Merlin Cut Plug

No. 090 Merlin Cut Plug is one of the numbered blends of the Hamburg-based house Gerd Jansens Pfeifendepot, produced by KOPP Tobaccos. It is built from hand-selected Brazilian and African Virginias combined with fire-cured Kentucky and Perique; the block coming out of the press is sliced and sold as flake, though the maker describes the cut as flake.

On the maker's scale, strength is rated four out of five; it carries no flavoring, giving it a natural character. Kentucky lays down a smoky, earthy base, Perique brings a dark fruit and spice dimension, and Virginia carries the sweet side. It suits smokers on the Virginia-Perique axis looking for an all-day smoke with above-average nicotine strength. It comes in 50 gram and 500 gram bulk packages.