I recently reviewed GH’s shag cut Kendal Kentucky and Dark Birdseye, and hawky recommended I give Kendal Dark a go as well. I ended up ordering the vanilla version just to spice things up a bit. I figured it’d be interesting to see what 1-Q would have been like if old Gawith and Hoggarth blended it instead of Lane.
Tin Note / Preparation:
In appearance this is identical to the other G&H shag cuts I’ve tried, Kendal Kentucky and Dark Birdseye. The smell in the jar is similar, though one can certainly detect a subtle vanilla top note that is absent in the others. (Throughout this review, I’ll continue contrasting and comparing this tobacco with the other robust shag cut offerings from GH, so if you’d like to read that review, you may do so here.)
Kendal Kentucky and Dark Birsdeye, though moist, smoked perfectly out of the bag for me—it seems the moisture tames the shag cut, which generally burns a bit too fast for me. The first time I tried to smoke the Kendal Vanilla, however, it didn’t burn as well as the other two, so I tried drying it out a bit more, which works. I think perhaps the added vanilla makes it moist in a way that hampers the burn more than the KK and DB.
Smoke:
After a little drying, it smokes well. It is a bit more of a balancing act than the Kendal Kentucky and Dark Birdseye—smoke it too fast and I get a harsh taste from it that I more associate with a strong burley. This is a classic British sort of aromatic where the topping is quite mild, similar to the G&H ropes. During the smoke, there is a discernable sweetness, but it doesn’t dominate.
This was a pleasant smoke, but I didn’t find it quite as pleasing as the Dark Birdseye. There is a deepness and sweetness to the Birsdeye that I don’t get in the Kendal Dark and Kendal Kentucky who have a brasher, more Burley-esque attitude about them. It’s interesting that the Dark Birdseye actually seems sweeter to me than this, even though this has a vanilla topping.
The overall taste is the dark Virginia leaf that I love in Gawith blends, but with a more dark-fired, smoky taste. I don't think this actually has any Burley in it, despite what some sites report, but I can see why they might assume it. The African Virginia leaf is already a different animal than your standard Virginia, and when fire-cured like this feels a bit closer to Dark-Fired Kentucky than what we generally associate with a Virginia.
Nicotine level:
As expected, this was strong.
In Summary:
This is a great smoke, and I quite like it, but I probably won’t purchase it or the Kendal Kentucky again simply because I prefer the Dark Birdseye. That said, I don’t presume that everyone has my palate.
For those who like the robust strength of SG and G,H, &Co offerings, but don’t like the hassle of a flake or a twist, I’d recommend buying a few ounces of the Kendal Dark, Kendal Kentucky, and Dark Birsdeye, and seeing which one you like best. Dark Birdseye seems (perhaps paradoxically) the strongest (nicotine-wise) and the sweetest of the three, with Kendal Dark on the more daring, fire-cured end, and Kendal Kentucky in the middle.
These shag cut offerings have really spoiled me. Though I love the SG and GH ropes dearly, they now seem finicky by comparison!
Tin Note / Preparation:
In appearance this is identical to the other G&H shag cuts I’ve tried, Kendal Kentucky and Dark Birdseye. The smell in the jar is similar, though one can certainly detect a subtle vanilla top note that is absent in the others. (Throughout this review, I’ll continue contrasting and comparing this tobacco with the other robust shag cut offerings from GH, so if you’d like to read that review, you may do so here.)
Kendal Kentucky and Dark Birsdeye, though moist, smoked perfectly out of the bag for me—it seems the moisture tames the shag cut, which generally burns a bit too fast for me. The first time I tried to smoke the Kendal Vanilla, however, it didn’t burn as well as the other two, so I tried drying it out a bit more, which works. I think perhaps the added vanilla makes it moist in a way that hampers the burn more than the KK and DB.
Smoke:
After a little drying, it smokes well. It is a bit more of a balancing act than the Kendal Kentucky and Dark Birdseye—smoke it too fast and I get a harsh taste from it that I more associate with a strong burley. This is a classic British sort of aromatic where the topping is quite mild, similar to the G&H ropes. During the smoke, there is a discernable sweetness, but it doesn’t dominate.
This was a pleasant smoke, but I didn’t find it quite as pleasing as the Dark Birdseye. There is a deepness and sweetness to the Birsdeye that I don’t get in the Kendal Dark and Kendal Kentucky who have a brasher, more Burley-esque attitude about them. It’s interesting that the Dark Birdseye actually seems sweeter to me than this, even though this has a vanilla topping.
The overall taste is the dark Virginia leaf that I love in Gawith blends, but with a more dark-fired, smoky taste. I don't think this actually has any Burley in it, despite what some sites report, but I can see why they might assume it. The African Virginia leaf is already a different animal than your standard Virginia, and when fire-cured like this feels a bit closer to Dark-Fired Kentucky than what we generally associate with a Virginia.
Nicotine level:
As expected, this was strong.
In Summary:
This is a great smoke, and I quite like it, but I probably won’t purchase it or the Kendal Kentucky again simply because I prefer the Dark Birdseye. That said, I don’t presume that everyone has my palate.
For those who like the robust strength of SG and G,H, &Co offerings, but don’t like the hassle of a flake or a twist, I’d recommend buying a few ounces of the Kendal Dark, Kendal Kentucky, and Dark Birsdeye, and seeing which one you like best. Dark Birdseye seems (perhaps paradoxically) the strongest (nicotine-wise) and the sweetest of the three, with Kendal Dark on the more daring, fire-cured end, and Kendal Kentucky in the middle.
These shag cut offerings have really spoiled me. Though I love the SG and GH ropes dearly, they now seem finicky by comparison!
