Gawith Hoggarth Drop

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blackpowderpiper

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 19, 2018
830
3,865
Middle Tennessee
Friday night I was enjoying an evening of scotch tasting with some friends. I love the smoky, peaty blends and shared a sample with a friend who emphatically did not - they took a sip of 10-year old Ardbegh and literally spit it out with an incredible grimace. Too funny.
I've experienced that same phenomenom. I guess it's an acquired taste.
 

Peter Turbo

Lifer
Oct 18, 2021
1,427
11,124
CT, USA
I used to really love it, I still enjoy it at times, usually in the summer. It used to be very heavily topped, I’ve heard they tamed the sauce since then… I can’t comment on that but I’m sure someone will, it seems to get mentioned every time GH&Co’s name comes up.

Yeah I mean I've never had it before so I'm interested in how it is now not how it used to be. What did you like about it exactly? I smoke some other of their blends like Ennerdale, Rum Flake, Kentucky Nougat and Dark Birds Eye.
 
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hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,231
Austin, TX
Yeah I mean I've never had it before so I'm interested in how it is now not how it used to be. What did you like about it exactly? I smoke some other of their blends like Ennerdale, Rum Flake, Kentucky Nougat and Dark Birds Eye.
If you like Ennerdale, chances are you’ll like Kendal Flake. It’s very floral, I believe it’s one of their more complex toppings, with up to 10 ingredients. It has the usual Lakeland scents such as rosé geranium & tonquin but this has some brighter notes as well, maybe lemongrass or some kind of citrus, it also has a musk added which makes it very perfume-like. I personally think I would like it more now if it has indeed been toned down as the toppings can get overwhelming. I would just get an ounce or two if it’s available now and try it out, I don’t think it will last long.

As opposed to American aromatics, they use essential oils, which, in my experience, do not fade as they age. My old stashes of Ennerdale, Kendal & Dark Flake scented are every bit as potent as they were the day I stocked up on them some 7 or 8 years ago. If/when I find my stash of it (could be awhile), I would be happy to send you a sample but that won’t help you much if it’s different now.

This is what the description says on TR:
A stronger tobacco with light side proportions of 68% virginia and a dark side of nearly 1/3, including 16% dark-cured Indian leaf, provide a medium strength smoke. The dominant flavour is one of scented almond and this complex top note is achieved by the combination of over 10 different flavours, including Rose Geranium, Vanilla, Rum, Tonquin, Musk, Heliotropin and Rose Fragrances.
 

Peter Turbo

Lifer
Oct 18, 2021
1,427
11,124
CT, USA
If you like Ennerdale, chances are you’ll like Kendal Flake. It’s very floral, I believe it’s one of their more complex toppings, with up to 10 ingredients. It has the usual Lakeland scents such as rosé geranium & tonquin but this has some brighter notes as well, maybe lemongrass or some kind of citrus, it also has a musk added which makes it very perfume-like. I personally think I would like it more now if it has indeed been toned down as the toppings can get overwhelming. I would just get an ounce or two if it’s available now and try it out, I don’t think it will last long.

As opposed to American aromatics, they use essential oils, which, in my experience, do not fade as they age. My old stashes of Ennerdale, Kendal & Dark Flake scented are every bit as potent as they were the day I stocked up on them some 7 or 8 years ago. If/when I find my stash of it (could be awhile), I would be happy to send you a sample but that won’t help you much if it’s different now.

This is what the description says on TR:

Excellent, thanks for the detailed response. I'll get a couple ounces and give it a gopuffy
 

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
12,644
20,164
SE PA USA
Excellent, thanks for the detailed response. I'll get a couple ounces and give it a gopuffy
I've tried to enjoy the Lakeland toppings. Believe me, I've tried to see it your way. And while I appreciate that there are people who see the nuances and tobacco-complimentary nature of these toppings, to me they are generally antithetical to why I smoke a pipe. They are so strong, so diametrically opposed to the carachteristics of pipe tobacco, that, despite my best efforts, I end up feeling like someone shit in the pool. And it wasn't a good, healthy, solid, well-segmented bowel movement, either. It was Taco Bell and a bad hoagie. Month old roast beef and pork sausage left out on the counter in the heat of summer for a week. A really cheap caterer at a wedding that never should have happened and will-end-violently-within-the-month kind of liquidous excretion.

Am I getting my point across here?

Not that I don't like aromatics. There are several that I'm hooked on, like the My Own Blend "Den Kongelige Livgard" and it's variants. Comoy Cask No. 2. Hell, I even smoke my own Frankenstein, "War Horse" from time to time. But the Lakelands just take me back to that box of John Wannamaker soap that my mom kept in the hall closet. Am I repressing memories? Did mom lock me in the hall closet with the soap from time to time? No, mom's psyops were more subtle than that. More focused. To this day, I can't eat gefilte fish without donating unreasonable amounts of money that I don't have to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. And they've been mostly irrelevant since 1948.

I'll discuss this further with my therapist next week, but I don't think that's going to change my visceral distaste for Lakeland.

@condorlover1
 
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hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,231
Austin, TX
I just saw that SPC has Ennerdale Mixture now, it’s essentially a ready rubbed version of the Flake. That’s cool, I like to see new releases from them, even though most of their new releases have been a different cut of a blend that we already have. I would love to see them send some blends that we currently can’t get over here!

When will they import Westmoreland Slices to the States? For the love of everything that is sacred and holy! I’m pretty sure that stuff would sell great here.

 
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gawithhoggarth

Can't Leave
Dec 26, 2019
362
2,443
47
Kendal, UK
www.gawithhoggarth.co.uk
I just saw that SPC has Ennerdale Mixture now, it’s essentially a ready rubbed version of the Flake. That’s cool, I like to see new releases from them, even though most of their new releases have been a different cut of a blend that we already have. I would love to see them send some blends that we currently can’t get over here!

When will they import Westmoreland Slices to the States? For the love of everything that is sacred and holy! I’m pretty sure that stuff would sell great here.

You cannot just introduce new blends to the USA, due to the FDA and grandfathering regulations.
 

ParkitoATL

Can't Leave
Mar 11, 2023
404
1,475
Atlanta, GA
Gawith &Hoggarth drop at smokingpipes.com. Picked up some Dark Flake Unscented.
I grabbed some DFU as well. Is this a blend you are familiar with? I haven't tried it but I'm hoping an all burley blend will smoke a little easier for me. I love Ennerdale and Kendal but find they are still a bit sharp for my tastes. I can't quite seem to get the hang of the flakes, too many relights.
 

Civil War

Lifer
Mar 6, 2018
1,554
401
I find it has a smokey (like smoked meat) oily fermented musty tobacco taste with a small hint of Lakeland floral. Some find the nicotine a little on the stronger side. There is just something about its old world tobacco taste/smell that I really like.