Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Bosun Cut Plug

This was the first pipe tobacco I ever smoked. As such, I was in no position to review it upon first try. My first memories, though, were fairly unimpressive, though I put that down to my rampant inexperience, so didn't feel the need to go back to it. However, having done the rounds with a few other tobaccos, I decided recently retread my footsteps and give this another go, see if the landscape looks a little different second time around. The smell in the packet was as I remembered it, a good waft of rose, almost reminiscent of Turkish Delight. Sadly, for me, the pipe taste doesn't live up to that promise. It took me about half of the 50g packet to discern the flavour, a pleasant enough soapy, tarry flavour, perhaps a little hint of similar flavours found in Samuel Gawith's Squadron Leader - a personal favourite. Having continued on with the rest of the packet, I am reasonably happy with both the flavour and the aroma from the bowl, not fantastic but still worth a smoke. My only complaint is the, at times, almost rampant tongue bite that has, on occasion, hit very early on. Could be that I'm smoking it wrong, perhaps too quickly, but it's tonguebite like no other, which makes me think it is the tobacco rather than me smoking it wrong. As a result of this, I came very close to giving this one star. However, given that it did give a pleasant flavour and bowl aroma and I have smoked some genuinely rank tobacco, I think two stars is a fair appraisal.

Update: 14/02/2013

Not long finished a 25g packet of this which I purchased to to see if my tastes have changed any. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The flavour does seemed to have dimmed a little but the tonguebite seems to have all but disappeared allowing me to enjoy all the way down to the bottom of the bowl. Also, strangely, I don't need to pack a lot into the pipe to get a good smoke out of it.

On the whole then, pleasant of slightly underwhelming floral flavour that provides a cracking smoke, especially early evening after tea. Not sure if it's worth a four stars yet but definitely worth three. Saying that, the 50 grams I've got on order might change that...

Update 13/03/2013

...And yes it has, it's taken a while but this has definitely won me over. I'm so glad I tried this one again, such a pleasure to rediscover a tobacco I had originally consigned to the "where are they now files".

I really dig me some lakelands and the stronger the better. With BCP, it took me a while to get by the initial sharpness I was experiencing at the charring light thru the first 1/4 of the bowl. By sharpness, I do not mean bite. The scenting was so over the top, it refused to settle down until a point somewhere between the first quarter of the bowl and the halfway point.

Once I discovered that smoking this one bone dry and rubbed out was the way to go for me, it became part of the rotation and has been in it every since. With that prep method The medium/full tobacco flavor and aroma accentuate each other in a harmonious way. The sharpness is gone, the smoke is much smoother and the mouth feel is borderline creamy throughout the entire bowl.

When in the mood for something full, rich and Floral, instead of Tonquin based, this is my choice.

You may add some boiling water to it, in order to savour a hot beverage, but don't try to smoke it, unless you're a fan of burned spices.

I like this stuff, this is another one of those that I had heard about for a long time and finally got around to trying. I really enjoy the clove tones that are to be had here, very nicely complement the VA's. I find this to have a really great smell right out of the baggie, which is nice since I usually don't get this much of an aroma when I have tobacco in a baggie or pouch. The room note IMO is not as great as the taste, but not too bad. I think this is for sure one to be sipped, goes nicely with hot tea. Packs easily for a cut plug I think, though I don't have too much experience with these. Looking forward to smoking more of this blend, definitely recommended, it is a unique smoking experience!

I do enjoy this smoke, it is beautifully flavoured and caries the flavour to the end. I will enjoy this one in the summer as well as it just does not have the N levels I need for the winters quickies.

Surprisingly few current reviews of this.

I have about a dozen G&H samples I'm working through. Bosun cut plug didn't really ring any bells when I dabbled with it earlier on. It was a decent smoke but nothing that made me get stuck on it.

But Ennerdale hooked me. I smoked a lot of it and ordered a Lb to rat hole.

But recently I was digging for something different and smelling some samples. This one smelled like it might scratch an itch and I gave it a shot.

My my. So much better this time around. I don't think it got better. I think I've just learned more and developed more appreciation for these types of tobaccos. Probably from really getting to know the Ennerdale.

