Tobaccos Dan Tobacco - Salty Dogs

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2015-11-09		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The dark Virginias offer richly tangy dark stewed fruit with a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, and a very deep earthiness and wood. It also provides a light floral note. The sweetness has a mild fermentation aspect as pressed tobacco blocks tend to do. The perique is a minor player; much more raisins, figs, earth, plums, and dates than spice, the latter note is not always noticeable. The light application of sweet Caribbean rum does not detract from the tobacco taste, and I do not consider this to be an aromatic. Has no dull or harsh spots and won't bite even if pushed. The nic-hit is a step short of medium, getting just a little more potent in strength after the half way point, but it’s never overwhelming. Both the strength and taste are a slot past the medium threshold. The block may take a little cutting and it’s moist, but it’s not a chore. I tore it apart with my fingers, and peeled off thin layers, which I cut into small flake-like pieces before each smoke, leaving the block as intact as possible for as long as I can. It’s not very complex, but it burns cool, clean and slow with a deeply rich, very consistent creamy, fairly smooth, tangy sweet, earthy flavor that translates to the pleasantly lingering after taste and room note. I didn’t dry it any, but was able to burn it to finish though it left a little moisture in the bowl without dottle. Requires a fair amount of relights. Not quite an all day smoke, but if you use a small bowl, which I recommend, it’s easily repeatable during your smoking day.

-JimInks

68 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-01-10		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Salty Dogs is a dark, dense, lightly aromatic plug. I prefer to cut it into small chunks with just a tad rubbed out to get things going. The flavors are deep and rich with a bit of a “figgy” flavor that I often associate with Virginias that have had some time in the cellar. The rum and topping serve to enhance the flavor and plenty of delicious tobacco flavors dominate. The Perique is added with a light hand and complements the topping. The Virginias are sweet although I am sure they are enhanced by the rum. For comparison purposes, there seems to be a touch more rum than one would find in F&T’s Brown Flake. Personally I wouldn’t toss this blend into the aromatic category although some pipe smokers may debate that. Salty Dogs is a deeply satisfying smoke that will age with perfection although I would recommend moving it to a Mason jar due to the packaging. My only quibble is the price point and availability which will sadly limit my cellar stock.

Age When Smoked: new

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2018-02-10		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

It comes in pouch and the plug is wrapped in an airtight cellophane bag within it, so I think one need not worry it might dry within the pouch.

The plug is solid and hard. I tried cutting thin flakes and rubbing out and I also cube cut. Both ways it takes to light easy and smokes well without any need to dry beforehand.

Now the smoke is quite potent not overwhelmingly strong however. It tastes like a Vaper alright! Actually it is very tasty. It is dry-tasting with hay-like Virginias on the front, but present are deeper notes of yeastier and breadier Virginias as well. Perique is peppery (white pepper) with just a suspicion of dried fruit. I do not get the rum notes to be frank, it actually delivers a very pure tobacco taste. Salty Dogs to me tastes very tobaccoey with a substantial peppery spiciness but it leaves a sweet and slightly bitter finish.

I experienced no bite and the burn was even and complete to a very fine white ash. Room note is very tobaccoey not sweet at all. I like it, non smokers might find it offensive. Overall I find Salty Dogs an excellent Vaper. Now, it is priced a little higher than most and this is a hindrance in making an everyday tobacco but it merits at least a try.

Similar Blends: Davidoff's Flake Medallions.

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Adrian B. (29)	2015-11-10		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a Va/Per plug in which the Perique does not show up much. Actually that's not exactly true; you get a fig/plum flavor that no doubt is from the Perique but none of that leaf's expected peppery spice. The dark Viginias are pleasantly sweet and a bit citrusy; very very nice indeed. There is a rum topping, but it's not overdone at all. In fact at times it's barely noticeable.

I enjoy fiddling around with plugs and that's the main reason I bought this. Just worked out that it's a good blend. The plug is quite moist and could probably use some dry time but if you dry it too much you're going to lose some of the flavor I think. I slice off flakes as thinly as I can and rub them into a shag and then load the pipe immediately, no dry time. It will need several relights and maybe a bowl stir halfway through, but for me not drying gives the best flavor, I don't mind relights.

The only bad thing about Salty Dogs is it's a bit spendy...about $17 for a 50g plug. For that money, I won't be buying it often though I do like it.

Pipe Used: A pair of Dunhills that mostly see VA blends

Age When Smoked: pouch fresh

Purchased From: Watch City Cigar Co.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nkulk8r (90)	2019-01-14		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Salty Dogs.

I really don’t care who makes the stuff – I really don’t care the cost – I just love this pint-sized plug packing the prodigious plummy pleasure!

Pulled a jar containing two plugs of Salty Dogs from the cellar, dated July, 2017. (Hard to believe it’s been 18-months since I last had this stuff). Unscrewed the lid, stuck my nose inside and – “sweet, dark . . . richly dark stewed fruity” is exactly what I got (JimInks sure has a way with words). I’ve never had a real plum pudding (Christmas pudding – the kind you eat – not the kind you smoke via SPC), but this VaPer sure smells a lot like what I’d expect an authentic plum pudding would smell. I could not, for the life of me, isolate the precise rum note from the well-mixed assortment of richlydarksweetlystewedfruityplummyfiggyraisiny aromas that arose from the jar.

Tangential observation: This blend has rum flavoring, but it’s not classified an aromatic; Frog Morton’s Cellar has whiskey flavoring, but it IS classified an aromatic. (It mystifies me) . . .

Tangential conclusion: If this blend were classified an aromatic, it would not matter one iota to me – just as it matters not one whit to me that FMC is, indeed, classified an aromatic.

Jar note reminded me a lot of Dunhill DNR – only a whole bunch better (darker, sweeter, fruitier, plummier, without the hay and grass notes).

I love the plug. Remove the cellophane and you find an alluringly dark brown, densely compact and perfectly cut block of very fine-looking tobacco. For a long time, I was cutting (scoring, slicing, sawing, chopping), but at last found that a bit daft. Now I simply insert my thumbnail into a corner of the plug, then carefully peel about 2mm-worth of product away to work with. I pull most of it apart with my fingers, then finish by tailoring with a tanto.

Full of flavor, it's dark fruit what dominates the taste -- plum, fig, raisin. Surely the rum flavoring helps in this regard, but like the tin note, I have a difficult time isolating the rum from all the rest. Sweet, with very slight hay here and there, plus a pinch of perique peppering. Tasty.

