Tobaccos Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake Scented

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-03-23		Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

It appears my 2 oz sample was absent the day they handed out the "traditional British flavorings". Ok, not absent but apparently not absorbing the lesson. Readers should take this review with a grain of salt, since my batch appears different than the norm, but I'm reporting on what I tasted/smelled.

This would be a great tobacco for someone that loves the robust feistyness of Dark Flake Unscented but wants something they can smoke around others. Ok, "some" others! I got varied comments, but smoking DFU garnered one comment echoed umpteen times - "YUCK"! This had a heavily scented tin aroma that did not correlate to the flavor very much. What flavoring my batch possessed burned off within the first 20 or so puffs. From that point forward, it tasted exactly like my memory of DFU but gave off a more tolerable room aroma. In that sense, this could be the perfect tobacco for someone. I found it deep, dark and luxurious tasting, just like its unscented brother. Very nicotine-laden, and smaller bowls are recommended. This one lulled me to over-relaxation, both through the flavor and through the nicotine buzz.

I could not smoke this one all day or even everyday. Perhaps once per week. But this is a tobacco that I intend to have around for those times where it just fits in when nothing else will satisfy. This is a 3.5 star blend, downgraded due to its occasional status and not its flavor!

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2012-11-28		Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

You really have to like the Lakeland taste to enjoy this blend. The toppings are one of the main reasons why you smoke this, because they take an integral role in the proceedings. The licorice and maple have some depth, but the tonquin is one of main toppings, as well as a very evident floralness (Geranium, I suspect). They will certainly ghost a briar pipe quickly. The Virginias are a little grassy with a lot of earth, wood and tangy dark fruit, some floralness, and a touch of tart and tangy citrus, cigar and spice. The burleys offer toasted nuttiness, a little molasses, and wood, and are very earthy in an important support role. Has a strong nic-hit, and taste level. No harsh or dull spots to be found, and it won't bite. There are a few rough edges. Burns clean, cool, and slow with a very consistent, sweet, earthy, woody, floral, rugged flavor from start to finish. Requires some relights, and leaves very little moisture in the bowl, but I suggest packing it a little loose for easier burning. Has a pleasantly lingering after taste and potent room note. Slow puffing cadence, and a small to moderate size bowl is recommended.

-JimInks

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2007-08-31		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Very Pleasant

First, a word of thanks to fellow reviewer OSR for gifting me some of this unique tobacco to smoke and review. He said that at the midway point of the bowl he smoked, he got the "sweats."

Dark Flake Scented is loaded with true tobacco flavor, and not advised for the wimpy tongued crowd. Dark Flake Scented plasters the palate with unrelenting flavor and strength. Nicotine in high doses is a good thing as far as I am concerned, so I really enjoyed the fullness of the leaf. It burns a little hotter than some of the Lakeland style flakes that I have smoked, but cooler than most.

It was not terribly difficult to rub out and once I got it going, it stayed lit very well. The unrubbed flakes are long, black and leathery. It looks as powerful as it tastes.

If a heavy Virginia leaf with sweetness of the Lakeland style is what you are after, you'd be hard pressed to find something better than this. So, it gets four stars from this member of the full strength crowd.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-12-29		Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Strong

Pipestud and others have contributed accurate assessment of DFS below. Should there remain any doubt in your mind, you may want to take the DFS compatibility test:

Which do you prefer? Select your choice of either (A) or (B).

(A)Guinness Stout vs.(B)Coors Light (A)Liver and onions vs.(B)Peanut butter sandwich (A)Cabernet Sauvignon vs.(B)Beaujolais Nouveau (A)Shad roe (fried) vs.(B)Tilapia fillet broiled) (A)Moth balls vs.(B)Lilac pomander

If you select at least four (A) items, you may be a candidate to try DFS.

As for me, this is as close to an 'aromatic' as I will allow, something other than tobacco burning in my pipe.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2015-02-13		Strong	Very Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

Gawith Hoggarth - Dark Flake Scented.

Mine is a fairly thick flake, it's not too damp out of the pack so it doesn't need time to dry. The smell that comes from the flake is a little hectic, it's tricky for me to identify a particular ingredient!

It lights with ease and once it's burning it gives a good/steady burn that delivers a cool smoke. I find the flavour really busy, there just seems to be a melange of added flavours! The taste I get the strongest is the liquorice, it gives the blend some spicy character. Other than that I find the rest of the flavour very crowded, Nick O' Teen said "caution, sensory overload" and I can't argue, this is VERY AROMATIC! For those who crave nicotine this will suit, it carries quite a nicotine hit! A point that sits well with me is tongue bite, it's very forgiving in that area. Another better point is the room note, it's fairly aromatic but not too heavy for me.

It didn't take me more than a few bowls of this to realise that it's not for me but I think if you are a fan of heavy aromatics then this will step up to the mark for you! Sadly one star from me .

Pipe Used: Savinelli

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: G.Q Tobaccos

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2014-09-19		Strong	Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a beautiful, well balanced & deeply flavorful smoke that tastes charred, rich and bittersweet. The scented topping creates a marvelous high note that balances perfectly with the fullness of its flavor. Truth be told, I have a pretty low tolerance for nicotine, and quite frankly I have no business smoking this blend. However, I really enjoy it, so I smoke it exclusively in a long stem clay tavern style pipe with a tiny bowl. This helps me to keep from overdoing it, and the flavor that I get from the clay is quite articulate.

There's a pleasing mellow spiciness that appears about midway through the smoke, and there are so many interesting complexities that it's really impossible to describe them. The strength and the flavor-balance of Dark Flake Scented are a perfect combination and there’s a significant amount of both. There's no harshness and no bitterness, only sublime dark tobacco flavor with a sophisticated flair.

I absolutely adore this flake and I think it’s a terrific option for pipers who appreciate scented Kendal style tobacco, but are seeking something more robust.

Pipe Used: Clay

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	grumpyoldprofessor (11)	2013-10-17		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

EDIT: 09/14/2016 It's now been almost 3 years since I first reviewed this wonderful flake. It's still a 4 star tobacco and is the ONLY tobacco that I can say has completely satisfied each and every time I've smoked it. I've smoked over 3lbs of the stuff with 100% satisfaction. It's that good. If the strength scares you from trying it, just try it in a smaller pipe cut with some Brown Flake or similar. Then proceed to work your way up to 100% Dark Flake and Bob's your uncle, you're smoking a mans tobacco.

