Japan Tobacco Condor Plug

This is the same as the long flake and ready rubbed with two exceptions. The sweet flavors here seem subtly more pronounced and fermented than they are in the other cuts. The floralness is very slightly less obvious. And while I gave this the same strength and taste ratings as the others, I'd say this just a tad less so in both departments, though that may be because I get a slight more smoothness here. The differences are minor, but I notice them. Therefore, the rest of this review is essentially a duplicate of the Long Flake version, though the plug may need more relights.

The flavor of the Virginia is mostly hidden, though I do get some earth and a hint of grass from it. The topping is a little perfumy and soapy, and definitely floral. I get some dark fruitiness (slightly tangy) which may come from either the topping or the tobacco; it's a little hard to decide which, but perhaps it's from both. I sense a little citrus, too. There’s a slight sharpness to it that I associate with burley, so perhaps a little is present? Has a nice nic-hit. Not as overwhelming as I had expected, which is a plus, but I consider this to be more for an experienced smoker. Fully flavored, burns slow with a consistent taste, which is more of an acquired one for many smokers. Leaves no moisture or dottle. May require more relights than the other versions, depending upon how you prepare the flake. It's not an all day smoke, but if this fits your flavor profile, repetition will enter your mind. Will ghost a pipe fast, so be prepared to either dedicate a briar or a cob to it. I suggest trying it out in a meer first.

Update: 6-1-2018: Condor is now made in Poland, much to its detriment. The tobaccos have less strength and (practically no) nuances. The toppings are different, and weaker, though some soap and floralness are present. Has a bitter, unattractive sourness not present in the older manufacture. Will still ghost a briar and a meer. In the last third of the bowl, I detected a cigarette note that I never experienced before. The plug itself is moister and more pliable than before. In short, it’s not the same plug as before. This version gets one star.

-JimInks

I recently had a customer send me a lot of the small 25g pouches of Condor Plug to sell and I had to buy one for myself as I'd never tried it. Boy, is it a bugger to prepare. The wad of plug is dense and required a lot of shaving to get the proper amount of leaf required for a bowl in my pipe. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I did not find this one to be overly moist or gooey. Perhaps because of all the age, the contents moisture meter was on the low side of the middle. Strong Virginia flavor with a definitive floral casing that enhanced the presentation. My pipe must have really loved this tobacco because it has retained the smell of the leaf despite a couple of months of just sitting dormant.

Pipestud

Condor Plug, same as any other Condor but in plug form. Nice and tasty. Perfumy, floral, and sweet at first. Casing vanishes about half way thru the bowl (though not completely) and leaves you with a nice Virginia glow, with a hint of leather.

Enough nicotine to satisfy. Does ghost a pipe fiercely, so try it in a corn cob pipe before smoking in a briar.

Oh, and I don't know who the crack head/meth addict is who writes descriptions on this site, but it is NOT a plug of latakia.

Ahhhhhh... what can I say about Condor Plug? You ain't lived until you've had it and you ain't really had Condor until you've had it in plug form. Sure it's similar in flavor to the Long Cut & Ready Rubbed but you also get flavors from the dense plug that you just can't get from other cuts, it's the perfect form of tobacco and I wish we would see more hit the market but I'm afraid the opposite is happening... Plugs are disappearing from the market. In this "quick fix" age we live in, it seems most people can't be troubled with plugs, it's a crying shame. This is an all day smoke for me and the nicotine level is just above medium so it's incredibly satisfying on all fronts. The flavoring is just as strong as it is on the Long Cut but it's not as heavy handed as the Ready Rubbed. I slice a few flakes off, rub them out and let them dry for no more than 15 minutes, this is one of the few tobaccos I like to smoke with a decent amount of moisture. I'm putting this review under both the Bar and Plug listings as there is no difference and I'm not sure why there are two listings for the same tobacco. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go slice a few flakes off my plug.

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL!!!

Describing the flavor of Condor in any great detail is difficult to do. Condor is a unique, complex, and mysterious blend. Soap, flowers, perfume are commonly used descriptors, and I, too, find them applicable. I also pick up some grassiness and dark, tangy fruit from the Virginias, though this part of the experience mainly comes through during the back end of the retrohale. The smoke is smooth, creamy, and cool. I expected more spice (there is some), but I am happy here with the smoothness, as it balances the power of the topping.

In terms of nicotine content this blend is near strong. The taste experience is full. This blend has never given me any harshness or bite. Preparation takes some time. I find that slicing off thin flakes and breaking them up a bit works best. This does require more relights than my usual high average.

I strongly recommend Condor Plug. That said, the Condor I have smoked predates the shift in production away from the Ballymena Gallaher's factory. I have heard that the flavor of Condor has changed somewhat in the current production. When I have smoked fresh Condor I will update my review.

Gallaher - Condor Plug.

Once the cellophane wrapping is removed a very dark and dense plug is revealed. Because of the density it's also trapped too much moisture inside; this makes itself apparent when I begin slicing the plug. Although it's quite firm once some sheets of tobacco have been sliced from the plug they're relatively easy to rub to a good smoking consistency. The smell is floral with a slight smokiness in the background.

