Tobaccos Samuel Gawith - Golden Glow (bulk)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3019)	2013-11-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A mild to medium tasting Virginia with a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, hay/straw and grass, a little tangy dark fruit, some earth, bread, and wood along with mild floralness, vegetation, sugar, and a pinch of spice. Won't bite or get harsh even if pushed. Has a few small rough edges. The strength is in the center of mild to medium, while the taste is a step past that threshold. The nic-hit is a rung below the strength level. It's easy to break up the flakes or fold and stuff as your preference allows. It burns slow and easy with a cool, clean, relatively smooth, very consistent flavor. Requires a few relights, and leaves little dampness in the bowl. Has a very pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. An all day naturally sweet straight, uncomplicated Virginia smoke.

-JimInks

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bent-1 (39)	2008-05-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Background: I'm mostly a VA smoker, prefer flakes & straight pipes with VA's.

It's described as a FVF lite & most likely won't be a favorite of those who like stronger blends. But what it may lack in strength, it more than makes up for in flavor. This is one of my favorite VA blends, a light smoke, especially in the nicotine department.

The flakes are the thickness of a standard flake, but cut into 4" long, 1/8" square strings that are flexible and soft. Upon inspection, the medium to light brown tobacco looks to have been stripped of stems. The sample I bought was moist, but not sopping or oily. Just enough to be flexible, supple.

Preparing to fill, I dry it using the oven method (60 seconds in a pre-heated oven, 200 degrees). I then bag it up & let it cool in a Ziplock bag. Then I break the strands into 1/2" strips & fill the pipe. Normal packing works well for me.

Upon light up, the pleasant oats waft is apparent & welcome. The light semi sweet taste is so nice with a cup of sweetened Joe in the morning. The blend remains constant down to the last crumb and leaves a white fluffy ash. Only clue it's the end of the bowl is when it's hard to relight. Speaking of which, I required a couple re-lights mainly due to a lack of attention to tamping (requires a little more so than most). I've yet to get any bite from this blend, even when puffing like a loaded freight train.

5-15-08 update

Still the same fine smoke as when first reviewed. KEY: Dry it just shy of crispy, I use the microwave for small batches (20 seconds on high spread on a paper towel).

VA's are like a Colibri butane lighter, persnickety to say the least. They favor certain pipes, require the right humidity, and can burn when worked too hard. I find Medium VA Flake to be like an Old Boy, a reliable performer, consistently good flavor. Many VA's are in my cupboard, this one gets the most attention.

6-07-2015 update

Sipping some MVF bulk jared since 2007 in a Missouri Meerschaum Mark Twain Pipe. Pipe stuffed as is, not rubbed out. The grassy note has been over taken by a sweet lemon citrus note, a touch of zest still present. puff slowly as it can get hot like most straight VA's. It can be monochromatic (like McClellands 5100), but the lemon cream wins me over. If memory serves me correct, Golden Glow (previously Medium VA flake), it’s the same leaf stock as BBF & FVF, difference is the amount of time the leaf stock is pressed & steamed.

Age When Smoked: Fresh, & 8 yrs

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2006-03-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance and Aroma: This comes in bulk form. It is mostly a medium to light brown blend in a broken flake presentation. Smells like hay but with a slight "Lakeland" scent to it.

Packing and Lighting: I prefer to pack "as is" and just rub a little on top for easier lighting. Lights easily.

Initial Flavor: Like "Best Brown Flake". It has that same "earthiness" that I enjoy, but with a little more "oomph" and is a tad sweeter and brighter.

Mid-Bowl: This is plain delicious!

Bottom of Bowl: I much prefer this blend over FVF because it doesn't have the strong build up of strength of that blend. This builds up nicely, but I don't have to let it go out so that the strength doesn't overwhelm me. Ends with a light, dry, grey ash.

Overall: This has now become a staple VA blend for me. More flavor than BBF, but not the punch of FVF. It does have an occaisonal flavor of the "Lakeland" scenting, but you really have to pay attention to taste it. I like that so it won't get any complaints from me. I look forward to aging some to see what will happen to this stellar VA blend... Meanwhile, go get some now!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2019-05-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Samuel Gawith - Golden Glow (Bulk).

Like it's tinned sibling, this is a remarkable blend!

Being from bulk, the moisture on arrival couldn't be any better (an improvement on the tinned version!). Like the sealed version it can easily be identified as a broken flake, I see some coarse pieces, but it hasn't been reduced to fine ribbons.

The smoke? I love it! Unlike some VA's, it isn't awash with citrus, rich fruit, or overly sharp. The smoke has just enough sweetness to placate and calm the sprightly Virginia notes. I find it a 'lazier' Virginia! Due to the moisture content a bowl burns without a hitch, And, because of the exemplary hydration, the temperature is fairly cool, and I don't get a scintilla of tongue bite.

Nicotine: medium at a push. Room-note: nice.