Original Review 10/17/2013: This tobacco was an eye opener to me. For years I have been able to enjoy most "types" of tobacco, but for my daily smokes tended to stick with light Virginia's and the occasional aromatic. When I first tried Dark Flake Scented, I was a little bit leery, due to the warnings of the strength nicotine wise. My fears were mostly unfounded. This tobacco does indeed pack a nicotine punch, but behaves if puffed gently. The benefit of the full flavor far outweighs the con of the nicotine (if you consider that a bad thing) when smoked with reasonable sense.

The flavor, again, is full. It's a nice almost spicy taste, maybe that's a tonquin or licorice coming through. I know this will sound odd, but the back of the throat/nose taste reminds me of Chaps cologne.

I love the smell of this stuff in the jar and think it does come through a little bit in the smoke for the first dozen or so puffs, but gently fades away after that. It's not at all a turn off for me. I've smoked it in a few pipes and find that it does not ghost a pipe anywhere near as much as I thought it would. I actually like the smell it leaves behind in the pipe the following day.

Again, this tobacco was an eye opener to me. It's really the first full strength blend I've thoroughly enjoyed. I highly recommend it if you're looking for something with a full flavor and with a bit of strength to it.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Piper@thegates (20)	2013-03-07		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

A medium, possibly for some, strongish strength, mainly dark fired Malawi Virginia tobacco from the established and renowned Lakeland blenders Gawith and Hoggarth. DFS is essentially Dark Flake but with the addition of flavorings which in my opinion do not transfer to the taste of the tobacco as one would expect from the bag aroma. The cut and press of the flake will be familiar to smokers of British flakes. Dark, heavily pressed and cut to six inch by a little over one inch flakes. The usual high quality leaf from established growers and suppliers have ensured that G&H have been able to maintain a consistent high standard of their products with in this case the addition of time honoured secret ingredients, some of which named may be less present than some would have you believe.

The producers Gawith and Hoggarth mention the presence of Tonquin and liquorice as well as other flavourings as being present but some reviewers have compared this blend to Sam Gawith's 1792 which I feel is a little misleading. Tonquin and liquorice play a minor part in this blends flavourings and aroma, but in 1792 these ingredients have a more forward, dominant role and transfer to the smoke of that blend much more than they do in DFS. The main or dominant ingredient/aroma of DFS is a very different and lighter middle note of either (I think at least) Geranium or Rose Geranium which may well remind smokers of the Lychee fruit. Being a middle note and not as heavy as Tonquin which is regarded as a base note, the sweeter, lighter flavourings remain primarily in the back ground to the smoker who is rewarded with the quality taste and strength of the pressed Virginia leaf rather than that of any over powering additives. I may well be wrong of course and setting myself up for criticism but these are my humble observations regarding the matter of the otherwise only mentioned as 'other/miscellaneous' flavourings.

DFS stands alongside Dark Flake and others from the G&H house as a very good dark fired Virginia and deserves in my eyes at least, simply on the strength of the tobacco's quality to come recommended. Although a favourite of mine there are others such as Coniston Cut Plug which I slightly prefer. If you find Coniston a little too strong for your tastes and / or prefer a lighter aroma to your smoke, then DFS will no doubt fit your needs.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sylvian (28)	2008-08-28		Extremely Strong	Medium	Very Full	Strong

Smoke it in an armchair, otherwise next time smoke it in a wheelchair.

Stronger that 1792 and much stronger than Peterson's Irish Flake, the scented version of GH Dark Flake is a dangerous and/but extreme pleasure. Arrived rather dry, so there was no need to further prepare it except for rubbing out, loading and lighting up.

I'll second loosewatches' opinion - although the DFS is scented, the taste and aroma when smoking is almost exclusively of the dark fired leaf. It's only when you smell it in the bag or wherever you prefer to keep it that you know it's scented. I would say I love the tin aroma, except that it's a bulk version in my case. And once lit up, the smoke reveals a hint of tonquin and a floral note characteristic of many GH flakes, but no other added flavors.

As with all weed of this kind, good drying and a small pipe is advisable.

The Dark Flake Scented is not as cloyed with tonquin as the acclaimed 1792 Flake by Samuel Gawith and more authentic and powerful than Peterson's Irish Flake, which makes DFS the right choice for me when I crave for a stronger tobacco.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2016-04-15		Strong	Medium	Full	Tolerable

I got a sample from a friend, and I have been smoking it in various cobs (fearing the ghosting). My sample came in long strips of flake, and it may have been slightly on the dry side. Rubbed out, the pieces are very hard and stick together with some determination. I smoked this rubbed out because I suspected that it would not stay lit otherwise. I am pretty sure the only other tobacco I have smoked that was this dense was McClelland 2025.

Smoked this is a Lakeland experience. There is floral and the first few puffs are a little soapy. Once you get into the bowl, the essence smooths out and I liked this more than I expected I would. It is a strong Lakeland flavor, and it has some of the spice of the right Honduran cigar. I get the same nutty, smoky and slightly sweet combination of tastes I found in the unscented Dark Flake. There is a creamy, thick quality to the smoke, and there is a pleasant slightly acrid quality to it at times. The slight herbal flavor in the unscented is there too but harder to find.

Be warned that this smoke packs a nicotine punch. I am fairly immune to nicotine, and I knew I was smoking something strong by half bowl. By this point, the flavors really sing, and I don't just think it has been the nicotine talking.

Smoking qualities were good, and it was no challenge to smoke slowly, smoke to the bottom, etc. It burned cool for me.

This is a solid 3 on the scale. I am glad I tried it. I think I might slightly prefer this to the unscented, and that was a surprise.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2013-03-26		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

A dark, satisfying offring from GH for sure. Darker in appearance than BrFl Scented with a similar bag note at first sniff. After careful sniffing you pick up some flower notes. Now, I'm not a fan of going into a florist for the smell, but the folks at GH do it right. Never overbearing in my opinion. What I like about GH as compared to SG is that GH offerings are more readily smokeable when fresh with very few relights along the way. This one has the stoutness and taste of Irish Flake but it is more flavorful and is less harsh than IrF. No real floral taste, but a floral hint which I believe to be the licorice. The sweetness as compared to BrFlSc (my favorite of the GH offerings) is more bittersweet in nature. I am smokng it now in a new Peterson Rustic Tankard. No bite and no heat with this one no matter how fast you puff. Wonderful hints of cigar upon light up and in the side stream - subtle, but noticeable.