I'm impressed with how easy this takes to lighting. Sometimes I find plug tobaccos can be tricky to ignite due to them still being left too rugged and lumpy after prep' but this has reached the form of a rubbed out flake enabling it to light with the same simplicity of a good flake and then it keeps burning well for the whole duration of the smoke.

The main taste I get is a floral one. This floral attribute gets stronger as the smoke goes on; it seems to be most floral tasting out of all the Condor tobacco's I've had. Sadly, for me, this flavour covers most of the natural tobacco tastes.

Nicotine is roughly the same as the ready rubbed green Condor.

I enjoy the flake and ready rubbed versions but I find this one too floral for my tastes. Sadly, not recommended.

One star.

A tiny little nugget of powerful tobacco, full strength and flavour, with a floral topping.

I'm a fan of Condor, although I probably smoke more St Bruno, and being keen on plugs, had to try this! It's not easy to get in England, unlike the Condor ready rubbed, but my brother got me a consignment from Ireland. Only seems to come in 25g bits, good for freshness I suppose, although it doubles the number of times you'll be cutting up the last and off a plug, which can be awkward. There at two ways to cut plug, one can put it on a chopping block and slice it into flakes with a large, sharp chefs knife. Alternatively, and I think more traditionally, hold it in your hand and shave bits of with a small, very sharp penknife, catching the shavings in the hand you're holding the plug in. I favour the latter method, and try to make really thin shavings that don't need much rubbing out. A mixture of different sized shavings seems to help keep it lit.

So the plug. It's dense and black and quite moist, with the unique Condor fragrance immediately apparent. If prepared right out lights easily and doesn't need relights. The flavour is full, leathery, with some soapy floral hints. The aroma will scare those of delicate constitution, although it doesn't hang around in a room for long I've noticed. This stuff is Strong! A real pocket rocket, ideal for a small pipe to get one's fix in these days of no indoor smoking... Good stuff.

Condor Plug is my first experience with this style of tobacco. It is a singular experience that some love and some hate. I love it! The taste is a very powerful floral, musty, licorice, dark fruit experience. It reminds me of potpourri, old books, damp leaves, prunes, raisins. The tobacco taste is sublimated by the topping to be sure but when the topping is so good, who cares? The nicotine is present but I don't think it's as strong as some say. It has a satisfying amount of nicotine for me and I'm a former cigarette smoker.

It requires a fair amount of relights and as a true plug (made from whole leaf, not ribbon cut) it requires both more time to prepare into shavings and some drying time. If you are able to get your hands on this you will not be disappointed.

Upon opening the small cellophane packet one is confronted by dark brown to almost black diminutive plug of richly scented tobacco. The immediate aroma is extremely floral, not a high floral note but one which has considerable depth with a piquant vinegar note that can be detected in the sinuses. Unlike American style plugs, of which most seem to be 'crumble cakes', this is a true plug with whole leaf tobacco layered together before pressing. The depth of color indicates that this plug was most likely hot pressed. Although dense by the standards of plug tobacco I find this is somewhat softer and easier to prepare than say, Dan Tobacco Salty Dogs or Peterson 3P's, although a sharp, sturdy blade is a vital piece of equipment here. My usual preparation is to slice small flakes from the plug, cross-cutting through the layers of leaf and then to subsequently rub those flakes out into a coarse ribbon. This will require a small amount of drying time before packing. Both the charring light and the true light release plentiful plumes of dense, white smoke, with the floral toppings considerably sublimating the taste of the underlying tobacco. As one settles into a rhythm however, the underlying flavors of the tobacco come more to the forward, but are always accompanied by the topping, yet more balanced than one may imagine with a tobacco of this style. A rich, almost cocoa like flavor along with hints of smokiness and a mild, sorghum type sweetness sets a base, with a rounded grass note interplaying with the toppings at the high end. The smoke in the mouth is full and rich; if one retrohales, one is privy to an intense and satisfying experience. I found that no matter my smoking cadence this would not bite although the flavor can become slightly rough around the edges with the retrohale developing a sharpness that, while not unpleasant, takes away from the experience. Mechanically this will require a few more relights than average due to the inherent coarseness of the rubbed out tobacco compared to say, a Dunhill style ribbon. However when lit the tobacco burns at a steady pace, giving the smoker a longer smoke than might be anticipated. Progressing to the heel of the bowl a small amount of dottle is not uncommon, along with some moisture. Nicotine strength is strong but depends on ones tolerance. I have been taken aback on occasion but partaking in this tobacco after a reasonably sized meal will temper this strength. In conclusion I find Condor Plug an extremely satisfying smoke, dense with flavor and heavy with aroma but more nuanced than one may imagine.

As the previous review noted Condor has moved production. I also talk about this in my review for Condor ready rubbed. The ready rubbed moreso than the plug has suffered drastically from the move, but the plug, while weaker in strength than the old version, still retains some of the magic of the old Condor

While I found the old versions of Condor highly recommended, now I shall only recommend the plug version

RR - One/two stars

Plug - Three stars