Tobaccos Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Bird's Eye

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2012-09-25		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

The sweet, deep, rich earthy, woody, fermented tangy dark fruit from the Virginias, and nutty, lightly woody, earthy, spicy, floral, herbal, vegetative, dry and lightly sour Kentucky will fill your senses. The Kentucky is the lead component. It reminds me a little of Kendall Kentucky, which is less sweet, and a little stronger in intensity and nicotine, but this is no light weight blend. The strength is potent and the taste is full. The nic-hit is in the center of medium to strong. Won't bite or get harsh even if you're working at it. Has a few small rough edges mixed in with some smoothness. It may need a little drying time when you first open the bag. Thin cut, it burns at a slightly slow pace, cool, clean with a very consistent sweet and savory, floral flavor. Leaves some moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights. Has a pleasant, lingering after taste, and strong room note. Not an all day smoke. Smoke it in a small bowl or have a little something on your stomach if you use a bigger pipe for it.

-JimInks

42 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2002-12-09		Very Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Very Pleasant

I recently smoked a bowl of this powerful, yet delicious tobacco at a pipe club Christmas dinner. Not only was the company outstanding, so was this delightful, shag cut tobacco.

If I had smoked this at home, I would have given the leaf a whirl in my blender because the shaggy strands were too long for an easy pack job. The strength will make the veteran puffer giddy with excitement. The neophyte on the other hand, may swoon, drool and topple over.

Rich, smooth, creamy and mounds of smoke. Cool too. What more could a pipe man (or woman) ask for? On second thought, I don't think the women will want to try Dark Birdseye because this blend will put hair on your chest!

32 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-09-10		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

UPDATE: Because of the amount of this tobacco that I consume and the frequency at which I consume it - I felt compelled to revisit my review. I have elevated this from 3 to 4 stars.

This is now in the forefront of my daily rotation. It is strong - but not overwhelming. For me ... slow ... shallow puffs gives me the most enjoyment.

Not unlike Fairmorn's Dark Fired Shag there is an unmistakable smoky quality when flue cured with oak. But - this IMHO is a better smoke for a few reasons, not limited to wonderful fine ribbon cut. The overall tobacco is more pleasant and the faint Lakeland Distict cologne may have a great deal to do with it. If one is so inclined to enjoy an occasional pinch of tobacco in the cheek (I'm not talking about those candied floor cuttings they pawn off as chew or that fiberglass laden crap one dips) - you wouldn't be disappointed in this at all either.

This tobacco loves aging and becomes sweeter, more complex and the faint Lakeland scent lingers in the background. I find the room note draws no complaints, which is mind-boggling considering the stoutness of the tobacco.

Cheers, VC

9/21/05 - This is the equivalent of a doppio espresso in pipe smoking for me. It's simple, straightforward and strong. It has it's own bit of complexity and lanquishes in the deep tones.

Fill is easy, burns cool yet quick and is the perfect full flavor short smoke. In my experience this is best for a small bowl despite its fast burning qualities, great in a cob. I smoke this when I don't have time for my ritual but would like my satisfaction. The perfect tobacco for a long walk off a short pier.

Cheers, VC

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-01-13		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Going through a lot of G&H tobaccos lately has shown me just how much that strength is relative to the smoker. Yes, this one is strong, but I found it a lot milder than Kendal Dark or the black ropes, none of which I can smoke. This one reminds me of Kendal Kentucky but does not have the full depth of flavor to my taste buds.

This is a rich, bold tobacco but not a head-spinner. This, along with Kendal Kentucky, is what I would offer someone that said that they just wanted to taste tobacco with no soap, florals, leather, wood, spices, etc etc. Just pure tobacco. I did find the faintest trace of lakeland soapiness here but it was SO faint, it may have even been my imagination. I'll keep this one around. It's just so ironic to me that G&H can make the "best" strong tobaccos and the "worst" ones at the same time - IMHO, of course!

25 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2016-07-11		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Sweet, dark fired, natural tobacco flavor with just a hint of Lakeland in the background. I like this flavor very much. I also like the strength of this smoke. If it were a weapon it would be a blunt instrument. I have smoked this in small bowls only and can't imagine ever using a large one. It's just not necessary or desirable. If you like your tobacco strong and natural you owe it to yourself to try this. If you have an aversion to Lakeland flavor, don't sweat it as it's barely noticed. It's actually a nice touch.

Body is full (strong). Taste is full. Lakeland is extremely mild. Burns perfectly. Wonderful stuff.

Pipe Used: Ropp Acorn, MM Dwarf, MM Little Devil Acorn

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2016-03-07		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Pleasant

Gawith Hoggarth - Dark Bird's Eye. I could use one simple word for this review: STRONG! However I'll try to do better, albeit, this site already includes pretty much everything that needs to be said.

I'm impressed by the cut as I was unsure what 'Birds Eye' would resemble. It turns out that the contents are very uniformly cut; all long and quite thin ribbons. The smell from the pouch makes me expect a smoke that tastes a little fired; it has a smoky, almost liquorice type of scent. It packs and lights easily, so I'll give my opinion on the smoke:

My initial thoughts are all to do with the strength; whether or not you inhale your smoke this will about knock you out. It's definitely one for the nicotine lovers! Putting the huge amount of nicotine aside, I have to admit I like this stuff; 1: it doesn't bite me at any point whilst enjoying a bowl, not even a nip. 2: I find the smoke is cool and velvety. 3: the smoky flavour I discovered in the pouch note is still around on the palate too, don't expect a Latakia resemblance, I don't find it that smoky or woody, I find it has more of of very mild charred addition and maybe also the subtle liquorice note I got from the bag. 4: the room note is exactly as the taste suggests: full and slightly smoky.

This is quite an enjoyable smoke; not one I could regularly smoke due to the strength but it still gets three stars for the other qualities.

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes Lestrade

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Robert Graham

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobacco (52)	2014-04-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is the espresso vermicelli of tobaccos! And the last time I enjoyed virginia like this was with Ratray's Black, only you don't have to fight Bird's Eye, in fact it is nothing but easy to pack, light, smoke, tip out ash, and clean after. The long long fine shag cut is great and so is the deep dark caramelized flavor. The strength is just strong and very predictable - nothing to be afraid of. Bag note is a bit intimidating and don't be scared off by this, but it reminds me of a stinky dog's ear and coffee beans (now you have to buy some). Flavor is simple but full and if you've been smoking brown twist, you'll surely recognize this as one componet of those more complex tobaccos.

A few notes.... Packing the pipe is as easy as it gets and there is absolutely no marginal material in the product. No woody bits or clumps that need to be fussed with. Lighting the fine shag is easy as is tamping it. Because the vermicelli like strands are deep seated in the pipe, you can tip out the ash as you smoke without fear of dumping out the unburnt tobacco. This is a good to the bottom of the bowl tobacco; never sour but it does get potent. Nice clean pipe afterwards no gooey sugar mess or heavy soot to clean. Like most Gawith products, this is quality UK style. Treat yourself to something other than cheap!

Pipe Used: MM Diplomat COB

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk

Purchased From: smokingpipes

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2013-12-20		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Dark Birdseye is a glorious tobacco. It bears a strong family resemblance to some of my favorite strong smokes like the Gawith brown ropes, Peterson’s Irish Flake, and G&H’s muscular Dark Flake Unscented. The potent dark-fired leaf here tastes like smoked meat lightly sprinkled with baker’s chocolate. It’s quite high in nicotine. It can be bitter on occasion. If I smoke it too often, I can get bored with its monolithic flavor.

But as an occasional treat (the doctors tell us that’s how we should treat bacon anyway), it doesn’t suffer from familiarity. Richer than dark fired Kentucky, the fired Virginias here have enough sweetness to balance the smoky, savory elements. I find that a small bowl is all I really need of this and it’s best accompanied by a peaty Islay whisky or a black beer with some smoky undertones.

I haven’t had any problems with this stuff arriving too dry, as others have. If anything, I usually find that it needs to be dried to just this side of crispy if it’s going to work well for me.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2018-02-21		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The cut is not so thin as 5 Bros or something like Drum. I would characterize it as very fine long ribbon. The color is a uniform very dark brown - almost black, and the pouch note is smokey and slightly sweet. Mine was delivered slightly moist, but I smoked it as delivered and did not worry about drying it. I but found it smoked better firmly packed, and it seemed to favor wide bowls.

This is a strong tobacco. I think it has the edge here on Kendal Kentucky which says a lot. You are warned. The Kendal Kentucky has a fuller flavor in the first few puffs, but this one builds.

Compared to Kendal Kentucky, this is sweeter and earthier. The Kendal Kentucky has a little more spice in the snork. Dark Bird's Eye has a rich taste that really grows on you. It is easy to keep lit, and is an easy smoke.It is a little thick in terms of mouth texture or "feel." There is just a whiff of Lakeland sauce every now and then.

This is a great smoke, but it is strong and full-flavored. It will not be suited to every smoker. It is expensive for a cheap guy, but I do find I am very fond of it. It is a solid 3.5 in that I sprang for a 500 g sack during a sale.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	panduji68 (28)	2013-09-10		Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am currently smoking this offering in a large bowl English straight stem London Export pipe (one of my absolute favorite smoking pipes) as I write this review. I felt it proper to engage this tobacco in an environment of hand to hand combat, ignoring "don't ever smoke it in a large bowl, sit down whilst smoking", worst case scenario type of environment, given it's reviews and my gluttony for punishment.

What a bunch of guffaw! This is a fine tobacco that behaves like an absolute Gentleman if treated with respect. It is most definitely strong in the nicotine department, but I find it odd that some reviewers have dinged it for being such whilst knowing what they were getting into. If you like a tobacco that is strong in the nicotine department without a cigar like taste and aroma as is common with some Gawith rope and twist tobacco, this one is for you. My "El Dictator" gave it's room note a thumbs up. It most definitely has a sweet, mild topping that is present to me only while exhaling through the nose and not on the palate.

Smoking this offering in a large bowl did, however, make me sit down, if I wanted to contemplate it's nuances further. I found this wonderful. My one complaint about this tobacco is that it is nearly a shag cut. I think a ribbon cut would have done it more justice. It packs very dense if not careful, and can be a bit harsh on the nostrils when exhaled through the nose. It is somewhat wet and requires a very slight (15 minutes in my air conditioned living room) drying time prior to packing the bowl.

It is spicy, but with no tongue bite. It burns very cool if sipped but will attack the throat if sipping is not your style of smoking a pipe.

This is a stellar smoke as an after dinner, before bedtime offering, or paired with a nice single malt Scotch or quality Kentucky Bourbon. Not an all day smoke to be certain, but absolutely nothing to be afraid of if treated properly.

I truly enjoyed my 8 ounces and will order more in the near future. A great smoke once figured out in your best smoking pipe. Recommended!

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sanzini (9)	2022-02-12		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

Long time reader, first time reviewer. 🙂

Dark Birds Eye has quickly become one of my favorite smokes. Deep and rich, sweet and smoky. There’s a bit of chocolate and coffee, especially on the retrohale. Maybe the faintest note of that famous (infamous?) Lakeland essence that others have mentioned, but it’s barely perceptible. Overall this is wonderful all-tobacco smoke. Strong? Yes, but not overly so. Compare to ODF, Kendal Kentucky, Irish Flake, and similar. The fine shag cut makes for an easy pack - make sure to pack it tight, as it will burn quickly. A terrific smoking experience.

Pipe Used: Various

Similar Blends: HH Old Dark Fired, Kendal Kentucky , Irish Flake.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-09-18		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

There's not much to say on packaging as it comes in bulk, or if you are very fond of it you can buy the 17oz green bag of it. When I first looked inside, I saw a very nice dark brown shag cut tobacco. When I stick my nose in the jar, I smell Mesquite Barbecue, earth, hay, and wood. A very nice smell. It came at the perfect moisture for me and it was easy to pack and light. Just a side note but in my experience the tighter you pack this the easier it stays lit.

Dark Fired Kentucky has a lot of natural oils so as soon as I light my pipe I have plumes of luscious white smoke. The first thing that hits me is the soft, but somewhat spicey barbecue notes from the Dark fired Kentucky. It has a nuttiness, and cigar-like floral qualities. The Virginias add depth, hay and body. The Lakeland is just enough to let you know it's there without making this into any iteration of an aromatic. A nice, bold, real tobacco flavor.

The taste is a medium-full. A nice lingering dark fired aroma. The strength is strong but not as strong as HH Bold Kentucky, more like Old Dark Fired. Right where I'm happy with Lady N most days. The room note is Burley forward so keep that in mind. A very good blend and an easy smoke that is smooth, strong and consistent.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Oceano Poker

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2018-03-23		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

A wonderful, stout blend in the manner of Kendal Dark and Kendal Kentucky! The scent of the unburnt tobacco is smoky, hearty and earthy and somehow I perceive a whiff of cinnamon, which I find most pleasant!

Lovely, yet rather coarse cut, but packing isn't too much of a magic trick.. from the first puffs you get a full-bodied, smoky and earthy aroma. Woodsy smokiness, earthiness and a cool, dry smoke. There's a whisper of Lakeland Essence, yet so mild that I think it wasn't applied to the tobacco but got "infected" with it in the production hall. It's not unpelasant and disappears quickly. Not complex at all, what you smell is what you get! Smokiness, earthiness, woodsy notes, with very little sweetness. Perfect for a quick, powerful and satisfying smoke. Tickles the nose pleasantly on retrohale.

Recently I tried quite a few G&H blends (and those produced by them for others) and most of them turned me off.. a few taste of burnt rubber and burnt cookie crumbles, some have too much of the 'old grandma perfume'-Essence... but whenever G&H grabs dark fired leaf, especially Kentucky for blending something wonderful comes out of it! Stout tobacco goodness, that gives me this "back in the old days"-feeling, of old fishermen and sailors that puff this weed in their pipes while working.

Pipe Used: Clays, Cobs, Briars, Morta

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Calamiti (86)	2016-02-15		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

Do you really think that your most precious and most craved early morning pipe must be a light sourish Oriental with a whiff of Latakia? That rather will sooth you back into your bed. Take the Dark Bird's Eye - and it will instantly cheer you up for the new day!

Fast-burning potent stuff with pleasant smoky aroma and hints of sweetness is ideal for those still battling their cigarette addiction (like me) and craving a fast nicotine fix in the morning. Not overwhelmingly strong, not sharp (like Kendal Kentucky might feel sometimes). I even dare to inhale it to get that awesome tickling sensation in the throat with no bitter consequences. I would highly recommend this manly tobacco to former heavy cigarette-smokers.

