I just tried "Murray's" Warrior Plug (Orlik)

[Kyle Weiss]

I'll keep this one short, as I realized how much I've been bored and blathered on in my last review...

...incidentally, two brothers surprised me with some of this tobacco, via Her Royal Air Mail! Two, red-enveloped little square bricks of dense tobacco, complete with warnings about how smoking will deplete my sperm count. Joke's on them, I guess.

Anyhow, this stuff is pressed tighter than the lips of a parochial school schoolmarm hearing the eff word. It smells nice, like good, sugared, aged sweet Virginia. I discovered peeling some layers about 2mm - 3mm along the "grain" and cutting strips works best; same technique I use for GLP Jacknife Plug. The cut pieces take some time to dry--but that's probably why I like traveling with plug cut so much, it stays moist through almost anything, and is compact.

It's the first tobacco that I ever thought tasted like what smoking oolong tea, or even an Earl Grey. There's a freshness and vibrant nature in the background, which was shocking, considering how dark the tobacco is. In my Pete 80S Thurston (keepin' it as Irish as I can!) it was a breeze to smoke, even chunky mixed with various "thin bits" that sloughed off as I tried (in vain) to rub it out. Faint notes of stewed fig, beer wort, potato, what can only be described as "dried hay in the dew," and toasted bread bookended the strong presence of Virginia. It smokes slow, steady, and mellows out into a pleasant perfect decrescendo. Complex, with much more to explore later, gentle but stout. DGT was pretty good, releasing more fresh notes and smokey nuances in between rests.

One thing about the Irish, they like their stuff strong--there's a LOT of nicotine in this stuff. Not as much as Peterson Irish Flake or Jackknife, but plenty. It's a good nicotine, not coming on too strong or too harsh.

Something to pair with an Irish whiskey or scotch, cider or beer.

I'm probably going to bring the rest of this particular chunk to the Tinder Box for a few friends to try, as yeah, it's hard to get, and when you can, it's expensive. Worth it? Absolutely. A chunk should last anyone a good long while!

8)

 

[Carlos]

I gotta get me a few pounds of that. :sunny:

 

[kaiser83]

I am starting to like plugs more and more. Flakes still confound me at times, but plugs are simple and easy. This one sounds great, thanks for the review Kyle.

 

[Anonymous]

You make it sound really good, Kyle.

:face:
STOPPING EARS

But this guy @ Tobacco Reviews dissuades me :

1st fathomable impressions through the sea of aromas i pick out are 'Minty' comes to mind without being directly minty (freshing) like those soft melt-in-the-mouth mint creams and fruits which are similar in consistency to "Kendal mint cake" (a high energy mint oil and sugar confection bar favoured by mountain climbers and explorers (like a sugar mouse -- not a Lakeland tobacco, so don't bother looking for it.) Medicine a la menthol cough mixture. Ah! and perhaps even Wilson's menthol fruit 'whatever?' snuff . . . perfumed and weird cleaning products, polishes, soaps and waxes . . . Holding in the hand and sniffing at point blank range, the aroma is of dark honey, peppery cinnamon/spicy with maybe jaffa peel, an airosol beeswax, potpouri fragrant/floral (but not Lakeland) furniture polish.

Having finished the pipe and had a drink I have an aftertaste finish in my mouth I can suddenly identify as a specific taste from my youth : "cough candy".*

So many tastes and aromas; fruit mincemeat, dandilion and burdoch pop, wright's coal tar vaporizer, blackcurrent and licorice sweets, cough candy, victory v sweets (licorice-aniseed spicey )incense sticks, perfume wood balls, aerosol furniture polish, kiwi shoe polish.

*[USA = cough drops].

Is he nuts ?

 

[monbla256]

".... Kiwi shoe polish" mmm makes me think of all those folks that chew leather

 

[PeterD]

...Indeed, a fine plug! One of my top favorites and one I've smoked for more than 45 years... :cheers:

 

[Johnny]

Thanks Kyle, now I have another one I need to get my grubby little mitts on! I love plugs, just tried Revor Plug not too long ago and want to obtain much more of it. It's really great stuff and if you can get your hands on some, I highly recommend trying some. I wish they sold all those UK plugs here. We do have access to a few good ones though. I like Dark Plug, 3P's and Cob Plug quite a bit and looking to get some more on hand.

 

[kieveryuu]

Sounds very nice. Thank you for sharing (as always) another thoughtful review.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Kaiser: Me to, Brother--plugs are the bee's knees. Though I'm partial to flakes just the same. I'm surprised you get good results from plug but flakes give you problems occasionally...try "cube-cutting" the flakes? *shrug* I'll cube-cut plug when I'm being lazy, and I'm going to try it with this one.

Yak: :scratch: That guy might have included, "I was drinking Jägermeister right from the bottle at the time, seemed like a good idea..." *sigh* Though, I do have to admit, with certain Burley content, the alkalinity mixed with the sugar content of Virginias can have a "minty" mouth feel and throat effect, but I find that it's just a chemical reaction, and goes away (or the mouth gets used to it). That might have been the case here, but it was far less than other stuff I've smoked with perhaps a similar makeup. It's really, really good, but holy crap, is it strong. :shock: Is the guy nuts? Probably. But he just didn't put the puzzle pieces together the right way.