Spendy? Perhaps. If one compares 34¢-per-gram for Salty Dogs versus 22¢-per-gram for Plum Pudding Special Reserve -- or 8¢-per-gram for Arango Balkan Supreme – then, yes, Salty Dogs is a bit spendy. However -- as a any recovering cigar addict will tell you -- it is but a trifling, considering the 35¢-per-gram I paid for each Sancho Panza robusto, or $38 for a single Padron 1964 Anniversario -- $38 for a single cigar -- which works out to $1.80-per-gram(!!) Someone left two Montecristos here over Christmas -- $18-per-stick. The same $36 buys 100 grams of Salty Dogs (with some change left over). 100 grams of Salty Dogs = approximately 36-hours of smoking pleasure, or 94¢-per-hour – less than $1-per-hour -- versus $18-per-hour for a single Montecristo. So, it’s all relative. (It pains me to know I squandered such exorbitant sums on cigars; I threw away so much money) . . .

Salty Dogs -- Big Bang for the Buck -- Highly recommended.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-05-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Prouced by Orlik for Dan Tobacco, this isn't per se a Dan Tobacco blend.

Salty Dogs is a very dense plug, with pleasing dark-brown to black colours that holds only very few orangy-yellow spots, which left me wondering, how they processed the Virginias, so they have this black-ish colouring.

The plug comes in pouch and is wrapped with cellophane to maintain freshness. It's rather on the moist side and needs 20-45 minutes of drying. After 20-45 minutes drying time it lights well, but needs few relights.

When taking a sniff on the plug it only offers very mild notes of citrus, honey and a rum-like sweetness. Very inconspicuous, yet inviting smell.

The plug is predestined for making a Cube Cut out of it. I cut off medium-thick slices, and cut little cubes from it. Once cut into slices it almost crumbles into little cubes by itself. You can also rub the tobacco out or cut very thin slices so you can fold & stuff them. Handling this tobacco is a joy and part of the pleasure, if you take your time for it.

Once the Salty Dogs are sailing you get rewarded a rather mild (tastewise), yet tasty, refreshingly lively smoke that holds a gentle sweetness. Virginias offer mild citrusy, more grassy notes, as well as a tad of earth and gentle sweetness. The Perique is interlaced excellent into the flavour profile and rounds the taste with it's orangy, plumy and raisin-like tones, and spices up the blend with a decent share of peppery tanginess. The rum flavouring is intregated well into the natural tobacco taste and contributes a slightly sweetish, rum-like taste, that also has a slightly spicy tone to it as well. The flavouring is well done and married perfectly with the tobacco components. It doesn't subdue the tobacco taste, but only tweaks up the taste and gives it a bit of "that certain something". I don't perceive it as being alcohol-ish at all tho (which I like, as I don't like alcohol).

Even tho I find the flavour profile of Salty Dogs to be rather simple, with limited variety of flavours it's never boring and far from being one-dimensional. The taste is refreshing, tangy and delightful and keeps even me, as a Kentucky lover satisfyied and interested. Yet this is a rather mild (tastewise) to medium (nicotine-wise) smoke that's suitable for any time of the day!

Gains a bit of intensity (taste- and strenght-wise) in the 2nd half of the bowl!

Room note (as stated by my girl) is: "Sweetish, with a slightly alcohol-ish smell. Pretty pleasant!"

4/4 stars - lovely presentation; quality tobaccos; refined and rounded taste. A blend I wouldn't wanna miss in my tobacco-bar! Highly recommended to everyone, as this fits the bill of smokers who prefer mild smokes, as well as it's satisfying to smokers, who like a change of pace from their heavier blends.

Update: Down-rated to 3-stars, as I've grown to have smoked more Plugs and also some blends flavored with rum. This one is quite good, but not as good as it gets ;-)

|| Personal rating: 2,5-stars (only a bowl when offered, I didn't buy this again)| Attempt of an 'obective rating' : 3-stars ||

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (129)	2018-07-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I saw this on a pipe board and having a penchant for most plugs, thought I'd try this, I'm not overly fond of vapers but the reviews here told me it was safe to try, other than the fact that this must be the easiest plug I've ever had the pleasure of working with, there is little that I can add to the notes of my esteemed colleagues here. As already stated, the Virginia's command the performance with the perique and rum only playing a supporting role to the sweetness of this superb blend. No bite at all, even though from time to time I can over puff. Definately going into rotation and with more to cellar, I just hope I live long enough to smoke up at least the majority of my TAD. Highly recommended 4 well earned stars to Dan tobacco.

Pipe Used: Various briars group 3 + 4, clays medium

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Estervals

Similar Blends: St James's Flake.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2016-01-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Unlike some reviewers', the plug I got was a fully pressed plug at just the right moisture level for me. To me, the VAs really shine through, and the Perique and any fruit topping are more hinted at from the sweetness, which seems to me falls right at the border between natural and 'added casing', than in any way obvious. I really don't taste the rum at all, but that likely adds to the sweetness as well. This is an easy and slow smoking (likely because I leave it rather chunky), enjoyable, everyday plug. I hope it catches on and remains widely available.

Pipe Used: Cobs, briars, and meers

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeterD (91)	2015-12-18		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

...A fine plug tobacco from Dan, actually Orlik, none-the-less, already a top favorite of mine... Dense, earthy, stewed fruit/plum and fig aroma and all-around a first class offering. ...This is not OGS in plug form, and is a stronger tobacco than others in this arena. It is not a Lakeland/floral plug either...appears to stand very much on its own. ...A bit on the expensive side at around $19. USD per 50 gram plug but well worth the cost. Most would find this too strong for an all-day smoke, but I find this a great smoke any time. Perfect moisture, easy to slice, and exceeds my expectations for a quality plug tobacco...

Pipe Used: gp. 3-5

Age When Smoked: 2 to 6 months old

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2020-02-04		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Dan Tobacco - Salty Dogs.

Wonderful!

I received this about a week and a half ago, and I still love it as much as my first puff! It isn't a plug like some, where it could be classed as a kake. No, no, this is a steadfast plug which demands assiduous preparation; sharp knife, and in my case a coffee grinder! After I prepared some I noted the slight moistness. It suited me as I don't like my tobacco dry but if you're not like me you'll need to let some air! The cellophane pouch the plug's in has probably aided the moisture not diminishing! Although it states rum as a flavouring the nose from it, whole or rubbed, doesn't suggest this.

The smoke? GREAT! To me, like in the unlit aroma, the rum is hardly there. But, I get a very nice tobacco flavour; VaPer, albeit light on the Perique. The lead taste is rich, fruity, sweet, Virginia, with a slightly plummy backing from the Perique; a lot less 'spicy' than is often the case. My burn has been fabulous, but I grind mine quite fine. Should your prep' differ you might disagree! And, my smoke has been cool!

