Tobaccos Samuel Gawith - Squadron Leader

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-05-27		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is wonderful, high quality tobacco.

What Squadron Leader is not:

It is not a Latakia powerhouse. It is not a nicotine powerhouse. It's not a particularly 'full' blend -- there are no strong, rich flavors here. It is not a blend that struggles with its identity as you smoke it; flavor changes are subtle as the bowl progresses, but the essential character is present throughout the smoke.

What Squadron Leader is:

A light/medium, almost airy English, with subtle tobacco flavors. The Latakia is there, but it does not dominate. There is some mild Virginia sweetness, but it is not cloying. There is a good bit of dry Oriental spice, but it is never acrid. There is an incense quality at play, but no heavy perfume.

I think of this blend as being sort of like a glass of iced tea. When you're in the mood for a glass of iced tea there is nothing finer than... well, a glass of iced tea. I don't fault my iced tea for failing to give me the same sensory experience as a double espresso, and I don't fault Squadron Leader for failing to give me the same sensory experience as Nightcap or Penzance.

This is a superb light/medium English -- and for what it is, it's damn near perfect, IMO.

157 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-04-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Preface: I have been smoking Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium for near-on 30 years, believing that it has no equal anywhere on earth. But it is gone now, and so I begin a quest for my Holy Grail: A substitute to replace the standard on which all English tobaccos are based:

Squadron Leader: You knew sooner or later I had to get to this one. The 5th most reviewed tobacco on the board. Same ingredients as SMM, the Classic English Three: Virginia, Oriental, & Latakia. Could this be the one? I?ve gone through 17 blends, with only 13 left and I am feeling the edges of desperation creeping in?

For a time (a long time ago), SMM was available in bulk, as well as 100gr big tins. It was a lot cheaper, I?ve never been wealthy, and lord knows I smoked a lot of the stuff. But I never bought anything other than 50g tins, 50 tins per order. Why you ask? Because one of the greatest pleasure of smoking SMM was the indescribable aroma that erupted upon the opening a fresh tin. I never once opened a tin without a long, ritualistic, inhaling of the contents (this aspect, by the way, did lesson with Orlik). It never ceased to fascinate me in its complexity and mystery, and always generated a contented sigh.

(There is a 2nd reason for the 50g tin, if you are not yet tired of my missives on the evils of dry tobacco: I smoke a tin about every week, give or take a day or two. The moist beginning of the tin is always more enjoyable than the end, particularly in winter with the low humidity levels. Larger packaging would only exasperate this problem and reduce the frequency of FreshTin-itis. )

But I digress?

Upon opening Squadron leader I smell?..

Nothing.

Or hardly anything. No eruption of Middle Eastern aroma wafted up to greet me. Instead I had to get my nose right in it to detect the scent of SL. And at this proximity, the bouquet is fine, if not faint.

And Squadron Leader is fine, if not fantastic. The strength is perfect. No pulling on the mouthpiece seeking satiation. It comes on it?s own. And the flavor is good. English 101 here, at it?s very essence. Dry & full. (Dry as in wine, i.e. not sweet). Where it falls a tad short is in the richness, the ?good enough to eat? category. That bit of magic bordering on wonderment.

So often during these trials I have been frustrated while smoking. Partially, of course, because I would realize that ?this isn?t the one?. Mostly though because my need for my tobacco ?fix? was left unmet. Sometimes the tobacco was too mild; sometimes it was so off tasting that I regretted smoking it. And time being what it is, I have to put the pipe down and get on with life, and a special part of my daily routine was disturbed.

Squadron Leader satisfied my ?fix?. But it does smoke a bit too fast for me, even though it is properly moist in the tin.

Squadron Leader is correctly rated as the 4th most reviewed 3-star tobacco. There is nothing not to recommend it, and it is an excellent introduction to medium strength English tobacco.

78 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3019)	2013-06-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The smoky, woody, earthy, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia is the lead component, but doesn't dominate the blend. The Turkish offers light spice, some dryness and sourness, earth, wood, moderate floral herbalness, and vegetation along with a light buttery sweetness as a supporting player. The Virginias provide grass with some tart citrus, bread, sugar, and touches of tangy dark fruit, wood and earth as secondary stars, though they are not far behind the Turkish in terms of effect. The strength is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The taste is a rung below the medium mark. The nic-hit is a tad less potent than the strength level. Won’t bite or get harsh, but has a few small rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a fairly smooth, mildly sweet and more savory, consistent campfire flavor from start to finish. Requires an average number of relights, and leaves little dampness in the bowl. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste, and lightly stronger room note. An all day English smoke with a little character and depth.

-JimInks

75 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rsuninv (2)	2013-10-04		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I found a tin in a B&M while traveling for work and since it was on my "purchase list" I scooped it up. I sat in the store and puffed away. I am hooked.

Upon opening the blend it was a tad wet, but based on other reviews this is normal and I was prepared. I sat the desired amount on the inside of the lid while I chatted with the proprietor.

After minimal drying it packed well and only took two false lights. I was very happy with the smoothness and billowing smoke. It burned down to a nice ash with no glop in the bowl.

I liked it so much I purchased three more tins. I had an eight hour drive in front of me after all. :) By the time I made it back to Vegas I had smoked five bowls with zero tongue bite but overwhelming satisfaction. I immediately ordered a pound more.

This is a great English style with flavor and just enough taste to be an all day smoker.

Bulk update....... The pound I purchased had almost NOTHING in common with the tins. I packed it away for cellaring and ordered more tins for now. I had seen this on a different review so I'll be patient. Stay tuned.

48 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	panduji68 (28)	2013-06-24		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I opened a tin of Squadron Leader about a month ago, and the tin aroma actually put me off a little bit initially. It was slightly perfumy or soapy, and really didn't smell like tobacco at all. It was fairly moist out of the tin, and steamed my tongue a bit during the first bowl. It had a slight smokey taste from the latakia, but seemed dominantly floral, and almost perfumy especially when exhaling the smoke through the nose. Nicotine was definitely present, but not at all "strong". Just right for me.

I put it away, and decided to give it another go last week after about a month of opening the tin. The tin aroma still didn't really smell much of tobacco, but wasn't nearly as perfumy or soapy, and it had dried out nicely. I packed a wide bowl Savinelli briar pipe and really wasn't expecting too much to be honest. It took light nicely, and then...

WOW! It tasted absolutely fantastic! The floral note was still there, but much more subdued, and it began to really grow on me. The floral, combined with a slight wood and leather note (especially halfway through the bowl on down to the bottom) really complimented each other. It burned cool with no tongue bite at all, and the room note didn't get me ejected from the living room to the patio by El Dictator.

I finished the tin, ordered a pound of Squadron Leader, and it is going to be my new all day smoke. Highly recommended!

UPDDATE: The bulk Squadron Leader I received seems to lack severely whilst compared to the tin offering. It pales in comparison, and seems hardly like the same tobacco. It is dull, boring, and lacks that Lakeland Essence I initially hated and grew to love in the tinned tobacco. I am going to leave my rating at four stars for the tinned offering. In bulk I would give it two stars if being completely honest. If I factored in my disappointment between the tin and bulk, I would give it one star. This bulk product is beyond disappointing, it is hardly worth smoking!

40 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-12-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Now, THIS is an excellent example of an English/Balkan mixture! As Jaybee said below, SG really knows how to blend. It's a nice medium-bodied smoke that doesn't tire out the smoker with too much latakia or too liberal a hand with the orientals. It's extremely well balanced and very complex. After my first tin, I knew that this one was going into my regular rotation.

One of the nice things about this is that it's a good starter English for an aromatic smoker moving into Latakia Land, and it's also a great smoke for the seasoned pipester. It's an unassuming tobacco that, in not trying to do too much, ends up in doing everything right. SG should be proud of this one. Absolutely a winner!

36 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2014-03-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Samuel Gawith - Squadron Leader.

Note: 9/01/18. Retyped and updated due to disagreeing with original post.

The much hyped, talked about, 'legend', Squadron Leader. Does it warrant such acclaim, or does it deserve pillorying? After many years of smoking here's my view:

The blend's on the coarser side of ribbon, and without astonishment every tin arrives with damp contents. It gives an aroma of a very mild English.

Squadron' ignites easily, providing it's not been loaded fresh. The smoke from it's synonymous to the likes of D' Hill Early Morning': well rounded without the Latakia smashing your face in. The Lat' provides a smokiness, but is of an equal weight to the Turkish, which gives a woody, slightly floral, spiciness. The Virginia lends a sweetness but is easily outweighed by the LaTur side. There isn't any trace of added flavouring, it's a good old fashioned natural smoke. The burn couldn't be any better: cool and consistent.

Nicotine: below medium. Room-note: nice.

So, does it do justice to the hype? No. I don't think it's any better than a plethora of English's. That doesn't mean I won't highly recommend it, I will, the smoke's very good, but I don't think it warrants as much hype.

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Various

30 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MDP (39)	2014-09-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Squadron Leader has been my mainstay, medium English mixture for 15 years running. It is the hub of my English mixture tasting wheel, my measure of a medium English mixture and all variance is indexed to it. (Do you have a benchmark tobacco in certain genres or categories? It would be interesting if you shared that in your reviews)

Bright, medium long ribbons and dark Virginia broken flake make up the base, with a compliment of lively, nutty Turkish and woodsy Latakia. This does not appear to be cased, topped or scented. Perfection, also by Samuel Gawith, would be example of a topped mixture.

The predominant flavor comes from the Virginias (about 50/50 lighter to darker leaf. I do not taste American-style Cavendish). The flue-cured leaf really provides a naturally sweet, chewy and a nearly caramelized presence at times, while giving the blend its overall structure. The Virginias set SL apart from other, beloved medium English offerings. Next in flavor contribution comes the Turkish leaf as a noticeable, pleasant condiment. Then there is latakia.

It has just the right amount of Latakia for a medium English mixture. It could have a bit more, but not much more without bleeding into some other style. Compare to Dunhill's EMP or Standard Mixture Mild to know why SL is not a mild English. If you do not like Turkish tobaccos or you define an English mixture as heavy with Latakia with minimal Virginias and Turkish, then SL might not be for you.

The Turkish leaf in SL has none of the sharper edges of those in Dunhill's medium English blends (which I like, too) and Rattray's Red Rapparee, or the tanginess distinctive of Germain's in Margate (Full English) or Exotique (Oriental; quasi-Balkan), though more lively than in McClelland's British Woods. Those in SL are something akin to long gone Renaissance by GL Pease or Crown Achievement in complexity without CA's edgy personality.

SL burns to a white ash with no dottle. Even with the Virginias requiring slow, steady puffing, the smoker is rewarded with copious clouds of cool smoke. The flavors from the constituent leaf migrate in and out, deepening as the ash moves from the rim to bowl bottom. Delicious barely describes this blend.

This works best in for me with group 4 or larger chambered pipes in my experience. Compare straight sided to tapered smoking chambers with SL, and note the differences in finish.

The drier and cleaner the pipe, the more subtle flavors come through. SL really shines if the packaging moisture content is reduced so that the blend is still pliable without feeling moist.

SL is blending perfection for those who appreciate medium English mixtures in a classic presentation and form.

Age When Smoked: New and Aged

Purchased From: Various

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2003-09-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I finally popped a well aged tin (4 years old) of Squadron Leader to satisfy my once in a great while Latakia craving.

Well, not much Latakia to crave here. It is a very light Latakia blend with little nicotine (a recreational drug I enjoy in large daily doses!) and an extremely smooth and refined taste. I can see where it will please the "light Latakia & Nicotine" crowd. The tin art also looks great!

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Keith Rickert Jr (1)	2014-07-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The first tobacco that I took to immediately. I didn't know that non-aromatics could taste like this! In my formation as a pipe smoker, there's BSL and ASL - Before Squadron leader, and After Squadron Leader. In the beginning I smoked the aromatics that came with the starter kit my wife gave me for Christmas 2013. Being me, I then hit the internet seeking tobaccos with the highest nicotine content I could find (GW Happy Brown Bogie, SG Brown No. 4, etc.). After a month or so of smoking these -- intensely flavored, high nicotine -- tobaccos, I found myself no longer enjoying pipe smoking; and for a month or so I left off with it. Then I tried the aromatics again (mainly 1-Q) and found that they had enough nicotine to subtly soothe me after a day's work. But I wanted more -- and not just nicotine. I wanted a pipe smoking experience that was of a piece with the men from pre-industrial times. I enjoy the historical aspect of pipe smoking. For me, it's a romantic connection with the past -- with simpler times. And, in my imagination at least, men of yore smoked "real" tobacco -- not "aromatic" tobacco sprayed with food-grade flavoring. Also, I wanted more nicotine! I went to the local tobacco shop and asked for something between aromatics and the high-nicotine ropes I had tried. The guy behind the counter had no clue. (Cigars seem to dominate there.) On a whim, I asked for Squadron Leader (recalling a singular reference to its substantial nicotine content). The guy helping me asked the boss if they still had "that bag of Squadron Leader in the back", leaving me with the impression that it had been consigned to an out-of-the-way place and forgotten. Disappearing to the back of the store, he returned several minutes later with a giant sack of Squadron Leader. I procured two ounces, drove straight home, fired up a bowl, and immediately fell in love. My only experience with latakia thus far was Ten Russians -- a tobacco firmly situated in the unofficial category of "lat bomb". I didn't like it; but in the proportion found in Squadron Leader, the latakia gave the tobacco a new dimension that I had not previously experienced in non-aromatics. It is difficult to describe due to my unformed palate, but it seems to lend a subtle earthy, if not slightly exotic flavor. Yet, credit must not be withheld from the Virgina and Turkish tobaccos for their role in the ensemble. Something (Turkish or Virginia, I don't know) is playing a nice sweet note. The whole thing together is a symphony of taste that is quite magical to me. After learning that Squadron Leader is considered a somewhat quintessential English blend, I have procured several English blends, all of which are quite good, if not excellent; but I think Squadron Leader is just exceptional. My only beef with Squadron Leader is that it tends to smoke hot. I thought I was just being a noob, but after going through a fresh tin, trying various packing and smoking variations, I think it's the tobacco. Yet, when packed just right and sipped slowly it smokes just fine. Oh, and the nicotine level is quite nice -- probably around a six on a scale of ten.

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kraft1994 (54)	2014-02-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Squadron Leader is a mild, medium body english smoke. Similar to Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe but with Gawith's strong, bold, earthy virginias. This blend has the three flavors I love in tobaccos. Sweetness, Spiciness and Earthiness. This ones a grand slam blend for me. I've learned rather quickly that Samuel Gawith makes some of the boldest, strongest dark virginias out there. They add such a beautiful level of depth and flavor to this blend. Samuel Gawith is a legendary blender for a reason. Quality old fashioned blends for pipe smokers with a taste for tradition and class.

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MAGNUM207 (2)	2017-09-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Samuel Gawith- Squadron Leader:

Squadron Leader is a creamy, smooth, light English with excellent flavor. The Latakia is in perfect measure and does not overpower the gently sweet Virginia, and the light Orientals. This tobacco is easily an all-day smoke in any size pipe. As mentioned earlier, this tobacco is one of the "smoothest" English Blends I have ever enjoyed. Perfect from start to finish; never boring.

Pipe Used: Boswell freehand

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2014-02-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

The smell immediately after opening the tin is of very very sweet Virginias and very fine smoked Latakia and Orientals. A mix of Pot Pourri and smoked charcuterie I would dare say.

The wetness of the SG flakes is infamous. However, their ribbon cut tobaccos are of ideal moist and can be smoked directly from the tin.

The smoke is very very balanced, between the Va, Or, and Latakia. I can distinctly taste the high quality sweetness of the Virginias with the spiciness of the Orientals and Latakia. This blend is ideal for the people who want to introduce themselves to English blends, and they will surely know whether they will like English type blends or not. However, I am thinking for the people who like Latakia a lot, they should go for another blend having a higher proportion of it, as Squadron Leader has just the right amount of it. Anyway, I am sure this blend needs no further evaluations, as it is a quintessential English blend widely available worldwide.

Room note wise, the roomie was not very impressed with the smell, but I love it and seriously could not care less.

Pipe Used: Darwin Deluxe

Age When Smoked: A few months old

Purchased From: Le Maryland Shop, Lyon, France

Similar Blends: Davidoff - Royalty, William P. Solomon - Presbyterian Mixture.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Toasterbottom (13)	2015-01-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I think I need to preface all my reviews with "I have no idea what I'm talking about -- I just know what I like." I started smoking a pipe about a year ago and have been concentrating mostly on Virginias and mostly Virginia flakes. Early on I tried a tin of Three Nuns and Dunhill Nightcap and didn't find them to my liking. But recently I thought that maybe I should gently wade back into English blends that are just a bit more challenging than what I've been smoking, but none that are too strong or have too much latakia in them. Well, if that describes you at all, I think you should try this. I feel like I've hit paydirt with this one!

The smell when you open the tin is just heavenly. Someone in some other review here said there's no tin note to speak of. Whaaaaat? I shove my nose in the tin each time I open it and just inhale for a couple of minutes before packing my pipe. Sometimes I open the tin and sniff away even when I'm not going to smoke a bowl! And the flavour, once you do smoke it, is subtle, though ... I think anyway ... fairly complex. Flavours come and go as you progress through the bowl. It's like a chorus after the single note of Virginias. I don't really have the vocabulary yet to describe those flavours but suffice it to say that there's nothing here which is overly challenging though it's certainly a lot ... earthier? ... than my main go to tobaccos like Dunhill Flake. This one is going to be a new regular smoke for me. And the name and retro tin design don't hurt either. How can you go wrong with a pipe tobacco called "Squadron Leader"?!

Pipe Used: a variety of straight billiards

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill Mixture 965.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-01-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This was a very pleasant smoke. It is Virginia-forward with grassy and slightly sweet notes. There is enough latakia to taste without overpowering the other flavors. You can distinguish the orientals and that solid Virginia foundation is always there. if you are curious about English blends and don't want anything too extreme, this is a good one to try.

This tobacco was a gift from a friend, and so I am uncertain about age, bulk-vs-tin, etc.

Pipe Used: various briars

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-12-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The first half of the bowl was quite nice. The Orientals took the lead and provided a sour, spicy flavor that I find desirable. The Virginias provided a proper amount of sweetness. The Latakia was a bit lacking for my taste, but I was enjoying this blend regardless. Then I hit the second half of the bowl and something went horribly wrong. The smoke became a bit acrid and the spice pretty much disappeared. It began leaving a musty, stale aftertaste in my mouth. It got so bad I had to dump the bowl. I waited a full day and tried again. Same results. Bad tin? I don't know, but at the price they charge for this I expect better. I'll stick with Engine 99 at half the price.

Pipe Used: MM General

Age When Smoked: Fresh???

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-08-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I don't quite get all the fuss about this traditional english blend. I ordered 50g bulk, and I was rather unimpressed: the aroma of the unburnt tobacco is, as someone else said, rather soft. In comparison to other blends of this kind, the strong Latakia smell one should expect is almost absent: and indeed the long ribbons that make up the blend contain a fairly small amount of dark leaf. It burns great, maybe a bit wet, but very even, leaving very little dottle in the light grey ash. However, the main disappointment comes from the rather bland taste: it is a medium english mixture, sweet and licoricey, but without the punch and fullness that I prefer. It shows some nice variations at each different puff, and actually gets tastier after the middle of the bowl. As expected, the Latakia presence is always very subtle. I found some similarities between this and Crown Achievement. Ultimately pleasant, but there are several better blends out there that I find more satisfying. Can't beat the convenience of buying this in bulk, though!

UPDATE: I tried the tin version of this tobacco, too. Well, it costs more, but the extra cost is certainly worth paying for. In the tin, Squadron Leader is a good medium EM, not as tasty as some of my favorites, but a very nice all-day smoke. The Latakia/Turkish taste is much more evident, and the sweet Virginia base has a nice flavor which is different from that of the Dunhill tobaccos: a well balanced blend. It has some similarities to Dunhill's EMP, probably a little tastier, especially if smoked slowly. Very gentle on the tongue, too. Buy the tinned one if you like English tobaccos!

2012 UPDATE: I keep returning to this tobacco once in a while, and it's always a solid choice! Recently I have fallen in love with Skiff Mixture by Samuel Gawith, and I can say that while both are very traditional medium English mixtures, the character is subtly different. Skiff is sweeter, while Squadron Leader tends to be spicier and drier (both in taste and moisture content). Squadron Leader seems to have a different kind of Latakia, and at times it almost seems of the Syrian variety (while Skiff is declaredly Cyprian). And it seems slightly stronger in nicotine than Skiff. I tend to prefer Skiff a little bit because of its rich creamy complexity, but I think that all lovers of English blends should seriously try both.

2020 UPDATE: This time, after many years, from a 250g bulk bag. Still a love-hate relationship with this tobacco. It definitely has to be dried out a bit, and it still is a bit too light in Latakia for me. The Virginias are great (a bit bitey, though, as many bright VAs are), the Orientals are fine, but overall this a bit too on the mild side for me. I like it, it has quality, but it always fail to WOW me. Especially in the bulk version. After many years, I can definitely say that I like Skiff much better: spicier, more Orientals, more fragrance, richer flavour, more complexity. Squadron Leader tends to be a mostly Virginia-centered affair.

Final considerations after MANY years: when you get a good tin, age it a bit and dry it out, it's a 3 stars blend. When you get a weak tin, or the bulk version, or you smoke it too wet, it's only 2 stars. It's a good blend, but Skiff is much more consistent in its behaviour/batch variation, and much gentler on my palate while equally flavorful.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J. Ward (69)	2018-04-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Squadron Leader leads with light, grassy sweet virginias, supported by woody (and slightly buttery) orientals, and there's just a whisper of latakia that makes this an elegant morning or all day English blend. This blend is just so very well balanced with quality leaf, and, I emphasize, elegant. Squadron Leader is a permanent staple of my regular rotation, and I can find no fault with it. 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill - Early Morning Pipe.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RamEcl (3)	2017-08-05		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A very pleasant and light English blend. Upon opening the tin you will get a good grassy earth aroma with floral notes and just a hint of the smokey Latakia smell and excellent ribbons of tobacco. It is light on Latakia, and certainly does not have a great deal of oriental in it as there is no punch to it, but rather than being Virginia heavy in taste it does well to be a balanced blend in which you can taste all that is in it. It has a smooth retrohale which I find kind of sweet, normal with some English and in this case complimented well by the very small hint of "Lakeland essence" it contains.

To summarise its a very unoffensive blend that offers everything an English should.

