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Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake

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Apr 5, 2013
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I do not want to take anything away from the video, but I thought someone might like to read a review as well as watch one.

I like to do reviews in a similar manner to how SMOKE magazine does cigar reviews.
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior
1) Aesthetics: This is a gorgeous flake of rich browns and dark chocolate. I bought a 500g box, and as you open it you look down at it and know it is a brick of tobacco – sliced – you can see the grain run throughout the slice. Very cool!
Score for aesthetics: 4.9
2) Pre-light Construction: As you take a flake, it is definitely firm, but it does rub out fairly easily if that is your preference – OK it doesn’t fall apart at the touch, but I personally enjoy the tactile sensation of rubbing out a firm flake. There is a sweetness with a hint of caramel as you nose it, actually, you can see it, sugar crystals have begun to form on the outside flakes.
Score for Pre-light construction: 4.8
3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked: It might be good to let this dry out a bit, but it lights and burns well without being dried. Of course, the stuff I am smoking is 5 years old, having been aged in a mason jar. It will smoke down to a nice ashy dottle.
Score for post-light construction: 4.0
4) Flavor and strength: This is a wonderful example of a straight Virginia. This is like a rich dessert, sweet and full-flavored, but that sweetness is subdued over the richness. If sip-smoked slowly, there is marvelous complexity here, it tastes like a heavy, whole grain wheat bread, with ephemeral hints of caramel. Like I said, there is a richness in this blend that I have found in no other tobacco.
Score for flavor and strength: 4.9
5) Aftertaste/Finish: FVF has a lingering finish of slight sweetness, and rich toasted whole grain wheat bread.
Score for aftertaste: 4.7
6) Aroma: My son once said that this smelled like toasted fresh baked, homemade bread. The homemade bread he speaks of is the one we make, a stone-ground whole wheat, made with beer and honey. Yes it smells like tobacco, but I agree that there are the hints of honeyed bread.
Score for aroma: 4.8
7) General Comments: Samuel Gawith’s Full Virginia Flake is a must try for all those who have moved on from aromatics. FVF is a mature smoke, genuine in flavor, not adulterated by condimental tobaccos (no Perique, no Latakia, no Orientals, and no topnote). Grab a tin for yourself, fill your bowl, sit back in a comfortable chair, light it up, and enjoy!
Overall score for the tobacco: 4.7
8) Recommendation: Highly recommended – without any reservations.
 
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