Manufacturer Description:
Another Samuel Gawith original, Skiff is for the pipe-smoker who appreciates the fuller flavour of an Oriental blend. Blending a variety of different styles of flue-cured tobaccos gives Skiff its characteristic yellow and brown features. Its real identity comes with the addition of Turkish and a beautiful Latakia giving the blend its full, round taste.
Characterisation:
The Skiff looks as coloured mixture of different tobaccos: The palette is from light to dark brown and black.
The single tobaccos are cut different. Short, medium width, medium long, wide and small streaks are well mixed. The tobacco develops a discreet but typical smell of an oriental mixture with Latakia. The humidity is optimal.
Plugging:
Due to the different cuts it’s recommended to twist portions of the mixture between the fingers to fluffy bowls and put them carefully and not too compact into the pipe.
Light up:
The Skiff could be light up without any problem. A flame is enough to light up the tobacco. Thereby it tends a little bit to straighten up. After slightly dampened down with the tamper and anew light up the tobacco glows constant to the end.
Smoking properties:
With the first draws the skiff shows it’s spicy fine taste. The Orient is dominating, but Virginia and Latakia are remarkable too. The combination results in a full-bodied but mellow taste. The Skiff glows down equally and rather cool without the need of too much attention. Thereby it develops less condensate. The Skiff is light to medium and compliant the whole day. The taste is rather constant and the remaining ash shows a medium to dark grey.
Redolency:
The redolence is unique. Both Orient and Latakia define the smell of the blend. For enthusiasts of those kind of tobaccos the smell is pleasing, whereby the Virginia soften it a little bit. But as most mixtures with Latakia the Skiff isn’t suited for any society.
Conclusion:
The Skiff is a coloured mixture of different tobacco species with different cuts. The spicy character is dominated by the Turkish Orient and some Latakia, but it’s soften definitely by the Virginia, so that a full-bodied but mellow taste results. The redolence is typical for English blends with Latakia, but not too obtrusive. Burning behaviour is unspectacular, the Skiff glows equal and cool with less condensate. Due the pleasing taste, good agreeableness and good-natured behaviour this mixture could be smoked the whole day. Thereby the Skiff is suited to both the experienced smoker and the beginner related to English mixtures.
Copyright © 2009 by TECON GmbH
with friendly support of Heinz-Günter Döteberg