Pipe Used: Tanganyika Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

Similar Blends: GH Kendal Kentucky.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2015-11-23		Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Summary: a strong, comfortable smoke that varies the sweetness of Virginia leaf with spice and mid-range flavors.

Among the codger blends, the shag cuts often tend to be both the most unassuming and the least likely to take prisoners. This dark shag reveals its origins in smoke curing which transfer the sweetness of Virginia leaf into a broader range of flavors and gives it a smoky tang. The odious Lakeland essence, a cousin of AIDS and funeral home rosewater, burns off quickly and leaves a strong dark smoke with undertones of sweetness and earthy flavor. This is a great all-day smoke for people who enjoy being outdoors.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2015-05-01		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a stout and moderately spicy tobacco that also smokes smooth, balanced and full of flavor. The evenly cut shag practically guarantees a steady burn with very few relights. At a slow sip the strength is firm but not overwhelming. The flavors are dark, bittersweet and smoky. From time to time I’ll detect a subtle floral note in the side-stream, but for the most part, Dark Bird’s Eye represents the pure tobacco flavor constituent of Gawith & Hoggarth’s stable of blends.

I agree with those who have mentioned how well this stuff ages. The Dark Bird's Eye that I stashed away has definitely sweetened and smoothed out nicely over the last three years. It’s not an everyday kind of smoke for me, but it’s always good.

Pipe Used: Briar & Cob

Age When Smoked: 3 years

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2014-04-29		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

The fine cut helps with packing and keeping it lit which is good because you will need to seep it in order to get the most of it and also to help you with the potency of this tobacco. A small pipe with a long stem is in order as you will not need more than a 20 minute rendez-vous with your pipe.

There is a caramelized burnt onion taste than I find interesting, a smoky and pungent flavor that remains constant through the entire bowl. A stout, old style pipe tobacco that is good after a meal or late evening.

Virginia lover

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Danno (106)	2018-12-30		Very Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable

I (somewhat) recently added reviews of Kendal Dark and Kendal Kentucky, so it remains to round those out with an impression of this related shag, Dark Bird's Eye.

It shares much in common with the other two, but the nose is less woody compared with KK, and less floral than the KD. Moisture is smoking-ready, and a tight pack will do you well.

The taste is astringent - dry, a bit of that rancid chocolate found in KD, and prickly on the tongue - and it leaves my mouth feeling like a good espresso recently passed through. This stuff will enervate ya, lots of taste and nicotine. I prefer it in smaller bowls, but it does well in bigger pipes, too - just takes more 'sittings' to consume.

One of the things I appreciate about DBE is that you can leave a half-enjoyed pipe and come back to it hours/days/weeks later, and in about 3 puffs, it is right back where left off, albeit knocked up a notch.

KK is still my fave of the 3, but this is an easy recommendation for those who like strong shag cuts and the general G&H flavour profile.

A whirlwind tour of English colonial history in your pipe.

Age When Smoked: Recent

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (403)	2018-08-24		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Unnoticeable

I have smoked this on and off over the past several years. I have a jar I bought from an estate dated 2003 and I recently purchased some more at my local (25 miles away) tobacco shop. The 2003 was way darker than the new stuff. They both have the fine shag cut and I did not do a side by side comparison but both smoke really well. It tastes like pure smooth tobacco. No frills, no fancy toppings just good dark earthy tobacco. I read some reviews and smoke this in a small bowl pipe, a KB&B Capitol which one website says was made between 1919 and 1924. I must have built up a nicotine tolerance level because I smoked about 5 bowls albeit small ones with no ill effects. Definitely try this one.

https://rebornpipes.com/tag/kbb-capitol-pipe/

Pipe Used: KB&B Capitol

Age When Smoked: 15 years and new

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2016-10-07		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

What a nice tobacco, guys !

DBE has just come to Italy, alongwith some five GH’s blends. I had to try it, even at an outrageous price. It’s worth I did it.

It reminds me of Kendal Kentucky, maybe this one has a slightly different proportion of Virginia, but not that much. We are talking of dark fired leaves, at the end. Nice it is the definition of the friend at TR, that this is the espresso (or double espresso !) of tobaccos. As an Italian I should say: SI, CERTO ! (Yes indeed!) Burns like heaven, cool & smooth offering clouds of smoke. The flavour is simple, of true tobacco (no Lakeland scent). The strength builds from something past the medium to a strong mark, but nothing unbearable.

I prefer this into medium bowls. Large bowls… it’s a bit too much.

Good good good. Also in the morning… with a double espresso.

Pipe Used: Castello, Mastro de Paja, Amorelli and others

Age When Smoked: fresh

Similar Blends: GH's Kendal Kentucky.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smokedinacob (10)	2014-06-30		Extremely Strong	Very Mild	Full	Very Strong

I just finished a two-month stint of smoking a quantity of Dark Birdseye, Kendal Dark, and Kendal Kentucky in rotation at various moisture levels, times-of-day, etc. in an effort to decide which one to start buying in bulk. In the end, although they seem quite different when smoked back to back, I can honestly say that if only any one of the three were available, I would lay in a large stock of it and be thankful.

The middle part applies to all three:

The cut is what I would call an "ultra-fine ribbon." Just wider than a true shag, but handles like a shag. I like how it dries out. I like packing it into the pipe. I like how it burns. It can burn really really fast if you truly pay no attention at all, and with tobaccos of this strength it can be unpleasant, but I am lazy and like how easy it is to get these ribbons to smolder compared to larger stuff. Just let it dry until nearly breakable, squeeze it, light it, and puff easy.

Nicotine. There's a lot in here. It awakens the senses, calms the mind, and coats the mouth.

The flavor of these is decidedly dark and strong. Meaty, tangy, oily, a little sweet, fermented, a little smoky. Smoking these is not a multi-dimensional experience like a symphony. More like Sacred Harp sing--4 notes, wild and good and loud. Full on dark tobacco taste. For real. Rough around the edges, raw, old-timey. I have nothing to compare it to, really. I can only say that I really like it and will keep something like this around at all times.

Dark Birdseye is my favorite. It has a much more pronounced fermented "funk" than the others. It reminds me of the Drum tobacco of my youth, when it was still really, really good. It is a really deeply wild tasting tobacco. Also it has some sauce. Adding to the fermented funk is a musky, exotic, incense funk. It is very faint, but I would describe it as exciting, enticing, pheromone-like, and a powerful compliment to the raw dark tobacco power packed into this weird old-timey leaf.

EDIT: I just got a new half pound of this. Apparently some Euro busy bodies forced a change in the cut. Now it's a fairly standard medium ribbon. Tastes the same, more difficult to light, makes me curse the decline of western civilization every bowl. Still 4 stars.

EDIT: Thank God, the "ultra-fine-ribbon" is back. The world is good again.

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smoking pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TW (38)	2013-09-08		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

Once a true shag cut now more of a narrow ribbon thanks to the European 1.5mm cut rule for pipe tobacco.

Like most G&H tobaccos it's old-fashioned, pretty unique and has a hint of unrefined brutality about it. Dark fired leaf with surprisingly little of the birdseye that gives it's name. As supplied it's a little damp but immediately smokable, as it dries the colour lightens a little with some strands becoming a more mid-brown in colour similar to the air-dried Indian leaf in the dark range. I find this is most flavourful smoked on the damp side, and despite it's name nothing like the dark shag/flake/plug range.

Cool and virtually bite-free unless allowed to dry too much, it produces lots of smoke and burns cleanly and with little if any dottle. The flavour is smoky, pungent, very full and unchanging throughout the bowl. I recommend small, narrow bowls - I'm quite used to strong tobaccos, but the combination of high nocotine and loads of smoke give this one a real punch. Not quite a brown rope, but pretty powerful and stout. My 80 year-old father-in-law has smoked nothing but G&H black ropes for all his life, but Dark Birdseye even made him stagger a bit. It's supposed to be unscented by the way - no Lakeland florals or anything else, "Kendal/Lakeland" is a place, not a description of a particular flavour of tobacco.

My wife reckons the room note is fine when smoked in small quantities, but it counts as an acrid chemical weapon requiring immediate evacuation of the vicinity if fired up in a larger bowl.

The cut means it burns quickly, but it also burns quite cooly. I find a Peterson Belgique or similar "clay pipe" sized small bowl is great for a 20ish minute smoke when out and about. It also keeps it's flavour outdoors, which is useful.

Finally, it doesn't ghost at all and builds cake very quickly - it excels as as a tobacco for breaking in a new briar.

Recommended for those who like strong, stout old-fashioned tobaccos with plenty of unique flavour.

ps - I defy anyone to inhale this without exploding :-)

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2011-12-18		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Straight forward, strong tobacco with a slight sweetness and just enough Lakeland flavors that you know it's a Lakeland style tobacco, but, its 99.9% pure tobacco taste. There is no complexity to this blend, it burns cleanly and doesn't bite. I like strong tobaccos, and I am a big fan of GH blends, but this is a miss for me as I simply don't like the taste and it would be useful only as a quick nic hit. However, fans of dark rope tobacco will find a happy home here. Somewhat Recommended

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2003-07-24		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Let me start with the opinion that this is the type of tobacco Shelock Holmes was supposed to keep in his slipper in the fictional accounts. G&H only say that this is a dark tobacco. They do not provide the origins, unlike many others of their blends. To my taste, this is mostly, or entirely dark fired BURLEY, with little or no Virginia leaf. There seems to be no topping added, just a slightly pungent aroma from the leaf. In fact, there is very little about the aroma that hints at the smoking experience. I won't belabor the fine cut, except to note that it reminds me of Schippers (sp?), which I tried many years ago. As expected, it lights very easily, sometimes with a single Vesta. You immediateley taste the dark, smokey leaf in a burst of flavor. The taste reminds me of a decent Dutch/Danish dry cigar, more refined than a Tuscany style (DiNobili for example). There is little or no complexity to the smoke, no matter how slowly it is smoked, but there is a lot of satisfaction, owing to the fullness of the flavor (and the nicotine level). It also has a tendency to dry out my mouth, another trait of Burley. The leaf does not burn hot unless puffed too agressively, and can be smoked outdoors in moderate breezes. (I don't smoke in stiff winds). I find it works best in smaller pipes, mostly because it becomes too dry in larger bowls. An excellent choice in a cob, in which you can reload almost immediately, as it burns dry and clean. The ash is always dry, but a dark gray color, never white. To me, this is another Burley indicator.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J. Ward (71)	2022-03-22		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Dark Bird's Eye is a strong, flavorful tobacco. Mostly Kentucky- spicy, earthy, wood and smokiness, with a rough edge. The nicotine packs quite a punch and a smaller bowl, perhaps a small cob, is what I'd recommend. I cannot stress how much I dislike this tobacco. Even when sipped you have to be careful because the nic kick will sneak up on you out of nowhere, and the rough edge is off-putting. I give it two stars instead of one because it's a quality product from a historic brand, and it's certainly a favorite of many.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Poodlejuice (51)	2021-11-29		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

Has a nice little sweet and bitter thing going on, caramel, ketchup, pepper, sourdough, chocolate and some floral notes. A tiny hint of the Lakeland essence (which I think all G&H products have) but nothing that will stick around for long. Pretty one note, and nice and strong, but that's not a big deal because the burn time is fairly short, even when packed tight. Medium to full body and won't bite, even if you try.

If you like Irish flake or ODF chances are you'll like this, it isn't quite as complex as the aforementioned but it is easy to pack and light and packs one hell of a punch. I routinely smoke this stuff to the bottom without relights. Great for a quick little pick-me-up, or a morning bowl on the way to work, or any other time when you need a short, stout, full bodied smoke.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cakeanddottle (105)	2021-11-21		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

IMO shag tobacco was for pipe men back when a man carried a pipe in his jacket pocket and smoked it over and over through the day. Shag tobacco is conducive to 15 minute smokes instead of 60-90 minute smokes, and that would be just the thing for the man who smoked a pipe primarily as a means of nicotine delivery.

I find all shag tobacco tastes a little ashy halfway into the bowl.

Of all the shags, I like this best. It starts with a little sweetness, coupled with the smoky backbone of the dark fired. It's good, and it's perfect when you want a smoke but don't have the luxury of time.

I'd take Dark Flake over these shags 9 times out of 10, but they are useful to keep on hand for short smokes now and then. This is the best of the lot.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hrhf (38)	2021-02-18		Strong	Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Update 19 July, 2021 Now that I have a little more experience in the world of pipe tobacco, I’m revisiting this review to give it a more appropriate rating: two and 3/4 stars.

Original review: 18 February, 2021 While I enjoy reading the reviews I’ve read so far — of every tobacco, not just this one — I’ve found I especially enjoy reading (and rereading) the reviews for Dark Birds Eye WHILE I’m smoking it.

I don’t know why. Maybe it’s a result of global pandemic isolation. This is the closest I can get right now to talking tobacco with other smokers.

I’m not going to spend a great deal of time discussing Dark Birds Eye. Lots of people have done this already.

But I must say I find the richness... the nuttiness... the exquisite boldness of this fine Gawith Hoggarth offering quite pleasurable.

As I’m just returning to my pipes (I’m a little over a month back in) after an extended absence, I’ve been hustling to build up a decent stash, while also trying to obtain enough to age a nice variety of quality tobaccos.

And so far, I have more Dark Birds Eye and its sister blend Kendal Dark than anything else thus far. I’ve got a pound each in jars. Ideally, some of it will survive untouched long enough to get some years under its belt.

So to speak.

I’ve mentioned in one of my other reviews (I don’t have many so far) that I prefer the sweetness of straight Virginias at this point, but look to bolder, more savory options to keep things interesting.

I’ve tried other savory options. Not a lot. But enough to recognize that these two GH blends (along with Five Brothers) are keepers.

And, frankly, all I really need in the savory department.

My next step will be figuring out which of these two GH blends I prefer. As of right now, I consider the other (Kendal Dark) my favorite of the two. But I’m working on a bowl of Birds Eye as I type this and, man, it’s really doggone good.

I’ve got my work cut out for me.

In the meantime, stay tuned. I plan on updating this review things develop.

Pipe Used: Various sizes of briar pipes

Age When Smoked: New bulk stock

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Kendal Dark.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	McClintock (15)	2021-01-21		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This one has been reviewed quite a bit, so not much to add other than more adoration. This one is absolutely a 4 star blend. Other than the somewhat similar Kendal Dark, this one is in it’s own lane, and what a world class lane it is. Much smoother and refined than some reviews would have you believe. It’s strong and flavorful, but it’s not acrid or a knuckleduster to the palette. It’s earthy, a little sweet, and quite floral due to what I assume are the African varietals. Not a cheerful flavor profile, but rather somber. It pairs well with a foggy morning on the water. The light smokiness in the tin note doesn’t translate to the flavor. There is more than a hint of clove essence throughout, but it doesn’t ever approach that old spice cabinet aroma/flavor. It’s rustic but not harsh or overbearing in any way. I find blends like haunted bookshop or OJK to be vastly more rugged, harsh, acrid, etc. A really beautiful, simple, easy to smoke shag cut blend. Don’t be scared by it’s reputation as a heavyweight puncher, load it in a small bowl , pack it tight, and pace yourself. It tastes best that way anyhow.

