Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Plug pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 19 of 19 reviews of this tobacco
JimInks	02/11/2013	Very Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable
You like the cigar taste in your pipe tobacco? Then, here's a plug (pun intended, unfortunately for you) for this plug. Yeah, it's got that Lakeland essence, but it doesn't ruin the experience. The Virginia/burley flavors are wonderful and, from time to time as you smoke your way through a bowl, one becomes more obvious than the other in short bursts. The floral and hay notes are complimentary to the other components. It takes a little extra work, as plug tobacco always does, but dry it a little and you'll have a great smoke. But puff slow and eat well first or you'll be laying back in your chair wondering what Madame Nicotine hit you with!
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Dr. Scott	11/08/2011	Extremely Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong
G, H & Co.'s Dark Plug is not smoked for it's room note, or its ease of preparation. It is not a casual or quick smoke. Dark Plug is an English classic smoked when one has time to savor the subtle and natural flavors that mingle in its densely packed layers. I smoke plugs by preparing it in a cube cut, pieces about 3-4 mm. No need to dry or rub out. Fill the bowl by gravity and do not pack it down. It burns easily this way. The Lakeland essence is very lightly applied, and the occasional soapy floral notes are not a problem in this one. There is a pleasant sweetness typical of dark fired Virginias. The nicotine, one of the strongest doses I have ever experienced, is quite evident after just a few puffs. It pairs best with a view of the sea, and Herman Melville, and a prayer of thanksgiving to the Creator.
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albo	06/13/2011	Strong	Mild	Very Full	Tolerable
This starts off with a peppered steak sort of taste, a bit harsh on the throat, very strong and takes a lot of work to keep lit. Decent cigar like flavour though
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Russell	05/22/2011	Very Strong	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant
I ordered this from marscigars.com and it came as 5 big blocks in the package (500 gram) which I cubed and put into mason jars. This stuff is SMOOTH and has a lot of that floral licorice flavor that is found in rum flake, which is rum flake's best topping, in my opinion. It's cigar like, and is perhaps a tad stronger than the dark flake scented (my evening smoke), and much smoother. I cut it at an angle into small "chips" which expand as they burn, my favorite method for plugs, and let it dry for about an hour. Start out slow and work your way up, this stuff sneaks up on you. One of the best money can buy. I didn't know it could get cooler burning than the two dark flakes, but this is it. It smells and tastes like a floral licorice flavored cigar. Scotch choice with this one is Talisker 10.
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Poppy	10/18/2010	Extremely Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant
This tobacco have a good taste, but so strong with nicotine, it's sometime hard to smoke a entire bowl. If you like it I recommande to try Semois La brumeuse of V. Manil, little bite less strong but with the same taste.
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grymmeller	06/18/2010	Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong
Kendal Dark Plug Aromatic from Gawith Hogarth,I love this one,full sweet taste,a whirlwind of cool virginasmoke in my moth and nasal cavitys it´s ideal to consume using the "french inhalation"style smoking and it burns safe and even to the bottom of the bowl without getting foul in taste.This tobacco must be prepared for consumption with a sharp knife or a windowcleaners razorblade with some tape in the end to prevent fingers from soaking the KDPA with eagertosmoke blood.I use to cut it in 1-2mm thick flakes wich I rub out in a manner that gives me everything from tobaccodust up to small chunks.I fill the bowl with the chunks at the bottom of the bowl and progressing upwards with the finer texrures until I sprinkle the dust as a last preparation for a proper lightup.I smoke this tobacco preferably in a small Petersonpipe,bent systemstyle and it fits for both shy puffing and aggressive drawing inbetween.That thick white smoke grants for a nice close up from a hardworksday.Four stars!
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rramstad	03/31/2010	Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable
I like the Dark series, and probably like Dark Flake the best, because I like the cut and the way it burns. Dark Plug is a close second. The control over the preparation is the biggest feature, but the flip side is that the effort required to prepare it can be a bit of a hassle. Very strong in the nicotine department, also lots of flavor, can be a bit overwhelming.
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quantumboy	10/24/2009	Strong	None detected	Very Full	Tolerable
This is not one of my every day smokes since I normally prefer English blends, but it's an excellent alternative to a cigar. Some good strength, plenty of smoke, tastes very similar to a really good cigar but with more nuance and complexity. It's rich, absolutely refuses to bite and behaves very well in the pipe (my stash is quite dry, which helps). I can't smoke this while busy doing other things because I have to pay attention to it, nursing it to get the maximum flavor, and being sure I don't get any in my nose, which stings a little. Besides, to me it's one of those smokes for contemplative afternoon on the porch. If you're a cigar fan I think I can confidently say you'll love DP. I have lots of cigars in the house but with this around I don't light them up very often.
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Pipestud	07/10/2009	Very Strong	None detected	Very Full	Pleasant
I recently sold some of this to a gentleman who then gifted back to me a couple of chunks since I had never smoked it. Uh, thanks... I think. Whew, this is one tough locomotive with a nicotine wallop that will stop you in your tracks. Once properly prepared for smoking (no small task), have a large supply of butane at the ready because it is a buggar to keep lit. Flavor presentation: Anyone want to smoke a nicotine laden camp fire? I found Dark Plug to be biteless and very cool, but its claws scratched the back of my throat and I currently have a bad case of hiccups. So, I think I'll quit typing now.
