Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Kendal North Star

As this is based on a one oz sample that was bought in bulk rather than in the pouch, I feel like a word on reviews is needed. Personally, I tend not to upvote reviews that are based on less than an ounce at minimum, and I further believe that my own reviews are useless to most people unless I've really gotten to know the tobacco at hand. Otherwise, they are valuable only to myself, and even then that value is dubious. This is a prime example, as my sample tasted nothing like the other reviewers have stated. I could have gotten an overdry batch with the Lakeland flavoring leeched out, and I urge readers to lend more personal credence to SteelCowboy's or the other reviewers on this blend (at least!).

This came as a blonde colored stringy ribbon. The bag aroma was very faint and of only tobacco. I got no Lakeland scent at all. Smoking this revealed zero Lakeland essence as well. And whatever character the Virginia and burley may have had during the initial blending process had mostly disappeared. What remained was a very cigarette-ish blend that got nasty and sour at the slightest provocation. Packed tightly (as I do most if not all shags) and sipped daintily, there was some nuttiness from the burley and some sourness from the Virginia. Smoked straight, there was little to recommend this blend. Used as a blender, it was fairly useless as well, perhaps mostly since I didn't have many other shags to blend with it. G&H's own Kendal Kentucky overpowered this, even mixed in only 10%. North Star (as it came in my bulk baggie) is overall lacking in character and might make a decent cigarette at best. If the occasion arises, I may try another sample, as I just don't think mine was stored properly before it arrived.