Nothing negative to say about DFSc and solidly recommended, but as compared to BrFlSc, there seems to be a more chocolatey note with BrFlSc that I enjoy very much. However, if you want strong, DFSc will certainly satisfy. As srong as, if not stronger than, and different than, 1792 by way of comparison.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-07-31		Very Strong	Extra Strong	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco should be stickered with a notice reading " CAUTION: SENSORY OVERLOAD".

Although the underlying tobacco is undeniably good, there are way too many added flavorings/perfumes competing for this reviewers palate.

I enjoy a good flavored tobacco but this is ridiculous.

For my money, the unscented version of this is MUCH better.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain Pete (83)	2006-11-29		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I'm not sure how fair this review will be, nor how others may take my meaning. I wish to convey to the prospective purveyor of this particular flake that it is in every way a high quality tabac. It is also a very pungent, very full flavored flake that should be approached with caution; hence the "somewhat recommend" rating. If you are a fan of lakeland flakes, you may take this as a "recommended", but with a little caution.

The flake is dark, real dark. And leathery. Opening the sealed bag it came in brought forth a scent that literally made me dizzy if I inhaled too deeply; and this is before lighting. I'm not sure what to make of all the scents that inhabit this flake, but the strongest one that stood out reminded me of Copenhagen snuff (the kind we in the midwest use as chew, and refer to simply as "cope"). It definitely smelled spicy, and detergenty.

Lighting this tended to be a chore. First off, getting it packed in the pipe was harder than I expected, as the tobacco kept springing up out of the pipe. When trying to get the char the tobacco would kind of come to life, and start peering up over the edge of the pipe bowl just asking for a firm tamping. The initial taste was actually very tasty, not at all as soapy as I expected. But it was very strong. As strong as the flavors are, you can still taste the tobacco.

At this point, I wish to reiterate that this is a very tasty tobacco, and very high quality. However, whether it is the tonquin flavoring, or something else, I couldn't tolerate the tobacco. Withing a few minutes my mouth and throat became very dry feeling, and I felt a bit of a sourness in my stomach. Then suddenly, I had to make a run for the toilet to be sick. I strongly suspect that there is something about the tonquin flavoring that disagreed with me. And even now, just thinking about the scent of the tobacco I get a little queasy.

So if the idea of a strongly scented, traditional lakeland flake tobacco intrigues you, go for it. It is a good tobacco. But eat a huge meal beforehand, and if it comes up afterwards, don't say you weren't warned.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Karam (59)	2021-07-21		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Pleasant

Now we're talking. I am an unapologetic Lakeland fan, but edging towards dropping the "Lakeland" label as all "Lakelands" I've smoked are very different from each other so they shouldn't be lumped together in terms of taste, only in terms of origin.

This one smells extremely strongly of geranium (the flower) for me, and I know this smell very well because it's common in Greek gardens. A similar-smelling plant (Pelargonium) may be what the actual source of the scent is, but I'll call it geranium because I can't be sure of the names. Geranium, come to think of it, has a heavier and sweeter smell than Pelargonium, which is more lemony and tangy - Pelargonium may be it!

I can't pick out anything else in the flavour of the smoke, only the room note seems to allow the various flavourings added to somewhat separate and be distinct.

The presentation is typical Gawith, thick cut very dark brown flakes, heavy and oily. Strangely enough it catches straight from the tin, but as you progress to smoke it it will need a relight for every puff at the end of the bowl.

I frankly don't detect tonquin, liquorice or maple in the smoke, or any discernible tobacco taste. It is all geranium: tangy, spicy, not floral or herbals, sweet but balanced by the inherent tangyness and underlying bitterness of the geranium. There's depth here and a fair amount of nicotine, but it is smooth and 100% consistent to the very end of the bowl. It is reasonably strong, but far less than Lakeland Dark or 1792 flake.

The real magic for me about this tobacco is that it really takes AGES to burn down, half a flake can keep me occupied for 1.5-2 hours, and the taste never wavers. It never burns hot either, does not bit. It just needs relights every puff if you're committed to finishing every last strand of tobacco in your bowl.

Very very satisfying smoke, if I hadn't had 1792 already it could have made my top 5.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PKT (30)	2020-04-20		Very Strong	Strong	Very Full	Tolerable

This flake is truly a wonderful experience. It is as described——a full flavored and strong tobacco designed for the experienced smoker who wants a more traditional British flake with a Lakeland essence. Although not an all day smoke it deserves a place in any serious smoker’s stash.

Pipe Used: Long shanked briars

Age When Smoked: Varies

Purchased From: Bulk wherever I can get it.

Similar Blends: Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake Scented. Peterson’s Irish flake.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-03-19		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love most, if not all of Gawith Hoggarth strongly scented blends and I love Dark Flake so Dark Flake should have been a no brainer. In the pouch the smell is mainly of heavy florals. So far so good… After some dry time, I like to further break up the flakes and rub out the top of the bowl. From there everything went downhill. Based on the reviews of this blend, I simply didn’t have the same experience. Maybe it’s a body chemistry thing, but the florals totally crowded out what is clearly a high quality tobacco. The floral taste gradually became somewhat bitter and I couldn’t taste any of the other flavors like maple and licorice. DFS left an aftertaste that I also found to be unpleasant. On the plus side, as mentioned the quality of the tobacco is excellent. It isn’t harsh and burns cool, even when pushed. I plan on cellaring the remaining few ounces and revisit it in a couple of years.

Age When Smoked: new

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kg0mz (54)	2009-04-02		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Extra Full	Tolerable

This is probably as bold as any tobacco I have smoked in a pipe. It stands apart from the pipe tobacco crowd like the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 or La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero do among cigars. Sit down.

I gather it is only available in bulk. My order came drier than most GH flakes. In the bag the aroma is pleasant and inviting. Scented, but not "soapy". I have not tried folding it, but I will. Rubbed out it stays lit, if you want it to.

In the bowl it is pretty much as described by GH. At first cool and sweet with hints of maple and licorice, then I noticed the tonquin flavor, and then the very mild floral flavor. I smoke a lot of Lakeland essence tobaccos, and I allow that mild to me may be different for you. The toppings are dominated by the Malawi and Indian leaf, smoky and cigar-like. Yet, it retains its sweet VA character. It is strong, but not harsh to me. In fact, the bottom third is pretty darn mellow. It burns cool and dry to a powdery, white ash.