Anyway...this is top notch stuff. In the same general ball park as Ennerdale. Not quite as sharp and sweet. More rounded and somehow fuller.

I intially got into G&H blends for the dark strong stuff like twists, Dark Birdseye, etc. But I've ended up really enjoying their "aromatics". Bob's Chocolate Flake, Ennerdale Flake, Rum Flake, and now this one. And I'[m not really an aromatic guy. I mostly smoke English Blends and VaPer flakes. But these G&H scented flakes (whether labeled so or not) broadened my world a bit.

Highly recommend giving these a fair shot and a little time. They really can fill a place in a somewhat regular rotation. Scratch that certain itch.

This is a full-bodied Virginia cut plug from G & H. I tried an ounce of it on a friend's recommendation: with some trepidation, I have to admit, fearing that it might be a bit too much like G & H's Ennerdale Flake. In the event, I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not wild about it, but it's an honest and worthwhile smoke, and well worth the money. There is a typical enough ‘lakeland' casing here, but it's not in-your-face in the way that Ennerdale's is. The pouch aroma leads you to expect something more scented than it actually is when you light up. Also, the initial aroma calms down a lot after even only a couple of days in the jar.

BCP isn't a sophisticated or complex tobacco. The flavour is pleasant enough without being outstanding; the smoke is cool and fragrant, and the burn is very slow. This last property is very much a plus point for me. There's a nice room note too; none of the domestic critics (Klio, SWMBO or Dr Dyson Jnr.) had anything adverse to say. I have to say that I didn't notice the ‘cigar type notes.'

Putting it generally, Bosun Cut Plug reminds me to some extent of St Bruno Flake. One could say also that it's a little bit like Ennerdale Flake but with the volume turned right down. I don't find it at all soapy and cloying; 'fruity' and 'woody' are the (overworked) words that come most readily to mind. In terms of nicotine content, BCP is strong, but not uncomfortably so. I've been smoking it in a biggish bowl (Peterson 312), and haven't suffered. Not for the beginner, though, and it mustn't be rushed.

This is a tobacco that is better stuffed straight into the bowl than rubbed out, I think; but it will rub out easily enough if that's what you prefer. At first sight it seemed to me rather moist; I expected to have to relight quite a few times. Somewhat to my surprise it lit easily and burnt well all the way down, perhaps getting a tad hot and bitter towards the bottom of the bowl but otherwise behaving nicely throughout. It's the sort of heavy, tasty, old-fashioned smoke that is pleasant to have on a cold morning, and it goes nicely with hot black coffee. At the end, you're left with a fine, pale ash and no goo.

I wouldn't smoke this tobacco all the year round, and I think one could get bored with it fairly quickly. It doesn't, to be frank, have enough character and complexity to retain interest over a long stretch, but it'll stay in my list of welcome changes. It's a good choice when you're in the right sort of mood. Definitely recommended.

Update, June 2011: I've smoked quite a lot more of BCP since I first reviewed, and I've come to like it more than I did at first. I'd give it another half star if that were possible. I would emphasise to people who might like to try it that letting it breathe and dry in a jar for a couple of days really does make a big difference.

After trying Ennerdale flake and enjoying it, I decided to try my pouch of Bosun Cut Plug. This is a slightly stronger and meatier tobacco than Ennerdale, and that is probably why I liked it even better. The dark fired gives this a nice taste range from the darker, smokier spectrum to the higher virginias enhanced with cloves and rose geranium. I found this to be gentle on the palate, with a nice full flavor. This will probably become a staple tobacco for me.

Update: I'm knocking this down a notch. The more I smoke this, the more I get incredible tongue bite from it. I just can't say a blend with so much tongue bite four stars.

This is an interesting broken flake that varies in color from dark brown to black and speckled in dark red and yellow. Its aroma is very floral with hints of clove, figs and raisins. It rubs out quite easily, into a thin crimp cut that truly simplifies filling the pipe. It lights easily and burns even, cool, dry and complete into a fluffy grey ash. There is no complexity here, just a consistent smoke throughout the bowl that develops real nicotine strength as the smoke progresses. Its flavor is smooth and rich and never bitter. This is highly recommended as a good candidate for an all day smoke for those who are not nicotine sensitive and like the heavier scented and robust Virginia based Lakeland flakes.