Pipe Used: Peterson Kapet, Chacom Little, homemade pipes

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke-king.co.uk

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jedibastard (36)	2016-12-11		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I bought my first tin of this back in 2013. Was watching this like a hawk till it was restocked probably for the 100th time. I was still fairly new to pipe smoking, so i truely didnt know what i had till today!!!

I think i had 2-3 bowls of this at absolute most when it first came in. It really didnt do anything for me. It wasn't horrible. Just......didnt care to smoke it.

I remeber cracking the tin, and seeing light and dark golden colors with some black strings in there. Well. Is that what an "english" tobacco looked like? NO WAY!!! It should be dark, dark, dark and smell terrible!!! Right?!?! Any way. This smoke didnt wow me.

Jump forward to today.

This tobacco has been on my mind for months now. And yet i still over look it.

I almost didnt recognize this tobacco. The leafhas completely changed color!! Its now a rich, chocolate brown, with even deeper blacks in the mix. Luckly it was labeled.

Opening that jar was amazing. The aroma is the most wonderful, tangy, zesty spice i have ever smelt. But its so smooth it doesnt burn your nose. It has almost a creamy texture to it. Lighting this was great. The aroma that came off the smoke was perfect. Smooth and spicy. Just how i like it!

Did i accidently grab some Dunhill 965?!?!?!?! Nope. Its Squadon Leader!!!

The profile has changed so incredibly much in 3 years, im shocked!!!!

It resembles 965, but less spicy, and a little less body. NOT IN A BAD WAY AT ALL!!! Dont take that the wrong way. This stuff is great. Period. But the characterists mock 965 now in just the slightest suggestion. Think.........mellow.

SL stays true the entire bowl. No added strength if pushed. No crazy head spins. Just pure soft spicy with added sweetness. Man. am i glad i still have some of this. I think its time to snag some more tins and let them rest for 3 years.

I can only imagine how more age will improve this blend.

Pipe Used: OMS Billiard

Age When Smoked: 3yrs

Purchased From: P&C

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2013-05-15		Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

this is famous, is a Legendary blend, but for me,in it, neither is cleary distinguished:

Latakia, Orientals, Virginia? Complex? Not Complex, exactly, but... Tasteless.

is clearly below, inferior, to many other English Mixtures an Balkans, less good that 965, Standard Medium, Balkan Supreme, Britts's Balkan, Chipman Hill, Merde de Cheval etc... etc... Very frar from the favorites...

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JasonH (4)	2017-11-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is my first review out here and I want to start by saying thank you to you all. This site along with your reviews have really made this pipe smoking adventure so much more enjoyable. I have been a pipe smoker off and on for 10 years but it wasn’t until this last year that I really learned to smoke a pipe and with this site and your reviews, have made this a wonderful and pleasurable journey. Discovering all these tobaccos has been a revelation.

Samuel Gawith - Squadron Leader has become a staple in my rotation. I tend to like a little bit of everything, including this wonderful medium strength English blend. I started with and worked my way through two tins of this with great pleasure. Following the tins, I also have my first bulk order in hand and have a few ounces of that pound in ash.

I found that there WAS a difference in the two versions. The tined versions were more mellow and nearly perfect moisture wise. Compared to the bulk version, I found it to be overly moist and a little rougher around the edges. Just a couple months in a Mason jars(big one) it has mellowed out. I do have to give the bulk a little “per smoke” drying time – about 10-15 minutes and its perfect. The flavor has mellowed and while it’s still spicey/peppery that has subsided considerably.

Overall, I find a very interesting duality in this tobacco. On one hand it leans toward the peppery side for an English. It also has a real creamy character that is amazing. It’s almost like a good steak in that its filling and savory. I enjoy its spice but for me, it’s not an all-day smoke. After a two or three bowls my palate is a bit overloaded and it needs a rest from the pepper bite. That said, a bowl of Squadron Leader is a daily given at this point.

Even with the pepper aspect this is a smooth enjoyable smoke. I DID have problems with bite but it was with bulk that was overly moist and I was not practicing patience and self-restraint. Given proper drying time I have zero bite issues. I can’t lay blame on the tobacco for my error.

I have various English/Scottish blends in my rotation. Dunhill 965 would arguably be my “all day” blend of preference. That said, having an Ashton Artesian, Mac Baren Vintage Syrian along with this wonderful Squadron Leader blend is making for a very enthusiastic and quite content pipe smoker. This is my go to when I need a little zing in the bowl.

Given the spice, I have to give this a 3.5 of 4. Really that’s due to my personal preference. While I love it, I can over do the spice factor. If you haven’t tried it, the ratings are justified. I highly recommend it and not only is it a daily ritual, it is one of the few tobaccos that I buy in bulk and intend to always have in stock.

Pipe Used: Various - Generally Canadians

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill MM965.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ASmithee (20)	2018-01-23		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Squadron Leader (SL) is a member of my personal "holy trinity" of essential English tobacco blends, the other two being Dunhill Nightcap and Dunhill EMP. SL has so many great qualities that make it one of the premier English tobacco blends on the market today. I would recommend you buy this in the 250g packs when available. The latakia in SL as it slowly burns in your pipe smells absolutely wonderful. Just that smell alone makes me love this blend so much. The components are well balanced. The one gripe is that it comes wet and needs some drying time. But that's to be experienced with any Sam Gawith tobacco.

Pipe Used: Briars, Meerschaums, and Clay

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (217)	2017-05-27		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Samuel Gawith’s Squadron Leader is long-established and very popular for good reason, as it has pretty much defined the “mild English” category for longer than anyone living can remember. Though a contemporary tin surprised me with a poof of Liquid Smoke condiment when I popped it open, time faded this, and underneath the initially-fake smoke are the same scents I’ve always associated with the iconic tin art, namely peat moss under the smoke, and wet hay under that, and there are savory kabob spices well below that. The tobacco is cut into thin ribbons that range from dishwater blonde to medium brown, to black. It’s moist in the tin, and IMO it benefits from some drying, if only to get rid of the Liquid Smoke scent, if that’s a factor and a problem. Stuffed loosely, SL lights with ease and burns down at a fair clip. The burn can be slowed by packing it tighter, if it’s dried first. If it’s packed tightly while tin wet, it gets fussy. As for the smoke, itself, I find SL to be easy and quite relaxing, with well-met, perfectly balanced varietals that are harmonious rather than amalgamated. There are grassy, straw-like, golden VAs that add a little sweetness, and fragrant, exotic, savory Orientals that sour as one smokes SL down. There are aromatic, woody resins but there is little pepper. The Cyprian Latakia is just smoky enough, and it also adds some bracing astringency, especially down the home stretch, and here is the “soap” of yore! What’s not to love? Strength is mild. Tastes are toward medium from mild. Turkish/Macedonian varietals factor in the room note; hardly offensive to me, but you’ve been warned. Aftertaste is a fairly brief, slightly metallic, slightly ashy trailing off of the smoke; nothing to write home about.

Again, Squadron Leader has been popular since Hector was a pup, and no wondering why; it’s about as good a true, light English as one can find. If you’ve not yet tried it, you simply must sample this Tobacco Hall of Famer. 4 Stars, of course.

Pipe Used: larger "Turkish"/"Balkan" briars preferred

Age When Smoked: fresh new tin for this review

Purchased From: Cup O' Joe's

Similar Blends: Compare/contrast to SG's Skiff Mixture or G/H Eighteen Twenty.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nathaniel (35)	2016-07-22		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was supposed to be the quintessential English blend. It wasn't, for me. It's a great tobacco, but my personal archetype of the genre is something different.

I bought the 250-gram pack, so I can't speak to the moisture or quality of the tins, and it's possible I don't know what I'm missing in the tins. What I got, though, was perfectly smokable with a little drying time. I should note that pretty soon after I got this tobacco, I transferred it to a canister with an ingenious lid that, pushed down in the manner of a French press, removes much of the air inside. It's not a vacuum seal, but it's fairly effective. Again, I have no basis to compare this storage method to others, but I've noticed that the tobacco is staying fairly close to its original moisture. Which, again, is a little too moist for smoking. I find it dries out fairly quickly once I remove it from the canister, so no matter. Canister note is a little more subdued than it was in the original package. I get three distinct aromas from the three constituent tobaccos: smoky latakia, sweet coffee with milk from the Virginias, and pine resin from the orientals. It's not an aroma that smacks you in the face; I had to really shove my face in there and sniff hard. It's a really good smell, though. The pine and smoke scents strongly evoke camping memories for me, and this tobacco would unquestionably be my choice for that kind of trip.

Squadron Leader comes as a very fine ribbon cut, with a few twiggy bits and some long stringy bits. The twigs aren't enough to be a hassle removing, but they're there. It's all kind of a mossy consistency. With the fineness of the cut, I like packing this with the palm-roll method, with a good firm tamp prior to the first light to settle the tobacco in the bowl.

Here's why I don't count this as my standard English: the orientals are too strong. It's a steady crescendo of piney, incense-y spiciness. I wouldn't call it an oriental blend, but my archetypal "English" blend is far more balanced by latakia and Virginias. Not that both of those components are undetectable or even unpleasant in this blend; to the contrary, they are delicious. Sweet caramel and cafe au lait tones from the Virginia, smoke and incense from the latakia; but, to my palate, they play second fiddle to the sharp piney, briny orientals. I went through a phase where I chased orientals in my blends: I've yet to smoke a full-on oriental blend, but I'd concentrate on the oriental component in the various Englishes I've tried. A less oriental-heavy blend makes this a very rewarding experience- Nightcap, Frog Morton Across the Pond, even Balkan Sasieni (weird that in a balkan blend, I get less orientals than in this English). Nightcap's cedar notes, FMATP's musty hardwood, Sasieni's fragrant cumin— all are interwoven with the other tobaccos in their respective blends so that there's a structure, a narrative to the smoke; flavors progress and change and meld and vary intensities. Squadron Leader's orientals are a little too loud for me. They build and build to a sharp astringency that seems overbearing to me. I wish there was more Virginia sweetening out that piney tang. I do like the flavor of oriental, and it's been an interesting change of pace not to have to chase it like I do with other blends. But here's the thing: I enjoy that chase. It keeps the smoke from being more than a background activity, an event in itself. Squadron Leader is very predictable to me: those orientals are going to intensify and intensify. By the time the bowl's done, I'm a bit tired of smoking it. It's too one-note.

I don't know if I've been smoking long enough now to have moved out of the category of "nicotine lightweight", but I got nothing in that way out of this blend. Sometimes I want a little buzz. Not going to get it here.

I tried this in 2 different pipes: an old Capitol bruyere billiard and a custom-made Joe Case devil anse. I prefer it in the billiard, as the stubbiness of the devil anse made it smoke a little hot. This isn't a hot blend though. The orientals were also a very little more subdued in the billiard, which means that's the pipe I'll be smoking the rest of this stuff in. That old Capitol seems to dampen, in the best way, the oriental tang of any English I've smoked in it (mostly Nightcap up till now) and bring out the dark, smokey, wet-leaves-and-campfires flavor of latakia. That, personally, is how I like my Englishes: the orientals playing a secondary or even tertiary role to Virginias and latakia.

I don't regret buying this at all, even in the large quantity that I did. I will smoke the rest of it, and I won't regret it. But, it will take me some time. I just don't care for the overall flavor enough to smoke it as often as all that. I haven't tried my hand at blending, but I might get some straight Virginia to try and sweeten this up. On its own, it's a perfectly decent English. Not my definitive English, not my favorite English, but a good one nonetheless.

Pipe Used: Capitol billiard, Joe Case custom devil anse

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2015-10-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of my favorite straight-up medium Englishes, Squadron Leader exemplifies the Virginia/Turkish/Latakia subset of the phylum. The flavor is a delicate balance of sweet, musty, spicy and smoky. The Latakia adds a subtle influence but it's purely a condiment in the mix. Squadron Leader rides the line between being Virginia-focused & Oriental-focused, and often times it flip-flops between these two flavor influences, smoking sweet, woodsy and mellow for a while, only to turn musty and spicy after several minutes of sweet clarity. I have found that a pot shaped pipe or a wide bowl Prince of Wales works wonders for rendering its many flavors, often times increasing the number of its tasteful complexities. In a wider bowl the Turkish speaks louder with a spiciness that's almost at perique volume. Squadron Leader is just plain good. It takes to flame perfectly and stays lit quite well. It's an easy repeat smoke, one that you can smoke many bowls of in a day with little to no fatigue. It's a solid anytime mixture. The end smoke flavors are superb and I have always felt that that's the sign of a good English..

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sagepipe (13)	2014-11-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Squadron Leader is not a name of deception. SL is truly a leader. The imagery of the tin is really great symbolism of this smoke as well. Like a squadron ace, this blend is full of zip and punch from the tin aroma to the last puff. Not lacking in nicotine, SL is a type-A(viator) smoke that is worth the ride. It is, surprisingly, a smooth smoke with zingy, latakia and oriental updrafts now and then.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Falcon Fan (22)	2014-10-26		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

This was one of the first English blends I tried. I had great expectations based on the reviews and stars awarded, and the tin art is just super. The expectation mounted as the tin was opened and the tin aroma was that typical and very earthy "english" smell that I was just beginning to recognize and like. I was getting used to Early Morning Pipe and Frog Morton Cellar and was expecting more of the same. SQL lit well and the smoke started off ok for the first puff or two but what happened next was not expected - it turned out that I thought I had ordered the Biryani but got the Vindaloo instead. The peppery spice kicked in really heavily around puff no. 3 and was such a definite sensation and so unexpected that I really thought my daughter (who was 3 at the time) had got hold of the pepper shaker and emptied it in my pipe. I didn't like the experience but got on line, found out that it was a feature of SQL and one that peole liked. I tried a few more times and gradually started to get used to it a bit. But still didn't like it that much. However, The tobacco dried rapidly and within a few months the quality of the smoke had really deteriorated, become very hot and steamy to the mouth, and so I gave up without ever fully becoming acquainted with this standard bearer for the "English" style. I will try again but will have a corn cob at the ready when i do because it really ghosted my pipe.

Pipe Used: Barber B Line B3

Age When Smoked: New to 3 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Davedmn (17)	2019-07-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I am quite a Newby. So please forgive any errors! This is an English blend in fact it seems to be the quintessential example of that group. I've tried early morning pipe and red rapparee but I prefer this. As it seems less harsh. I can taste the Latakia and I believe the virginias. It burns slowly and did not bite me.

Sadly SWMBO hates the smell so I only indulge when she won't be round for awhile.

Pipe Used: No name Turkish meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Just bought

Purchased From: Durham Market tobacconist

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2017-01-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Upon opening the tin I was very surprised to see a mixture of very bright appearance. I had the impression that this was a darker, more Latakia-laden than its brethren blend Skiff Mixture. Yet compared with the dark brown complexion of Skiff, Squadron Leader consists of almost equal parts of blonde, red and light brown ribbons embellished with just a few black fire cured ones (Latakia). This is what I had got out of reading the reviews for both and the impression was enhanced by the connotation of a skiff with open air and of Squadron Leader's tin art of a WWI biplane with smoky engine fumes. But it actually is not so. Skiff is much smokier than Squadron Leader whose tin note is predominantly woody with only a slight smokiness and a hint of fruitiness (citrus but also some red fruit) which seems to be from the tobacco itself and not a casing.

As for moisture, it came smokable right out of the tin but could use a few minutes of drying time. It is coarse ribbon cut, coarser and with longer ribbons than Skiff and needs a little unfurling before loading to avoid clogging the draw. It smokes cool and dry to the end with no bite and with need of only a few relights. As expected by the cut and the mostly air cured? leafs it burns a little fast.

Now to the smoking experience itself, though I am not a devoted Latakia aficionado, I initially found Squadron Leader much blander than the smokier Skiff Mixture (not that Skiff is in any way bland!). I thought it lacked the ethereal smokiness of its brethren but also lacks its pronounced Oriental tang and its saliva inducing salinity. I actually, to my surprise, given its fame and esteem, found it quite bland and innocuous. What I could taste were mostly bright hay-lie Virginias with a faint touch of Orientals enhanced by a very light smokiness. It did give me though that sense of old school, aged tobacco which is not found in most English blends. It is of mild to medium strength, in this sense it’s good for an early morning smoke but I also found its flavor intensity only mild (towards medium approaching the end of the bowl).

So, overall I was not enthralled by my first experience with Squadron Leader. On the other hand my slight disappointment might have been due to failed expectations, and so I thought I should try to appreciate Squadron Leader on its own merits and not as a fuller, darker version of Skiff mixture as I mistakenly had supposed it to be, when actually it is just the other way around.

Taken by itself however, Squadron Leader is a smooth, mild, nuanced -though not overtly complex- mixture where bright hay-like Virginias are condimented lightly by Orientals and a little Latakia. Seen under this light it would be unfair to call it bland, it’s just a mild mixture and as such it can have a place in any piper’s rotation. The tobaccos are of excellent quality and I find, as with its brethren, that it is a uniquely tasting English mixture. To conclude I believe it is a mixture every piper should try for at least once. For this and the above reasons I am going to go with the flow and give it four stars.

Do I prefer Squadron Leader to Skiff? I find Skiff more tasteful, but while Squadron Leader could become (potentially) an all-day smoke for me, I doubt the same about Skiff Mixture.

----As time goes by I appreciate Squadron Leader more and more, it may have taken me some time - and drying - but I can now say with confidence that it's one of the best tobaccos around. I know I'm carrying owls to Athens but it took me some time to realise. It's an amazingly flavourful English and unique among too many similar-tasting blends. Actually it has become one of my favourite first smokes of the day.

Similar Blends: A milder, more Virginia and less Latakia and Oriental forward mixture than Skiff Mixture..

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Robykeys82 (25)	2016-11-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This was my first mixture with Latakia. As it often happens with tobaccos, the packaging was a key factor in choosing it. The image is very nice, the story behind this tobacco is fascinating, and the reviews were very positive. A mixture with Latakia, not heavy on the Nicotine compartment. My first smoke was a bit difficult, (yes, SG tobaccos are very moist) with many relights. The following smokes were better, and I started to enjoy a completely different world, compared to the Aromatics one. It's been a while since I last smoked Squadron Leader, now I'am an Aperitif-addicted, but I plan to have another bowl soon.

Pipe Used: Peterson Wicklow

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Local Tobacconist, Italy

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	guitar2mw (92)	2014-11-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There isn't much that I can say about this tobacco that hasn't already been said in previous reviews. It is one of the most perfectly balanced English blends that are out there today, and all of the hype is most definitely warranted. I am not one to jump on a bandwagon, but when it's good, it's good. This stuff is AWESOME. No tongue bite whatsoever, even if you get a bit too crazy with the puffing. The latakia is present but definitely not overwhelming. The other tobaccos have plenty of room to make their presence known. It is a wonderful candidate for an all-day smoke. If you like English blends at all, you want this in your pipe. Buy more than one tin, because a single tin just isn't enough.

Pipe Used: LHS Purex, Sasieni

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: JR Cigars, Statesville, NC

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2014-10-06		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My only regret with SL is that I didn't try it before, as my taste buds took a real pounding from all the heavy Latakia mixtures. The best way, for me, to try Latakia light English tobacco is to stop smoking for a few days, a reset of sorts and then smoke slowly. The tin artwork is great, the smell in the tin is of subdued Latakia some sweetness and an exotic bouquet. It lights easy and burns to a white ash. The mixture reminds me a bit of Presbyterian Mixture but with more Latakia and stronger Virginias and Turkish. A balanced smoke, that I consider an Oriental/"Balkan" mixture.

Virginia lover

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Waldorf Salad (10)	2014-10-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I'm a "long time listener, first time caller" to English blends. After much research, I thought I would start with SL as it has so many, and overwhelmingly positive, reviews. And I admit I'm a sucker for the biplane on the tin. I was a bit put off by the smell from the tin. It wasn't really bad, just unexpected. Added to the woody smell is a bit of a funk. It burned very well, maybe because of the uniformity of the ribbon cut. So I was surprised when I found something that I can only describe as a twig. Not a problem, Just wondering how it got through the system. This definitely has the woodsmoke flavor English's are known for. Easy smoking, no bite, lots of smoke, and stays lit. I'm not sure if I will become an English smoker, but there's nothing wrong with this tobacco. And I now know what an English tastes like. Based on other's reviews, it probably doesn't get much better than this, so I will return someday or maybe try Frog Morton Cellar for a twist on an English.

Pipe Used: Peterson System

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteveH (37)	2014-06-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A medium-strength Latakia mixture, also containing perique. The smell is fruity and floral. The taste is unique - dry and dark, with a hint of fruit and spice, no doubt from the perique. It is well balanced, and medium-bodied. This is in my regular tobacco rotation.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: http://mysmokingshop.co.uk

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustinCarcerated (99)	2014-02-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Beautiful Tin Art-I understand that back in the gap it would have been embossed (bet that looked sweet).

The tin note is scrumptious, and I sense a faint cocoa-like scent. I know that makes little sense, but I got it day one nonetheless.

Upon opening the tin, I reminisce over Willie finding that Gold Ticket, as the pricey gold foil peels back to reveal a compressed block of high quality ribbon. Its densely packed, professionally cut and appearing heavier than 50 gms normally feels to me.

I have burned this without drying-due to great moisture- just springy and slightly tacky upon compression. I find for me this burn well when stuffed, it doesn't burn hot, requires few if any relights. It becomes slightly sweet than slightly sour, moderately high Vitamin N, but solid and good all day long.

I especially like the retrohale. Good quality dependable smoke-which is understandable with its loyal following.

Pipe Used: Bent BC Egg w/9 mm filter, Mizz Meer

Age When Smoked: 1 Year

Purchased From: Pipes Cigars.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill Standard Mixture?.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-05-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm somewhat of new pipe smoker transitioning away from aromatics and all-Virginia tobacco to English blends. I made the mistake to start of my English blend experience by sparking Dunhill's Nightcap (a VERY good tobacco but way too much Latakia for my taste). Anyways..

So here's my thoughts, as I opened the tin, I noticed that the tobacco was a bit moist, not "wet" as some users described to be. Upon light, I immediately noticed the virginias with a bit of the Latakia as an undertone (like a seasoning). My description was a nice sweet, tangy, hay or glass-like flavor (which was quite tasty actually) with a bit of spiciness, pepper, and saltiness from the Latakia. Everything complimented each other (like any other good tobacco). As I started moving to the mid-bottom of the bowl, the Latakia definitely became more pronounced, the tobacco started giving me stronger flavors of oak, leather, pepper, with a subtle sweetness to it. The vitamin N definitely started hitting me at the near bottom of the bowl. The tobacco smoked all the way through, leaving me with all white ash (although I had to relight a few times).

