Newer Samuel Gawtih FVF

A blend like this is most likely hard to keep consistent in flavor. It's a tobacco that changes in flavor with any changes to soil, fertilizer, environment, the way it's harvested, flue cured, aged... lots of steps that can change flavors. Then, this is also a blended flake, so keeping all components consistent is probably a challenge as well. I'm also not sure about what this is cased in, but there's that.
But, I notice this one is always a little finicky for me. I have bought it in one pound increments over the years, and have quite a bit set back, bulk and tins. But, when I put it into rotation, I never get a consistent flavor. I do alternate folding and stuffing, cube cut, and rubbing it out, but I don't get a consistent enjoyable experience from it. Eh, sometimes it can give me a great smoke. But, more likely it's just a mediocre smoke for me. Sometime I can pull some tasty flavors, and sometimes it's just a smoke. Of all of the straight Virginias that I smoke, it's a definite not my favorite. But, I am not sure how much of it is objective or subjective.
Maybe hold onto it till one of those moments when you feel like you want a light smoke.

I once heard somebody talk about a transition in manufacture from Samuel Gawith to Gawith Hoggarth, though I don't have a clue of what it means

I am really new at pipe smoking but can someone explain why the Samuel Gawith blends are so hard to find? Are they still producing them? I am dying to try the St James Flake and the St James Plug but no luck yet.

+1 Cosmic.
FVF and BBF can vary from batch to batch, year after year. I noticed a big change in FVF around 2006 or 2007 when it seemed to my palate to change drastically. The pre '06 stuff seemed much better. Since then, it's been hit or miss with batches varying greatly to my tastes.

Jeff, please post the date on the Sameual Gawith FVF tins. I would like to know if this is new stock, or old stock that was at your B&M. It matters because the tobacco might be aged and not new, thus calmer vs bright.
Please follow this link and let us know the date of the tins.
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/you-can-now-date-your-gawith-tobaccos

Thanks for posting the date. So it’s definately 2018. Then, as noted above, it’s probably just a slight year-to-year or batch-to-batch variation in flavor/taste from your prior stash.

Does anyone know when these date codes began showing up on tins? I just got in some 2010 SG tins and no date codes on any of them.

I bought some 2013 FVF from a well respected member here that has no codes on it either. I think I recall late 2013 being the introduction of the stick on date labels... but please,don't take my recollection for fact, as even the source may have been wrong.