Golden Glow (Bulk)? Easily deserves a high recommendation:

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Askwith Poker

Age When Smoked: Few months

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cakeanddottle (105)	2013-10-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

For me this is tied for best straight golden Va, along with Butera Golden Cake. Very different tobaccos, equally excellent.

This is essentially BBF/FVF before the processing. What you have here is an excellent quality of golden Va. Empire leaf vs the American leaf used by McClelland, which makes for a slightly less sweet, more tobacco-y smoke. Consistent and delicious, it's a great smoke during the warm months.

I frequently see smokers calling this one bland, which I don't get. If you're a Va lover, you're going to love MVF.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2006-05-03		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

RCUSElder (who wrote an excellent review, IMO) enjoys this blend for the very reasons I find it only average, it's a weakling compared to Full Virginia Flake and I like more strength and flavor in my Virginia leaf.

Like FVF, this is a high quality flake Virginia that will burn clean and dry all the way to the bottom of the bowl. And, I think because I tugged too hard trying to find some taste, I got a bit of a nip on the tongue. More reasonable puffing should keep this one from biting.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2016-01-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Medium Virginia is a golden yellow straight Virginia flake, made by and for people who love that sort of thing. It starts out breezy and light, and then builds to a fantastic medium flavor as it stoves itself in the pipe. Smokes cool, remarkably with no bite at all if you smoke at anything approaching a correct Virginia cadence. Plenty of complexity to be found, if you know how to look.

I would not recommend this to anyone who doesn't know how to smoke flake, or to anyone whose palate isn't tuned to straight Virginia pipeweed. The flavor develops gently and never smacks you on the tastebuds like Pease blends do. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but it'd be like handing a Montecristo No.4 to a Tatuaje smoker and expecting them to follow the thread.

For Virginia lovers, this is highly recommended either as an all-day option or as your break from more bold offerings.

Pipe Used: basket pipe

Age When Smoked: bulk freshies

Similar Blends: Call it the English cousin of Erik Stokkebye's excellent 4th Generation 1855..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2014-03-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

500 gram box that's been sitting in my cellar for a couple of years. Review is based on about 1.5 oz. They tell me that this is the bulk version of Golden Glow, and I can believe that although I don't know for a fact that it's true. Same golden color, although the flakes here are much longer (then again, so are the flakes in a box of FVF as opposed to the tin), same lemon-citrus, grass and hay high notes.

This one was a textbook version of a light lemon Virginia, unlike two I recently smoked (F&T CVP and Butera Golden Cake) which reached heights this one can't match. It would make a good all-day until dinner smoke, when a richer, more complex blend would probably work better. This would also be a nice hot weather outdoor smoke and I'm saving the rest of my box for when and if winter ever decides to end! Perfect for smokers that find OGS too fruity, as this tones down the "marinated in orange peel" taste I get from that one. Overall I find this one worth a visit but not destined for my rotation, as I find it leaning heavily towards "ordinary". But I'm revisiting this again this summer, as I think it might improve... and speaking of improving, this one should age nicely. And I wouldn't puff this one, as she's prone to biting. Nice and easy on MVF to get the best out of her.

Pipe Used: meerschaum and morta

Age When Smoked: 2 yearts

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-06-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

When searching for a mild Virginia smoke that can be enjoyed any time of day, this is a sure winner. Medium Virginia Flake starts with a mild hay like taste, typical of many lighter Virginia's. It exhibits a mild temperment on the tongue and is never harsh or bitter.

What is unusual for such a light looking and tasting Virginia is the sweeetness of this tobacco. While not hosting the party in my mouth that Full Virginia Flake does, this tobacco exhibits a wonderful sweetness that I am hard pressed to recall seeing anywhere in this category.

Of course, your experience may vary. The size, shape, depth and length of a pipe are all important players in the delivery of taste. That being said, when compared to Old Gowrie, this is definitely my pick. At a significantly lower price-I can't think of a single reason not to stock up!

As a side note, Zimbabwe has experienced rapid declines of late in flue cured tobacco production. While I am confident that the blenders at Samuel Gawith will either secure enough of this for future use or will find acceptable substitutes, I encourage one and all to stock up on their blends.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2004-11-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

One of the sweetest all-natural Virginia flakes produced. Made from the same leaf as Best Brown and Full Virginia Flake, it is dry-pressed for two hours, steam cured for only about one hour. MVF is often overlooked by fans of its high-quality cousins, which is a crime. This is a great all-day smoke, rich and sweet. While true Virginia fans will relish MVF's charms, it is also an excellent transition tobacco from aromatics to Virginias because of its sweet, cool-burning characteristics. You owe it to yourself to try this!

