Samuel Gawith Cannon Plug

You will all think I'm insane for calling this a mild to medium flavoring, but it is not an aromatic and I would say it is strongly scented, not strongly flavored. I ordered it out of curiosity, but it may well become a favorite. It is not my usual practice to review a tobacco after only one bowl, so I smoked a second to be sure! This has to be the most easily prepared plug I have thus far smoked: I simply tore off a chunk and rubbed it for a couple of seconds in my fingers before stuffing it almost whole into a small-bowled Jobey. (Note: I was working off of a piece cut off by the retailer and the main section of the plug might take more prep time!) I was greeted with a heavily perfumed yet mild and pleasant smoke in which the scent (I do not know whether it is honeydew or patchouli, but I like it) was VERY present throughout the bowl, but I could still taste the quality Gawith tobacco behind it. I huffed and I puffed, and found particular pleasure in blowing the smoke out of my nose, but there was no bite to be found. Cannon is also not as strong as 1792 or Irish Flake (Peterson's), but if heavily scented is not your thing, or if the scent of this one is not one that you enjoy, you would dump it out in a hurry. I like Erinmore, and that is a love or hate tobacco as well, but the scent in Erinmore fades a bit as you smoke through the bowl. This scent is quite different, and it does not fade-if anything, it gets stronger. I will use an analogy to the bergamot in Earl Grey tea; it's not quite the same as bergamot of course, but the effect is similar. Earl Grey is tea with something else, and you may or may not like the something else.

For my second bowl, I used a whole leaf that had fallen off the bulk plug, and wadded it up and simply inserted it into the bowl. It smoked just fine, and I got a mainline of that scent, which, if I do not tire of it, may well become a welcome companion to my smoking experience. I'm sure I will not want him (her?) around all the time-i.e. maybe I need to dedicate a pipe to this blend. I'm sure I will need pure unadulterated Virginia still, but I just might go on a kick with this weed!

The plug is a thing of beauty in the bag. The scent can be smelled easily through the plastic! I got it from a popular internet retailer named after a certain planet in the solar system, or Roman god. I ordered with it an equal 4 oz sample of the more natural Kendal Plug and some Turkish blending tobacco. The tobacconist sent me extra of each, and the plugs look more like 6 oz than 4. This supplier has done this for me before without provocation, and when this happens, it makes me want to reciprocate by giving them some free advertising, a free plug, so to speak.

Well, I will certainly have fun with this. I will update my review if I feel differently about the blend in any way, positive or negative, or just to relate how it changes with aging. One note: this plug is quite a bargain at about 10 or 11 dollars for 4 oz, so even if you hated it, it would make a great hockey puck or mantlepiece curio.

The first time I tried this tobacco, I was unimpressed. Now, after two years have passed, I decided to try it again. Wow! This was an incredible change of pace for me. My normal tobaccos consist of Va's and Vapers. Consequently, I thought that I would still be unimpressed with this tobacco.

I smoked the cannon plug in a new corn cob pipe. I have found that a briar does not give the same characteristics as a corn cob. Additionally, I have found it is necessary to have a tobacco cutter to get a smokable flake. If you like plugs, it is well worth your time and money to pick one up off of eBay!

The flavors where incredible, very dessert like in nature; the aromatic nature of this tobacco does not posses an artificial chemical nature, as found in most aromatics. Some describe the smell to be of patchouli, I strongly disagree. It has its own essence. To describe it is like trying to describe what a banana taste like to someone who has never tried it. The smoke was pleasant, fruit and flower like, smooth, and non-biting. Albeit, it is is probably best to smoke this outside, because the smell will linger a while after wards.

The first pipe full was so pleasant, I had to grab another pipe and lit up again. I truly fell in love with this tobacco, and look forward to smoking it again soon.

Just plain weird. It doesn't look like the picture; it's much more dense. From a distance, it looks like a brick. In fact, it looks like that close up. And even before I took it out of the pouch I smelled a strong scent of patchouli. To break it up, I tried two techniques: First, i tried to cut a flake two ways: with the layered leaf and against it. Neither works as the density is uneven and the flake falls apart into individual leaves. Secondly, I just cut some off and pulled the leaves apart, which is time consuming. It's impossible to 'rub out' like you can a flake as the individual tobacco leaves are entirely intact and cannot be broken by friction, only torn apart.

