Review of GH Coniston Cut Plug – A Tale of Betrayal

[tschiraldi]

There’s a pain that comes with seeing somethin’ you loved—somethin’ you thought was timeless—get twisted into a shadow of itself. That pain hit me square in the gut with GH’s Coniston Cut Plug. What once was a masterpiece, a true gem among tobaccos, has been turned into somethin’ so far beneath its name it might as well be called somethin’ else entirely.

The Glory Days of Coniston Cut Plug:​

I remember the first time I laid eyes on it, felt its texture, and caught that aroma. It was like meetin’ an old-fashioned gentleman—refined, dignified, but carryin’ a touch of mystery. The scent was a perfect storm of old-school male cologne, rich and bold, drawin’ you in like the smell of leather and cedar in a fine shop. The texture? Rubbery but pleasant, like it was askin’ to be handled with care.

Then came the smoke itself—full-flavored and complex. On one hand, it had a rough edge: spicy, smoky, and earthy like a campfire on a cold night. On the other, it had a smoothness that felt like it was reachin’ for somethin’ higher. The floral notes danced with the smoky ones, and the room note—ah, the room note—took me straight to a church sermon, incense hangin’ heavy in the air, transportin’ you somewhere beyond yourself. It burned slow, lettin’ you savor every puff, every moment. It wasn’t just tobacco; it was an experience.

The Fall of a Giant:​

Fast forward to my second purchase. The first sign somethin’ was wrong? It didn’t even look the same. That rubbery texture I loved? Gone. The smell? Off. Close, maybe, but close ain’t good enough when you’re talkin’ about somethin’ this special. Spongy, they made it—soft in all the wrong ways, like it had been watered down in spirit and soul.

Then came the ultimate betrayal: the smoke. What used to be a symphony was now a dull hum. Flat, uninspired, like someone stripped all the beauty and left the bones. The room note? Forget it. Gone was that rich, incense-like aroma, replaced by somethin’ so mediocre I can barely even recall it.

A Rubbish Rebranding:​

I tried. Lord knows I tried to make peace with it, to find even a shadow of the old magic in this new imposter. But the more I smoked it, the more I realized this wasn’t Coniston Cut Plug—it was somethin’ else entirely, and it didn’t deserve the name. GH oughta be ashamed of themselves for takin’ somethin’ so beautiful, so unique, and turnin’ it into rubbish.

Final Thoughts:​

The old Coniston Cut Plug was my introduction to GH tobaccos, and I thought I’d found a companion for life. But they’ve destroyed it, and no amount of nostalgia or blind hope will bring it back. What’s left is a hollow imitation that does nothin’ but remind me of what’s been lost.

Call it somethin’ else, GH. You don’t deserve to call it Coniston Cut Plug anymore.

Damn, you made me hungry for it!

 

[condorlover1]

I have been consuming their products for years. In the absence of any startling and amazing substitute I will probably continue to buy their products. Several years ago @simong and I were sitting in my office smoking a few bowls of Gawith & Hogwarts products talking one evening after our epic NYC-Ohio marathon road trip to deal with the late Weezels tobacco hoard for his widow. We both agreed something had changed on the tobacco that G&H used in their offerings. You can see this in the plugs as the older stuff was quite shiny and very dense, in essence very difficult to pull apart. I suspect that the company is sourcing their tobacco from Eastern Europe as opposed to getting it from the former U.K African colonies which may account for the change in the flavor profile. Also with the addition of more scientific 'saucing' processes and the change over in staff this has resulted in a more uniform product starting from a different metric. It should be remembered that with the arrival of the FDA Vogon's everything must be standardized to satisfy the box tickers of the American and the EU bureaucracy before the average dreb on both sides of the pond is allowed to consume the stuff.

 

[seanv]

I am smoking a pipeful of 2021 Brown Flake Scented in an Altinay meer as I read this thread. I dried it for about 5 mins. The flakes are shiny and sparkly. I am convinced that GH is not perfect but the pipe smoking world is a better place with them in it.

 

[jpberg]

Well, I understand there’s plenty of variables that can shift the flavor of a tobacco—weather, crops, soil, and all that—and those are things the manufacturer can’t do a thing about. It’d be unfair to hold ‘em accountable for nature’s whims. But then there’s the other side of things, the parts they do control.

Take the density of a flake, for instance. Whether it’s properly pressed into a good, dense sheet or broken up into loose little bits and scraps—that’s all on the manufacturer. Or think about a twist. A proper twist oughta be sturdy as a rock, packed so tight it takes a fair bit of effort just to prepare. When that same twist turns soft and spongy, smokes too easy, and loses all that rich, bold flavor—well, you can’t tell me that’s just the weather talkin’. That’s a choice, plain and simple.

