Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Bosun Cut Plug Unscented

I have been enjoying blends of this genre for awhile now, and recieved a baggie of this in a box pass. It is a good blend in and of itself, but not one that I did carwheels over nor one that I just thought was just OK. It actually is a pleasant smoke, has plenty of the sweet Va taste with just a whiff of the clove flavoring every now and then. In the bag, it is a broken flake and does require a little rubbing out and needs to be allowed to dry somewhat for it to smoke well or it will bite. It is a pretty uniform brown color with no light or dark tobaccos intermingled. It has a sweet, somewhat tart pouch aroma and it packs very easy and stays lit very well. It burns nice and slow down to a dark grey ash and little dottle in the bottm of the bowl. It smokes dry for me, does not leave any moisture in the bottom of the bowl. The smoke itself is rich and creamy and rich. It could very easily be an all day smoke as smoked right, there is no tongue bite and the blend will not overwhelm you. But it at the same time does not have the dimentions that I like in a Va blend. Tastes the same from start to finish. I would say try this blend for a nice smoke, just don't expect it to knock your socks off.

Good tobacco. If not for a previous reviewer however, I would have thought they mis- shipped and sent me the scented version! Quite a scent here, and I have a strong preference for no scents or casings. But this one (of cloves) and the Lakeland scent, is not sweet or candy-ish, or cute, no vanilla or chocolate or any of that ilk. No, no sweetness at all. Perhaps the unscented version leaves out the Geranium stuff, which is fine by me.

It is a full, satisfying smoke, with highest quality tobacco (as expected from the Gawith family). The overall impression is spicy, something I have not hitherto encountered. Because of the spiciness one couldn't call it smooth, but harsh it is not. Broken flake, available in the U.S. (as far as I know) in bulk only. Which means it arrived too dry for me, but (despite my many rants) will likely please many. Probably has the best room note of any tobacco that I enjoy, what with the clove scent and all. If you enjoy fuller tobaccos, this is worth exploring. The Lakeland flavor has been around for a couple of hundred years, so I've little doubt that it grows on one. There is a lot of it here.

Beyond the scent(s)/flavoring my only real issue with this is the name. I have trouble with the mental image of a tough and grizzled Bosun smoking anything clove scented...

No, I think the Bosun in question would smoke (or chew) Brown Rope.

I ordered a couple ounces of this awhile back, and could not stomach it initially. So I vacuum sealed it, and put it in my "for later" box. Tonight, for some strange reason, I decided it was time to give this stuff another go.

First of all folks, do not attempt this blend as your first foray into the lakeland tobaccos. Even though it says that it is "unscented", BCP unscented is full of lakeland scent and flavor. I have three lakeland flakes currently in my lineup, and this one about tore out the little dangly thing in the back of my throat with its raw soapiness.

The tobacco comes as basically a broken flake, but is easily rubbed out to fine strands. However, you do not want to fully rub it out, as this will intensify the astringent quality of the flavor. Just kind of break it up and stuff it into the bowl, gently messaging it in. A few fine crumbles on top to aid in lighting, and thankfully this is accomplished in short order.

On first light, the intense floral/soapy taste and aroma invades your senses. And it is intense. It settles down fairly quickly, though, so I only had to hold my breath for a few seconds. The tobacco very soon developed a slightly spicy/meaty taste, almost like McClelland's Dominican Glory Maduro without the trademark McClelland vinegar aroma. The clove essense did not come through as a clove flavor, simply a nice spiciness.

About midway through the bowl, the floral bouqet was still flirting with my taste buds, and the astringent smell was still hanging over my head. But, the overall sensation of the tobacco was settling into something wonderful. It was meaty, spicy, creamy, sweet, zesty. A lot of intricate interplay of flavors going on here. I was pleased. A little nauseated from the nicotine wallop, but pleased nonetheless.

It finished fairly dry, and down to a nice ash. The taste lingered on my palate for quite awhile, but not in a really invasive manner; just kind of the afterthought of the smoke. The aroma, however, lingered on my coat for quite awhile. This is a strong tobacco, very stout in character, strength, and flavor. Not for the timid. This is what Popeye would have smoked (both the cartoon character and Doyle).

This may be unscented, but boy is it ever scented! I contacted my etailer just to be sure I ordered the right stuff. I was told, and I agree, that the Lakeland folks' idea of unscented may be just a little different than ours. (read: 'ours'= the rest of the world).

