smoky than leathery Latakia is obviously dominant throughout the bowl. In spite of this, the Virginia flavours of bread and yeast sparkle up constantly. It is not one-dimensional at all. The more bowls you smoke, the more subtle tastes you will find. Such as spice, cream, wood, hay, sweetness, richness, deepness, and more. It’s a master blend. A generous, though never overpowering, natural tobacco-sweetness is always there. I appreciate this. No casing or flavouring. The fly in the ointment is its name. There is no Balkan/Oriental tobacco in this mixture (except Latakia)! It’s all about Virginia and Latakia exclusively. It should rather be called “Latakia Flake”. It’s controversial whether to call this an English Mixture or not, since there is no Oriental in it. Nevertheless, I highly recommend these flakes to all Latakia aficionados. It has been one of my top five favourites for years....Read More

He lives up to its reputation

August 31, 2016

Product: Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake 50g

It is an exquisite blend. I think it's very well made, so much so that at the burn is not possible to determine the supremacy of Latakia or the Virginias present. Cold, it smells ene or wet grass. Intense and very strong. I recommend to dry the flake in the air for one hour or two before burning and then smoke it slow and pause to appreciate its strength and flavor....Read More