Three Cheers The Coniston Plug!

[tmb152]

Just broke open a can of my first Gawith & Hoggarth Coniston Cut Plug Unscented, and I'm surprised I don't hear more about this stuff! Doesn't anyone smoke this stuff? It is a beautiful, rich, rough cut tobacco with deep, dark brown and black dark fired elements. I fired some up last night in my London Club short, bent bulldog with a huge, squat bowl made of the loveliest briar; the pipe smokes like a dream and after drying the tobacco for a while, I lit her up.
What a smoky, rich tobacco; in short time I got quite a nice nic-hit, but the flavor and balance were out of this world, and with a spicy flavor and aroma that is hard to describe, but after a time I knew I was really enjoying it but wondered if it couldn't be like some of the Lakeland toppings I often hear such dread over?
It was a bit floral I suppose, but I never would think of it as being "soapy" unless someone used that word first. I lit the pipe many times smoking a bit and putting it down, and it just got better and better. I'm real glad I gave this stuff a try and am going to have to take a look at some other offerings like this with more of this wonderful dark-fired leaf.

 

[dottiewarden]

Your description makes my mouth water. As I've never tried a Lakeland it sounds as if I should put some Coniston Cut Plug Unscented on my next order.

 

[ericusrex]

It's awesome folks! I think of it as a combination of Mac B's ODF and Ennerdale...though the Lakeland is not as present as that combination may imply. Try it, you just may like it.

 

[pagan]

Guess I now have a reason to place another order :lol:

 

[mikestanley]

I didn't know they were tinning CCP. Good news. I don't often buy bulks but it is a

Good one for sure.

Mike S.

 

[pitchfork]

It's been a while since I smoked it, but if I remember rightly the predominant scent was musk. 8O

 

[pitchfork]

BTW, where did you find this in tins?

 

[tmb152]

I didn't know they were tinning CCP

No tins I know of. The can I spoke of was my own.

 

[beastinview]

This actually looks really good. I'll have to add this to my list! It looks like several people on P&C were freaking out about the Lakeland whiff, but I've never been able to detect it in GH's unscented offerings. I've come to conclude it really must just depend on the smoker, as people seem to have radically different reactions.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Beast, in my experience of Lakeland blends there are three levels of Lakeland topping strength, 'Severe' (as in Ennerdale, Grasmere etc), 'Medium' (as in many but not all unscented blends) and 'None' (as in Golden Glow, FVF, Curly Cut).
I have had so called unscented blends that were indeed unscented but others that had a light sprinkling of topping and Coniston Cut Plug unscented is one such blend. So when they refer to a blend as unscented one will never know whether it is or not until one tries it.
I hope this makes sense, 'tis a bit early in the day for me :?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[mcitinner1]

Jay's description of unscented Coni Plug, is mine also. A year ago I hated it because GH calls it "unscented", which is complete balderdash. Now I can smoke Mixture 79. (don't like it much, but I can smoke it) I will give the Coni another chance.

 

[ericusrex]

Had a pound in my cart during the last P&C 20% sale and it was OoS by the time I checked out...along with all the other great GH flakes! Finally this blending house is getting some traction!

 

[mawnansmiff]

By the way, the same applies to Bosun's Cut Plug unscented, there is a whiff of Lakeland essence on that too.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[hawky454]

Yup, just like Jay say, both Coniston and Bosun Cut Plug Unscenteded are indeed heavily scented but damn it if I don't love them anyway. I put pounds of each away. They are stellar blends just like everything else in GH&Co's lineup.
Another one that doesn't get much talk, #7 Broken Flake. Great stuff but also scented so you sissies should stay away.

 

[deathmetal]

Sounds delicious. I've only had the cut plug, which is dripping in that autoimmune-assault Lakeland "aroma."

 

[beastinview]

I've got some unscented coming my way now, so I'll have to see if I detect the Lakeland or not.

 

[hawky454]

^^^Oh you bet your bippy you're going to get some Lakeland flavor out of it... I don't understand their labeling blends "unscented" when they are in fact very heavily scented.

 

[deathmetal]

I don't understand their labeling blends "unscented" when they are in fact very heavily scented.

To troll Americans, no doubt. I don't get it either. Seems deceptive and hostile to the buyer. Then again, if the "scented" is only slightly worse, then we know that they have been spraying so much Lakeland around the place that they can no longer really tell the difference.

 

[beastinview]

I just read in another thread that some of the unscented G,H&Co flakes actually have descriptions that note their flavors. For example Bosun Cut Plug Unscented says:

Dark-fired Virginias and bright Virginias are combined and pressed with flavors of clove essence.

So it appears perhaps it's a topping vs. casing thing?
Whatever it is, the Coniston unscented certainly was scented in some form or fashion--very explicitly so. I never gotten a whiff of Lakeland from any of the GH ropes that I've smoked, so I'm not particular sensitive to it, but I'd say the Coniston was every bit as scented as Dark Flake Scented.
It was a good tobacco though--quite strong nicotine-wise, and the added aroma was floral--perhaps rose water and geranium oil.