*If you don’t have a small shag pipe ( plenty of estate bruyere garantie to be found for cheap) , consider adding one to the collection. It’s hard to overdo the nicotine with such a small bowl, and if packed tight and sipped, the smoke will last you longer than you’d imagine. It’s a working man’s pipe for a working mans tobacco and it just feels right.

Pipe Used: Various small shag pipes

Age When Smoked: Fresh - bulk

Similar Blends: Kendal Dark.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Shaun_Pearson (21)	2019-09-02		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was a good blend. It was heavy so I would recommend smoking it with a full stomach. It was nice and nutty. It also paired well with an Irish breakfast tea.

Pipe Used: Briar Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Twins Smoke Shop (Londonderry, NH)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Hun (38)	2018-12-20		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

The taste of this blend reminds me of the smell of the smoke from an oak log fire. It brings me back to my younger days of visiting my mountain kinfolk who burned oak in their potbellied stoves during the winter.

Some have compared this blend to Five Brothers, but they are analogous only in strength and texture. Dark Bird's Eye has much more flavor, to the point that the only blends I can mix this in with is weak latakia mixtures. Otherwise the dark-fired tobaccos in this blend overwhelms other blends. With latakia, the blends seems to complement each other.

By itself, Dark Bird's Eye has a semi-sweet, woody, and (on some occasions) a slight floral taste bolstered by a nice hit of nicotine. The smoke has a bold texture, almost that of smoked meat. I find the room note pleasant, but I'm sure that no nonsmoker would find it even tolerable. That's their loss.

As a stand-alone smoke, Dark Bird's Eye is by far superior to Five Brothers (and that is reflected in the price), but it isn't nearly as valuable as a mixer. I can't imagine this as an all-day tobacco, and for most it is not even a once a day smoke, but it is packed with flavor and nicotine. Dark Bird's Eye is a pleasant, memorable diversion.

Recommended.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: from bulk

Similar Blends: Five Brother, in strength and texture only.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gordo (6)	2018-09-22		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

I purchased this with Kendal Kentucky and while I absolutely love the KK, I’m not so keen on this. Like others, I notice quite a strong rubber/cigar taste that I find really displeasing. I get no fruit, no sweetness, a hint of smokiness and a ton of rubbery cigar. In saying that, I’ve enjoyed trying a tobacco that is very different to many others I’ve tried and I think I could grow to like it more as my taste matures. It’s worth a try.

Update: Having smoked this more, I feel the need to increase the rating I gave, as I am enjoying it more each time. The last third of the bowl becomes a little unpleasant for me so I recommend a small bowl. It compliments a strong coffee superbly.

Pipe Used: Stanwell

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4noggins

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cajomu (80)	2018-03-12		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Based on the other reviews of GH&C Dark Bird's Eye, I thought I would really enjoy this tobacco. Alas, I didn't.

DBE is a dark shag with practically no aroma. I took Jiminks advice and packed it in a small pipe. I'm glad I did because it is a very strong tobacco. Nothing wrong with that, but it does require that you smoke it slowly.

Upon lighting it up, I was surprised by how spicy it was. Frankly, at the start, that's all it was -- unpleasantly spicy. After a while, the spiciness settled down a bit and was replaced by a sensation that I can only describe as something akin to menthol. As I puffed slowly away, I kept waiting for the full flavor that others found to kick in, but it never showed up. What I did get was a dark, almost burnt flavor that was devoid of any sweetness or other redeeming qualities. I tried retrohaling it in the hope that it would be more flavorful but all I got was was more unpleasant spiciness and more of the burnt toast flavor.

Based on my initial experience with DBE, I can't recommend it. Maybe I chose the wrong pipe or maybe I just wasn't in the mood for something like DBE. I'll smoke it again in some other pipes and, if I find something I missed, I'll update my review.

Pipe Used: Small Tanganyika African meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Recently purchased.

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2017-12-18		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

G,H&Co Dark Birdseye is an unabashed, throwback tobacco, plain, simple, and proud of it. It comes in bulk, shag cut, ready to stuff and puff. Forget about ripe fruit. It smells like a mild, earthy cigar, and it pretty much tastes like that, too, and it lights and burns down like a champ. If it’s packed firmly it lasts longer than many other shags, long enough to get a buzz. Strength is strong. Tastes are full. Room note is disgusting. Aftertaste is cigar-ish, along with some VA sweetness. There is the vaguest hint of Lakeland essence.

Simple tabac like this demands a short review, so I’ll close by saying there’s “more” to house mate Brown Irish X, or Tabac Manil's Le Petit Robin, but neither hits the spot quite like Dark Birdseye, especially on a short break. 3 stars; not quite 4. Don’t like it? Smoke something else!

Pipe Used: Works great in a beat-up old Cutty

Age When Smoked: Old enough to know better

Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco

Similar Blends: Compare/contrast to Brown Irish X..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2016-07-16		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

Very fine shag cut tobacco that comes rather moist. I like to lay it all out on a flat surface and let it dry for at least an hour and then jar it up. This is an absolutely stellar, hassle free smoke. Those acclimated to large doses of nicotine will surely find this blend essential to their rotation. This blend has character, and depth, it's truly complex. I detect some natural floral notes (not to be confused with Lakeland essence) in the top and a heavy, bold VA flavor which almost tastes "roasted" in the base. This was made with an experienced pipe smoker in mind and has become an everyday smoke for me. I can't recommend this one enough. Absolutely essential!

Pipe Used: Savinelli Nonpareil, Neerup Classic

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: www.smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Brown Irish X, Brown Bogie..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SecretAgentMan (27)	2013-12-16		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Deep brown, almost black, shag. Very moist when I pulled it out of the bag, so I let it dry for 15 minutes. Like others (JimInks, chaplikc, Camerade, and Hemlock) I noticed a strong burley presence. I usually don't respond well to burley, which always bites and gives me a strong impression of a burning grocery sack. This was much smoother and my hostile reaction to burley was only growling and not straining the leash. Still, my overall experience was that this is a harsh tobacco. That shouldn't be the case with everyone (or even most people), but the burley (if it's there) really sandpapered my tongue.

Leaving that aside, the other strong impression I had was that this HG blend is SG's 1792 Flake without the tonkin essence. It's almost as strong as 1792, and has a lot of the flavor of that blend, but it lacks the je ne sais quoi of tonkin. Tastes are overwhelmingly savory, especially in the last half. Woodsmoke, mushrooms, butter, hints of Worcestershire and anchovy sauce. Lakeland scent peeps out at you every once in a while and then disappears before reappearing again at random intervals. Thick white-grey smoke, too, if you like that sort of thing.

On the whole, I didn't enjoy this. But I really appreciate its quality, and if you like very strong tobacco, or tried 1792 and hated the tonkin, then be sure to give this one a go.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-08-07		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I purchased eight ounces of this from Mars Cigars in hopes that this would be my Sherlockian Shag; it very well may be, perhaps I am not the man he was and cannot tolerate a tobacco this strong, at least before breakfast. On researching this legendary tobacco I read that some thought that this resembled Drum rolling tobacco. The product I received is certainly not Drum: it is a broader shag and not the same long, stringy cut as the aforementioned cigarette tobacco. The scent of the unburnt tobacco is earthy, brown. As a Virginia smoker I find it possible that there is some burley in here, perhaps as Kentucky. Don't quote me. I really am not a master. Loads very easily, as you'd expect from the cut. Upon lighting you are made blatantly aware that this is no-nonsense tobacco. I smoke a fair amount of strong tobacco: Peterson Irish Flake, SG Bracken Flake, GH Sweet Rum Twist, etc. but this one hits me the hardest. The smoke is voluminous and creamy, with some woody notes. It tended to dry my mouth out a little and I was grateful for my tea pot sitting by. It burns well, leaving little moisture and minimal dottle. However, I am slightly afraid of this stuff. It's cool-burning and full-tasting and reliable, but I think I found my superior in strength. I used to think I was capable of smoking the most mighty of offerings. Perhaps I am not Holmesian enough to fully "get" this. It is obviously of amazing quality--don't mistake me--but I may not be entirely up to the challenge. Those fishermen were surely men that lived a harder life than mine! If you are curious about trying this, by all means do so. It is unique in the field of pipe tobacco. It is also slightly ancient in its preparation, which allows a certain reference to our modern times. This isn't a PG-soaked wad of near-tobacco. This is pretty much the real thing. One really should try this once, and, if you're a better man than I, enjoy this in quantity. I, for one, would be impressed.

BTW: If you were looking for real Edwardian pipe shag and bought McClelland's Black Shag and were wondering, "Really?", then this very well might guide you into the dingy rooms of 221B a bit better than McClelland's.

UPDATE 09/26/2009: A few months of aging in a Mason jar does wonders to this tobacco! Being timid of Dark Bird's Eye, I canned my supply for 4 months in two separate jars. Growing curious about DBE again I opened one jar and discovered a sweet Virginia scent in the jar I never noticed in the original bulk plastic bag...and the sweetness was noticeable also in the tobacco itself- very balanced and easy-smoking, more fragrant and easy to smoke. I now more fully understand the miracle of aging Virginia tobaccos. So, to sum up: if you found this a touch rough and unpleasant, seal it in glass for a few months and viola! great tobacco.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2021-05-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Recently purchased 4 ounces of this in bulk from a popular online pipe store.

The gawith blends seem quite difficult to get and I figured why not.

This is a shag cut, the smell reminds me of the tobacco I used to put in my grandfathers tubes and press when I was a kid. 50 cigarettes got you 1 German Mark. Id usually do about 200 cigarettes.

It was a good time to be a kid, as it usually followed with a trip to the local candy store.

This blend smells earthy and full, just as the taste is. This blend while not the nicotine king as some people like to mention however is strong and has a slight cigar taste at times.

The Virginia tobacco is toasty but not sweet or bready, and the kentucky brings a little spice but more earthiness. This blend can smoke a bit hot if pushed and will burn relatively quickly.

This is what KBV mycroft should have been.

Pipe Used: rossi 320, bones hanging brandy

Age When Smoked: 04/2021

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipeologist (27)	2020-11-22		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Just checking to see I’ve got the right packet....Yep, it’s Dark Birds Eye all right. Moving on from Bothy flake....most enjoyable to this Gawith Hoggarth offering, I feel like I’m in Lakeland country. No, I’ve not just swallowed a bunch of geraniums, nor have I imbibed a bottle of Fairy liquid, but I’m getting Lakeland, Lakeland, when there oughtn’t to be any. My pipe isn’t ghosting, so it’s just me, I guess . Boy, is this tobacco strong. I smoke Cuban Bolivars and this holds up in punch any day of the week. Yes, I get that sweet Virginia flavour with masses of complex spice. I can see how this would be a connoisseur smoke. If you’re a beginner please do not try this, not even after or during a large alcoholic imbibation. The nicotine level is so off the scale that any recommendation from me would put you in for a session of Chemotherapy. All said and done, this tobacco would amply suit an experienced piper, but only after a hearty meal and definitely no inhaling, so four stars to those who have the stomach. One star, if that, for me, alas.

Pipe Used: New Falcon unghosted

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Gq

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (77)	2020-05-02		Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

I thought I would review this one as now I have quit cigarettes I find I have a better appreciation on these fabled pipe weeds.

This is a pipe tobacco that screams vintage. I can very much imagine the old coders of yesteryear stuffing their pipes with a mixture like this and merrily puffing away. This is the type of mixture the old boys would of puffed away before everyone and his cousin decoded to make yet another cherry or vanilla mixture. This is beastly strong stiff composed of all dark fired leaf which will put hairs on your chest. Smells like an old book store, hints of leather wood and a lot of smoke. A slight natural sweetness with no lake land essence. Packs easily into the pipe and lights just as easy. Straight off the bat, heavy taste of wood smoke, a slight touch of leather and a hint of dark fruit and molasses. Extremely cool too smoke and I get an almost menthol like tingle on the tongue.

Nicotine is a bomb on this and will easily drop kick a newbie or faint of heart in the face and charge for the effort.

If you don't like pure unflavoured powerhouses do yourself a favour stay away.

Room note is potent so chances are you will be banished outside.

Either way I like the stuff and regularly sick down bowl fulls of the stuff from a hardcastle London bent billiard and let myself wander off to an older simpler time when men where men and goopers weren't even thought of.

Pipe Used: Hardcastle Jack o London bent billiard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My smoking shop

Similar Blends: I guess this would probably be reminiscent to the French mixtures like caporal, also I read on the black Swan website this is a good replacement for lloyds bondsman. , A long lost British tobacco from donkeys years ago..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2019-02-09		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

GH Dark Birds Eye is another nice dark fired blend. When compared to ODF, DBE is more dark fired forward, more earthy and floral also and less sweet. It also has more strength so must be smoked in a smaller pipe. The tin note is musty, camp fire and earthy with the slightest Lakeland essence. Very nice. I also really like the shag cut. It lights up nice and fast. No Bite.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Similar Blends: ODF.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	riobrew (80)	2018-06-24		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Extra Strong

Great blend! Shag cut is a breeze to load pipe. Lights easy and stay lit. Pack a little tighter than usual because of cut. Strong taste, strength, and smell. Virginia mixed with the Dark Fired Kentucky is a win. Take it easy as with all Gawith Hoggarth blends.

Pipe Used: Cob, Stanwell Tivoli Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2017-04-21		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Extra Strong

A dark brown shag with sweet, malty, smoky notes. Clearly a dual use tobacco, this immediately reminded me of the old White Ox RYO.

Works fine as a pipe tobacco. There is plenty of rich sweet taste to be had, with the KY predominant. Burns well, but benefits from some drying time, which is what it would get if it were carried around as a pouch tobacco.

This is a distinctive, niche tobacco, that works for me as a change up baccy. It's old school in a lot of ways and this is probably going to be a like or loathe blend for pipe smokers. It's about as subtle as a brick.

There is a distinct, acrid, almost plastic note that intrudes as the bowl progresses. I have noticed this aroma in G+H ropes and flakes. No idea what it starts out as or what it is supposed to be, but I am not a fan. It sits just barely the right side of tolerable for me.

Will ghost a pipe.

