Blender's description:
Manufactured from dark leaf 'whole leaf', rather than strips the mid rib (or stem) gives the "birds eye" effect. A strong smoke which was particularly favoured by the fishermen, as the finer cut mean the tobacco was easier to light and to keep in on board ship.
While I am not a stranger to the Lakeland tobaccos, most of what I've smoked has been the perfumed stuff. Dark Birdseye has none of the added scent allowing unadulterated exposure to these fabulous dark tobaccos.
The description says "strong smoke." Believe it. I have a pretty substantial tolerance for nicotine but I can feel the effects before I've smoked a third of the bowl. Dark Birdseye is best smoked on a full stomach.
The taste is out of this world. For some reason, pipe tobacco of this type hasn't seen a lot of popularity in America. This will be an unfamiliar experience for those who haven't tried Lakeland tobaccos. It comes on strong from first match and holds its dimensions of flavor throughout the bowl.
I pick up something along the lines of cedar wood with cigarish notes atop a body that is very earthy and full. The room note is probably not pleasant for others, but I pick up a lot of the fragrant nuances in the side stream smoke as I puff and the bowl smolders.
There is no tongue bite whatsoever. The strength of the blend deters a heavy smoking cadence anyway. The shag cut, also rare among pipe tobacco commonly smoked in the U.S. takes a bit of getting used to. This is a good candidate for the air pocket method of filling the pipe. You may also want to try it in a smaller bowl.
If you have smoked this, please leave your thoughts on this blend in the comments below.
3 Comments
I just ordered 2oz of this and am awaiting its arrival. I have tried shag cuts before and liked them very much and I’m sure this one will be great just like the other G&H blends I have tried.
I am a strictly English smoker, except for this blend which should speak volumes about its quality. The ONLY VA I smoke. Excellent stuff here!
This, in my opinion, is an excellent tobacco for those desiring a good, strong smoke. By that I mean strong in flavor. Darkly sweet, no bite and a room note that my wife says is not bad at all. The nicotine content doesn’t bother me at all though I suppose it could cause some people a problem if they are not used to a stout blend. I don’t know why people insist on calling this a “shag” cut when it is obviously a ribbon cut, almost a broad cut. Call it a “george cut” if you want, the tobacco is excellent no matter what you label the cut. Try it…but save some for me. You know what happened to Full Virginia Flake.