I just tried Samuel Gawith's Kendal Plug

[fishnrust]

Here you go, Kyle:
http://www.samuelgawith.co.uk/default.asp?PageId=3&CatId=4

VA's, and nothing else, according to SG. Glad you enjoyed it. When I cracked the tin, it was looking oh-so-good. Sugar crystals were starting to form between the laylers, yum. I am going to have to sample some after dinner tonight!

 

[Rusty]

(Side question: what is in Kendal? TR.com, as I went to it after my smoke, didn't divulge the list of 'bacca in it.)

Kendal is a town or city in the south Lakeland district where the Gawith companies have been producing snuff and pipe tobaccos since 1792 I think. I don't know if the companies are still based in that town, or just the Lakeland District. I would have to go searching. They may use the name Kendal for some distinctive purpose or processing. Or simply good advertising.

But what's IN it? Straight VA? Burley? Magic? :scratch:

It all starts with the horses that lug the wagons across the Lake District mtns. They would rarely stop until they reached the end of the journey in Kendal. Where the horses would disgorge ... yes! It's the stuff that remains from the south end of a north bound carriage horse.

I think it's Virginia, steam pressed until dark and sweet.

 

[Boxerbuddy]

So, regarding Bow-Legged Bar and Night Train: they're pretty damn strong mixes from what I read--how's the Perique content in them? Y'all know me, the Perique Pansy, a little is okay but if it's a "bomb" I gotta know. Bow-Legged Bear has a particularly good sounding lineup in it.

8)

I've never smoked Bow legged bear but I aquired some Night Train in a trade I made with Blackhorse. I can't tell you how good this stuff is to me. Lol I think he thought I was a little weird but I sent him a PM and told him it tasted kindof like root beer. The VA and the cav provide the sweetness with the perique being the carbonation. I got about 2 oz. of it and I'm almost done with it. I'm gonna order this stuff in bulk.

As to the strength....idk, I don't catch a buzz off it but I'm not nicotine sensitive really so I'm a bad measuring stick. There is a fair amount of perique in it so idk if its for you.

 

[Carlos]

(Side question: what is in Kendal? TR.com, as I went to it after my smoke, didn't divulge the list of 'bacca in it.)

Kendal is a town or city in the south Lakeland district where the Gawith companies have been producing snuff and pipe tobaccos since 1792 I think. I don't know if the companies are still based in that town, or just the Lakeland District. I would have to go searching. They may use the name Kendal for some distinctive purpose or processing. Or simply good advertising.

But what's IN it? Straight VA? Burley? Magic? :scratch:

It all starts with the horses that lug the wagons across the Lake District mtns. They would rarely stop until they reached the end of the journey in Kendal. Where the horses would disgorge ... yes! It's the stuff that remains from the south end of a north bound carriage horse.

I think it's Virginia, steam pressed until dark and sweet.

There is a good reason it smells like hay. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

FYI Kendall Plug is available in bulk at pipesandcigars.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Oh, thanks Dave. Really. Honestly. Truly. I just went and did something stupid.

A good kind of stupid, but still stupid. 8)

 

[MisterE]

So, regarding Bow-Legged Bar and Night Train: they're pretty damn strong mixes from what I read--how's the Perique content in them? Y'all know me, the Perique Pansy, a little is okay but if it's a "bomb" I gotta know. Bow-Legged Bear has a particularly good sounding lineup in it.

8)

I've never smoked Bow legged bear

I love the stuff. It's like GLP Quiet Nights on steroids. A quiet night with a huge beer party going on upstairs if you will... :tongue:

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

So, I ordered a couple of ounces of Kendal Plug to try after reading this thread. After trying a couple different methods of preparation I have to say, I'm convinced, this is a good one. In the end though, I just hacked up my chunk of plug, rubbed it out, and dumped it into a small mason jar. I was going to order more when I realized that, if I'm going to rub it out anyway - why not save some trouble a just order Best Brown. But when you read the description of the plug carefully, its a little ambiguous: "Kendal - A Plug which starts as the Best Brown, blended and pressed Virginias and nothing else. Medium strength." It seems to me that this isn't just Best Brown in Plug form, but rather something slightly different. I don't think I have ever tried Best Brown - or if I have it doesn't stick out in my memory. Can anyone familiar with both confirm whether or not they are the same?

The real reason I ask is that I can get a pound of Best Brown a bit cheaper.

 

[Puff Daddy]

They are definitely different Dave. Best Brown crumbles/rubs out pretty easily, is a darker color, is less sharp tasting/mellower in body than KP. I may be wrong but I believe, from past research several years ago, that the difference was that Best Brown was steamed and pressed and KP was either not steamed, or less so. In smoking the two it's obvious that they are quite different.

 

[DustyRoundup]

Hey Dave,, I've been smoking both the Best Brown, and Kendal Plug.

I got some bulk plug , oh about 3 months ago?? and Ive had the Best Brown for about 2 months maybe.

