This is my first tobacco review, and I hope it serves you well.
Samuel Gawith - Bothy Flake
I bought a tin of Bothy Flake last year and had been saving it for a rainy day because half the reviews say it’s the perfect rainy day blend. Now that we are in the second day of a week of wind and rain in coastal Southern California (a rare treat), I decided to pop the tin because it’s the closest we get to the British Isles type of weather.
Dark clouds, heavy wind, pouring rain, and the sound of seagulls were the background for my smoke.
The blend lit and I settled in for a long smoke. Bothy Flake seems to be predominantly Virginia, infused with peaty scotch, and a hint of Latakia. Now this is different from a standard aromatic because it’s a meaty blend; most aromatics make me feel like I’m smoking air. This blend is technically an English blend, and it’s immediately noticeable that it’s similar to Esoterica Pembroke; although that has a cognac topping, and has a heavier topping than this does. This one has a peaty, whiskey essence, that is now my favorite room note out of any tobacco I have. I lived on a sailboat for three months, and it reminds me of the smell of the wood inside the cabin of that sailboat (I think the small amount of Latakia adds this). Maybe a hint of salt water as well. This would make a better “sailor blend” than Black Frigate, which is good, but not as good as Bothy Flake. This blend just hits the spot, and warms you, much like a good scotch does.
Some slight floral notes, but it’s not a Lakeland. I think the floral notes (which are only noticeable at certain times throughout the smoke) help contribute to that old, salty sailor essence. This blend makes me reminisce on a time I never lived in, and perhaps that’s an indicator of Samuel Gawith’s dedication to quality, old world style blends. Other tobaccos made in England give a similar feeling: Esoterica blends, and Germain’s Rich Dark Flake come to mind.
This is a blend I want to put into a giant bowl and just sit with for hours. I’m hooked. I expect to have many more bowls of Bothy Flake during this week of rain.
Similar blends: Esoterica Pembroke, Black Frigate
Samuel Gawith - Bothy Flake
I bought a tin of Bothy Flake last year and had been saving it for a rainy day because half the reviews say it’s the perfect rainy day blend. Now that we are in the second day of a week of wind and rain in coastal Southern California (a rare treat), I decided to pop the tin because it’s the closest we get to the British Isles type of weather.
Dark clouds, heavy wind, pouring rain, and the sound of seagulls were the background for my smoke.
The blend lit and I settled in for a long smoke. Bothy Flake seems to be predominantly Virginia, infused with peaty scotch, and a hint of Latakia. Now this is different from a standard aromatic because it’s a meaty blend; most aromatics make me feel like I’m smoking air. This blend is technically an English blend, and it’s immediately noticeable that it’s similar to Esoterica Pembroke; although that has a cognac topping, and has a heavier topping than this does. This one has a peaty, whiskey essence, that is now my favorite room note out of any tobacco I have. I lived on a sailboat for three months, and it reminds me of the smell of the wood inside the cabin of that sailboat (I think the small amount of Latakia adds this). Maybe a hint of salt water as well. This would make a better “sailor blend” than Black Frigate, which is good, but not as good as Bothy Flake. This blend just hits the spot, and warms you, much like a good scotch does.
Some slight floral notes, but it’s not a Lakeland. I think the floral notes (which are only noticeable at certain times throughout the smoke) help contribute to that old, salty sailor essence. This blend makes me reminisce on a time I never lived in, and perhaps that’s an indicator of Samuel Gawith’s dedication to quality, old world style blends. Other tobaccos made in England give a similar feeling: Esoterica blends, and Germain’s Rich Dark Flake come to mind.
This is a blend I want to put into a giant bowl and just sit with for hours. I’m hooked. I expect to have many more bowls of Bothy Flake during this week of rain.
Similar blends: Esoterica Pembroke, Black Frigate
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