Overall, it was a very pleasant experience, a great introduction to English blend tobacco. If you're curious about trying English blends, I would definitely start with this one. It's very gentle smoke with lots of flavor. She is a bit hard to keep lit (at least for me), so maybe a little drying might work for this one. I experienced absolutely no bite, it was very cool smoke. I can definitely vouch for all the great reviews of this tobacco and keep this one as one of my "favorites".

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokingMySav (9)	2012-04-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Every time I see people praise SL I can't help but laugh. This tobacco is exact replica of cheap communist-era Eastern European cigarettes. Very cheap Orientals and Lat, but only people who had the "opportunity" to smoke Eastern European cigarettes would know it.

Giving credit where credit is due - it's the only one of the SG tobaccos that is non-aro and therefore could be smoked right out of the tin.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rohann (16)	2020-02-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I should post a few disclaimers. I am an aromatic fan, I bought this because I liked the tin and I never smoked an English blend before.

This blend was surprisingly good. I was really surprised with the whole balance of it. Not sweet, not bitter and the aftertaste proved to be much more pleasant than any other tobacco I ever tried. The room note proves to be very inoffensive and has more to it than the smell of burning plant matter.

It burns extremely cool and will for the life of it not extinguish.

Pipe Used: Keyser no 10

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Cedar & Leaf Tobacco shop

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Indianapolis (49)	2020-01-31		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Yep, it's a middle english. But that's playing in a crowded field, so I'm looking for SOMETHING to distinguish this smoke from the myriad other middle english mixtures. And I can't find it. No notable virginia sweetness, no unique oriental note, latakia right up the middle (which isn't a criticism, but not notable). The tobacco appears to be of high quality and smokes well enough, and the balance isn't bad.

But there are infinitely more interesting options that are cheaper and more readily available. There's nothing WRONG with this smoke, but there's nothing hugely RIGHT either. If it was cheap and easy to get, I'd go three stars. Since it's not either, I'll go two.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2019-08-30		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Whenever I thought I can no longer be impressed by an English Blend, here comes this weasel. It's simply amazing, and the most amazing fact about it is its simplicity. Nothing fancy, a constant mellow sweetness from first light to the last puff, with a whisper of latakia (so yeah, for all you lat bomb fiends, this one ain't for you). I was thrown off at first, as when I read the review a while ago, before actually trying the baccy, Latakia was listed first in the blend composition so I figured that would have been the dominating note. In fact, this is a Oriental/Turkish forward blend, that is very well balanced by the Virginia with a fantastic consistency of taste all throughout the smoke. No bite, regardless of how hard you try to punish it, right moisture out of the tin, sweet mellow nose in accord with the taste (hardly any smokiness, also hardly any dark/black ribbon visible to the naked eye) ... shoot, I may have found my golden tobacco. Ask me again in six months, but if you find me having the same opinion of the Squadron Leader, I may reduce my winter rotation by half next year ... unless I over do it, smoking it to the point I really get tired of it, it has happened before

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Alex reid (1)	2018-03-30		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

First I should point out I am new to a pipe some views should be considered naive that is to say I am unable to talk abou they types of tobacco tasted.

First being a fan of WW1 if I can say that without glorifying war. That packaging is amazing who doesn’t want to see a bi plan on the tin.

Initial smell reminds me of a well peated single malt , much like a Talisker.

The initial light is easy and smooth took a single false light then a proper light . The taste reminds me still of talisker , large earthy notes with a pleasant aroma.

Smokes on a. Lorenzo spitfire

Pipe Used: Lorenzo spitfire

Age When Smoked: Newish

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brokenflake (3)	2016-07-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Received this as gift and it is dated nearly 3 years of age. This is an entry level English that many seem to enjoy, not me. The tobaccos didn't seem to want to provide any type of showcase as they just had a muted taste and I could have napped if it had not been for the way it burned. That is the majority of my issue with it. It took way to many lights to get going then once it was up it fell off again and I thought I was going to need to run to the store for more fluid. I sip my pipes and prefer a slow low temperate burn rate. Can't do that with this batch of SL. The gentleman I got this from had issues with it himself so maybe there is more to it but I have no plans to purchase a tin to find out.

Pipe Used: Malaga

Age When Smoked: ~3 years

Purchased From: gift

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2020-10-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

EDIT [By the end of the tin, I was hungry for more. Gonna have to up this one to 4 stars]

I wanted to do something special for my 300th review, so I decided to finally pop open the much revered/hyped tobacco with a soaring biplane on the tin. In my case, this tin marked the one year anniversary of buying it in Japan, which at the time was the only place that had any!

Cracking the warning seal in a language I couldn't read, revealed some distinct vapors of a smooth English tamed with sour Virgina raisens, that all came together into what I would describe as soft cured leather. The tightly packed, slightly damp ribbons, pressed nicely into my pipe, took a second to light, but smoldered for a good long time. What came next was a very smooth smoke that was unable to bite and delivered a modest nicotine burst. The flavor was fairly one note, yet certainly enjoyable, retaining that previous leather profile.

If you are looking to take a break from a heavy Latakia, charcoal forward English like Nightcap, this may be the perfect plane to board and take your maiden voyage into relaxation. Squadron Leader certainly lived up to the hype and is understandably hard to find, though the product isn't so unique, you shouldn't feel bad if settling on other fine imports of a similar ilk.

*While in Tokyo I visited a few tobacconists, and I definitely recommend a trip to Ginza KIKUSUI. It was fully stocked and staffed by extremely knowledgeable English speakers who came across as traditional butlers ready to serve your every question and need.

Purchased From: Ginza KIKUSUI

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AtlanticPiper (13)	2020-10-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Let me preface by saying: this is a good tobacco. That said, I think there is a lot of hype around this blend that is, IMO, unwarranted. I've always been a big fan of Peterson/Dunhill Standard Mixture, so naturally, I wanted to get my hands on some Squadron Leader. After all, both Squadron Leader and Standard Mixture have been dubbed "the quintessential English blends".

What I loved about this blend was actually not the taste, but the tin note. Imagine going into your grandfathers attic and opening an old wooden chest. Inside, you find a musty uniform that he had worn a century earlier on the Somme along with his bayonette and a faded photograph of his unit. Each trinket carries the memories of trenches, gunpowder, and smoke. That is the tin note.

Now the taste. It was both exactly what I expected and nothing what I expected. I expected this would be a standard english blend, yet due to the hype surrounding it I somehow simultaneously anticipated being blown away by some sectret magic. I was not. Latakia forward but not in your face. Same with the Turkish. The Virginias were also noticable, providing a nice balance. It was just as its been described - a standard blend. Not bad by any means, just nothing special.

Ultimately, I am happy that I tried it, but would not go out of my way to get it again. Probably something you need to smoke yourself, but not necessarily something you will add to your list of favorites.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marosi (70)	2020-09-01		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Squadron Leader is one of the benchmark English tobaccos for a number of reasons. First, it is actually made in England by one of the very few remaining English tobacco houses. Second, that same house has been around for more than 200 years and uses much of the same equipment to produce this fine mixture, which itself has been offered for a very long time. Third, it sits at the middle point in almost all respects of what an English blend is and can offer- no single tobacco dominates, and it is not too strong or mild with respect to either nicotine or flavor. This makes it ideal as an all-day smoke or with coffee each morning. I personally smoke it almost every day after breakfast, and it goes great with good coffee.

The tobacco itself as described above is a base of Virginias with latakia and orientals. Everything. It is a nice ribbon cut that is easy to pack and light. I like to let it sit for five minutes or so, it should be dry to the touch but not crumbly in any way. Too dry or too wet and it becomes harsh and a little sharp, but there is a wide grace zone where it smokes just fine. It is easy to light and only takes a few false lights to get it going, and once lit will require few relights.

The flavor itself is all about balance. While different pipes will accentuate different flavors, overall the effect is one of harmony. You get not too sweet VA, a little oriental spice, and a light, creamy smoky base from the latakia with every puff, and they are cohesive and harmonious. It is lovely in this sense and a true indication of the blender’s skill; this level of smooth harmony is hard to find from other houses. While the flavor is uniform throughout the bowl I never find it boring or cloying.

This does not have to be your favorite English, and you will find many, including others from SG that have more of this or that. You will be hard pressed, however, to find a more balanced and enjoyable moderate English, and this is an excellent reference point for branching out into the genre. When you can get it in bulk it is a very good value also for the quality provided. A home-run blend in every sense, and it provides you the chance to smoke a piece of history.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Straight Grain

Age When Smoked: 3 yrs

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	aksamolsa (20)	2016-02-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the finest blends of Samuel Gawith that is around all the time. It is easy and satisfying, somewhat pleases the latakia lover. Lots of moisture in the tin, needs a bit of air at first. But towards to the end, it is perfect. I would like to have this one in my stock for all times.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Swiss-smoker (87)	2016-01-20		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

I like the tin label, since I am a pilot myself. Too moist out of tin, even for me. Had to let it dry considerably. Smoking conditions are unsatisfying. SQL is a light, faint English Mixture. Disagree with majority of reviewers.

The body of Virginias is obvious. A little scrumptious Latakia is there, but it is under-represented. The Turkish leaf adds some spiciness, which turns quite peppery, cigaretty and acrid in the second half of the bowl. Some guarded topping there, even if they claim there isn’t. This blend is really weak. No depth, no richness, no bouquet. At this point it is a big disappointment for me. I was expecting at least a little power and personality; I thought the name implies this. SQL might not even be an advisable entry to approach English blends. In my opinion this mixture is highly overrated and the occasional fuss about it is not justified. Credit, where credit is due. Not here, I’m afraid.

By the way: You may have heard that there also exists a green labelled Squadron Leader SPECIAL EDITION of 2000 tins only. According to the producer it is the same mixture like the regular SQL, with an addition of Perique. I have made the experiment myself, adding different amounts of pure Perique into the regular SQL. The best result is an upgraded SQL to 2 stars.

Age When Smoked: New.

Purchased From: Internet, www.smokingpipes.com, USA.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipeologist (27)	2015-10-22		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Most things said about this mixture is true.It well deserves four of anyone's stars.It is complex and satisfying. The blend itself is pure genius, but,alas, I get the dreaded bite.Am I doing something wrong..I let it dry out just a tad.I tried different pipes.I want to like it,but how do you like a dog that nips you on the ankles. Well, I have a fair stash off it and will plod on. Maybe needs more ageing. I am smoking this now, after dinner and that severe bite seems to have been somewhat tamed.I think it's all down to palate chemistry. Boy, is this good ! Less bite, just a smooth, complex smoke. Judge not that he be judged ! Thinking of going to 3 stars...........will try tomorrow.I just know this is a great baccy, it just has to prove itself..... Bite is the only issue.Squdron leader is a great name for a tobacco.Why? Well,you must watch the movie,reach for the skies,about Douglas Bader and his great heroism as a pilot in WW2. At that time ,they all smoked a pipe.It was the pinnacle of pipe appreciation ,alas,lost,in the present day. Whilst blowing up Nazi targets,they would still have a pipe in their gobs. You had wing commanders ,air chief marshals, squadron leaders.What great fun to suck on a pipe whilst exterminating the evil Nazi regime

Pipe Used: Dunhill

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Gq

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Telling it how it is. (73)	2015-05-11		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Somehow it's a moot point writing yet another review to this classic blend, but here it goes.

I can smell leather already through the yet unopened iconic tin but funnily when i open the tin i hardly can smell anything at all. To this day i cannot figure out why. The smell comes once the tin is open for a day or so, then it smells just nice but still very discreet.

Packing the bowl is easy as can be but lighting the bowl always takes me ages and shedloads of matches. Another thing with this blend that i cannot figure out for the life of me.

But once lit its pure joy. It has a very nice balanced and mild taste to it with a gentle sweetness underlined by some light smokiness of the latakia. The latakia is not in the foreground and even tho a classic english blend i wouldn't label it as a latakia blend.

It is very, very mild for an english blend. This is true for the taste but especially for the strength of it. In that regard it is a perfect morning pipe and a hard to beat every day smoke. It also makes it very suitable for the beginner.

But it is far from being bland or boring, even for a balkan lover it offers perfect balance and a really nice taste and smell experience.

But its unique selling point is the sheer smoothness, and silkiness of the smoke itself. It is so incredibly creamy i started to use it to cure tongue bite other blends might have given me.

The tobacco itself is wet, wet, wet. Which is my only beef with this blend really. Here is something depressing to do: weigh the freshly opened content of the tin and then weigh the content again after it dried out enough to be nicely conditioned. That is how you spell "rip off"!

But, aside from that, this is a must-try blend for anyone and a true example of how to blend an english blend. I truely and with a clear conscience can recommend this blend.

Pipe Used: It went trough rotation.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimDe (1)	2020-12-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Unnoticeable

My first review... Fairly new pipe smoker(6months), though a cigar smoker for past 10 years. Have purchased a wide variety of various tobacco’s and have as a present smoked 11 different tobacco’s. Found this tobacco to be one I can smoke all day, with a smooth smoke and an assuring pleasant taste.

Pipe Used: Briar and Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: Not for certain, but recently purchased

Purchased From: Tobaccos Pipes.Com

Similar Blends: Unfortunately the other English type tobacco’s I have tried seem to have more Kik, so I have no similar recommendations.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (192)	2020-10-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

My introduction to English tobacco blends. When I asked around I kept getting pointed to Squadron Leader as the dictionary definition of an English tobacco. It was mild on the nicotine too so I decided to track down a tin.

The aesthetic of the tin is really is up my alley. The Great War biplane, the name Squadron Leader, it’s so alpha and English I love it. The smell from the tin wouldn’t be good from an aromatic smokers view. Smells like burnt rubber. It’s faint Latakia and oriental. Once I canned it and left it for a day it smelled like a smokey BBQ sauce. Odd to me.

This is wet. Let DRY OUT a bit before packing.

The taste... it’s hard to describe. It’s both sweet and tangy from the Orientals, sweet from the Virginias, but savory and smokey from the Latakia. It’s a more oriental forward blend, very light and airy. Easy going with lots of flavor. A creamy, dry, and cool smoke. Wood, campfire sweet savory creamy buttery smoke. Some floral elements too from the orientals. Does not bite. Non offensive aftertaste, mild and nice. Rather mild nic hit and not an overwhelming Latakia flavor at all. Defiantly can be smoked all day.

I didn’t finish the bowl and I ordered 4 more tins. If you want to try your first English blend this is it. If you want an all day English smoke this is it. Burns dry ash falls out of the bowl no moisture. Easy, light, airy, flavorful, oriental forward, and on offensive to your tongue tobacco. A staple on my shelf.

Couldn’t be happier.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (149)	2020-09-23		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Sam Gawiths contribution to the light English style, the charmingly named Squadron Leader is pleasant but not exciting.

The mixture of black through to to tan leaf is uneven and varied in its cut, and somewhat moist in the tin. As noted below, the tin aroma is very mild even when breaking the seal, and soon gone. This is a shame as I enjoy the smokey incense aroma of a good English Mixture as part of the pipe "foreplay".

It is easy to light and smokes cool, with gentle smokiness and just a hint of spice from the Turkish. The flavour is more full than Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, mostly from the excellent Virginia leaf: the Latakia and Turkish seem thinly applied to a thick slice of nice granary toast. It's got adequate nicotine, doesn't bite and doesn't leave much dottle.

Personally I prefer more spice and punch in my Mixtures, not necessarily Latakia but I do expect a bit more from the Turkish. This is more reminiscent of Dunhills Baby's Bottom: Virginia with a hint of the exotic, although this is just a bit less vanishing mild.

Pipe Used: Northern Briars Bulldog, various Meers

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Similar Blends: Dunhill Baby's Bottom, Dunhill Eary Morning Pipe.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoked man (1)	2020-09-22		Strong	Strong	Full	Strong

An excellent tobacco, high attractiveness, unique to the individual and unmatched, medium and excellent room note for smokers, you would completely transform this tobacco.be sure to taste it.

Similar Blends: NOTHING.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jonno51 (11)	2020-06-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I am a smoker of English/Scottish/Balkan mixtures. Aromatics don't float my boat at all and neither do Virginia predominant blends. Coming back to pipe smoking after a long hiatus, I'm looking for two or three tobaccos that can be my entire cellar on their own and do not suffer from availability problems. I realise that I make myself a hostage to fortune by typing that. I have used these review pages as a very helpful guide and have so far trialled EMP, MM965, Old Dublin, GH Balkan Mixture, Black Mallory and now Squadron Leader. I have some Tree Mixture on order. At the moment Old Dublin is the clear leader. There is nothing wrong with Squadron Leader, properly aired it smokes well and consistently, but it lacks the stand out character that enables one to identify MM965 and Old Dublin in a crowd. I'm afraid Squadron Leader just fades in to the background by comparison as one of a number of so so English blends. I was hoping that one of the SG or GH products would make it, for patriotic and environmental reasons as I live in England but it looks like it is not to be.

Pipe Used: Adsorba Italian briar with 9mm filter

Age When Smoked: New but aired

Purchased From: Barbers of Harrogate

Similar Blends: Any number of middle of the road mixtures containing Latakia.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aurorasofautumn (38)	2020-04-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a quintessential English smoke. Golden Virginia, Latakia and very high quality Oriental tobaccos make up this fine mixture. I smoke a lot of different English mixtures and there is a reason why - there are just so many flavor profiles to be explored out there, even within this "clearly" set out genre of the English tobacco mixture. Accepted, I will perhaps reach for GL Pease's Westminster even more often than for Squadron Leader, but then again Westminster has a lot of red Virginia in there and this does not, which makes for a completely different experience. And variety is something I like about pipe smoking.

Let's move on to the tobacco itself. When you open the tin (love the artwork by the way), you are greeted by bright and somewhat darker Virginias in ribbons of differing width, Oriental tobacco as well as blackish/greenish Latakia. The tin note is heavenly - for an English tobacco aficionado anyway. The smoke tastes only slightly sweet, there are notes of exotic spices and wood and above all there is just a great balance. The smokes never gets too hot and the taste remains refreshing troughout. That's my favorite smoke, folks - refreshing and uplifting with the right level of complexity that keeps things interesting but does not overpower you. Just one last piece of advice. Squadron Leader is not a strong tobacco at all - it is a smooth and fairly mild English mixture that you can smoke even as the first bowl of the day. So please approach it from this angle if you do not want to be disappointed. 4 out of 4 stars.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jacknappa (2)	2020-02-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

Talking about Squadron Leader through the appreciation to the classics is understandable. It’s not that chummy kind of tobacco, rather reminds of an embittered oldie, like a dull priest wandering in a small 19th century village.

The taste only in beginning is somehow fresh and flowery but just after minute its going down to be strawy and dry. Latakia is significant but obvious. Because of the dryness it seems quite strong and probably good to smoke from time to time at the autumn stroll, but to me just boring, exhausting experience

Pipe Used: stanwell 83 rustic

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2020-01-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Samuel Gawith- Squadron Leader

A mild English, smoking this blend off and on for the last year or so. The Latakia which is usually the main focal point is a little subdued here, but I could smell it upon opening the tin, as far as the taste goes it never overpowers but is there. The orientals are sour, not sour like the candy my grandmother used to give me in church when I failed to pay attention but more so tangy sour. The Virginia’s give a little sweetness but I can never taste the leaf completely nor does it become a over powering player in the mix.

This blend is a little wet upon opening and needs some drying time, I had to re-light a few times but it never smoked hot for me regardless of how hard I pushed the blend.

This blend is great, not overly great but I like it a lot. I feel as though this blend may be rated higher recently due to the lack of stock at many major tobacco outlets therefore increasing its mystique.

The tin art is fantastic also and I always love seeing it.

Pipe Used: Corncob, Morgan One Poker

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokingHawk (54)	2019-08-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

First charing light sent me into the state of confusion as it reminded me of Bill Bailey Balkan delight and Nightcap. but the absence of two components that is Kentucky and pinch of perique and addition of quality Virginia made this blend delightful smoke. It is not a latakia forward blend that is why it is less Harsh and mild in the nicotine department. You won't even feel presence of latakia after half of the bowl and it is just the sweetness of carefully selected Virginia so the guys afraid of lat bomb this could be their entry into the English blends.

Pipe Used: Design Berlin Junior Calabash

Purchased From: GQ tobacco

Similar Blends: Bill Baileys Balkan Delight and nightcap.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ing.poparadu (18)	2018-04-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Wonderful tobacco.

Pretty soft, with a great aftertaste.

This has made me a fan of Samuel Gawith tobaccos, as I believe that if they produce such high quality products as Squadron Leader, all of them need to be tried out :) .

Pipe Used: DK 84

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From:

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ocelot79 (32)	2018-04-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Great quality and a skilfully blended 'English' mixture. The skill comes in letting every component do its job but no more. If I could change it, I'd wind down the orientals just a touch, because I'm very sensitive to the dry taste they can impart to a mix, but this one is still just within the bounds and works well. What a great introduction to 'English' mixtures for those who have not tried them; here's where you start!

Pipe Used: Large meerschaums and oil-cured briars

Age When Smoked: Unknown, but not that old.

Purchased From: Tobaccoblends Australia

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theologia14 (24)	2018-01-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is really as essential English as you can get. All the flavors are well balanced with maybe an ever so slight nod to the latakia in the mixture. It is incredibly wet straight from the tin, so its best to let it air out a bit before lighting. Even then I have a bit of trouble keeping it lit. For me it demands a bit more attention than I would like to give a middle of the road English blend. Good flavor, but a bit moody for me.

I like the blend but it is so difficult to find in any great quantity that I have all but given up keeping this stuff around. With so many great English blends out there, it shouldn't be too big of a loss. I would say that everyone should at least give this iconic blend a go, but it might not "wow" like some other English Blends on the market.

Pipe Used: Cob and Handmade Billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jhand45 (13)	2017-12-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A friend gave me this tin to my place over Christmas and I was delighted to be gifted this tobacco which is reputed to be a classic, textbook English blend. Before smoking it I had heard that its strength lay in its balance and this is true. Nothing really jumps out. Its sweet, its smoky, there are orientals, but all in perfect harmony. It is also strikingly consistent to smoke throughout although I find it does start to get rather acrid towards the end of the bowl. This is not uncommon though and is certainly not something to be held against the blend. Potentially an all day English smoke. Very nice.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (182)	2016-11-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Another classic must try blend if you are into the English blends. Another of my daily smokes and a top 5 selection for me. While attempts to replicate this blend have been made it stands alone on its own merit. Sweet grassy Va. with subtle smoky orientals is the Leaders allure for me. Another blend which I have a well stocked supply of and don't plan to run short of. If you don't give this a try you are missing out on a truly exceptional smoke. Gawith tobaccos are among my favorites. Hard to beat tradition!