NICOTINE: above medium. Room-note: nice.

Salty Dogs? Plug perfection! Highly recommended:

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Dagner Poker

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Cup O' Joes

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Slender (9)	2018-09-08		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable

OK, I officially love this stuff, but it can be difficult to express just why within the framework of a conventional review; its eccentricities are many and its merits somewhat esoteric -though given its perpetually sold-out status, it would seem there are others who share my sentiments. What I can say is that I frequently find myself thinking about this tobacco as I fall asleep at night and it is the only tobacco that produces a kind of generalized anxiety if ever I feel stocks may be running low.

First of all, being a plug, Salty Dogs requires some significant preparation -and a fair bit of drying as well- each and every time you smoke it. Even when properly prepared it can frequently be difficult to keep lit for long periods. Also, of course, is its prohibitive pricing, which in the U.S. creeps close to $20 for a 50-gram bar. And then, as mentioned above, is its availability which is sporadic at best. However, despite all this, it’s worth it -believe me.

The plug itself is extremely pleasurable to work with and I find that its cutting even adds a certain ritualistic charm to the experience. The price, while admittedly expensive, isn’t really THAT bad… I mean, it’s from Germany and the quality is palpable –plus the thing smells incredible. The availability, well, you’ll just have to consider that part of what makes it special. And special it is. This is a smoke of profound character and nuance that intrigues in ways I have never experienced with any other pipe tobacco.

In short, it's fantastic: deep, contemplative, exceptionally smooth... flavors of brown sugar, raisins, malt, real licorice (as in those old-fashioned licorice pipes), amaretto, roasted coffee beans, raw Pu’er tea, charred meat, gingerbread, black pepper, citrus and cloves all perfectly amalgamated and with no one flavor ever dominating another. It has this incredibly dark, rich quality that gives it the aura of ancientness. It does have rum in it; I have tasted it. However, you may only get one or two puffs of it per bowl.

In fact, for all this flavor, the overall experience is a remarkably subdued affair. Flavors need to be gently teased out over time and do not develop fully until mid-bowl. This can be another aspect of this tobacco that may not appeal to less discerning, less patient or less experienced smokers (and I have been all three at one time or another). However, slow and mindful smoking will be rewarded with an extraordinarily cool, gentle and equally slow-burning smoke with waves of complex flavor; the nicotine producing an almost stoned-like, body-buzz –yet this too is strangely gentle and I’d hazard to say that even those sensitive to it will not find it at all unpleasant.

Salty Dogs definitely won’t be for everyone, but I have to admit that this tobacco has quickly become my favorite -hence the long review. Despite its eccentricities (and occasionally because of them), it is an experience not to be missed, particularly by those who enjoy VaPers or just those who have been looking for a blend with prodigious flavor that still somehow manages to never become heavy or overpowering.

UPDATE - July, 2019: I want to say that with proper preparation and good smoking technique -particularly in a pipe you know well, it is entirely possible to smoke this straight down to the heel with fewer than three relights and often with none at all. My cache has more than a year of age on it now and it has become even more sublime... this is my ambrosia. Do not let the price dissuade you; it may be twice the price of other tobaccos, but a single smoke lasts twice as long and is certainly more than twice as good.

Pipe Used: Tsuge Mizuki 943

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	da'rum (5)	2014-09-14		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I heard good things about this plug and it is a good smoke.....However. ...., it seems rushed and definitely not as well made as ilsteds VA plug. This plug really needs longer in the press to marry the tobacco together and to create a proper plug, it is loose and very springy in comparison to 3p's and IOVP. I am guessing it spends a very short time under pressure and is merely quickly in and out of the press to create a plug form but not really a job well done. It also could benefit from less casing, it was sticky and wet out of the pouch and frankly unsmokable, I tried and failed. I then sliced small flakes off and waited 24 hours before they were ready to smoke. This plug starts off unremarkable but the flavour, like the nicotine, builds quickly. It has some decent Virginia in it and a small spicy note on nasal exhale could be an indicator of Perique but could be a couple of other things as well, the whole profile is interesting without being too complex but the balance isn't quite spot on. This plug is good. I'd buy it again but I can't help notice the difference in quality in not only the Virginia but also the care taken in the production in comparison to IoVP. Kohlhase und Kopp have said that IoVP won't be made anymore due to poor sales so I'm wondering how this lesser and seemingly rushed product commissioned by DTM will survive. I'd choose IoVP over salty dogs any day of the week.

As I said, a good tasty tobacco but unfortunately could be a lot better if they didn't cut corners. 82/100

Pipe Used: Pot meer, Falcon, Design Berlin

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Timms Hamburg.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Baldrick1 (1)	2014-07-15		Medium	Medium	Very Full	Tolerable

If you like Mick Mcquaid Plug this tobacco is for you. It is more fruity taste. But taste is great. It is very wet from the pouch but you can cut it very easy. If you like aromatic plugs give it the try.

Purchased From: dan pipe

Similar Blends: mick mcquaid.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2017-04-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is an excellent plug tobacco and the only one that I know of that consists of Virginia and Perique (other than St. James Plug but that’s not available in the States). The flavoring is very mild and just help to accentuate the flavors of the natural leaf. I like to cut thick flakes and loosely rub it out and pack it into a large chamber so the flakes can expand without tightening up the draw. This has all the rich and dark depth you would expect from a plug tobacco and the nicotine is in the medium range. The price? The price to get a 50g plug in the States is just ridiculous and is the only thing keeping me from cellaring this one deep. If you are a fan of plugs I would say ya have to try it at least once. I'm hoping that the price will drop significantly like what we saw happen just recently with St. Bruno. If I could afford it, I would make this an everyday smoke. Good stuff!

Obviously I had to knock off a star due to cost.

Essential (but not economical)

Edit* I came back to add the 4th star because I don't think it's fair to knock off a star due to the price point. Besides, I found a good source for these Plugs straight from Germany. 4 star Plug all the way!

Edit** (2-17-19) well hot damn the price has dropped significantly on this one. No, not here in the States, it still roughly goes for $18 a Plug but I just found a find of a lifetime. Time has come to cellar this one deep, especially since it seems that plugs are becoming extinct. (At the time of writing this, there has been some hysteria concerning 3P’s, it’s off the shelves everywhere and most stores are saying it’s no longer available, time will tell but in the meantime I’ll be stocking up on this bad boy!)