Edit May 17. After struggling with this baccy for a month or more I gave up. Just too harsh and too strong all round. I found it impossible to finish even small bowls. Have downrated the baccy accordingly. I hope my neighbour, who smokes RYO, has better luck with it.

Pipe Used: Lepeltier

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2017-02-27		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

I just finished a healthy sample of this I received a while back. I found this one to be very similar to Kendal Kentucky in all respects. I would probably like this and the Kendal blends much better if they had a wider cut. This keeps me from giving any of them 4 stars, but this one and the aforementioned Kendal blend do deserve more than 3 stars.

It is tasty and a taste I do enjoy even if it comes in a cut that I do not. I find this to be slightly soapy and slightly cigar like. It is strong, but not overwhelming; at least to me its not. While the blend has a lot of backbone, it is pretty easy to smoke. Like all GH blends I have tried so far, this one won't bite no matter how hard you try.

Similar Blends: Kendal Kentucky.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noctivagant (11)	2017-01-15		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I wasn't sure what to make of this blend as most of the well-known, very strong tobaccos I bought to sample recently were a disappointment in some way. G&H's Happy Brown Bogie proved too overpowering to smoke and was better for me in my cheek. C&D's Old Joe Krantz and Byzantium were both let-downs for me, the former was just totally unsmokeable as it tasted of uncured, unripe Burley and the latter was just kind of flat and lacked balance.

This tobacco was a pleasant surprise. The bag note completely brought me back to a childhood spent farming a few acres of fire-cured dark Virginia tobacco, it had the smell of the 150-year-old tobacco barns full of oak smoke we used to cure our tobacco. The cut reminded me of the Bali Shag and Stokkebye tobacco I used to make hand-rolled cigarettes with years ago. The whole experience really reminded me of the green bag of Bali I used to buy from time to time which is now discontinued (it was either called Dark Virginia or Kentucky).

I pulled out of the bag enough to fill a small, briar churchwarden as it was the smallest bowl I had available and I'd read previous reviews cautioning against large or wide bowls for this tobacco. The tobacco out of the bag was dry, but I though a little extra drying was in order so I tore the really long strands of shag into smaller pieces and allowed it to dry for ten or so minutes. It turned out I pulled far too much out of the bag, as the tobacco did not compress as much as I thought it would. I proceeded to pack the bowl in the normal three steps I use with most tobaccos.

It took a match very easily, as shag does. It puffs up tremendously when first lit and it really didn't even need another light after the first charring light, but I lit again just to be certain the edges were going. The taste was straight tobacco, the taste of oak and smoked peat and leather. Just amazing. I ventured a retrohale. knowing that this had sunk me with OJK. It felt strong coming through my nose, with a tangy note and the slight wisp of Lakeland soapiness. I sat back in my chair and let this tobacco do its thing while I took long, slow sips. It burns very cooly, even with a former cigarette smoker pulling too hard and too often. The taste is not complicated, there aren't layers of flavor here to unravel. It's not overly simple, and though uncomplicated, there is some complexity as you move through the bowl. It was velvety near the beginning, but moved toward a tanginess in the last half of the bowl.

It's a quick burner, the small bowl I packed was done in twenty or thirty minutes. In fact, it surprised me, I thought I had gone out and upon striking the match for a re-light, noticed there was nothing but a very fine white ash. A surprising amount of ash, much more than expected. There was absolutely not a piece of dottle in there and the ash was as soft as silk. One more draw, and my mouth would have gotten quite the surprise.

Overall, I really enjoyed the honesty of this tobacco. It is strong, but not overpowering. The nicotine hit didn't bowl me over and it satisfied that almost ever present desire to smoke a cigarette.

*Even though I detected a faint aroma of Lakeland essence, I rated the flavoring as none, since I'm not sure it's even there. I may have just been influenced into finding it by reading reviews.

Pipe Used: Mini Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2016-12-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

This had to be the very Tobacco, that Sherlock Holmes kept in the Persian slipper. Smooth, and amazingly mellow. A dark caldron of deep Virginia with a soft dark fired bass. I didn't find it as strong as some have claimed. But then again I've been chewing loose leaf tobacco for years. The shag cut is very fine, puff gently. No bite whatsoever. Luscious, mellow, deep and seductive, and the aroma is very nice.

Pipe Used: Charatan

Age When Smoked: new

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-12-11		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a tobacco i dont cant regulary smoke. Best smoking time for me from March - May.

Tast is very full. Reminds me on to long roasted, speak to very dark brown roasted hazelnuts.

Nicotine too, special the last third of a bowl. Last time i bought it was round about 8 years ago. And it isnt gone. Every year 3 oz or so is my maximum.

Its hardly to recommand gerneral.

Belongs very much to the smoker. Because the Nic-tolerance

2-3 Stars.

Age When Smoked: 1 - 8

Similar Blends: GH Kendal Dark (insted the Nuts in Bird eye) more coffee.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2011-10-03		Very Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

this one is a wild stallion.. if you are a fan of stronger tobaccos like 1792, irish flake, royal yacht, etc.. give this one a try.. it has a pleasant subdued dark fired sort of flavor but also has a dash of lakeland essence to it.. very strong, very satisfying.. 4 stars for those who seek nicotene punches.. 3 stars for me, its good stuff

Returning to it.. July 2018.. this is what a Lakeland cigar would taste like.. unassuming shag like cut that packs the punch of a rope.. but burns fast.. slow puffing cadence brings out the best experience.. the Kentucky and Lakeland essence are the stars.. somewhere in the background just the most subtle Virginia sweetness.. Not my favorite style.. but I bet it would age well.. bringing a little more sweetness to the front.. maybe toning down the essence.. but then it wouldn't be what it's intended to be.. I would like to have this around if I wanted a cigar but couldn't afford one.. definitely hits that spot for me.. but the fast burn rate makes it sneak up on your heart rate.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blackhorse (96)	2011-07-05		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

Reading down the years of varied comments on this, as with most G & H dark blends is not only interesting but rather comical on occasion: Lakeland character...it's soapy...it's not soapy; N factor...it's the strongest weed on the planet...it's just right; room note...it stinks...it's ambrosia on the halfshell; the cut is a bust...the shag is ideal. And so it goes. Me? I love the stuff. Has that non-latakia (in other words full and round, not thin and sharp) flue cured flavor akin to Dark Plug/Flake for which Gawith is justly diefied. I think that Hemlock has the right idea and expresses his cogent thoughts in a manner that allows us to 'feel' the target of his admiration. That this blend represents what so very few others in the field accomplish...that of being an archetype...is just exactly right. It is simplicity as well as zenith. To a well experienced tobacco man, one not willing to be lured unto the dark side of the kingdom...or having been there and back...this provides a subtle purity of flavor, an unapologetic strength and a ready to enjoy cut that make it arguably THE epitome of pipe smoking excellence. If this isn't Burley...then it's what some long lost genius discovered he could do with VA to MAKE it so. Is it the best stuff there is? Well, actually...no. I find this on a par with Dark Flake/Dark Plug and sliced Sweet Rum Twist, for varied reasons. And Germain's Stonehaven as well as John Patton's brilliant Storm Front also vie for top honors. You can shout "Amen!" or "Heresy!" or just walk away shaking your head. To me, having found a half dozen such blends is well worth the forty years and likely close to a half million dollars that it required.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2011-02-23		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

I don't have too much to add on this one. I find it to be very similar to Kendal Kentucky. I keep a few tobaccos like this in my collection, but they are not my everyday smoke. Tastes more like Kentucky-cured Burley than Virginia to me, but what do I know? Virginia could be made to taste like this, I suppose, if cured in a certain way. This is not subtle. There are no fine nuances of flavor. This is man's 'baccy, must be sipped unless you are a better man than I, and yet now that I have tasted this and KK, these strong Burley shags are something I will always keep (small amounts of) around. Blowing this out my nose makes me feel like I'm taking snuff!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-02-08		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Not a bad tobacco, but not something I will smoke regularly. will gracefully finish my bag over the winter. By the way this will cake up your bowl lickety split!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-12-19		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Wow! Light up a bowl of this and you'll be well on your way to vomit city— it's a damned strong tobacco. Many say that this is high in nicotine content, but I'm not so sure. I know that the tobacco itself is extremely harsh— inhaling this will lead to intense coughing.

I couldn't smoke this stuff in a pipe, so I put it aside (I don't know where I put it, and frankly I'd rather not find it). A few months later, someone rolled me a cigarette with, I think it was 'Drum' tobacco, and that was it— Dark Birdseye for a fraction of the price. I can't say that it's cigaretteish, because Drum tobacco tastes nothing like the pre-packaged cigarettes, but it is certainly very similar to Drum. This tobacco would probably be better off in small quantities, in cigarettes or in a filtered pipe (I don't own any), because in a regular pipe this will knock you out.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Scott (82)	2010-12-04		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Strong

Dark Birdseye has that wonderful G, H & Co. shag cut that makes it so easy to pack and smoke. It also has their Lakeland essence, but it is applied with some restraint. The floral perfume is present from beginning to end, with frequent soapy notes, but it does not overwhelm the tobacco. After a few minutes, you really don't notice the perfume at all, just strong tobacco flavor.

Nicotine is strong, an even higher dose than in their Kendal Kentucky.

Like KK, it must be sipped very slowly to get the flavor, otherwise it is harsh and hot.

Note on room note: This tobacco gets a strong thumbs down from the wife, who says it smells like cigarettes. I can smoke this one only when the house is deserted or everyone is asleep.

Its place in the rotation: Dark Birdseye is the only Lakeland I keep around. Better flavor than Kendal Kentucky, and it is one of the strongest nicotine doses you will find. With its ease of packing and smoking, it gets a place in the regular rotation. For those who enjoy the Lakeland blends and don't mind its light perfume, it's the pick of its class.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hemlock (69)	2010-01-15		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Very Strong

Having opened a mason jar of a few ounces of bulk sealed for several years, I cannot stop smoking this one. Beautiful shag cut and likely what Sherlock was smoking. It seems similar to high quality rolling tobacco, but is evidently so rich to be obviously only for your most well-seasoned dedicated natural blend pipes.

It is full, earthy, dry and smoky. Will smoke a whole bowl without relighting, and only the odd tamp. There is a fulfilling mouth feel, huge volumes of smoke and gradual, but very evident nicotine satisfaction. This is downright addictive to this pipeman, and I'm sure not complaining when I say that.

Frankly, it is so plain, with little more than an earthy, dry burley (I'm not convinced this is VA) flavour that promises nothing more than honesty and genuine tobacco character. It is thus an archetypal tobacco, meant for the enjoyment only by the initiated. It is so clean that cake may never form in your briar, and it will always leave your senses feeling freshened, rather than dulled as some blends do. It smells great in the traditional masculine tobacco sense.

To smoke it and to love it, is surely akin to sharing a sensory and transcendental experience with our venerable pipe smoking brothers from the centuries past, long since dead and gone.

Smoke it only if you're in love with tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-09-19		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Dark Birdseye is a big, full tobacco. Rich and satisfying, and being from Lakeland, highest quality. But largely devoid of Lakeland scent or perfumes. Just straight tobacco goodness. If you enjoy the strong Gawith ropes, plugs, and flakes but tire of all the cutting and rubbing, give Birdseye a try. You won't be disappointed.

My only complaint is that (in the U.S. at least) it is only available in bulk. The quantity is not the problem (you can get as little as 2oz) but rather the moisture control. I like my tobacco moist, but my bulk Birdseye arrived dry, which then required rehydration. I am sure this would not be the case were it tinned.

Update: I went whole hog and ordered 500g, which means that it arrives in the original Gawith Hoggarth packaging. Though it wasn't vacuum sealed, it arrived with perfect moisture content. They package it in a bag that is kind of like the old insulated paper bags you used to get at the grocery store when you bought ice cream. They just fold the top over and tape it, -but it worked! No good for you cellaring fanatics, but as I always maintain, if you buy good tobacco upfront (Lakeland) there's never a need to cellar. My guess is my initial problem resulted from the local tobacconist not being careful when breaking down a bulk pack to sell in smaller quantities.

I've been experimenting with keeping bulk tobacco in large canning jars with one of those humidifying gel discs (sold on ebay) under the lid. A bit early yet for a definitive take, but so far the discs seem to be working as advertised.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-01-19		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This tobacco is a breeze to smoke once rubbed out, but it is a powerhouse. I think that this one is best left to the seasoned professional. It made me a bit dizzy but it has a great taste. I do wish that it was a bit downed down. Who knew that too much of a good thing was not so good.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Redd (117)	2007-10-29		Overwhelming	Strong	Extra Full	Overwhelming

Well I guess that this is the stuff that was first put into a pipe by the colonists and smoked. I guess it took them not to long to figure out that they had to tone it down some. I found this blend to be strong and smoked to hot. The flavor will stay on your tongue for a day or so. All I can say is Yuck!!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kylepoet (18)	2006-07-19		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

I just finished my first bowl (in a small clay) of Dark Birdseye, or, Devil's Birdseye, if you prefer. I see it's been compared to a double espresso. I'd make that a triple, with a shot of nitroglycerin. Whew! I had to rope and hogtie this one in order to smoke it. Consequently, I'm writing this while my head's still spinning with the buzz.

I appreciate this tobacco for its strength. I can see how a bowlful or two of this would help one stay awake on a mid-watch. It does have a unique character.

This is one of the heaviest punchers in it's weight class. It's like inviting George Foreman to use your tonsils as a punching bag. It's not a beginner's smoke, and for someone taking up a pipe again after several years, like I am, it's a lesson in stretching limits. It is good, though.

I'll recommend it as a tobacco that gets your attention with a 2 x 4, but manages to keep me challenged once it settles down. This won't make my regular rotation, still, I'll enjoy it in moderation, and on occasion.

Hobbits must be made of much sterner stuff than I am, if this was, as previously mentioned, their "Longbottom Leaf!"

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-07-14		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Update: july 14th 2006: Folks here at Tobaccoreviews sure are in good spirits this summer. Out fo 81 new reviews today, they are only 7 'not recommended' tobaccos. (Of course one of them was mine;-} Anyway, I have to remove a star for this one. As much as I want to like this tobacco, it is just too rough on my throat. Also, it's not quite as strong as I first thought. 2 sterne.