Addendum: MVF doesn't benefit from prolonged DGT, though it doesn't become unpleasant.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2004-08-27		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is my third most favored tobacco, right behind SG Best Brown and Full Virginia Flake. This a tobacco that for me requires a dedicated pipe. The Virginia tobacco flavor is pure and delicate and is to be enjoyed in small sips. Smoking this tobacco in a pipe in which another tobacco has been smoked will likely mask the flavor of this unique Virginia. I buy it in bulk, rub it out to a ribbon while moist, and allow it to thoroughly dry. I like to start with a bowl of Medium Flake, follow it with a bowl of Best Brown and finish up with FVF while clearing the palate from time to time with a jar of Guinness, exquisite pleasure for us simple folk. Most highly recommended. Paddy.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2019-09-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Back when I bought this 4 years ago, it was called Medium Virginia Flake and golden glow was sold in a tin. Although I knew they were similar, I didn't know they were one and the same. Well, at least so much as a SG tin and Bulk can be the same anyway. I reviewed my review of Golden Glow and it appears this will be yet another SG product I prefer bulk rather than tinned.

In my review I said BBF was better than the golden glow. Maybe it is just the 4 yrs. of age on this, but I would prefer to smoke this to BBF, although it is not by much as both are great Virginias. Ultimately though, IMHO, FVF is still the king. This is consistent with my take on Virginias. I just tend to prefer them to be fuller and golden glow is a little lighter than I prefer. Still it offers some very nice Virginia sweetness as should be expected being a Virginia produced by SG. It just doesn't come with the gravitas that FVF brings. I would think those who prefer Capstan Yellow to the Blue would really enjoy this one.

Age When Smoked: 4 yrs

Similar Blends: Capstan Yellow.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2015-12-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a great tobacco. I like FVF and Pease's Union Square better, but those are in a little different category. This is medium, mild to middle of the road for flavor and strength, but a classic clean Virginia that every Virginia fan must at least try. Even if it's not your favorite, I think you will probably still enjoy smoking it. There is nothing offensive here, just a pure Virginia experience. Not nearly as oily as FVF, which suggests to me they use a lot less PG in this blend. Their website doesn't show Medium Virginia Flake, but I have heard that it's the same as Golden Glow.

Age When Smoked: About 5 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	incognitopoet (37)	2014-10-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This is a nice choice for an all-day smoke. It is mellow and well-behaved, full of flavor, and can't be convinced to bite.

It is a utilitarian blend, because I can rub out a flake, load it in a bowl, and carry on with whatever task is at hand.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2011-04-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I was unimpressed until I loaded up a Peterson 302, a pipe i almost never use because i find it too massive.

In the 302 MVF shines! My verdict: better and cheaper than Old Gowrie. So while i'm smoking pouches of MVF i'll let my tins of OG in the cellar aging untill MVF is pulled of the market :)

Update: also great in my Barling bent 'system' meerschaum

Try it in different pipes before you give up on this one, a very underrated tobacco IMO.

Update may 2011 What's the matter with this stuff? I opened the pouch in january and now after having been open to oxygen for 4 months it really starts to shine, outclassing everything else i've got lying around...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2009-11-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I've just tried this Samuel Gawith broken flake for the first time. I'm a bit diffident about reviewing it on so brief an acquaintance; but my first impression is so favourable that I'm going to anyway. I'm quite sure that I shall smoke quite a bit of this in my remaining years (or until it too – like so many favourites – ceases to be).

MVF – I speak as a lover of Virginias and Va/Pers – is one of the finest Lakeland tobaccos I've come across; and I don't say that lightly. It's subtle, certainly: perhaps too subtle for the more demanding palate. You probably have to be in the mood for it, and there will no doubt be times when (say) G & H's Brown Flake or SG's Best Brown Flake will suit your fancy more. But when you just want to relax with a pipeful of something that isn't too taxing, smoke some of this slowly and reflectively in a big bowl. After a gentle start it'll reward you all the way down with a full, sweet, old-fashioned, natural, pure Virginia flavour that gets richer and rounder as you go on: no scents, no casing, no gimmicks – just tobacco. Despite what some people suspect, I'm quite sure there's no artificial flavouring here. MVF reminds me a little bit of Player's Medium Navy Cut.

I think it's worth emphasising, though, that you need a long smoke of this in a large bowl to get the full benefit. A short smoke of MVF would be rather a dull affair. I enjoy it hugely in one of my big Petersons; Klio (cat) likes the room note a lot; SWMBO doesn't dislike it, either.

There's really nothing to dislike about this tobacco. The broken flake packs well, lights well and burns consistently. The nicotine content is (surprisingly) high and, like Virginias in general, it'll burn you if you rush it; so take care. Don't rub out more of it than is necessary to get you well alight, and don't let it get too dry. Subject to these warnings, this is a good choice for the smoker who doesn't like or want a heavy casing. Much enhanced too by DGT. First-rate stuff: in my list of preferences, I would put it second after G & H's Brown Flake. Highly recommended; a possible all-day smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (128)	2009-05-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Found this in a 250g box whilst looking for Golden Glow by the same maker. Like Golden Glow (if it's not the same), I find a superb leaf of broken flake, I broke off a small chunk and part rubbed it out, leaving it to dry for a few hours. The rest remained in the foil bag which I "re sealed" by folding the top and putting it back in it's box. Previous experience tells me that like Golden Glow, I can come back to this time and again over the course of a month and still find a good moisture content.