One thing about this tobacco is that you can actually pull out individual tobacco leaves. They have all been coated in the topping and folded around in various ways and pressed into this plug. However, I noticed that when you pull the leaves apart, your fingertips become covered in a brownish oil, apparently the topping. However, the tobacco does not seem to have been packed wet. The only wetness I find is the oiliness of the topping. I also left this sealed in my car and the smell quickly spread around the car, but it didn't soak into the upholstry or ruin the smell of the car, despite what others have said.

The only way I've been able to pack this is seperate the leaves and drop them into the pipe. Lighting is extremely difficult; I had to light 3-4 times to get it going, and once I did, I tasted no difference than what I had smelled when I recieved it in the mail. It tastes and smells like patchouli. In fact, even though the topping doesn't seem to be sickeningly strong, it completely overtakes the tobacco taste; I taste no tobacco in this blend at all. After I smoked it, I was sure I would be on some kind of drug trip, it tastes and smells so much like a hookah shop. However, despite the strong flavor, it does not seem to have a noticible amount of chemicals that soak the cake in the pipe; it smoked dry and with a white ash.

One thing that I did not find in this blend was an extremely strong or sickening taste. I was even told by others around me that the aroma was pleasant. The tobacco seems to be relatively mild. The flavoring is not sickeningly strong either, but omnipresent. This blend is one-dimensional and tastes like patchouli. If you like patchouli, buy this. However, you will not find any natural or tobacco related taste here at all.

Dan

I do not know what Cheviot is as it relates to tobacco. Samuel Gawith Co. Ltd. says..."Part of our traditional English range of plugs, Cannon is derived from the Best Brown cake with a sweet Honey Dew flavour". That is good enough for me.

The plug aroma consists in something like honeydew melon, brown sugar, black coffee, and bread. In the bowl it tastes like the plug aroma suggests it will except the bread is more like toasted English muffins. Upon re-entering the man cave it smells like toasted muffins.

I do not find the plug difficult. I slice enough for one bowl. I tease it and gravity feed it. I do not dry it. It burns cool and dry for me. No bite, no gurgle. It is not harsh. I encounter more throat irritation with straight Virginias like Old Gowrie, FVF, Cut Va Plug, and the like. I love them, but I smoke them infrequently.

Cannon plug is strong and full tasting, but pleasant and refreshing. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys Kendal tobaccos.

07/27/09 UPDATE: I am revising some of my reviews. I have given out more 4 star ratings than anything else. That practice is probably not helping. So, I am reducing Cannon Plug to 3 stars, not because I like it less than I did before, but because I am limiting 4 stars to fewer than 25% of all my reviews. One day I may use the 4 star rating to designate my top five.

When i smoked that Tobacco the first time it was too much flavor for me! I try 3-4 Puffs and then stop smoking this tobacco!

I put the Plug out of the little Bag and let him drie 3-4 Days in my Livingroom. After 4 Days i cut the Plug into slices and then to cube cut. After that "work" i let the cube cuts again drie out for 1-2 hours.Then the little cube cuts are not sticky any longer.

I filled my Pipebowl without pressure! And then i had a not to Strong Flavor anymore! 🙂 the flavor is sweet,honeysweet with a light Parfume note from the beginning to the end.

This Tobacco need his own Pipe.(Crossover)

4 Stars!

Update: For what it's worth, Cannon Plug is topped with Honeydew, not Cheviot. Cheviot is a secret recipe of Sam Gawith, though I have no idea in which blend it is used. I love this plug. Probably will upgrade it to 4 stars when my next pound arrives, as I'm out and really think I need to have another few bowlfuls to be sure. Back to the review. . . .

This is the Mother-in-law of tobaccos. At first there's no way to understand it, much less like it. You need to leave it outside for a while, until the perfume wears off a bit, and then bring it inside, when you have some free time and an open mind. That said, I'm talking about a tobacco here, not my mother-in-law. . . I tear the plug into half inch thick pieces length-wise and let it air out in the plastic bag. Then i cut slices, the thinner the better, and rub out roughly. Let it dry and fire up. The, uh, scenting on this is Strong. But it's really grown on me. Given a little air time, the tobacco taste will come through, and it is good tobacco. Dark and deep, the flavor will be hard to find in all the spice and perfume high notes, but it is there. I understand all the low ratings for this plug, but I like it quite a lot. It's scented, not aromatic. I.e. no goop or glop. (technical terms) Given a chance, well, many chances, this is good, if misunderstandable, smoke.

This, and RB plug are remarkably similar. I do prefer RB plug a bit more, but if you're into classic, old-world taste, Cannon plug is for you.