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Jocose	01/27/2009	Strong	None detected	Full	Very Strong
Dark plug and Dark flake are congenerous blends but do notably differ. The obvious difference being the Dark flake has been pre-cut into flakes. Some of the more subtle differences between the two would be like comparing a Pepsi from yesteryears glass bottles to a Pepsi from an aluminum can, while the initial product is the same, the taste does vary. This is a strong, old fashioned, Dark-Fired Virginia/Burley blend in a thick, compact black plug, full of flavor and nicotine. Available in the US from Marscigars. This tobacco is not for those delicate flowers seeking hints of this or that or for those who find satisfaction in stuff like 1-Q. But rather it is for lovers of strong leaf and for those with a penchant for pain.
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Xeneize	08/25/2008	Very Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable
Before trying Dark Plug, I loathed the soapy flavor from Lakeland tobaccos. I even disliked Dunhill Light Flake, being on the very light side of the spectrum. Dark Plug has tought me how to enjoy this in a way I've never expected. Every puff is a pleasure only matched by my favorite Virginias. And it lasts longer, considering that due to its strength, I set it aside quite a few times during a bowl to recover from the nicotine kick. Not for long thou, since my palate is always eager for another puff. Slice a few flakes, rub them out, load a small chamber pipe and enjoy the ride.
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stieltje	07/26/2008	Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Most things have been said about this one. Something as simple and brutal as this, having such an outmost elegance, a bit hard to take in just by reading reviews. I enjoy this in a large bowl, of a half bent stanwell, a full load takes approx 2 hours. 2 good hours that is.
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BriarChef	07/16/2008	Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable
Unscented Dark Plug. I use a very sharp knife and shave this into almost hair fine shag. Load lightly for best results, and sip slowly. No bite, no soap. A nice nicotine delivery system,especially in a clay churchwarden, and a morning smoke if you want to dance the Masochism Tango. Great stuff, but not for newbies.
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Stuart Rankin	04/09/2008	Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
If you have ever slapped yourself awake after almost falling asleep at the wheel, you know why you need this. As advertised, and as others have noted, this is strong stuff. It is challenging in many ways - hard to come by, difficult to prepare, and smoking requires quite a bit of attention. That said, I found that Dark Plug was well worth the effort. There is some light-colored leaf, maybe 10%, but you wouldn't know it from the flavor. It's very spicy on the lips and in the nostrils, with much dark, tangy bitterness. In my opinion, this would be a good tobacco to tuck away with your emergency supplies. I guarantee this tobacco will take your mind off of whatever is bothering you.
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anixi	03/08/2007	Very Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant
Very easy to work with, moist flakes can be made very easily but they burn well without any drying. The cut flakes are best, IMO, smoked very well rubbed out. Taste is extra good, without harshness which is sometimes what you get from the Dark Flake. Burn is sporadic and variable. I've had to re-light on a bowlful many times. This doesn't seem to keep me away from it at all. Sometimes it's a welcome break from such a potent thing as this, the nico-hit was easily controlled by letting it gently go out. DGT is very highly recommended, even up to a week's wait will do this no harm, conversely much good!
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LatakiaLover	02/18/2007	Very Strong	None detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
TR's text editor doesn't handle cut-and-paste very well, so I'll just link to a full review elsewhere in the on-line tobacco world: http://forums.knoxcigar.net/viewtopic.php?t=6012
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Warwick	05/06/2006	Extremely Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
When I ordered Dark Plug from Mars Cigar, I had kinda expected Dark Plug to be about the same as Dark Flake...perhaps just harder to work with. There is of course alot of similarity in the flavors between the two. However I was quite surprised at how pleasantly melded and harmonious DP was compared to DF. Upon lighting, there is the Lakeland floral/soapy note in both versions. (I generally dislike that Lakeland note.) DF is a strong, even harsh blend, and is abrasive on the throat. By contrast, DP is strong yet coherent, not at all harsh or abrasive, and the Lakeland note seems to augment this harmony; whereas this floral note seems to me incongruous in DF's in-your-face presentation. The plug is fairly easy to work with a pocket knife, and the moisture content is about right, making it not too gummy nor too brittle to cut, and minimal drying is required. Like DF, this is _extremely_ potent in the nicotine arena...I consider DF/DP the strongest blend I've ever smoked. Partly because of this, it is an occasional delight only, yet its quality earns it 4 stars. If you like GH ropes and/or other GH Kendals, its worth a try.
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tobacconist	02/14/2006	Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

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Cobnut	05/03/2005	Very Strong	None detected	Very Full	Tolerable
This dark brown plug tobacco is certainly not for the novice pipesmoker.My 100gr chunk came with just the right amount of moisture to it.as a result it could go strait from plug to pipe.The tobacco slices and rubs out easily It lites and stays lit without much effort .Strong and full bodied it burns slowly .Not sweet,but more spicy ,with at times a cigar like quality to it .Cool with no tongue bite,I find Dark Plug a very satisfying smoke.Best in a medium bowl pipe
Showing reviews 1 through 19 of 19 reviews of this tobacco