Pipe Used: P. Jeppesen, Tsuge, Stanwell

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Johnny M (6)	2018-05-24		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

An Excellent Virginia-Perique Plug. Very rich and sweet flavour. Packs and lights very easy if you cut him to cubes. One of the best VA-Periques i had so far. Highly Recommended.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: fresh from the pouch

Purchased From: DTM Dan Tobacco

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2021-01-08		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The packaging does not do justice to either the quality or the price of this tobacco, although that is not the most important thing for me. The pouch is presented as a homemade print with a rudimentary drawing on a white background that evokes piracy. After overcoming the successive layers of plastic, the hardest and most compact block of tobacco I have seen so far appears. Its appearance, with a very dark color and its cold smell, is very reminiscent of a piece of chocolate bar. The preparation to take it to the pipe may require a knife to cut it, but flake-shaped strips can also be peeled off (although with irregular shapes), pinching the corners of the plug and then removing them little by little or cutting it into small pieces . Tobacco comes with a slightly high degree of humidity, so keeping the pipe burning requires several re-ignitions.

When lighting the tobacco it produces a very fresh smoke. The perique is fruity and smooth but makes its presence felt, with the typical nuances of raisins, plums, stewed fruits ... The virginia component is felt more towards the end. The rum coverage is barely noticeable. The intensity of the flavor in general is also mild, although it gains from the second third with some very tasty puffs, but almost always staying on the smooth and refined side. It is convenient to smoke it slowly so that the flavor is not lost, taking in with small puffs and paying attention to the smoke, without doing something at the same time that distracts us too much. It does not sting the tongue at all.

In short, it is a rich tobacco with different flavor profiles to what I knew until now, which invites you to repeat another pipe during the same day, since it does not saturate the palate nor is it very satiating. Although I am the type of smoker who likes more pronounced flavors, as I smoked it I liked it more, in such a way that the plug disappeared after a week. I would recommend trying it, although then it will depend on the tastes of each one whether to repeat it or not, but it is very likely that it will not leave you indifferent. I give it a 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.

Age When Smoked: Less than a year

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (401)	2020-07-14		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

I have always liked plugs, the look and feel of holding a solid brick of tobacco. This is a true plug in the style of Peterson’s 3 P’s. Maybe not as hard but pretty close. Albeit, I do not smoke plugs very often. No particular reason as to why, maybe lazy. A friend of mine at the pipe club gave me a ring (text nowadays) and asked if I was going to attend and he would bring in the Salty Dogs plug. Let’s see, pull weeds at home or attend the meeting. Easy decision. He cut me a generous portion across the grain and I saved this for when I got home. I was a little bit smoked out from the club but had to try it. The plug has a faint sweet smell to it, as to whether it is the rum, hard to tell. The plug was actually slightly moist. I took a small section broke it apart. The leaves immediately expanded. I loaded my Peterson Dublin Tankard with some and started to light this puppy up. I chose a small bowl pipe for this exercise. I will not lie I had to relight quite a bit but this was due to the concentrated leaves in my bowl. This is a slow smoking excursion with I would say the rum in the background. A real medium to full flavored smoke that lasted at least an hour with my leisurely pace of not being able to sit for very long. Goes good with my afternoon coffee. Day two, I took what was really a bowl and a half and crammed it into my Tankard and had another hour plus smoke with this tobacco. This is a straightforward blend, consistent taste, not a lot of play with different flavors but is what expected. A good solid Virginia and Perique smoke. Since I am fond of plugs it already gets an extra star. I find it slightly amusing that this plug comes in a pouch. If I did not have such a hoard, I would definitely buy some. Thanks again for the generous sample.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dublin Tankard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Gift

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2018-06-20		Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

A block of tobacco courtesy of Good ol' Dan Tobacco.

Once the novelty of slicing chunks or strips from the block has faded I have to admit this was disappointing.

It has no taste or smell no matter which way it is cut, sliced, ripped or rubbed out. It's supposed to be virginia and perique. I am certainly none the wiser for knowing this.

It keeps its moisture, even when broken up, but this only adds to the frustration when trying to smoke this. A block of a thousand relights.

Perhaps it's my relative inexperience of plug tobaccos but this really has very little to commend it, and I certainly shan't be buying this again.

Pipe Used: All of them briars and meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: DanPipe, Germany.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Chillum (4)	2015-08-05		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I found that it was rather 'wet' but this is something ive found common with plugs. After half an hour dry time I found this still slightly steamy, but this is my only negative. A strong, sweet start from the bowl.The steamed and pressed virginas marry perfectly with the perique with its spice evident straight away, especially when snorking. As the bowl progressed, the immediate sweetness subdues and its power becomes known. Recommended for fans of dark,steamed virginas. Unlike other dark plugs, the salty dog doesn't get bitter or too intense the further we smoke, something to do with the rum topping and perique. Lots of flavour, much nicotine. Full on without being intense. I found it similar to Revor without its diesel soaked blackberry flavours. Well recommended for Va/Per fans or plug enthusiasts.

Pipe Used: Blakemar lovat 9mm filter

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Gifted.

Similar Blends: Revor plug, Mick Mcquaid plug.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain Casual (21)	2020-05-22		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

A plug that comes wrapped in what feels like 20 layers of plastic. Now that's an unusual presentation.

Once you manage to free it from it's pouch, you'll find yourself holding a small, rather dense brick of quality VaPer. Curiously, i always thought that the unlit tobacco smells very clearly like dark chocolate, but i wouldn't say this translates to the smoke very much.

You can prepare the tobacco in various ways. You could cut it into slices and treat it as a very compact flake cut. Or go one step further and make it into cube cut. If you want to take some time, you could eventually get it rubbed out into a more loose mixture as well, if you want something that'll burn a little quicker. The only thing i wouldn't advise is to bite off a bit and use it as a chew, like the description says. Mainly because unless you're a certain Bond villain, biting into this hard, dense brick of tobacco would likely cost you a couple of teeth.

Jokes aside, in terms of moisture, this blend comes pretty much ready to smoke. You could dry it a little bit, but then, you'd be trading an easier burn for a little less flavour.

How easy it is to light and how many relights it needs is largely dependent on how you prepare it of course, but largely, i've found that this blend is well behaved. It's always taken a light without fuss and needs only a few relights.

As for the flavour, i would call this stuff direct and uncomplicated. It says Virginia-Perique in the description, and that's exactly what you're getting. You've got sweet, tangy virginia, some small notes of black bread and a decent amount of dry pepper from the perique. The rum, i personally can't really detect much of. It doesn't offer much complexity, and it doesn't offer any surprises. What it does offer, however, is quality. Heaps and heaps of quality. It's full-flavoured through the entire bowl, has a decent bit of nicotine to it and on top of that, burns really cool, even if you get carried away with it. Which means it'll never bite, either.

After your smoke, it leaves you with only a little dottle and moisture.

Overall, i'm rather chuffed with this blend. It only does one thing, but it very much does it right.

