Samuel Gawith Kendal Plug

This famed old plug I bought on a whim. I had never really smoked any plug tobacco and the fine gentleman at the shop recommended it. After he stommped on the cutter to produce my portion of tobacco I headed home to slice off some flakes. The preparation of this tobacco is such that one needs to be rather relaxed to begin with as it can lead to frustration if one is in a hurry. I personaly love to take my time with this one.

I shaved mine off the side of the plug so it was fairly well broken up and lit easily and burned well. The flavor is somewhat mild, mostly pure tobacco with only a light casing in the English manner. The room note was almost surprisingly pleasing and this is one of the very very few tobaccos that the wife enjoys the smell of. That alone will keep it around. It is an enjoyable, but not overly complex blend for an evening of relaxing. Definately not for the hasty.

This is about the mildest plug that Samuel Gawith makes. That's a little like saying it's the softest brick in the yard, but since the density of plug-tobacco usually makes for a powerful smoke, this is something of an accomplishment.

Kendal has a straight Virginia taste, and I would say its flavor is about the same intensity of Rattray's Hal O' the Wind. It is not nearly as complex or interesting as Hal (or many other VAs), but this is not to say that it isn't without features of interest. It has a plain beef stew kind of heartiness that can be refreshing in its simplicity. But be warned: this stuff delivers a deceptively strong blast of nicotine, especially if you smoke it on an empty stomach.

I would smoke this more often, but I hate dealing with plugs, and I am disinclined to invest in an antique plug-cutter or to subject my Cuisinart to a slab of tobacco. Like a lot of plugs, this stuff is difficult to keep lit, although I find it burns better if it has been allowed to dry out a bit.

Bottom line: If you have never tried a plug, Kendall would be a good place to start.

If this is, as put forth by our most knowledgeable Inquisitor, the plug version of Best Brown Flake, I, for one, don't see it. If it truly is the same leaf, any nuance of that blend seems to have been pressed/steamed/squished out of existence. What's left is still quite good, to be sure, but more than a tad on the monolithic side (I knew all those wine reviews would eventually pay off). In other words, the tedium required to prepare a bowl (and I include the considerable "cool" factor) is simply not met with enough in return. The Kendal Plug is nice, and dense enough to affect orbiting satellites. Still, there are several more worthy contenders in the plug category on the market, such as Mick McQuaid's and Murray's Yachtsman Plug.