This splendid golden tobacco, now nicely dried to my preferance, is fully rubbed and lights with a single match, a smooth creamy flavour, slightly sweet and with a touch of saltiness. A very fine "first thing in the morning smoke" or for that matter, come to think of it, an anytime of day smoke.

Medium Virginia Flake seems to alternate between the initial "Smooth Creaminess" followed by the "Sweetness" of the virginia with a little "Saltiness" coming and going. Although MVF is not a complex smoke, I would'nt describe it as monochromatic either. It is what it is, a good, honest, excellent quality virginia, and does'nt pretend to be anything but.

I bought a second 250g box along with this to see what effect a month of "Aging" will have on it. Like Golden Glow, dried out a little, it burns well with only moderate heat in a bulldog, no steam and no bite. For me, this tobacco is a must have.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sailorjack (57)	2008-10-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's funny this thing we call 'pipe smoking'. How some can wax poetic about a blend and others bemoan it's qualities.

I as of late have gotten away from the heavy latakia blends and have been exploring the world of Virginias and Burleys. This was my first experience with a Gawith product. I was very excited after I found it on sale for a very reasonable $30 for the pound.

The reviews may not have been as glowing as the ones for the Full Virginia Flake but non the less most were still 4==. Well after giving it a try in several different pipes of various sizes, I am thoroughly disappointed. Very bland , weak and boring with none of the Virginia sweetness that I so much love. The only reason that I am giving it 2 is because it doesn't bite and the aroma is okay. I've since used it for blending purposes just to use it up.

I hate having to disagree with so may distinguished members here whose opinions I so greatly respect but it is what it is.

Yep, It's funny this thing we call 'pipe smoking'.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-09-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

this is the best virginia i know of in its category: the almost non-pressed-and-stoved flakes. somehow, it is what orlik's "golden sliced" and a lot of other continental flakes pretend and try to be but are not. though it is supposedly made by the same raw tobaccos as fvf and bbf, it is completely different in caracter: golden, broken up, a lot lighter in the taste and flavours.

natural sweetness, natural citrusy/vanilly/woodsy/grassy flavours, easy packing and lighting, dry smoking, lovely room note. what more can one ask?

does it actually contain some sort of artificial flavouring as some seem to feel? i can't say for sure, but i doubt it. true, at the last quarter of the bowl, some "soap" appears, in the form of a very slight lavender and mint aroma. as i see it, it could be all natural, though. and it certainly doesn't take over the bowl, as many artificial flavours will. at times, i've noticed the same phenomenon with fvf and bbf as well. probably a caracteristic of the virginias used, i'd say.

most highly recommended indeed.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-09-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

On a hunch, my first purchase of MVF was a pound. After smoking one bowl, I knew I?d ?done good.? After a few more bowls, I wished I?d bought two pounds so that I could be aging some while enjoying MVF now.

Reviewers giving MVF more enthusiastic recommendations have said most of what I could say. I?ll add that MVF is lighter in color and weight than Brown Flake, much less FVF. It is not, however, a light blend in flavor or power.

I do not think it is a Virginia/Burley blend or soapy. It seems a 100% flue-cured broken flake of a delicate texture, a middling, rich flavor, lightly sweet, and an aroma in the bag of augmented leaf (maybe cased, unflavored nor scented). Nothing but pure tobacco comes through smoking MVF. This packs, lights and burns very well, leaving a nice, mostly white, dry ash. To me, MVF, as Best Brown and FVF, are just more interesting and tame than Rattray?s wonderful VA flakes (SG really needs a HOW equivalent, BBF being 'tween OG and HOW, FVF stronger than HOW). SG flakes are also so much easier handling than my dear Mc Clelland's offerings.

I am also interested in trying MVF as a base for my own home blends. My first attempt with MVF will be with a little perique and P&W?s black Cavendish.

I?ll try to update this review after smoking MVF aged one year in Kerr ?canning? glass jars. It will be hard leaving it alone even for six months!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-07-30		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The manufacturer describes MVF as "A bit lighter in strength and taste than Full Virginia Flake." True enough; but...notwithstanding its lightness, the tobacco, puff by puff, bursts with flavor. Easy to pack and easy to light with not a hint of bite.

Not a very complex blend, but certainly a fine smoke when I need to pay attention to other matters.

Update: Maybe it's because I'm finding lighter tobaccos more to my liking these days, that I'm upgrading my recommendation with this review.