Pipe Used: Vauen York

Purchased From: Cigarworld.de

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HeavyMetalPiper (64)	2019-09-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The aroma in the pouch is a slightly sweet bread.

Classic Virginia flavor, a bit figgy, not spicy, a bit bready. Sweet. At a more standard price point this would be a mainstay, but it's a bit too expensive to be a regular in the rotation. Definitely worth keeping on hand to have now and again or to try.

You can see my video review of this blend here:

Pipe Used: Paykoc Mermaid Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 1 Month

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2019-04-19		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The pouch aroma is very similar to Escudo but delivers a stronger Vitamin N blast. I've been out of the pipe hobby for around 5-6 years & decided to make a comeback because I missed the varied flavors of pipe tobacco blends. I barely detected the Rum aroma but noticed a slight hint of it from a whiff. It is a very moist, dark block... with the consistency similar to a hard, chewing tobacco plug. It is very well sealed within a small plastic bag within another well sealed plastic container inside the pouch. It should last for years as packaged. I sliced about 3/16" from the end of the plug & rubbed it out which seemed to work OK.

Initially, I tasted both varietals in the first puff along with the slight Rum infusion. I noted the Virginia, noticed very little Rum but it probably added the slight sweetness to the blend along with the natural sweetness of VA & a slight, sweet, fruity note from the medium apportioned Perique. It is a fairly potent blend, well processed & closer to the strong threshold with & a slight harshness that dissipated after a few tokes. I rubbed it out, dried it to an almost crispy state & stoked a small bowl. Burns better if properly dried out and smokes down to a dry, gray dottle. After my first sample in a small Danmore I wanted to try something different.

Next bowlful: It has been suggested to smoke this in a smaller bowl... I guess because of its strength. I wanted to find out why. This time, I used a sharp knife to peel off a flake from the full length of the block which facilitated the removal of a few unwanted stems and found this to be the best method of preparation. The thickness of the flake was enough to fill a much deeper, regular sized bowl. I then took the Fiskars to it because it is difficult to rub out in its tough, moist state & doesn't break up easily. I then dried it out to the proper moisture content over the stove burner in a small, stainless steel measuring cup, stirring occasionally. At the charring light from the deep bowl, there was no bite or harshness & it presented a smoother smoke plus, I was interested in the melding process as the smoke progressed. I wasn't able to accomplish this in my smaller pipe.

OK... I've just passed the halfway point & there really isn't much of a melding process happening. It smokes about the same throughout but increases in strength as the smoke progresses. It is a fairly cool, slow burning blend which requires picking, tamping & relights. Now, I understand why a smaller bowl is recommended. I'm thinking a tapered bowl might even be the better alternative. By the end of a large bowl, a newbie's head would surely be spinning & I was becoming extremely "relaxed" myself... just rocking back on the celestial plains of life, as it were & ready for a strong cup of coffee. I think I'll try this in my smaller cobs from here on out which will extend the life of my plug since a little goes a long way.

I thought this was a fine tasting & satisfying plug of tobacco & would probably even make a good chaw. I purchased 1/2 dozen pouches & it has mated with the top five in my rotation. I truly enjoyed it, needless to say. Try some if you get the opportunity & you won't be disappointed. If you like Escudo or other similar blends, you'll be amazed with Salty Dogs. Great stuff!

Pipe Used: Size 2 Danmore & a Cavicchi Dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh Pouch

Purchased From: 4Noggins, Cup O Joes

Similar Blends: I found the aroma to be similar to Escudo but provided more strength. This one is new to me. Some experienced Pipers have suggested Peterson's Perfect Plug. I haven't as yet taken the opportunity to try that one...

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theocharis (38)	2018-09-14		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I had high expectations for this one. I love vapers and with a light rum flavoring i though that this would be heaven...unfortunately i was wrong. I cant get any satisfaction out of this blend. The taste and flavor are nonexistent and it needs a few relights because of the moisture. The only good thing about this tobacco is that it has a pleasant aroma and it burns cool and slow. But, I would not buy it again. Update/recommendation: Here is what I did and I suggest that you do this too. I cut the tobacco, rub it and put it in a tin ( instead of mason jar), so it has a chance to dry thoroughly. This is one blend that benefits greatly from aging and drying. The smokeability is just greater this way. One star first, two to three after.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh, aged for 5 months

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mijnnif (130)	2022-05-19		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note is musty sweet Virginia. I did not smell the perique in the bag. As a plug this needs to be shaved (small cube cut is best) I just put the very small cubes in the bowl . It helps to let it sit for a while as its very moist when fresh from the package. From first light this is a really great blend. Highly recommended if you like Vaper's. The rum is barely noticeable at the start but becomes more evident as you progress through the bowl. The Virginias are a bit sweet, but not overly so and the perique is there but just. Its a very nice balanced blend with lots of flavors going on. I use small to medium sized pipes . With slow sipping it lasted a full hour. with only a few relights. One trick to get the most flavor from this is to light you bowl smoke it for 5 minutes as it burns very slow and put the pipe down for at least 30 minutes or more. You will be rewarded with much more flavor after a waiting period. I have let my pipe sit overnight and the flavors were much more prominent . The nic hit gets a bit stronger as you progress through the bowl, but this blend doesn't bite. Very smooth smoke with the spicy perique siting just behind the Virginia's. The aftertaste is quite nice as well.

Pipe Used: many briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: gift not sure but aged a bit

Purchased From: watch city cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (221)	2021-05-05		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

Dan tobacco Salty Dogs - Dark fruit is what I get the most of .A little citrus , hay and bread . It has a malty molasses fruity sweetness. The spices build up going down the bowl as does the nicotine . About a medium nic hit . It has a good dose of Perique, any more and it would be too much for me .The rum is very light and adds to the fruity spicy flavor. The Vaper lovers should enjoy this . 3 1/2

Age When Smoked: 6 months in jar

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleAl (19)	2021-04-16		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Salty Dogs is a high-class, strong, sweet, predominantly Virginia blend, with Perique becoming more assertive as the bowl progresses. I can’t detect rum. I pack moist and loose. You need to sip gently. Relights well, which is important given Salty Dogs’ forthright strength. An exceptional tobacco well worth the cost and effort to prepare. Just remember to sip.

Pipe Used: Peterson Baker Street & ors.

