



Reviews


Samuel Gawith - Best Brown Flake 250g
Thank You SP.com
Thank you SP.com (Kaz specifically) for making an errant order right, I had been waiting on the order, which contained a box of my lovely Best Brown Flake thus making it's elusiveness even worse. I'm happy to say, SP.com have sorted this out for me showing they always put their customers first over anything. Thank you once again SP This is one of Samuel Gawith's top selling tobaccos, and a favourite of many pipe smokers.


Quorum - Shade Double Gordo (20 Pack)
Not a bad stick
I tried these after having tried a bundle of the Shade Connecticut. I like these a bit more though but then I usually always do prefer a Maduro over a shade leaf. Excellent for walking the dogs or fishing etc. A nice cigar at a nice price. There's no point in anyone moaning about how they don't like the taste of these etc, as they're less than $3 each! I like to include a bundle of Quorum cigars with most of my pipe tobacco orders.


Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Best Brown Flake #2
A pleasant change
to SG Best Brown Flake. I've enjoyed best brown for a longtime but only recently tried Best Brown #2, I can honestly say I like it a lot and think it'll become a favourite. However, I don't get any Lakeland 'essence' or 'floral' taste or smell, I don't dislike the 'essence' but can't say it floats my boat too much either. Lovely broken flake, darker than BBF, I smell the hay, citrus notes from the Virginia which melds nicely with the nutty, biscuit notes of the Burley. Burns well with only a couple of relighted but that's no doubt down to my cadence and letting it go out. I shall update this review when I've gotten through the bag I have here just now. I'm sure there'll be a 1lb bag of it enroute to me very shortly though!. I don't think I've disliked any G&H blends I've smoked yet and that includes Best Brown #2..


Vallejuelo - Vallejuelo Robusto
Good cigar
I enjoyed my Vallejuelo cigars immensely, I didn't expect a great deal from them initially however. I must say this was based on the price but I've been smoking cigars long enough to know that a good cigar doesn't have to be an expensive one. A little trouble with the wrapper coming apart on a couple, this wasn't great particularly as it happened while driving with the first one. This wasn't a massive problem and was easy to put right. Taste is good when smoked with suitable cadence, a nutty, toasted bread flavour was apparent all the way down which I like very much, not a complex smoke though, by any means. Perfect cigar for fishing, hunting, camping etc, or just kickin back in your cave...put a few on your next order.


Sutliff - 707 Sweet Virginia
Honey Sweet
Sutliff's 707 Sweet Virginia isn't a bad tobacco, it's nothing amazing but I would buy it again so that says something. A light brown broken flake, it may or may not require a bit rubbing out, I try to not break it up too much so that it burns a bit slower as it can burn a bit quick. Of course slow burning will produce the best taste from tobacco anyway. Burns well and stays lit, I smoke it in my Savinelli 315 Roma Lucite, a pipe I reserve for straight Virginia leaf. On a side note, I mixed this with PS Luxury Navy Flake and found it to be awesome. Due to 707's sweetness, I like to mix it with different blends. Definitely one I like to have around and will keep on buying.


Quorum - Shade Robusto (20 Pack)
Not a bad cigar for the price!
The longer these remain in my humidor the better they're becoming. Taking on an almost creamy quality that wasn't there when I first tried em. Not a bad cigar by any stretch, I enjoy one while fishing or chilling in the man cave


Peter Stokkebye - PS400 Luxury Navy Flake
Great To Mix With
Sutliff 707 Sweet Virginia, I have tried a 50/50 mix and love it although you may need to play with exact amounts to suit personal taste. On it's own it's a good reliable VaPer flake...I like to have a few oz of this around


Grand Croupier - Jack Pot
Mixed Or On It's Own
After having bought 8oz of Boneyard I thought I'd give Jack Pot a try. I meant to do this review months ago but better late than never. Jack Pot is not a bad looking blend, colours ranging from light to dark & everything in between. Not too moist but not too dry either although a little re-humidifying didn't do any harm and seemed to bring out the flavour a bit more. I get a very chocolate note from the bag which isn't entirely unpleasant. Lights well with no re-lights, this could be down to the slightly dry state when I got it.. The chocolate doesn't come through as strong while smoking though. Gets a little hot towards the end and can take on a not very nice ashy taste & smell. Not sure what this is & experimentation with different pipes only serves to counteract it very slightly. Because of this, I have started mixing it with other tobaccos a lot of the time instead of smoking it on it's own. Some will say this is sacrilege but a 50/50 mix with Best Brown is actually okay!


Cornell & Diehl - Carolina Red Flake 2oz
Well that went Quick!
Just got the "Carolina Red Flake Is Here" email but the tobacco was sold out already.... Anyone got a spare tin? ;-)


Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning
Part of my Rotation
Bayou Morning must be a favourite because I keep on ordering more? Very easy to pack a bowl with and the gravity fill method is ideally suited to this tobacco due to it's dryer state and fairly small cut. Just because this is a dry tobacco is not to say it's without taste, albeit not in the same way as a gloopy aromatic does I can smell the Virginias but for me, this blend is about the Perique. My morning smoke of choice on a regular basis as it wakes me up with a few retro-hales!..very peppery on the nose which I like As one reviewer has said already, it does smoke and burn smooth. I shall definitely continue to keep some Bayou Morning at hand and some cellared.


Samuel Gawith - St. James Flake 50g
Yet Another 1st Class Blend from Samuel Gawith!
This went straight into my regular rotation after the first tin I enjoyed it so much. True to S.G form, it comes out the tin very moist and requires some drying out but this isn't necessarily a bad thing as there's nothing worse than opening a tin/pouch of tobacco to find overly dry dust where there was once an enjoyable tobacco! Tin note is figs, plum, raisins and I also get the "ketchup" yet not as strong as with McClelland 2015 Virginia/Perique for example. Sweet too with the VAs coming through with fresh hay/grass notes Not too much Vitamin-N at all as I can smoke this all day, unlike McClelland 2015 which has given me a nicotine rush before but I still enjoy immensely. I experienced no tongue bite whatsoever from this tobacco, it tastes really nice & sweet with increasing strength the further down it gets, enjoyable all the way to the bottom leaving a nice fine clean ash at the end. On the whole this is a highly enjoyable VaPer tobacco from Samuel Gawith, one I suggest you try if you haven't done so already, one well worth putting some age on so buy a few tins and one to smoke just now of course! ;-)


McClelland - 402 - Chocolate Cream
I Could Smoke This All Day
This Chocolate VA blend I've came to like & can see me returning to it. First impressions weren't so good as when I tasted a chocolate flavouring I didn't recognise or particularly like but it's grown on me no end. Pleasant enough to pack the brown & black flecks, lights well and retains body and taste all the way down the bowl. No bite at all but best sipped slowly anyway as tobacco always is. When I got this I ordered some Sutliff J12 - Chocolate Truffle which is also good but I'm not sure if it's a fair comparison to be honest as the J12 has Brandy & Coconut. Anyhoo, worth trying, you will probably like it. It's not going to blow your mind but expect a flavourful tobacco that you could smoke all-day should you see fit....