Im not great at reviews, but here goes. My opinion. Let me put it this way.

I really like FVF, for the taste ,

I almost think I may Like The Kendal Plug a bit better,than the FVF.

The Best Brown, is really good. It does seem to lean towards the Kendal more so , as far as taste, "creamy texture of smoke",

OK, I just did a TIN NOTE smell , visual comparison.
The Kendal seems to have a bit more "Darker" leaf in it
The Kendal has a certain "rich " smell that I like alot. not a dark smell like jacknife, sort of a rich , creamy smell,

The Best Brown, seems to have a lighter look, and the tin note is lighter, not by much, but it just doesnt have that "rich" creamy smell , that says " Dusty, Smoke me now!

Im terrible at reviews,but, overall,
I smoke Best Brown as a daily smoke,
I hoarde my Kendal and FVF.
And actually, I tend to hoarde my Kendal the most. I love it !

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I'm in absolute love with BBF and KP.

The differences, as far as I'm concerned, are the differences of the shape of the flavor rather than separation of the two simply being unalike.

I work with sound, synthesis to be exact. I tend to get very weird and relate things like taste to different sound waves, because of things like texture and overall experience. BBF if a typical sine wave. Smooth, rounded, bold, deep, even and easy. Kendal is a ramp or a "triangle" wave, but modeled without the spike at the end of the cycle. There's no snap with the KP, but a little bit of a warble, very "electric" and bright, yet very toned down.

Back to reality, though, KP and BBF share similarities in sweetness, but not character. KP tastes like a tobacco leaf. Almost raw and untamed, simple and direct (while still being totally mellow). BBF has that complex, earthy, almost tenderized notion to it.

Sitting with some KP right now, I never, ever regret the extra steps of grabbin' the block, slicin' off a chunk (or my preferred way, peeling about 1/8" with the grain and making chunks with scissors), letting it dry for a bit, and stuffin' it in the pipe. The stuff is dense, and you can pack the bowl as little or as much as you like. Then, it's just a long, consistent, and blissful smoke.

8)

 

[Brewdude]

Hmmm....

My first encounter with KP was somewhat like the proverbial "shrug". Didn't find a lot going on, but frankly that could come down to many factors including and especially the prep method and young age of the plug.

I've put it away for a bit of down time and will re-visit in due course.



Cheers,

RR

 

[fishnrust]

Kyle, what are your thoughts on BBF. Rubbed out or foldnstuff? When I foldnstuff it, awesome smoke, sweet and earthy. When I rub it out, eh- bland, nothing special.

 

[tech2576]

Kyle, what are your thoughts on BBF. Rubbed out or foldnstuff? When I foldnstuff it, awesome smoke, sweet and earthy. When I rub it out, eh- bland, nothing special.

I have become quite a fan of BFF and fold and stuff all the way! :cheers:

 

[fishnrust]

Kyle, what are your thoughts on BBF. Rubbed out or foldnstuff? When I foldnstuff it, awesome smoke, sweet and earthy. When I rub it out, eh- bland, nothing special.

I have become quite a fan of BFF and fold and stuff all the way! :cheers:

Yep, too bad it took me half a mason jar to figure that one out.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

As a matter of fact, BBF is enjoyed by me BOTH ways. I have a pipe, my only blowfish (a Jirsa) that is the master of the fold'n'stuff. I also enjoy it broken up in a cob.

So, I am in both camps. 8)

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Based on this thread alone I went out and bought a 1 ounce sample of Kendal Plug...then I smoked it and went out an bought a whole bunch more. Then, because of the glowing light in which Kendal Plug is compared to BBF, I went out and got myself a small sample which happened to arrive last night. We'll see if it lives up to the expectation created by Kendal. If the weather - and the baby - cooperate, maybe even tonight.

 

[DustyRoundup]

Man, Kyle !

You sure are good at reviews!

I agree with everything you said , concerning both BBF and KP.

But , with my limited tastebuds, I cant taste all that you can. But, I do sort of , understand what you describe, by way of what I do taste , or what I get out of those two.

For me, my Gawith favorites get the top shelf in my cabinet.
theres FVF,BBF,KP, and CP (cannon plug) up there.
I tend to hide my absolute favorites at the back of the cabinet, and KP is back there. I think I do that subconsciously to keep my hands off of it, out of site out of mind. So I dont run out. ( I never have more than 4 oz's of anything on hand)

I find , that I dont worry if I run out of FVF, or BBF, or CP.

Last night, I had KP for my evenin smoke, and like you say, its easy to smoke, stays lit easy, and its tasty. Its kind of mellow for me , but not as mellow as BBF for me.

Ah heck, my reviews dont do tobaccos justice, but I just wanted to throw in , that I like my KP more than the others of that nature.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Go get some seltzer water, Dusty. :lol: That might wake up the taste buds a bit. (That's my big secret! Well, not really, but it's a recent re-discovery I'm intrigued by!)

As long as I like KP, I'm sure BBF is safe, as I hope is true to the reverse.