As a payin’ customer, I reckon I’ve got every right to expect quality, and if I don’t find it, I’m gonna say so. Not to stir up trouble, but because feedback matters. Maybe, just maybe, if enough folks speak their piece, they’ll reconsider and get back to their old ways. Because the way I see it, tradition’s worth holdin’ onto—especially when it comes to somethin’ as fine as tobacco.

I think you’re a semi clever troll.

 

[Whenry]

I think you’re a semi clever troll.

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion including you

 

[telescopes]

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion including you

What is not opinion are the specific observation facts that @sablebrush52, @condorlover1, and others have pointed out about the product that comes from Gawith and Hoggarth. It's interesting that you used the word entitled.

As a payin’ customer, I reckon I’ve got every right to expect quality, and if I don’t find it, I’m gonna say so. Not to stir up trouble, but because feedback matters. Maybe, just maybe, if enough folks speak their piece, they’ll reconsider and get back to their old ways. Because the way I see it, tradition’s worth holdin’ onto—especially when it comes to somethin’ as fine as tobacco.

Gawith makes tobacco the old fashioned way. With old people and older machines. To the extent that they can and do try to hold on to some semblance of quality controls that are being required of them by governments, the products they put out are still reflective of .... what did you call it... tradition. Nothing else can be added to what has already been said. Gawith has responded on other threads and they are well aware of what the complaints are. If they were to to respond, one can only imagine the response would be one less tobacco supplier for pipe smokers.

 

[jpberg]

It gets more boring everytime we read it.

 

[Sobrbiker]

It was like meetin’ an old-fashioned gentleman—refined, dignified, but carryin’ a touch of mystery. The scent was a perfect storm of old-school male cologne, rich and bold, drawin’ you in like the smell of leather and cedar in a fine shop. The texture? Rubbery but pleasant, like it was askin’ to be handled with care.

Sounds like the old guy/young man awkwardly homoerotic advert that was considered for STP’s War Horse

I never understood putting writings like these in reviews.

 

[jpberg]

Sounds like the old guy/young man awkwardly homoerotic advert that was considered for STP’s War Horse

I never understood putting writings like these in reviews.

You never understood puttin writins like this in reviews?
Years ago when MLC was writing authoritatively of interesting topics, it was somewhat agreeable.

 

[georged]

I think you’re a semi clever troll.

Aye Cap'n! Arrrrrr! (and all that sorta shite)

Sum of us gotta do the written version of look-at-me Influencer Selfies on these old school forums, right?

I'll run on for pages and pages for a couple weeks about stuff, then disappear without a trace, right?

And since it'll come down to me callin' you a pussy before it's over I'll just do it now and get that out of the way:

Yer a pussy, berg. You got that?

Put THAT in your (tiny) pipe and smoke it, OK???

Arrrrrr! Alrighty then. (and all that sorta shite)

 

[Sobrbiker]

You never understood puttin writins like this in reviews?
Years ago when MLC was writing authoritatively of interesting topics, it was somewhat agreeable.

I’m relatively new, forgive me. I’m fond of more objective descriptions, and nothing about Coniston Cut Plug has made me think fondly of interesting older gentlemen and their cologne in an attractive way.


I really think the the change in GH&Co’s offerings may have come with the elimination of the sweat and tears from Malawin child labor…

 

[jpberg]

I’m relatively new, forgive me. I’m fond of more objective descriptions, and nothing about Coniston Cut Plug has made me think fondly of interesting older gentlemen and their cologne in an attractive way.


I really think the the change in GH&Co’s offerings may have come with the elimination of the sweat and tears from Malawin child labor…

Then obviously morale has improved too much.

 

[Whenry]

What is not opinion are the specific observation facts that @sablebrush52, @condorlover1, and others have pointed out about the product that comes from Gawith and Hoggarth. It's interesting that you used the word entitled.

Gawith makes tobacco the old fashioned way. With old people and older machines. To the extent that they can and do try to hold on to some semblance of quality controls that are being required of them by governments, the products they put out are still reflective of .... what did you call it... tradition. Nothing else can be added to what has already been said. Gawith has responded on other threads and they are well aware of what the complaints are. If they were to to respond, one can only imagine the response would be one less tobacco supplier for pipe smokers.