I give it 4 stars because I enjoy it very much and with full knowledge that many will not. I can highly recommend it to ligero cigar smokers wanting something comparable in a pipe tobacco.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Dunhill 23 (39)	2019-12-03		Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you ever wanted to know what the term "Lakeland" meant, you should give this a try. If you like Lakeland blends then this is one of the poster children blends.

Tonquin bean and Rose water(? or carnations? or?? well, some kind of flower) dominate the flavor. It says there is Licorice too but not to me. Maybe a little citrus.... Make sure you are using a pipe dedicated to Lakelands or heavy Aromatics because this tobacco will take 4-5 bowls of other stuff before you won't be able to taste it.

Don't get me wrong. It's good. It's VERY good but I find myself being able to taste in my head for days after. It has a haunting incense type aroma and taste that is hard to forget.

A good rubbing and a loose pack will make this blend behave better in the bowl. I found it needed a lot of attention while smoking to keep it burning.

It's not an everyday smoke for me but one of those nice changeup blends to break away from my usual suspects. Try it!

3.25 stars from me.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2016-08-19		Strong	Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

To be clear, this is, for me, an everday smoke. Not all day, but everyday. Along with maybe four or five other tobaccos (so you get an idea of my taste...that usually means Bosun cut plug, Lousiana Flake by G&H, St james Flake by samuel gawith, and F&Ts Cut Blended Plug...and often Long Golden Flake and Hal o the Wynd...even Solani's Aged Burley Flake and GL Pease's Triple Play). So..given thats my taste coordinates, you can gauge how this might work for you. I simply love this tobacco and while yes, its pretty strong, it is not insanely strong like Brown Bogie for instance. i dont even think its as strong as Irish Flake. But its strong, yeah. Smoke it slow and you will get all the flavor and there is a LOT of flavor. Nic hit, as stated, is above average. But I say less than Irish Flake. Rub it out a bit, it requires less relights and even rubbed out it will smoke very slow. It is pungent and rich, with an earthy sweetness. There are a lot of flavors...vanilla in places, cocoa, raisons and cloves and something like dates. Some people like this in a small bowl and i get that, but i like it in a big bent ODA size bowl. But thats me. G&H are the pinnacle of pipe smoking tobaccos IMHO. And this is one of their classics.

Purchased From: 4noggins

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2014-09-28		Very Strong	Very Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

Whoa this powerhouse flake smells like roses and lavender. This is a love it or hate it flake being that the aroma is so strong. I didn't like it at first, kinda made me gag in that old lady too much perfume in an elevator way but its grown on me. Very full, strong nicotine wise and tasty. Flakes are huge soft and pliable, easy to rub out or dry and stuff whole for a long cool smoke. Be warned though this stuff is very aromatic, stinky or delicious depending on your preference but extremely aromatic....

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh from Bulk

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Huskies4 (7)	2013-07-25		Very Strong	Very Strong	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Beautiful flakes of dark tobacco with excellent jar smell. Too strong of a casing/topping for many smokers, however it is a great blend once your pallet adjusts. I prefer chocolate flake, brown flake and rum twist over this, but it is still a tobacco in a category of its own. Try the unscented dark flake and compare the two, both are excellent as is most Gawith & Hoggarth tobacco.

Best smoked later in the day with some food in your stomach. Works well in a dedicated pipe due to an overwhelming ghost, but you could dedicate a lakelands pipe and do just fine.

Overall 3 star blend due to Gawith & Hoggarth having better tobaccos in their lineup. I will keep 4 oz of this around but won't be buying pounds.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2011-06-11		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Pleasant

A top grade Va flake flavored with strong lakeland floral scent, licorice and tonka bean oil, tasty, strong and full bodied. this blend is highly aromatic in the British style. the tobacco flavor is close to Peterson Irish flake, the floral topping is strong and yet very elegant.

overall this is a very good Va blend, but not as good as SG 1792 flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Monopod (26)	2010-03-12		Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Very Pleasant

Surely "scented" is a misnomer ? I remember Spanish Shawl cigarettes, now THEY were scented. Aromatic, although arguable, is perhaps a better description ? I can't differentiate between Dark Flake Aromatic and it's stablemate Dark Flake Unscented, because I haven't tried, and don't intend to try DFU as it may detract from my perspective of DFA.I have read derogatory remarks about the "perfume" of DFA, but frankly I don't understand what the reviewers meant. There is a definite aroma in my jars in which my baccy is stored, but is sure is NOT a disguise for "Piss" of any genre. Some of the common processed tobaccos in the UK have made me physically vomit at one time or another, and I would quit smoking if that's all that was available here (UK). But DFA ?? never. If it's threatening to anyone regarding strength, nicotine fix or whatever, then I must be Macho in my tastes. I smoke this, or alternatively "1792" before breakfast, FOR breakfast, and subsequently all day without a trace of the (very familiar) sweats, wobbles, shivers that others have given me.

Chac'un à son propre goût. (??)

Would one imbibe a fine red wine without letting it "breathe" ??

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Davout (4)	2022-06-23		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

This my first review even if I've been smoking baccy for more than 45 years. Firstly, I love all Lakelands and I found this one of particular taste. Strong and scented (as described), not easy to light and keep it light. I'm used to trust my Savinelli flamethrower for it at full power! I smoke it both in small and large pipe bowls. The former are ok to partly avoid its strength, the latter gives you a full flavour of this baccy. Mr. Nik O'Teen is powerful as well as the Geranium/Rose scent. However I love them, not an issue. Mine has rested in a jar for years and took a wonderful leathery, whitish colour. I must confess that every time I smoke it makes my head dizzy and I'm used to very strong Va. Perhaps its molasses? It doesn’t matter, it's still one of my cup of tea. It’s not a daily smoker but recurrent in my rotation. Way recommended for Lakeland's lovers.

Pipe Used: Several briars plus meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Many years

Purchased From: Synjieco

Similar Blends: A world apart.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MRBROWNNOSE (18)	2020-04-05		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Strong

I have found Lakeland Tobaccos to be excellent for my taste. This is one of them that has that "Floral" essence that Hoggarth is known for and is somewhat a tradition as their lineage goes back to the 1700's. This is the type of tobacco the old Parliament or high rollers of the old days would smoke.

