Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Kendal Dark

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/agricultural. 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. It is stronger than OJK for example, and that says a lot for some. You know your own tolerance for such things, but consider yourself warned.

The Kendal Kentucky has a fuller flavor in the first few puffs and there is a spicy "wow" quality, but this one has a consistent smooth full flavor with no Kentucky spice for me. The Kendal Dark Bird's Eye, Kentucky and Dark siblings have some cigar notes that pop up from time to time. The Kendal Dark cigar note is more of a maduro.

Compared to Kendal Kentucky, this is more mellow and it is earthier. The Kendal Kentucky has more spice in the snork. Kendal Dark has a full, think and very satisfying flavor that grows on you. It is easy to keep lit, and is an easy smoke. There is just a whiff of Lakeland taste every now and then and my batches had a little less of it in the Dark.

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 fond of it. It is a solid 3.5 in that I sprang for a 500 g sack during a sale.

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 untill 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 aound at all times.

Dark Birdseye is my favorite. Kendal Dark is the most civilized of the three. It is mellower and even has the slightest Maduro note. It is also the least interesting. There is just the barest trace of of a lakeland baby powder here, which I believe is additive.

I was a little bored the other day and came across this one in my cellar. I bought this as a jarred estate tobacco dated June 2003 around 2011 or 12. I am not even sure if I have ever tried this, it is possible but I do not remember. This has had 16 years of mellowing time under its belt. It is a dark shag, with a slightly smell of (Tonquin). I am using this term as it has been described by others. Maybe a little fermented earth smell also. I have been smoking this and from the taste and the way it smokes this is one that I could probably guess was a G&H blend blindfolded. Yes, there is a slight essence to this one but not much. This smokes cool and smooth and I can detect that there is some strength to this blend but believe it has been tamed somewhat due to the age. This is an excellent blend that I would consider using the cliché ‘a working man’s smoke’ in that this is a quick picker upper due to the nicotine strength. but not one in my opinion if you were to want to relax by the old fireplace or your smoking room if lucky enough to have one. On an interesting note that I read from a few other reviews since mine is from 2003 it is indeed a shag cut which I can tell by looking at it. Around 2011 it seems the European Union made pipe tobacco manufacturers increase the width of their tobacco to 1.5mm ribbon as to discourage RYO smokers from buying the cheaper taxed pipe tobacco to smoke as a cigarette. Whether this still applies today I am not sure. It is a good mellow cool smoke and am glad it is in my stash.

This is an awesome smoke with the first coffee of the day. This tastes to me like a maduro version of 5 Brothers. It’s very nutty and earthy with a big dose of spice and pepper. There is a subtle creamy sweetness with very faint chocolate notes. It can be a bit harsh and rough around the edges but never unpleasant. This might be the best coffee companion I’ve discovered so far.

I am falling hard for the House of Gawith 'shag'-cut tobaccos.

Comparisons to Dark Flake/Dark Plug are apt: Kendal Dark seems to share a common ancestor with these two, but is thinner smelling in a jar. Sniffing, I find similar stale chocolate and tonquin notes, though, and at times, the suggestion of menthol, which doesn't appear in the taste.

Burns quickly as you would expect, and the flavour isn't as robust as the aforementioned flake/plug, but it's 80% there, and awfully convenient. Rewards slow puffing because the nicotine content is robust and it will turn ashy speedily. I prefer to enjoy Kendal Dark in a good-sized pipe, which allows that magical mid-bowl zone of the smoke to meander along.

I also recently plumped for an 8 ounce bag of the stuff, since the first 2 ounces went quickly.

3 stars from me.

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.

First a little back story, so you can better understand the type of smoker reviewing this blend.

I’ve been smoking pipes again for just over a month, after having stepped away from the briar for several years.

My palate has never been super refined, but I certainly know what I like. I’m a onetime daily smoker of cigars with a very Habanos-esque profile, both the authentic item, as well as Nicaraguan-grown cigars blended by Don Pepin Garcia and the like.

So, although I certainly enjoy bold fare, when it comes to pipe tobacco, I find myself drawn primarily to sweeter flavor profiles. Things like FVF and Best Brown are my current favorites.

But I also enjoy something a little more savory to break up the monotony. I smoke a couple bowls of Five Brothers every day.

So here we are: Kendal Dark, you are magnificent.

As we all know, when certain blends containing the name Gawith hit shelves, one has to act fast. I remembered this from my earlier smoking adventures.

