Notes: This is also called Kendal Plug, so it's the same description as Best Brown Flake: A firm favourite for the pipe smoker looking for a medium strength, gentle and slow burning tobacco. Manufactured using hand-stripped flue cured Virginias with no flavours added, Best Brown will reward with a cool, sweet smoke with a delectable aroma and good side stream. Mild to medium.
It’s very much like the flake version: A mildly creamy, mellow straight Virginia flake with a lot of tangy dark fruit, some tart and tangy citrus, mild hay and grass, plenty of wood, earth, a light floralness, some vegetation (more than in the flake version), hints of bread, spice, sugar, and dried figs. The strength is a step past the center of mild to medium, while the taste is a rung past that. The nic-hit is as potent as the strength level. Has a few rough edges. Needs a little dry time, but it’s easy to break apart and burns very slow, cool, clean, and dry with no bite or harshness. Has a very consistent flavor all the way through. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires a little more than the average number of relights. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke.
The difference between the flake and the plug is that the sweetness of the plug has a mild fermented quality due to the pressing, which very, very slightly dims the descriptives I mentioned in the first paragraph. The plug has a mildly more rounded taste as well, and perhaps the nic-hit is a shade more noticeable.
I concour with jiminks on this, the advantage over the flake (if you don't mind a little work) is that unlike the flake, which can loose a little taste and flavour if left in the tin, something I rarely do, is that it requires no drying and and the taste and flavour is fresh every time. Sam Gawith has made me a convert to their plugs. Superb.
Individual reviews are the opinion(s) of the contributor and do not reflect the opinion(s)
of STC Holdings LLC. Published review content of this website is considered the
copyright intellectual property of the reviewer and STC Holdings LLC and may not be
reproduced in any manner without the expressed written consent of STC Holdings LLC.