The flavor is on the strong side same goes for the Nicotine. Would say it is a bit similar to 1772 but with a heavier Lakeland essence.

Bottom line, I find nearly all of the Gawith blends to be decent with top notch quality tobaccos. This is one I plan on cellaring if possible, Just wish it was easier to get ahold of as this 1oz is not going to last long.

Pipe Used: Crown Garden Bent Pipe

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: The Storytellers Pipe

Similar Blends: 1772.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gerry P (39)	2019-01-20		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

This review is for DFS that has been aging for 6 months.

This was my first Lakeland. At first I found this blend to be a little overwhelming, with a variety of new (to me) very strong flavors and nicotine content. It was tough keeping it lit for more than half the bowl and was pretty wet near the bottom. I smoked some of it, then let it marinate for a few months. The aging made a world of difference. The flavors have melded and the Lakeland part has mellowed considerably.

Speaking of Lakeland scent: My grandmother's purse didn't smell like this...it smelled like Luden's cough drops and money. I find the Lakeland essence(?) to be more floral, like Earl Grey tea as others have mentioned. The aftertaste is mild and pleasant, which was unexpected. My gf finds the room note inoffensive, which is surprising.

Flavor wise, I get cigar, mocha, and a subtle sweetness (possibly from maple and tonquin? I'm not familiar with tonquin so I'm guessing). I can't taste liquorice, it must be hiding in the back somewhere.

Initially I smoked this in a medium-bowled MM cob and a similar MM hardwood. This time I used a cheap basket pipe, which has a large bowl, and it smoked better. Very cool, no bite, and not so wet at the end but still damp. I had to relight once about 3/4 through it, but I was ready for a little break anyway. I figure the improved behavior could be a benefit of aging as well.

All in all, this is an interesting and intense blend. The tobacco seems to be of the highest quality and the flakes are of higher quality than others I've tried. It doesn't get more old-school than this, and even if you end up hating it I recommend trying it just for the experience this unique and complex blend offers. Needless to say, DFS is not in the same ballpark as the more conventional aromatics.

I do recommend eating something before you smoke this and/or keeping a beverage handy, particularly if you are used to mild-medium blends. Your stomach will thank you. Expect some new hair on your chest if you can finish a big bowl of it in one sitting.

Pipe Used: MM Legend & Hardwood, Albanian Briar basket pipe

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Peterson Irish Flake, Sam Gawith Chocolate Flake, G.L. Pease Stonehenge.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Briar Piper (89)	2018-12-04		Overwhelming	Very Strong	Extra Full	Overwhelming

This was my go to smoke, for about 2 years some 12 years ago. It was by no means an all day smoke. It has a fascinating bubble gum flavor which is the result of the tonquin, maple and licorice topping. I believe this is the direct competitor with Samuel Gawith's 1792 flake, and is vastly superior to it: if you can withstand the nicotine.

Wave after wave of lakeland perfume, cigar-like, and slightly bitter dark fired tobacco assail your senses.

I believe that this one is even stronger than the unscented version, as the additional toppings prevent as much nicotine being burned off in combustion.

This is the place to start with lakelands for the experienced smoker, while glengarry flake or perhaps ennerdale are better for the novice.

Room not is beyond poweful, and should be smoked outside only.

Pipe Used: Ser Jacopo oom paul

Age When Smoked: Oldest was 7 years.

Purchased From: Old pipetobacco.com before it was sold.

Similar Blends: 1792 flake..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2018-06-27		Very Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dark Flake Scented. What can I say about Dark Flake Scented… RESPECT IT or it will lay you out FLAT. Now I’ve been smoking pipes for years and rarely am I taken aback by the strength of a tobacco. I can smoke nic heavy blends like Royal Yacht & 1792 Flake with no problem. But, Man let me tell you on my second time trying Dark Scented after a full dinner and a small after dinner drink. (something I do all the time) I was feeling pretty good. An hour later POW, this mofo slapped me in the back of the head with a frying pan and then in my face with a shovel and sent this hombre to the little boys room puking his freaking guts out. WOW!!!!!! I haven’t puked in years. So.....all I’m saying is heed my warning and show respect to Dark Flake Scented or it will kick your ass hard.

Other than that little set back I loved it!! The flakes are dark and thick and needed a bit of drying out before you can smoke this blend. Rubbed out is best and it still required quite a bit of relights. Next time I’ll wait closer to and hr to let it dry out. The tin note is very, very Lakeland. The first thing that hits you is the very floral soapy scent. You have to let the tobacco dry out and breathe before you can detect the tonquin, maple and licorice. This is a full british lakeland aro. I just love the way all the flavors mix and meld together with the tobacco. The smoke is full flavored and delicious. The tobaccos are of good quality of course. Just smoke it SLOW and not in a huge pipe.

Pipe Used: Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: Fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mawnan Smiff (28)	2016-08-07		Medium	Very Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Let me start this review by stating that I could have sworn I ordered Dark Flake Unscented and not the scented variety. Perhaps the Scouser on the other end of the telephone was a little hard of hearing?

I first realized something was amiss when I opened my package containing six new to me blends, the smell that emanated from the box was one of heavy perfume and as five of the blends were in tins the only culprit could be the single plastic wrapper. Sure enough I had 50g of Dark Flake Scented and I was not best pleased!

It was a few weeks afore I got around to trying it out so I did my usual routine of rubbing out and drying for a couple of hours. The somewhat straggly, still damp and very dark brown flakes rubbed out ok but were very sticky and somewhat coarse. The scent by the way was pretty overpowering. I loaded up my McQuade bent bulldog and attempted to light the stuff. My goodness, this has to be the most awkward blend to take a light. Finally it got going with the coarse shreds coming alive and climbing out of the bowl. Huge plumes of smoke confirmed I had a burn going.

Initial flavours were nothing but perfume, no tobacco taste whatsoever though I had read that they tend to kick in mid bowl. Why oh why would someone go to the trouble of blending a tobacco only to soak it in perfume? The mind boggles.

I persevered and after countless relights the perfume did start to recede but was always present. Come mid bowl I could indeed taste some tobacco but what tobacco I couldn't really say. As for the maple and liquorice flavours noted by many reviewers they were simply not there for me.