Pipe Used: Various briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: New and aged

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars and smoking pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leaf Packer (30)	2016-01-02		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Very Pleasant

I order two tins, smoke as soon as received , I thought I just wasted my money. I mixed the first tin with anything just to get rid of it. 3 mos. later I tried the second tin, what a surprise it turn out to be one the must balanced blends I have smoked, and I smoke a LOT of English.

Squadron Leader is soft smooth and satisfying smoke, anytime of the day or all day if you choose . None of the tobaccos stand out as dominate taste, you enjoy each with every draw, in my opinion it is just hard to beat.

Pipe Used: Sasieni dublin, Savinelli 320ks bowl

Age When Smoked: when recieved

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Sasieni.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2015-06-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Great description from the tin...I think it fits perfectly. A medium english blend that is refined and flavorful, but not over powering. I get the combination of virginia and latakia (sweet & smokey) mixed with a bit of nuttiness. It is just slightly sweet, but leans more on the salty/savory side. Great balance and nice creamy smoke throughout the bowl. No tongue bite and just an overall great english blend. Quite impressed. Reminds me of one of my favorite blends P.S. English Luxury.

2016 Update Smoked a portion of the remaining tin. Wow! This is really a great English blend. I can see why so many pipe smokers consider this a classic. It doesn't retain much moisture if left in the tin though...so make sure to put the tobacco in a jar after cracking the tin. Great stuff!

Pipe Used: Bent Billard, Dublin, Egg, Acorn, Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: New from store - 1-3 months

Purchased From: Morgan Hill Cigar and Wine

Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye - Proper English (No.52), Peter Stokkebye - English Luxury (No.17).

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Italo Svevo (26)	2015-02-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

UPDATE 22.03.2018: I attacked my second tin of Squadron Leader. The tin note was a little disappointing compared to my first experience, but still very nice. All in all it is still the same, very good English Mixture, although this time I sense the Orientals' spiciness more than the Virginia sweetness, which is more on the background. Sam Gawith products are hand crafted so I suppose some quality variations are normal. Or maybe it's the age of the tin? ==

== This was the first EM I bought in a long time. I fact, the first pipe tobacco after I resumed pipe smoking. I was looking for something not too heavy on Latakia and on strength, and the tobacconist recommended this to me. I must say, I was not disappointed at all. In fact, I loved it from the start.

At the opening of the tin, I was greeted by such a wonderful, intense, mostly sweet with some sour and a little smoky smell, I was almost moved. If you had none of this, there was some problem with your tin guys - it made me feel like eating it. And the smoke was just divine, quite corresponding to the scent, very relaxing, inebriating I would say. Of course, the tobacco was very moist, like everybody says, but hey, they must have a good reason why the make it like this...

So I can recommend this to everyone, as I don't see why a pipe smoker should not at least like it. My only advice: if you haven't consumed it within a few weeks or even days (which is probably the best thing to do) store it well, because it tends to lose this wonderful sweet aroma after a while. Now, after a couple of months, the sour and smoky notes have become more intense, and the sweetness is less. Some may like this, for me it has gone down... from extraordinary to very good. I'll definitely keep it in rotation in any case. Ciao

PS try it with some sweet/spicy chai tea!

Pipe Used: Brebbia, Savinelli

Age When Smoked: New, 1m, 2m...

Purchased From: Tabaccheria Vannicelli, Rome / Cigar World, Germany

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The good Rev. Rizzo (36)	2014-05-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

I purchased tins of this much venerated tobacco from smokingpipes.com. Building up stocks of quality English blends for the summer evenings. As much hype as this received it's about time I included it into these special and most favorite times of the year. I couldn't wait to try it so I cracked just one. Tin note as stated in previous review is not overwhelming. But pleasant for sure! Packs nicely and I didn't even have to dry it out. I did however give it a little rubbing to fit nicer into the small bowled Peterson Calabash. No stem and stock in the tobacco. Pure nicely cut leaf. Takes a light easily and delivers a big satisfying smoke. I found it amusing. A heavy manly smoke from a dainty feminine pipe. It builds off the Latakia nicely. Sometimes cool and creamy. Perhaps at times a slight cocoa or nut like flavor. Then a brief zing of the orientals. All in all a fun, complex blend which I found was exactly what I hoped it would be. Can't wait to run this in bigger pipes out by the fire.

Pipe Used: Peterson Calabash

Age When Smoked: >1 year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	codyp (65)	2014-02-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

A tin I was looking forward to for a long time, and was not disappointed. The tin comes very fully packed with a beautiful, easy to light ribbon cut. A bit on the moist side, but gives it time to age and light.

The strength is what I would say a light english should be, maybe a little stronger which I prefer.

The flavor is incredible and complex. It's well balanced with all of the tobaccos and comes out to be really smooth, with even a decent room note the wife doesn't mind.

As I got further down the bowl, some darker virginias appeared and it was beautiful. It's just one of those smokes that changes during the bowl. It keeps things interesting, and gives you different flavors.

Definitely one I would recommend for aromatic and english smokers.

Pipe Used: AKB Smooth Freehand Meerschaum

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bob323 (46)	2013-12-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

What is the fascination with this blend?...At best, a rather mundane English blend...There are others out there which are better, more complex, and certainly less expensive...Don't get me wrong...It's not a bad little blend...Just not worth all the hoopla that's made of it...Pleasant enough to serve as an all day smoke but, nothing to write home about

Pipe Used: various for testing

Age When Smoked: Newly bought

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2013-03-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I guess I am review number 354 so there really isn't too much to add. This is a great milder english blend that goes wonderfully with a cup of coffee in the morning or really at any time of the day.

You should definitely try this blend and any other carrying three stars with over 300 reviews. That is saying something. Great blend I will reorder soon.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2011-11-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been smoking SL on and off for about two years now and it has taken me that long to really get a feel for why this is an on/off tobacco for me. SL is a very steady “Oriental leading” English blend. I enjoy blends such as this with heavy Oriental and light Latakia as Early Morning Pipe is one of my all time favorites. SL smokes smoothly out of the tin, doesn't bite, and ages nicely. The quality of the tobacco is also very good. SL simply lacks that extra something that keeps me interested in a world filled with English blend choices. By the time I reach the end of the tin I am anxious to get on to something else. I am fortunate enough to have a couple of sleeves left as it is difficult to obtain here in the US. With that in mind, SL is a little too pedestrian to keep me hunting for it in the future. Given the choice of Sam Gawith English blends, I think Skiff is a better choice. Recommended.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2011-10-15		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is the first tobacco I have bought on the strength of reviews here and, I must confess, initially I was quite disappointed. The smell from the tin upon first opening perturbed me somewhat as the smell of a whisky-style tar hit my nostrils, reminiscent of the taste of Laphroig whisky - far from my favourite because it is way too tarry. My first smoke, too, was in a similar vain and rather disappointing. I endeavoured, however, despite an urge to dash onto here and type up a appropriately poor review. Thankfully, I chose to persist and allow myself to adjust to it's peculiarities before truly condemning this tobacco to it's smokey grave. Here continues my story...

As I have smoked this over the past few days, the flavour has grown on me. It is actually quite a subtle smoke which does, indeed, start off with a tarry flavour with hints of the smell of an log fire breaking through and continues into something lighter and more nuanced. There also hints of flavours similar to Condor Original Long Cut and Gold Block in here, two tobaccos that sit well in my wee stash. It's mixture of strong and mild flavours provide pleasant surprises through this smoke in a way I've not found with other tobaccos.

On the whole, a very enjoyable tobacco that I am proud to add to my list of those sampled. My only two criticisms are that it can make the mouth a little numb and it smokes too quickly.

Update: I've increased my rating from recommended to highly recommended, this tobacco has become a favourite and I have ended up smoking this every day.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2006-11-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I loaded up a Pete with some Squadron Leader three weeks ago and damn near forgot about it. It's been sitting in my little rack, entirely neglected by my absent mindedness. I hadn't put the thing to fire yet and can't quite remember why I hadn't gotten to it. Anyhow, someone else must have laid the pipe back in its home. Ten minutes ago I stared at this sight. "Should I smoke this," I thought? I prodded the top layer of tobacco in the pipe. It was dried to an absolute crisp. So I set down my tin of London Mixture and fired her up. Man, this is good stuff.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BostonPipe (84)	2002-04-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

The first time I tried the blend I sat mesmerized for a good forty-five minutes to an hour. What a smooth, delightful, near perfect balence of Turkish, Virginia, and Latakia.

It burns clean, to a nice dull grey/white ash. The strength can vary, depending on how fast one puffs. I enjoy this blend in an older Charatan with a mug of Kenyan "AA" black coffee.

The perfect blend to enjoy...after my wife retires to sleep.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	McClintock (15)	2020-12-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not much to add, as this has been reviewed endlessly. I’m adding confirmation this is a perfect, classic, mild English blend. It’s perfectly mild mannered in all aspects. Lights easy, stays lit with minimal need for tending, and has a nicely balanced, savory/smoky/spicy expected English flavor. It’s not heavy in any way, but it amply scratches that itch for something savory and spicy. It’s an all day, everyday smoke if you were so inclined. No risk of turning your tongue to jerky or coating your mouth...and the after taste is excellent and mild - a very delicate campfire/wood flavor. If you’re on the fence about Latakia, this one will win you over as it’s so gentle and balanced in the flavor profile. If you’ve drifted towards Va or Va/per blends, this one might pull you back to the comforts of a classic style. There is no risk of spoiling your taste for more delicate blends. Those who say they couldn’t taste or smell the Latakia...I don’t get it...it’s there from the moment you pop the tin, leather and smoke - albeit, lightly applied when compared to the many lat bombs flooding the market. It’s just a wonderful tobacco. Plus, it’s an English made in England and a classic one at that.

Pipe Used: Vauen billiard ( 9mm filter)

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Tobacco pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (190)	2020-10-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I will not resort to the cliché "it is not a latakia bomb", but if I did I would have to add "nor does it need it". Because if the latakia ingredient was always the dominant one, it would not make sense to try other blends since they would all taste the same. The first Squadron Leader pipe I smoked was a bit disappointing because it seemed a bit lacking in flavor and even something happened to me that hadn't happened to me with other English blends: my tongue itched a bit. But as I have gained more experience as a pipe smoker, I have realized that there are some blends with which it takes more than a couple of puffs to appreciate them. And that, in fact, when any of these mixtures evolve favorably in me, they end up being part of my favorites. The same happened with this tobacco.

Now it seems to me that the balanced mixture of its ingredients makes it a delicious tobacco, with a velvety and fragrant smoke that is simply intoxicating. That combination of smoky, sweet and aromatic flavor has become my pipe of all nights. The issue of the itching of the tongue has also been solved, I do not know if because the can has been open for a few weeks and the tobacco is a bit drier, or because I smoke it with a slower cadence.

Despite the crisis that we are experiencing in the tobacconists due to the lack of Samuel Gawith tobaccos, some of these establishments are still stocked with this mixture, since in their day they were supplied with a good quantity of tin so that they would not lack the many customers who are lovers of the Squadron. Now I understand… and I appreciate it, because I am going to go buy some tin before they are finished.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Pipe Of The Year 2011, Freehand MM

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2020-09-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I was going through my cellar (a random jumble of tins and jars) and discovered some squadron leader I had put away in 2008. Fired up a bowl and was enjoying it when I thought "I wonder how this has changed in the 12 year aging process?". I decided to pull up my original review on this site to compare, and discovered......I had never reviewed squadron leader! How does that happen? This is a staple in the pipe tobacco world, and I have smoked a lot of it over the years. So, to right this wrong....

For me, squadron leader is the blend I compare all medium english mixtures to. This is one of the first (if not THE first) english blends I ever bought as a young inexperienced piper. I am not ashamed to admit I did it for a silly reason. The tin art, I mean come on! What is cooler than a Gloster Gladiator biplane on a tin of tobacco? Little did I know I was cutting my teeth on the EPITOME of a great english blend.

For me, this is the perfect all purpose smoke. An all day blend for me is one I don't have to concentrate on. I often think of the great American standard burleys like Carter Hall or Velvet. I can puff away doing what ever I want and not miss anything. The opposite of these are the complex thinking tobaccos. You have to sit down and really concentrate to pick up the nuance. I love squadron leader because it can be both. I can puff away and enjoy it, or I can really focus and always pick up interesting little tidbits.

This is not a latakia powerhouse. It is, in my opinion, a perfectly blended mixture. No component overpowers another, they all work in great harmony. This is a medium english. Doesn't bite much, not a huge nicotine whollup. I at times, find it buttery smooth. The orientals add that perfect sour type note, the latakia that smoky feel, and the Virginias the perfect touch of sweetness.

If you have not tried squadron leader, this is what a medium english mixture is supposed to be. I compare all others in this category to it.

Pipe Used: 2007 Peterson St. Patricks day 221 type shape

Age When Smoked: 12 Years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Harbor Seal (12)	2020-02-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

So many reviews here, so I will just add some personal hints. This is a well known classic and in my opinon the archtype English blend. A perfect introduction into the field of English blends with a well-balanced mixture of VA, oriental and latakia. Overall, I would rate this blend as mild to medium in strength and taste which makes it so suitable for beginners.

Pipe Used: Peterson Standard 307 w/ 9 mm Charcoal filter

Age When Smoked: 3 yrs

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TacomaKen (2)	2019-06-18		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was expecting to be disappointed because of all the hype. Not so. In fact, I was immediately impressed with the balance in this blend. Clearly English, but not overpowering. I can discern the various tobaccos in the blend, yet at the same time, really appreciate the whole. I'm only one bowl in, but have to say, that this could become a new favorite. Subtle, but rich at the same time. Almost creamy. Just a well balanced blend if ever I had one. I highly recommend it.

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tobacco Pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	1/2 (17)	2018-10-05		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I must confess that this is the first time I have tried an English blend, and the 2nd blend from SG. My previous experience with SG was BS Flake, and I enjoyed that blend emensely. In all honesty, I was not disappointed. When I opened the tin the first time, the scent was quite strong. Stronger then I expected. I quite enjoyed the scent of the tobacco as I packed my pipe, savoring the smell. The scent is as mentioned strong, But a Nice one. As I lit the pipe, the flavour was quite pleasant not the expected flavour while packing it, But a Nice rounded flavour and the room note though stronger then most tobaccos I have tried was more powerful then what I normally smoke, but not bad. Just more powerful. As I enjoyed the tobacco I noticed the same flavour and scent through out, and a slow burn. Very much a good blend in my opinion. Absolutely will Get more of this one, and absolutely recommend it.

Pipe Used: Dagner Elegant Poker

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Danish pipe shop

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kppeterson (19)	2017-06-11		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Why did it take me so long to try this? If you are looking for a Lat bomb to sock you right in your kisser please look elsewhere and leave this those that love perfectly balance mild/medium English blends. With the demise of the Murry's made Dunhill's it gets no more classic than this. I picked up some bulk SQ last summer and have been savoring it here and there while trying to finish tins of lesser blends. It's torture, knowing it's sitting there in the cellar and trying to resist. Everything that needs to be said about this blend has been said but I will reiterate; slightly sweet, a touch of spice, creamy and just smoky enough. The Virginias in this blend are excellent, as is everything else, and all the components sing in perfect harmony. What really sets this apart from lesser blends is that is gets better, not harsher, as you smoke down the bowl and it has a wonderful aftertaste. Love the smell leaves in my mustache (the Mrs. wouldn't agree). A perfect companion to morning coffee. Surprisingly I'm not enjoying Skiff Mixture nearly as much but will revisit. I have a limited edtion 2008 tin of this with perique in my cellar that I've not gotten around yet but will be moving it up in priority. This has quickly become one of my favorite English blends of all time joining Pease's Westminster, Esotericas Penzance, McClellands Yenidje Highlander and a few others. Highly Recommended to lovers of balanced mild/medium English blends.

Pipe Used: Norther Briar, Ashton, Vacher

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Murry's Dunhill's, Pease Westminster & Ashbury, Red Rapparee.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Squadron Leader is one of the most famous and highly rated pipe tobaccos. The secret? The balance. Such a perfect balance of every component that leads me to call it harmony. 4,5/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Hobby Fumo, Milano (Italy)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Daniel W. (23)	2016-05-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

At the beginning I didn't like it very much. I thought it was to low flavours. But after some smokes I start liking it. I think because I was more into aromatics. Now I appreciate this blend. It is medium body, woody and grassy flavour, acidity is very present. Without filter it bites a little. With filter very few bitterness. Room note is kind of burned dry leaves. It is an everyday blend.

Pipe Used: Peterson POY 2016 w/filter

Age When Smoked: 0

Purchased From: Tabacosbr

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mville (9)	2016-01-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Very good medium balanced English, better to buy in bulk because it is ready to light right out of the bag. The tin version is super wet and is unsmokable. Has a great light to medium English flavor, highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Yes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pendletonkm (2)	2015-12-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Squadron Leader..... Not a technical review, but more of my thoughts regarding this legend.

I think most would agree SL is one of the baseline English mixtures to rate all others off of. SL in plain words is just a great anytime of the day/all day English that is consistent every single bowl. There is no part of this blend that overpowers any one ingredient; and as you smoke SL you get this nostalgic feeling that it has been around and satisfied many a pipe smoker. I highly recommend this blend with your morning cup of joe, but it fits nicely anytime of the day. It is not a heavy blend, but not a light weight either; and that is what makes SL special, it is a solid go to smoke that never disappoints. Negative reviews on SL are mostly from people that judge SL for what it is not or was not meant to be, but if you are looking for a anytime of the day classic English this is it. I give Squadron Leader 4 stars based on its consistent blending, availability, and all day smoking properties.

Pipe Used: Cob, Briar and Clay

Age When Smoked: 0-1 year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dzacca (8)	2015-09-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

There isn't much to add to a tobacco with so many reviews. It's an medium english mixture, with not so much latakia and good quality Virginias. It smokes cool, a little challenging to lit. The VA keeps the the smoke sweet. It's not as complex as other EM, like the 965, and it's very enjoyable. Definitely recommended for anyone that wants to try an EM and a good all-day smoke. I've actually been smoking SL only in the last week or so and I like it more and more.

Room note are tolerable, non-smokers won't like it (my wife certainly doesn't ;) )

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Various

Purchased From: New Boston, Milan, Italy

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Witold (11)	2015-09-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's a good, pleasant English blend. The latakia is there but it doesn't dominate the rest. I'ts not that strong, rather smooth.

If you want something similar in lower price, try Mostex - Stanislaw London Mixture.

Pipe Used: Missouri Corn Cob

Similar Blends: Mostex - Stanislaw London Mixture.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Granny Smith (29)	2015-02-01		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

Reminds me a lot of Punchbowle - it's got a smiliar taste but is not quite as strong. If anything it is a little smoother and maybe, just maybe a better smoke. Depends what mood your in I suppose. One thing I like about this blend and not strictly about the tobacco but I collect tobacco tins and I love the tin artwork on this one - spiffing, old bean. Overall this is a great smoke that will remain in my rotation as I am quite fond of English/Balken style blends and this one is among the top ones I've tasted. It provides creamy smoke flavours - dry, earthy with that peppery tang that all Balkens possess. Top knotch I'd say.

Pipe Used: Mr Brog and Peterson standard System

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Black swanne

Similar Blends: Punchbowle, balken blends.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Vrikkian (8)	2014-11-19		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Squadron Leader is, to me, the definition of an every day, always pleasing English blend. The flavoring is slightly sweet, slight sour, and even has a caramel taste to me if I smoke it slow enough. If you get it in a tin it has to be dried out a bit I've found, but I never buy it in tin anymore - I buy it in bulk/loose straight from P&C, which is a better cut in my opinion. The leaf is stringy, and keeps a light better.

Regarding packing and lighting, this baby will stay lit all day as long as your false light is good enough - I've found the tobacco will quickly go out if I don't char the tobacco rim sufficiently, but I don't think that's really the fault of the blend, but more of my impatience sometimes.

I've never been a huge English fan - I always stray towards Virginias... but Squadron Leader is my gateway drug, and I always have at least a half pound on hand in case I don't know what to smoke - it has never let me down, and it's not too strong or too light to make me wonder if I'm not in the mood for it. It's just right. It's also very well priced, so you can get a half pound for $20 shipped.

I cannot talk to the old Squadron Leader tins I see sometimes at shows or on eBay, but if it ages well I can only imagine that it's vibrant as I think. Highly recommended if you've never tried it... but seeing as it's one of the best selling bulk blends, I doubt many of us are left that haven't!

Pipe Used: Sandblasted Larsen Poker

Age When Smoked: 2013

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2014-11-05		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Like many have said before me, this is a baseline English blend. If you like English blends, you're bound to like Squadron Leader—and, I do. However, because this blend is what it is, a baseline, it sits about in the middle when compared to the multitude of other English blends out there. When I'm in the mood for consistency, I reach for this; when I'm in the mood for more excitement I definitely reach for other English blends like Beck's Ol Limey, Chipman Hill or even Balkan Supreme. I try to always keep SL in stock, for it reminds me of what an English blend used to be, back in simpler times. A classic blend, but not as good or fun as other blends out there right now.

Pipe Used: Many different ones

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: The Original Tinder Box, LA, CA

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Plihopliheri (13)	2014-08-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my go-to tobacco any time of day. Years ago, I smoked flavored blends, but for the last ten years, I've stayed with English blends exclusively, and since I found this (last not least through the reviews here) about 4 years ago, this has been my favorite amongst the milder blends. Smooth, with a noticeable amount of Latakia, and a pleasant overall blend of flavors. It lights and stays lit easily, starts fairly mild and midway through, the strength and taste intensify just a bit. Fresh out of the tin is fine, but it seems to be even tastier when aired for a couple of weeks to just about a year. Btw, if you don't know this tobacco and want to learn about the reviewer's other preferences, my favorite among the heavier blends is Artisan's Blend, and I also always stock Dunhill's 965 and EMP.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Punto Oro 6mm, BC Marly no filter

Age When Smoked: New to 1 yr.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	russ (27)	2014-02-23		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Its very hard to add to the vast amount of of reviews that have been done on this tobacco. Squadron Leader--my goodness its been around a long time and I for one am glad. Its a tobacco that in my mind is a staple-some would ask--why. Others like myself who have smoked this stuff for a long time and actually like it can understand. For me I like Latakia--not too much but not to little. The Latakia in this tobacco give it just enough depth so as not to totally ruin the other tobaccos that are blended with it. It is just strong enough yet there is a rich creamy and robust taste that will dance with the Turkish and a slight citrus/floral lakeland note that comes in and together with this blend. The Virginias are there also sweetening the deal. I can honestly say that this blend has never bitten my tongue and throat. If sipped gently with some coffee on a nice evening sitting in the outdoors--well for me its a wonderful blend that I always want in my rotation. Its like an old friend In my mind this blend has been around for a long time and for a good reason. Its not too bold--its not too weak. For the life of me as a pipe smoker whos experience goes back for many generations--I just cannot seem to figure out why anyone who enjoys a true English blend would ever state that Squadron Leader is anything less than a good all around smoke.

