Sam Gawith Full Virginia

[yagger]

Hello all,
I recently decided to take up the pipe, however, unfortunately I wasn't too impressed. I am going to blame my disappointment on the cob pipe and the Tabasco i got from CI.

Now, I've been reading a lot about how your pipe makes a world of a difference, do i decided to buy a Peterson for about $100. Hopefully this will make a world of a difference. Oh, I haven't smoked a cigarette in over 2 years, however, I do smoke cigars regularly.
Moreover, I've read nothing but good things about Sam Gawith full Virginia Flake. I've been trying to find it, but no one seems to have it in stock.

I will be in California and Nevada in a couple weeks and wouldn't mind stocking up since I'm coming from Canada. Anyone know where I can find myself some?
Thanks,!

Yagger

 

[shawn622]

Welcome to the forum. A lot of great people and info here. Send me your address and I'll send you a couple flakes of FVF. It is not a beginners smoke though. I only smoke flake but it is tricky to get it to burn correctly. I suggest getting some Rattrays hal o'the wind to get your smoking skills in tune first. Here is a link to one of our sponsors that carry it. http://www.pipesandcigars.com/halowynd.html#.UMYGPINQWSo Take it easy when you smoke it, Virginia blends burn hot and will give you tongue burn. That Peterson should help too. Check the sight for a good deal on a pipe too while you're there. Hope this helps.

 

[captainprophesy]

Welcome Yager... first off, SG FVF is a fantastic tobacco, one of my top 5 favorites, but as the other 2 have stated... if not prepped, packed and smoked correctly it will NOT be pleasant.

I would suggest going into it carefully and patiently if you really have your mind made up on it... would hate for you to be discouraged from pipes because of a bad experience.
If you're a cigar smoker I would suggest a good English blend... the heavy latakia will be much more satisfying and full flavored and much more forgiving for a pipe beginner.

 

[sparroa]

If you live in/near a large city in Canada you may have luck at an established B&M. Samuel Gawith is fairly common at "finer" tobacconists; FVF in particular is an increasingly rare find in the United States due to the online demand...
I have heard of many quality control issues with Peterson, even at the $100 range, so don't necessarily think that that will be the "silver bullet" that solves all of your pipe smoking problems...
Pipe smoking does not deliver instant gratification like a cigarette. It requires some experience and believe it or not, it takes a measure of skill that only comes with time and practise.
My best advice to you is to get a top shelf tobacco, dry it adequately, smoke slowly, and try try again...
A Missouri Meerschaum cob with a blend of decent quality is sufficient for a good smoke, by the way, if you have the other variables in check. (If you have a Chinese made cob, throw it in the trash and purge it from your memory. That is not a fair representation of what a corn cob pipe smokes like)

 

[mrgunnar177]

I'd recommend dunhill nightcap and yes the Peterson $100 will definitely help

 

[instymp]

+1 what the above people said, I would bet you will not like Sam Gawith full Virginia Flake, starting off.

I am not a pro at this, but 1Q, Molto Dolce, or a bunch of others will probably taste better to you.

 

[captainprophesy]

I'd recommend dunhill nightcap

+1

 

[fitzy]

+1 on the 1Q from Lane. You can get it pretty cheap in bulk from most online retailers such as smokingpipes.com
I'd start with a mild aromatic like 1Q and work your way up to a Virginia or a Virginia Perique mix. I just recently moved up from aromatics and started trying some VA/Perique mixes. I'm still trying to find what smokes well/tastes well for me. It can take some time to find the right combination of pipe and tobacco but don't give up.

 

[hawk60ce]

i am going to blame my disappointment on the cob pipe and the Tabasco i got from CI.

First problem is that you got TABASCO from CI.

:rofl:

 

[hfearly]

Tabasco is the hillbilly's perique! :rofl:

 

[smokedogrememberthatsht]

Sg full vg bitehs me big time but I'm a bit of Nancy when it comes to tongue bite so your mileage may vary

 

[sparroa]

My experience is that a lot of what we call "tongue bite" is in fact steam burn from excessive moisture.
Drying the tobacco adequately goes a long way towards solving the problem, and smoking slowly helps to reduce it even more.
I differ from a lot of you folks in that I don't think 1Q is that great of a smoke, and I don't think it is for everybody.
I'd recommend that yagger get an inexpensive VA flake to practise with such as Orlik Golden Sliced. If he learns how to dry it properly, cube it properly, pack it properly, and light it properly then he'll be set on his way to enjoying Virginias for the neat sum of $6-10 instead of "wasting" what is one of the most rare pipe tobaccos out there these days...
Then, if he does find FVF, then he can enjoy it better with a little more experience under his belt and with less trial and error.
(I personally think that the codger burleys are better than 1Q/CB et cetera as beginner blends)

 

[sparroa]

Ironically, I started with Captain Black, but I wish I had a more user friendly tobacco as my introduction. I think it would've been a better experience all around...
I think that aromatics need even more experience than Virginias because those sauces and humectants are the antithesis of fire and the source of most frustration for new pipe smokers.
Prince Albert has plenty of PG and can bite if it isn't dried adequately, but I think it reaches that "smokeable" level of moisture much sooner than the various Lane aros. It also smokes much cleaner - more free of the goop you mention, and not as sooty either...
So back on topic, if you find FVF: buy it. But I still wouldn't smoke it right away - save it for a few weeks when you get the hang of VA flakes with another more available blend.