Fast forward a few weeks and I am now smoking this in a smaller L. Roux poker after giving the already rubbed out tobacco a fleeting blast in my coffee grinder and very little has changed. Still many relights are required and still that damned perfume spoils what could have been a good smoke had I got what I originally wanted i.e. the unscented version.

This blend certainly has its adherents but I am not in that particular club and nor do I wish to be. A 2/10 score is a generous one.

Rather worryingly and perhaps stupidly I have since ordered some Ennerdale & Grasmere flakes, both of which appear to be drenched in the very same perfume as DFS is, the latter being the strongest.

This here tobacco trialling game is a fun one but just occasionally one gets it hugely wrong as I clearly did here.

I am tempted to think that as a pipe maker will rusticate a flawed stummel, might not a tobacco blender pour perfume all over a blend that didn't quite turn out as expected? I honestly cannot think why else they would do this. Flavoured tobacco does of course have a place in the market and I have enjoyed many, but this is way OTT.

Now for a bowl of Condor to put things right.

Pipe Used: McQuade bulldog & L. Roux poker.

Age When Smoked: Fresh.

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop.com

Similar Blends: Nothing on this planet..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (203)	2016-04-27		Strong	Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

This flake tobacco is not as strong as Dark Flake U/S, or so it seems, but it is pretty strong in its own right anyway. The casing is mostly Lakeland and the tin note foretells this. It smells just like some old lady's perfume, or baby's talcum powder if you like. Not sure if you can buy this in a tin, but it is freely available in bulk anyway. The moist content is really high, so be advised to let it dry for a day or tow before packing your pipe with it. The taste is pretty strong, but I am not sure if it contains any Kentucky in it. I'd say this tobacco comprises mostly virginia leaf along with some burley to soften it round the edges. So, even though the taste is full, it does not overwhelm you like Dark Flake U/S might do. However, I am not sure I would smoke these flakes in the morning. I think of them more as a late afternoon/after tea kind of thing. I am not quite sure how they have achieved this, but I think they are worth trying. I am going to give it 3 stars this time as I like Dark Flake U/S more than this particular one, but I am not trying to imply it isn't any good. As a matter of fact, I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Similar Blends: Dark Flake U/S.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2016-04-02		Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable

While I found the unscented Dark Flake to be a little too much, I was surprised by how the topping altered the experience of smoking the scented version, making it more rounded and smoother. Not something I would reach for as an all-day, indoors kind of blend, it still packs quite a punch, but I will get more of this.

It should be noted that going by the reviews here, either people experience the topping differently or, more likely, there is variation from batch to batch. A little frustrating.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NoirPipes (6)	2015-12-04		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Pleasant

A wonderful strong Lakeland style flake of superior quality. Along with the flavors mentioned ( tonquin, maple, and licorice), of which are background notes, the main flavor is I believe bergamot (same flavoring used in Earl Gray tea). I find the scent dominates in a small bowl, in a large bowl the tobacco dominates. Your choice, I like both but find large bowls smoother tasting, if you can handle the extra nicotine. Also this smokes very good moist, just rubbed out and packed light, no bite. Dry I find it bites! Don't know why. This seems to be a common experience for me and G&H tobaccos.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Fuoco smooth 111ks

Age When Smoked: new to 1 year

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: 1792 flake if it had a lot of bergamot, way less tonquin and a little less nicotine..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puss n' pipes (27)	2015-08-18		Very Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

This tobacco could serve as reference as the gate between childhood and adulthood metaphorically speaking. I bought it 2 years ago while i was experiencing the ARO´s fever, that odd stage in which you act like a kid in a candy store, dismissing all what is also sweet but resembles anything adult like, traditionally alike. At that point (and since i can define my tastes as exotic and even proactively daring) i wanted to try something different, something that even if could bring a sweet touch will definitively be totally into other charts. Something which tasted totally opposite if not at least distant from the more conservative aromatic blends. Then, after researching I found that there was something that somehow resembled "Licorice", a very strange mix from my perspective since this is not faved by the majority of people. Dark flake scented was my option since "Blackpool" from Esoterica is absolutely difficult to obtain and is usually very expensive also.

Let me tell you aromatic lover, this is the portal to the adulthood for those that want to experience. And what it is like? Well, it is like in ancient times a sort of a full of emotion thrill, a rite of passing. It is all about Subtlety with caps included. If what youre searching for a ride at the town carnival, full of lights, emotions evoked by popcorn and cotton candy, this is not the thing for you. This is more likely like going to the woods with your elders to hunt. The first part of the ride is tranquil, peacefully like, you observe through the window the last traces of your childhood as the woods emerge, engulfing slowly but inexorably the wholeness of the trip and as the thing advances you find yourself within a world that is incredibly vast and powerful and you have to rely on your senses in order to understand how to proceed, how to capture the moment.

Innocence is over. Dark flake scented has a very strong tonquin, anis, licorice, little wine and prune smell, it is pleasant, you capture the essence of a tabacco that is full bodied yet tailed with a sweetness that seduces you. In the end we all have a child in ourselves no matter how hard we may be. I packed not a deep pipe with it but a small one since i knew that it had a potent kick of nicotine, and it was wise to do so. When you grab the flake it is dense like, very compressed mildly humid, once i rubbed it was ready to pack. Once in the pipe it looked-and-felt like very tiny leather ribbons. It takes a while to lit and generally it demands several lightnings to ignite, which is good as it may help you to tolerate the ever increasing nicotine kick.

The quality of the smoke denotes inmediately the quality of the tobacco. In here there are no tricks, no possibility to hide the bad quality over a truckload of casing and toppings. This is extremely good tobacco in the very traditional english sense, very old school. Curiously the strong smell present in the pouch is not noticed while smoking, the whole tonquin-licorice remains distant, very mild as an aftertaste while the tobacco displays his full bodied essence. No bites, no overheating, the smoke is thin and delicate and as such enters your palate. The first quarter is sweet, just like my metaphor on entering the woods, but as you proceed, the first thing you´ll notice is the nicotine kick, like when you take a deep breath while deep in the woods and next thing you notice is that youre on your own. This is pure subtlety my friend, there is nothing notoriously obvious in here, just traces of the background flavour and the further developing of the tobaccos, the ocassional whip slash from the burleys, the sothening whisper and adult sweetness of the virginias and the tranquil peace of the topping of the tonquin that remains as a distant protectour in your round to adulthood.

