Samuel Gawith Cob Plug
(3.21)
Samuel Gawith Cob Plug is a full strength, mellow tobacco, comprising a blend of dark fired leaf, oven baked and flavored. For the pipe smoker who requires strength and flavor.
Notes: This is the plug version of Cob Flake (which is marketed as 1792 in the United States.
Details
| Brand | Samuel Gawith |
| Blended By | Samuel Gawith |
| Manufactured By | Samuel Gawith |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Burley |
| Contents | Kentucky, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Tonquin Bean, Whisky |
| Cut | Plug |
| Packaging | Bulk |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium to Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.21 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 33 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 24, 2011 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Full | Tolerable |
Please forgive the long review but I think you'll understand.
I have tried CP on a few different occassions over the past several years and never really "got it" as far as this blend was concerned. That is not to say that I didn't like it I just didn't really ENJOY it as I would 1792 or several other VAs. It always had a menthol/medicinal taste and mouth-feel that prevented me from experiencing this plug as the fine Virginia that it is touted to be. Last time I bought CP was about 3 years ago. Shortly thereafter I put it away (sealed in Mason jars) after trying it prepared every way possible.
Fast foward 3 years and I'm looking around my stash for something different. Lo and behold I find a jar of Cob Plug. I decide to give it a try. I noticed immediately upon opening the jar that this tobacco had changed. It just smelled different, more rounded and sweeter. After smoking various other plugs during the last few years I have found that I (and my pipes) prefer a cube cut. I pull out a few of the last few flakes that I had cut and slice them into cubes with my pocket knife and load them into a lowly Dr. Grabow sans filter(I LOVE Grabows!). WOW WHAT A DIFFEFENCE A LITTLE AGING MAKES!!!. I'm surprised noone has commented on the aging of this blend. It has become a totally different tobacco. It was no more difficult to get lit than any other flake, plug, rope, or cube cut and much easier than some. What really caught my attention was the taste. It was sweet and creamy with none of the menthol/medicinal taste of 3 years prior. I certainly would not call this a plug version of 1792 but rather a smoother, sweeter cousin. I find it to have much more complexity than 1792. Sure you can taste the tonquin but nowhere near as strong as 1792. Instead the tonquin interplays nicely with the sweetness of the Virginias with a hint of earthiness that I attribute to the fire curing process. I'm a pretty constant puffer and CP refuses to get acrid or ashy tasting or bite. It does require several relights but I don't consider this to be a detriment and may or may not be required with more careful and attentive technique. It burns to a fine gray ash just like its "cousin".
All said I find Cob Plug to be a very exceptional blend and may even be superior to 1792, though I will reserve that final judgement until I have a chance to compare them side by side. I only give it 4 stars AFTER a few years of aging. Aging longer may improve it even more. I just hope SG gets their supply issues sorted out before I run out of CP.
I have tried CP on a few different occassions over the past several years and never really "got it" as far as this blend was concerned. That is not to say that I didn't like it I just didn't really ENJOY it as I would 1792 or several other VAs. It always had a menthol/medicinal taste and mouth-feel that prevented me from experiencing this plug as the fine Virginia that it is touted to be. Last time I bought CP was about 3 years ago. Shortly thereafter I put it away (sealed in Mason jars) after trying it prepared every way possible.
Fast foward 3 years and I'm looking around my stash for something different. Lo and behold I find a jar of Cob Plug. I decide to give it a try. I noticed immediately upon opening the jar that this tobacco had changed. It just smelled different, more rounded and sweeter. After smoking various other plugs during the last few years I have found that I (and my pipes) prefer a cube cut. I pull out a few of the last few flakes that I had cut and slice them into cubes with my pocket knife and load them into a lowly Dr. Grabow sans filter(I LOVE Grabows!). WOW WHAT A DIFFEFENCE A LITTLE AGING MAKES!!!. I'm surprised noone has commented on the aging of this blend. It has become a totally different tobacco. It was no more difficult to get lit than any other flake, plug, rope, or cube cut and much easier than some. What really caught my attention was the taste. It was sweet and creamy with none of the menthol/medicinal taste of 3 years prior. I certainly would not call this a plug version of 1792 but rather a smoother, sweeter cousin. I find it to have much more complexity than 1792. Sure you can taste the tonquin but nowhere near as strong as 1792. Instead the tonquin interplays nicely with the sweetness of the Virginias with a hint of earthiness that I attribute to the fire curing process. I'm a pretty constant puffer and CP refuses to get acrid or ashy tasting or bite. It does require several relights but I don't consider this to be a detriment and may or may not be required with more careful and attentive technique. It burns to a fine gray ash just like its "cousin".
All said I find Cob Plug to be a very exceptional blend and may even be superior to 1792, though I will reserve that final judgement until I have a chance to compare them side by side. I only give it 4 stars AFTER a few years of aging. Aging longer may improve it even more. I just hope SG gets their supply issues sorted out before I run out of CP.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 17, 2006 | Very Strong | Mild to Medium | Extra Full | Overwhelming |
Pro's: better tasting than most; dry and cool smoke.
