This was originally sold to me as a ryo, opening the packet not so, this is a shag cut pipe tobacco.

Opening the packet one can be forgiven that there is no scent at all coming from the pouch, but once you dig deep there is delicate aromas coming up from the pouch a fresh virginia and burley scent, this is a pure straight up unscented uncased virginia burley mixture. quite moist out of the pouch, this does need some drying time, as packing straight out the pouch can just leave a plug of tobacco that is impossible to get lit and stay lit. If drying isnt your thing this needs to be packed looser than normal. It does take a bit of a certain knack to pack it correctly, i find it smokes best, slightly dried in a falcon pipe with billiard bowl. Lighting up and progressing through the smoke, the tastes are delicate but enjoyable, nice lemony citrus tastes, along with a slight spice and nuttyness from the burley. Again a certain knack is needed as to regards with smoking pace, if you try to rush this it will bite hard, but with the right smoking pace (i found slow, gentle sips of my pipe got the best from this mixture) this can be a very enjoyable experience for someone who is looking for a straight up unscented unflavoured mixture. Although this isnt my normal go to type of blend, i do enjoy this mixture from time to time, and the price is very reasonable as well. I have had bad experiences with shag cuts before but this has turned my oppinion, a good qaulity shag cut tobacco can be just as enjoyable as any other good pipe tobacco. A solid three star rating from me.

You'll see some bright in there, some honey-colored/light-brown stuff, and some very dark leaf (fire cured). The smell is out of this world. The fire-cured weed is a nice contrast in appearance and scent to the other components and offers the spicy, woody, and very slightly herbal notes you may detect in other fire-cured Lakeland tobaccos. The flavor is all natural. This is tobacco, tobacco, and tobacco.

As with a majority of Lakeland offerings, you get a savory sweetness rather than the tangy, aggressive zing of some mixtures (particularly VAs from McClelland). The brights and browns offer rustic flavors and smells -- very tasty without becoming too grassy or like cilantro. The dark portion is the leaf you'd find in Dark Birdseye or Dark Flake. It's there both to the nose and palate, but certainly not in the majority. There is, however, plenty to satisfy without sacrificing the harmony of the blend or distracting the smoker with blasts of nicotine.

I packed this stuff in with some pressure, and I believe the key is to produce a log of sorts that fills the bowl snugly from heel to rim in one packing. Going in thirds or packing too lightly -- in other words, leaving gaps of any measure in the bowl -- can interrupt the continuity of the blend's flavor or cause the tobacco to burn too quickly. I can smoke an entire bowl on one match. I also suggest dumping some ash as the tobacco burns down. Tamping down too much fine ash can choke the ember, though you may want to leave a slightly layer to keep the burn rate steady.

In summary, you get all-natural tobacco of the highest quality, an easy burning smoke, enough depth of flavor (complexity) to be very interesting and inviting from start to finish, good mouthfeel and stout body, and a generous taste of all the best tobaccos Gawith Hoggarth & Co. has to offer in a single mixture.