Pipe Used: Morta and briar

Age When Smoked: 48

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-01-23		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

My first Samuel Gawith and I surely picked a good one. I think I'm in love. There's a reason over fifty fellow puffers have clicked the favorite button. That's something I pay close attention to when reviewing tobaccos for my next purchase. I like everything about this blend including the name and packaging. However my eagerness has gotten the best of me and I've been hitting it right from the tin. I believe a tad bit of drying will make it mint perfect as it's a bit on the moist side from its metal bed.

This reminds me of Mac Baren HH Syrian. But it's a bit sweeter which I like as Syrian is a favorite but sometimes goes bland near the middle to end. I have joined the squadron! Tally Ho! Highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Cob and savinelli churchwarden

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: JR cigars

Similar Blends: Mac Baren HH Syrian.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	balkan_boy (49)	2013-11-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I have no idea what this tobacco was like. I had recently a tin of it, smoked it, enjoyed it, and forgot about it. I've smoked this years ago, and I remember I liked it. I liked it now also. Nothing memorable, nothing distinctive, but still good English blend, nothing negative either. Goes well with booze, smoke is creamy enough, and Latakia is just the right amount. Good for smoking outdoors and in the winter. Stays lit, burns well. (not very usual for SG blends). Tin note has that sour oriental note, but when lit, you hardly catch it in the background. Still present but faintly. Anyways, good smoke, a decent English in my humble opinion. I have one more tin, I'll age it a bit and see what it's like when aged.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2013-02-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Everyone loves SL, and with good reason. It's an outstandingly good English mixture, and (to my taste and memory) very reminiscent of the long gone and much missed Craven Mixture. I'm not always in the mood for Latakia, but when I am this is a go-to (as is Gawith, Hoggarth's No. 25 Mixture). It isn't a Lat bomb and it isn't too strong. You could smoke it all day if you wanted to. It won't bite and it won't tire you, and I can't detect any kind of Lakeland topping. Downsides: as with all Latakia mixtures, the room note is not to everyone's liking; it comes very moist in the tin (this is a failing of Samuel Gawith's tobacco's generally); it doesn't give as long a smoke as I like. These are not fundamental objections, though. As a smoking experience, it's highly recommendable. Maybe air it a bit before ignition.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tripjoker (65)	2011-09-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another great English blend with a bit of heritage behind it. The great ones tend to last. In SL you will find a well balanced base of tobaccos with the edge going to the Turkish. This is precisely the kind of blend that rings bells for me.

A thin ribbon cut of the full spectrum of the standard English colors with just a tad more moisture than I prefer. A small amount of air time cures that. The loading is easy, and the lighting is a breeze due to the cut.

Turkish is the star from the beginning, and that doesn't change alot through the bowl. The other components start to sing along with the Turkish almost immediately and their volume picks up as the bowl progresses so the turkish becomes a partner to the Latakia and Virginia. Very well done blending by a reputable house makes all the difference.

The strength is a tad light for me as an all day smoke. Just shy of a solid medium, but will hold your interest with it's outstanding flavor that falls soloidly in the med-full category.

No bite, no excessive moisture when smoked. Not a rotation tobacco for me due to the strength, but I will keep my remaining tins in the cellar for enjoyment at a later date. These tins have 3 years age on them, and I would like to try again in a couple more years. A must try for all english lovers, and tame enough for the beginner with a sense of adventure. Cheers!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2011-08-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

About time I got around to trying this legend. Because this blend is legendary.

Opening the tin, I see a ribbon cut with black, bright and brown components; the tin aroma is decent, more dry than sweet: a goodly amount of Turkish in there, and not a Latakia overkill.

After a single-match light-up, the smoke is uncomplicated in maintenance. The taste is remarkably sweet for an English mixture (I don't eat any sweets, but I have a bit of a sweet tooth when it comes to tobaccos, so this is a Good Thing). The room note is quite acceptable to me, but experience tells me that non-smokers will hate it. Some complexity in the flavours, but not so much as to demand my full attention; a beautiful smoke.

For me, this is more of a Balkan than an English blend, but since the borders between those two categories seem to be a matter of personal preference (and I prefer Balkans, anyway), that doesn't count in the final tally. The ashes are medium grey, slightly mottled, no dottle left, and not enough condensation to mention.

Great stuff. That's my final verdict.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-04-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Pouch: Moderately moist. Smell of latakia, musty smokey camp fire smell. Rich and full. Dry out before lighting. Not as smokey as Skiff.

Flame: Lights easily with medium body creamy smooth smoke. No harshness, moderate nose tingle. No tongue bite. Sweetness of the turkish is immediate upon lighting with a citrus note.

Side stream: Smooth, lighter bodied smoke. Slight nose tingle. The smell is sweet virginia enhanced with turkish, with a thinner smoke than the burly based blends. Natural tobacco flavor with no casing or flavoring. Sweet and musty at same time.

Down Bowl: Stays dry, no bitterness. Sweet taste of virginia, no rough edges, perfectly balanced blend. Latakia is present but compliments the other flavors, and is not overpowering. Few relights necessary. Medium N content that comes on gently. Does not get strong or dramatically change flavor.

Aftertaste: Tingle of Latakia, slightly peppery with tasty tobacco flavor. Flavor in nose is light tobacco.

Conclusion: Great virginia based medium english with turkish sweetness. Smoke with iced black coffee. This is medium, an afternoon relaxation smoke. **

This may be heresy but I also enjoy this mixed 50/50 with Skiff, when more smokiness is appreciated.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-08-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I just bought my first tin of this today and here are my thoughts after one smoke:

1. Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with the most heavenly of aromas. I wanted to dive in and just swim in the stuff.

2. Packing the pipe with SL is a literal joy. There was one piece that was cut poorly, but other than one piece it was a perfect ribbon cut with the perfect moisture content.

3. Lighting this blend was incredibly easy. In fact, of all the blends I have tried, SL is by far the easiest light I have ever experienced. I did have to do a couple of relights during the bowl, but this is nothing unusual for any smoker.

4. The smoke itself is beautiful! It is rich and creamy, full yet subtle, strong yet mild. The Latakia, Virginia, and Turkish tobaccos are all full, present and also perfectly harmonized to create a wonderful smoking experience. I have tended to not be so enthusiastic about English blends - preferring instead Balkan blends as I find them to be fuller and more complex - but Squadron Leader has instantly become a favorite of mine.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-04-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Okay I don't smoke alot of English, 15-20% of the time. but Squadron Leader is my absolute favorite. A little mild for most English smokers I know, but I can definitely do for everyday and MY time. Woodsy was a great description, Brings to mind the field, the dogs, the birds and friends, I can live like this...

Wonderfully smooth and tasty. Great interplay between the tobaccos. Nothing overrides anything during the smoke. Burns clean and consistent with out any work,(which I don't mind), other than to break up some clumps before hand.

I don't enjoy so much at work, working with wood or subjects that require concentration, because it can detract from my focus,(except reading and light comfortable string work on the guitar). Maybe a little too peaceful and enjoyable.

A very restfull, enjoyable, smooth, complicated, private smoke. Light up, open the book, strum the strings, contemplate, fantasize - enjoy.

The room note is not my wife's most cherished, bummer, I'm over it, sometimes I do things for me.

On the island, this would be there.

I need to get some more to cellar and see if it gets better, but I'm a happy camper just the way it is,(of course there is more to try).

Thank you Samuel Gawith & Co.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-08-10		Medium	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Being a pilot,I was of course,drawn to this blend for obvious reasons but I seem to be in the boat all alone with this one! Maybe I got an old tin or something but I did'nt like this at all. Just plain drab to me. Nothing really special stands out. Sort of left a,for lack of a better word,"funky" taste on the old palate. I left it alone for awhile and tried again with the same result's.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CPT/VSG (72)	2008-06-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Like the other recent reviewers it is hard to add anything new other than one additional response. SL is a favorite Saturday morning smoke for me; the orientals blend well with a strong cup of coffee and the Latakia is present but in the background. It's a really fine blend. The only reason I don't rate it a 4 is as the others stated, there are other English blends with a bit more character as far as my taste buds are concerned. But, I'd rate it a 3.5 if I could and will always keep it around.

Adding to the original review: I just finished a tin of the Chicago Pipe Show blend for 2008, which allegedly added some perique. Can't say I really tasted much difference from the regular SL but it was excellent, too.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-08-28		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin: Squadron Leader comes wrapped in gold paper. The individual components are cut differently, giving an irregular cut. The Virginias are light tan ribbon, and dark broken flake. There is nutty, spicy Macedonian turkish oriental; black, smoky Latakia; with flecks of pale green. It has the usual run-of-the-mill light English aroma, a prominent Turkish scent, and hints of grass and mint, with a sweet VA undertone. A strong Latakia smell is not present.

Packing & Lighting: Packing was not much of a problem, with no stems to contend with. The tin was several months old and did not feel overly moist. SL lit unevenly with one match, then was tamped down and lit again.

Taste & Aroma: This is a light to medium English blend. SL does not have much body or character, being light in VA, oriental, and Latakia tobaccos, genteel. It has a light woodsy spiciness. The scent of oriental incense is the most apparent aspect. But, SL lacks strong flavor or richness.

This is a tobacco concerto, perhaps better described as a chord softly strummed on a Spanish guitar, each note, played together, comprising the whole. The Turkish provides a smooth, nutty, woodsy incense essence. VA tobacco usually has an oats or hay aroma, but not in SL. This VA provides a lightly sweet, almost caramel, soft almond presence. The Latakia is a light haze, not really smoky, being the most subtle player. The individual notes of these three tobaccos could be interchanged, the chord produced by the light strumming of all three together. The oriental notes seem to predominate the overall timbre.

There is a marked distinction in a tapered versus large straight-sided smoking chamber. The tapered chamber provides the aforementioned qualities, but by the end of the bowl, the straight-sided elicits a much more savory sweet caramel flavor from the VA; and the bowl is left quite sweet smelling.

Nicotine: mild

Room Note: mild, multiple bowls medium-strong. A light sweet English aroma, subtle almond and oriental incense spice, the sweet VA mellowing the orientals, with a light smoky Latakia undertone.

Overall: SL is a light English blend. It is not as strong or rich as some Latakia-based English blends, the key being on naturally aromatic Macedonian. Initially, I was dismayed by the lack of strong, robust qualities. From all the hype, I was expecting a blend with more strength. Even the name, Squadron Leader, seems to demand this. What I got was a marriage of three tobaccos working together to produce a harmonious light English blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain Pete (83)	2006-08-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I just finished my third bowl of this stuff in about a week. I found it to be a very gentle smoking blend. It was easy to smoke; lots of sweet from the virginias with absolutely no bite. And the turkish seems to really mellow everything out really well. I wasn't left with a dissatisfied palate like some of the other English blends; some seem to be missing a certain something. This one had everything right, nothing missing. Sweet, slightly smokey, and mild; but with a nice bold taste. It was vaguely reminiscent of fine sumatra coffee, of which I am very fond as well.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-06-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Wow! In the 4-star world of tobaccoreviews.com, Samuel Gawith's Squadron Leader is, IMHO, a 5-star offering! SL has a wonderful tin aroma that translates into a fantastic smoke. The mellow sweetness of the Virginias meld well with the delightful depth and spiciness of the Latakia - with the naturally aromatic turkish adding an invigorating note. Superb stuff!!!

SL packed and lit well in my Stanwell Rhodesian, requiring no drying out straight from the freshly opened tin. The blend burned evenly and coolly to a fine ash without even a hint of tongue bite and was great tasting all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

I really cannot recommended SL highly enough. It is a real classic and it makes a truly magnificent accompaniment to a pint of dark mild or oyster stout! :-)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-06-10		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow, it has a vintage airplane on the tin lid! As an aircraft engine mechanic, I had to try this. So, how did it measure up?

When the tin arrived in the mail, I opened it up and gave it a good whiff. It smells great in the tin, if a little strong, and there was a nicely balanced mixture of tobaccos. However, it was a little too moist, so I let it dry out some before I gave it a whirl.

It packs easily and isn't too much of a hassle to light. The rather strong tin aroma belies how it actually tastes; medium strength with that nice smoky, almost woodsy note. I have gone so far as to smoke it in an enclosed space in the presence of a non-smoker, and he wasn't put off by the smell. It makes for a nice clean smoke and doesn't leave any junk in the pipe.

If you're an English-style mixture smoker who refuses to go aromatic but needs a blend those around you won't be overly offended by, look no further. But the question remains: would I buy it again?

Yes, with a caveat. I'm not exactly a well-funded pipe smoker, and I buy tins primarily as a means of trying out a small bit of tobacco, and display the tin on a shelf when it's empty. If Squadron Leader came in bulk, it would be a more regular smoke for me. However, since it's only available in tinned form, it's more of a "treat" tobacco.

And what a treat it is!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A. Morley (97)	2006-03-24		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This is all that an English blend is meant to be. The weight of the overall flavor is carried by the two kinds of Virginia that make up the base. The Latakia is of fine quality and is further supported by a goodly amount of Turkish. Once again all that an English is supposed to be, and it burns rather cool at that.

Old style, traditional English mixtures such as Squadron Leader are so nice to come across nowadays. There seems to be this tendency among many modern blenders to seek innovation in tobacco blending by adding in Latakia to a perverse extent. While they may imagine that this means a stronger mixture, all that they have managed is a tobacco wherein the brutish essence of Latakia overtakes any other flavor, while their mixture is still lacking in true tobacco strength. It is the Virginias that make for a truly strong smoke. Squadron Leader realizes this fact and it is to Samuel Gawith's credit.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-09-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Update September 2005: Stays four stars because five stars are not available.

Update April 2005: My benchmark for medium English blends.

Bright, medium long (and cut) ribbons and dark Virginia broken flakes make up the base, with a compliment of lively, nutty Turkish and woodsy Latakia. This does not appear to be cased, topped or scented. I have only smoked the tinned version. It has been my mainstay for years.

The predominant flavor comes from the Virginias (about 50/50 lighter to darker leaf; no Cavendish detected) and then Turkish leaf. The flue-cured leaf really provides a naturally sweet, chewy and a nearly caramelized presence at times, while giving the blend its overall structure. The Virginias set SL apart from other beloved medium English offerings bar none.

The Turkish varietals are smooth, aged and tame, used only en condiment, yet providing the main "seasoning" of Squadron Leader. This has just the right amount of Latakia for a medium English blend, keeping this from a misclassification as a Balkan, Oriental, Latakia or Full-English blend. Compare to Dunhill's EMP or Standard Mixture Mild to know why SL is not a mild English (or Skiff by SG for that matter). If you do not like Turkish tobaccos or you define an English blend as heavy with Latakia with minimal Virginias and Turkish, then you do not like medium English blends and SL might not be for you.

The Turkish leaf in SL has none of the sharper edges of those in Dunhill's medium English blends (which I like, too) and Rattray's Red Rapparee, or the tanginess distinctive of Germain's in Margate (Full English) or Exotique (Oriental; quasi-Balkan), though more lively than in McClelland's British Woods. They are something akin to Renaissance by GL Pease, which approaches a full-bodied English (which also seems to have more Latakia) or Crown Achievement in complexity without CA's edgy personality.

SL burns to a white ash with no dottle. Even with the Virginias requiring slow, steady puffing, the smoker is rewarded with copious clouds of cool smoke. The flavors from the constituent leaf migrate in and out, deepening as the ash moves from the rim to bowl bottom. Delicious barely describes this blend.

This works best in group 4 or larger pipes in my experience. Compare straight sided to tapered smoking chambers with SL. The drier and cleaner the pipe, the more subtle flavors come through. SL really shines if the packaging moisture content is reduced so that the blend is still pliable without feeling moist.

SL is blending perfection for those who appreciate medium English blends in a classic presentation and form. SL is not an attempt at anything different than what it is quintessentially, so evaluate it for what it was created to be and by members of its class.

It seems rather silly to downgrade this because it is not a full English or Balkan. It is like saying "This soup is not very good because it is not stew." If you want heavier weight and more Latakia, try Margate or Commonwealth or other aforementioned blends. Nix the category errors, please. Sheer smoking pleasure, it is.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2005-03-05		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Rather than repeat physical descriptions yet again, I'll just throw in my hoo-rah for this wonderful stuff. I've finally found the elusive oriental/VA that has the best of what I like of each: aromaticity and rich sweetness WITHOUT overbearing creosote. This tin will go fast. My grail EM found at last.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-08-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin Aroma: A typical 'could be any English blend' aroma, where the latakia and orientals prevail. However, one can detect a sweet virginia in the background and a certain nutiness assails the nostrils.

Room Note: Again, typically English but perhaps a little toned down compared to some of the fuller latakia Englishes. Indeed, the latakia does not seem to offend the unitiated. I'm told by my companions it's more akin to a subtle incense-like note lurking amoungst a non descript virgnia.

Packing: Although I personally prefer the pinch method, the ribbon cut of the tobacco makes packing a joy which ever method one employs. Moisture content is near perfect.

Lighting: Again, a joy. One charring light, one fairly light tamper and a second match are all that's required for a slow, even burn with minimal maintenance. A well behaved blend that looks after it's self.

Appearance: A visual array of light and dark virginias, Turkish leaf and of course, black latakia; one can easily see and identify each component in this fine blend. The ribbon cut aids the overall attractive presentation.

Smoking: The initial flavour upon lighting is latakia as is usual with English blends. The secondary taste to the smokiness of the latakia is the dusky, dry but rich Turkish. However, the sweetness of the virginia does come through and although playing second fiddle is not drowned out by the orientals. This blend is what I consider to be a perfect balance: a real symphony of flavours where one can detect and enjoy all components simultaneously. It's a bit like listening to good jazz where all the musicians are contributing to the overall effect with equal skill whilst relying on each other for the final experience. The taste is rich and the finish clean and crisp. I would describe the overall taste as enjoying an almond slice with a cup of Lap Sang Souchong tea, but drier and not as sweet. It's a combination of the sweet, almond-like virginia in perfect harmony with the smoky, dusky orientals. This tobacco smokes extremely cool and dry right to the bottom of the bowl and leaves a fine, white ash. The flavour does not change or deteriorate on relights. Flavoursome, mellow, dry and very cool to the last with no bite at all. Nicotine content is moderate and again, in perfect harmony with the smoking experience. This blend would be ideal for someone trying Englishes for the first time in order to make a cross from aromatics, as the latakia is not over powering. Well done to the house of Samuel Gawith; absolute top marks! I can find no flaw in this perfectly balanced quality blend.

Pros: Packs, lights and smokes easily; even burning, extremely cool with no bite whatsoever. A perfect balance of flavours; each new smoke shows new complexities and dimensions.

Cons: None at all.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-07-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

This blend has been around the block, has withstood the test of time, kicks it old school, and whatever other clichés one can come up with to laud this definitive English mixture that, in my opinion, sets the standard for the genre. I?m not saying that I think it is absolutely the most delicious English mixture out there, I?m just saying that it has probably earned the honor of being the definitive English blend still on the market. Personally, I prefer a little less Virginias than one finds in Squadron Leader and a little more Latakia, as the Leader will bite if you?re not careful. Nonetheless, this should be on the ?must try? list of anyone who enjoys English blends, especially if you want to experience how they made ?em back in the days of yore. Squadron Leader smokes cool and very dry all the way down the bowl, and a pipe cleaner is rarely if ever needed to remove moisture during the smoke.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2003-09-25		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I have a theory about Squadron Leader. The reason it is so very good is because the Virginia component is SG Best Brown. The theory may be wrong, but this tobacco is a wonderfull English or Balkan blend. Orientals, latakia and Virginia of extraordinary quality in perfect harmony. Highly recommended. Paddy.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-08-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

In the search for an all day English smoke, I have encountered seemingly endless offerings, from the plodding and uninspired to the harsh and heady. What I tend to look for, particularly in so broad a category, is balance.

In this regard, Squadron Leader scores well. It's light enough on the palate, throat, stomach, and head to smoke continuously, without being bland. It's not rich enough for after dinner or late night, but still manages to maintain interest. Squadron Leader demonstrates that there is more to the S. Gawith line than Virginias.

The label, a model of understated elegance, is perhaps my favorite in all of tobaccodom. The same can't be said for the tin itself. I view rectangular tins, in general, as suspect for the long haul, and this one has the absolute worst gasket I have ever seen. Confidence inspiring it is not. Still, the tobacco itself is beautifully packaged.

An inevitable comparison in this genre is Dunhill's London Mixture, another venerable blend that has served the pipesmoking community for decades. Squadron Leader betters it in terms of both smoothness and flavor, and possesses the superior balance of sweet Orientals and Latakia presence. It does at least as good a job of conjuring up images of times past as the Dunhill, for what its worth. The nose of this blend is not up there with, say, a Margate, but it is enticing nonetheless.

Smoking is bad for you (that's right, I said it). The only justification for doing something bad for you is to derive pleasure, which, ultimately, Squadron Leader delivers to a satisfactory degree.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	North State (72)	2022-09-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

It pains my heart to write this review.

I really, really wanted to like this blend as it's got such great reviews and is supposed to be some kind of a representative example of the english blend.

But somehow, this just does not come together for me at all. The pouch note promises a good english experience and there's nothing bad in it except maybe for a certain harshness/coarseness in the taste; smoking it, I tried hard to find some redeeming qualities that I could write about... And then it hit me: Could it be that it is such a book-example, so middle of the road in every single respect for an english blend, that it ends up lacking any character of it's own, any particular notability? Perhaps.

I love Old Dublin and Nightcap, I like Aperitif and EMP, as well as some Balkans. Alas, Squadron Leader will be one english blend I probably won't be buying again.

