Samuel Gawith Cob Plug

I've never smoked the Flake version and it's been quite awhile since I smoked 1792, but I found this milder in tonquin flavor than I remember 1792 being. This is a darker plug but is pretty well-behaved, with a nose of good VA beneath the rather stinky tonquin. Smoked from a new sample, about an ounce.

I cut this into small cubes for smoking and it burned just fine, much better than when I simply rubbed it out. The cool thing is that the mellow tonquin lasted throughout the entire smoke, much the way G&H florals do. It wasn't overpowering and didn't overwhelm the virginias the way I recall 1792 doing (even though it's been awhile!). This one had a creamy undertaste as well, which never faltered. I found very little complexity with this one but that was fine since the flavoring remained throughout the bowl. Good nic punch here, but not enough to make me faint. This is a good blend for those that enjoy the preparation and for whom 1792 is a welcome, if heavy-bodied, joy.

I'll give this one a pretty decent rating because it is cool, does not bite, has a decent dose of nicotine and acts gentlemanly while burning.

It is very black in appearance and stinks in the tin. It is also difficult to keep lit.

While not the strongest tobacco I've ever smoked, it is no weakling and leaves a heavy aftertaste hours after smoking.

If offered another bowl on down the trail (as in way down the trail), I'll accept.

I purchased 50 grams of this as I was reasonably happy with 1792 flake, but felt that the flavour in that smoke was overly dominant, but had read that this plug has the flavour toned down somewhat. It also has the advantage that I can slice it myself and remove the bane of all SG flakes, that being that the flakes don't come in a uniform size.

Straight from the pouch, a similar note of 1792 emerges, but it is noticeably less overpowering. Also, in the scent of this one, the whisky is much more pronounced than in 1792, where the tonquin overpowers it. The farmyard/old barn smell is also there, very pleasant.

The plug itself is less than an inch thick, and consists of a fairly even mixture of dark & gold leaf. The top of the plug is somewhat knobbly, but the bottom is flat.

Slicing flakes off this plug is very easy - the plug is very firm and dense, but has a quality which allows the knife to pass through it with ease. Due to the ease with which I could cut it I was able to use several different prep methods. Thin flakes were folded & stuffed, slightly thicker ones rubbed out, and thicker still cube cut. With the exception of the cube cut, all burned with ease. It is also worth noting that - presumably as it's not vacuum-packed inside a tin, so is exposed to air allowing evaporation - this plug comes at a good moisture level, and - for me, at least - needed no drying time.

The taste is, again, similar to 1792 flake, but more subdued. I definitely get the whisky this time, and the tonquin & good tobacco work well together. I do like this flake, the flavour (as with most prominently cased blends) dies off towards the end of the bowl, leaving the quality tobaccos to take the fore, with no bitterness or unpleasant flavours. If you have smoked 1792 flake, just imagine a tobacco with about two-thirds of the flavour, and which you can cut to your own preference. Didn't bite at all.

The tobacco burned well (although I was using a gauze), and left no dottle.

The nicotine strength is medium-strong.

The room note is fine, inoffensive, but it can hang around a bit more than the 1792 flake, I find.

I liked this the more I smoked it, I think the tonquin is probably an acquired taste, but once developed, it becomes incredibly moreish. This is a good smoke, and I like it more than 1792 flake. I gave 1792 a 3-star rating, but as I said at the time, it could easily have been 2. I give this a 3 star rating & feel that it is a solid 3-star tobacco. I enjoyed it, and whilst it will never be an all-day/everyday smoke for me, it's a nice change of pace now and then. If you liked 1792 flake, you'll probably really like this. Pairs well, like the flake, with darker teas & ales.

Sam Gawith - Cob Plug.

The plug itself is almost like a book in the construction, it's superbly simple to peel of very thin sheets of tobacco, like turning the pages in a book. Whats good with the tobacco sheets too is that they are thin in their entirety, there isn't many un-even lumps and bumps that need disregarding. With my Plug, I don't see anything indecorous with the moisture amount, it's of a great level and can be enjoyed immediately! To be fair, I think the aroma from the un-lit plug is a very basic Virginia/Burley one, I can't really detect any additives in there. Once I process mine into thin pieces about 5 mm square (by hand) I load my pipe and can begin.