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At any rate, this is some tastey flake. My bulk 1/2 pound (a brave first sample, I think) came as a slightly broken flake. Through the sack it smells very floral; a bit like Bob's Square Cut, though less tangy and much richer. That means it doesn't smell (or taste) anything like Bob's Choc. There's no clove aroma to my nose, either.

The flowers spring up under fire, but die away pretty quickly. A quarter of the way in, I can really taste the dark-fired. It's sweet, too, and not from flavorings. At the halfway point a nice nicotine (and maybe clove) spice kicks in and, strangely, it gets very creamy. Stays this way to the bottom of the bowl without gurgle or heat. This is nice! A very homogenous and evolving smoke.

Recommended+ (If you like the Lakelands consider it highly recommended. If you're new to the Land, even this 'unscented' variety might be a stiff kick between the peepers)

Summary: nice deep Burley flavor from a plug that needs a decade of aging to remove bite

Bright Virginias bring both sugar and acidity to the table, and this makes for blends with "chemical bite," or a stinging in the mouth if you are sensitive to a certain pH range (much like some are sensitive to the vegetal flavors or chemicals of Burley, such that it hits them much harder than its nicotine rating would indicate). This blend is delicious but bitey. The clove and geranium top flavor, despite resembling a Land of the Dead of old lady funeral home soap-drenched spirits, fits perfectly with this and gives it an incense-like quality that rivals that of Latakia. The Burley lurks in the background like honey used in a bread recipe, coming out only as the stream of smoke lingers on the tongue. In my view, the "Bright CR Flake" might have less of the sting and more of the same flavor that we get from GH in "Kendal Gold." This leaf, while flavorful like buttered whole wheat honey toast, will probably require many years in the cellar to lose its sting.

Anyone with experience in the G&H portfolio should know that "unscented" is a misnomer. This is very much scented. Not as much as others in the line, but don't think you are getting straight virginias.

I am a fan of the G&H blends, and while this one is not my favorite of their concoctions, I do enjoy it. If they did not list clove as a flavor, I doubt I would have been able to identify it. It is a "lakelandy-ish" blend. Not full on lakeland, but definitely in the category.

I find you have to be careful with this one to get the full effect. Low and slow brings out the best flavors. While just chugging away at it, I get a nice basic tobacco taste (the lakeland essence fades after the first quarter of the bowl for me), but if I slow down and focus I can find much more. This is not a hugely powerful blend nicotine wise (like 1792 flake), but it is there for sure.

Pleasant. Give it a go.

Bosun cut plug has a very distinct smell directly from the bag. There’s a pretty noticeable floral smell with some baking spice and old lady perfume. The tobacco required quite a bit of prep work as well both in drying for around an hour and needing to be rubbed out.

The flavor is pretty unique as well. The floral note is most dominant as well as orange zest and a little baking spice. As the bowl progresses, the floral note mellows out but is still dominant and some wooziness and earth come through.

Bosun cut plug is definitely an acquired taste that may not appeal to the average pipe smoker. The cut makes the tobacco burn slow and require numerous relights and the quite strong room note may turn off the more self conscious smoker.

I was able to try a sample of 5 year aged bosun cut plug from a friend as well. I noticed that most of the stronger smells and flavors mellowed out into a much more enjoyable smoke. So if you are patient enough to wait several years, you may want to pick up a few ounces for your cellar.

I must admit something about my professed love of Lakelands: i am probably not up to the task of most scented flakes. Though i love my Erinmores, and my Grasmere flake, let me say right now that when it comes to GH products, if there is an unscented variety, i am always opting for it. And with good reason. If this is an unscented flake by their estimation, i would hate to try the scented one. I mean no disrespect. I utterly love their offerings. Something about the pedigree, the old presses, the spectacular quality leaf and bargain bulk prices make me a lifelong supporter. But the preceeding notwithstanding, these unscented flakes carry a stiff scent. Bosun cut is a delicious blend of tip top shelf stoved va for the discerning palate, with a fairly strong clove floral scent. One sniff of the bag should be sufficient to determine whether you will love or hate the stuff. I love it. I smoke it exclusively from cobs, as its easy and cheap to dedicate a few to each different scent, which is a good idea if you plan to smoke much of them. Like most gh offerings it is smooth, nicotine potent, well married to the scent, and utterly without bite. Probably in my top 3 scented GH flakes. Wonderful stuff.