Age When Smoked: From the packet

Purchased From: 4Noggins

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2020-12-19		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Dan’s Salty Dogs starts with a dense, Old School plug that’s along the lines of Peterson’s Perfect Plug. It’s dark and oily, sable brown with a few lighter striations. Initially, it smells of fragrant plum, prune and apricot fruit leather, with the aged, fermented tobacco brooding like leaf mold under that. The density of the plug makes preparation either a chore or a ritual, depending on one’s perspective and patience. Rolled and stuffed flakes are practically fireproof, also, IMO, the smoke I finally get from this approach is not the best of this blend. Likewise cubes, which seem to form a hot coal for the last part of the smoke. Although it’s “more work”, I prefer to slice the plug with a strong, super-sharp knife into about 1/16” thick flakes that I am careful to cut off a layered “edge” of the plug, so the broad and long face of the flake shows a layered cross section. Then I roll and spindle the tough, sticky flakes to rub them out into fluffier ribbons. After gently stuffing an old #4 Dublin with these ribbons, it still takes a while to get it thoroughly lit, then it burns down slowly, smoking profusely, with regular, gentle tamping and sometimes a little stirring at the bottom. Scents when it’s smoked this way are like a blooming, floral version of the plug scents, adding fragrant, mild baking spices of the sort I associate with long-aged Perique. Tastes track the scents, adding moldering hay, wheat bread, cut meadow grasses, figs, and dates, and it’s pretty consistent, top to bottom, except the intensity rises gradually from mild, through medium, toward strong/full in both strength and tastes over the course of the smoke. No surprise that the VAs and the Perique are tightly knit, given the density of the plug. It sours out of the blocks, and it actually took me a while before I first noticed that it’s also fairly sweet, with turbinado sugar and treacle. Room note is tolerable. Aftertaste is a lengthy, smokier continuation of the smoke.

I like Salty Dogs, though its best is hardly right there for the taking. It’s a quality offering, for sure, but it strikes me as better suited to experienced and/or patient VA/Per lovers. 4 stars, with noted reservations.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: from undated bag, rested to 1 month +

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2019-12-15		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am tempted to put this tobacco in the same league as your Hal O Thy Wynd, Irish Oak or Astley's no.2 virginia perques .. as it's right up the alley with the slight spicy, but more dried fruit taste of the perique contribution. Overall this is a fine tobacco, rich, sweetish, earthy in taste with a bit of dried fruit hints, and a rum casing that just ennobles the whole thing. This is by no means an aromatic, as the rum is there with you just like a whisper, adding to the sweetness of the Virginians with its distinct molasses taste, and without stealing from the various tobacco fragrances. The baccy comes as a rectangular plug, similar to what one finds in a Peterson's 3p tin, compact but not difficult to break apart. I sure recommend this one, and certainly I will come back to it once I finish my current inventory. Not an all day smoke though - not for me at least. It takes a bit of ritual to prepare this, and while it won't bite if you don't allow it some dry time, I do find that drying brings out the aroma more. If I have a bowl on a Saturday afternoon, I may or may not have another one in the evening - the taste being enough for the whole day.

Pipe Used: altinay half bent billiard, some Angelo pipe

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: danpipe.de

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Badmedicine (51)	2019-10-05		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Wow, am I glad I stumbled across this gem. Whilst visiting an out-of-town Tobacconist as a cigar rep, I saw three of these pouches on their shelf. I like plugs, I like VaPers, I like Dan Tobacco... Smoke unsmoked, I bought their entire supply. Boy, am I glad I did. Not for least reasons the fact the sold it to me at cost. The pouch note is amazing; raisins, plums, a touch of grass, and molasses. The smoke bears this out perfectly, with a deep, mature tanginess. It's also the most beautiful plug I've ever worked with; firm, neat, and perfect size to carry in a pocket. Whittled into shards with a Buck knife, it burns slowly, coolly, and without bite to a fine ash. The room note is even lovely; deeply fruity with an undertone of winter hay. Sublime.

Pipe Used: Rattrays Devil Anse, Peterson 999

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Weston Tobacco

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pfeifenkopp (25)	2019-09-11		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The smell of this plug is not very strong. If I hold it directly under my nose, I can smell hay, dark fruits and rum. I prefer to cut little flakes and fold them into my pipe, because I think the tobacco lights up easier and tastes fuller this way than cube cutting it. But probably this is only a personal preference.

The tobacco tastes like you expect it from a good Virginia/Perique blend and the rum flavoring adds some sweet rum notes just on times. The Virginia got flavors of hay, earth and citrus. The Perique makes the plug spicy and adds raisins and pepper. The taste of pepper gets stronger in the last third part of the pipe.

Overall, this tobacco is not a complex one, but if you like Virginia/Perique plugs you will love this one.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KomisarioPalmu (3)	2018-09-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is for roughcut seamen with ungroomed beards who enjoy strongish unflavoured tobacco. As far from fancy as it gets.

Being a heavy seabanger with fullbeard I had great expectations, that unfortunately were not fulfilled. I get very little out of this one.

Not sweet at all to my mind. Nor sour nor anything but a decent nic dose. Some notes of plum during the first third, mid bowl was plain tobacco, and some plum again in the end. Dull and linear VA I'd say, maybe a hint of that perique is somewhere there with good will.. Yet creamy, not harsh at all, smoke. All other qualities but the taste are good.

Burns effortlessly and slow, I cut thin slices from short end of the block with a knife and gave it a little rub. I always smoke outdoors so would't know abaut a roomnote, but nothing much to complement there either.

Not bad, but not my cup of tea. Recommended for pluggers and oldtimers I guess.

Pipe Used: Vauen Sören with filter

Age When Smoked: Fresh, from a two year old pouch

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2016-05-13		Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Beautiful, very compact plug in the pouch. It's quite dark and smells of figs, hay, earth, and a bit of fruity liquor.

Sliced, and rubbed out, easily enough. Gravity packed into the bowl. Lights easily with a charring light and a follow-up. Stays lit well if you tamp it firmly after 2nd light.

Produces lots of dry flavorful smoke and lasts a long time. It reminds of most VaPers I have had but a bit stronger. I catch hints of what I would say is a familiar taste of burley, but can't quite put my finger on that. Tastes of rich tobacco, with hints of hay, and fruit. There is a savory flavor almost like truffles. The perique is quite strong but nicely balanced with a slightly sweet virginia flavor. This stuff can pack a punch and is just a delightful smoke. Again, this is one of those blends that can be enjoyed without too much contemplation...just load a bowl and go!

Ordered some to add to my cellar and rotation.