I am a little surprised by how well it lights and burns, as in my experience plugs have usually required tenacity in that area, but I suppose the easy preparation aids this! The burn is also even, giving cool smoke, leaving behind a pure white ash. The flavour now: a very no-frills taste, yes there are some additions that can be noticed easily, albeit not that overpowering for me. I find the additives to be well balanced, a sweet vanilla-esc taste from the tonquin with a slightly sour note from the whiskey. At another good balance are the two tobaccos, a very well shared stage! The nicotine with Cob Plug is not for the faint of heart, if you don't like N then avoid this bad boy! Cob Plug is very good in the tongue-bite department, even if really drawn hard it still eludes me. Room-note is a little heavy, but that isn't a problem if, like me, you appreciate tobacco! I really feel that due to the simplicity in preparation Cob Plug would make the perfect entry into the plug field!!

Three stars.

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!

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.

It’s a tobacco I like the most but it’s not an everyday smoker. Mr.Nik is quite strong so I use to smoke it after a sturdy meal. Nonetheless, I've to sip it carefully or my head starts ‘spinning'. I fancy this is a side-effect of tonquin because I’m used to strong baccy. All blocks I’ve had were/are rather compact so, the only way is peel them in paper like thin foils. Small pipes are my preferred in this case due to its strength. I tried medium bowls but never completed, again too strong. I love its scent: basically tonquin and a whiff of whiskey. They’re more recognisable in the first half whereas in the second one Burley is more predominant. Not easy to keep lighted but that’s not bad. It allows me to endure the whole bowl. A baccy for expert smoker that love strength and taste. It ghosts the pipe for few bowls more. In few words: A MUST!

I was a little surprised when I first tried Cob Plug because I had the preconceived notion that it would be very much like 1792 Flake. Although they are similar they do in fact taste and smoke differently. I am a huge fan of 1792 and have been smoking it almost exclusively since I first tried it. Cob is not just the plug version of 1792.

I found Cob Plug to be very moist and not as heavily pressed as other plugs. Translation, it was very easy to cut and rub out. I was able to enjoy it with minimal drying time but it's definitely better if it airs out a bit. I would agree that Cob is a creamier and slightly sweeter smoke with less tonquin presence than 1792. I detected a more noticeable mint presence as well. I really had not noticed this very much with 1792 until I smoked the plug. Loosewatches is right on with that one...

Even lovers of 1792 would have to admit that it stinks in any container. Cob hands down stinks even more, especially when a sharp blade is introduced. My wife is not a fan of it burning, being cut or otherwise. It is also more cigar like to me which is not a bad thing but certainly different in my opinion from 1792. All of these factors make me lean more toward 1792 as my preference. And frankly I wish it had more tonquin. But I did just order another plug to make sure. I will say that Cob finishes better than 1792 with a smooth rich dark pressed Virginia flavor that is quite remarkable with slow puffing. In some ways a little like Dark Star without the tongue bite which surprised me.

Having tried all of the Kendal plugs with the exception of Cannon (and I am not so sure that I will) I have learned a lot about the corresponding flakes. If you enjoy 1792, try Cob Plug. You will learn a lot about 1792 and if observant, possibly Bracken Flake as well. I will keep the plug around but just 3 stars on this one...

I like this Cob Plug a little better than the 1792 Flake. I struggled with 1792 at first, but I eventually built up a tolerance to tonquin, and I now enjoy it often. However, this smokes sweeter, and it is tonquin-milder in this form. Somebody said they have the same momma, Cob and 1792. There is a strong family resemblance, but I think it is a case of superfecundation...twins with different dads. Cob plug begins very much like 1792, but further down the bowl it starts to taste similar to Black XX Twist.

I slice off the plug as I go. If the slice is too thick I tease it a little. Sometimes I rub it lightly, but chunks are welcome. I tried this evening, but I could not get it to stain my hands. Anyway, I am in no hurry smoking plug tobacco. To me, most any flake beats any ready-rubbed, and any plug trumps a flake. Plugs and twists are an even match. They just taste better, to borrow from Spangles.

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 Cob 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.