KK doesn’t change much at all during the smoke. What you get at the light pretty much stays the same all the way down. The overall flavor may get a bit richer and fuller, but the profile doesn’t change. The flavor, you ask? It’s like describing the flavor of your favorite candy bar without being able to actually see the components. From KK, I get a sweet nuttiness like cashews. I get slightly bitter cocoa. There is a spiciness that tickles my tongue occasionally. If anything actually changes with this blend, it would be that the spiciness becomes more pronounced as the bowl progresses. And lingering in the background is that Gawith Hoggarth flavor that I can detect in almost every blend they make. In some it’s pronounced, and in others, such as KK, it’s very subdued. The overall effect is a beautiful taste that just makes me want to smoke bowl after bowl. Another thing worth mentioning is the sidestream on this one. The sweet chocolaty cigar-like notes that emanate from the smoldering bowl will make your eyes roll back in your head with ecstasy.

Lastly, the end of a bowl of KK will make you feel awfully good about your pipe smoking prowess. Even a novice such as myself can pretty easily smoke it down to the proverbial white ash. The only possible drawback to this blend is the amount of nicotine it imparts. To call it substantial would be a bit of an understatement. Just keep a glass of tea or soda next to you, and you’ll be fine.

There is some sort of topping and/or casing (or that famous Lakeland essence) that gives a very pleasant herbal-spicy aroma. KK has a floral taste with occasional soapy tones. The Lakeland essence fades with a little time to air out, and is not nearly as pronounced as in other G, H & Co. blends.

But the main attraction in KK is its powerful nicotine hit. It has one of the strongest doses of nicotine available.

If smoked too fast, the flavor is lost and the smoke becomes bitter. The floral taste gets a little old by the bottom of the bowl. And your pipe will smell like Lakeland "essence" for a long time after the tobacco is gone.

I wouldn't buy this one again. I will probably mix it with some weaker and milder aromatics or Virginias that need a little kick.

This is also a good Tobacco to clean out a smelly pipe the has to much aromatic flavor in it.

I took a star away due to the shag cut, as I think this would be a 4 star if the cut were ribbon.

Still a good choice if you want a good strong unadulterated Tobacco.

Ground to a fine dust, this is stuff the English of yore snorted deeply and that made it into the novels of Sterne and Swift. So I find it's wonderfully evocative of a lost time and culture. Like Murads, Fatimas, Henry Clays and Don Alfredos.

Great if you love burley and a little strength. For a Virginia lover, it was a little off base for me.

Great smoke. It will be part of my rotation. Requires a fairly steady sip and frequent tamping (very lightly) to keep it lit but this a minor inconvenience compared to the full tobacco taste and round smoke it provides. I experience no after taste even though it takes two or three pipefuls before I feel like I've had enough. I recommend a tall cup of strong black coffee to accompany this smoke and don't try to stand up immediately afer you finish your pipe. It has given me reason to consider other shags which I have historically avoided.

I will always forgive a tobacco other sins when it smokes down to a fine white ash. Makes me feel like I've done somwthing right.

It smells nice in the bag (like all G,H&co. pipe tobaccos, it seems you can only buy this weighed out loose in England, so no nice tins) and has an attractive, uniform, burnt umber colouring. Despite the shag cut I found this tobacco to be easy to deal with and lacked both the wimpy ability to put flavour across and the temperamentality I usually find in this kind of tobacco.

The flavour has been well described here; being (to my tastebuds) woody and toasty with a hint of spice and a slight bitter dry edge softened with a natural and delicate muscovado sweetness.

Although this is a fairly strong tobacco I had no probelms with the occasional inhale because of it's seemingly complete lack of additives or flavourings (which always seem to irritate my lungs). I also tried rolling it in a cigarette paper and found it quite enjoyable - retaining it's full flavour and being of a much higher quality than any other hand rolling tobacco I've ever tried, which is admittedly, a limited number.

I can hardly fault the stuff. If you like smoking full flavoured, natural and high quality tobacco and you don't like paying huge amounts of money for the privellage you could do much worse than to smoke this!

Very similar to Kendal Dark so if you're interested in this you may also wish to read reviews of the other.

EDIT: Two things that I have experienced that I think I should pass along. 1. Dont smoke on an empty stomach

2. This tobacco is strong enough to do a basement or garage run when in the company of non-smokers and still get your 'fix'.

Happy Smoking all !

Its now 2010 and I have a new shipment of KK. Surprisingly its a bit stronger than the batch that I had last year, but still delivers. Got some Dark Birds Eye this time too, I seem to like that a bit better than the KK. Going to jar up a few oz's of the KK and see what happens in a few months.

1-24-10 Mixed in 30% or so of Nicotiana Rustica. If you don't know what that is, google it, or see my review, "Nicotiana Rustica Bundles." Quite the nicotine bomb. Neither Kendal Kentucky nor Rustica are elegant tobaccos. KK by itself leaves a funky taste in your mouth. It has its charm, though, and will certainly satisfy your nicotine cravings.

4-11-11 Still strong, but at this point, I've had stronger. I like shag now. This has mellowed with age.