Previously. . . Actually, I like this quite a bit. It is rather rope-like in flavor. Not sweet, a little spicey, a little dry(the flavor, not the tobacco) and strong. I like this more than the ropes I've tried and, since I think of them as similar, will adjust my rope review accordingly. This is very easy to over-pack. Not so much so as Penzance, but tricky anyway, so go light. It also smokes very fast, as others have said, so go slow if you're not used to a nic kick. The flavor doesn't migrate too much, but gets stronger through the smoke. I find bigger bowls better. I smoke this two or three times a week straight and mix it up too, sometimes. Goes well with cannon plug, or other lakelands. . . . There's a reccomendation that's not gonna make to many friends.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-09-21		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

This tabac is really only for the die hard flake or rope smoker.Although this has no resemblance physically to those ,the strength is exceedingly powerful.A very cigarette like cut with a slightly bitter taste,it really is only for the stout of heart.Proceed with caution! 2 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-07-11		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Medium	Extra Strong

This is a high quality blend indeed. Just be sure to hold onto your hat, as the nicotine is enough to knock it off your head! I smoked 2 ounces of this in an small clay over the course of a couple of weeks. The cut is nice and burns easily. The taste however is a bit ashy. Very much like a strong cigar. Personally, if I wanted such taste, I would just light a cigar instead (and often do!).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-05-05		Very Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This is pretty good stuff, but certainly not an all-day everyday smoke for me. Small, gentle puffs are necessary to get the real flavor; otherwise, it can be harsh, harsh, and harsh with a slight cigar-like undertone. The nicotine can really creep up on you when you smoke too much or too fast, but it's not as sickening as Dark Flake or the ropes.

When smoked in moderation and with attention, DBE serves up woody, nutty, and piney notes with an underpinning of citrus. These flavors are nice, but having a tobacco dictate pace, volume, taste, and other facets of the smoke to this degree is a real turn-off.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2004-08-25		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Overwhelming	Tolerable to Strong

A few previous reviewers made note of the fact that this tobacco is peppery and / or spicy. I totally agree but this was not to my liking. The spiciness dominated the entire bowl(s) and what little flavor I found had a difficult time peeking out from behind the dominant, peppery strength of this blend. This tobacco is just not to my liking for this reason???..and it is STRONG!

I rate this tobacco 5.0 out of 10.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2003-07-24		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This is another of those G&H "dark" tobaccos I keep on hand, next to the big chair, and which I smoke perhaps once or twice a week. This does not have the maduro strength nor the sweet undertone of Dark Flake, but it is on the dark side. It is extraordinarily smooth in the mouth with no bite and with sort of burnt caramel note, but not that sweet. I am trying to approximate the flavor, but it is a bit ephemeral. It is sweet on the tongue with no bite, exceptionally smooth. This tobacco comes to life in the nose where it is spicy, tingly and dark, somewhat on the order of exhaling with a drop of Meyers Dark Rum on the tongue. This tobacco is a an exercise in patience to pack. It is a shag cut and snarled like a wad of hair. I like to dutifully separate the strands (allowing it to air, separating the wads) before packing. This is a unique and great tobacco. It is not an all day smoke because it is quite strong in in every dimension, but once or twice a week, it is a treat. And it packs a nicotine punch. If you have an interest in the Lake District treatment of dark English tobacco, I suggest you might want to start with this one. Most highly recommended. Paddy.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-07-19		Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Flavorful, predominantly fire-cured, certainly scented. This seems to be akin to Curly Cut, but in a cigarette shag form, with topping. To my mind, similar to SG 1792, though this gets the nod for tobacco quality and consistency.

The tobacco is very consistent, perhaps a bit dull over the long bowl. You have to watch your smoking rate very carefully due to the nicotine and smoothness, so it isn't an easy experience. To be honest, I wouldn't buy this again, but what I have left will probably be used in RYO cigarettes when going to pipe-hostile places. Because of its strength and flavor, it nicely covers the burning paper stench and sour filter taste of cigarettes.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rev. Smoke (24)	2002-08-13		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

Fine cut? I used to roll cigarettes and smoke Drum tobacco - this reminded me of that, even had the little round seed pods. I was initially put off by the cut and the reminders of my cigarette days, but I pushed onward. I don't like packing a bowl with this fine a cut as I always overpack the first time. I took the whole bag and trimmed it smaller with a scissors - now it is more managable.

OK, John (at Sigmund's Fine Cigars), I thank you for suggesting that I try this as a replacement to the Dark Flake I wanted. Although I was bound and determined to be put off by the cut and really dislike this tobacco, try as I might, once lit, I couldn't do it.

Strong? Yes! Overpowering? Not at all. This is an incredibly rich and full flavored tobacco. I love the room note, although others did not.

I don't know what it is about G&H tobaccos, but they do a wonderful job as this winner also proves.

Again, a blend which I wish I could afford to smoke more of.

3.5 of 5 halos.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (561)	2023-02-25		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Package note of barbeque, wood smoke and musty vegetation. Tobacco is a shag cut of dark brown, brown and a tiny amount of light brown. Moisture content is great. Few pipe smokers will want to dry it a bit. Burns fast with few relights. The strength is strong and nic is medium to strong. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and very consistent, with notes of smoky oak barbecue, very spicy, fermented sour, musty vegetation, dry, herbal, toast, leathery, bitter, nutty, woody, earthy, mild citrus, mildly floral, a mildly sweet and savory background note, and a peppery retro. Kentucky is leading with Virginias supporting. Room note is tolerable to strong, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 2016 Northern Briars Premier Rox Cut #4 Prince

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quiggifur (99)	2023-02-25		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

20230306 edit: Out of a Dublin meer, lit and smoked slowly with care, coming across more like the cob experience. Lots of campfire, more peppery, pushing harsh, but not in an unpleasant way if that's what you're looking for. I will crave this experience from time to time, I'm sure. Plain burley comes across nearing the end of the bowl, and I love how clean and dry the pipe is left at the end of the smoke.

20230301 edit: Out of a clay, this is coming across nothing like my original review. I hit it much harder, and the bowl is far wider, very unpleasant experience. Bitter, dusty. Definitely feeling the nicotine quickly though. This is much better out of a narrower bowl and with a light application of flame. Another note, this definitely won't supplant Kendal Dark, which is a whole different animal.

Tin note: smoky barbecue sauce. Smoke: mild campfire, satisfyingly sweet. Virginia is floral and grassy, in that order. I'm not sure I generally taste a lot from burley by itself, but I believe I'm detecting the burley in here somewhere as well. Sweet and savory is a good description. Getting some coffee notes, maybe slight cocoa. Even though I've probably smoked a little too much today, I'm not getting any stinging from this one even when pushing it, which is rare. I want to say I wish this had a little more, more flavor maybe, more campfire, but I think the moderation may make it a more perfect autopilot smoke. Even if you're not paying perfect attention, if you get excited about something and push it a little too hard, it's still going to be amazing. Considering the fine shag cut, it almost burns itself. I think I have to give this 4 stars, and revisit Kendal Dark, which may need to be bumped down a notch, we'll have to see.

As the corncob I'm smoking this in begins to heat up a little too much, I'm getting a little stinging in my mouth and the back of my throat, so you can over-do it. Letting the pipe cool and slowing down remedied this problem.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KingLeary (9)	2023-01-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

I bought this tobacco because it was on many lists as "one of the strongest" pipe tobaccos, up there with 1792 flake/irish flake/rope #4, it is not. Maybe in strength of flavour but not in strength of nicotine.

It's a shag cut dark smokey tobacco, not very complex or subtle, very in your face; has some cigarette qualities to it. If a normal cigarette is a normal coffee, this would be the "dark roast" version of a cigarette. Tastes like you left a cigarette over a campfire for a day. Not the latakia-campfire-leathery-smokiness mind you, more of a "toasted cigarette" smell and taste. This is a burley-less blend so I have no idea why that cigarette taste is present.

It burns up a little quickly if not moist because of the cut and is very easy to handle. Leave it a little moist. I left mine to dry overnight and it turned into dust when I tried to pack it in my bowl.

Won't tongue bite you no matter how hard you huff and puff, burns very cool. I was puffing on it like a maniac and the bowl never even got hot. Recommended for new pipers who smoked/vaped before as it is easy to handle and won't tongue bite but also has a moderate amount of nicotine (I have no idea what everyone saying "this tobacco has A LOT of nicotine" is smoking but it's clearly not this), out of 10 i'd say the nicotine is a 6 or 7.

If you like offending your neighbours via smell and an easy-to-work-with strong in-your-face tobacco this is it my friend.

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip'n'Piper (54)	2023-01-07		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

Very strong bag note, I could smell it walking to the mailbox. It's got the classic dark fired smoky BBQ scent. A very thin stringy cut, light and fluffy; honestly, it looks like a bag of pubic hair. Thankfully, it tastes of quality dark fired kentucky, dark chocolate, currents/black cherries, a light floralness and a smidge of soapy lakeland essence. An impeccably cool, dry, consistent smoke. There is no chance of bite. Low maitenance. Never overwhelming or overpowering. I love it, a smooth, comfortable and uniquely flavourful toby. My girlfriend hates the smell and makes me smoke it in the garage, in quiet solitude, with the beer fridge... so it's a big 4. Highly recommend.

P.S. - A thank-you to Sanzini, LiterarySmoker and Poodlejuice for your reviews! They provided the impetous needed to give this one a shot and am quite glad I did because, woah mama do I dig this smoke. Appreciate the recommendations!

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Similar Blends: HH ODF.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2021-12-01		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Preparation & Burn: 9/10 Lovely shag cut. Sometimes requires relights compared to a nice ribbon though.

Taste: 16/20 Very rich, old-fashioned taste.

Mildness: 2/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Way too strong for me.

Total: 27/40

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Karam (59)	2021-07-21		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

This for me is borderline a blending...blend. It is mostly Kentucky with some dark Virginia.

It smells very woody, and lacks whatever topping is on SG's Lakeland Dark. Somewhat sweet yet earthy smell too.

It's really a no-nonsense straight tobacco, not a great variation in taste, strong in nicotine, very consistent, packs well and burns well from the get go. It's good, just not very interesting as there's a single flavour coming through - that of woody Kentucky and oily dark Virginia similar to the G&H brown Irish ropes - with no development as the bowl progresses.

I wouldn't call it sweet, but also not bitter. Quite nutty at times.

I've used this tobacco to cut MacBaren's Dark Twist Roll Cake with great success, as I like the slight added sweetness. I also like it plain with dark coffee.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2021-05-29		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

Dark Bird's Eye is a force to be reckoned with. I love the spicy, nutty smokiness that comes from the mixture of dark-fired Virginia and Kentucky leaf. It somehow does not come across as a one note smoke. There is some depth. I love it.

This is one of the only tobacco that made me learn my place in the nicotine department. I now use small bowls.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (223)	2021-05-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

Gawith Hoggarth Dark Birds eye -A woodsy earthy vegetal feel to it mostly . I pick up a little molasses and cocoa notes . It is not very sweet to me . Smokey and creamy and very smooth really despite it being a fairly strong tobacco . It burns great . A very natural tasting tobacco. I don’t pick up any flavoring at all . You may get a whiff of Lakeland every now and again but it is mostly absent from this blend . It’s a bold rich smoke .Probably an After a meal smoke because nicotine is over the medium range for sure . I could smoke this occasionally but would like a little more sweetness . Probably won’t purchase again but I recommend it for dark fired lovers .Old dark fired fills my needs when I want something strong . Recommend 3

Pipe Used: Small to medium

Age When Smoked: Fresh bulk

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipelicidad (26)	2020-07-02		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

This is an interesting blend. It´s quite strong, both in taste and in nicotine level. The latter is simple, although intense and heavy. Bready/fermented virginias, not particularity tangy nor sweet. The Kentucky leaf flavour is prominent, very spicy and dark, it reminds me of traditional Mexican cigars. I don´t think this blend is complex or nuanced, quite the opposite. I would dare to say that this tobacco is designed for smokers who mainly are looking out for a serious N-vitamin dose. In this regard, it is stout. Not as strong as Peterson’s Irish Flake, but stronger than Mac Baren ODF or Gawith’s 1792. I cannot detect any topping nor any Lakeland essences. The shag cut is not as thin as RYO, it burns easily and faster than traditional ribbon cut blends. Room note is heavy. Recommended. If you’re not heavy weight in nicotine tolerance, try it in a small bowl and with a full stomach

Pipe Used: Small clay pipes

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Mysmokingshop

Similar Blends: Mac baren ODF, Peterson's IF.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DavyCrockettwashere (33)	2020-01-30		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

I purchased this tobacco several years ago, and placed it in a mason jar. Now, after four years I am smoking this wonderful blend. This tobacco has aged beautifully. Gone, is the knock you down strength, and what has replaced it, is a mellow smoky treat...that still has a nice punch. Lights incredibly easy, as the blend is almost a shag cut. I’ve been blending the Dark Birds eye with my St. Bruno flake, rubbed completely out. Not only is it fantastic this way but I think it’s better than Mac Baren HH old dark fired.

Pipe Used: Charatan

Age When Smoked: Four years.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RedGopnik (16)	2020-01-15		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Fantastic notes of a new book, fresh rubber, and wood smoke. (Weird but I love these aromas/and flavors). I keep reading "less floral/more stout" compared to other kentucky blends but this blend is actually quite mild compared to my other Kentucky blends. A perique like spiciness but not a bite, it goes once you blow the smoke out. Nicotine is strong but not overwhelming.

Pipe Used: Briars of all shapes and sizes

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 2 weeks

Purchased From: Online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lager (53)	2019-10-26		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

This is not for the novice or folks with a low nicotine tolerance. I've had some stored since 2010 and can't say it really changed the strength or character. I have smoked this in small and large bowls and see no real difference as I have a very high tolerance of nicotine. I like the spicy tingle you get in your nose with the retro but beware if you push this the strength will get you, so go slow and easy. What I like best about this is the flavor is the same to the bottom of the bowl, packs and lights easy and you know your smoking real unadulterated tobacco. What I don't like is the fact that most of the G&H products are never available in the states over the last year or so? Why? Anyway, four stars and definitely recommended.

Smoke while you still can- Lager

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: 9 years

Purchased From: Smoking.pipes

Similar Blends: Kendall Kentucky, ODF.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ouch’s Apprentice (2)	2018-08-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Dark, smoky tin note, sweet Va and Kentucky upon lighting. Benefits greatly from a few months in the cellar. I don’t find it very strong at all in the Nicotine department, however OJK is an all day smoke for me so...