What's interesting is that Golden Glow, the same tobacco in a tin gets more favorable reviews. Gp figure.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ranger (78)	2006-01-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

One of the purest Virginias I have had the pleasure of smoking. Maybe the nicest looking tobacco ever. A wonderful, golden, chunky, chewy semi-flake. Very nice aroma and smooth, mild taste for frequent smoking. Doesn't have the depth of other Virginias, but its simplicity is its charm. I love ordering this at least once a year. After smoking this again through the 2005 holiday season, I am updating this to four stars. The slower and softer I puff on this wonderful tobacco, the more flavorful it becomes.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2003-12-05		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I only based this review on smoking two bowls from a sample. Although the presentation and technical smoking characteristics of this blend were fine, the taste, although sweet, was one-dimensional and weak. At ~ $40/# in bulk, I find much more enjoyment in other VA flakes or VA/Perique flakes that are also cheaper.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2003-02-27		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The following review was the result of a blind taste test.

I found this to be the blandest of the set of three, and never really was able to get into a grove with it. Initially, there was some crossover flavor from Sample B, and I had to give it a couple of weeks to recover.

Comfort for this blend was reasonable, and I would suspect that it is a VA/Burley blend. Cut was somewhat rough and irregular. Packing was reasonable and lighting qualities were good. The overwhelming characteristic that I experienced from this blend was a lower flavor level than I usually care for. Early metallic flavors reminded me somewhat of older Dobie?s Ready Rubbed, although the cut was not the same. This tobacco shined with sweetness in the late first half of the bowl, for perhaps a sixth of the entire bowl, before settling into a decent but unexceptional finish.

This is not a blend that I would expect to reach for or purchase on my own, due to the paucity of flavor.

Overall, give this an 80/100 for burning character and comfort, a 40/100 for flavor, and a 50/100 overall. This would do in a pinch, but not something I would tend to go back to.

February 2003

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2018-06-29		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Of this one I have smoked well more than a kilo, during a couple of years.

Is it an artisanal product: YES, absolutely ! Enough to say that I’ve found packings containing true flakes, just loosened; others container ready rubbed tobacco in perfect form; one other containing something rubbed near to ribbon; colours varying from golden to lemon. All of them good ones (just a bit less when near to ribbon).

Golden Glow is a perfect companion to the Virginia lover. It has not the complexity of say FVF, or the smooth as silk body of Best Brown Flake, but a sturdy “citrus & hay thing” with a trace of sweetness. The strenght is half step below the medium mark, the body is mild-to-medium. No flavouring. Low propensity to biting and burning hot, but You know… pure Virginia is hardly an all day smoke. That’s why I usually add a small portion of Lakeland Dark, and get a perfect balance of strenght & flavour.

Absolutely recommended.

Pipe Used: all my fleet

Purchased From: local tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (231)	2016-08-07		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

This is not a lighter version of Full Virginia Flake and this is not the bulk version of Golden Glow. This is another thing, completely and totally another thing. Very briefly: FULL VIRGINIA FLAKE is an almost pure straight Virginia; GOLDEN GLOW is a straight Virginia with a mild fruity flavoring, mild but intense; MEDIUM VIRGINIA FLAKE is a Lakeland straight Virginia. Without any doubt this Virginia is flavoured with the classic Lakeland ingredients and it has a classic Lakeland taste (Full Virginia Flake and Golden Glow don’t have this typical taste). In essence this tobacco is not a pure Virginia but a flavored Virginia (straight but flavored). I prefer a pure straight Virginia, such as Dunhill Flake for example, but for the Virginia’ lovers MEDIUM VIRGINIA FLAKE is ideal for a change of pace. To conclude in my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 7 and two stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Train (118)	2016-02-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Slow down , you move too fast ; try to make the morning last . This is good advise for this tobacco . Use as little fire as possible and puff slowly . You will be rewarded with a fine , subtle Virginia taste . This bulk sold tobacco is delivered in sort of a loose brick that can be taken off in strips that need a little rubbing out . The tin note is inviting and the cut and color are as well . Don't pack this too tightly and make a little air hole with a cleaner . Smoke it in a quiet place with no wind . Savor it , don't slurp it down . This is an SG mini masterpiece . I've read that it is the bulk form of Golden Glow but it seems much better , maybe because it's not rubbed out . In any event , this is a tobacco to smoke when you have time to sit back and enjoy a pipe . Relax , spend some time.........................

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tobaccy (1)	2011-10-08		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I had been put off of this blend for a long time simply because of the name. With SG offering so many great full flavored blends why would I want something described medium. Perhaps it's good that they label it as Golden Glow for the tins; it probably helps it to sell.

Anyway, I found this tobaccy to be quite a pleasant surprise. A very sweet aroma hits me when I take a whiff of the unlit tobacco; something like vanilla cake batter. It is a somewhat bright flake, rather like Orlik Slices or MacBaren Virginia Flake though a little looser resulting in fractured, not broken, flakes; I have a half pound bulk so this typical of the packaging.

I broke up a flake and rubbed it out very slightly; I typically fold and stuff but something about this flake told me to rub. Loaded lightly in Group 2-3 size bowl this took to flame quite readily without needing to dry.