And, sure enough, when I picked a pipe up again around last Christmas, shelves were mighty empty.

So I took to Reddit to ask for advice on non-GH blends that provide that bold, strong, change of pace smoke I crave day in and day out. The consensus was that I should seek Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired and Dark Kentucky.

So I ordered a couple of ounces of each to try the waters. Both were quite enjoyable in my book.

But around the time I was working on those, several GH blends reappeared. My experience with them was, admittedly, limited... so I tested the waters and decided to order a pound each of Dark Birdseye and Kendal Dark.

Both are great, as many here will attest. But, for my money, THIS blend — Kendal Dark — is more luxurious.

Smoking it just feels decadent and silky. It tastes, to my aforementioned unrefined palate, like a combination of espresso and dark chocolate. But smoother.

And, of course, there’s a little bit of that old Lakeland essence. But, hey, that’s part of the attraction to me.

So I’m going to keep using Kendal Dark (and Five Brothers) as my change of pace smoke. And, as I go along, I hope to keep cellaring a little... so that hopefully; eventually, I’m smoking an even better version of the new-stock version.

In closing, I’ve just got to say that, while Mac Baren’s HH blends are very nice, Gawith Hoggarth is the original gangsta. The measuring stick.

And, in my opinion, nothing beats Kendal Dark on the bold, savory end of the flavor spectrum.

Dark, dark dark! Kentucky & dark fired VA together can be pleasant without being overly-bitter (there is a very light casing that helps, but it's barely noticeable, never mind being really identifiable). However, the shag cut burns v quickly, but not enough to cause problems. It's probably better as an 'add-on' to mild mixtures than on it's own.

Kendal Dark is a straightforward blue-collar tobacco, strong, uncomplicated and honest. It probably isn't for the fastidious; I think it must be the kind of "evil dark shag" that Sherlock Holmes smoked. It reminds me a little bit of French scaferlati tobacco. Don't rush it or it'll burn hot and acrid. Pack it tight and smoke it slow and it'll reward you with a cool, dry and tasty smoke, but there's nothing fancy about it and you will find that it includes a large dose of vitamin N. The room note may diminish your popularity with family and friends. When I tried it first I didn't like it at all, but it has grown on me until now it's one of my favourite cold-weather smokes. If you like a strong, simple tobacco that doesn't put on any airs, you'll like this. Despite the "Nuts and Beans" mentioned in the blurb, I can't detect any flavouring. All I get is a natural and unpretentious tobacco taste. For a shag-cut tobacco it burns remarkably slowly, BTW: a big point in its favour as far as I'm concerned.

There is a version of this called Kendal Dark Thick Cut. Apart from the (very slightly) thicker cut I can detect no difference between the two. I share the view also that these tobaccos are rubbed-out versions of G & H's Dark Flake.

20230306 edit: Out of a Dublin meer, it's coming across much milder, in bite, and general DFK and Lakeland notes. Apparently I can't count on it for even a mild reliable Lakeland note when using my favorite pipes, and out of the meer, dark bird's eye was much better at providing the other DFK aspects which I love. A lot more plain burley taste throughout the smoke. I think I have to drop this down a star; it can provide a couple different profiles depending on what you're smoking from, how you smoke, and maybe the day of the week, but I think when I'm searching for any of them I'd probably choose something else which does it better. This is still very good, maybe 3.5, but I can't call it a 4 anymore.

Edit: After spending more time with some other tobaccos, the Lakeland/floral aspect is coming across much stronger, and it's coming across as less smoky. This may be more evident in the tiniest bowls, at the front end. In larger bowls, the floral essences may burn off quickly leaving more of the characteristics I originally mentioned. It is still incredibly biting. Reading more as a dessert tobacco than I initially pegged it, from this tiny clay and smoking little more than a pinch. Still 4 stars, just in a slightly different way than I had initially intended.

One of my favorites so far. Very strong, spicy, bitey if I don't sip very slowly. A good tobacco to help you moderate your pace; gets incredibly unpleasant if smoked too quickly. Moderate sweetness, sometimes I detect a slight essence of baby powder (Lakeland); not sure whether or not this is an intentional additive, or as I've seen speculated, maybe rubbed off from the processing equipment. Whatever Lakeland essence there might be is very light. Very smoky, barbecue character -- a flavor bomb. Everything I love about this tobacco lasts from the beginning to the end of the bowl. Regarding nicotine content, it's up there with the strongest tobaccos I've smoked.