Pipe Used: Luciano Rhodie

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: SP

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gaius Baltar (25)	2018-03-12		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

In the line of Scaferlati Caporal Rouge, Amsterdamer, Le Baron and Colts Dutch Blend, but much more sophisticated. Natural tobacco, intense Kentucky. Tremendous nicotine kick. Not suitable for weak hearts or aromatic smokers. Tasty and intense. It tastes good with the first ignition. Better to load it compact in medium or small pipe. It burns quite quickly and becomes somewhat bitter towards the middle of the puff. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Rotation briar

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tobacco shop from Barcelona

Similar Blends: Scaferlatti Caporal Rouge, Amsterdamer, Le Baron and Colts Dutch Blend..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HobgoblinTA96 (60)	2017-10-07		Very Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Hello Darkness My Old Friend. This is IMHO England's finest strong black shag. The tin note of this blend is very similar to that of Drum shag; however, other than the dark fired smell and taste, the similarities end there. For such a strong tobacco in nicotine, it is pleasantly mild. The dark fired tobaccoes dominate the blend with a lovely smokey overtone that is very pleasing. As other reviewers have noted, this is the type of blend referenced in the Sherlock Holmes books. I highly recommend this blend. Happy Puffing

Pipe Used: Various Billiards in different sizes

Age When Smoked: One Year

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gahdzila (61)	2017-09-08		Strong	Medium	Full	Strong

Dark brown, shag cut. Seems a little moist straight out of the bag, but seems to dry out quickly. Burns at an average-ish pace when moist, but burns a good clip faster if it is a bit drier.

I really want to like this. It's very easy to pack and easy to smoke, and has a nice nic hit. The flavor seems monotonous, though not unpleasant. I expected a bit more virginia sweetness, but got practically none. I don't get any smoky-Kentucky flavor, and I don't get much virginia grassiness. It basically just tastes like a straight dry burley to me, perhaps a bit less dry than Five Brothers. Oh, and there's that Lakeland sauce..... honestly, it's only a whisper, but for one who really doesn't care for the sauce, it's a whisper that I'd rather do without.

I was hoping for something that I'd perhaps buy by the pound and experiment with aging. I don't forsee that. I may revisit this at some point, but it's not a new favorite.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CherchezLaghost (52)	2017-08-10		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Basically a sigaro toscano shredded into a long shag. Flavors are strong kentucky with a few rough edges, some nuttiness, and some deep cacao and espresso flavors. Potent, but elegant. I smoke this blend every day. I love it in the morning with coffee and at midday. A quick burning tutorial in the pleasures of piping, it provides the essence of the experience in a short smoke. I sometimes mix a pinch of this with a pinch of BIX for some stoved virginia flavor and smoke it from my lakeland cob...weird, i know, but excellent!

Pipe Used: Cobs, briars

Age When Smoked: New to 6 months

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-06-17		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

this is a pretty hard edged tobacco. But it has integrity. And no casing that i can taste. Its fine cut and sort of clings together. Burns at slightly quick pace but wont get hot unless pushed. It has a woody slightly smokey flavor and the nic hit is pretty strong. Id say between strong and medium but a bit closer to strong. Its a great outdoor smoke....perfect in a cob pipe on a fishing trip say. One has to admire the no nonsense taste though it might take a bit of getting used to or you can get dizzy.

Not totally unlike the Vincent Manil burley from Belgium.Unadulterated and old school; strong but not into that insane realm like 1792 or brown bogie. Overall its very high quality.

Purchased From: 4noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	1979 (62)	2017-04-06		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable

Another of GH&C's nice powerful tobaccos.

Here, the "lakeland essence" seems applied somewhat differently from Brown Bogie, insofar as here I taste more vanilla whereas with the other I suppose it's more rose, or just plain perfume. Again the applied scent mainly burns off by mid bowl

The fine shag cut and nicotine wallop allows for a quick pack and go sort of smoke if need be, utilising the "geezer grab" and "thumb pack" methods.  Ah the tricks you learn from old pros, God bless 'em.

Possibly of marginal interest, I've packed six ounces of this one into a pint mason jar.  It seems to be compressing itself into a cake and peels off into almost like layers as I skim off the top.  At some point I may try aging some in this manner for a number of years.

*Addendum: after six months in the jar it has taken on a jar note reminiscent of dip and a very herbal, at times tea-like taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BriarWoody (33)	2017-02-05		Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Tolerable

This is strong and cigar-like, fairly linear and straightforward, with the Kentucky delivering a spicy kick. There's very little sweetness and the nic hit is surprisingly medium given the taste profile. The shag cut is easy to load and keep lit -- much less finicky than the Esoterica blends. I don't get any toppings or Lakeland essence, just bold, unadulterated tobacco. Ain't for the wee lads.

Pipe Used: Nording Freehand

Age When Smoked: New bulk

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2016-12-08		Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

What a nice Shag tobacco! It's a no brainer to pack my pipe, light it up and keep it lit. Despite the very fine cut, Dark Bird's Eye still delivers a nice slightly sweet and spicy smoke throughout that is supported by a very light (what seems like) tonquin topping. Just be careful not to puff too fast because it will bite, as it's such a fine cut. The nicotine hit is glorious, perfect to kick start the morning with a coffee! This shag will become a favorite in my rotation, I just feel it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (203)	2016-07-20		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a ribbon cut easy-to-pack tobacco with rich grassy/earthy Virginia flavour paired with Kentucky leaf for a little bit of added body. Despite the moist content, it can be smoked straight out of the tin and it won't burn hot in your bowl. Some people seem to complain about how fast this tobacco seem to burn, but in true honesty it burns perfectly fine for me. I have chosen a medium size bowl for this and I have been able to keep it going for a few hours. Also, because of how flavoursome this tobacco is, it would create the impression it was an aromatic tobacco, but I really cannot detect any flavourings apart from the Virginia/Kentucky itself. The Virginia leaf it comprises seems to be really good quality and it reminds me of other loose GH tobaccos I like smoking as well, namely Virginia number 7, Mixed Shag or number 6. I particularly like how it evolves as you progress with your smoke. The flavour is quite consistent throughout, but it gains in depth and strength the more you smoke. As you go past 1/2 of your bowl it bites a bit, but smoking it at a lower pace seems to solve the problem. In this respect, it is very similar to number 6. All and all I think it is a really good shag tobacco to have at hand, but I am not sure I'd buy it again. At this point in time I am going to give it 3 stars, but I might upgrade at a later stage shall I think it was worth it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	guitar2mw (92)	2015-10-12		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

This is a fine smoke! I ordered it primarily because I wanted something with strength without the need for extensive preparation that other strong tobaccos - such as G&H ropes - require. I'm glad I chose this one! Upon opening the bag, I was greeted with a very nice, sweet, earthy, leathery, and almost floral aroma. It is an aroma that makes my mouth water every time I think about it. I was a little skeptical though, and I was afraid that it might be a little "soapy" since it is a Lakeland tobacco. Nevertheless, I filled up a meerschaum churchwarden with a smaller bowl.

The cut of this tobacco is a shag cut, an reminded me of cigarette tobacco in texture. It arrived at the ideal moisture level - not too dry, not too moist. Packing can be a little tricky with shag cuts as some may already know, but it packs fine after you get the hang of it. It takes a light immediately, and, as one might expect, it burns a bit fast due to the cut. This is not a bad thing though, because it produces tons of tasty smoke.

Upon lighting you'll be rewarded with an earthy, leathery flavor with a sweet undertone. It is not a very dark sweetness as I expected. Instead, it was more of a light, fruit-like sweetness. There was no floral or soapy taste at all. I have never had to relight, and I have never been bitten by this blend. They aren't kidding whenever they say that this stuff is strong! I have a very high nicotine tolerance, and I feel it with this blend (without inhaling). I was very satisfied with how strong it was, because that was the main reason I purchased it. For those who are sensitive to the effects of nicotine, however, I might suggest that you smoke this with caution. I can see how this would make some folks with a lesser tolerance than my own start hugging their toilets.

I find myself reaching for this more and more, and, as a matter of fact, it is the only blend I have smoked for the past couple of days. I like this tobacco because it delivers excellent flavor with superior smoking characteristics combined with a nice nicotine punch. I'm giving it a 3 because I cannot highly recommend this to someone who is not up to the nicotine kick that it provides. If you like pure, dark, nicotine-drenched tobacco, then look no further. I will be ordering much more of this.

Pipe Used: Meers, Whitehall

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipesmoking101 (63)	2015-09-21		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is definitely something to be said for doing something simply very, very well. This is a classic example of a blend which fulfils that remit.

Upon opening the pouch, one is greeted by a nice dark blend, varying between dark brown & very dark brown. The cut is a thin ribbon, as unfortunately, 'shag' within the EU means something quite different from what it used to mean (thanks to the machinations of meddling bureaucrats), gone are the strands of angel-hair-like tobacco, replaced with a medium-length cut somewhat thinner than the traditional ribbon.

The pouch note is a dark, rich, fusty, deep aroma, which promises much if one is looking for a forthright, in-your-face tobacco experience. Overtones of rich coffee beans seem to make themselves present as well.

Packing is easy, burning is easy. Sold in bulk, mine arrived at perfect moisture content & is stored in an airtight jar in-between packings of my pipe. The tobacco takes the light very well, and maintains a steady smoulder throughout the bowl.

The taste is what you would expect, again, the only words to describe are dark, strong (yet mellow), bold & full. I find that there is very little that can be disliked about this tobacco & whole lot that can be loved.

The room-note is plain, no particularly strong scent, and perhaps a slight cigarette edge to it. Not overpowering and generally inoffensive to all but the most fervent puritan.

The nicotine strength is quite strong, so I find that this is best enjoyed in a smaller pipe (not too small) towards the end of day.

This tobacco has become a staple to me, and over the summer I have ordered quantities on several occasions. It has been a constant tobacco within my rotation, and I can see it remaining a permanent fixture for me. It is almost too easy to smoke and enjoy, and pairs well with anything, but a hoppy IPA goes with it better than well. The tobacco is not particularly complex, doesn't develop down the bowl, but what it does, it does well. And after a hard day's work, it is an angel in leaf form.

Pipe Used: Peterson Standary System 317

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: mysmokingshop.co.uk

Similar Blends: Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Kendal Dark (although this tobacco is, in my opinion, far superior and has no added flavourings)..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	natibo (169)	2015-04-30		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Oh Dark Bird's Eye where have you been all my life? This stuff is awesome. It has no topping but still has a chocolaty flavor. The nicotine is high high! And I love that. I find it a little hard to pack. I have to fool with it while I smoke. But it has a great taste and en even better after taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crazy owl (74)	2015-04-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Too moist perhaps saved from a wreckage but after a correct,non excesive drying,a splendid and honest full straight,strong tobacco.It burns very fast,shag cut,because this I use a huge bowl.The amount of nic is truly important,if you don´t tolerate it,better smoke a medium-small pipe.Non friendly with family.Not for every hour,every day,but IMHO the best way to the pure smoke.Aromatic lovers keep out .

Pipe Used: peterson XL

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Purchased From: local tobbaconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Puff..puff..puff (5)	2014-09-28		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is really great stuff if you are looking for a strong, straight forward Virginia in a fine ribbon/shag cut. Lights easy, burns to a fine ash and stays lit. It can be a little harsh if too moist as it comes from the blender but if you fluff it up a bit and let it dry just a little it smokes smooth. It's one of two tobaccos that I keep several pounds of at all times. If you enjoy high nicotine tobacco I think you'll enjoy this one. I use to enjoy this tobacco as a shag cut but always thought it would be better as a ribbon. I was pleased to see that more recent purchases are now in a fine ribbon cut. Good became even better.

Pipe Used: Good in all my pipes

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Have not smoked anything similar to it..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hybrid12 (26)	2014-08-04		Very Strong	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have tried Kendal Kentucky, Kendal Dark and Kendal Dark Birdeye and I have to say that if I was asked what non aromatic from Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. I should try it would be Kendal Dark Birdeye.

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Kendal Dark, Kendal Kentucky.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2014-05-13		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I purchased 8 oz. of this on the several reviews I read. I have to say that my take is a little different. I am really on the fence this is a fine smoke It could easily be a 4 star blend. However, I too pick up a very mild Lakeland top note that is found throughout the bowl. Light is good as I do enjoy a Lakeland style once in a while. Yet, part of me thinks that even this light topping masks some of the more subtle nuances that the blend has to offer. Still, I get a little spicy sweetness from the VAs. A light caramel and almost butterscotch hint here and there in the sweetness that is just marvelous. The strength is right on for me too. It is funny how a tobacco can take you back to fond memories. For me every time I smoke this I am reminded of the weeks spent on Lake Superior feeling the cool wind and the sandy pebbles on the beach feeling the waves of icey cold water running over my feet. Anyway, that aside, I think this might age and I am saving the last 4 oz dividing it in two. One stored for another year, one for 5. I may have to pick up some more for in between as well. If it ages well it will have to be increased to 4 stars.

Update Opened a jar with a little over 4 yrs on it. It is beautiful! VA's are sweeter now and the entire blend is really in harmony. Adding the 4th star.

Age When Smoked: 5 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoke_Ring (158)	2013-07-24		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dark Bird's Eye;

Star Rating = 3.5;

Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst;

Pouch Note = 9;

Room Note = 9;

Flavor = 9;

Bite = 9;

Burn = 9;

After Taste = 9;

Raw Score = 54;

Rated Percentage = 90%;

Comment = Smooth, Medium Strength, Full Body Natural Tobacco Flavor, has a slight After Taste

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ap (57)	2012-08-14		Very Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This one is the Va version of KK, lighter in flavour and a little sweeter, but with the same amazing nicotine punch. Cool smoking and great burning leaf!!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	itsKoit (5)	2012-03-22		Very Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Long, stringy shag that fills a pipe easily and takes a light like a champ. Cool, slow burning and a good flavorful kick, what more could anyone want? The flavoring is rather light, just enough to let you know it's there. I'm not well versed with lakeland tobaccos so I cannot say what the flavoring is, or if it's the typical lakeland floral that many either love or hate. As for me, I like it! The nicotine content will slap you in the face if you're not careful! I made the mistake of smoking this from a larger bowled lovat and I swear I turned green, and I've never had that problem before with any tobacco. Don't let that scare you, it's a friendly tobacco that anyone can enjoy, just watch yourself and exercise some control.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-03-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Fastest way I found to cake a bowl. At the end of my 4oz. sample I could barley get a pencil into my pipes bowl. Anyway, I love this stuff so i give Dark Birdseye three thumbs up- i have three arms so I can do that.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-03-01		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought some Dark Birdseye a couple of months ago to try. At the time I thought it was decent but a tad rough and nippy. And goodLawdawmighty was it strong! So I tucked it away in a jar and have just recently come back to it, and I sure am glad I did! It is a rich, buttery smooth smoke with an outstanding dark tobacco flavor. The vitamin N has diminished just enough to be thoroughly satisfying without turning your world on it's ear. This is what I imagine tobacco tasted like in the colonial days. I could see men in tricorn hats smoking this on a dock while complaining about the tariffs on indigo etc. Truly first class tobacco, time for me to stock up!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-01-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I realy enjoy this blend. Although this is listed as a virginia blend I detect a small amount of burley. I prefer stronger blends and I would categorize this as a medium strong blend. It smokes cool and the flavor is great. I feel this is a great intoduction for those that want to try G&H blends but are afraid of the Lakeland essence. I would give this a 4 star rating but I generaly do not like shag cuts, I give this one an exception though because of its aother great qualitys. 3.5 stars and I recommend this blend!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-12-08		Strong	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This is what I would call an honest tobacco. No frills, bells or whistles. Just good tobacco taste and a good nicotine punch. It's a "one note" taste with little to no complexities, at least to me. I prefer a strong first pipe of the day and this fits the bill on some mornings. I do trade this off with Chelsea Morning and Nightcap. Not 4 stars because of its "simple" taste but one to consider keeping in my rotation for a morning smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-09-24		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

I share Kilmarnock Piper's sentiments on this blend. If the "contents" hadn't told me different, I would've swore this was more dark-fired kentucky with a small amount of virginia for body. Very similar to Kendal Kentucky by all measures except not as much Lakeland essence in my sample of DB as I found in KK, and that amount which is here works with the tobacco taste rather than against it. The taste of this tobacc at times reminds me of a waffle cone...weird huh. I like tobacco that ties my stomach in knots, makes my throat snap shut, and gives me the hiccups, and Dark Birdseye is guilty on all counts. It may be Brown Bogie in shag form. I prefer Brown Bogie to this, but I definitely prefer this one to Kendal Kentucky. Treat er with respect.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PIE-EYED-PIPER (20)	2011-07-25		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

A no frills, no nonsense tobacco. Flavor wise, I find it to be plain with a hint of sweetness to it. It is easy to pack, cool burning, with no detectable bites.

