G. L. Pease JackKnife Plug

When this was originally announced I was excited to try it. I bought a couple of tins in good faith (trusting the talent of this master blender) the day it came out. I opened one, and cellared the other.

I just now, over two years later, finished that first tin. Why did it take so long? I kept hoping it would come to life for me over time. It didn't.

Obviously comprised of quality leaf (hence the two stars), I wanted to like it. I tried to like it. But it struck me as quite bland, if not bitter and (too) rough around the edges, with a room note that seemed like cigarette smoke. Yet every time I was ready to call it quits, I got a hint of what others see in it -- an interesting complexity for such a straightforward VaK blend -- and would give it another try. But those promising hints of that rich, earthy, creamy, subtle complexity never came through reliably for me, no matter which pipe I tried at various moisture levels.

I consider this blend incipient: there's something alluring hidden away in it, but I couldn't capture it. I'm hoping cellaring that other tin for a few years will make the various leaves cohere into something greater than its elements that will ultimately reveal itself to me. I find that, like great wine, cellaring Mr. Pease's blends are often necessary to bring them to their potential.

I suppose it comes down to a matter of taste. This one didn't do it for me, at least for now, unlike Solani's Silver Flake which seems to me to deliver a flavor profile similar to the one JKP promises. Sorry Greg, I tried. And I'll try again in a few years.

Jackknife Plug is a Virginia flake but with added Kentucky’s to add a distinctive spice to it. I quite enjoyed the daily ritual of using my favorite knife to cut fine slices into the plug and rubbing it out thoroughly (it has a moderate moistness level).

This is the kind of tobacco that is “what you see is what you get”: Not very complex, but the Kentucky’s kept it interesting and is an overall enjoyable smoke. It has the taste of hay and grass, with a peppery aftertaste that will surely wake you up in the morning. Goes great with red wine as well.

You get what you pay for with this one. I can picture a group of Union soldiers using their Bowie knives to cut into this plug during Gettysburg, with Old Longstreet’s elite, Confederate Virginian division led by Pickett smoking this very same blend before their legendary last charge. You’ll probably enjoy it more since you don’t have cannon hellfire and a hail of bullets awaiting you on your path to glory. "Virginians! Virginians! For your lands! For your homes! For your sweethearts! For your wives! For Virginia! Forward... march!"

Most of the plugs I like are flavored, most of the dark fired Kentucky I like tastes pretty strong, and Jackknife Plug is neither of those things. It comes off like a pretty generic Va/Bur.

It's made of quality leaf as far as I can tell, but it just doesn't bring enough flavor to the mix. HH Old Dark Fired is a far better option for a strong Va/Bur with good flavor.

Jackknife is notable for its nicotine content though, this is punchy tobacco. Find a comfy chair before smoking it.

In the end, though, it's more bland than good plugs or good Va/Burs. This one is best left to the true fans of C&D burley, smokers looking for a good strong English-style plug will be disappointed.

As a kid I always wondered what plug tobacco was as it seemed to be a staple of any rural, southern, or 19th century character I read about, so I looked to this to find out. It is presented as a square bar, the outside bound by dark leaf and a mix of brown and golden cuts within. The plug is hard, but the layers are prone to separation. The aroma is pretty muted but with a variety of scents, most strongly the hardwood smoke of the Kentucky, but also spice, a little sweetness, some vinegar sourness, and some hay.

Preparation is not the simplest. The plug is somewhat difficult to get through, especially if you're trying to follow Pease's recommendation of a 1/32" flake! Thicker flakes are easier to produce, which can be smoked whole, rubbed, or cubed. Rubbed out or cubed is preferred for me, expect lots of expansion. In addition, pack lightly. While it feels pretty dry, there is some definite moisture. It lights well, but I found it still needed a few relights even if it doesn't produce a lot of wet dottle.

The taste, aroma, strength, and mouth feel don't work in harmony. First, I find the taste overall pretty bland. The components seem overly meshed, that is the different leaves, which are similar to begin with, don't really shine separately. There is some obvious hardwood smokiness and some deep malt components, very tasty, but they're not consistently developed. Definitely some distinct peppery notes. Some tangy notes are evident on the exhale through the nose. Overall, I rate the taste as mild, although it does pick up some at the bottom without developing bitterness. The dominant flavor note to me is brine. The taste is mild, but strength is higher bordering on strong. There is some prominent harshness though, and to avoid this and develop the best flavor sip slowly and patiently. Puff too hard and it loses its quality.

I feel like I often repeat this, but the leaf is of very high quality even if the blend doesn't quite work for me. As such, I can only award it two stars. While I usually don't look to revisit two star blends, I will try this again. I feel like aging could have a positive influence, yet I've been working on the same plug for over a year and I haven't noticed any real improvement. In any case, something worth trying but with tempered expectations.

Mr. Pease, you cruel heartless man... I like your style. This tobacco put me on my a**. I am not overly sensitive to nicotine but I am no 30 year 2 pack a day cigarette smoker either. This is a nicotine monster. It starts out beautifully, tin note is like walking into a humidor while smoking a pipe. You get the kentucky and the virginia's on the nose. The smoke starts out spicy and sweet, a mouthfull of flavor. It burns well and has a consistent pleasing flavor. About mid bowl I got the initial nic hit on my first bowl but soldiered on, and then the room started to spin and I tapped out. On subsequent bowls I went either smaller bowls or half fills and no matter what I had to put the pipe down prior to finishing a bowl. It is too bad I am a light weight because this is one great tasting tobacco! Can't recommend it to everyone but if you have a high tolerance for vitamin N, you will love this.

This was some tough stuff to prepare. I used a razor blade and not one of my knives since this seemed it would work best...it did! After breaking this up some and packing in the bowl I found JKP to be very full bodied, but a little on the harsh side of the force. You know, a light sabre would have cut right through the plug and lit it at the same time...sorry for the nerd thought. 🙂 This reminds me of some of the strong ropes from SG, but not quite as robust. A fine tobacco, just not one for me. TYCFSM

Tin Aroma is kind of strong, the plug is hard and feels dry altho when rubbed out it seemed fine, the flavor is kind of that of a plain straight tobacco, but it does seem to be high in the "N" department

It's a good smoke, but it's not for me. Something about the dark fired K that I don't care for.

Have a tin I opened 3 months ago and novelty of it was kind of fun in the whole cutting and crumbling ritual. but it "ain't no great shakes" as my folks used to say.Good leaf , good burn adequate smoke not bad Just did'nt grab me at first and put it in a 1/2 pt. mason jar after 4 or 5 bowls. Tried it again last week and while it is an OK smoke it s not there for me. Guess I'll leave it for another 3 months , thats how you build a big cellar right fill up the closet with tobacco that you don't like LOL