Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Kendal Gold Menthol

Kendal Gold is the umbrella name for the shag-cut tobacco family Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. produces in the town of Kendal in England's Lake District. The family's body is built from Brazilian- and Indian-origin, heat-cured light Virginia leaf; largely stripped of stem, it's cut into fine golden strands. The producer steams and softens the tobacco, cuts it, toasts it on a hot cylinder, and then applies the top flavoring — so the family's members are versions of the same body offered with different scents. Entry No. 22 in the series carries menthol over the Virginia body. Menthol leaves a cooling, lightly sharp sensation on the smoke; underneath, the leaf's herbal, hay, and light-lemon sweetness remains. A cherry-menthol version of the same body is also produced. The fine shag cut lights immediately and resists going out; since it burns fast, it calls for a slow tempo. Nicotine is measured.