This is by no means a bad thing as what you get is a true smoking experience of what a good pipe tobacco is. Word of caution, treat it with respect and smoke it lightly as this tobacco packs a punch.

I would RECOMMEND this.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-07-04		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

As someone who has been going through two or three pouches of Five Bros. a month, I was keen to try DBE. A VA interpretation of Five Bros.? Yes, please! Oddly, my first several bowls were unmemorable, in fact, I thought it was the Brothers redone. But as I continued through my sample bag, it became apparent it wasn't. The Lake essence is there, for starters (although ridiculously mild). A pleasant addition to my palate for sure. But even as strong as this blend is, it's rather sweet! Where I started thinking it was a straight Kentuckified Burley, I realized no, the description may well be right...a Virginia. The preparation is similar, I reckon, making it easier to be confused. Regardless of what variety of leaf used, the bottom line is it's damned enjoyable. Unlike the aforementioned Five Bros.(Can you tell where I'm coming from, comparison wise, yet? ;)) Dark Birdseye doesn't 'wear me out'...taxed tongue, wasted palate, etc. I could smoke this all day. This is even more remarkable because typically VA blends do just this to me when smoked bowl after bowl. I admit my high nicotine tolerance makes this assertion possible, though.

I have smoked DBE in cobs, clays, Falcons, briars and even a meer, and it performs well in all. I really can't think of any real negative I've encountered with it. I suppose if you dislike packing shag cuts, or despise their burn characteristics, you may dislike this one. Same if you're nicotine sensitive or annoyed by Lakelands in general. But for me, this one here is a keeper.

Four enthusiastic stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipesterJim (47)	2011-04-10		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

Hot damn! This one is love at first puff for me. I am definitely a fan of the stronger GH&Co baccies, and almost always have some Brown Irish or Dark Flake (or both) on hand for regular enjoyment. Having read in a previous review that this one probably approximates the contents of the great detective's persian slipper, well, I just had to give it a go.

The weed was very moist on arrival and needed a couple of hours of airing to reach what I consider an appropriate level of hydration for a pleasant smoke. When it was ready, in homage to Jeremy Brett's seminal portrayal of Holmes, I loaded up my recently cleaned churchwarden and settled down on a comfortable perch.

Thanks to its shag cut the tobacco took a flame easily, with absolutely no fuss and surprisingly little 'crowning', and I was engulfed in thick clouds of pungent and potent smoke. To my tastes, this one displays slightly more usual VA characteristics than the blends mentioned earlier. I imagine you would actually get a similar taste combo if you loaded your bowl with a 50:50 mix of the Brown Irish and Dark Flake, except that Dark Birdseye has a touch more natural sweetness, and the different elements seem more 'melded' than they would be if you filled up with the two distinct blends.

This tobacco burns fast, but not hot. The speed of combustion is possibly one reason why it delivers such a serious nicotine punch. Seriously folks, even with my proclivity for the strong stuff, it really gave me a wallop. Lovely!

To my mind this is classic stuff and I recommend it wholeheartedly to those that enjoy strong, flavoursome British tobaccos. It ain't complex, but it is tasty, satisfying and thoroughly deserving of a place in my cellar alongside the aforementioned GH&Co blends.

PS. And for those who are bothered by such things, I detect no trace of the 'lakeland essence' in this one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-12-28		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

To all of those reviewers who recommended Dark Birdseye to aficionados of Five Brothers shag cut burley, I owe you a heartfelt 'Thank You'!

Here is yet another of the elite, no nonsense tobaccos fortified by only the essence of tobacco itself. Admittedly my palate occasionally discerns a hint of Lakeland on the initial charring light, but fortunately that is short-lived if present at all. For the remainder of the bowl, the tobacco taste reigns.

For those of you who are in the mood for tobacco taste, potency, and satisfaction, fire up a narrow chambered bowl of hardy Dark Birdseye.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	newmission (14)	2010-11-23		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Just got my hands on this blend along with some Kendall Kentucky and some other blends from 4 Noggins. This blend did not surprise me in quality but it did in flavor. My area has no 'good' tobacco shops so getting any quality blends is impossible. Smoking this only moments after it came in the mail was like meeting an old friend that you have not seen or spoken with in years. It just made me feel 'at home' again. Its a great shag cut with intense natural flavor. I am looking forward to a calm, easy smoke in a big bowl over the Holiday weekend to really get the full body from this blend. Notes of Lakeland are very subtle and vanish after the first few pulls. It then opens up to a full body smoke with wood tones, a hint of sweetness and finishes out with a nice robust nutty flavor. Thanks 4 Noggins for suggesting this blend to me. This will be in my rotation for years to come. Highly suggested to anyone looking to try a quality, straight and robust tobac.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hufflepuff (8)	2010-03-21		Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

Shag cut and needs only a little bit of drying. On first light I get just a hint of that lakeland scent but it quickly dissipates. This is a full natural flavor tobacco smoke. Burns nicely and quickly develops a full nuttiness that never seems harsh like some other blends of this strength. Overall a very nice smoke although I think I like Kendal Kentucky a touch better.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bent-1 (39)	2010-02-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

It's a thin ribbon/shag cut, a style that I really enjoy. DBE has a full bodied, semi sweet taste that does best for me in a dedicated pipe, sipped slowly, packed tightly. I like it best in group 2-3 pipes (no larger than .750"/19mm chamber ID'd bowls). It's flavor is consistent from initial light to last puff, nary a gurgle, and no Lakeland soap taste. I'm having difficulty describing the taste, just like it. Just like 5 Brothers, nothing else seems to substitute.

I tend to review only blends I really like, this one is among them.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-02-19		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of my favorites. Dark birdseye has a very rich flavor enhanced by the dark fire cured tobacco, which adds a subtle smokey character, although perhaps not as much so as in Dark Flake. And while some smokers may expect some harshness with this type of tobacco, to my palate I detect not a trace. I believe flavor wise that DBE lies somewhere in between Dark Flake and the GH brown ropes. Richer flavor than brown bogie or brown irish twist but not as bold as Dark Flake, which makes it a perfect morning or all day smoke. Also, I detect little to none of the Lakeland essence. Easy to stay lit as one would expect from the cut, but it also has a tendency to dry out if not always stored in a jar. I rated this as strong for people new to this type of tobacco, however well seasoned smokers might find it closer to medium in strength.

PS: Another reviewer made a comment about the "gingery" scent of the tobacco in the jar. I could never put my finger on it before, but that's a very accurate description.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kerdy (43)	2009-12-23		Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Let me begin with saying I am an English smoker. Mainly because I love Latakia. The reason I don't enjoy straight Virginia tobaccos is the bite. No matter what pipe I use, loading method, etc., I always get severe bite and my pipe tends to get good and hot risking damage to the pipe.

This was a Christmas gift from a friend and came under high recommendation. Such high recommendation the friend offered to take it back and replace it with an English blend if I didn't like it.

Well, to my surprise I very much enjoyed this blend! While I can tell if abused this will still deliver the dreaded bite, with attention I had a very enjoyable smoke indeed! It's dark, full and smokey. Things I enjoy in my English blends! I kept catching a hint of cocoa and there seemed to be a spicy element on my tongue. Great aroma for me as well. Of course the wife wouldn't like it, but I am used to that. Very stringy cute and a very springy texture. Stayed ablaze after only the charring light. Nice white/grey ash. Pipe didnt over hear either. Overall, I would recommend this blend to anyone. Even fellow English smokers. I have been searching for a non-English tobacco to put into my rotation and now I have found it. Many thanks to my dear friend for the gift!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-10-22		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Alot of reviews say this is very strong to too strong. i didnt feel it was. however i like very strong snuff and cigars so i am not a good judge on strength. what a wonderful tobacco. that soapy perfume taste when you first light it up is heaven. also the nicotine hit is huge. This stuff is big and its full tobacco flavor. 5 Brothers is very,very similar, but DBE is far superior. IMO

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipemanuk (76)	2009-09-20		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Top notch stuff this. Very much in the pocket of the ropes, this is a dark, earthy, rather bitter shag cut tobacco. Strong but not overso and as others have said it's important not to have this too dry or it'll burn hot. That's its only drawback really, otherwise recommended unreservedly. Classic British quality, which is the best in the world from the world's best blender G & H.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	7formy1911 (37)	2009-07-30		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Update 1/15/10

I'm going to have to drop this a star. Still a very good blend but a slight salsa like effect on my tongue has become distracting and unpleasant. If you can get past it, or enjoy it, then I heartily recommend this blend.

Original Review: I received a sample of DBE in a trade for some Kendal Kentucky and had been wanting to try it for some time but had been unable to locate any. The sample I received was a little dry but a tiny bit of distilled water moistened it right up. Due to the shag cut it soaked the tiny amount of distilled water right up. After this I took a deep breath of some of the most fragrant, wonderful smelling tobacco I have ever had the pleasure of sniffing. The aroma is reminiscent of figs, earthiness and pure tobacco. No top note or casing was detectable at all.

Since I've read the reviews on here as to the strength I chose a small pipe to begin my test. A Stanwell featherweight lovat to be exact. Since this shag cut can easily be packed too tightly then I decided to use a light hand in the packing. Once match touched the soft bed of shag I was in heaven. The taste was exactly like the aroma. As far as I can tell this is a virginia based blend. I don't detect any burley or kentucky in the taste. No bitterness or nuttiness here just a subdued sweetness and earthiness you find in the darker virginias like FVF. The taste didn't waiver at all and remained the same throughout the bowl. If you're looking for complexity then look elsewhere. If you're looking for a smooth, strong smoke with no tongue bite that is very easy to tend to then you're in the right place. Four stars all the way.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	blackbox (3)	2009-04-22		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

Dark Birdseye was one of the first GH tobaccos I tried. At first I just loved the full, dark and earthy taste of it but wasn't really aware of the nicotine content. But holy crap, that's some bloody potent smoke. Due to the fine cut it burns quite fast. If you are not mindful of this fact and start pushing it, it will knock you off. But if you give this one the time it needs it can be a true delight to nearly everyone who is into pure Virginia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	colt25314 (42)	2009-04-07		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

This is my all time favorite GH blend. It is very fine like angle hair and smells of ginger. This has vitamen "N" a plenty and smells great!! What more can a person ask for?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2009-02-15		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was given about two ounces of this as I am a Five Brothers smoker at least once a day and don't find it all that strong and no "N" moments and I don't tend to like VAs all that much. But, man this is a good one. Had my first "N" moment in years with this one! But I love it. It is very cool to me especially for a VA, and burned well all the way down and lit on first attempt. Very mild but with the kick and tastes a little spicy and dark chocolate or expresso like. I like it's cut, reminds me of the Flying Dutchman of old but much darker and not aromatic. I have to say, this one will make me try more dark VAs as I really like it. I also like the room note, but it mike make my wife run for the hills, I have not smoked it around her yet. I highly recommend this to try, especially those that can handle Five Brothers as it is a great alternative. And IMHO, G and H does not know how to make a bad baccy. I have never disliked anything from them. Will keep this one around.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-02-11		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

I gave this a three. Why? 'cause my wife says if I smoke this around her again thats it! (Almost tempted to take her on with that threat and buy a pound!). I digress. I really like this stuff but did not find it as easy to light as the "promo" reads regarding fishermen in gale force winds. I will say that the sweetness is accentuated when puffing it with a glass of lager ;)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-02-09		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

Fantastic stuff if smokes slowly, can be nippy if your agitated. this stuff lights and burns very easily and is a great start to the day dark and chocolate like with a hint of soapiness. alot like dark flake i assume they are kissing cousins.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2009-02-05		Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a very tasty smoke with dark spicy creamy and dark chocolate after taste, also it has the typical G&H topping but it is very natural raw Virginia tobacco with good dose of nicotine however not overwhelmed and Manageable, it tastes better with sweet black coffee, require small pipe, loose packing and soft puffing with slow smoking pace to be fully enjoyed, overall this is top quality stuff that I keep always some on hand,

Give it a try!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluenoser (34)	2008-12-26		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Yes Santa Claus there is a Virginia!! This marvellous blend continues to delight sea goers, land lovers, airmen,or anyone for that matter, who should by chance strike match to its soft bed of awaiting leaf in his/her brier, clay, or cob. It does not matter. Strong and mighty, naturally sweet in only that true Virginia way. A morning smoke for me with a cup of robust black sweetened coffee. I have never smoked anything exactly like it although I must admit Sam Gawith's Braken Flake when rubbed out to a shag has a smitten resemblance, at least for me. Absolutely wonderful.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.sadik (120)	2008-12-19		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

lay back and enjoy,,its a plain dark virginia and nothing else,,i start my morning with and consider it as a satisfying start truly a fisher man friend as the damn thing wont go off,,easily packed easily lit and burn into very fine ash with an after taste tht will last for quite some time,,not a social tobacco though as the room note is kinda over powering! p.s(although it is a virginia blend however it kinda reminds me of 5 brothers blend, taste and consistency wise, weird i know)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-07-17		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

After whipping through a generous sample of this at the speed of smoke (many thanks Pipestud), I decided to store my new 500 gram package in the toe of a Persian slipper and attach it to my mantle piece with a dagger. Due to the size of the package I was forced to compromise and use a pair of Tony Llamas and a couple Bowie knives. How I managed to miss this combustible wonder in 36 years of pipe smoking escapes me.