PS. Mine came in a foil pouch with the label pasted on it, not a tin.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh from pouch

Purchased From: Kiosk in Sczeczin, Poland

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaulMcCoy (78)	2021-12-10		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It’s mild, musty, earthy, campfire flavor, with some sweet, and sour tones. It’s a little over hyped, but It is worth a go. If someone asked me to recommend a light mild English blend, this would be on the list. It’s also great for someone just getting into this category. It tends to bite me a little. I’m not sure what’s causing it. It’s expensive, and it’s difficult to get in the states. Other than that it’s pretty good.

Pipe Used: Morgan Bones Oom Paul

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Baboon Island (5)	2021-06-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

This was the first English blend I ever bought a little over a year ago, when I first decided to initiate myself into the ancient art that is pipe smoking. I remember watching Bradley, from the YouTube channel StuffAndThings, describe it as ‘the quintessential English blend’, therefore making it impossible for me not to try it. At this point in my piping career, I had no idea what any of these blend categories tasted like, and so ‘going for the famous ones’ seemed like the smartest approach to take.

I remember first opening the tin; the glowing, contorted grin that possessed my face was an ineluctable reflex - this smell was truly something else. It was familiar yet new, it reminded me of peaty scotch without the alcoholic harshness, a roaring campfire without the pungency. A softly charred oakiness that actually reminded me most of smoked salmon, funnily enough. I would soon learn that this was the wonderful Latakia leaf marking its territory.

When I first tasted it I was struck by ‘breadiness’, and frankly all I remembered up until the present was said breadiness. Now, however, on smoking a few bowls of the tin I bought last week, I realise that there is a subtle complexity flowing underneath the simplicity; it is not merely breadiness that characterises this blend. As I smoke it now, I do get the breadiness, but it is more specific kind of bread, perhaps it resembles a high quality, freshly baked sourdough loaf. There is a yeastiness to it, a sweetness to it, but also something else. Something aromatic and herbal, which to my tastes almost reminds me of fenugreek or aniseed. It’s very subtle, but that is the impression I get. If I were to make an assumption (as I am still by no means an expert, especially in the English genre), it would be that I am experiencing the commingling of the Virginias and the Orientals within the wider flavour profile.

I would still argue that the latakia is relatively subdued, when compared to such blends as Nightcap and My Mixture 965. It is not leathery here, it is a mild woodiness that wafts across the palate like the aroma of village chimneys in the freezing air of the bleak midwinter.

Overall, I believe this blend to be a nice and light, almost refreshing English blend. It is reserved, perhaps ‘stiff upper lip’, yet it contains enough variety and nuance to keep the conversation afloat for many hours without awkwardness. As a positive side note, it smells lovely too.

Pipe Used: GQ Tobaccos Truffle Billiard

Purchased From: Robert Graham

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bucivs (15)	2021-01-24		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable

Yes there's no need to rewiew this very famous mixture, but let me say that SG tobaccos has some kind of difference from any other mixture and this is the very essence of mild EM.

Pipe Used: parker

Purchased From: dubini CH

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dbl-bbl (45)	2016-12-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow! I was quite surprised when I fired up this baccy. I wasn't expecting the lightly sweet & tangy flavor mingled well with the smoky overtone of Latakia ... yet it was quite welcomed! Latakia tends to dry out my mouth & throat so I partake in moderation ... therefore it's not an all day smoke for me. Many before me have foretold of the wonderful flavor & aroma of this blend ... so I'll leave those fancy descriptions to suffice. If you're an Aro guy thinking about a venture into the world of natural tobacco flavors ... I'd recommend that you give this one a whirl. Good stuff ... loses some of the sweetness & becomes rather tart toward the bottom of the bowl ... me thinks this is because of the particular Orientals used in this blend ... as I haven't experienced this from other non-Oriental blends. This one marries well with a little BCA (if desired) to smooth out the tart edges. A few months of "cellar time" in a jar does wonders too.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mnadz (69)	2015-05-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Another highly reviewed blend that I disagree with majority. Had to majorly let each fill dry out for awhile. Even then it was difficult to keep lit and caused alot of dawdle at the end becoming very slurpy. Being a fan of heavier blends, I found this one way to light for a latakia blend. Mild in nicotine and taste. What was the worst, and maybe I just got a bad lot, is I spent alot of time picking out stems before packing. I don't want to take the risk of buying another tin to see if better because I don't like it at all. If you are like me, and like strong latakia blends, save yourself some money and time and skip this one.

Pipe Used: Ben Wades

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cumarinophil (108)	2015-03-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Squadron Leader is my favorite medium English blend. I try lots of different tobaccos all the time, but this one is my last resort, my fallback or home-blend I always find myself coming back to. It ages well, but the contents are so harmoniously merged, that it is a perfectly satisfying smoke right out of a fresh tin. In terms of complexity a happy medium has definitely been found. Together with its deep, rich, spicy-sweet taste and slightly smoky flavors, the Squadron Leader always delivers. Reliability is what makes it special to me, tin after tin after tin.

If an alien came to earth asking me what English pipe tobacco is, I’d say this, my unfortunate friend, this is what we earthlings call medium English… .

Pipe Used: Various

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Chris66 (11)	2014-06-16		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Unnoticeable

I predominantly enjoy English blends, Love Artisans Blend, hooked on Royal Yacht. I smoke this when I fancy a lighter smoke, the lat seems to be very mild and It has just a touch of spice. It definately needs to be allowed to dry for a bit, 15-20 mins at least, before packing. I think it could do with a bit more lat in it, or slightly less spice, as it sometimes tastes a little bit peppery to me. It burns well and is a pleasant enough smoke, but just needs that little someting adding ! Worth a try though, and a good starter if you want to try English blends.

Pipe Used: Savinelli free hand, clay, Falcon.

Age When Smoked: 1 Week

Purchased From: SmokeKing.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lit a Kia (69)	2014-05-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

An iconic brand and possibly the coolest-looking tin out there. Unlike Gawith's FVF, I was intrigued by this blend's appearance and tin note. A nice black and tan ribbon cut, and an enjoyable sweet-and-spicy, leathery aroma. This can use a little drying time, although it's not as fussy as, for example, McClelland's English blends.

The smoke itself was uninspiring, both on its own and compared to other English blends I've enjoyed. It's not bad...but I won't go out of my way to replenish this one. I'm probably not making any friends panning another product of such an iconic purveyor (maybe it's a Yank thing?), but it seems to me that other blenders are running circles around the folks from Kendal.

There are other Gawith tobaccos that I'm still planning to try. I'll also let this one age a bit and give it another go.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-05-08		Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Tolerable

Squadron Leader appears to be a favorite for many, and as I work through my first tin I am still pondering the attraction that such a mild smoke seems to hold. It is smooth and nearly biteless if sipped. The hint of latakia is almost the only taste that appears, but is far from prominent. The virginias and orientals are equally underwhelming to my taste buds. This might be a nice first step away from aromatics for those venturing towards a latakia based smoke - but who only want a whisper of taste. As noted elsewhere, the tobacco out of the can needs a bit of drying to retain the light. I find this makes an okay first smoke of the day, nearly on par with Dunhill's Early Morning. Nice for rotation, but not my Holy Grail...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Katharsis (39)	2011-09-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a very well-balanced blend. As others have said, more Turkish up front than anything else, which in this blend I really like as opposed to other Oriental types -- this is richer and fuller because of it, instead of sweeter and more tart.

Also as others have said, it is a "drier" smoke than other English blends, but I like it a lot in this case, and I've definitely had drier ones than this. Again, overall very well balanced, with a little more emphasis on the Turkish than the Latakia, but the Latakia is still noticeable enough.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	luvinthepipe (29)	2009-04-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

I don't get it. With so many great tobacco blends out there why would anybody spend money on such a bland smoke? this comes in a great looking square tin and is inexpensive. Perhaps that is the reason. I did find a use for this blend. The tobacco's are a nice cut, doesn't have any apparent PG added or toppings I can detect. In this blend I found a type that was olive green in color. Was this oriental tobacco? I decided to use this as a blending tobacco. Turned out decent when blended in this ratio and left in a jar to meld the flavors...65-70% SG, 25 % McClellands 5100 Red Cake Virgina, and 5-10% Perique from McClelland (they have great blending perique, far better than the fake periques out there). The last time I tried SL, I identified its lacked any depth and a bitterness that was not complimented by any other real flavor. I decided to add some good Virginia and Perique. I was able to salvage this tobacco by blending it. However, this was just an experiment as I really don't have the time to spend smoking salvaged tobacco. This blend was a loser. Bitterness. I expected so much more from this highly touted blend.

11/28/09 * I Let my blend from above sit for 6 months or so in a jar untouched until today. I REALLY liked this a lot. All the light greenish strands have turned into a nice tan. I think this blend shows I prefer Virginia forward blends while this one is strong on the Orientals. Won't buy this again.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (161)	2009-01-20		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

this is a favorite of mine and a great evening blend.. What I like about this blend is how well it works together.. I like how the strong virginias support the spice of the turkish and the latakia.. I noticed more strength in the nicotine department than some of the other reviewers.. This is a complex flavor delivered in a nice cohesive way.. It has enough going on in it to satisfy just about any smoker.. if you don't like latakia you will probably still like this tobacco with its sturdy foundation of virginia and turkish.. If you like latakia (like i do) you will not be dissapointed as it is featured very nicely and tastefully.. good stuff.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2009-01-19		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I can see why this blend is considered a classic, it's a truly wonderful smoke in every way, with a very satisfying and intense complexity and absolutely no bite. Remarkably easy on the palate, bright, full and rich, entertaining yet deep, a Haydn sonata in a major key.

Update 3/12/11: I'm revisiting this after two years. I'm bumping this up to four stars -- this is truly a classic middle english blend, perhaps the quintessential example of the genre.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-11-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I've seen this tobacco around for a while and alwyas wanted to give it a try. Great graphics on the tin! I enjoyed very much the tin aroma. Overall I think this is a nice english blend, but really nothing special. As some other reviews have said, I too find it a little too light on the latakia for my tastes. The quality of the tobacco is good, but the blend is not quite right for me. If it were a blend in progress I would give it another go but I think I will pass on this blend. I am glad I experienced it though, but one tin is enough.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pounder 5000 (178)	2004-08-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

I really wanted to like this stuff, especially with the cool artwork, but I just can't do it. To say that I don't like it might be just a little strong as well. I guess I'm merely indifferent. A little sharp and bitey, at the same time the turkish comes through quite pleasantly. All in all though just another middle of the road english very comparable to Crown Achievement as Beer so eloquently points out above. Personally I much prefer its cousins: Commonwealth and Skiff.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-08-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I went into this fully prepared to not like this blend. In fact, because of a few things I had been told abut it, I wouldn?t have even tried it. Luckily, someone included a generous sample of nicely aged Squadron Leader in a box pass I did. The bag that the sample is in says that it came from a tin that was purchased in 1998-9, opened 04/04. It is now August 2004 when I sampled this blend.

When I first lit it, SL had a bit of a sharp taste. I set it down to go get a cup of coffee, and when I re-lit it on my return, it was a different tobacco! The sharpness was gone, and a nice light, slightly spicy Turkish flavor had replaced it. The Latakia was very light throughout the smoke, and the Va never really asserted itself, but remained in the background and lent a hit of sweetness as only Va can.

The first bowl was in a small meerschaum. I went with a small bowl, because as I said, I didn?t expect to like it. I had been told that it was tasteless and that it bit something awful, hence the meerschaum. There was no need to have worried.

Subsequent bowls were smoked in larger briar pipes. The complexity that I found lacking in the initial bowl was a bit more evident in the larger bowls.

Following the guidance set forth on the website of a certain tobacco blending genius, I would place Squadron Leader in the Balkan category, as I found the focus of the blend to be the Turkish leaf with the Latakia in a condiment role. Further, I would class it as a medium to light Balkan.

I am glad I tried Squadron Leader. It was a very pleasant smoke. I am not sure I will replace it when it is gone though. There are other blends in this category that I prefer ? but this is in no way meant to detract from the blend at hand. It?s good pipe-weed. It smokes cool and dry, stays lit and is generally well-behaved.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-11-07		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Hmm...my first review and I reluctantly begin on something of a sour note, as indeed does this blend. My only other foray into the world of Sam Gawith was a disastrous encounter with "Grousemoor" - a foetid nightmare of a blend, akin to being savaged by an effeminate rottweiler.

One of the numerous reasons I have adored english blends for the last 20 years is that they have never, ever bitten my tongue - until this blighter, that is.

First impressions are favourable; the picture on the tin is a delight and the packaging as a whole conveys the image of a reputable, long-established, though vaguely amateurish, cottage industry. The lid doesn't fit too snugly after opening but, hey! thev've only had 2 centuries to get it right. Aroma in the tin is light but pleasant, with the Turkish taking centre stage. The length of the ribbon cut makes packing a little awkward but not too much of a problem. The colour of the blend is what one might expect of a mild Latakia/oriental mixture and here's the crux of the problem; for me (a previously inveterate cigarette smoker)the whole thing is just too light and ephemeral to keep my interest. Once in a while the orientals weave their magic and for a brief moment one is transported to an astral plane but then it's back to dull old earth with a rather tedious thud. If this tobacco were a piece of music, it might be a middle-period Mozart piano concerto - just too darned rococo for this baroque baby. Ah well, I'm off for a pipeful of my beloved Dunhill, of which, more later...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2003-05-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a straight-forward high quality "english" blend. It smokes cool, has decent complexity and is perfect for all day smoking. I much prefer it to Dunhill's London Mixture. It is medium strength and does not have a nicotine kick that the Dunhill gives me which IMO is a good thing because I drive a lot.This blend is solid and I recommend it to those who want to try a good tinned "english" blend. The only thing that keeps it out of my daily rotation is its more mature and fuller flavored brother "Commonwealth Mixture". All in all, it is good, the tin is well packed, (although hard to open!!!) and a good buy in so. Cal. Enjoy!!!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2001-04-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

This is a classic english/oriental blend, probably the same as it was 50-60 years ago. When I opened the can, the turkish aroma was most apparent, with the latakia playing second fiddle and the virginias just singing in the background. By this I mean that you don't notice them that much initially, but would miss them if they were gone. The tobacco was a typical english ribbon cut, about 40% dark and the remainder red to tan in color. Initial taste was just what I expected from the aroma; lots of turkish spiciness, a fair amount of latakia smokiness, and a rich sweet backgrounf\d of virginias. It reminded me of Dunhill's Aperitif, which was unavailable for many years (at least in my area), only richer in the turkish component. I smoked it a several Sasienis of medium size, a Barling and a larger Upshall. It always burned cool and dry, showing all it's complexity when smoked slowly. It rarely needed a relight, and left a clean, white ash. For me, this was the best of S. Gawith's offerings.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2001-03-29		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a time tested nice old blend that spells English with every puff. I have little doubt that other blenders offering "English" blends have copied Squadron Leader. The Latikia is superbly blended with the Virginia's and the Turkish ties it together.

If you like a blended Latikia, it doesn't get much better. Not as overwhelming as a "full" English, this may be a great place to start for a Virginia or Burley smoker looking to go toward Orientals and Latikia.

Burns well, stays lit. I like to rub it a bit before loading in a fine English briar. Little tounge bite. Mellow nicotine.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaPiper (35)	2023-01-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A finely blended English with just the righ amounts of Latakia and Orientals to provide the wonderful flavors for English tobacco. A hint of sweet from the Virginia with a slight nutty flavor, and a slight spicy taste of the orientals. The ribbon cut on this is excellent and the tin is pack tight with a good moisture level. A great intorduction to English. I call this a Gentleman's tobacco with the refinements in flavors from strength to room note ot flavor. Great for all day smoking.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Not aged

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HobgoblinTA96 (59)	2022-12-10		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

This is how an English Blend is supposed to be. Pure tobacco excellence. Quality leaf done in just the right proportion in a lovely ribbon shag cut that is a delight to smoke. The mellow bright leaf is the star of the show in this blend with the orientals softly guiding the way and adding to the natural flavors of the bright leaf. The Latakia adding a touch of smoke and exotic incense to the blend without dominating the more mellow flavors of the bright. A symphony of flavors. Each excellent by themselves, together a masterpiece. Definitely one of the top rated light English blends available today.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rick5iron (20)	2022-11-16		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

cant go wrong with this blend , very good . puts Early Morning Pipe to shame, this is how a english should taste, will buy again

Pipe Used: sav 626

Age When Smoked: 4mths

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nathan PY6NO🇧🇷 (1)	2022-09-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My little participation and humble opinion: Squadron Leader SL: Classic English blend. Latakia, Virginias and Turkish Orientals. All mixed smoothly. In this blend there is no anything tobbaco main here. There is not here Latakia bomb, whitout Virginia sweetness , gram, leather. For me, this is a wonderful and high quality tobacco and no are like say, a Latakia bomb and isn't a nicotine power. That is a smooth and balanced classic english blend. But that doesn't mean this mix is ​​bad. It is not a negative Squadron Leader qualification. It's that classic english blend and especially suitable for who want go the "english blend world". Smooth and agradable on palate and a good smell of tin. The tin aroma is slightly perfumy or soapy. But smoked and definitive leather and your bouquet is fine. In Squadron Leader, all components are harmoniously blended. It's 200 years old experience in tobacco work from Lake, Kendall Cumbria UK. This is one of my favorite English blends. My Review about Squadron Leader (in portuguese language)

Pipe Used: Parker 395

Purchased From: Cup O'Joes

Similar Blends: Balkan Mixture, Aperitif. EMP (by Dunhill. I don't smoked EMP by Peterson.).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (106)	2022-08-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Prep: A soft to the touch, ribbon cut. On the moist side but not enough for concern.

Notes: The bright Virginias dominate the Virginia profile with grassy, citrusy, notes. The Red Virginia take a back seat with slight fruity, earthy notes.

The Turkish brings great spicy and woody notes and the Latakia is...well...smoky, like Latakia normally is! Yet, it's certainly lightly added, making this more of a light English blend than medium.

SL is quality smoke, but with so many in this category on the market, I can't say I'd spend the extra coin or the extra energy to chase it down. 7/10

Similar Blends: John Cotton #1 is the most comparative, followed by EMP..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoking_Strider (21)	2022-08-03		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

A nice quaint little smoke that may open the door to a broader spectrum of blends to newcomers. It won't knock you down but won't leave you bored. I wasn't too fond of this blend, found it to bite a bit too much for how much I like to puff. Ready out of the tin, super easy to pack and should require very few lights. I tried it a handful of times and got the same results as before, so it sits until I wish to give it another chance!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Sunday Evening Pipe Smoker (54)	2022-07-22		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

So in the main I am primarily an English guy I've determined -- with a secondary enjoyment of a sweet Virginia like FVF and English crossover blends. To give a sense of my tastes, I enjoy Mixture 965, Father Dempsey, Frog Morton and Frog Morton Cellar, Plum Pudding, etc. I tell you that to give a sense of my palette.

So... Squadron Leader. My initial impressions of this is that it has all the key points for an English, though to my tastes, while I could get used to it as an everyday smoke, I find it a bit bland. I seem to like that added layer of an additional condiment somehow and I think the blends I mention above all have that.

Some might call this a "meat and potatoes English" -- and I'd agree with the best way of explaining that it is a bit like boiled potatoes and meat without any butter, salt or seasoning. In other words, it has the main substance (the "meat and potatoes") but where I personally find it lacking is that it needs that proverbial bit of "salt and butter" to add just a bit more interest to it; a condimental quality.

On the other hand, if you're not after that and really just want something smoky and without anything much else complexity wise, you might be a big fan of this.

Personally though, I'd much rather reach for a bowl of Mixture 965 and Father Dempsey if I want something in this vein -- smoky blends which also add a incense-like condiment to the finish.,

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marvin184 (10)	2022-02-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you have started your pipe enjoyment journey with your first latakia blend, that may be EMP. This is his older brother or uncle to say at least. The blend is perfectly made with high quality leaves. When i smoked it fresh it was really nice but a 2 year cellaring will absolutely make a difference. The virginias offer a slight sweetness with the latakia being smooth and fragrant. The orientals surround the blend with a sweet spice that makes everything work so well. Simple but yet a masterpiece. Moisture is good but a 20 minute dry out break is essential for a wonderful experience, it's worth it.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Similar Blends: Peterson EMP.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bumble (65)	2022-02-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

To give you a hint from where my below impressions are coming from; I favor aromatic blends (vanilla being my favorite), although I am finding I enjoy English/Scottish blends more frequently, which I could not stand when I first started smoking a pipe. I have been trying more of the English/Aromatic combo blends, which I have found being more and more of that I am reaching for for my everyday smoke

Opening the tin the primary note I smelled was the Latakia. Strong and leathery but not overwhelming. I could not smell any of the other tobaccos.

The flavor I tasted surprisingly was not primarily the Latakia, but the spicy Turkish with the Virginia very lightly in the background. I got no sweetness, it was more sour for me.

It arrived semi-dry, so no drying time was needed. Was able to light this without issue and few relights. I did not have any tongue-bite with this blend.

Pipe Used: Nording Metal Compass

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: justforhim.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (212)	2021-10-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader- My tin is about 5-6 years old and the moisture is perfect. I just cant open these SG tins until they have a few years to slowly dry some from cellaring . I like this blend best in a wide deep bowl to get all the flavor . I think the point here is a balanced blend for a mellow English experience. I taste all the components and nothing jumps out to the front . The Oriental- turkish is nutty and sweet but not sour at all . It has just enough sweetness and smokiness to satisfy but not overwhelm . I do enjoy a little sour . A solid 3 star blend for me . Saving the empty tin for the artwork . Recommend for all English lovers .

Age When Smoked: 5-6 year old tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nach0 (35)	2021-10-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

How could i start writing about it? High Quality? Classic? Strongly recommended? This is that sort of mixture everyone has to give a try. IMO it has everything in the correct spot, balanced, good nicotine level, full of flavour, not overpowered by latakia, all tobaccos showing their qualities and nuances. Perfect tin moisture, easy to keep lit, rich and dense blue-grey(ish) smoke, it´s pleasant from the very beggining till the end of the bowl. all stars possible.

Pipe Used: many including briar and cob

Age When Smoked: straight from the tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Horia (5)	2021-09-20		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

although not my favourite, i have been smoking this very often lately. this is an airy tobacco for every hour of every day and every mood. it is somewhat neutral. very low nicotine, very , very pleasant smoke. (several relights on my tin but not bothersome). when i want to add some edge to it, I add some latakia flake.

Pipe Used: savinelli

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobblestreetpiper (5)	2021-09-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

After jarring this for a month or so the latakia contributed to the overall small of a gentle smokiness. On smoke I was surprised how flavorful its was as many other reviews had stated it wasn't a strong taste. Sweet and smokiness followed by a pleasant woodiness. A perfect all day English!

