Red Virginia plug.
I can’t say it’s complex, but it is very good. Tang, fermented maltiness, and breadiness like you would expect. The sweetness is always there, but a bit subdued. There’s some fruitiness, too, but dried fruit that’s in the background and not very bright. In the second half of the bowl a brown sugar taste becomes noticeable, which contrasts nicely with the fermented flavor.
There’s a surprising burley-like edge/spiciness to it that I feel in the back of my throat and on the retrohale. FWIW, to me it’s a plus as it adds a bit of zest. Because of that edge, this reminds more of CRF than it does of CC.
There’s no bite, and is very tolerant of over puffing. A lot of TR reviews mentions difficulty in getting it lit and staying lit. I had the opposite experience. Out of the pouch it was fairly dry. With a rough cube cut and ~ 40 minutes of dry time, it lit very easily and stayed that way with minimal relights.
It’s kind of hard to believe that KBV makes (or has made) 4 different red Virginia plugs. This lacks the vinegar in Byronic Hiro (which is probably a good thing), but isn’t nearly as sweet and fruity. Somewhere in another forum I saw Ken post about dipping JS in rum, which I’ll definitely be trying. That being said, it’s plenty good on its own. I have yet to try Tavern Bar or Kraken Plug (BH with rum), so I can’t make any comparisons to those.
I can’t say it’s complex, but it is very good. Tang, fermented maltiness, and breadiness like you would expect. The sweetness is always there, but a bit subdued. There’s some fruitiness, too, but dried fruit that’s in the background and not very bright. In the second half of the bowl a brown sugar taste becomes noticeable, which contrasts nicely with the fermented flavor.
There’s a surprising burley-like edge/spiciness to it that I feel in the back of my throat and on the retrohale. FWIW, to me it’s a plus as it adds a bit of zest. Because of that edge, this reminds more of CRF than it does of CC.
There’s no bite, and is very tolerant of over puffing. A lot of TR reviews mentions difficulty in getting it lit and staying lit. I had the opposite experience. Out of the pouch it was fairly dry. With a rough cube cut and ~ 40 minutes of dry time, it lit very easily and stayed that way with minimal relights.
It’s kind of hard to believe that KBV makes (or has made) 4 different red Virginia plugs. This lacks the vinegar in Byronic Hiro (which is probably a good thing), but isn’t nearly as sweet and fruity. Somewhere in another forum I saw Ken post about dipping JS in rum, which I’ll definitely be trying. That being said, it’s plenty good on its own. I have yet to try Tavern Bar or Kraken Plug (BH with rum), so I can’t make any comparisons to those.