This is one of the oldest pipe tobacco blends in existence today. It is not "Honeydew" however, it is Cheviot. There were a few civil war soldiers who smoked this blend, and it really is a fine tobacco that has stood the test of time.

You WILL taste the casing with this tobacco, and for me, it is pleasant. For others who are looking for a rich tobacco taste, you won't find a rich tobacco taste here, but you will find a nice pipe tobacco.

Be warned that this will permeate your pipe, probably permanently. I've smoked this in one of my favorite VA pipes, and I taste this a little bit with every smoke. Twenty smokes later, and I can still taste this. I don't mind it, but there are a few who might REALLY be put off by it. If you try it, I heartily suggest that you dedicate a pipe, or at least try it in a cheap-o, or corncob to be darned sure that you'll want to smoke it in one of your prized pipes.

Cannon Plug does indeed seem to be the lighter cousin of RB Plug. The consistency is part way between RB and Cob, tending more to the Cob side. It is clearly made from a pile of pressed leaves as you can (kind of) peal off a leaf at a time. By contrast, RB Plug is homogeneous and denser, all sense of leaf is gone. Cannon Plug is lighter in color too, a beautiful mottled gold and brown.

My sample came ready to smoke moisture-wise, again more like Cob Plug than RB, which is WAY moist. While it is fun to gently pull the leaves off, I prefer my plugs sliced "cross-cut", with very thin sliced cut w/ a single-edged razor-blade. I prefer Cannon Plug in slightly thicker slices than the afore-mentioned other two, since it tends to burn hotter, quite a bit hotter as a matter of fact.

The flavor is similar to RB, but more floral. Both are more on the fruity side that the more floral SG and GH scented flakes. These are strongly flavored tobaccos, so be warned! The flavor lasts throughout the bowl, not deepening as does RB Plug.

While it is prettier by far, easier to prepare and smoke than RB, I prefer RB- less bite than Cannon. Still, as an aficianado of scented flakes and such, I smoke them both on occasion. They are both worth a try if you are into such things.

Oh, yeah, and what is "Cheviot"? My dictionary says that Cheviot is a 1) "British breed of sheep" and 2) "a coarse twill wool fabric , used in making coats...". Huh? I must be missing something here, or else this explains that unusual taste...

I am writing one review to cover RB Plug, Cannon Plug, and Flake #7. I am guessing, and can be wrong, that Cannon Plug is a lighter version of RB Plug, and that Flake #7 is the Flake version of one or the other. This is more a description of a method to prepare them for smoking than a normal review. All are an acquired taste, and it took me many months to finally acquire that taste. Initially all three were impossible for me to smoke. All reeked from perfume that was so strong that the perfume transferred to my hands just from handling the tobaccos. I tried a few times to smoke them fresh from the bag, and had to dump them out. The perfume was overpowering the smoke. Since these blends have existed for over 200 years, I was determined to smoke them. I now cut off a chunk that would provide for about 6 small bowls. I leave the chunk in a plastic bag for a week or two. This allows some (but not all) of the perfume to evaporate. I find that I cannot rub out the drier chunks of plugs. So, I chop them into little square pieces, and then I put them into a very small jar. After about another week, they feel very dry, and I can't rub them any finer than they are at this stage. I then give each a twirl in a coffee blender. This transforms them into a decent size to smoke. And, to my surprise, after the coffee blender treatment, they are still very moist although they feel dry to the touch before the treatment. I then let them dry on a piece of paper until they reach my preferred level of moisture. I smoke them in a small meerschaum. Not only would they flavor a briar, but they actually flavor the meerschaum a bit for the next few smokes (not a bad experience). After all of this preparation, they turn into a very interesting and enjoyable smoke. The quality of the Virginias with just a lingering hint of the flavoring provide for a very decent, quality smoke. At the same time, the flavoring produces a very pleasurable and acceptable aroma that is very noticeable while smoking, and that adds to the total experience. Nicotine strength runs around 5-7 for me out of 10. With this preparation, they smoke dry and leave a very fine almost white-gray ash. The room aroma should be very pleasant to anyone in your presence. I really enjoy smoking a few bowls a week in a meer of any of the three blends. It took me decades to acquire a taste for Broccoli, but only a few months to adapt to these blends. The only negative for me is that the taste lingers in my mouth long after the smoke is finished. I will keep at least one of the three around for those special times when these unique blends appeal to me. For now, my choice of the three is the RB Plug.