| Manufacturer: |
Gawith & Hoggarth
|
| Name: |
Mahogany Flake
|
| Weight (net): |
50g
|
| Packing: |
Tin
|
| Tobacco type: |
Lakeland
|
| Strength: |
Medium
|
| Tobacco species: |
Virginia
|
| Cut: |
Flake
|
| Flavour: |
Vanilla, floral essence,
and soapy secret
|
| Tongue agreeableness: |
Very good
|
| Burning behavior: |
Good
|
| Condensate: |
Less
|
| Aroma constancy: |
Very good
|
| Cut quality: |
Very good
|
| Plugability: |
Very good
|
| Humidity: |
Good
|
| Light-up: |
Very good
|
Gawith & Hoggarth
Mahogany Flake
Mahogany Flake is a smooth, cool-smoking tobacco made from air-cured Virginia flake from the Old Belt. The subtle mahogany note adds depth, while creamy almond aromas gently caress the palate. Its light flavoring ensures a pleasant room note.
Characterisation:
Opening the rectangular tin, you first see the cardboard lid with an engraving of the manufacturer's old factory. Beneath, wrapped in wax paper, lies a stack of Mahogany Flake. The slices are marbled in medium and dark brown with lighter flecks. A kind of sugary sheen covers the surface, likely due to the flavoring. This is also noticeable in the aroma, reminiscent of orange blossoms and dried citrus peel. The flakes' high elasticity reveals their residual moisture content. Allowing them to air dry for a while before plugging them will improve the smoking experience.
Plugging:
The high elasticity of Mahogany Flake makes it easy to bend and fold the flake slices in the traditional way before placing them in a reasonably sized pipe. A few loose crumbs on top of the filling will catch the flame more easily. In fact, Mahogany Flake can also be ground to the desired fineness to create a ready-rubbed without any loss of flavor. This is also quite easy to pack into the pipe – but it's best not to pack it too tightly.
Light up:
As usual, the first flame prepares the surface. The tamper smooths the embers so that the second flame can follow. This ensures the Mahogany Flake burns evenly.
Smoking properties:
As the cold aroma suggests, the Mahogany Flake displays a floral aroma with hints of fruit. As usual, the Virginia base requires a little attention while smoking. One shouldn't try too hard to extract the aroma from the tobacco, but rather smoke leisurely. Occasionally using the tamper to bring the ember closer to the tobacco also benefits the smoking experience. The base tobacco of the Mahogany Flake reveals itself with the expected notes of toasted bread and hay. This harmonizes well with the aroma and combines with the "soapy secret" to create a smoke imbued with a light perfume. Towards the end, the Virginia flavor becomes dominant, but soon only light ash, a few unburned crumbs, and hardly any condensate remain. Cleaning is correspondingly simple.
Redolency:
The room note of Mahogany Flake is subtle and further softened by the aroma. However, being considerate of non-smokers is still advisable.
Conclusion:
Mahogany Flake is a rather dark, marbled flake with a striking floral citrus aroma and equally remarkable elasticity. This makes it easy to plug into the pipe in the traditional way. However, one should still pay attention while smoking. For more experienced smokers, Mahogany Flake offers floral fruit notes, a light perfume aroma reminiscent of Irish blends (Lakeland!), and also hay and toasted bread from the underlying Virginia tobacco. The combination of Irish aroma with hints of orange makes this tobacco particularly appealing to enthusiasts of this specific style.
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