Pipe Used: Billard, Corn-Cob

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Gifted

Similar Blends: Peterson - University Flake, Dunhill - De Luxe Navy Rolls.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (556)	2022-10-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Package note is sweet, dried fruit & vinegary. Needs effort to prepare. I generally cut slices less than 1/8 inch think and it rubs out fairly easy. Tobacco is slightly sticky but not wet, no drying needed. Burns slow rubbed out, even slower when cubed, requires relights. The strength is medium to strong, nic is medium at most. Taste is full, and mostly consistent throughout. Taste of sweet grass, ripe fruit, a little sugar, and slightly spicy. I couldn't discern the rum flavoring. Room note is not offensive and after taste is good. 4 stars

Pipe Used: Wally Frank Limited White Bar Sandblast 128

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Watch City Cigar

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2021-08-16		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I will start with a caveat to my review, and that is that I hate plugs. Thus the only plugs I have in my cellar are plugs such as this one, where there is no sliced or RR version, leaving no option but the plug. For this, I automatically deduct a star.

With that said, I was further underwhelmed by this blend. It is a dark plug with the dark virginias likely stoved. The result is a deep earthy virginia with a touch of both perique and rum. the latter two ingredients were lightly applied with Perique being slightly more apparent than the topping.

For me, this could have used some bright VA, but this is probably more a personal thing. Still Salty Dogs is a pretty good smoke and I remember quite a few tasty moments while smoking through my first pouch of this. I have another pouch that I will taste at a later date to get a handle on how this ages.

So it is good, not great IMO; it only comes in plug; and it is very expensive. It is a tough one to rate as I would put it at three stars, but I would eschew an offer to smoke this if the alternative was escudo, which is available at a fraction of the cost of SD. It is for this reason (I'm cheap. lol) that this only gets two stars for me. I mean, If you are going to charge me this much money, would it kill you to slice it into flakes?

Age When Smoked: 4 years 7 Months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2021-04-01		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the advantages of a dense and compact plug tobacco is you get a wonderfully slow burning smoke with a consistent flavor from top to bottom.. Salty dogs much like 3ps is one of the few available on the market that accomplishes this.. the virginia and perique are so well melded together with the added sweetness from the rum that it is just one flavor.. you can enjoy all of its aspects particularly through the retrohale.. not a lot of perique but the pressing seems to really bring it out.. as with 3ps, the added flavoring, in this case rum, is so well integrated that it doesn't stand out at all.. in tobaccos like windjammer the rum is much easier to identify because it truly comes across as a top note.. in Salty dogs it is certainly there but virtually indistinguishable from the other flavors.. the virginia, likewise is deep and fruity.. but one flavor.. A really seemless blend.. I think if you like smooth flavor with a little boldness you will rate this very highly.. personally I do like it quite a bit.. but not one I will enjoy regularly for a number of reasons.. mostly because you have to be in the mood for this type of flavor.. furthermore the price and preparation will kind of make it more of a special occasion deal.. for half the price peterson makes an equally nice product in my opinion.. I use a small pipe for it.. not really for the strength (it is very medium) but it burns so slowly that a big bowl would last hours.. I also dry it for about an hour.. while some would argue you get more flavor from moist tobacco I think you lose just as much from the steam it produces even from a slow cadence.. I generally don't even need to relight this after an hour dry time.. it smokes perfectly.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoking_Strider (21)	2020-06-09		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't know if I like the history behind this blend or the blend itself more. This plug has a high learning curve, definitely not ready right out of the packaging, but that's kind of the point. You really could fit this in your pocket and forget about it for a long while before this fully dried out. In fact I bought this over a year ago and its still pretty moist. Moving forward, this is a tame VaPer, not too spicy or aggressive. Plenty of flavor and strength though with the rum not being too overpowering. Left a tad bit too much moisture in the bowl and needed quite a few relights but it's still a great blend I would recommend trying at least once.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RedGopnik (16)	2020-05-20		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been absolutely OBSESSED with navy blends lately. This is the first navy plug that I have tried and I gotta say that this is something. This is an initial smoke review.

The plug cut nicely, I shave it with a cigar cutter and crumble into a nice shag. With no drying (unwrap, slice, pack, light) it stays lit very well.

This is some quality perique. I haven't had perique this tasty in a while. Nice quick pepper on a retrohale but doesn't bite, dark fruit notes.. The Virginia's aren't grassy at all, but smooth and citrusy. The rum is the icing on the cake. It gives it that navy flavor to separate it from a vaper (a quality vaper at that)

Pipe Used: Morgan bones ambassador

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Online

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	geoffc (6)	2019-07-19		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Well I have never had it and it came in today. This is a very dense plug of whole leaf tobacco. I could probably fit 3 50g Salty Dog plugs in a single tin of SG Cabbies Mixture tin. Shaved off a few flakes with a very sharp knife and it took some work to rub it out.

Took a little effort to light up, kind of like GH Sweet Rum Twist but once you have it lit, it burns fine. Nice rum topping, not as overt as Black Frigate. There is some brightness to blend from the Virginia. Good amount of spice from the perique. Very pleasant smoke.

Pipe Used: Grig

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2018-08-16		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Again, this pouch I received as a gift from a dear friend. It slept in my cabined for one year, more or less.

As a matter of fact I substantially subscribe Stefanos’ review (and not necessarily because we share the same name and first letter of the family name, ahahahahah…) The cube form in the cellophane wrapper allows very good aging. Slicing was a bit of a trouble, but that depends on the wrong knife I get. Whichever the cut results, this burns very nice. Never prone to burn hot nor biting. None. The nic hit is a shade above medium, the body is absolutely satisfying. The rest Stefanos has already told very properly. Including the rum flavour which I find in traces, or actually missing. And, regarding the prices (EUR. 9.50 per 50 grams): that would be a real bargain in Italy, and I would buy it on regular basis, better if it comes in ready rubbed form…

This combination of VaPer is the one I feel perfect as an all day smoke. Absolutely recommended.

Pipe Used: Castello's

Age When Smoked: one year

Purchased From: received as a gift

Similar Blends: SG's SJF is the one coming near, but SD burns a deal better.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ithian (18)	2023-02-18		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Excellent, tasty high-nicotine VaPer. In the beginning the spiciness overweighs in mouth and nose (a tad too much for me) that soon gives room to rich, full dark fruits that grows throughout the bowl. Very pleasant sweet and dark taste and flavor throughout the bowl. Nicotine hit is up there with some burleys, definitely not on an empty stomach! Cut flakes as thin as possible and grant some drying time. I try to always have a bowl's worth already cut and rubbed out.

Reminds me of a spicier Orlik Golden Sliced, or a fruitier, less bready version of Peterson Deluxe Navy Rolls.

Easy 3.5 stars overall.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tobaksrøg (53)	2022-09-03		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Curious perique blend. The plug is fun to cut with a sharp knife. The aroma of rum is very characteristic and it persists in the smoke, which I am not a fan of. Certainly not my go-to VaPer, but a pleasant addition to the roster. 2 and a half.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	neuron_md (37)	2023-05-06		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As stated in previous posts, the tobacco is a small pocket-sized brick of dark brown, moist tobacco that looks like a brownie. My little daughter says it looks like a bar of chocolate.