All in all a great experience, from start to finish, it requires patience for both feeling what you are getting both in terms of taste and nicotine and the full development from the whole conjunction of its terms. Perhaps this is a place where aromatic and english blends lovers can gather together for a cordial hunt.

Pipe Used: Jeantet Luxe, Peterson Tankard

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: smoking pipes

Similar Blends: 1792 seems to be very similar.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JHC (5)	2015-04-06		Very Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable

I don't like how this tobacco smells, it's just too strong for my nose and comes across like some awful cheap men's perfume. The colour, texture and moisture if the flake on the other hand is spectacular. It looks totally edible and is a joy to rub up for the pipe. Lighting took a good few attempts though with the first Charing light going out almost immediately after removing the flame... Took me another three attempts to get a good stable burn established. Initial tastes aren't great. Don't get me wrong the tobacco flavours are great but the added flavours come in intense bursts to the palet and destroy almost all enjoyment. The licorice flavour has a peppermint hot edge that could be extremely pleasant if (in my opinion) it were added in much lower levels so as to give a subtle hint rather than this destructive tone. It burns slow and stably and could be the perfect kind of bowl for an afternoons fishing session or a nice radio play. There's a lot I like in this tobacco but I'm kicking myself for trying the aromatic variation over the unflavoured dark flake. The palet does mellow out and settle down towards the middle of the bowl... Thank god. Won't buy this again but it has made me want to get my mouth around the unflavoured flake.

Pipe Used: Rattray's Butcher Boy

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: the backy shop online

Similar Blends: cant say.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hybrid12 (26)	2014-10-12		Overwhelming	Very Strong	Overwhelming	Strong

I can't stand the flavoring of this tobacco, but this may be the most Vitamin N I ever smoked in a pipe. I have smoked Five Brothers, straight ST. James Perique and many other very potent pipe tobaccos, but the niccups I get from this is unbelievable. It takes me several hours to fully smoke a bowl of this as I am constantly getting niccups off a couple puffs. I love the strength of this tobacco, but the casings do no agree with me at all. I have ordered some of the unscented and hopefully it will have the same kick without the horrible flavor. I would not recommend this based of the flavor, but if it is Vitamin N you are looking for, look no further.

Pipe Used: cob, italian briar

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smoking pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-04-08		Medium to Strong	Strong	Overwhelming	Pleasant to Tolerable

The smell and taste of Tonquin reminds me of opium incense. The smell would be suitable for perfume or incense, but it does not belong in my mouth. Yuk. If there was licorice or maple, it was overrun by the tonquin. If you think you'll like the taste of bitter-leather with a hint of mint, you might like tonquin.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jmagen (13)	2019-01-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

Usual G and H bag note, had high hopes for this one. Dried it out several hours (it IS G&H after all, and I prefer dry tobacco). Rubbed out and smoked in my "lakeland bulldog." Fairly disappointing though. Smoked like warm air. Tasted like smoking OGS or Sixpence, which is to say, there was no flavor at all. The smoke didn't even give me a whiff of pleasure, usually the best part about smoking an aromatic.

Pipe Used: briar

Age When Smoked: new bulk, but dried for hours.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2017-07-26		Strong	Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Dark brown/black flakes are a little wet, they could use some drying.

‘Tin’ note has medium intensity, it smells of dark fired tobacco with a rose petal perfume together with a headier vanilla-like, tonquin note. While still floral it is a different kind of perfume from most Lakelands I have tasted which are more on the lemongrass side of the aromatic spectrum. It burns well and tastes of of dark fired tobacco, a little ashy, with a rose petal scent and traces of tonquin and liquorice.

If you like 1792, you might also like DFS which is more approachable and more polychromatic than the 1792 Flake. It is also a strong tobacco, good for a relaxed slow paced smoking, preferably in a small pipe, not one of my favourite Lakelands though and this is because of its strength which is too much for me, not its taste which I find wonderful.

Toned down with some bright or other Virginia, Dark Flake Scented is a superb tobacco with a wonderful rose perfumy smell. Perfect to scent your blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2016-07-16		Very Strong	Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Well, I was blown away by this blend. It's really confusing as to what this is actually topped with because it seems there are many different versions of Dark Flake. This one, the one that is available in the States through http://www.smokingpipes.com definitely has some floral essence added but the major player is bergamot. Think Earl Grey tea, in fact, Earl Grey tea makes a perfect pairing while smoking this one. Very strong nicotine but always smokes soft and cool, no harsh notes to speak of. If you're like me and crave a good stout smoke, put this at the top of your "to try" list as it is truly a delight. Most people won't find this to be any every day smoke but it's coming close to being just that for me. I do prefer this more in the winter months.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Trio 13 (dedicated to Dark Flake)

Age When Smoked: Fresh (plume already on flake)

Purchased From: www.smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Coniston Cut Plug is the only other flake I can compare this to and even then they are not that similar. Similar in strength to; Brown Irish X, Brown Bogie and Dark Bird's Eye..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2016-01-28		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable

I received a few ounces of this in a trade. Seems fairly fresh in the bag. I chewed tobacco for several years, and the aroma of this smells exactly like Skoal Classic. I'm not even sure Skoal makes Classic anymore, I remember chewing it back in the mid-nineties.

Anyway, the long flakes rub out well, and my batch seemed to light fairly well. The topping seems to transfer to the smoke in it's true form. The only way I can describe the aroma, is a smoked rose witch hazel. It is truly unique!

Does have a decent nicotine hit. I wasn't a fan of the DGT with this. It seemed a bit sharp. If you are looking for a true Lakeland tobacco with a decent punch, give this a shot!

Age When Smoked: unknown

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoke_Ring (158)	2013-07-24		Medium	Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dark Flake Scented;

Star Rating = 3.5;

Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst;

Pouch Note = 9;

Room Note = 9;

Flavor = 9;

Bite = 9;

Burn = 9;

After Taste = 9;

Raw Score = 54;

Rated Percentage = 90%;

Comment = Smooth, Medium Strength, Full Body Tobacco, has a little Fruity Flavor, has a slight After Taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blue Bayou (60)	2012-10-14		Strong	Medium	Very Full	Tolerable

I smell lavender & soapy but pleasant fragrances in this strong blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-10-15		Strong	Medium	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dark Flake Scented is an in your face, full bodied, rich flavored Flake of notable strength, with a Tonquin essence. Despite its fullness, it is always smooth with a consistent flavor, aroma and creamy mouth feel, regardless of prep method, folded and stuffed, torn into strips, cut into small squares or fully rubbed out. No subtlety here, but a well behaved brute. Burns slow and cool all the way down. Full of Vitamin "N" but not over the top.