 

[yagger]

Thank you all for the feedback, and I do apologize for the TBASCO spelling!
The sampler i got from CI had two MM Cob pipes and the following tobacco. If anyone wants them, I will be more than glad to ship them to you.
1 - Captain Black Cherry 1.5oz Pouch

1 - Sutliff PS Golden Age 1.5oz Can

1 - Sir Walter Raleigh Regular 1.5oz Pouch
Not one of these blends delivered satisfaction, hence the reason I'm here looking for advice.
So, should i keep with the Cob's for now and skip the fancier bowl?

Should i stick to English blends as one of the poster's recommended?
Thanks,

Yagger

 

[sparroa]

Captain Black Cherry is almost universally panned so I am not surprised you didn't enjoy that.
I'm not familiar with the Sutliff.
Sir Walter Raleigh has his followers, but it is probably not for everybody. If it is as close to PA as everyone says, then it is a mild and straightforward burley with a lightly sweet topping. It often takes a while to grow on you. How much of the 1.5 oz blend have you smoked?
Try Sir Walter Raleigh the first thing in the morning with a fresh palate, before you've eaten anything, after it was laid out on a sheet of paper for 20 minutes to be dried. That would deliver a radically different experience compared to filling the bowl straight from the pouch after a day of trying to smoke 3 blends you didn't like much in frustration. (Not saying you did that, but it happens to the best of us) Just keep in mind that moisture level, food/drink, body chemistry, pipe selection, and packing density will all have an effect on your enjoyment and perception of a blend.
My question is: what are you looking for in a tobacco, and what makes you interested in FVF?
I know it is a highly appealing blend because it is probably the most sought after pipe tobacco there is and it also has some of the highest TR.com reviews of all time.
Still, what do you expect from it? If you haven't had any Virginias at all before, then even FVF may not be up your alley. So don't be afraid to pick up other VAs or Virginia Perique blends because there is a lot more out there to enjoy than just the Gawith offerings... Escudo, for one, is a great tobacco if you want to try a rich VA with a spicy twist. McClellands are renowned for tangy American VAs with a good dose of sweetness... Even SG Best Brown Flake is a less full but still quite flavourful VA that many smokers treasure... et cetera

 

[yagger]

My question is: what are you looking for in a tobacco, and what makes you interested in FVF?

Something that doesn't taste like a cigarette for starters. Thereafter i like a full smoke. Flavour is important as well. Again, I'm new so I don't really know!

How much of the 1.5 oz blend have you smoked?

Maybe three bowls or so.

 

[sparroa]

It's tricky because cigarettes are commonly made from Virginias in the Commonwealth countries, and American cigarettes are most likely lightly cased burley. So, depending upon how technical wants to be, most every blend can be said to resemble cigarettes in one way or another.
Have you smoked any other tobacco products? Cigars? Have you recently given up cigarettes?
FVF, for example, is far richer and stronger and more complex than any cigarette tobacco I've come across but I can't quite predict whether or not you would associate its taste with cigarettes.
Do you want added flavours in your smoke, as in the many aromatics on the market?
Conversely, the English blends are an exotically flavoured tobacco reminiscent of campfires and incense - does that sound appealing to you? Some beginners love it, others despise it...
I know you are new, I am just speaking in generalities to get a better idea of what you may or may not like. There are hundreds of blends out there.

 

[yagger]

Have you smoked anything other tobacco products? Cigars? Have you given up cigarettes?

Smoke cigars almost everyday in the summer - mid May - September.

Smoked cigarettes for about 14 years and I quit 2.5 years ago

Do you want added flavours in your smoke, as in the many aromatics on the market?

I dont think I would like flavoured tobacco. I say this only because I don't enjoy smoking flavoured cigars.

Conversely, the English blends are an exotically flavoured tobacco reminiscent of campfires and incense - does that sound appealing to you? Some beginners love it, others despise it...

I cant imagine that taste! Any brand you can recommend? I don't mind buying some while I'm in the States.

 

[sparroa]

I am not a big English smoker, but GL Pease makes some of the best ones. I don't know how easy they are to get.
Westminster is probably his best rated medium English and I quite enjoyed it as one of my first introductions to that style of tobacco.
Odyssey/Abingdon/Charing Cross are among his heavier tasting English blends.
(Latakia is the name of the "smoky" fire-cured tobacco that makes up English/Balkan blends)
Blackpoint gets a lot of good reviews for another medium English; Piccadilly is one of his many light English blends.
Are you interested in cigar leaf blends at all? It's not really like a cigar but it contributes a certain flavour and fullness. Pease makes two: Key Largo and Robusto, I believe.
For VA, once again your mileage may vary but these are 3 reputable blends to consider:

-Escudo

-Marlin Flake (Rattray's)

-Blackwoods Flake (McClelland's)
And, of course, Sam Gawith FVF or BBF or St James Flake are great tobaccos but you may get more enjoyment from them if you save them until you get the basics down pat.

 

[crpntr1]

FVF is one of my favorite, but before I learned to smoke slowly it did taste just like cigs.

English...SG Squadron Leader or one of the frog Morton's

I like frog Morton on the town myself