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: 1 month

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-08-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ever since I started smoking a pipe this has been a blend I've heard many people talk about. Now as I've learned more about English Mixtures I've found that I enjoy nice light English mixtures like EMP and Skiff Mixture, and medium English mixtures like Father Dempsey and CE Diamond Head so this is an interesting experience. These blends go fast online, but last I checked there were still a few that had some available albeit only sold in a pound.

The tin is simple, and I like the heavy Cardboard insert that keeps the tobacco firm and in place. I usually comment on moisture later on, but these tins come pretty wet. What I do is open my tin and let it sit open for two to three days, then I jar it making sure to fluff the tobacco as I pull it from the tin to let it breathe in the jar. There is a nice mottled brown, light brown, and black ribbon tobacco which is very consistent in cut. The smell is slightly Oriental forward, tangy, sweet, soft, smokey, almost edible. After my drying period I do my usual method for wet tobaccos and I fill my pipe the night before and let it sit out. It takes a light well and keeps a light well.

When I light up I taste soft, buttery leathery, smokey Latakia. The Virginias are sweet citrusy, and haylike. The Orientals add tang, sourness, and slight incense. This reminds me of My Mixture 965, it is a very standard English that is very easy to smoke. This is a nice relaxing blend to sit down with either at the pub or on your porch.

The taste is a medium. The smoke fills your mouth and leaves a pleasant aftertaste, but it doesn't take over. The strength is a medium and it makes for an easy all-day smoke. This is a simple, easy going, consistent English. I don't think it adds enough for me to stake out a drop online but if it was readily available I would pick up a few tins consistently.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes Watson

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Early Morning Pipe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CatGat (4)	2021-07-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

My 50 g tin arrived slightly dented, courtesy of the postal service, with the lid of the tin slightly loose. Since Samuel Gawith has a rumour of being moisture with some tobacco when fresh from the tin (as has also been noted by others), this might not have been a bad thing.

I experienced this one as mild from the beginning to the end of the bowl, with slight changes in between: from slightly sweet over to spicy (similar to a slightly burnt gingerbread) to campfire-like in the end due to the small amounts of Latakia. It burned well and did not require too many relights and merely leaves some ash and some moisture behind.

It is indeed a mild English, not particularly exciting regarding flavor or nicotine content. There is nothing wrong with that in my opinion: sometimes you want excitement with rare flavors, weird blends and such, sometimes you just want something that does not make too much of a fuss. This would be a good blend for such occasions, or if you never tried latakia blends before to get an idea of how they might be.

Pipe Used: Various

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sir John Moore (27)	2021-05-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The entry English blend. Moist vibrant ribboncut drys out to a light English with the Latakia and orientals supporting each other with the Virginias ever present. Very enjoyable smoke that should be in the rotation of any English lover. I cant speak to aging it as it never lasted that long.

Pipe Used: Multiple

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: B&M

Similar Blends: Skiff Mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2021-03-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Preparation & Burn: 7/10 Beautiful ribbon, decent moisture. Cracking a tin and leaving it alone for a few days for best results. Packs spongy-like. A bit temperamental.

Taste: 15/20 Squadron Leader is fairly similar to Skiff, but slightly more lat. Unfortunately too temperamental for me these days, tastes like nothing at times.

Mildness: 8/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Not much nicotine here.

Total: 28/40

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sangagor (77)	2020-12-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Oh yes, I can such blends. Latakia is not my favorite flavor, but english blends like this are fine fir me. Smell is typical latakia after opening of sample which overpower everything else. First pipe I have used was BPK author shape “cesky buldocek” and it was delicious mellow sweet taste. Missing of full body was compensate by a little spiciness and smokiness of blend. I have tried it in another pipes, but “buldocek” has definitely found his blend.

Pipe Used: BPK buldog; cob; stanislaw

Age When Smoked: 1year

Purchased From: etrafika.cz

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Megalo Al (38)	2020-11-18		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Una nuona EM, bilanciata, leggera, adatta anche a chi come me non ama particolarmente la tipologia. I tabacchi, come sempre in casa SG, non si discutono.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greybeard (62)	2020-10-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Over 500 reviews, not much I can add so this will be short. Upon opening I do get a slight floral / soapy tin note, and it's there with the first few puffs, but eventually fades. Mild on the Latakia. Seems like I have to relight it a tad more often than average, but overall an enjoyable smoke, and recommended for any English fan.

Pipe Used: Benton Select

Age When Smoked: Was 1 year old when I first opened the tin

Purchased From: Barclay Pipe Tobacco & Cigar shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MarkTheLad (46)	2020-10-19		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

When someone refers to an English tobacco, this is probably the best example of that genre. It is smoky a little sour and a little spicy and the taste is spot on. My only problem with it is that for some reason it doesn’t agree with my body chemistry and always ends up biting the heck out of my tongue, which is unfortunate because I found it to be quite tasty. It is very moist from the tin, which is typical of many SG blends, I would recommend drying it for about an hour prior to smoking.

Pipe Used: Peterson 1/2 Bent Dublin Castle

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Presbyterian Mixture, Skiff.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrNapoleon (10)	2020-09-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

What a fantastic tobacco. Immediately from the opening of a tin, delights with the wonderful smell of smoked ham with plum from Latakia. After a few breaths, the sharp smell goes into the shade and it is possible to discover way to more delicate note.

The tobacco did not require to be dry too long, which is not typical for S.G. It burns easily and very cold. And this taste! From the first puff I felt sweetness, that seems to play the first violin. Halfway through the bowl, it changes into a slightly more dry, mature taste, and it stays that way until the very end. It is a wonderful, delicate English mix. Ideal as the first contact with this type of tobacco.

Room Note is pleasant, even for non-smokers.

Definitely worth recommending!

Pipe Used: BPK Pipe

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Home Town shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AJS2323 (32)	2020-07-05		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This is an odd tobacco. The flavour of an english blend is there and the packet has some wonderful bright and dark colours but I cannot get to grips with this blend. I am used to smoking a number of complex and difficult tobaccos (ropes etc) but every time I light this up the first few puffs are nice and delicate. I start to identify the individual flavours but this us unfortunately accompanied by a sharp burning pain at the roof of my mouth. I have tired everything to stop this problem and it is always there. I have a good technique so I can foresee it being that. I am thinking that I cannot get to grips with this tobacco.

I am aware that a lot of people rate this tobacco but I cannot. I would be worried about a new pipe smoker having the same problem and being completely put off.

Pipe Used: Falcon, Morta, Meerschaum and Peterson system

Age When Smoked: new - 12 months

Purchased From: My Smoking shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (85)	2019-07-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a tobacco that I’ve waited to try for a long time, and had high expectations from it due to the big score on tobaccoreviews and what my pipe smoking friends have told me. But I was expecting a blend with more latakia (i’m a latakia “addict”). It’s not heavy on latakia, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because it’s still a pleasant blend. It’s somewhere between english and oriental in my opinion. Probably Commonwealth is better suited for my needs.

I already smoked half of the tin. It’s not a very complex tobacco that you would need a tin or more in order to make an impression.

So lets start as usual... with the beginning! We open the tin and inspect. We detect a very, very weak smell, which seems to have a casing similar to SG Perfection (but it doesn’t have, so don’t worry, it’s only the tin smell). It also smells a lot like leather, like leather gloves or a leather jacket. So, the tin smell is not something “wow”. It’s not strong, it doesn’t amaze you with anything special. It’s some virginia smell, hay smell, if you search for it, and that’s normal, because this blend is full of virginia!

The cut disappointed me.... it’s a very unequal ribbon cut, with very long ribbons. I’ve actually found a ribbon that was almost as long as my straight pipe.

Visually, we see in this blend many pieces of bright and dark virginia, and some fewer pieces of latakia and oriental.

Although the tobacco that I have is from 2017 (and I opened it in June 2019) it’s still wet. So, before smoking, I let it dry more than 10-15 (like I usually let my english or balkan blends), somewhere around 20-25 minutes to be semi-dry. I don’t like to smoke it very dry (to crumble in my fingers) so I’d say that 20-25 minutes is the appropriate drying time for Squadron Leader.

It lights up easily with two matches. At the first draws you don’t feel a lot of taste, it’s more like a shy virginia. But as you smoke, the turkish and the latakia subtly start making their appearance, but none of them dominating (maybe the turkish, but sometimes latakia comes in front as well). The aromas are subtle, but pleasant and balanced, so it’s a softer than I expected. A good part is that if you leave the pipe to cool down, when you relight it you will be surprised by a better aroma, at least at the first draws. That’s when you start tasting the latakia with its smoky and creamy taste, then comes the turkish with its leather taste.

The room note is very plesant for an english blend, it actually gives a nice frankincense like smell. It has the strength of Early Morning Pipe and the taste of London Mixture. So it can’t be bad for those who appreciate softer blends in strength and in latakia amounts. But Squadron Leader is certainly below these two blends (EMP and LM). I can’t say that it’s a great blend. It’s a blend that you can smoke anytime, anywhere, anyhow. Nothing special. It’s just ok.

EDIT: It actually has more latakia than I thought. Or maybe I was used to blends stronger in latakia. But don't worry, you'll find it there. :)

EDIT 2: I finished the tin and I'm sorry I said "It’s not a very complex tobacco that you would need a tin or more in order to make an impression". I was wrong. This is actually a fine tobacco. Still, not one of my favorites but I enjoyed this tin more than I thought at first. I also deleted the whole thing about getting hot and warming your bowl. It's not true. It smokes great. So instead of 3 stars, I'll make it a 4 star tobacco. :)

Pipes used: Savinelli Tevere 315 KS (Prince shape) Jean Claude unknown model (Prince shape) Peterson Aran B7 (quarter bent Rhodesian shape), Butz Choquin Castel 1009 (pot shape)

Taste: 7 (out of 10) Smell: 7,5 (out of 10) Burning: 7 (out of 10) General score: 7 (out of 10)

Pipe Used: Savinelli Tevere315 KS (Prince shape) etc.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LtCdrStabbington (11)	2019-06-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As a mainly aromatics smoker who is moving over to English style tobaccos I've found this to be a great tobacco, there isn't any one tobacco that dominates, rather the Virginias complement both Latakia and Turkish, giving a pleasing tin note and a light, almost ethereal smoke with a room note that won't cause the non smoking brigade to string you up.

Smoking this give you hints of all three tobaccos without giving in to being bland or boring. It burns cool and fresh from the tin it requires a few relights, but after some drying time it drys out a little and burns consistently without needing relights. It's a satisfying smoke with a lighter than average nic hit and no bite. The room note is very light and won't put off any non smokers so it's a good smoke for social occasions.

Pipe Used: Albion Briar, Golden Pipes #68

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Black Swan Shoppe

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nkulk8r (90)	2019-05-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Sameuel Gawith's Squadron Leader is billed as an English blend of "bright and dark Virginias blended together with latakia and Turkish leaf to make this a cool medium bodied smoke" -- and that is exactly what one gets in a tin of Squadron Leader.

Personally, it's a bit mild for my tastes, but I'm not going to take anything away from this tobacco for not being what I like in a more full-bodied English blend. I'd probably reach for some John Cotton's #1 mild before I would Squadron Leader if I'm craving a mild English. But again, this blend is exactly everything it was advertised and blended to be -- it's a delightful, medium English -- so I have to give Squadron Leader 4 stars for that.

Pipe Used: 999

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HeavyTrees (70)	2019-05-07		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

What can I say about SG Squadron Leader that hasn't been said in almost 500 reviews?!

It's English, yes but less English than many others among. As a novice I was told to not try this tobacco in the beginning which was a clear misinformation I think.

If someone wants to try a Latakia mix I often recommend this one as it contents high quality tobaccos with a true depth of flavors even there's no aroma added and it's still sweet enough to not scare off lovers of sweet blends. Squadron Leader is actually really sweet and creamy when smoked slowly, burns perfectly and leaves nothing but dark grey ashes in the bowl.

Pipe Used: Various briars wiFi

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: Local dealer

Similar Blends: Motzek - Morning 1975, Robert McConnell - Boutique Blend (Heritage).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KingDuncan83 (25)	2019-04-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I really do like this english. However its way to hard to find and does not live up the hype. Dont get let the hype fool ya, there are just as good and better english blends that are way easier to find.

Pipe Used: Cobbs and briars

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

Similar Blends: Any number of other GLP or C&D blends that are way easier to find.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phil Potwell (10)	2019-04-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was eager to get my hands on a bit of this given its reputation as the quintessential English, its 80-90 year history, and perhaps because of its recent scarcity in the US. The blend contains Virginia, Turkish Orientals, and Latakia – the classic English Triumvirate. Note that I have heard rumors that apparently this blend once contained Perique, but due to cost constraints, this was eliminated some decades ago. Having finally gotten hold of some, I thought I would share my thoughts on this classic and generally well-regarded blend.

First, packaging format - I am reviewing a 250g brick-size box which when opened contained a somewhat dense block-shaped Ziploc bag of a remarkably lighter-toned English. From a glance, I grew to expect about 20% Latakia, with 60%-ish darker brown aged Virginias and perhaps 20% long blonde Turkish ribbons – quite a large overall proportion of VA and Turkish. On breaking the seal, I got the nose of a smoky well-aged English. I think the age is important, because one gets the sense that it has really allowed for the melding of the sweet VAs with the sour Turkish and smoky Latakia, and together they have become a blend greater than the sum of their parts. The cut is a bit rough - a broad ribbon, relatively uniform, but obviously easiest to handle in a larger size bowl. This is quite a contrast to other blends such as the STG-produced Dunhill blends featuring a finer and more precise cut. In terms of moisture content, what I received can be classified as absolutely optimal. There was a bit of springiness, but dry to the touch and perfectly suitable to smoke without any dry-time. For my first smoke, I selected a Danish Jeppesen Neerup, which to date has been handled with kid gloves – limited only to VaPers and in a couple of cases, burleys and Orientals (I also use go to this pipe for C&D Orion’s Arrow in my rotation, among others). This is a perfect occasion to christen this pipe with Latakia, and experience the blend fully without any carryover baggage.

A bit of expansion on charring light, but a quick tamp broke the errant exuberant ribbons at the knees. First notes of Latakia with a pleasingly sour note (Turkish). The true light reinforced this and the VAs quickly sprang to focus. In the first third, the blend struck me as heavy on these aged Virginias, which reminded me of H&H Daybreak and also hints of Presby at times (VA-forward, although Presby has the citrus note I don’t find here), but remember that there is an appreciable amount of Turkish, lending a sourness more than a spiciness that was very interesting, and just a touch of a smoky edge. Taken together, think old leather, think Peat, think Oak – all the clichés that come to mind for an aged English pipe tobacco. As others mention, the strength begins on the lighter side for sure, but with more flavour and a fuller mouth feel than I had expected. Pleasingly, the strength compounded as the bowl progressed. At the start, this began a light-to-medium blend in strength and N, but I could definitely feel the nicotine the further down the bowl.

This is absolutely a delicious smoke and I am kicking myself that I didn’t go the extra mile to obtain some to sample long ago. The Virginias truly blossomed into the 2nd half of the bowl. These have a pleasing sweetness, but also a bready maturity and a smoky edge from the Latakia, with Orientals highly pronounced throughout the bowl. Relatively light on Latakia, and Medium in strength on average, weighting the lighter start with the stronger finish. On room note, I will say that my wife did complain from the next room adjacent. She doesn't -always- complain, but one never knows if her protest is a function of this blend specifically, or any other of my -many- shortcomings, indelicacies, and errors on the day. Many reviewers have called this blend the benchmark standard English blend, and I must say it is a fine standard indeed. Others say it is basic and lacks sophistication. I would say that the sense of age and the degree of integration into a true “blend” makes this exciting for me, and it is damn fine and flavourful from beginning to end.

Pipe Used: Neerup Selection

Age When Smoked: New from 250g box

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeDragon (42)	2019-04-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As a pipe smoker that has recently developed a taste and love for English Latakias, I felt pretty bound to sample this classic, which was part of the first bundle of Samuel Gawith blends I've ever smoked.

As this is an SG blend, you can be certain that it comes very wet in the tin. In my particular case, the tobacco was so moist and so packed up that it was almost a cake. Some drying time before packing a pipe is definitely required. In the tin note, you can definitely smell the Latakia. It goes in that standard tradition that, no matter how little Latakia there is in a blend, you can sense it. But, if you move that aside, you're greeted with a somewhat musty, slightly floral, hay-ish flagrance and maybe a tiny hint of black tea.

If dried to the proper moisture, then this tobacco is an ease to work with. Easy to pack, easy to light, easy to keep lit, doesn't require many relights, burns dry and very cool; it didn't heat the pipe at all. A very tamed smoke.

On the flavor side, this one is pretty simple. In the first half, you mostly sense that very familiar smoky, peaty, campfire taste that's so typical of Latakia. But it forms a very balanced melange with the sweet, earthy Virginia and the slight spiciness/piquancy from the Orientals. As you reach the second half, the Latakia mostly goes away or, at least, it moves to the background and you're pretty much left with a Virginia/Oriental smoke. Overall, this blend is not complex and that's the beauty of it. You don't need to think too much about it. Just sit back, relax and enjoy a well-rounded smoke.

If you're a beginner pipe smoker and you're curious in trying an English blend, but are afraid of other tobaccos that are heavier in Latakia, then you definitely can't go wrong with this one. If you're a more experienced pipe smoker and want a milder English, then this can be a very good change of pace. Absolutely an all day smoke. At the end of the day, whether you're a beginner or a veteran, there is something in this one to suit all tastes. In my opinion, it's a masterpiece of English blends and, true to its name, a leader!

Pipe Used: Straight Savinelli Capitol

Age When Smoked: 2 weeks

Purchased From: Online tobacco shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	glaswegian (18)	2018-12-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

One of my favourite english blends. A brother of Dunhill MM 965 but with one difference: They use diffrent oriental leaves and the Squadron Leader has sweeter virginias. The main taste is a sweet and sour taste with a nice smokiness of the latakias. The Orientals have this spicy and sour notes that are very dominant and the sweet virginias are like a frame around the main taste of this mixture. The latakia gives the body too it. The 965 has a buttery/creamy oriental without this spicy sourish note. Squadron Leader is more refreshing to me. Both are easy to smoke and leave no moisture in my bowl.

Pipe Used: Corncob

Age When Smoked: fresh and maximun 4 years matured

Purchased From: Synjeco

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2018-03-23		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice well rounded standard english blend. Smooth and pleasant. What a english should be and is. Perfect medium strength. No bite, good moisture and lights right up.

Age When Smoked: 10 yrs

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Calamiti (84)	2018-01-09		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Unnoticeable

Squadron Leader is one of the best known examples of the Balkan style: very mild in nicotine, sprinkled with just a bit of Latakia and heavy in Orientals. Within that category, Squadron Leader is, in my opinion, quite a unremarkable blend. Far from exuberant exotic symphony of Durbar, or from noble spicy tones of London Mixture, or from soothing mellowness of Early Morning Pipe, the only remarkable thing about Squadron Leader is it's overwhelming acidity. It's acrid and acidic, it's tangy and sour. Which I don't care for.

I guess, it's not a failure but an intended feature. Many people love sour dry wines and tangy black coffee while others don't. It's all about inner chemistry. It's good that Samuel Gawith tries to cater to everyone (for those who don't like sour flavours SG offers an array of less acidic choices, like ropes and dark fired tobaccos). However, even given that, the Squadron is still quite a weak example of its type as there are far superior alternatives to it in the world of Balkan blends, which usually combine trademark Oriental tanginess with some flavour, complexity and a bit of strength - all of which Squadron Leader lacks sorely.

Samuel Gawith is unmatched in making pressed Virginias, while not so much in making Orientals. Their another Oriental-rich blend, Sam's Flake, is another failure in my opinion - again, because of its poor acrid Orientals that spoil the good Virginia base. That's why in rare cases when I crave a Balkan, I better go for a Dunhill rather than for a SG.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joe O'Brien (4)	2017-10-16		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I expected more Latakia from something "English." So if, like me, you're new to this stuff and you're looking for something in the vein of 965 or Nightcap or even Early Morning Pipe - look elsewhere! This is, however, a very nice Virginia-forward smoke that will burn consistently and never bite or complain.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RoundTwo (38)	2017-09-24		Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Tolerable

High quality, smoothest blend I have ever tried, no tongue bite, I would recommend this to anyone, perfect for people who don't want too much spice, smoky or sweet, the name is truly accurate, the only thing missing is the smell of fresh cold air and diesel oil floating through the cockpit of your biplane.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Iwan Ries

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gahdzila (61)	2017-08-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Not much to say other than what's already been said a bazillion times.

Ribbon cut, dark brown, a little on the moist side but can be smoked straight from the tin.

SL is a medium-ish latakia blend. The Virginias are nice and sweet. Are there orientals? Maybe a whisper, they don't jump out at me. Latakia component is well balanced, always there, a little smoky and woody, but never overwhelming.

I like it for what it is, though it's not the kind of thing I smoke very often.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cherry picker 1779 (51)	2017-08-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Squadron leader is a good solid staple for many pipe smokers. It has a floral essence about it and has that pot pourri aspect to it that you may or may not like. that aspect can be found in many tobaccos on the market. I find it to have a delightful aroma in the tin, while smoking, and in the room note. I get some serious spice with this blend and sometimes it's too much for my palate. So I try to take it easy. I only smoke English and I like heavy Latakia laden blends. This has some amount of Latakia but I think the virginias and orientals outweigh the lat. I think Germains King Charles mix is similar but has a much sweeter flavor to it. At the squadron leader factory the tobacco usually is dropped in a glass of water right before packing. so drying time is a must and jarring the leaf is also necessary. this takes a few weeks to mellow out and meld into a decent smoke. It's good and I've ordered 3 tins, 3 separate times so it keeps me coming back. I find this tobacco to change all the time. From one smoke to another it's just something different every time I get to it. Sometimes In a good way , sometimes in a bad way. When it's good it's real good when it's. As it's usually too hot, spicy , and gives me the ol bite. But that may be my palate and the way I react to the acidity or something as I see most reviewers find this smooth and mellow. I find it sharp and spicy , But to each their own! I recommend it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	glondus (4)	2017-06-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

it is an flavorfull english blend that does not kick you with nicotine.i smoked it right out of the tin and even then it was a cool and dry smoke. i highly recommend it if you like latakia taste but cannot tolarate nicotine.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pops Pipe (19)	2017-06-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I enjoyed SL, reminds me very much of Presbyterian Mixture but not as sharp. This is slightly nutty, slightly sweet, and a bit spicy but not too much. Its not a latakia bomb but it does have a creamy slight smokey quality. Its more of an all day english and a good one at that ! Id rather have Presbyterian but this is a good alternative.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Talltree (31)	2017-06-12		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I read a lot of the reviews and decided to give Squadron Leader a try. Smoked it right out of the tin. It is a little moist, requiring 5 or 6 lights. I dried it out and it tasted better, and stayed lit. Now, after leaving the can open for a while it is sufficiently dry.