If you prefer the Tonquin Lake Flake style over the Florals and want true richness and fullness in a smoke this one will deliver in spades. If you do not like the Tonquin and strength combination then its best to leave it to those that do.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-10-14		Strong	Medium	Extra Full	Strong

I really enjoy certain Lake land style scented tobaccos and this is one of them. This is a full flavored, full bodied offering with a strong tobacco flavor and scented aroma. Despite its strength and full body it is a smooth blend that never burns hot, does not become astringent nor develop any harshness. Burns cool and dry into a fine white ash to the bottom of the bowl. The scenting compliments the blends constituent tobaccos in both flavor and aroma which makes each bowl a truly pleasurable almost Zen experience. If you like lake flakes, and strong full flavored tobacco with a nice does of vitamin "N" this just may become a new addition to your rotation. If you really like this blend, I highly recommend giving Bosun cut plug a try as well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-08-25		Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A strong in your face aromatic tobacco. This one gets somewhat bitty halfway down. If like me you got lured in with mentions of 1792 I want to tell you something. RUN AWAY. Actually, no it isn't all that bad. It's not much for nuances of flavor or subtlety's, but if at the end of your day you require a hefty smoke you can puff away on in the company of others then this should do well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-08-25		Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

This is strong and full-flavored, as if you needed me to tell you that. When I bought it, it was called "Aromatic," but that would be a misleading description for most of us. The flavoring did not show up much in the pipe, being contrasted with the strong tobacco flavors, though you could smell the tonquin in the tin. I didn't really like the flavor of the tobacco, as it had the same hairspray-like quality I noted with Rum Flake, though not so much as to make the experience too unpleasant. Decent enough leaf overall; I'd gladly smoke it if I didn't have to go out of my way to get it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-11-22		Very Strong	Strong	Very Full	Tolerable

This is another good tobacco from Gawith and Hogarth. I like all of their virginia flakes including the scented ones.

I got this as a sample and im glad i did because it is a bit to strong for me so I will stay with Kendal Flake, hence the three stars. However if you like youre Lakeland florals on the heavy side this is definutly for you.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-04-08		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

OK, this is pretty much the strangest tobacco I've had to date. I've smoked it a bit, and come to the conclusion it's not for me, but that said, if you like Lakelands and want something with a full flavored approach, or if you like full flavored tobacco and are curious about Lakelands, give this a whirl. I haven't yet found a Lakeland I really enjoy, and not for lack of trying. (Then again, I don't consider 1792 a Lakeland, and like it, same for Cob Plug, and many of the Gawith Hoggarth blends are favorites, even some which have a touch of Lakeland essence.) For me personally, it's a two star tobacco, but I will give it three stars here based on the fact that some folks will like it if they try it, it's obviously high quality tobacco, treated carefully, but just not up my alley.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluenoser (34)	2009-08-11		Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

You sure get to taste all the ingredients in this one;traditional British flavorings, as well as tonquin, maple, and licorice. I liked it very much but will be sticking with 1792 which is in the same genre as DFS.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-03-24		Very Strong	Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, it's finally happened. All of the public restrooms within driving radius of my house are out of urinal cakes and soap. There are, of course, substitutes sold at the supermarket for home use but I, for one, care less for them. I have written to the mayor to try and get him to divulge his source, but to no avail.

I specifically asked about the bus stop restroom on Kärnterstrasse, because they were The Best. With a hint of mint, plenty of honeysuckle oil and a touch of rose madder (the real deal) they not only provided a great smoke, once dried, but also left a great scent in my Bo Nordh nautilus and a very pretty pink tinge to my cake. I found they tasted best when savored with a small glass of soap from rest-stop 3 on the A2 autobahn. But, since they are no longer being stocked in the urinals and the soap is all but gone, I am deeply saddened.

Enter Dark Flake Scented!

Of all the flakes Gawith Hoggarth offers in both scented and unscented versions, this is by far the least scented. I don't know if the scenting is less liberally applied or it's just a matter of Dark Flake being so damn powerful that nothing can cover its vital brutal huge flavor.

Whatever the case, I agree that this is a palate plasterer. The scenting for me is only slightly floral and nothing else. (and no match for a real urinal cake, let no one fool you). I don't taste any tonquin maple nor licorice.

Like the unscented version this is a true strong tobacco experience. Once burning well it's as smooth and rich a smoke as any. The light floral dusting here helps during light up to reduce harshness and then, for me at least, fades into the background. Nicotine is rather extreme, making this a bad candidate for a 'work smoke' should you be lucky enough to smoke whilst working.

All in all a great companion to the U/S version, but no replacement for bathroom products.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-01-19		Strong	Strong	Very Full	Tolerable

This is one mean tobacco. If you like a lot of nicotine and unrelenting flavor, this might be your tobacco. This blend has some aromatic bits to it, but you must smoke this very slowly to appreciate. Also do not smoke on an empty stomach, it will hurt you. I also would say to smoke it in a fairly small bowl, and do so slowly or else your tongue will suffer. It would also be noted that this tobacco needs to be rubbed out fully and dried before enjoying.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-05-18		Extremely Strong	Extra Strong	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is nearly the paramount of the ?love it or hate it? tabaks ? taking a backseat only to 1792 Flake & its variants and Erinmore (I enjoy both).

It?s a niccup episode waiting to happen. And it?s heaven on earth. But it can be as harsh as can be imagined (liberal air drying is highly recommended), and it?s often as cool as can be imagined.

I enjoy the Lake District flora/herbal thing, so I am biased. But this tabak tosses those flavors on top of a tabak that is ? to my tastes ? monotonous. The extra notes make all the difference!

Buddy

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-03-28		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dark Flake Scented.28/03/07. After seeing and reading Pipestud's,review this blend.It looked familiar and bell's started ringing in my memory bank! So,I wen't and checked my pipe tobacco log book. The verdict is that I have almost agreed with everything that Pipestud,has written! Pipestud's,comment's are to me "100% true and correct" Not that I doubted his opinion at all. "Highly recommended indeed"

1 person found this review helpful.