Cons: much to strong for me to appreciate, too much effort required to prepare for the pipe; very difficult to light and keep lit.
Add a star or two if you drink 200 proof grain alcohol.
Cons: much to strong for me to appreciate, too much effort required to prepare for the pipe; very difficult to light and keep lit.
Add a star or two if you drink 200 proof grain alcohol.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 16, 2006 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Contrasting most views here, I find Cob Plug to be less sweet than 1792, and I seem to prefer 1792 over Cob Plug. Nevertheless, I love them both.
I'm about a quarter of the way through my first pound of Cob Plug, so I'm hardly an expert. It's a wonderful tobacco that is fun to prepare different ways. One bowl I will slice thin and rub out a lot, and the next I'll slice thicker and fill the bowl with unrubbed thick slices. Each preparation seems to yield a different smoke. I enjoy the tonka flavor and effect, but Cob Plug seems to have less tonka than 1792. I don't feel as compelled to dedicate pipes to Cob Plug, as the tonka is subdued. Cob Plug seems to have more of a medicinal flavor, IMO.
I wonder if the differences we find between 1792 and Cob Plug are variations in batches or true differences between the blends? Anyway it's fun to contemplate and talk about. The bottom line is that I love both Cob Plug and 1792, and I hope to always have both around. They are great tobaccos, and we are lucky to have the folks at Samual Gawith still dedicated to producing their fine products.
I'm about a quarter of the way through my first pound of Cob Plug, so I'm hardly an expert. It's a wonderful tobacco that is fun to prepare different ways. One bowl I will slice thin and rub out a lot, and the next I'll slice thicker and fill the bowl with unrubbed thick slices. Each preparation seems to yield a different smoke. I enjoy the tonka flavor and effect, but Cob Plug seems to have less tonka than 1792. I don't feel as compelled to dedicate pipes to Cob Plug, as the tonka is subdued. Cob Plug seems to have more of a medicinal flavor, IMO.
I wonder if the differences we find between 1792 and Cob Plug are variations in batches or true differences between the blends? Anyway it's fun to contemplate and talk about. The bottom line is that I love both Cob Plug and 1792, and I hope to always have both around. They are great tobaccos, and we are lucky to have the folks at Samual Gawith still dedicated to producing their fine products.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 06, 2020 | Very Strong | Strong | Very Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I have a steady supply of this tobacco, it is one of more consistent tobacco that I have. When you pick up up the block it is a solid densely pack dark oily block. You can smell the tonquin bean and what I would describe as whiskey (other people may find it smells differently). It is however very sweet smelling.
Preparing this fun, you need to cut off fine flakes and to get the best out of it you need to cut then with a width of somewhere between a £2 and a 10p piece as a rough guide. The flakes rub out fairly easily but there are times when certain bits will clump and they are not work dealing with, so better to discard. Packing is also easy enough. Dry it out properly first! I leave it dry for around 30-60 minutes minimum.
The flavours are intense but it is one of those tobaccos that tastes like it smells! How it smells not burn is the taste that you get. It is sweet, whiskey and tonquin bean flavour (I can’t really describe it). There is a cool burn throughout and there is no bite at all. It makes a white thick ash and does not leave much moisture in the bowl.
A word of warning - this is a Lakeland blend and topping, I have smoked this in a morta and a meerschaum and it managed to ghost them. I am currently in the process of trying to get rid of it out of them. I would use a corncob or use a pipe or a couple of pipes that are dedicated to this blend only!
Preparing this fun, you need to cut off fine flakes and to get the best out of it you need to cut then with a width of somewhere between a £2 and a 10p piece as a rough guide. The flakes rub out fairly easily but there are times when certain bits will clump and they are not work dealing with, so better to discard. Packing is also easy enough. Dry it out properly first! I leave it dry for around 30-60 minutes minimum.
The flavours are intense but it is one of those tobaccos that tastes like it smells! How it smells not burn is the taste that you get. It is sweet, whiskey and tonquin bean flavour (I can’t really describe it). There is a cool burn throughout and there is no bite at all. It makes a white thick ash and does not leave much moisture in the bowl.
A word of warning - this is a Lakeland blend and topping, I have smoked this in a morta and a meerschaum and it managed to ghost them. I am currently in the process of trying to get rid of it out of them. I would use a corncob or use a pipe or a couple of pipes that are dedicated to this blend only!
Pipe Used:
Morta, meerschaum, briar and cob
PurchasedFrom:
My smoking shop
Age When Smoked:
New - 18 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 21, 2012 | Medium to Strong | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Great tobacco, but I'm not a huge fan of the Tonquin Flavouring. 4 of 4 stars if you like Tonquin. If not, try Kendal Plug for a great, and complex, Virginia Plug.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 07, 2010 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Full | Tolerable |
I smoked this as a rough cube cut outdoors with a fairly large Peterson System pipe with P-lip. (307XL) I later in the day smoked some 1792 in the same pipe, for comparison purposes.
