The most magical place in the whole world is the family property - what we Odhners call "The Farm" - in Fallsdale, PA. (It's in Wayne County). The place holds tons of great memories for me, but for a variety of reasons I haven't been there in many years. One of the best memories associated with that wonderful place is the smell of freshly cut hay fields on an early summer morning or a late summer evening. Musty and sweet, delicate, and a bit floral. Intoxicating. The sound of water pouring over the old dam and then on down to the falls is the perfect pairing to the heavenly smell. The call of the loons and croaking of the bull frogs only add to the magic.
When I take a deep whiff of Sam's Flake, the tin note takes me back to the farm and I become a bit (OK, a lot) homesick. Johnson County, Texas, is a long-haul from Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The balance of the Oriental leaf, Virginia leaf, and tonquin bean offer-up an uncanny olfactory resemblance to those freshly cut hay fields and fresh Pocono Mountain air. So does the flavor, and to a certain extent so does the room note of this most choice and sublime pipe weed.
The flakes are a wee bit moist, and require about - for me, anyway - 30 minutes worth of trying time. They're a blend of medium brown and tan tobaccos, and are fairly thick. Some people complain about the thickness, and I have to admit that I prefer the thinness of an OGS flake. However, SG flakes are sliced on equipment that predates the American Revolution so I'm not complaining. It appeals to my romantic side.
The flavor is just wonderful, and for the life of me I cannot separate the flavors of the Virginia leaf, Oriental leaf, and tonquin bean. They form a fantastic collage of flavor, and I have no real desire to pick apart the magic so I just go with it. I'm sure that if I really wanted to pick it apart I could, but why bother? I just enjoy the smoking experience. This is a tobacco that I just like to sit and sip on. It's definitely my favorite tobacco of them all, be it Samuel Gawith or any other blender. However, it's not something that I care to smoke all the time. This is a special treat for me, and I think that if I smoked it all the time it would lose some of it's charm. I suppose I'll smoke on this tin a bit more often than usual, however, since I'm dedicating a Dr G. Freehand to it, and I want to do it right. Strength-wise, I think that it's just a bit north of medium, so this makes it an ideal evening smoke for me. It pairs nicely with a glass of mildly sweet iced tea or a hot mug of Bigelow Earl Gray tea.
Now, excuse me while I enjoy this bowl of Sam's Flake, drift back to the summers of my youth when the world was a lot bigger and happier, recall the sound of the falls and call of the loons, and breath in that hay scented air. If I'm lucky tonight, I may find myself back there in my dreams.
When I take a deep whiff of Sam's Flake, the tin note takes me back to the farm and I become a bit (OK, a lot) homesick. Johnson County, Texas, is a long-haul from Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The balance of the Oriental leaf, Virginia leaf, and tonquin bean offer-up an uncanny olfactory resemblance to those freshly cut hay fields and fresh Pocono Mountain air. So does the flavor, and to a certain extent so does the room note of this most choice and sublime pipe weed.
The flakes are a wee bit moist, and require about - for me, anyway - 30 minutes worth of trying time. They're a blend of medium brown and tan tobaccos, and are fairly thick. Some people complain about the thickness, and I have to admit that I prefer the thinness of an OGS flake. However, SG flakes are sliced on equipment that predates the American Revolution so I'm not complaining. It appeals to my romantic side.
The flavor is just wonderful, and for the life of me I cannot separate the flavors of the Virginia leaf, Oriental leaf, and tonquin bean. They form a fantastic collage of flavor, and I have no real desire to pick apart the magic so I just go with it. I'm sure that if I really wanted to pick it apart I could, but why bother? I just enjoy the smoking experience. This is a tobacco that I just like to sit and sip on. It's definitely my favorite tobacco of them all, be it Samuel Gawith or any other blender. However, it's not something that I care to smoke all the time. This is a special treat for me, and I think that if I smoked it all the time it would lose some of it's charm. I suppose I'll smoke on this tin a bit more often than usual, however, since I'm dedicating a Dr G. Freehand to it, and I want to do it right. Strength-wise, I think that it's just a bit north of medium, so this makes it an ideal evening smoke for me. It pairs nicely with a glass of mildly sweet iced tea or a hot mug of Bigelow Earl Gray tea.
Now, excuse me while I enjoy this bowl of Sam's Flake, drift back to the summers of my youth when the world was a lot bigger and happier, recall the sound of the falls and call of the loons, and breath in that hay scented air. If I'm lucky tonight, I may find myself back there in my dreams.