This was my first pipe of the day and it fit the bill perfectly. Solid Virginia sweetness without any trace of the cake batter I smelled on the raw tobaccy. Burned cool and steady with rarely a relight necessary; I was working diligently restoring some pipes so the few relights were my fault anyway. The flavor developed slowly and steadily giving hints of tea, straw and a light nuttiness. Never overwhelming, consistently satisfying, it smoked all the way down to the finest of white ash.

Perfect for when you want something just slightly lighter than usual but don't want to sacrifice flavor or quality. This just might become my favorite before breakfast smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-04-13		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

More sweet flavor than McClelland 5100 Red Cake, but bites a lot more also. Why smoke it?

Updated 12/4/11- After about 9 months of cellaring, a lot of the heat and bite is out of this. I noticed how damp the tobacco still is and I dried this some before loading the pipe. This seems to have helped . The tobacco is more of a Danish style Virginia than an English, it is lighter, sweeter and grassy hay like in flavor.It does remind me more of McB's Virginia #1 than Dunhill flake and it does have a bitter aftertaste that I don't find in other Virginias. After drying it seems to burn very well at a slow sip, although it does have a rather damp dottle. This is a good Virginia but I won't keep it in my rotation.

PS. After reading reviewer, "Tobaccy", above ,and agreeing with his review, I noticed he said that this was a bulk for "Golden Glow" ( although the curing is diffrent,Flue Cured vs. air cured). Reading the Golden glow reviews, I noticed that some are recommending this as a blender. I can see where I might agree with that.

Updated 12/5/11 A great suprise, the wife actually said the aroma was not bad, WOW. I started to pay a lot closer attention to the scent and I detected a very slight "Lakeland Floral" scent and taste. When I say slight I mean a 1 out of 10, but it's there. I really don't normally care for LF but this is very well done, it does not overtake the natural Virginias.

updated 6/2/12- Nope !!! Don't really care for this,now that I can detect the Lakeland Floral. It also burns hot & bity.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-11-16		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Bought a 250g box/package of this MVF from Iwan Ries in Chicago. I've heard that when sold in 50g tins SG calls this tobacco "Golden Glow" or something like that. It certainly does have a golden color to it. Upon opening, this tobacco smelled a lot like tomato sauce - but once it air dries a bit the smell becomes more of a "silage" or "freshly baled hay" smell that I really enjoy (much like the smell of SG's Full Virginia Flake). Actually I first tried FVF and really enjoyed it, but I needed something with less of a nicotine punch, so I decided to try the MVF. MVF broken flake tobacco that is very much a lighter and sweeter version of FVF. I plan to keep some FVF in my arsenal for those times when I want the super-VA, but I think I'll reach for this MVF more often. Some might find this tobacco boring - so if you require lots of bells and whistles in your 'baccy, you best look elsewhere. If you want a smooth earthy golden sweet VA, you've come to the right place.

UPDATE: changed this to 2 stars (from 3) because I've now experienced Orlik Golden Sliced and it is far superior.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeterD (91)	2009-09-26		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Like FVF, this flake tobacco is superb! Yes, it is a lighter flake than FVF, but has its own character as well. A little more "earthy" in taste and aroma, yet builds a wonderful smoke from first light to the bottom of the bowl.

One of my top 10, the only wish I have is that I could buy this in plug form. Otherwise, I see no improvement in this tobacco.

Most often smoked in a group 4/5 size bowl, moist, lightly folded, and rubbed slightly. Depending on one's mood, this is an all-day tobacco, for sure.

Excellent with coffee or hot tea! A winner by any standard.

...a pipe is to be savored...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth 69 (117)	2009-07-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This broken virgina flake seems to bridge the gap in style and character between SG's Best Brown and Full Virgina Flake. Upon opening the tin, the aroma reminded me of some of Rattrays virginas that I tried years ago, slightly fig fruity with another vapor-like element present that I could only seem to liken to perhaps menthol. I suppose it's due to the degree of steam pressing. It has a mild but significant natural sweetness that Best Brown lacks while being noticeably milder in strength on the palate and relatively bite free even for a golden virginia of this type. It smokes slow in it's ready rubbed cake form that I would recommend not to rub out further. Despite it's milder virginia character I found this to be a more full tobacco in nicotine that only allows me to smoke about half a pipe at a time. An excellent virginia that some might find a bit rich as I do.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-04-15		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a good virginia which is mediocre in several ways. I know not much of endorsement but maybe with the bevy of Virgina Flakes it is hard to be exacting. What can be said you could do alot worse... ok yet another ringing endorsement.

It torches up pretty well and stays lit with little effort. The taste does have some of that Lakeland taste but it clears up pretty quick and you are left with straight tobacco taste which is on the mellow side. Aroma is nice and the smoke seems pretty heavy in the old car driving to and from work this week. I suppose if some of the stouter offerings make you weak in the knees this maybe the one for you.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-02-23		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

HAY!!!!!!

