PD:
I've never used the SamGaw stuff, although I suspect it's the same darkweed they use in their
Perfection blend, which was favorite of mine in bygone years. If so, the TR.com description seems accurate. Those qualities certainly would make it compatible with what I remember about
Perfection.
I'm not familiar with GawHogg "Black Cavendish CC Blending", although the description looks interesting. All the sources I could immediately find in a DuckDuckGo search are in the U.K., which makes it pricey stuff.
I've been using something called GawHogg DVC ("Dark Virginia Cavendish") for years. It's not at all like the typical stuff they call "black Cavendish" here in the U.S., which is usually code for some heavily vanilla-sauced Burleyweed. I used to buy it from Mars Cigars...
http://www.marscigars.com/gh-dvc.aspx
...although the stuff I bought didn't used to say anything about "light chocolate flavor", so I'm not sure that the link above is for the same weed that I have. The Mars label on my stuff just says "G&H D.V.C." (even though there's no "and" in Gawith, Hoggarth..."). If I were going to re-order, I'd first send an email to Mike at Mars and ask him to confirm that the "G&H D.V.C." I was buying from him 10 to 12 years ago is the same stuff he's selling now.
If it is, I'd ignore the "chocolate flavor" descriptor. I have never detected anything that I would call "chocolate", either in the jar or the pipe. If anything, it might have a slight vanilla note (...but then, vanilla flavoring is frequently used to flavor chocolate).
Hmmm...now I'm wondering whether the stuff I have might be this:
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/9752/gawith-hoggarth-co-dvc-un-scented
The TR.com description doesn't do much justice to the weed. It's not what I would call a "ribbon cut". It's really more of a "wild cut" thang, with ribbons and flakes and chunks and strips.
Anyhow, the stuff I have is indeed a bit smokey, naturally sweet (it's Ginnyweed, after all, not Burley), and much drier than any 'Merican weedage called "black Cavendish". It's quite mild, strength-wise, but it doesn't skimp on tobacco flavor. It's mellow and fragrant, and definitely not the kind of dark, squishy, sauceweed that is usually called black Cavendish. It's a nice smoke on its own, although when it's young it's not the world's most complex smoke. I've used it with great success in a few of
Dr. Vito's Extra Twisted Mind blends.
I like your idea of rummifying it. In fact, I might try it in my next "Rum & Maple" experiment!
Your post piqued my curiosity, so I rummaged through my cellar and found a jar of it, which has probably been sitting unmolested for 9 or 10 years. I cracked open the jar and took a whiff. I was immediately treated to a toned-down version of the same kind of fruitiness that you'd expect from any aged Ginnyweed, which is a good indication that the steam processing GawHogg uses hasn't cooked the life out of the weed.
Anyhow, owing to its age, the stuff I have is not representative of whatever you'd buy new now. If I were going to try it in a blend, I'd order some fresh stuff.
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