Samuel Gawith Grousemoor Plug

The smell of Grousemoor Plug in the Mason jar is of strong sweet perfume. I know right away it is a Lakeland style blend. I am able to break up the plug using my nails. I prefer to break it into small pieces than rub out a little to get it lit. Whenever I first light Grousemoor Plug, the first taste I get is a sweet floral taste, but I can’t quite describe the exact flavor. Grousemoor Mixture has always been one of my favorite blends and I prefer it to the plug version. The reason is because the plug is much stronger and the flavor of the Mixture is more pleasurable to the end of the bowl.

Grousemoor -- the tinned, shredded leaf version -- became one of my favorites from my first bowl. So when the opportunity arose to get Grousemoor plug I had to give it a go. I actually purchased a pound of the stuff (the minimum I could purchase at the time). I figured I was bound to love it in its more "pure" form. As Jason stated "I wanted to be beaten severely over the head with that floral goodness - and the plug delivered." However, I don't agree with his next statement: "If you like Grousemoor, you'll love Grousemoor Plug."

It came in one giant block, which is fine -- I love the ritual of slicing my flakes. When I first sampled it, I was struck by how intense the flavor was -- I, too, thought I had wanted to be hit on the head with the flavor, but I was surprised when I realized that maybe being assaulted by it wasn't the best way to appreciate it. One may love the taste of capers or marmite, but shoving a handful in your mouth may not be the best way to appreciate them. (Not that this tastes anything like capers or marmite, BTW.) Or, like Pernod, which is too strong a flavor by itself, and really needs to be diluted to appreciate it. Sometimes too much of a good thing really is too much.

A word of advice: Do not give this a try until you have tried the tin version. In short, this is Grousemoor on steroids, so much so that the two versions are almost unrecognizable siblings: The tin version has a strong yet still subtle flavor to it, one that complements the tobacco; this one overwhelms any tobacco flavor.

Aging helps. My first scrapings from the giant slab gave me a flavor that was sharp and "young", like fine wine that hadn't fully aged yet. The plug has now been aging for almost two years, and it's finally starting to mellow so that the flavor is more rounded and mature. I like it more now that it's mellowed a bit from the aging. Indeed I look forward to working my way through the block over the upcoming years. To fine-tune Jason's assertion, perhaps if you love Grousemoor, you'll like Grousemoor plug.

I like this more than Grousemoor Mixture, as the flabouring seems more subdued. The tobacco itself is wonderful and complex. If the topping was cut in half, this would be a great smoke. Cut off a few slices and add to some Medium Virginia Flake.

Like Earl Grey tea, this may have many devotees, but it's just a little over the top for me.

Excellent stuff, this is a fairly loose plug of bright leaf, drenched in a sweet, creamy, fruity topping. It cuts fairly easily with a sharp knife, and I suggest cutting it thin and not rubbing it out: just load up your pipe and put the crumbs on to as kindling.

The pitfall to this bright Virginia plug is tongue bite: even with the lighting match I can feel it coming, which is actually a useful shot across the bows. To enjoy this plug, and it is delicious, is an exercise in peaceful, slow pipe smoking. Keep it ticking over very gently and you'll be rewarded with a sweet flavour of bread, lemon and sultanas, and bystanders tend to compliment the aroma. If you drive it at all hard it will sting your tongue like a wasp.

The plug is at risk of falling apart, and doesn't seem to last long, much like the Revor plug which is also quite loosely pressed. Nicotine content is restrained but adequate. Interestingly the heavy casing does not seem to have ghosted my falcon bowls.

This stuff is very similar to Erinmore, and bystander has told me it smelt just like what his grandfather smoked that came in a red and yellow tin. The topping here is even stronger than Erinmore, and it has more of a risk of bite, but it's a very enjoyable smoke for the summer months.

I liked this brick of tobacco even more than the tinned ribbon stuff. Much darker and more intense, this was a much stronger smoke than the other stuff. Sweet with some earthiness, it made for a satisfying smoke. The only thing I didn't like about this tobacco was that it was so moist it was impossible to keep lit. I could dry out the tobacco for hours and it was still too damp to burn well. If I could get the hang of drying this out sufficiently I would give it four stars. A rich and pleasant blend.

Soli Deo gloria!

This is a true Lakeland plug. The flavoring is not overwhelming, but it has a definite floral, scented thing going on, and won't be everyone's cup of tea. That said, the tobaccos are top notch, and you can taste them through the flavoring. I liked my first bowl, and will continue experimenting with it. I do get a bit of tongue bite from this, but I also get the same level of bite from Best Brown Flake, and typically lighter Virginias all give me a bit of bite unless they are very carefully blended and either cased or stoved or have cavendish added.

I had some tinned Grousemoor a short while back and really dug it. I'm into the whole floral/hippie scented thing, so keep that in mind. Anyhow, I heard that the plug version is even stronger as far as the Grousemoor essence goes, so I started seeking. This stuff is REALLY hard to find right now (both tin and plug). With the help of a friend I finally found a source and ordered a 4 oz chunk. WOWZERS! I sure heard right when I heard that the plug version is more Grousemoor-y than the tinned version. It's exactly what I wanted (the tinned Grousemoor is very good but only lightly flavored/scented). I wanted to be beaten severely over the head with that floral goodness - and the plug delivered. If you like Grousemoor, you'll love Grousemoor Plug. It's not for everyone, but it's a delicious treat for those that swing that way.

Very sweet and very floral, I wouldn't call it soapy because soap doesn't taste good. This is sweet and floral and leaves a wonderful taste in your mouth and a friendly aroma in the air. The plug arrived very wet and sticky. It is the easiest of the plugs to slice, but it's so wet when you rub it out you can press the tobacco into a ball and it'll stay. That's my only complaint is having to let it dry out for a few hours before smoking. It burned well and cleanly though it did leave some dottle in the bowl but that doesn't bother me. The floral notes lessen throughout the bowl but they do not go away. I like this because it tastes exactly how it smells, it's sweet, and the flavor doesn't disappear like your typical aromatics. This is becoming one of my favorite smokes!

This stuff is a LOT better than the tinned grouse moor. I bought this from cup o' joes a while back, and it tastes very superior to the tinned blend.

Smooth, very "soapy" and lakeland-ey... Another old-world style tobacco with a long and rich history. The topping is very floral, and the tobacco is very good stuff.

7 out of 10.

Long live Gawith!