I like to give it to beginners, then sit back and watch their reactions. This would make another suitable substitute for waterboarding at Club Gitmo.

I like it best in a smaller bowl and have dedicated two Stanwell Cuttys to this perfect shag. This is most likely what McClelland had in mind for 221b Baker St. "Missed it by that much."

Great stuff!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-04-22		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dark Birdseye is now part of a steady morning routine, I smoke a bowl with some coffee.

Easy to pack and light, some tamping might be needed during the smoke.

Taste is dark sweet all the way down the bowl, musty and satisfying.

Smokes dry and cool.

Highly recommended!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-04-01		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Really a pleasant, flavorful blend despite its "chest hair" strength. For a Virginia mixture, this burns cool and smokes with little or no dottle. I have enjoyed it "straight-up" and mixed with some mild aromatic blends with equal pleasure.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-12-03		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Good stuff,great outdoor smoke,never harsh,wont bite,good tobacco taste.Can burn a little hot sometimes.Not as full bodied as Dark flake and Dark plug and nic-wise not as strong as either,but still very potent. The cut makes for a nice change of pace.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-10-22		Very Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Birdseye is a perfect smoke for those outdoor activities - personally not even I would smoke it inside the house. Almost as strong as S.G. Black XX it packs a punch but not so much that you need to be sitting down when you smoke it - I am usually fishing or leaf raking etc.

What surprised me was how cool it smoked in the bowl even in high winds. Some here say they shorten the cut before packing their pipe but I find this is not necessary and it packs easily from the beginning.

Birdseye smokes dry leaving a fine gray ash in the pipe. I have smoked this tobacco in heavy snow and rain and it is the lowest maintenance smoke I have had. Stays lit no matter what.

I usually smoke medium to large bowled Petersons.

Tim

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-09-04		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I have been smoking DBE for only about two weeks and find it very pleasant. My tobacconist http://www.TheItalianPipe.com recommended it to me with warnings on its strength. Taking his advice I smoked only 1/2 pipefull in a Dunhill #2. The ribbon cut was very easy to load and just the right moisture level. It stays lit from the top of the bowl to the bottom leaving a fine white ash. There is no wet dottle as with flavored tobaccos. It is a full strtength Virginia, and much stronger then the SG 1792 and Full Virginia tobacco I usually smoke. The flavor of the natural Virginia carries through from the top of the bowl to the bottom, with a strong nicotine bang towards the end of the bowl. This is not a tobacco for the novice but anyone who enjoys full unflavored Virginias should enjoy it. I have now increased from a full bowl in a Group 2 to a Group3 pipe, but feel that is the maximum load one should smoke due to its strength. I generally smoke it as an apertif after dinner, but in the last few days have been smoking it in the afternoon as well. It won't replace my old standbys but certainly joins my rotation. 9/3/07 I have graduated to a Group 4 but still prefer it in a Group 2 or 3. I have now stared it as my exclusive blend for all day use. Occasionally I run through a bowl of St. Bruno, but tend to stick to the Dark Birdseye. I suspect a Group 4 is a little too large, but very good in the evening after dinner. This is the ONLY tobacco which does not give me tongue bite and that is why I have switched to it as my all day smoke. I cannot recommend it to the novice as I reported in my first posting.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-01-10		Very Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

A friend recently sent me a sample of this fine blend, which is fragrant without being an aromatic. Flavor is very consistent throughout the bowl. Easy to light and keep lit. A very nice tobacco for outdoor walks in cold weather. I had to avoid smoking it too quickly because of its strength. Being a very thin, ribbon cut it is easy to burn too fast if one does not pay attention. I would not recommend this blend for a novice pipe smoker as it would likely become overpowering.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-01-05		Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

GawHogg, you've done well. I really like it because in all conditions it stays lit very easily. It esp. works well PW'ing the dogs out in the cold and wind. Snow doesn't phase it. Lovely tasting shag VA, with no tongue bite, aromatic burn, just a great tobacco straight out of the container. Love it!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-07-03		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I find DBE a wonderful, classic pipe tobacco. Once I learned to roll a torpedo-like shape between my hands with the shag cut and then feed the tobacco into my pipe, I became a big fan. It has a wonderful flavor and smokes effortlessly, even in difficult outdoor conditions. A real classic. The flavors are warm, slightly spicy, and even a little sweet, with no tongue-bite. Highly recommended for anyone who likes strong, natural tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-06-05		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tried some Dark Birseye rather on a whim. I was making myself a nuisance, as usual, at Perettis when I came across a glass jar full on the counter. I purchased a few ounces and packed a bowl upon arrival at home.

At the match, the flavor is full a little sweet. There are some deep bass notes along with the sweetness. If you are familiar with Kendall Dark, then you will know what those deep notes are like. Those around me tell me there is a faint aroma of burning sweaty socks in there somwhere.

The flavors remain pronounced all the way through the bowl. The effect on the palate is clean and clear. I rather like this stuff. The pipe I smoked it in was an Ashton panelled Old Church that prior smoking Dark Birdseye had been smoking a little bitter. Dark Birdseye cured that problem. The bowl now smells clean and sweet! Go figure.

I see more of this in my future.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-07-05		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Not for the faint-hearted but not nearly as strong as the G&W twists or plugs. It's so fine and long cut you'll have to pay attention to packing and smoke it really slow. Smoked slowly it can give the same smoky and tasteful feel usually associated to the Lake District dark stoved Virginias and can be the perfect starting point to explore that world.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2005-03-24		Very Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Very similar to Drum RYO in appearance. Very strong in flavor and satisfaction. Would have gone four stars but too rich for frequent use. If you have problems with high levels of nicotene steer clear of this weed.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-03-23		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

An excellent African fine cut Va., just as advertised. A very full bodied and smooth smoke, never biting or hot. I find it best smoked in group 4 pipes, owing to the big nicotine hit. If there is a topping, I don't detect it. Good smoke for reformed cigarette smokers, as the fullness and nicotine satisfies. A good all day smoke, if you can tolerate the high nicotine level.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ducksbreath (125)	2005-01-10		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

The first time I tried this, a couple of years ago, I didn't like it, it didn't seem that strong and I found the taste boring.

Second time around I have a different impression. This shag cut Lakeland tobacco is kind of the UK's version of Five Brother's dark shag. Except this is much better tasting, spicy and suprisingly soft, not even comparable except in cut and strength.

DB needs to have its strands broken up and packed carefully (not too tight, it's very easy to pack it too tightly). And of course, it has to be at the proper humidity. Then it is rich, creamy, smooth and strong. And builds from there. On the palate, the sensation is similar to FVF, but the strength is greater, the taste less interesting and less sweet perhaps, yet still, to my mind, the taste of a mostly straight VA of the Lakeland variety. There is none of the burning rubber, smokey motor oil type of aftertaste found in the darker ropes. Yet this seems to be almost as strong as xx rope. GLP once did say wonderful things about GH Va's and this in particular, though he called DB a "death rattle". For anything stronger, one could cross over to the cigar world and try a Joya De Nicaragua Antano. Whew.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2004-12-27		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

12-27-2004 Another Fine Entry from G&H

Apearance and Aroma: Fine shag cut, very long ribbons. Light browns with an occaisonal "birdseye" from the cut stems. Smells earthy and rich.

Packing and lighting: Can be a little fussy due to the long ribbons, but is at perfect moisture. Lights up easily 2-3 lights max.

Initial Flavor: Rich! This is definitely a strong tobacco, but it is not overpowering. Reminds me alot of "Stonehaven", but without the wine notes of that blend. Burns cool from the get go.

Mid-Bowl: the richness mellows somewhat, nice round flavor in the mid to low taste spectrum with an occaisional spiciness popping in and out (maybe the stems burning). There is a light Lakeland style "perfume" flavor noticable.

Bottom of Bowl: A good increase of strength and its over with nothing but fine grey ash left over.

Overall: This is a rich earthy VA/Burley blend that I smoke occaisonally. It does have a high nicotine content, so I generally use group 2-3 size pipes when smoking it. Due to its richness, you can puff gently and get plenty of flavor and keep tongue bite at bay and be left satiated. I would not recommend this to a beginner as this will make you green quick if you are not used to it. I believe that this is the "Longbottom Leaf" blend that the Hobbits and Gandalf smoked and loved. Definitely a "Middle-Earth Blend"

Rating 4 out of 5 points.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-12-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I must say that this is another creation from Gawith and Hoggarth that I have found to be a true pleaser. I really have an affinity for their natural tobaccos. As most say, these full bodied blends are for the confirmed pipe smoker but, I believe that they can be enjoyed by all. The flavor is much like Gawith's Kentucky yet embodies a mellow texture that makes this tobacco a full-bodied smoke that I can puff away on all day. The bird's eye cut is much like drum shag from holland, yet the width of the ribbon is about twice that of the forementioned. The smoke does light with ease and stays lit, rarely riquiring a relight. Overall moisture content is what I would view as perfect, in that there is no need for a pre-pack drying phase. Although this tobacco is natural in nature, I do detect a similar vanilla-caramel scent in the nose. The scent dissapates throughout the burning of the bowl, allthough never vanishes. Just as I stated in my review of G and H's Kentucky, I smoke this stuff both straight-up or use it as a base for blending. I love using these tobaccos as a base in blending because their robust flavor is never dimished by the presence of either latakia, perique, or dark cavendish. Give this blend a chance and you'll be swept away to the pipe smoking days of old. A true treat.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BostonPipe (84)	2004-07-01		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Another Gawith for me to try! Well, this blend is fairly close to one of my regular blends from this company, namely, Kendal Dark, (which is the shag version of Dark Flake).

Peppery, spicey, almost with a maduro-like note in the background. A very, very, subtle sweetness that pervades the run of the bowl.

I found the packing to be easy, (but then again, I have quite a bit of experience with this type of cut being a regular Kendal Dark smoker).

It burns to an interesting, almost textured, white-grey ash.

I find this type of smoke to be a stout one. You are always aware of it's presence. Slow puffing is recommended IMHO.

A Really Nice Experince.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-03-29		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Appearance: This is a finely cut tobacco that snarled such that it looks like a bird?s nest. The color is medium to dark brown, with light brown stems intermixed. There appear to be no humidifying agents in this, as it dries out quickly if left out.

My sample was received from a friend was a couple of years old. I resealed it and let it sit for about a year before I smoked it.

Initial light reveals that this is clearly a scented tobacco. The scented nature retreats quickly to the background, although it remains for the entire bowl. The flavor is very full from the beginning, without any hint of high citrus notes. This is the closest that I have ever come to a cigar flavor in a tobacco; note that I have never knowingly smoked a tobacco that actually contains cigar leaf. Update: Having smoked this more, I cannot find the scented note that I originally noticed here. Odd to go from something that seemed so ?clearly scented? to not being able to find it at all. The best that I can suggest is that the range of flavor that I associate with natural tobacco has changed.

The nicotine level in this is high, and it packs a punch even in a fairly small bowl (group 3). I found it to be a slightly rough on the mouth, and would characterize it as an occasional smoke. It is a flavorful and unique smoke that requires some attention. It has a tendency to go a bit ashy on me.

Flavor 90/100. Smoking characteristics 65/100. Overall 80/100.

December 2003, Updated March 2004

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyFlake (17)	2003-05-24		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

(05/24/03) This is a very fine ribbon/shag cut which you actually have to pull apart when filling your pipe. This would be a good pipe tobacco to roll into cigarettes, if you have the know how and materials. It is mostly dark brown to black in color, with some hints of tan and gold. This tobaccy packs very easily, in fact, you must be careful not to over pack it which I have done more than once. This is said to be a pure Virginia with no topping and I must agree. No topping is present but nor is there any of the natural hints of sweetness usually associated with Virginias. This lights and burns very easily. It can get hot and bite quickly, if your not careful. This tobaccy offers a whole lot of cool smoke, if you go slowly. The flavor profile unusual and unique. It is very deep, rich, delicious and pure Virginia. It is on the high octaine end of the nicotine spectrum and will kick your ass in a heartbeat if your not careful. Experianced smokers should love it! Beginers should go slow! Do not smoke this on an empty stomach. I've been buzzed by this tobaccy more than once but it do taste Sooooo Goooood!!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-03-16		Very Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

Whoa Nelly! Talk about your nicotine blast, this weed has a wallop that's right up there with all the other heavy hitters (Royal Yacht, Nightcap etc). At the tin, I am reminded of the rich, raisiny-cocoa spiciness I like in the matured Virginia vein (like Yacht or St. Bruno) but at the match, aroma seems to lose out to the powerful heap of smoke that tickles your nose and coats your throat and tongue with dense syrupy saliva--awesome! Thanks to the reviewers, I loaded a very small (317) Peterson System for this stuff, and I'll be sticking with it for the duration. A little goes a long way here. This tobacco is super stringy and needed to be torn up to get a good load. Great for a morning fix if yr in a hurry, but also worth luxuriating over. Not for complexity-snobs, aromatic smokers, or beginners. Those who like a wallop in their daily diet, coupled with the soul-satisfying smoke of good strong Virginia, check it out.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-02-14		Very Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium	Strong

Dark Birdseye is a very spicy tobacco but not in the oriental sense. The spice-like sensation is probably derived from the high nicotine content. This smoke is very easy to light and keep lit due to the fine "angel-hair-like" cut. I love the hint of soap and strength of this tobacco. It is similar to G&H's Sliced Brown Twist but is earthier and without the sweetness.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2002-10-06		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Strong stuff and easy to pack if you remember not to press down too hard at first. Some smokers cut up the shag but I don't

The taste is creamy and rich with virginia sweetness. Sometimes I pick up some British "soapiness" but the tobacco is not topped.

I smoke this in small bowls, slowly, and after dinner to perk up.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Albion1956 (42)	2001-04-13		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This tobacco is not like any I've seen. It is ribbon cut, which makes it easy to pack, and subsequently easy to overpack, care should be taken. The tobacco is mostly brown in color with specks of gold. The tobacco is very easy to light, and maintain. The taste is of Va's, with no apparent casings present, it burns cool and smooth, with no bite, unless one puffs incessantly. Overall, I would give this tobacco a 10, because of the uniqueness, and the flavor. The only down side to this tobacco is that it would be easy to go through alot of it because of the fine texture.

1 person found this review helpful.