My favourite being BBF I went for something that had "cocoa-chocolate", a bit stronger than BestBrown. It comes quite moist & needs to be dried out for a while. Yes, Bracken Flake is very strong stuff. It is very much like Gawith & Hoggarth's Dark Flake, with some sort of essence added. 1-800-494-9144 Sign Up for Email Specials Request a Catalog Stay connected and sign-up for emails to get exclusive deals and event info. I don't get it. 3.5 of 4 stars. Braken Flake is an old fashioned fire cured tobacco, best as an evening blend for a small pipe. JavaScript is disabled. When smoked gently this stuff blossoms for me and developes gently as the tobacco is consumed. This must be what Bracken is for. Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith 1792, Dunhill Royal Yacht, Sams Flake, Gawith and Hogarth Dark Flake. Set back, load a bowl full and watch your troubles float away with the smoke. Copyright 2023 GQ Tobaccos. It smells like soap. I picture a lone arthritic old man who should have retired twenty years ago doing his best to meet his onerous quotas, slicing as quick as he can on his clunky Victorian machine in some Dickensian stone cellar. It reminds me well, of bracken! Brand: Samuel Gawith Category: English Blend Components: Virginia, Latakia, Orientals, Perique Flavorings: None Cut Type: Ribbon Available Packaging: 50g tin Price: $13.75 USD On to the review From the Tin: Interesting combination in the tin. I wanted a strong tobacco. Even after smoking several pounds of the bulk version I still find it hard to describe other than Bracken flake to me is like a scented "light" version of Irish Flake. In this regard, I think it's better than Bosun Cut Plug or Conniston Cut Plug. And this stuff is aggressively flavored. I got loopy halfway through, and just could not take any more. If you like 1792 Flake, then you'll probably enjoy this different tobacco. The nicotine level was perfect for menot overly strong, but certainly noticeable and satisfying. Opening the tin, I was surprised. Opening the tin revealed very dark flakes of varying thickness.The aroma is musty,not very plesant to my senses.the flakes required some drying for optimal burn.Slightly rubbed out and with a loose pack the tobacco took to the match quite well.On first light there was a faint flavor of dried apricots and a very lite lakeland scent.The tobacco crowned up quite high and required a lite tamp for the second light.With the second light there were no flavors or aroma noticed. 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. Hoping to purchase BF in bulk. Desert Island Blend - Samuel Gawith Bracken Flake. I found it rich, full, and thick in flavor -- certainly having dark tones but also a sweetness to round it out some more. I met his wife as she was selling his cellar to a local brick and mortar. Yes there are some similarities as they are both dark flakes that contain a nice dose of nicotine but thats about where their similarities end. This flake was little too much for my taste. It came a bit more moist than 1792 and I had to let it dry a few hours before sealing up in a Ball jar. And the long and rich history is somehow perfectly reflected in their sublime tobacco blends; theres simply something remarkably old fashioned about them! Description Description. It does not taste like one but acts like one at times, a good one. It isn't unpleasant, but it is rather unusual. This one is not my prefer tobacco, but i find it very interesting, complex and enjoyable. This is still a high quality tobacco that will be suited to full flavor smokers. #5. Chocolate Flake. I'll miss it when my supply runs out. It rubbed out easily, and packed nicely. This is a great blend for the experienced smoker, rich, bold and powerful with a unique topping that really adds a one of a kind character. What a mistake. First, let me say that I love this flake, I find it uniquely satisfying. kind of a more interesting cigar flavour with a peppery finish. It does have a considerable nicotine content. ), this dissipates after being open for a while, it also lessens with age. I would also like to add that this is not an "English Blend", which implies it has Latakia, it does not. I could never smoke this as an all day blend, but it is great with a cold beer or cup of coffee. Due to the "board" reviews here, I chose to sample Braken Flake before giving 1792 Flake a try. I really enjoyed this one and of course it is no longer available. Orders over $95 in US, Safe Payments I did not expect to like it, but was pleasantly surprised. The smoke is definitely strong and a strong tea or high quality highland single malt would go hand in hand with this. The cut would be thin for one flake and then thick for the next flake. 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?" Look for Brown Sugar Flake and Beginners Luck. A strong and scented brown-black uneven flake tobacco. 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. Please confirm that you are over the age of 18 to continue. ** 4 full stars. Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader; A Tobacco Review for You! The best thing about BF is the combination of strength and sweetness without being cloying or overwhelming (this will be a matter of personal preference of course). It's mellow & smooth all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Samuel Gawith Pipe Tobacco - CuOJoes.com One star for quality, second for the reminder to smoke slow, but this is one SG I won't be buying again, SG do too many other tobacco's which IMO are far superior. If you chance on a tin and are a fan of the dark stuff at all, snap it up! There is something of the nature of the ever-controversial 1792 lurking in the physical aspect of Bracken, but the similarities end there. When I first open a tin it has a quite pungent aroma (dark chocolate? Samuel Gawith Black XX Finest Kendal Twist, Samuel Gawith Brown No. Washington residents, please note that we cannot ship pipe tobacco into your state. NB. Some have criticized the look of the flake, uneven, thick/thin torn. BF burns down to a fuffy white ash and leaves no dottle to speak of. Sort by: Samuel Gawith Mayors Collection Sams Flake Pipe Tobacco 50g - PIPE TOBACCO OF THE MONTH. I wasn't very wowed by it and it was likely due to my lack of experience with stronger tobaccos. Again, really smokes similar to a perique blend. I agree with a number of the reviews, the aroma when opening the tin is pleasant, the first half of the bowl is very pleasant..a little strong for me since I prefer a milder smokebut I find it does tend to loose its flavour half way through. Although experience is limited to individuals this one seems a little extreme. Once you get it lite it's quite good. The tobacco shows lots of light and dark brown leaves. 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. Like all SG tobaccos it is certainly of high quality. I rub it out some before smoking, although I prefer flakes you can just roll into your pipe (which breaks them up some) and smoke. I crumbled up a flake and then I noticed the sweet smell of their secret sauce. The tin scent did not reflect the taste at all. For me, this was very similar to St Bruno Flake -- no, not the same, but similar. It came across to me as some sort of spicy, peppery, syrup flavor. I would consider this a lighter weight cousin of 1792 as it lacks the tonquin that 1792 posesses. I just know that it works. Now where did I put the sand paper for my tongue??? It may not be as strong as 1792, but I tried to smoke a good size bowl of this stuff and could not finish. Need to contact the B&B Team? It's hard to gauge the strength of this flake. Being available in affordable bulk increases my excitement over my discovery of this product. In this blend, however (probably due to the Kentucky) the taste is pungent, earthy, woody, and somehow reminding me of the smell of cow dung. Comparisons to 1792 are apt in my opinion. Use the filters and the search function to enhance your experience We sell tobacco and tobacco-related items. Pipe Used: Bent billiard, straight apple, corncobs. It is fairly dry for a scented flake, but the scenting is just a touch or so. A first light is brings billows of rich white smoke, followed with a brief visit of the tamper and then a tamping light. This comparison really highlighted the ''fuller'' feel of Bracken Flake. Monochromatic, if not for the spice. Since I'm relatively new to pipe smoking, I tend to rub out my flakes. As a traditional blend type this is an excellent choice that any Enthusiast should try. Bracken flake ghosts your pipe big time. Tobacco - Samuel Gawith - The Danish Pipe Shop For me, seems to gurgle a bit. Notes: I smoked this in a number of pipes, including a corncob, but I ultimately found it best in my Lakeland-dedicated Ashton, size 2. Samuel Gawith | Gawithhoggarth Very coarse and quite difficult pack with more tobacco smell than anything else by the time it had aired. as the famous or infamous SG "1792", but still a full tobacco treat in terms of body and taste. Too start from the beginning, it is, like all Gawith flakes, of very nice high quality tobacco. Black, broken tarry flakes with minute crystals. Smoked slow, as it is intended I believe, this tobacco shows more hints of its complex nature. Mon-Sat: 12pm-8pm. The tins seem to be pretty damp, so a good bit of drying time should be expected. 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. I found no tongue bite and enjoyed the smoke rather well. Luckily, the moisture and the thickness of the flake helps a lot to maintain a slow and cool combustion (although it may require some rubbing out otherwise it won't get lit at all). I HIGHLY recommend this blend if you don't shy away from full- bodied, full-flavored tobacco. Email Rich at 4noggins.com, he put some aside for you the next time it arrives, he's a good guy. Why are most Samuel Gawith blends completely out of stock? This my first SG tobacco but not my first flake. At this point I was about ready to trade it off, but decided to give it one more try in a couple of days. Samuel Gawith Brown No. Free shipping! It is rich and earthy and leaves me with a tad bit of sweetness. My favorite of the SG line. Everywhere else in the world, Gawith sells tobacco to businesses who are licensed in their home country to import tobacco, a highly regulated and taxed commodity virtually anywhere in the world. I detect none of the tonquin others have noted. Super for those evening walks out in the snow. Pipe Tobacco - 4Noggins Tobacco | 4Noggins Tagged "Samuel Gawith This isn't much like Cob Plug, with that almost cloying aroma of tonquin, but more of a polite introduction to it. of STC Holdings LLC. It srcambled my taste buds, and made me ill. A heavyweight with a lot of body. I never finished an entire bowl. It comes very moist and needs to be dried. Today, they still produce a huge range of flavoursome blends whilst still implementing the same traditional methods and, some of the original machinery from 1792. And it's like experiencing Bracken again for the first time. There is no way this is likely to bite but its no shrinking violet either. I is very full bodied and strong, yet it does not give any tongue bite at all, and does not produce a lot of smoke. I love rich taste with equal mildness and this hit the spot. I will miss this blend very much when I get through these tins. I can see this becoming a problem for me, as I only have one tin left, and I will open it as soon as I get home Come on in and meet 1792's little brother!!! Or blowing away from your nose for that matter. Trusted SSL Protection. I comes with broken loosw flakes of a rich walnut brown color, the flakes are loose but the tobacco is packed very tight making it a little harder to break up to pack in a pipe. I smoked it four years ago, so this review is only the feelings that I remember. You're a better man than me Gunga Din! It really does not taste as it smells in the tin- a good situation. 