Samuel Gawith: Kendal Cream Flake 250g Pipe Tobacco

Wow, this finally hit for me. It had a little burley forward roughness when I first opened the tin but six months in the jar has done wonders for it. The burley and Virginas are perfectly balanced, not even a nip of tongue bite. The creamy, aromatic topping is just barely noticeable during the smoke, as it should be. The fine tobaccos are really the star of the show, and I would swear there was a bit of cigar leaf in this. It's got the character and notes of a nice, rich cigar with loads of creamy smoke. Kendal Cream Flake has really jumped up to the top of my list. It's a sleeper for sure, very easy to grab a tin, so I'm going to suggest you go ahead and add one to your cart!...Read More

This is an old favourite from older days. The topping is as I remember with a vabur with some strength. Just as damp as well. Too much drying makes it hard to break up so I rub this out first. A topping that pleases and a great smoke. Sweet and nick perfect!

Another great tobbaco, laid back and smooth Virginia Burley blend.

I have fallen head over heals for this flake. Very rich and creamy with several nuanced flavors. I get a little of the Lakeland essence, but not too much. High quality tobacco that is quite tasty. If you are looking to dip your toes into Lakelands, this is a solid choice. Also a great choice if you like Va/Bur wants and want a light aroma. I can smoke this all day and not get tired of it....Read More

Tin note is stewed fruit (apricots?), vinegar and floral. Flakes are medium and light yellowish browns and fairly dense, need a little extra effort rubbing out. Flakes are sticky and could use a little drying time. Burns slow with some relights. The strength med. The nic is medium. Flavoring is mild-med with a persistent floral and a background creaminess. Taste is med, with notes of earth, lemon, bread, mild spice and floral. Virginias lead supported by flavoring and burley bringing up the rear. Has a pleasant room note and after taste....Read More

The lakeland is strong if you are a beginner, but if you aren't, it's quite nice. What's great about this blend though, is how much the burley stands out. Burley in flake form is hard to find outside of a few great blends like Solani Aged, HH, and Wessex. This doesn't sell itself as a burley flake, but it is. And its very good....Read More

This is different for a change of pace. Lightly scented/flavored. Has two tobaccos I look for in a blend, it's and easy to rub out flake, smokes cool with no bite and has a decent room note. This checks all the marks in an easy no fuss blend with a subtle yet not overbearing essence that compliment the tobacco nicely....Read More

I'm coming back to this one with a new love after a several year hiatus. It's rich and (you guessed it) creamy with a very mild floral note (maybe rose?). The Virginia and Burley work mighty fine together to give you a very satisfying smoke. The nicotine is a lover not a fighter, but it ain't no wimp either, if you push it, it will push you back. This one reminds me of the late, great Velvan Plug (RIP) so if some of you are mourning the loss of VP ya might want to check this one out. I can almost guarantee that you will like this one if you like VP. The floral note I mentioned is just that, floral, not perfumey, not soapy, just a nice rose-like top note that is far from overbearing. I just recently finished a tin that had at least 5 years of age on it and the flakes had wonderful bloom and had turned to a lovely dark brown color. I believe this one will cellar with grace and still come out tasting lovely. Come to think of it, this kind of reminds me of Erinmore Flake minus the fruity flavors, they both have a very similar floral casing with a nice base of Virginia and Burley tobaccos. This stuff is really becoming a favorite of mine and I agree with those who describe it as tasting like tea with milk and honey with a splash of rose water for good measure. This one doesn't get much hype in the forums and I'm okay with that, this is one of the few Gawith blends that is most always in stock. I adore this tobacco!...Read More

I had purchased a tin of this a while back and enjoyed it. Since most of the SG varieties are out of stock right now, I went for the 250g of Kendal Cream. It is now on the list of my SG favorites.

So this is the (in)famous Lakeland essense? For some reason I've always associated this scent with Latakia. It also makes me remember my father in law, Don't know what he smoked but some of it was strong with lakeland. I enjoy the interplay between the virginias and burley while the tonka topping fades in and out. I normally rub out flakes but this last bowl I just did the fold & stuff. It makes it more difficult to light and keep lit but seems to do wonders for the flavor....Read More