I do remember being a kid. Once I sat and at a friend's behest, smoked a sun-dried yellow breath's worth of stalk. That was it. One breath, one stalk. It was some sort of West Coast 1970's actual, from the earth growing, mowable grass. It wanted to propagate. We wanted to do something fun. So we smoked it and damned if we were not but 6 years old.

Straw-plucking fire sucking fun. Mmmmmmm Medium Flake. A blast from the past.

That's Not my review.

But, now that you've mentioned it, some have these Gawith Virginias have some hay about 'em. This one in particular.

As a long time fan of FVF, I told my importer that he should try the medium variety, as he doth tend toward the lighter fair.

Striketh me down, did say he, I do believe we've found me my smoke. I've smoked quite a bit, a pound or two, since then, and I still stick to the full flake from Gawith. But, Dear old Daddy, he likes this stuff, and not only will I withstand it's cigarette room note and lack of what I would kindly call "flavor", I will on occasion, (that being when I must) smoke it and enjoy.

Heck. T'aint so bad, that smokin hay.

Really its sometimes good, even if it's a little ugly on the side.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2009-01-14		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is a good Virginia tobacco in bright golden broken flake cut, naturally sweet, mild with some floral and Lakeland note, somehow bland with "metallic" taste that would please some palate no bite, inexpensive and can improve with age.

It is good VA, but not the best of mild Virginias out there, I prefer Mac Baren Va#1 or PSB luxury twist flake

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-04-19		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I ordered a pound of this before I had ever tried it cause it was cheap. Turns out it was a wise decision. MVF does have a noticeable aroma that I guess is what most people refer to as "soap". I think it smells more like an incense shop or some such thing. I like it. I have also started mixing it with 1792 flake and the combination is one of my favorite smokes. Nice grassy aroma, easy to pack/light, and as others have said, it's pretty!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2005-07-11		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I only recently tried this, being a fan of FVF. Appearance is like a rubbed out FVF. This one packs & burns easily. In the pipe, the taste is like a milder version of FVF. It's honest, subtle and as another reviewer rightly states, charming. Another plus, it's not as tangy as FVF. This flake is really underrated and overlooked because it lives in the shadow of the more famous SG blends. More fool you if you fail to try it for that reason...I'm sorry it took me so long! I found the smoke very tasty, wanting to puff almost continously. It's quite kind to your tongue too. A delightful smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (395)	2022-06-06		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Another pipe club sample that I got to try. This one consists of wide ribbon with a medium blonde color. The tin note was very light with wisps of grass and hay. Smoked great in my Meerschaum with a pure Virginia taste. It also lasted longer in the pipe than what I thought it would due to the width/looseness of the ribbon and the dryness. A really great mild blend but would definitely smoke this with a lighter tasting drink as anything strong would drown out your smoke. Thanks to “M” at the unofficial Saturday pipe club.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zhouyongming (1)	2014-09-23		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

谈谈MVF

有一日，正定叔喊我去他家吃茶抽斗，我应帮舍妹搬家，只能不去，只能约定好了暑假去他家坐坐 时光荏苒,白马过隙，到了暑假，便抽了一天时间去他家，一进门，只见一位赤条条的大汉大马金刀的坐在一把交椅上，开口便问，你可是那周家的大郎吗？我答是，后正定叔便拿出一茶，一凳，二盒丝一群斗给我观摩 我坐下来了后便向其请教斗的用法和烟丝的调配，了解到了很多我不为熟知的草。在我们聊天的过程中，正定便让我尝尝传说中99年的MVF，我想了想，便说了句好。这草那上来看了一下，观其色泽黑中现金，闻其香确带着一股豆瓣的味道，然后便开始跑湿柔草。 装好点上火以后便缓吸了一口，顿时有一种香甜的味道往我的舌根和鼻腔那里缓缓流去，这种味道与FVF大相径庭，如果说FVF第一层是甘甜的话那我觉得MVF第一层像是甘甜与密甜的集合体，他并没有像甘甜一样清新确只有一丝丝的甜度也不想蜜甜一样缠在舌尖确又因太浓厚而下不来。 等吸到了中段我觉得风格突然大变，好像一个人从中产阶级一下变成无产革命阶级一样，其味道突然由甜蜜修改成了如石楠狐狸一样迅猛的风格，攻城略地，直入鼻腔。在风格大变的过程中，其香甜度也变少了很多。 到了快尾段时我发现，MVF和FVF的尾段是一样的，同样的奶油味道，在我的口鼻之中迟迟不能散去，如同一位让人魂牵梦绕的大众情人一样，见过一面后她的身影在脑海中迟迟不能散去。可惜这样的大众情人的数量实在是太少了，以至于我很难在市面上发现这款草，也许是这款草的魅力太好了的原因吧 。 这草烟气比较浓厚，入口香甜，可惜我能品出来的层次太少了。 本人抽此草用的是6mm的密苏里小将 I enjoyed this blend very much. There was a vanilla, tobacco aroma that was pleasant to this tobacco upon opening the pouch. It packed well and it burns slow, with vary little if any tongue bite. That said if someone smoked this blend fast I could see them getting a nasty tongue bite. I found this tobacco the most complex I have tried to date The cigar leaf really adds to the finish. This is a full flavored cool smoke, with a hint of vanilla flavor. The vanilla casing was vary slite but tasteful. This blend burns down to a nice grayish white ash and a vary relaxing smoke. there are many flavors In this wonderfully blended tobacco. None over powering the other. The room not

Pipe Used: ??

