Another few tobaccos to add to the growing collection in the space under the stairs. This time, two plug tobaccos and a rough cut blend.
I'll wax lyrically at a later date about the blend because today I want to, with great enthusiasm, introduce these plugs to you here.
I have wanted to try the plug form of tobacco for a while now but always seemed to buy something else, normally flake, instead. I regret now not getting around to them sooner. These are deep rich flavourful tobaccos that develop wonderfully as the bowl burns down.
First things first the tobaccos themselves and their respective packet descriptions;
Ilsteds own 'Virginia plug'
'This mellow plug contains Virginia tobaccos from Africa, Brazil and India. This mixture is pressed, heated and then stored for 14 days before being cut. A slight hint of a fruity flavor is added'
Peterson's Perfect Plug or 3 P's;
'This excellent plug tobacco comprises selected Virginia leaf from Africa and Brazil blended with Burley leaf from Malawi. The tobaccos are lightly cased before drying and pressing and then are heated and stored for 2 weeks before cutting. The result is a full bodied yet fruity blend, sure to appeal to the experienced pipesmoker.'
Now to my ravings, by the descriptions on the packaging you would think that these two plugs would be very similar but the only similarities are the use of high quality Virginia's and the pure pleasure derived from smoking either.
The 3p's is a deeper flavour, perhaps from the Burley, perhaps from the casing or perhaps from the method of processing, who knows?.
I watched a review about this plug on youtube at which the reviewer said all he could taste was strong Burley without any casing and it wasn't really his cup of tea. That didn't put me off as I like a good Burley blend like Solani Aged Burley or Mac Baren HH old dark fired so once I received my tin I tried a bowl straight away. At first I agreed with him, strong Burley forward but where I differed in opinion was in the fact that I could in fact taste both the casing and the Virginia's with the latter being rather dominated by the Burley. So I jarred it and moved on to the Ilsteds own Virginia plug from here on in to be known as 'IOvp' (We'll deal more with the IOvp in a minute).
I spent the next couple of days enjoying the IOvp and the other blend I had bought (HH Arcadian Perique). After those couple of days I thought I'd go back to the 3p's and smoke another bowl WOW WOW WOW!!! Three wow's for the 3 P's, what a difference a bit of air and 2 days made. The Burley now became a team player and the Virginia's stepped up to the plate. The casing was still a slight hint in the background as it should be. The natural flavours of the tobacco's are wonderfully brought out and the blending spot on, it is an excellent display of how a Virginia/Burley blend should be balanced. It burns slowly and coolly with the complexity and flavours deepening as the bowl burns down. When I reached the bottom of the bowl I found myself trying to eke just one more puff of smoke from the ashes as I wasn't ready to let it go. I am completely enamored in this plug and shoots right up to the number one or two spot with a question mark. I didn't mention the tin note, when the tin is opened, and the plastic bag inside encasing the plug, I was greeted with a beautiful smell of cocoa, Virginia deep hay and leathery Burley. Maybe hint of dark fruit there as well. The tobacco delivers on what the tin note promises.
9/10
Now to the Ilsteds own Virginia Plug;
This is Quality with a capital Q. A delicious blend of Virginias in a plug. It comes in a bag so the bag note is of deep dark chocolate and fresh mowed hay. These aromas aren't strong and I had to bury my nose in the bag to get them but nonetheless they are there and inviting.
This plug smokes a bit hotter than the 3p's so I had to be careful not to greedily puff away like steam train climbing the Andes. This plug grabs your attention straight away with the obvious quality Virginias with the lightest of casings. The out breath through the nose is pure delight as my olfactory senses went into euphoric overload. Although this is a bit lighter cased than the 3p's and doesn't contain Burley it only falls slightly behind in complexity but does what it was created to do and that is deliver flavourful Virginia taste. The smoke on both these plugs is very thick and billows out as you puff adding to the enjoyment as the aroma surrounds you. The burn on this plug is slightly better than the 3 p's with the latter needing a few relights and the IOvp only one or two. I find this plug to be different but of equal quality and enjoyment as the 3p's so therefore 9/10
