Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Dark Plug

This plug can be a chore to light sometimes but other than that its outstanding,smooth,dark,and strong,not kicked in the teeth strong,but this is no candy tobacco either.Dark plug is one of the cleanest smoking baccys I've ever put fire to,and the cake seems to form right before your eyes.I dont know which I like better,fresh off the plug or DGT'd,like another reviewer said here this dgt's great.Enjoy

TR's text editor doesn't handle cut-and-paste very well, so I'll just link to a full review elsewhere in the on-line tobacco world: http://forums.knoxcigar.net/viewtopic.php?t=6012

This dark brown plug tobacco is certainly not for the novice pipesmoker.My 100gr chunk came with just the right amount of moisture to it.as a result it could go strait from plug to pipe.The tobacco slices and rubs out easily It lites and stays lit without much effort .Strong and full bodied it burns slowly .Not sweet,but more spicy ,with at times a cigar like quality to it .Cool with no tongue bite,I find Dark Plug a very satisfying smoke.Best in a medium bowl pipe

I detect no Lakeland essence. It's possible it's present, and playing so well with the tobacco that it only accents what's already there. I find it hard to believe, though. If you're looking for Lakeland specifically, I'd say look elsewhere. I love dark fired Kentucky, and i get some of that which i love from DFK here, smoky goodness. Similar to dark flake unscented, but vastly superior in my opinion, less cigar-forward, sweeter. Shredding into fine shag it almost burnt itself, dreamy even; cube cut, it burns fine, but not nearly as hands-off. It'll knock you on your ass if you're not used to strong tobacco, but smoking strong DFK almost daily, it's not quite bowling me over. Easily just became a top 5, if not top 3 or higher. Probably not a crowd pleaser, but after hot boxing the car and stepping out and back in, i wouldn't say the room note is offensive. I'll definitely be stocking up.

G, H & Co. Dark Plug has a box note that is very smokey. This is a 500g sample and I cut the plug up and put it in 3 jars. This first jar has about 150g in it. I opened that jar at 6 months the smokiness is gone and all I smell is a sweet tobacco aroma. I smoked several bowls but then the spring turned hot and I don't enjoy big blends like this in the summer heat. I put the lid on tight and waited for better weather. I have now almost finished this jar. The smoke itself is quite complex. It is very earthy, I always think of a garden that has been freshly tilled when I smoke this. It is smokey, woodsy and sweet. There is a little grass and dark fruit and some floralness. That floral note likely comes largely from the toppings. They are anise and floral essences (i.e., the Lakeland scent). Hints of cigar and spice come and go as does a little toasted grain and nuttiness. The room note is strong and will make others leave the smoking area. The nic hit is strong and a med or large bowl will take the desire to smoke another away from me. The finish lingers for a while and is pleasantly sweet and smokey. This is not an all-day or everyday smoke for me but when I pick it up I usually smoke several bowls before moving to another blend. 4 stars despite the hassle of cutting the dense plug.

A very nice, dense plug. If you've smoked Dark Flake you know what you have here. A stout and pleasing combo of Va and Kentucky. I don't detect any Lakeland sauce at all in the plug I received. The world needs more tobacco like this and it's a solid 3 stars for me. Dark Flake gets 4 because I feel it's easier to work with. Also, the Dark Plug I received needed time to dry before smoking. It's the first time I ever had to do that with a tobacco that didn't come from Samuel Gawith. So for being the right smoking moisture and being easier to work with, Dark Flake for the win. If Dark Plug was the only way I could smoke this tobacco, I wouldn't let it dampen my enthusiasm or keep me from buying boxes of it.

Excellent, I took away a star for minor gripes, YMMV.

Please, do not take this as review. It is just note for myself.

It has been log time since I have smoked this stuff. Reason why I did not write overview imidiatley after finishing sample with last bowl in mouth, was nicotine hit. Taste of pure vitamin N overcharged all possible tastes what I could get from tobacco. No floral essence, no soap. Just little bit of tart, very little sweetness, nuts.

Several relights was needed, even I cut it gently thick as hair and leave a hour dry it. I will need to try it again. In general, it would be good tobacco.

The plug is the same as Dark Flake. The flakes are sliced from the plug bar. I like that the plug allows for more control of how you prep for the smoking experience. For me the cube cut didn't work well for the small bowl pipe I was using. The taste and strength are the same as the flake.

As a long time Burley-blend only smoker, I have basically smoked all burley pipe products around. After a few years of intense seeking of the perfect blend for me, I was able to narrow the search and find my utmost favorites to be... well... one blend. As such, 95+% of the time I smoke C&D Burley Flake #1. That's it. Most other blends eventually disappoint me in some way or another. See, at first, a blend can seem wonderful, but as it dries a bit, its true character can reveal certain (character) flaws, like people (at first). Knowing that I've stayed with C&D BF#1 and have remained mostly if not completely pleased. I won't spend time on the mechanics of Dark Plug and other considerations the honorable friends here have already explained with details and charm. Although, I must say it comes in nearly perfect condition, it is well-behaved in every aspect of the smoking experience, and it has the strength and overall profile I crave. However, I will state that I have finally found an alternative to my favorite smoke.