Gawith vs. Gawith

[saltedplug]

I only had a sample of DF Scented, with, I think Rose Geranium. Heavenly! But like Lakeland Dark, it was one that got away. I wouldn't say, however, that was better than the Unscented. Equal? Certainly. Although I enjoyed scenting/topping at times, mostly I stayed away from tobacco with such additives, prerabably because the forum on which I grew uo had a marked preference for "natural" tobacco. I did what the elders did.

 

[jpberg]

I only had a sample of DF Scented, with, I think Rose Geranium. Heavenly! But like Lakeland Dark, it was one that got away. I wouldn't say, however, that was better than the Unscented. Equal? Certainly. Although I enjoyed scenting/topping at times, mostly I stayed away from tobacco with such additives, prerabably because the forum on which I grew uo had a marked preference for "natural" tobacco. I did what the elders did.

The RG Plug was damned expensive to procure, but I loved the flavor/power combination.
A singular tobacco that I wish were still available. Really, it’s about the only blend I “miss”.

 

[saltedplug]

I read there review by mongo on tobaccoreviews because while this is another tobacco I considered buying many times, I never did. Anyway had I done so and were I still smoking, I do believe I would a be member of those frustrated by its limited availability. Mongo says again and again that the tobacco reduces to VA sweetness and the formidable topping, but that getting it lit is a chore. Well, why not dry it, but then I hear him say "This stuff cannot be dried out" Well, then let it air en masse for a week or two and jar it.

I agree that the definitive comment about the room note, that it's like a Grateful Dead concert, which Mongo translates as incense, sounds heavenly. I am also attracted to such an incredibly dense plug. Once I bought a lb. or two of Cob Plug and was taken aback by receiving it in big bars. I had never seen tobacco rendered as such.

Well, I got to smoke my share of tobacco. But I do feel it time to start a list of the tobaccos that got away:

1. Lakeland Dark
2. RB Plug
(to be continued)

 

[ofafeather]

I read there review by mongo on tobaccoreviews because while this is another tobacco I considered buying many times, I never did. Anyway had I done so and were I still smoking, I do believe I would a be member of those frustrated by its limited availability. Mongo says again and again that the tobacco reduces to VA sweetness and the formidable topping, but that getting it lit is a chore. Well, why not dry it, but then I hear him say "This stuff cannot be dried out" Well, then let it air en masse for a week or two and jar it.

I agree that the definitive comment about the room note, that it's like a Grateful Dead concert, which Mongo translates as incense, sounds heavenly. I am also attracted to such an incredibly dense plug. Once I bought a lb. or two of Cob Plug and was taken aback by receiving it in big bars. I had never seen tobacco rendered as such.

Well, I got to smoke my share of tobacco. But I do feel it time to start a list of the tobaccos that got away:

1. Lakeland Dark
2. RB Plug
(to be continued)

I’m very intrigued by all the plugs that Synjeco has available, especially in the 250g blocks. The Dark Plug I got through Ken Byron Ventures was only 50g so ironically it is taller than wide. I hope that GH & SG becomes more steady in the US again and that they supply some of their more interesting offerings.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

I’m very intrigued by all the plugs that Synjeco has available, especially in the 250g blocks. The Dark Plug I got through Ken Byron Ventures was only 50g so ironically it is taller than wide. I hope that GH & SG becomes more steady in the US again and that they supply some of their more interesting offerings.

Highly doubtful that the situation in the US will improve any Lots of their “more interesting offerings” were available when Sheffield Exchange was the distributor for GH, but they never sold well in the US.

 

[ofafeather]

Highly doubtful that the situation in the US will improve any Lots of their “more interesting offerings” were available when Sheffield Exchange was the distributor for GH, but they never sold well in the US.

One can dream.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

One can dream.

One can also bite the bullet and order from Synjeco individually or in a group buy.

 

[mso489]

Google Gawith's One Big Happy Family After 150 Years, here in pipesmagazine by Kevin Godbee, Feb. 27, 2015. This informs this whole question. They are separate divisions doing their tradition blends but are part of one business.

My longstanding joke is that the phrase dysfunctional family is a redundancy.

 

[ofafeather]

If I order from Synjeco what would be your top 5-7 items to procure? I hear the items made for them by Gawith are interesting as well.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Yes I live in England. I've tried Westmorland Slices and really enjoyed it. I've always wondered why Gawith don't sell Westmorland and some of the Plugs in America. Maybe it's because they can't keep up with the demand for the stuff they sell already, without adding new blends?

Westmorland Slices are wonderful. I bought a sample in Edinburgh and ended up mail ordering from Europe when I came back to the USA.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Google Gawith's One Big Happy Family After 150 Years, here in pipesmagazine by Kevin Godbee, Feb. 27, 2015. This informs this whole question. They are separate divisions doing their tradition blends but are part of one business.

My longstanding joke is that the phrase dysfunctional family is a redundancy.

They aren’t as separate now as they were when that was written.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

If I order from Synjeco what would be your top 5-7 items to procure? I hear the items made for them by Gawith are interesting as well.

I have not ordered from Synjeco. @artvandelay007 could likely give you some suggestions. I find all I can say grace over in the blends available here. But that is subject to change.