Johnny: SG's FV Plug, Erinmore Plug, Peterson Perfect Plug, Yachtsman Plug, all need to be tried by me. G&H scares me due to Lakeland stink. Ever try SG Kendal Plug? One of my favorites, too.

Everyone else, thanks--if you can, go git you some.

8)

 

[kaiser83]

I started rubbing out flakes until it is like a brillo pad and that works, just don't much care for it personally. Tried cubing a couple times and didn't like it. Plugs I just cut a chunk and rip it into my pipe, some chunks bigger some smaller and it smokes great.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Ah, I see. You're getting more surface area with the plug flake chunks. Hmm. Not sure what to tell ya, flakes are very forgiving to my palate and smoking style. Some I practically rub to ribbons, others I cube, others I chunk...the only one I don't do too much is fold'n'stuff, just because I haven't attempted it yet. I prefer a little drier tobacco than most (not TOO dry maybe 8% or so, guessing), probably just due to where I live...used to it dry.

 

[Brewdude]

With a rock hard plug like Warrior, so far I've only cut off slices with the grain and then popped them into a whirly grinder and pulsed a couple times. This renders them into some coarse chunks and flakes which I then dry before loading.

I've learned to be careful how to pack too, as it's easy to pack too tight with the inevitable results. So I gravity fill without tamping for the first fill and then press down gently on the next fill. Seems to work OK.

Tearing off layers and rubbing them out seemed to produce the worst results.

Need to try cubing next as I have yet to find the best solution.

For prep, I find Revor to be more malleable and easier to work. With this, it's relatively easy to slice off against the grain and rub out.



Cheers,

RR

 

[Kyle Weiss]

With a lot of flake, "packing" is kind of a misnomer... it's more a "dump just enough in the bowl to the amount you want, tap down the top pieces from curling out during lighting, and forging ahead." :lol:

At least, that's my method.

 

[DrT999]

With a lot of flake, "packing" is kind of a misnomer... it's more a "dump just enough in the bowl to the amount you want, tap down the top pieces from curling out during lighting, and forging ahead." :lol:

At least, that's my method.

That sounds about right for me, as well; it usually works

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Note to self: Smoking WP on an empty stomach--BAD IDEA. ale:

Wheeeee! :drunken: :drunken: :drunken:

 

[Blackhorse]

Warrior is my favorite plug or anything out there. Even though hard to get it has distinct and significant benefits...which I'll bypass in favor of two comments:

1. First: I disagree with your appraisal of it's flavor profile. To me, it's like halfway betwixt FVF and Stonehaven in terms of flavors...so it's very much toward to the raisin/molassas thing....nice and deep...full of N. Delightfull.

2. The best way to get at it is to shave VERY thin slices...literally, like shavings. These, depending on thickness, will rub fairly well and provide that ideal mix of heavy, thin and almost powdery tobacco which will behave well in a bowl...and it works well in smaller bowls...kind of like some of the Brit flakes and twists.

That's my experience anyway.

 

[williamcharles]

In the poem entitled "The Black Dudeen" the soldier slices shavings off his plug. I got to thinking about when Service wrote the poem (over 100 years ago) and figured that might have been a common way of doing it. I have a friend in England tell me that's how he smokes it. It works well. Thin shavings gently rubbed and jammed into the bowl and fired up works well with Warrior, Potomac, Condor Bar, Revor Plug, Dark Plug, Cob Plug and I would imagine it would works well for all the hard pressed plugs. Not so good with soft pressed plugs. Works great for Peterson 3P.

 

[Blackhorse]

Wow! I re-discovered a technique 'encouraged' by Robert Service? Extra cool! 8)

Thanks for the reference, WC!

 

[Jers]

I enjoyed the review Kyle - thanks. :cheers:

Perhaps the manufacturers should consider replacing the 'Smoking reduces your sperm count' warning with ‘Smoke this at your peril - nausea and dizziness are recognised side effects of over indulgence!'.
:lol!:

I hope you feel better soon brother. I had nicotine induced nausea a while back smoking Murray's Yachtsman plug and it wasn't pleasant.

Fraternally

Jers

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Warrior is my favorite plug or anything out there.

I love JackKnife, among and above other plugs such as Warrior, Honor Blend, etc.

Not to argue, but no flip-flopping for the sake of the jury sir. I stand by my taste-assessment--if not for you, for myself. 8)

I enjoyed the review Kyle - thanks. :cheers:

Perhaps the manufacturers should consider replacing the 'Smoking reduces your sperm count' warning with ‘Smoke this at your peril - nausea and dizziness are recognised side effects of over indulgence!'.
:lol!:

Bah, I'm fine. Jackknife taught me all about a nicotine hangover, and I learn quick. :lol:

Thanks brother.

8)