Pouch smell is wonderful.. smells like cacao, dark fruit, and raisins. Makes me want to stick it in my mouth and eat it.

I took thin slices and rubbed it with my hands. Packing is easy.

On the light I don’t appreciate the rum topping. It tastes strongly grassy and hay-like as a good Va does. The figgy perique comes out by mid-bowl, especially on retro-hale; and the last third of the bowl is sweet.

It smokes cool and won’t bite.

Since I tend to smoke Latakia and burley blends, I find the flavors “mild” in comparison. But not to say this is a “weak” blend. It is rich in a Virginia sense.

Recommended.

Age When Smoked: Right out of the box.

Purchased From: Smoking pipes.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaPiper (35)	2023-02-01		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

A wonderful Navy plug with fine dark Virginia's and a touch of Perique lets the fruity, citrus, deep flavors come throught. It is an excellent plug and a good introduction to beginners on plug cut tobacco. The flavor of this tobacco has made it a regular smoke. Yes it is expensive however, it does last a long time being a plug and easy to travel with in your kit. We all should keep a sharp knife handy to cut the plug then rub out, pack pipe, and enjoy.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GeoffS (29)	2023-01-28		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is the stuff. Sweet, dried fruit on the palate. I wouldn't know there was rum there unless you told me, but it seems to add a bit of sweetness and edge to the Virginias. The perique is light and gives you just a little tingle on the retrohale but is more fruity than spicy. Smooth, sweet, mildly spicy. It is everything I love in a tobacco. Preparing it is also fun. It looks like a tasty brownie and sets off my salivary glands. I take a sharp knife and carve off flakes, which I either cube cut or rub out.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (89)	2022-11-11		Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I hate plugs, man. For me, pipe smoking is about relaxing, not about cutting, rubbing, drying etc etc. Even if this isn’t the worst plugs, it’s still giving me some headaches. Indeed, it’s easy to cut slices if you have a good knife, but good luck rubbing this one! If I knew, I would’ve bought myself a grinder and used it for this. And it’s important, because this is a very bad burner as well. So my best advice is to dry it!

But anyway. Smells quite nice, it’s sweet with some citrus, dried fruit and plum, but no rum.

Taste is interesting. Sugary sweet, lemony, dried fruit, dry prunes, plum, fig, slightly tangy, slightly spicy. There is a mild topping, which reminds me of that in Mac Baren’s Plumcake, but neither of them taste like rum.

The sweetness tones down by the middle of the bowl, being replaced by hay and grassy notes, but the citrusy and dried fruit taste still remains, and so does the spice. It’s a gentle spice just where you need it.

I would compare it with Dunhill’s De Luxe Navy Rolls, only that this has more spice and is darker, deeper and bolder. The rum topping that I detected is comparable with that in Mac Baren’s Plumcake. But I also get some reminder of Peterson 3P’s and Peterson University Flake. I even thought if this has any burley in it, first of all because of the color of the tobacco, second of all the strength and then the taste. No, I don’t get a nutty and cocoa taste but it’s very similar with Peterson’s 3P’s in some aspects. It also makes my throat feel weird, like a heavy burley blend usually does.

However, there are just few similarities with these blends, they don’t taste the same. Salty Dogs has it’s own trademark.

Again, I must say that this is a tobacco that will give you some trouble. It burns slow and goes off easily, asking for many relights. And since it burns too slow, I tend to puff more and thus get the pipe hot. I did dry it a lot and rubbed it very very well, but it still has a bad burn. Like I said, I like a tobacco that doesn’t give me so much difficulty in smoking it, I want to pack the pipe and smoke it with easy, helping me to relax.

Good amount of strength and vitamin N. Room note is pleasant.

Other than that, it’s ok. Nothing extraordinary.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2019-03-05		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The pouch aroma seems familiar but I've been out of the pipe hobby for around five years & decided to make a comeback because I missed the varied flavors of pipe tobacco blends. I barely detected the Rum aroma but noticed a slight hint of it from a whiff. It is a very moist, dark block... with the consistency similar to a chewing tobacco plug. It is very well sealed within a small plastic container within another well sealed plastic bag inside the pouch. It should last for years as packaged. I sliced about 3/16" from the end of the plug which seemed to work OK.

Initially, I tasted both varietals in the first puff along with the slight Rum infusion. I noted the Virginia, noticed very little Rum but it probably added the slight sweetness to the blend along with the natural sweetness of VA & a slight, sweet, fruity note from the lightly apportioned Perique. It is a potent blend, well processed & closer to the strong threshold with some initial bite & a slight harshness that dissipated after a few tokes. I rubbed it out, dried it to an almost crispy state & stoked a small bowl. Burns better if dried out and smokes down to a dry, gray dottle. After my first sample in a small Danmore I wanted to try something different.

Next bowlful: It has been suggested to smoke this in a smaller bowl... I guess because of its strength. I wanted to find out why. This time, I peeled off a flake from the full length of the block which facilitated the removal of a few unwanted stems & became my preferred method of preparation. The thickness of the flake was enough to fill a much deeper, regular sized bowl. I then took the scissors to it because it is difficult to rub out in its tough, moist state & doesn't break up easily. I then dried it out to the proper moisture content over the stove burner in a small, stainless steel measuring cup, stirring occasionally. At the charring light from the deep bowl, there was no bite or harshness & it presented a smoother smoke initially, plus, I was interested in the melding process as the smoke progressed. I wasn't able to accomplish this in my smaller pipe.

OK... I've just passed the halfway point & there really isn't much of a melding process happening. It smokes about the same throughout but increases in strength. It is a fairly cool, slow burning blend which requires picking, tamping & relights. Now, I understand why a smaller bowl is recommended. I'm thinking a tapered bowl might even be the better alternative. By the end of a large bowl, a newbie's head would surely be spinning & I was becoming "extremely" relaxed myself... just rocking back on the celestial plains of life, as it were & ready for a strong cup of coffee. I think I'll try this in my smaller cobs from here on out which will extend the life of my plug since a little goes a long way. I thought this was a fine tasting & satisfying plug of tobacco & would probably even make a good chaw. Great stuff!

Pipe Used: Size 2 Danmore, Large Cavicchi Dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh Pouch

Purchased From: 4Noggins, Cup O Joes

Similar Blends: This is new to me. Some experienced Pipers have suggested Peterson's Perfect Plug. I haven't had the opportunity to try that one as yet...

Nobody has rated this review yet.