Samuel Gawith: SQUADRON LEADER 50g

This is my current favorite, the Latakia dominates but it is a great smoke.

A nice medium English oriental. A little to mild for myself. It has a lovely aroma and light taste but not enough of my favorite Latakia tobacco that I so cherish in my blends. A good smoke I suppose for those who like this type of mixture. I prefer perfection, or commonwealth myself. Cheers.

This is the best traditional English. The perfect hint of subtle flavors. Yes you have to slowly cure it as with most Gawith blends but the rewards are well worth it. You can just sense the old world craftsmanship in it. It is not a Lat bomb and nor should it be as English blends should be mild and mellow.

Smoked 10 bowls in a warm climate with new cob. Had a tomato BBQ ribs tin note and a 'starter fluid' harshness on the finish when smoked. Going to jar it for a month and try it again.

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.