I have been going back and forth on this one. My first impression after drying it out was bland. Then, for a brief time, it was quite enjoyable. Then it went back to being so-so. An inconsistent tobacco. I just can't build up any enthusiasm for Squadron Leader. 2-1/2 stars.

Pipe Used: unvarnished corn cob

Age When Smoked: right out of the tin

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: a little English, a little Balkan, and even milder than Early Morning Pipe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Napping Puppy (25)	2017-05-29		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If only bits of the quality Virginia used in Gawith's Full Virginia Flake is added to this blend, in which case Squadron Leader would have easily reigned among the top English blends. But it is still a very good smoke for starters. Three stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bhink (1)	2017-05-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I'm not a technical reviewer, but i can say this...i have smoked this blend off and on for years. I've enjoyed it thoroughly. Enough nicotine to satisfy and enough flavor to crave more. That being said...i jarred this blend for 14 months and smoked some today...game changer! If you like this blend a few weeks after opening the tin...youll LOVE it a year later.

Pipe Used: Ashton XXX

Age When Smoked: 14 months

Purchased From: Iwan Ries

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (231)	2017-04-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

One of the best English mixtures you can find in the market, but everybody knows the high quality of Samuel Gawith. And there is no arguing with that. Squadron Leader has no defects and a lot of virtues. However in my opinion it is not perfect. It could be better. Why? Because there are a lot of excellent English mixtures that are available and Squadron Leader is one of them. What does it have more than the other ones? Why should I choose this one and not another one? I mean that when I smoke I want to touch the sky, to be paradise. Only in that way Squadron Leader could be better. Finally, in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 9 and three and a half stars .

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CarlosGardel (15)	2017-01-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Having been an airplane pilot myself in my forties I was drawn to to this blend by its name and its artwork. Because of its great reviews I bought my one tin with great expectations. Alas, I simply could not get myself to like it.

Opening the tin, the tobacco was moist, way too moist. Drying it and letting it age made it easier to smoke, but did not change its taste, which is is mild and flat in a way I personally fail to appreciate. I just can't see any reason to buy it again. It may though be interesting to those who do not obsess with latakia and smoke very often.

Pipe Used: Ser Jacopo, Volpe, Radice

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin to few months old.

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cigarcohiba (36)	2016-09-05		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A very fine English blend. It gives off the latakia/oriental characteristics in a mild/mellow way. Other English blends as good are the Presbytarian by Planta, and Night Cap by Dunhill. However, Night Cap gives off a "rubbery", somehow stronger taste than the Squadron Leader.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Burney (13)	2016-07-24		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a nice wake-up call for first thing in the morning. It is not a double espresso by anybody's count, just something gentle to get you going.

I will not consider this an all time favorite, but I will probably never not have any.

Pipe Used: Several.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Local b & m

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Timelysmoker (5)	2016-03-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This review is a drop in the ocean. The tobaccos are excellent quality, the blend being a must smoke even if you just get a sample to try. Creamy, very slightly spicy, sweet, slightly sickly Virginia, incense. And a smokey flavour from the Latakia.

A great introduction to English blends and pipe tobacco. You'll be able to discern the sweet Virginia, Latakia and possibly Turkish.

If you're new to pipe tobacco, buy a tin and persevere with a few smokes. You may not like it, but it's a standard bearer.

If you're an aromatic person, you probably won't like it.

Medium-ish in nicotine. And one I usually have a tin of in my (small) rotation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2015-12-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I originally purchased a 1 oz sample about two years ago. It came on the dry side. First bowl I didn't like it. Had a good English overall flavor but I got this really bad metallic aftertaste. I did smoke a couple of more bowls before I put the pipe down for the summer. I'm not a fan of smoking pipes in high humid heat. I rehydrated it when winter came back and loaded a bowl but I still had the same effect. About in early March my wife and I went to Nashville and stopped by uptown's and I found a tin that had possibly been there for a while considering the dis coloring on the label from cigar smoke. Cracked the tin and this still smelled rich leathery and buttery. Loaded a bowl and it was great! Great traditional English flavor. Slightly smoky and slightly sweet but mostly leathery and buttery all the way down. Every bowl has been the same. I guess the bulk version just plain out sucks. Will be getting more hopefully soon!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SamH (31)	2015-10-24		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I used to smoke this as my main tobacco. Having started on not very good 'supermarket tobaccos' the pipe equivalent of Castella Classics, then somehow skipping St Bruno to jump to Erinmore Balkan Flake I read a review of this one and discovered MySmokingShop, decent pipes (My favourites are my Peterson red straight (small) billiard and a Captain Blacks cheap similar pipe although I have roughly 20 briars. Tried clay and meerschaum, and for some reason I love Missouri Meerschaum cobs - they're unpretentious and highly serviceable. Right. Nowadays I prefer a Virginia flake, but: If you like a balkan type mixture you will love this. That is all. I'd go back to it any time for a change. Good stuff.

Pipe Used: Many.

Age When Smoked: New to a few months in the tin.

Purchased From: MySmokingShop

Similar Blends: Well not really but a bit like some balkans..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tank Man (10)	2015-07-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought this bulk. Little dry. Will buy tin next time. Nice English blend. Great every day smoker. Mild. Not harsh. Burns nicely. Few relights. Can puff on this with steady cadence without getting hot. Some woody, floral notes. Great easy relaxing smoke. A must try for pipe smokers. Does not disappoint. Never tries to be anything but a mild easy going blend. Will buy often.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New to Aged

Purchased From: Teds Tobacco Omaha. Great Store!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leeboy (20)	2015-07-02		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Lovely stuff when dried properly. When I got it it was unsmokeable due to it being soaking wet. Sam Gawith sort the moisture out please. Once dry its a great sweet, mild and smooth all day smoke. Great in the morning with a cup of coffee. I would have given it 4 stars but the moisture is a pain. However it hasn't put me off getting more in the future.

Pipe Used: Mr Brog

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smoke king

Similar Blends: Peterson - Old Dublin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Black Sheep (25)	2015-06-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

It is difficult to find something sufficiently witty or intelligent to add to the volume of preceding reviews... This is a good all around English blend.

Pipe Used: Invicta Briar

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Local Tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pecheur (19)	2015-05-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

As there are loads of reviews,

A nice light English that needs a good few hours dry time as it smokes best just as the tobacco starts to rustle. The sweetness of the virginia base plays nicely with the latakia, no very complex but a lovely smoke.

I find this blend better in slightly smaller pipes, 20mm, as it lets the virginias shine and the latakia to dance in an out of the smoke. Wide pipes seem to flatten the virginias and the really reduce the body of the smoke and the overall taste. YMMV

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: mysmokingshop.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2015-04-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A short ribbon mixture of light to black tobacco. The tin note has Latakia up front, and there are some honey, malt and spice notes.

I reviewed this with its stablemate, Skiff Mixture, at the same time, and they are similar tobaccos. SL has a somewhat richer edge from the use of dark Virginias, and I think the Orientals are more earthy and spicy here than with Skiff. It shares a clear lemon note with SM, but here it is toned down a lot and the overall balance seems better applied.

A very interesting light to medium English with a strong Va presence. Just shy of 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Lepeltier, Missouri Pride

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2015-04-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

When I opened the tin the other day, I honestly thought there was something terribly wrong with it. The tin note was so offensive and acrid that it smelled like one of those rubbish bins most pubs will keep at the rear in the alleyway to dump all the empty alcohol bottles in. Because of this, I honestly thought the tin had gone off, maybe because of over-fermentation, fungi or some other reason, so I thought that perhaps it was a good idea to get it back to the shop for a refund. In the end I never got myself around to doing it, so I decided it to give it a go instead and pack a bowl with it when it was properly dry. Upon lighting my pipe, however, all my doubts dissipated. I was very surprised then to find out SL was in fact a very good smoke after all. The strength of this mixture is rather medium, but its latakia properties or character is quite apparent and consistent right through. This tobacco does not seem to evolve that much as you go through every quarter of your bowl, but it will keep its intrinsic coherence or character until the very end of it. I've had a few bowls of this tobacco so far and, in every instance, I was finally able to smoke it to a fine ash leaving no dottle behind. The topping is not noticeable at all and it somewhat reminds me of Dunhill Standard Mixture. Even though it may burn somewhat fast in your bowl, it does not seem to heat up your pipe either. Also, I haven't had as many relights. I don't know what to make of the room note as I can barely notice it while I smoke, but I'd say it is rather pleasant to me. I think this is a very good and easy smoke (no tongue-bite detected), so I'll give it 3 stars.

Pipe Used: Northern Briars G4 squared poker

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: A tobacconist in Spain

Similar Blends: Dunhill's Standard Mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perdurabo (26)	2015-04-12		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Squadron Leader BULK:

Squadron Leader is a great mild English with a floral oriental/Turkish forward profile. Flavors of leather and floral oriental drift to the nose. Very clean and astringent on the palate. The Latakia is there but never overly smokey. The Virginia's offer a slight sweetness, sitting in the background. Notes of leather come to mind.

This blend does better in a pipe that has been broken in with heavy Latakia blends. My Balkan pipe tends to bring out the bitey quality of this blend. I don't know why this is the case. What works for some may not work for others. Go Figure.

I bought this in bulk because I couldn't find a tin. Finally obtained a tin, so when I crack it, I'll do an update. I've heard its a better blend from the tin. This tobacco would have gotten four stars if there weren't better Balkan blends out here. Hint Hint WILDERNESS!!!!!

Pipe Used: Patriot Cobb

Age When Smoked: Bulk

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tamper Dan (9)	2015-03-24		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I aged a mason jar of this for a year and a half, which is a record for me. I thought about it every other day or so and even took the jar out to look at it a handful of times. I don't know why. It looked like a jar each time. When opened, it was just as moist as the day I bought it. I'm going to say that this is the best english I've smoked. I've had a handful of double or triple pipe nights with this one, where I just smoke one bowl after another. I'm able to pack this tobacco rather tightly, leaving me with almost no relights or tamping.

Pipe Used: Savinelli, Viking, Cob, Kaywoodie

Age When Smoked: 1 1/2 years

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2015-03-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A great introduction to medium strength English tobaccos. I probably didn't do myself any favors by trying this right in the middle of 8-10 other heavyweight English blends. It's good, great really, but nothing (to me) makes it stand out above the others. Rather a proper English in all aspects, expertly blended and perfect moisture right out of the tin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bugra (1)	2015-03-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tried this 2 days ago for the first time. Opening the tin, the smell is good but somehow there is a very light chemical tint. A bit too moist but I filled a bowl straightaway a bit loosely and fired away. Tastes good from the first puff and consistent taste and burn throughout the bowl. Despite my loose filling, only one relight towards the end. Pleasant smoke and no bite despite my eager puffing. The Turkish is not so overpowering but leaves a pleasant aftertaste. All in all a perfect introduction to English blends and comes highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson Racing Green 9 mm

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

Similar Blends: Sutliff Tobacco Company - Dunhill's Standard Mixture Medium Match.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Otis56 (31)	2015-01-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

What can i say that has not already been said many times about this mixture. One of the best medium English mixtures available today. A lovely smoke any time any place. Peace

Pipe Used: Bringham billiard

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Trade

Similar Blends: Most medium English mixtures. Just much better..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	raybrown55 (45)	2015-01-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Squadron Leader is the English Mixture I smoke most of the time, both in tin and in bulk version (I find no difference). I like it so much because of the extraordinary balance between Virginia, Orientals and Latakia, which merge themselves in a unique and wonderful taste. Highly recommended!

Purchased From: Noli Tabacchi, Milano

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brythebus (4)	2015-01-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I have usually been drawn to the straight virginias being a cig smoker but was given a tin of this for Xmas from the missus. Upon opening I thought "oh dear I better put a smile on as this really isn't for me". How wrong I was. My Peterson won't leave it alone! Cool burning and good nic hit. I'm converted! Just occurred that there are sandalwood and ideas of Old Spice aftershave going on here. As the contents age they just get better. Really smooth. Think of a quality leather gentleman's shoe made by Churchills I'm thinking....

Pipe Used: Peterson 303

Age When Smoked: New. But dry a pipeful on the lid for 20mins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	samanfromiran (22)	2015-01-13		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

a very nice blend with mild smoke with very nice smell.like dunhill blends its full english tobaacco that i love very much.mild english blend.highly recommened

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipesmoking101 (63)	2015-01-13		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This tobacco seems to be like a lot of the tobacco I've been trying recently, it underwhelmed me. I don't know if I'm just proving very difficult to please, or if I've just been spoiling myself with some good aged tobacco, but this didn't set my world alight. This product is regarded as a classic, but for me, it was a very run-of-the-mill tobacco. A mild English, it uses top-notch tobaccos, no doubt about it, but the blend just didn't work exceptionally well (as I expected it to). I think for me there just wasn't enough Latakia for me, which is the element of Englishes that really make them work for me. The Orientals come into play with a power that I think detracts from my overall enjoyment of the blend. The tin note has the slightly sweet essence of the Virginia running a battle with the sourness of the Oriental scents, the Latakia is very much on the back-burner. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, I did - but only once I figured out what it was meant to be, as opposed to what I was initially expecting. On the basis that I enjoyed it, I will probably get some more in, and with the quantity of Virginas in it, this blend may age into something more wonderful. It burns easily, and on the basis that it is quite nice, once it's been figured out, I think I will give it 3 stars. The room note is an English/Balkan type aroma, nice to English blend smokers, but not so great for those who don't.

Pipe Used: Peterson Donegal Rocky 68

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: GQ Tobaccos

Similar Blends: Erinmore Balkan Mixture, Dunhill MM 965..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kunsan (76)	2015-01-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Comes very wet in the tin and it is best to open the tin to break the vacuum, replace the lid then let it breathe for a few days.

Surprisingly light colored combination of tobaccos for an English blend. Smokes easily, packs easily. Has a distinct sour taste which some smokers will love and others will hate. An interesting smoke, light tastes, and with that salty sour note.

To my taste this is a light English with an extra kick of sour orientals. I don't think it would be my choice if I was a Squadron Leader - I'd want something a bit deeper in taste and with more creamy clouds of smoke. Nonetheless, there is 'something about this one' that's attractive and moreish and keeps me coming back for more.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluesmoke (75)	2014-11-29		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Now here is a great medium English with a nicely balanced aroma and flavor. This ribbon cut mixture packed well after a little drying, lights well for an SG product and produces a good volume of smoke. There are some musty, nutty, smoky notes which take turn being front and center and then there are times when they marry so well as to create something uniquely their own. This blend does seem to burn a little more quickly than others and I did have to relight quite a few times, but a good solid offering from SG. COLSA

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2014-11-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Smoked two tins of this and it very nice. My kind of English. As others have mentioned, the tin art is great and it has the coolest name of any tobacco i can think of. Fortunately the tobac livest up to expectations. One of the best SG's.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (106)	2014-10-31		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Being the 400th review of this tobacco, I do not know what I can say that hasn't been said by someone here already. I hadn't smoked this medium English for the past 3 or so years. I bought this tin fresh while out of town as the "tobacconist" (head shop) I visited had nothing but bad aros. While I don't remember being impressed with this previously, this last tin has been wonderful. There was more than just latakia and a background drone of VA this time around. The VAs were sweet and the Turkish gave a nice musty taste and spice cabinet aroma. No nicotine noticeable, and I could push this incredibly without any suggestion of bite.

Pipe Used: hardwood brandy shape

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: random head shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	incognitopoet (37)	2014-10-22		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

When Dunhill Early Morning Pipe wasn't available I happened upon a tin of this delicacy. I was looking for a substitute, but found a blend that I actually enjoy more than EMP.

There wasn't any big flavor epiphany, but it is rich and perfectly-balanced. The latekia is certainly noticeable but doesn't make my head or stomach hurt. With slow puffing all of the constituent tobaccos are harmonious.

This is probably my favorite English / Balkan type tobacco. I like to smoke it after dinner.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old6String (27)	2014-10-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I just finished off my first tin and I can truly say that I can see what other lovers of this blend see. It was a consistently good smoke from beginning to end of each bowl. Will definitely have this in my rotation.

Pipe Used: MM Legend

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: JR Cigar, NC

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bradpaton3 (2)	2014-08-31		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first tried this I wasn't impressed. Couldn't see why all the great reviews. Was hot and didn't taste right at all. Left it for a week, dried it out somewhat then gave it another go. Now I get it it! This stuff is sensational. Little if any bite. Stays lit and the flavor is delicious. Give it try and you won't regret it. I'll be ordering more. 4 stars for sure!!!

Pipe Used: Mr Brog Maestro.

Age When Smoked: 1 week.

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Patryk Georgevitch (11)	2014-08-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I totally agree with Smoketses review. Fell in love with SL, being a Latakia lover, the only difference with NightCap is the absence of Perique content. Although the Perique spiciness is most appealing to my palate, a milder form of english Latakia for those cooler lighter moments of the day is definitely SG Squadron Leader. A must have in your cellar

Pipe Used: Stanwell

Similar Blends: Nightcap (without the Perique "piquant" and milder) & Early Morning Pipe (SL being a bit earthier in taste).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pacman357 (15)	2014-08-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is good stuff. Really good stuff. I doubt I could add much to the billion or so other reviews, except to add that I enjoy this even more when I mix in a little well-aged Syrian latakia. Adds nice depth and flavor, without smacking me with so much nicotine that my knees wobble. A three-star blend for me straight out of the box (where it isn't too damp for my liking, BTW), and when I add the SL, it becomes four-star stuff.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	VitaminK (1)	2014-08-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Since i'm quite new to pipe smoking (about 3 months), i can't say i have tried a lot of different verities, but this is by far the best tobacco that i have ever tasted. To most of my friends the room note is a bit intolerable, but what can you do if you fell in love with latakia on a first glance... The smoke is quite easy, cool and dry, and a bit similar to Dunhill "Nightcap" without the spiceness of perique as i gathered. It smokes really nicely to the end of the bowl, leaving nice light brown ash. Highly recomanded to all english mixture lovers.

Pipe Used: spitfire by Lorenzo (briar)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gam86 (49)	2014-06-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

It's very good tobacco, as per the Gawith you've to open the tin and let the tobacco breath a little in order to smoke it. In my opinion is very strong tobacco and not for beginer.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pre Republic Peterson (13)	2014-05-24		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Much nicer than Skiff. Skiff was my first outing to Samuel Gawith as a brand. Skiff left me cold, having come from Dunhill's. Just didn't do it for me. Squadron Leader came factory fresh and nice and moist in the can. Generous portion of tobacco, tightly stuffed into the can. Easy to pack, but I found it hard to keep lit, not sure why, maybe the high humidity here 92%. Tasty and full flavored. Big nicotine hit and I really get off on Vitamin N. Will try again, but not a patch on the Germain Perique.

Pipe Used: 1928 Peterson

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: James Barber

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StimeyStrongwater (10)	2014-05-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This tobacco was on my wishlist for a long time and I anxiously awaited trying it. I might have let my excitement hype this blend up for me a little too much. This is a great medium English to my taste it just never wowed me I guess. But still an enjoyable blend none the less. Recommend it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flyingbottles (1)	2014-05-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I am a relatively new pipe smoker (2 years now, but on and off). I'm more of a havana cigar man, but I find the romance of a pipe attractive and worth exploring. I have been trying a number of pipe tobaccos but I do not think I have found my match (GL Pease's Blackpoint is the only one I really enjoy so far).

Tried this pipe weed many times already, and I found it to be bitter and tarry. I prefer a stronger presence of oriental tobaccos than latakia. There are sometimes hints of sweetness and exotic spice that peeks through the strong taste of tar, but it came too seldom and faint to be enjoyable to me. The aftertaste lingers a couple of hours; eating chocolate and brushing my teeth did little to wash it out.

Perhaps I would come back to this when my taste for latakia develops. I know many people enjoy the pleasant bitter flavors of some foods and tobacco, but I can't enjoy this one at this time. Maybe Samuel Gawith's Skiff Mixture will work out better for me.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Gaius Rusticated Bent Billiard

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Dunhill MM 965.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rockindokken (2)	2014-04-11		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My first impression of this tobacco was it was fresh and strong smelling. It has a large room presence when I first opened the container. It didn't have any off smells, and it reminded me of a grassy note.

I packed it pretty soon after taking it out of the container. It was dry enough that I didn't have to wait. It took a good few false lights and a tamp, but then it was off to the races. It stays lit very easily, has a pleasing taste that I enjoyed while cleaning the garage up. This is my second trip into an English tobacco, so I am trying to feel it out still. I catch an almost lemony flavor on my tongue. I am very pleased so far, and I'll have to update my review once I have smoked a few more bowls.

One last note, this had quite the hit of nicotine for me. I would say within 10 sips I had a bit of a head rush. Granted, it was my first bowl in a while...

Pipe Used: Country Gentleman Missouri Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Less than 3 Months

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill - Early Morning Pipe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe Newb (49)	2014-04-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I will preface this with the disclaimer that I am not familiar with what makes an "English Blend" different from any other mild/non-aromatic. However, I've heard great things about Squadron Leader and I decided to give it a try. P&C sells it in bulk, so I got enough to fill a mini-mason.

First impression - not a lot of smell to it, I can smell drying tobacco as I did growing up on a tobacco farm as a kid. There is a faint smokiness, but otherwise just tobacco. I found it very dry as delivered, but was unsure if that was due to the blend or the packing, as I've not tried this from a tin.

Char and first draw were very much the same, the first words out of my mouth were "bread! it tastes like bread!", but as I savored a bit more I noted some woodsy and nutty notes. Heavily toasted walnuts, to be exact. The room note to me, smelled vaguely of roasted marshmallow, my wife said "it smells like tobacco". No tongue bite, and no gurgling were to be found, which surprised me for a blend I thought was a little on the dry side.

A completely non-offensive, enjoyable tobacco. Nothing really stands out as exemplary, but nothing really stands out as offensive either. I can see this becoming a personal "comfort food" tobacco for me, something I pick when I don't know what I want.

Pipe Used: Royal Meerschaum Apple

Age When Smoked: Unknown (Purchased Bulk 4/2014)

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.