Age When Smoked: 20

Purchased From: ????

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2010-09-24		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Basing this review on a slight one ounce sample I pilfered from a recent forum box pass.

I enjoyed it. Stronger, fuller taste than I expected, but good nonetheless. Some reviewers equate it to hay, an observation I find hard to agree with. Orlik's Golden Sliced Red reminds me of hay. MVF? Well, I can't quite put my finger on it. But tasty doesn't require grandiose/verbiose descriptions, does it? My last bowl was in a Jake Hackert Freehand cob, and it was the smoothest smoke I've had with this tobacco. Funny, to me the taste and snork are fairly nondescript(or possibly, hidden from view thanks to the heavy mouth feel), yet the, uh, 'after snork" was excellent. A creamy sweet scent that lingered on the palette for some seconds. I don't think aftertaste is a traditional reason to smoke a pipe, but it works fine here. The room note is quite acceptable as well. I should also add I perceived a slight floral note, almost like the faint smell of carnations in the rain. I liked that.

I only give it three stars because of the persistant mouth strength/feel. It's just a bit more than I'm happy to deal with constantly. That said, I've no problem recommending, or even buying this weed. (Maybe I should, if only to see if I get a more complete picture.)

Shame on you, SG! Bring on the 'Baccy!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-09-28		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Medium Virginia Flake:

Well this one is just as advertised for me. A nice medium flake. Medium in strength and in room note. I don't notice much in the way of flavoring though now and then some does show up about mid-bowl. Therefore another "medium" I suppose.The taste however is not a medium but very nice and provides the next step up for me personaly, from my morning smokes which are Louisiana Perique Flake by Gawith and Hoggarth or Perique Flake by Sam Gawith( which incidentially is a bit stronger than the Louisiana Perique Flake). I haven't tried mixing it with any other tobacco and perfer it solo. As Virginia flakes go it is a nice step up toward the fuller flakes like Full Virginia Flake and others. The flavor is very satisfying and the packing is relatively easy. The burn is satisfactory as well after a little bit of drying out. I have not noticed any appreciable tongue bite if smoked like other Virginias - that is to say with a little respect and fairly slowly. The sweetness of the blend reminds me of MacBarens Virginia No. 1 though not as pronounced or nas heavy. All in all a very nice smoke steady and reliable as most of the Kendal-based tobaccos seem to have been for me so far. If as a smoker your choices tend toward Viurginia and other similar Virginia/Perique blends this would be one to try especially as a bridge to or from other blends.

-----The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-04-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Lakeland Tour Stop 19

This was a very good value for the money in the 250g boxes. Good quality leaf, burns well, lots of flavor, etc.

It seemed to have some Burley or virginias that deliver a burley-like qualities of dry, sharp, nuttiness. Some grassiness. This is like Mac Baren Navy Flake but a little better. I would have preferred just a bit more sweetness and a rounder mouthfeel. Won't go for this while there's FVF and BBF at the same price. But it will be down the alleys of many, and is deservedly popular.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2006-12-04		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I love this Virginia. It is one of my absolute favorites. Full but not too full and i find no bite. But my tongue has turned to leather. I like the brown roundness of the flavor, the clean burn and consistent taste through out a bowl.I much prefer it to Best brown that I find bites a bit. What is sometimes do is add 5% 1792 to the MVF and find that gives it a bit of added punch. 1792 straight I find overpowering. The Demerol of tobacco.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2005-02-06		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

My experience with Medium Virginia Flake was uninspiring. It is a very mild tobacco, in both flavor and nicotene strength. It comes in a "chunk" rather than a flake, and is very moist. I found, even with proper drying, that there was little flavor, and it wanted to burn hot. With so many excellent Virginia's available, I cannot see any reason I will want to smoke this again.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2004-10-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

First, the color of this broken flake is fantastic. The scent and smoke are on the sweet side and very satisfying. MVF is a fine all-day smoke, and it's clearly composed of high-quality leaf.

I prefer Gawith's Full VA Flake and Kendal Plug, but I'd be happy to have another opportunity to smoke MVF. It really is good stuff. I gave it an "I smoke this on occasion" rating only because I don't see MVF breaking into my short list of VAs to stockpile.

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