Well now, ain't that somethin'. First off, I reckon anyone claimin' that "opposin’ views" are facts don’t understand the first thing about facts to begin with. Opinions ain’t facts, no matter how loud you holler ‘em. Fact’s a thing you can prove, not just somethin’ you feel strong about. And as for Gawith doin' things the "old-fashioned way with old people and old machines"—well, that sounds like a bit of a romantic tale, but it don’t hold much water when you start pokin’ holes in it.

If they’re stickin’ to old-fashioned methods, then why do so many folks notice a shift in quality? You think that’s just imaginations runnin’ wild? Or maybe—just maybe—they’ve cut some corners to keep up with demand or meet government rules, whether they want to admit it or not. Hell, ain’t nobody sayin’ they gotta work miracles, but don’t come at me with this nonsense that Gawith’s above reproach just because they’ve been at it a long time.

And that supposed "response" from Gawith, where they’d rather shut down than hear feedback? If that’s true, that’s a damn shame, but I don’t think much of it either way. You’re tellin’ me a company that’s been servin’ pipe smokers for generations can’t handle a few complaints without foldin’? Sounds like a bluff or a sorry excuse to avoid takin’ responsibility.

See, this ain’t about bashin’ Gawith or runnin’ ‘em out of business—it’s about callin’ for a little accountability. Folks are loyal to Gawith because of the legacy, the history, the quality. But when that quality starts to slip, people have a right to speak up. If they can’t handle hearin’ it, well, maybe they ain’t as old-fashioned as they claim—‘cause the old-timers I knew took pride in doin’ things right and listenin’ to the folks who kept their business alive.

 

[jpberg]

Please stop. You’re not doing it right.

 

[jpberg]

Did Rachel hurt your feelings on Reddit?

 

[B.Fee]

Somebody's mommy refused to Breast feed them. I just can't figure out who.

 

[jpberg]

Somebody's mommy refused to Breast feed them. I just can't figure out who.

She told me it would make me bitter.

 

[MisterBadger]

Well now, ain't that somethin'. First off, I reckon anyone claimin' that "opposin’ views" are facts don’t understand the first thing about facts to begin with. Opinions ain’t facts, no matter how loud you holler ‘em. Fact’s a thing you can prove, not just somethin’ you feel strong about. And as for Gawith doin' things the "old-fashioned way with old people and old machines"—well, that sounds like a bit of a romantic tale, but it don’t hold much water when you start pokin’ holes in it.

If they’re stickin’ to old-fashioned methods, then why do so many folks notice a shift in quality? You think that’s just imaginations runnin’ wild? Or maybe—just maybe—they’ve cut some corners to keep up with demand or meet government rules, whether they want to admit it or not. Hell, ain’t nobody sayin’ they gotta work miracles, but don’t come at me with this nonsense that Gawith’s above reproach just because they’ve been at it a long time.

And that supposed "response" from Gawith, where they’d rather shut down than hear feedback? If that’s true, that’s a damn shame, but I don’t think much of it either way. You’re tellin’ me a company that’s been servin’ pipe smokers for generations can’t handle a few complaints without foldin’? Sounds like a bluff or a sorry excuse to avoid takin’ responsibility.

See, this ain’t about bashin’ Gawith or runnin’ ‘em out of business—it’s about callin’ for a little accountability. Folks are loyal to Gawith because of the legacy, the history, the quality. But when that quality starts to slip, people have a right to speak up. If they can’t handle hearin’ it, well, maybe they ain’t as old-fashioned as they claim—‘cause the old-timers I knew took pride in doin’ things right and listenin’ to the folks who kept their business alive.

Firstly, a consensus of opinion - not that there is a consensus, just a body of opinion that you cite here - is only a fact in itself, not that the opinion is factual. It is subjective.

Secondly, a change in quality, as has already been said, does not necessarily mean from good to bad. That's subjective, too. Some may prefer the change.

Thirdly, memory is selective. Summers were longer when I was a kid. Politicians were less dishonest. Chocolate bars were bigger and tasted better. People took pride in their work. Young people mumble and no longer speak clearly. My cat thinks mice run faster than they used to when she was young, too.

Fourthly, one's palate and one's metabolism change. What pleased me 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago may not do it for me now.

Fifthly, tobacco changes with age, just like we do. It would be irrational to compare a tobacco that was made 10 years ago and has been aged that long, with one made a couple of months back, even though exactly the same leaves were used in exactly the same proportion and process.

Where is the accountability in all that? As Heraclitus of Ephesus said, everything is in constant flux and change, and nothing remains the same - not the experiencer, nor the thing that is experienced.

 

[didimauw]

 

[tschiraldi]

I love SG and G&H, then and now! He did make me want to smoke some, though, lmao! Oh, and it was wonderful!