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. That being the case, I can not help but add my, hopefully objective, 2 cents Bracken flake and 1792 (which I really enjoy) have very little in common. I had found that the SG line of flakes were very inconsistently sized. It is very deep and smooth but powerful. Definitely not for the first timer. If you like deep, earthy smokes then you'll really like this (and 1792). The after taste pleasantly lingers a bit, and the room note is pervasive. Then discovered that no one has this in stock! These flakes had really nice flavor though. I would not recommend it to those (like me) who enjoy heavy Latakia blends like Pirate Kake. I smoked all three bowls yesterday so that is all she wrote. Samuel Gawith has been producing world famous pipe tobacco for over 200 years, which are full of strength and mellow flavours. Overall impression.Premium leaf,burns well when dryed out a bit. I'd enjoy it more if I were smoking SHELLAC! Grousemoor seems like a beginner tobacco compared to this tobacco. A tremendous value in bulk and a great smoke! (Yes, that is a loaded statement). Beware, and be amazed. All Rights Reserved. It took a match and burned without drama. I dont know for sure. This bowl was much better than the first. This is a mild smoke with no bite. If you're getting into stronger flake tobaccos like Peterson Irish Flake, I would seriously suggest you purchase a quantity of this. There is a definite layer of sweetness which seems like virginias working, but also a dryer, "smokier" effect, ala latakia. If you like Lakeland style blends with their toppings youll like this. Bracken ( a slight step up but real dark in tone), and 3. The smoking experience is singular. This tobacco was recommended to me after my tobacconist was out of a virginia blend that i was looking for. Which is why I usually smoke this in my corn cob - it's the smallest pipe I own. Both times I smoked it in a small bowl. Nowadays, my tastes have become subtler and more refined (which doesn't mean that this tobacco is gross and rustic: simply, it is stuff from another era). The smoke was full flavored, slightly sweet undertones though! Recommended. Flavoring is mild to medium. Once submitted, any posts, images, or content become the property of Badger & Blade. We did an arrangement (bad) of Beethoven's hallelujah chorus from Mount of Olives which is a truncated version coupled with a snippet of the Ode to Joy from the Ninth Symphony, with the wrong words; and the rather difficult 16th century anthem Rejoice in the Lord Alway (composer unknown). I am pleasantly surprised at its consistant fullness and love the 'plain jane' feel of the smoke. Otherwise, it hits you with no forgiveness and becomes more acrid too. I can only recommend this tobacco if you need to digest a mouse, a nail, a piece of iron, or something similar. It is far from 1792 in taste and flavoring, so I would advise those deciding to try or not to try Bracken Flake based on their experience with 1792, or vice versa, to avoid doing so. Minimal Virginia undertones. Similar Blends: 1792, Kendal Cream Flake, Cobb plug, St Bruno, Condor. I do not find the tin aroma to be particularly strong but I can see how some might make the observation of a medicine smell. Imagine tobacco with no flavor..just strong and really unpleasant. I found this flake to be dark and moist, and quite pungent in the tin, much like 1792 and Full Virginia Flake. Well, I think that all pretty well sums up my opinions of this flake. If you are not a fan of blends with a hefty dose of Lady N, than you will want to take a pass on this one. Flakes of this color I find artistically beautiful (hey, art is whatever anyone says it is!). I pick up tones of black cherry, something sweet and vaguely like molasses and hints of rose. The topping or casing is immediately there and while a bit odd at first becomes a nice compliment to the fine quality leaf underneath. Cant wait to smoke it in the Winter while drinking a cup of Turkish Coffee. Ive had this in my cellar for over a decade now. 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. Strong yes, but nothing disturbing here. Very dark and rich, monochromatic and powerful, but not bitter or over the top. I read a lot of the reviews posted here and find most of them quite interesting and informative. I mean you could easily kill someone who only smokes American aromatics if you give them a big bowl of this. I wish the flakes came unbroken, because the larger pieces, folded like whole flake, smoke better than the smaller pieces. The second thing was a sweetish, artificial tin aroma that immediately transported me to my childhood, when my parents forced a cheap cough syrup on me. A lucious flavor. I wonder, if they used some actual bracken essence bracken is not a healthy plant to consume in any form, so perhaps that's why The Bracken Flake has been discontinued? Can you hear me, Samuel Gawith? I've been pretty distraught since I learned it was discontinued, and am making my remaining stash of it last. Still glad i got a tin before it was too late !