 

[saltedplug]

I ordered from Synjeco a half-dozen times and was impressed by their professionalism.

 

[mso489]

The only thing more convoluted than the history of the English monarchy is the corporate histories of pipe and pipe tobacco companies.

 

[cigrmaster]

I am a fan of 4 SG blends Best Brown,Full Virginia and St James Flakes. I also enjoy Kendal Plug but smoke Best Brown much more often as it is a batch of 2006 and the plug is 2015, we will see in ten years if I smoke more of the plug.

I have no Gh product in my cellar, I tried a few
years ago and didn’t find them to my tastes. The proliferation of Gh smokers is an interesting phenomena that I believe began with the increase in social media, not really sure of the correlation but I think a lot of the demand is to be one of the cool kids. I do remember my first 15 years or so they were always available and were ridiculed by many. There was a hard core group of followers but never enough to give them supply issues, times have certainly changed.

 

[ofafeather]

I am a fan of 4 SG blends Best Brown,Full Virginia and St James Flakes. I also enjoy Kendal Plug but smoke Best Brown much more often as it is a batch of 2006 and the plug is 2015, we will see in ten years if I smoke more of the plug.

I have no Gh product in my cellar, I tried a few
years ago and didn’t find them to my tastes. The proliferation of Gh smokers is an interesting phenomena that I believe began with the increase in social media, not really sure of the correlation but I think a lot of the demand is to be one of the cool kids. I do remember my first 15 years or so they were always available and were ridiculed by many. There was a hard core group of followers but never enough to give them supply issues, times have certainly changed.

I started smoking pipe in 2000 and Gawith probably 2002-8. Supply wasn’t really an issue then and I tried a bunch of stuff. On the GH side Ennerdale, Brown Flake (or best brown #2) and Bobs Chocolate Flake we’re ones I really enjoyed. I never tried the scented versions of the standard items but did try some of the Lakeland heavy blends like Grasmere.

I wish I had some FVF to revisit. I smoked some then but, like so many others, found it fickle. I have quite a few tins of St James Flake and the Tavern Tobacco version - Laurel Flake, plus a few others. Plus some GH Curly Cut Deluxe from 2006.

I tried some SH ropes but found them, not so much strong as unpleasant and monochromatic. I don’t think I would have the same reaction today. I really enjoy brown flakes in general and, at the time, brown ales, too! Guess brown was my color ?. Smoking dark plug now and it’s pretty amazing. It’s a smallish bowl but am going on 3 hrs! And that was fairly dry and rubbed out on a windy day. It’s very smooth though, which I don’t remember from my earlier days smoking stronger Gawith blends like Bracken, 1792 or ropes.

Never really tried the shags or sliced Birdseye, etc.

 

[saltedplug]

I think I remember Dark Birdseye to be less strong but more complex than Dark Flake. Still I smoked a few pounds of it. Although no one was paying attention, I was drawn to DF for its strength and more monochromatic taste, and saluting to the "elders", somewhere, enlisted in the service of DF's power. I was uncomfortable that I had sacrificed power for complexity, as I was a discerning smoker who always preferred complexity, or so I had thought until the surpassing sturdiness of DF came along. Over the course of a years or two it won me over. Plus, it was flake, which I adored.

 

[64alex]

[If I order from Synjeco what would be your top 5-7 items to procure? I hear the items made for them by Gawith are interesting as well.]​

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Let me first answer your question about Synjeco blends made by Gawith. I have some of their ropes and they are wonderful, particularly the Grenodd rope and Holker twist. They are completely different from the SG-GH ropes, the one made for Synjeco are bright Virginia (and some with Perique) low in nic but great in taste, absolutely to be tried.​

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For the SG I would go with all plugs but the best for me are the FVP, St. James Plug, RB plug (which is a scented FVP) and Groosemoore plug (which is a scented kendall plug).​

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For the GH if you like lakelands you should definitely try Ennerdale (which I would consider the benchmark for lakelands) and Bob's Chocolate (more of a cross-over blend). I would also notably mention the Scotch flake (a bright virginia with actually more of a chocolate taste, even more than Bob's chocolate flake) and Cherry cream flake (another bright Virginia with a nice but not overpowering cherry taste)​

 

[64alex]

[If I order from Synjeco what would be your top 5-7 items to procure? I hear the items made for them by Gawith are interesting as well.]

One more I forgot to mention is the Revor plug, a strong Virginia/dark fired with tonquin scented in some way similar to the cob plug but with more Virginia ratio and so sweeter and little bit less strong and IMO a more balanced and better blend.

 

[ofafeather]

[If I order from Synjeco what would be your top 5-7 items to procure? I hear the items made for them by Gawith are interesting as well.]

One more I forgot to mention is the Revor plug, a strong Virginia/dark fired with tonquin scented in some way similar to the cob plug but with more Virginia ratio and so sweeter and little bit less strong and IMO a more balanced and better blend.

Thanks for your detailed response. Definitely gives me something to mull over. Ennerdale is definitely in my top 5 blends. It’s such a great smoke. I have 1 tin left but managed to pick up 11oz of bulk last week from a somewhat local B&M. I’ve heard great things about Revor so that is on the list.