Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader

A classic English blend named in honor of the men who flew in the two World Wars. Bright and Dark Virginias are blended with Latakias and Turkish to offer a medium strength smoke with a subtle nutty flavor mixing with those of the Orient make this a cool smoke suited to casual puffing or an all day smoke.

Squadron Leader has been around a long time.  It was around before I began smoking a pipe over 30 years ago.  I have been smoking it for about 10 years now so I now feel it is time for a review. 

Squadron Leader is a medium strength English blend of Virginia and oriental, including latakia, tobaccos.  They are cut in medium size ribbons.  I prefer a finer ribbon cut, but this is not a big deal.  The tin aroma is very nice and typically English.   The moisture level, like all of the Gawith blends, is a bit on the damp side.  

I like to open the tin a day before I will smoke it and let the tobacco air (breath) for 24 hours.  I have smoked Squadron Leader in pipes of all sizes and they all work well, but the larger the bowl the better this blend smokes because of the large cut.  

The first taste is mild and strength builds as you smoke.  Halfway down the flavor is very nice and what I consider to be of medium strength.   The Latakia is there, but not overpowering the other tobaccos.  There is complexity here, like a fine orchestration you can pick out each instrument, in this case tobacco.   They merge together very well with a full symphony of flavor.  That "leathery" taste of good English tobacco is here as well.  

If you wish to put some away for aging the blend becomes very smooth with the typical melding of tobacco tastes that comes from aging.   All in all, Squadron Leader is one of the finest English blends available.  If you have never smoked an English blend it is an excellent place to start.  If you like English blends, but you have never tried Squadron Leader, by all means get some.  As a bonus, Squadron Leader is very attractively priced and is one of the best bargains in pipe tobacco.  Squadron Leader is available in tins and bulk.  They are the same blend in either form you buy it.  Tins are preferable for aging while bulk is an even better buy.  You can't lose.