War Horse War Horse Bar

All three components are very well married making it difficult for me to separate them. The overall natural flavor is delicious. Earthy, woody, nutty, mildly smoky and spicy. Pretty dang smooth too. I'm a little conflicted about the topping. At times I find myself really enjoying it and at others I find it a little too "perfumey". It tastes like a mix of vanilla, fruit and florals with a nice sweetness. It's a stout smoke and never fails to satisfy. It's a little better than 3 stars, but I just can't go 4.

Medium to strong in body. Full in taste. Flavoring is mild. Burns pretty well.

What I like about this the most is the ease of preparing for smoking. This is not an extremely dense plug as with many of the Danish produced plugs, ie Warrior's, Peterson's 3Ps, etc. It is very similar to the way Revor Plug is pressed - you can rip off what you without the need of a knife, rub it out and put it in your pipe. Even easier than with Revor as Revor is comprised of full leaf and War Horse Bar is not. The tin smell and pre-light draw was interesting and reminded me of chocolate cake (not the icing); very coaco like with vanilla in the background. I'm suspecting this is the valerian root extract? Lighting was easy and it stayed lit without issue. It remained cool and dry to the heel and never was there any bite. During the smoke it had a faint cherry like taste as well as the taste of chocolate cake previously described. I attribute this to heliotrope which does impart a cherry flavor/aroma to whatever it is added to. Very similar to Sam Gawith's 1792 Flake but not nearly as strong or flavored as 1792. WHB has been long awaited and certainly didn't disappoint. Good for when you want something different. A solid smoke, impeccably constructed. However, a bit less of the flavoring and more of a truer tobacco taste would really be great.

The word plug is misleading and deceptive, this is not a plug, it is a crumble cake. If I had known that it was not a plug I would not have purchased it. The tobacco is also labeled as nonaromatic but it is and it will ghost your pipe, with all that said The smoke is fairly smooth, does not bite and the strength is almost perfect. If this was sold as a true plug (European style) I would buy a ton.

Update: 09-2017 ... Wow what a difference some "jar time" made with this blend. Since my original review below, I opted to break up & rub out the plug and jar it for a few months before giving it another try. The rough edges (charcoal-like taste) that I reported earlier are just about gone and the sweet fragrance of tonquin (I assume) is rather delectable. The fine burning characteristics as reported earlier are unchanged. This blend certainly deserves another star in my opinion. Still not an all day smoke but definitely a nice change of pace for me. Hence, 3 of 4 stars is my vote!

Original review: 03-2017 ... It ain't bad but it ain't great neither. The good: 1) lights & burns down easily to a white-gray ash 2) medium to full flavor and smokes relatively cool. The bad: 1) woody charcoal-like dry taste with an "odd flavor" that I just can't put my tobacco stained finger on 2) I think I'd prefer to eat a dog chit sammich.

Seriously, I'm sure some will find this tobacco appealing but it's just not for me. I'll probably try it with a little BCA rubbed in and see if that helps me make it through the tin. If not, I see one of my favorite pipe sellers below (pipestud) really likes this blend ... if I run into him at the upcoming Chicago Pipe Show I'll give it to him!

A friend recently included a nearly 2oz sample of this in a tobacco care package. I have been enjoying it over the past few weeks and thought to share my impressions. For what it is worth, I have no experience with any other iterations of War Horse, recent or previous.

The tobacco comes in a small, flattish bar, the shape of which reminds me of an underwhelming chocolate confection we youngsters called a 'Cuban Lunch'. It is a mottled looking thing, shot through with blacks n' browns. WHB is not heavily pressed, and rubs apart easily with a bit of pressure, no need for a sharp knife. The nose of this stuff is heady: orange peel, burnt sugar, and shortbread, and all sorts of other things that ring bells in my head but that cannot be named. As per JimInks, there is a significant tonka-like essence at play here, so if you like that sort of thing, this could be very pleasant. If not, well, keep movin', cowfolks.

Lightup produces a blast of what I presume is the Valerian root extract flavour, and it doesn't really abate during a bowl. I found it enjoyable - sweet, in a marzipan sort of way, and lightly fruity, with the hint of almonds - but it does dominate the experience. Not much in the way of complexity here, or variation. Happily, relights are a breeze, and this is a very consistent tasting tobacco.

Speaking of taste, the prevailing one is of burley and dark-fired. I get throat tingles immediately at lightup, but if puffed gently, the spicy character of this blend is a treat - retrohale carefully. Drawing heavily turns it bitter and ashy, so a gentle cadence is needed. There's some strength here, too, but it builds slowly. I would put the nicotine at medium-full, with the taste being full. These both increase slightly as you make your way through a bowl.

This is fun stuff, something like an American riff on an English flavoured tobacco of olde. I like it enough that I am gonna order some.

This is by far the best and most interesting aromatic blend I have had to date. The tobacco itself has a rich core of roasted nut, dark chocolate, with a deep earthieness, and rich sweetness, along with a sharp pepper. Then comes this very unique top flavor that I am having some trouble pin pointing. It has a difinate rose water flavor, accompanied by sweet herb, and botanical flavors. The aroma reminds me of Tibetan Nag Chomps. My only for giving this 3 stars instead of 4 is that it tends to burn hot in the last half, washing out some of the fantastic flavors.

I looked forward to trying this one since I first heard of its recreation. It is a great Virginia/burley with a very tasty topping. The Kentucky leaf is nutty and toasty. The Virginia is sweet and earthy. I taste cinnamon, mild tonquin, and valerian tea in the top note. These flavoring drown the tobacco taste a bit but it's well done so I don't mind. The plug is very easy to work with though it benefits from dry time to get an easy burn going. I think with some age this could be a 4 star blend but it is a little rough around the edges and I get some harshness from the Kentucky. Still, an enjoyable blend with an awesome room note.

I am not sure what to make of this stuff. It has a strange smell, but a great taste. Not sure I believe it is all that strong i.e. 1792 Flake. I have enjoyed what I have smoked, but have trouble keeping it lit. Have not smoke many plugs. It sure is interesting and I am very happy I tried it. You should too.

Like its sister War Horse Green, this is potent stuff. Not quite at the level of Gawith's 1792....but not too far from that. You have to sip it. Even so I found the strength a bit much. The green label is easier to deal with while still having a lot of nicotine for those that crave it (like me). The taste is something like Brown Bogie crossed with Kendall Flake and 1792. The room note will drive people away, so be warned. Earthy, and bears comparison to old school snuff flavoring. You either like this stuff or you dont. But its to Mr Ouelette's credit that he came up with a U.S. answer to the old school Gawith style plugs and flakes (I never smoked the original it must be noted). The plug is more a plug crossed with a krumble cake. Reasonably easy to deal with (green label is easier). Strong, perhaps too strong, but tasty. `The dark fired leaf predominates.....with the vanilla (or valerian root) and other flavorings in back (I taste licorice, and perhaps whisky...and maybe geranium). Its great...but not all the time.