The executive summary is if you like plugs, and strong tobacco, this is right up your alley. Run, don't walk, and buy some.
I did not find the flavoring as overpowering as 1792 though allegedly this is just the plug version. It seemed I could taste the base tobacco much better. It also seemed sweeter, a bit cooler, and more multidimensional.
I like 1792, but really liked my first try at Cob Plug, and I'm sure there will be more. Four stars!
UPDATE I am removing a star based on a couple of other experiences with this tobacco. Fully rubbed out, it can be overpowering in the nicotine department, and also in the taste department. I can't recommend it as highly as before as a result. I do think it works best as flake or cube cut.
The executive summary is if you like plugs, and strong tobacco, this is right up your alley. Run, don't walk, and buy some.
I did not find the flavoring as overpowering as 1792 though allegedly this is just the plug version. It seemed I could taste the base tobacco much better. It also seemed sweeter, a bit cooler, and more multidimensional.
I like 1792, but really liked my first try at Cob Plug, and I'm sure there will be more. Four stars!
UPDATE I am removing a star based on a couple of other experiences with this tobacco. Fully rubbed out, it can be overpowering in the nicotine department, and also in the taste department. I can't recommend it as highly as before as a result. I do think it works best as flake or cube cut.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 07, 2006 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Full | Strong |
I was hoping for something with a little complexity; this tobacco is like a velvet hammer. Smooth, no bite and not as strong as I thought it would be.
My rating is "somewhat recommended" because it's not as bad as I thought it would be. And, it's not a nicotine bomb though it could make those who aren't too used to nicotine break out in a sweat.
Not bad, better than most of the twists if you're looking for something with that "flavor" but again, very one dimensional.
My rating is "somewhat recommended" because it's not as bad as I thought it would be. And, it's not a nicotine bomb though it could make those who aren't too used to nicotine break out in a sweat.
Not bad, better than most of the twists if you're looking for something with that "flavor" but again, very one dimensional.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 05, 2006 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium | Strong |
04/28/2005 An infrequent indulgence. It's going to take me a long time to get through the 4 ounce block I have in my rotation. I use a very sharp 8" Chefs' knife and a plastic cutting board to cut thin slice and then cubes. Ends up like a cubed Burley. I then place it in a Baggy for future use. It is a slightly different take on 1792 Flake. An interesting experience indeed.
Update 11/05/2006 Too strong in both flavor and impact for frequent consumption. Three stars if you like strong flake-type tobaccos.
Update 11/05/2006 Too strong in both flavor and impact for frequent consumption. Three stars if you like strong flake-type tobaccos.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 19, 2004 | Overwhelming | Strong | Overwhelming | Extra Strong |
I am surprised that no-one has reviewed this plug, especially given the rather incorrect nature in which its described in the "Tin Description" area. Since I love 1792, I thought I would give Cob Plug a try. To simply state that "this is the plug version of 1792" and that there's no point in describing it further, is not only false, but a discredit to Cob Plug itself. Cob Plug only hints at tasting like 1792; it has unique flavorings which I find appealing and not at all like 1792. The plug I smoke is rather moist and certainly leaves your hands stained after rubbing out, but it's worth the effort. I'm not sure if the essence I taste is the tonquin bean, but there's a pleasant essence detected not noticeable in any other tobacco. The smoke is cool and dry and my large Ardor full bent really helps make this an enjoyable experience.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 26, 2004 | Strong | Strong | Full | Strong |
I agree with the review above. Cob Plug (CP) is much more than a plug version of 1792. There is a sweetness in CP that just is not there in 1792. (Maybe they start out the same, but the flaking process and subsequent aging allow for the loss of the more volatile components retained in the plug form.)
My sample was at a great moisture level for consumption (especially compared to S. G. RB plug) . I peel a thin layer of leaves off the plug and crumble them to make a "chunky-flake" consistency. I then load a small but tall meerschaum bowl specifically reserved for English scented tobaccos. The burn is much cooler than 1792, and much more flavorful. The taste is hard to define, but Islay single malt scotch comes to mind, in terms of complexity and layering of flavors.
Anyone that is a fan of 1792 owes it to themselves to try the plug form: CP, the 1792+.
Note" I gave this 4 stars, but could not smoke something this intense on a frequent basis. A few bowls a week is my limit.
My sample was at a great moisture level for consumption (especially compared to S. G. RB plug) . I peel a thin layer of leaves off the plug and crumble them to make a "chunky-flake" consistency. I then load a small but tall meerschaum bowl specifically reserved for English scented tobaccos. The burn is much cooler than 1792, and much more flavorful. The taste is hard to define, but Islay single malt scotch comes to mind, in terms of complexity and layering of flavors.
Anyone that is a fan of 1792 owes it to themselves to try the plug form: CP, the 1792+.
Note" I gave this 4 stars, but could not smoke something this intense on a frequent basis. A few bowls a week is my limit.
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